Energy and Climate Change

Solar advocates continue to advance a ballot initiative that would restore Nevada’s retail-rate net metering policy, despite legal challenges from a utility-backed political group.

Legislators in Maine have introduced a novel solar policy that could boost solar capacity in the state and offer a viable alternative to net energy metering, a policy at the center of several state-level political battles.

In the US, rural areas and constituencies have typically weighed against progress on clean energy. But that may be changing.

It’s a move that will simultaneously cool off China’s over-supply of dirty coal and help tackle the country’s air pollution crisis — with even deeper cuts to come.

"The market motivator is energy reduction, and the motivator for integration into rooftop design is a reduction of material costs and in building heating costs," Coyle said. "That way we can have it all done in one."

"As far as most of us are concerned, it’s already happening and we’re trying to figure out how to make money with what’s already happening and stay in business."

"It should pay for itself within 20-23 years. That’s if the rates don’t go up," Rowley said. "So we’re kind of paying for tomorrow’s power at today’s rates in a climate-friendly way."

It could happen a lot more quickly and efficiently if leaders look beyond just electricity.

Many of the states with net metering laws have no limit on how many megawatts can be accommodated, and that’s where solar advocates would like to see New Hampshire go.

History will not be kind.