Archive for August, 2017

PJM GATS Solar – Registered Capacity Update as of August 2017

Posted August 25th, 2017 by SRECTrade.

The following post is a monthly update outlining the megawatts of solar capacity certified to create SRECs in the PJM GATS solar REC markets that SRECTrade serves. All data is based on the information available in PJM GATS as of the date noted.

The chart above compares the megawatts (MWs) registered in PJM GATS as of August 23, 2017 (the blue bar) to the estimated RPS solar MWs needed to be operational through the duration of the current reporting year (the green bar), to meet each market’s RPS targets. The Estimated RPS MW figure can be interpreted as the amount of active capacity that would need to be online throughout the year in order to produce the obligatory megawatt hours of electricity mandated by each state’s RPS schedule.

This chart is not meant to be a final representation of SREC supply for a given compliance period, but is instead a visualization of the relationship between installed capacity relative to each state’s estimated RPS requirements converted from a MWh to MW basis. Note that the Registered MW figures do not consider eligible SRECs carried over from previous reporting years and are only used as one aspect of current market supply drawn from the current MWs registered in PJM GATS. The installed capacity operational over the indicated time period will produce SRECs which, in addition to any eligible unsold SRECs from previous periods, will make up the final supply present in the market. For estimates on required number of SRECs per reporting year across the SREC markets SRECTrade covers, please visit our state market summary pages.

As of July 31, 2017, New Jersey had installed a cumulative total of 2,231.9MW of nameplate capacity. Their Solar Installation Report and Solar Pipeline Report can be found online here on the New Jersey Office of Clean Energy website.

Additionally, please note the following in the figures presented above:

OH2017: Represents all OH eligible solar facilities and includes some facilities that are cross-registered in PA. If any systems were eligible in higher priced markets, such as DC, the capacity was excluded from OH eligibility as it could be sold at a higher price in DC.

DE2017: Represents all solar facilities eligible for the DE solar RPS requirement. Some facilities registered in DE are also eligible in PA and could impact that market’s supply.

DC2017: Includes all systems eligible for the DC SREC market. If a system was eligible in another market, it was not included there given the current pricing for DC SRECs.

PA2018: Represents all solar facilities eligible for the PA SREC market. Some systems are cross-registered in OH as well. If a system was eligible in any higher priced markets (i.e. MD or NJ sited systems that cross-registered in PA) they were not included in the total MW balance displayed above.

MD2017: Includes all MD eligible solar capacity registered in PJM GATS as of the date noted. If projects were cross-registered in Washington D.C., the capacity was not allocated to Maryland’s eligible MW total.

NJ2018: The balance noted above represents the 7/31/17 Solar Installation Report reported by Applied Energy Group.

PJM GATS Registered Solar Projects Summary

There are 151,165 facilities across 4,908.5MW registered in PJM GATS as of 8/23/2017.

474 projects are 1MW or larger in capacity, representing 2,243.5MW or 45.7% of the qualified capacity. There are 131 projects that are 5MW or larger, representing 1,615.1MW or 32.9% of all qualified capacity.

Note: SREC requirements for markets without fixed SREC targets have been forecast based on the EIA Report “Retail Sales of Electricity by State by Provider”. Projected SRECs required utilizes the most recent EIA electricity data applying an average 1.0% growth rate per forecast year. The state’s RPS Solar requirement is then multiplied by forecast total electricity sales to arrive at projected SRECs required. Projected capacity required is based on a factor of 1,200MWh, in PJM GATS states, generated per MW of installed capacity per year.

Disclaimer. This document, data, and/or any of its components (collectively, the “Materials”) are for informational purposes only. The Materials are not intended as investment, tax, legal, or financial advice, or as an offer or solicitation for the purpose or sale of any financial instrument. SRECTrade, Inc. does not warranty or guarantee the market data or other information included herein, as to its completeness, accuracy, or fitness for a particular purpose, express or implied, and such market data and information are subject to change without notice. Past performance should not be taken as an indication or guarantee of future performance, and no representation or warranty, express or implied, is made regarding future performance. Any comments or statements made herein do not necessarily reflect those of SRECTrade, Inc. SRECTrade, Inc. may have issued, and may in the future issue, other communications, data, or reports that are inconsistent with, and reach different conclusions from, the information presented herein.

