With over 4.8 GW of projects in the pipeline, utilities will be the largest group of photovoltaic (PV) project developers in the US over the next three to five years – marking a deviation from their previously limited role. Utility demand for PV in states with RPS, solar carve‐outs, and local requirements will carry the US market forward until costs become more competitive for broader deployment.
In stepping up their PV activities via power purchase agreements and ownership initiatives in 33 states, utilities are using the opportunity to evaluate PV’s role in their longer‐term generation mixes. Access to the federal investment tax credit (ITC) and stimulus funds has also emboldened utilities to deploy PV. Furthermore, utility strategies come at a lower risk as they seek public utility commission approval for rate‐based projects.
EER’s new study, US Utility Solar PV Markets and Strategies: 2009–2020, provides extensive analysis of US utility strategies in PV. Following are just a few of the key trends addressed in EER’s new solar market study:
See full Press Release, in pdf format.
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