Bills aim to boost solar in Nevada

There is new hope for rooftop solar in Nevada, a proposal for a more ambitious renewable portfolio standard (RPS), and a call for the establishment of a community solar programme.

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) discusses in a post on Wednesday three bills moving through the legislature. It noted that there are still complications to work through, but the enactment if these three would mean that "Nevada could be reclaiming its rightful place as one of the top solar states in America".

AB 405 aims to return the state to its previous net metering policy with a “Net Metering Adjustment Charge”. This will come as a reversal of a 2015 decision that hit hard the residential solar sector and led to the loss of many jobs in the state. The bill also has provisions for Consumer Protections, as well as a “Bill of Rights” for solar customers, SEIA noted.

AB 206 would raise Nevada’s RPS to 50% by 2030 and to 80% by 2040. Currently, the state utilities aim at 25% by 2025, under a plan devised over 20 years ago. The expansion of utility-scale solar remains strong, and the segment was responsible for almost all of the 980 MW of capacity additions in 2016.

Last but not least comes SB 392, whose goal is to allow all residents to go solar, even if they cannot choose rooftop solar. The bill envisages the establishment of a statewide community solar programme.

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