Copyright. This document is protected by copyright laws and contains material proprietary to SRECTrade, Inc. This document, data, and/or any of its components (collectively, the “Materials”) may not be reproduced, republished, distributed, transmitted, displayed, broadcasted or otherwise disseminated or exploited in any manner without the express prior written permission of SRECTrade, Inc. The receipt or possession of the Materials does not convey any rights to reproduce, disclose, or distribute its contents, or to manufacture, use, or sell anything that it may describe, in whole or in part. If consent to use the Materials is granted, reference and sourcing must be attributed to the Materials and to SRECTrade, Inc. If you have questions about the use or reproduction of the Materials, please contact SRECTrade, Inc.

Final SMART Program Regulation Promulgated

Posted August 25th, 2017 by SRECTrade.

On Friday, August 25th, 225 CMR 20.00 Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program was promulgated in the State Register. The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) posted the final version filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office to their website. The DOER announced that the final, promulgated version will be made available as soon as possible.

Following the promulgation of this regulation, the DOER anticipates that the electric distribution companies will jointly file a model tariff at the Department of Public Utilities (DPU), which will initiate a fully adjudicated proceeding at the DPU.

For more information on the final version of the SMART Program regulation, please visit our previous blog post on the topic here.

IL 2017 DG Procurement Round Two – Webinar

Posted August 21st, 2017 by SRECTrade.

Earlier today, SRECTrade hosted a webinar covering the upcoming IL 2017 DG Procurement Round Two, including requirements for applying facilities, IPA and SRECTrade fees, bidding mechanics, and the SRECTrade application process.

SRECTrade’s application window for Round Two is open from today, Monday, August 21st to Friday, September 8th at 5:00pm CDT.

Please feel free to reference the IL DG Procurement Fall 2017 Application Instructions HERE.

For access to the presentation slides, please click HERE. To view a video recording of the webinar, please click the image below.

This document and recording is protected by copyright laws and contains material proprietary to SRECTrade, Inc. It or any components may not be reproduced, republished, distributed, transmitted, displayed, broadcast or otherwise exploited in any manner without the express prior written permission of SRECTrade, Inc. The receipt or possession of this document does not convey any rights to reproduce, disclose, or distribute its contents, or to manufacture, use, or sell anything that it may describe, in whole or in part. If consent to use these materials is granted, a link to the current version of this document on the SRECTrade website must be included for reference.

IL 2017 DG Procurement Round Two Webinar

Posted August 15th, 2017 by SRECTrade.

SRECTrade, Inc. will be hosting a webinar covering the upcoming IL 2017 DG Procurement Round Two on Monday, August 21st, at 1:00pm CST. The October procurement round is the second of two rounds scheduled for 2017.

To register for the webinar, please click HERE.

Our application window for Round Two is open from Monday, August 21st to Friday, September 8th at 5:00pm CDT.

For more information on the upcoming procurement round beforehand, please visit our blog post on the topic here.

MA DOER Files Proposed Final Version of SMART Program Regulation

Posted August 11th, 2017 by SRECTrade.

On Friday, August 11th, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) announced that it has filed its proposed final version of the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program regulation 225 CMR 20.00 with the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office. The DOER anticipates the final version will be published in the State Register on August 25, 2017, “with minimal to no changes”. The final but unofficial version of the regulation can be found on the DOER’s “Development of the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program” website here.

100 MW Procurement

Following comments regarding the initial 100 MW Procurement, which will be used to establish Base Compensation Rates for all participating SMART Solar Tariff Generation Units, the following changes were made to program design:

  • Each Distribution Company will issue one procurement for all projects sized 1 – 5 MW
  • All facilities in the procurement will be subject to a Ceiling Price of $0.17/kWh ($170.00/MWh)
  • Procurement results will establish unique Base Compensation Rates for the first Capacity Block of each individual Distribution Company, rather than establishing a single statewide Base Compensation Rate
  • The Base Compensation Rate for the first Capacity Block will equal the mean bid price received in each Distribution Company’s service territory

Compensation Rate Adder Caps and Rate of Decline

In its regulation filed on June 5, 2017, the DOER implemented an adder cap of 320 MW for each individual Compensation Rate Adder in an effort to “place boundaries around overall program costs”. In response to comments regarding these adder caps, the following changes were made:

