Michigan becomes 12th state to commit to 100% clean energy
Lansing, Michigan

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a group of Clean Energy Future bills that establish new renewable energy requirements for the state of Michigan. The laws set an energy storage standard of 2.5 GW by 2030, raise the caps on distributed resources like solar and more.

DOE sponsors solar + storage for up to 40,000 homes in Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico

The U.S. Dept. of Energy is sponsoring rooftop solar + energy storage installations for up to 40,000 vulnerable households in Puerto Rico. Sunnova, Sunrun and Generac have been selected to install the systems across the island in conjunction with local nonprofits.

Silicon cell logistics dominate midterm hearing on Section 201 tariffs
Washington, D.C. 

In November, the U.S. International Trade Commission held a midterm hearing to discuss the status of Section 201 tariffs on imported crystalline silicon solar cells and panels (CSPV). A number of companies requested the tariff rate quota on imported cells be increased to help out the growing U.S. module assembly market.

CPUC undermines the economic value of California schools, apartments going solar
Sacramento, California

The California Public Utilities Commission voted to approve changes to the Virtual Net Energy Metering (VNEM) and Net Energy Metering Aggregation (NEMA) programs that may negate the economic benefits of solar for many types of consumers. The new rules prohibit most buildings with multiple electric meters from using solar energy produced on their rooftops to offset utility bills.

Treasury releases new proposed ITC rules on standalone storage, interconnection costs
Washington, D.C. 

The U.S. Dept. of the Treasury and the IRS released new guidance on the Investment Tax Credit to help project owners understand new financing considerations for clean energy projects. The guidance includes proposed rules around the standalone battery storage credit and how to include interconnection costs in the ITC.