Report: Utilities with the Most Solar Power are Still Adding the Most
EERE Network News - June 4, 2009 -
Although the use of solar power is gaining a more diverse
> following among U.S. electric utilities, the utilities that installed
> the most solar power in the past continue to lead the nation in
> installing new solar power capacity. That's the conclusion of the
> latest solar rankings of utilities, which was released last week by
> the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA).
> The organization's "2008 Top Ten Utility Solar Integration Rankings"
> report
> draws on survey reports from 92 U.S. utilities, but the 10 utilities
> that installed the most solar power accounted for 88% of all the new
> solar power capacity. That's actually an improvement in diversity, as
> the top 10 utilities previously accounted for 97% of the new solar
> capacity.
>
> California utilities lead the pack, with the Pacific Gas &
> Electric Company (PG&E) installing 84.9 megawatts of solar power
> capacity in 2008, while Southern California Edison (SCE) has the most
> cumulative installed capacity, at 441.4 megawatts. SCE leads mainly
> because of its large concentrating solar power (CSP) plants in the
> Mojave Desert. Looking only at customer-located systems, PG&E holds
> the lead with 219.1 megawatts.
> SEPA
> notes that the growth in solar power capacity in 2008 came almost
> entirely from thousands of customer-located projects, as opposed to
> central power plants, but the organization sees a growing role for
> centralized plants in the future. One example of that new trend is NV
> Energy's third-place position for cumulative solar power, thanks to
> its launch of the 64-MW "Nevada Solar One" CSP project in 2007.
>
Although the use of solar power is gaining a more diverse
> following among U.S. electric utilities, the utilities that installed
> the most solar power in the past continue to lead the nation in
> installing new solar power capacity. That's the conclusion of the
> latest solar rankings of utilities, which was released last week by
> the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA).
> The organization's "2008 Top Ten Utility Solar Integration Rankings"
> report
> draws on survey reports from 92 U.S. utilities, but the 10 utilities
> that installed the most solar power accounted for 88% of all the new
> solar power capacity. That's actually an improvement in diversity, as
> the top 10 utilities previously accounted for 97% of the new solar
> capacity.
>
> California utilities lead the pack, with the Pacific Gas &
> Electric Company (PG&E) installing 84.9 megawatts of solar power
> capacity in 2008, while Southern California Edison (SCE) has the most
> cumulative installed capacity, at 441.4 megawatts. SCE leads mainly
> because of its large concentrating solar power (CSP) plants in the
> Mojave Desert. Looking only at customer-located systems, PG&E holds
> the lead with 219.1 megawatts.
> SEPA
> notes that the growth in solar power capacity in 2008 came almost
> entirely from thousands of customer-located projects, as opposed to
> central power plants, but the organization sees a growing role for
> centralized plants in the future. One example of that new trend is NV
> Energy's third-place position for cumulative solar power, thanks to
> its launch of the 64-MW "Nevada Solar One" CSP project in 2007.
>