Following the overwhelming passage of SB 188, bipartisan laws that will create a Solar Shares program, the Montana Renewable Power Affiliation (MREA) and the Coalition for Neighborhood Photo voltaic Entry (CCSA) collectively issued a letter committing to work hand-in-hand with regulators and lawmakers to place limits on a program that may ship native vitality, financial advantages and reliability for Montana households and companies.
The letter, despatched this week to the Montana Public Providers Fee, highlights the trade’s robust voluntary dedication to place particular parameters on the Photo voltaic Shares program that match the distinctive wants of Montana and that are primarily based on suggestions acquired all through the legislative course of. In keeping with the letter, the trade will advocate for the next proactive commitments:
- Invoice credit which might be primarily based on grid worth solely;
- Utilities needs to be compensated for distribution service prices to make sure they’re compensated for present infrastructure;
- Builders pays all interconnection prices and system upgrades which might be wanted to interconnect services; and
- Cap the dimensions of this system at a goal 100 MW over the subsequent three years to make sure managed progress.
“As said in our letter, we’re dedicated to working with all stakeholders to do what’s finest for Montanans: increasing entry to inexpensive, regionally generated vitality,” mentioned Jeff Cramer, CEO and President of CCSA. “By offering these commitments to the Fee, we’re including one other layer of safety for the state to derisk and construct upon what’s already a powerful, bipartisan piece of laws, and encourage the Governor to signal it into regulation.”
The Photo voltaic Shares program, lately accredited by the Montana Legislature by means of SB 188 with robust bipartisan help, displays rising demand for regionally generated, inexpensive vitality. With overwhelming votes in each chambers, the invoice affirms Montanans’ want for sensible, cost-effective options that profit households, small companies and communities throughout the state.
“Photo voltaic Shares is a Montana-grown vitality answer that may present energy regionally, hold transmission prices down, and enhance our grid reliability with none state subsidies,” mentioned Brad Van Wert, President of MREA. “A professional-small enterprise Governor and state would profit immensely from this program.”
The Photo voltaic Shares program, if capped at 100 MW for the primary three years, is projected to generate $280 million in financial influence, 1,200 native jobs and supply direct financial savings to a wide selection of households and small companies throughout the state. Moreover, these initiatives could possibly be paired with localized storage to clean out intermittency, guarantee steady energy supply throughout peak demand durations and in variable climate circumstances.
The invoice is now on Gov. Greg Gianforte’s desk.
Information merchandise from the Coalition for Neighborhood Photo voltaic Entry (CCSA)