  • Adder caps are eliminated
  • Each Compensation Rate Adder will decline by 4% for every capacity tranche established, and the Adder will not decline as Capacity Blocks are filled. The first capacity tranche for each Adder will equal 80 MW, with future segment sizes established by the DOER as they are filled

Project Segmentation

Following comments regarding the rules set forth by the DOER around parcel limits and project segmentation, the following modifications were made:

  • Added Canopy Solar Tariff Generation Units to allowable exceptions to rules, allowing canopies to be sited on same parcel as a Building Mounted Solar Tariff Generation Unit
  • Allow Solar Tariff Generation Units to be sited on adjacent parcels if owners can demonstrate to the DOER’s satisfaction that they are unaffiliated parties
  • Allow Solar Tariff Generation Units to span multiple parcels if located behind a single interconnection point, single meter, with a nameplate capacity of 5 MW or less
  • Added language to exempt projects from project segmentation rules if the applicant can demonstrate that necessary qualification documents were obtained by June 5, 2017
  • Added language that allows the DOER to exempt projects from project segmentation rules for good cause on a case by case basis

These project segmentation rules were initially established to prevent Solar Tariff Generation Units from manipulating program rules for their own financial benefit.

Land Use and Performance Standards

The DOER has also set forth rules to ensure that land use is considered when siting projects through the differentiation of incentive levels based on project location. In response to comments regarding these rules, the following changes were made:

  • Removed certain special provisions for Agricultural Solar Tariff Generation Units from the regulation; instead, these provisions are detailed in a separate Guideline
  • Added definition and special provisions for Floating Solar Tariff Generation Units, with an associated $0.03/kWh Compensation Rate Adder
  • Added language to exempt projects from being subjected to Greenfield Subcontractors if the applicant can demonstrate that necessary qualification documents were obtained by June 5, 2017
  • Classified all land that had been previously categorized as Category 1 Land Use, regardless of zoning
  • Clarified aspects of the performance standards requirements

Other

In response to other comments received by stakeholders, the DOER also instituted the following changes:

  • Modified definitions of Community Shared Solar Tariff Generation Unit, Low Income Community Shared Solar Tariff Generation Unit, and Low Income Property Solar Tariff Generation Unit to clarify that Units will qualify as such if taking advantage of the alternative on-bill credit
  • Established a 35% per Capacity Block limit on the quantity of facilities with a nameplate capacity of less than or equal to 25 kW
  • Added language prohibiting capacity expansions, with specific exceptions
  • Provided further clarity regarding customer disclosure forms and added requirements regarding forms to special provisions for Community Shared Solar Tariff Generation Units and Low Income Community Shared Solar Tariff Generation Units
  • Modified timing of initial competitive procurement
  • Modified formula for calculating the incentive payments for Behind-the-Meter Solar Tariff Generation Units to be the sum of the three-year average of Basic Service Charges, in addition to current Distribution, Transmission, and Transition charges
  • Other technical updates and clarifying modifications

The DOER will notify stakeholders when the regulations have been published in the State Register in final official form.

MA Global Warming Solutions Act Regulations Promulgated

Posted August 11th, 2017 by SRECTrade.

On Friday, August 11th, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) published six final regulations to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions in the Massachusetts Register. These regulations follow the Supreme Judicial Court’s May 17, 2016 ruling in Kain v. DEP and Governor Baker’s September 16, 2016 Executive Order No. 569 (“Establishing an Integrated Climate Change Strategy for the Commonwealth”) to help ensure compliance with the 2020 statewide emissions limit established by the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA).

The six regulations and amendments include:

  • 310 CMR 7.72: Reducing Sulfur Hexafluoride Emissions from Gas-Insulated Switchgear (amended)
  • 310 CMR 7.73: Reducing Methane Emissions from Natural Gas Distribution Mains and Services (new)
  • 310 CMR 7.74: Reducing CO2 Emissions from Electricity Generating Facilities (new)
  • 310 CMR 7.75: Clean Energy Standard (new)
  • 310 CMR 60.05: Global Warming Solutions Act Requirements for Transportation (amended)
  • 310 CMR 60.06: CO2 Emission Limits for State Fleet Passenger Vehicles (new)

For more information on these regulations, including Fact Sheets, please visit the MassDEP website on the topic.