The Business Council estimates that one version of the legislation would cost $30 billion over the life of the program and argues that solar technologies are still too expensive to be cost effective. The Business Council also argues that electricity in the state is already too expensive, especially since electric bills already include state surcharges that support other renewable energy subsidies and subsidies for energy research programs.
Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity is now partially powered by the sun, thanks to Green Mountain Energy Company and its customers. Green Mountain, Texas’ first competitive retail electric provider to offer cleaner energy, donated $140,000 through its Sun ClubTM to Dallas Habitat to fund its first solar array system. The new 47.52 kilowatt (kW) solar panel system is mounted on Dallas Area Habitat’s roof and will help reduce the building’s energy use and carbon footprint, as well as educate visitors about the benefits of solar energy.
The coalition believes that creating a system of tradeable solar energy credits, which utilities like National Grid would be required to purchase, could spur the construction of 5,000 megawatts of solar electric generation in the state, which currently has only 100 megawatts. The credits would be tied to each megawatt hour of solar generation, providing an incentive for developers to build large solar farms or for businesses to build large solar arrays on their roofs. Utilities would likely seek regulatory approval to pass the additional costs along to ratepayers.
Other states such as New Jersey that have such trading systems have seen an explosion of solar development, coalition members say, and with it the “supply chain” of vendors, installers and even manufacturing.
Green Mountain funded Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity’s new solar array through its Sun ClubTM, a unique program in which Green Mountain’s Texas customers can choose to support solar energy installations in Texas by contributing an additional $5 on their monthly Green Mountain Energy(R) electricity bill (for information, visit http://www.gmsunclub.com). The Sun Club’s mission is to fund, build and promote solar power in Texas while assisting organizations with a socially responsible focus to reduce their environmental footprint. This is Green Mountain’s 33rd solar installation through the Sun Club since 2002 when the program was launched.
SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Jan 23, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Solar3D, Inc.
/quotes/zigman/624673 SLTD
-18.18%
the developer of a breakthrough 3-dimensional
solar cell technology to maximize the conversion of sunlight into
electricity, today explained how its breakthrough 3-dimensional solar
cell technology will create new solar market opportunities by changing
the economics of solar energy to enable many new cost-effective
applications.