Solar Policy Landscape - West. Adrienne Underwood Campaign Manager, Sunrun January 2019

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1 Solar Policy Landscape - West Adrienne Underwood Campaign Manager, Sunrun January 2019

2 State Of Solar It took 40 years to get to 1 million solar systems around the U.S. It will take 2 years to get the next 1 million systems 2

3 Solar As An Economic Engine Over 250,000 Americans work in solar at more than 10,000 companies across every U.S. state. That s more than double the number in Growth in solar is led by falling prices. The cost to install solar has dropped by more than 70% since

4 Protecting Solar Growth Today, a variety of disruptive technologies are emerging that may compete with utility-provided services. Such technologies include solar photovoltaics (PV), battery storage, fuel cells, geothermal energy systems, wind, micro turbines, and electric vehicle (EV) enhanced storage. As the cost curve for these technologies improves, they could directly threaten the centralized utility model. 4

5 Protecting Solar Growth Continued... 5

6 Fighting Back 6

7 Advocacy Campaigns for Solar Over the past four years, more than 100,000 advocates nationwide have taken action through TASC and Sunrun to support solar energy growth and consumer choice. 7

8 Driving Positive Outcomes We fight for policies that ensure savings from solar, lower risks and costs of business and speed the growth of batteries. Ensure Savings from Solar Protect fair compensation for customers Build support for a solar ITC extension NEM Extension / Grandfathering Time Of Use (TOU) Lower Risk & Cost of Business Cut permitting red tape Demand Charges Fixed Fees Solar-Specific Rates Speed Growth of Batteries Advance an ITC for storage Create funding for storage in disaster prone communities RECs / SRECs Rebates Tax incentives Grants 8

9 Northeast Landscape -Storage -Rate design -Demand charges 9

10 New York Landscape Priorities Secure a NEM successor tariff that appropriately compensates customers and advances NY s ambitious clean energy goals Support the REV vision and DER deployment (esp. energy storage) to boost resiliency and provide grid services that benefit all ratepayers Strategy Demonstrate the value of distributed generation through thought leadership: public speaking, op-eds, letters to the editor, etc Protect and defend progress in NY by codifying Gov. Cuomo s clean energy goals Partners Solar advocates: Vote Solar, Acadia Center Trade associations and industry partners: SEIA, NYSEIA, LISEIA, ACE NY Environmental Allies: League of Conservation Voters, Alliance for a Green Economy, etc Partner with the legislature to remove barriers to clean energy deployment 10

11 Massachusetts Landscape Priorities Fought back mandatory demand charges Clean peak SMART BYOD Strategy Demonstrated the anti-consumer and anti-solar nature of demand charges in MA: Year-long fight to defeat demand charges in MA; overturned PUC decision in the legislature Monitoring dockets and submitting comments in ongoing dockets, including: Clean Peak SMART BYOD Partners Solar advocates: Vote Solar Trade associations and industry partners: SEIA 11

12 Connecticut Landscape Priorities Pass a fix bill addressing flaws in Public Act from 2018 Reinstate NEM and do a study to identify value of DG and best NEM successor programs Strategy Demonstrate the value solar of solar in CT: 200 businesses and 2,200+ jobs Communicate that Public Act will cause CT to fall behind its neighbors on clean energy (NY, MA, RI, etc) Educate policymakers that CT should follow best practices (policies & process) from other leading clean energy states Show that CT can advance Gov. Lamont s economic development and Green New Deal policy goals by reinstating net metering Partners Solar advocates: Vote Solar, Acadia Center Trade associations and industry partners: Solar CT, SEIA Environmental Allies: Environment CT, CT Fund for the Environment 12

13 Vermont Landscape Priorities BYOD Performancebased ratemaking Strategy Green Mountain Power is committed to BYOD, unveiling BYOD 2.0 soon, allowing aggregators to participate March 2018, GMP announced program to reduce costs during high energy use times; credits customers for use of their batteries One of the first BYOD programs offered by a utility Partners Solar advocates: Vote Solar Trade associations and industry partners: SEIA GMP is exploring performance-based ratemaking through a multiyear rate case Submitting testimony, supporting nonprofit partners 13

14 Southeast Landscape -NEM -Property tax -Batteries - TPO 14

15 South Carolina Landscape Priorities NEM cap hit in Duke, expected in SCE&G Q2 Strategy Seek compromise with utilities Bipartisan coalition pushing a 100 Day Clean Energy Agenda Supporting legislation to lift 2% cap on NEM Support legislative engagement on energy (work with new Energy Caucus) Minimize impact for solar customers for Duke or Dominion rate changes Monitoring the SCANA merger impacts on electricity rates Rate changes Partners Solar advocates: Palmetto Conservative Solar Coalition (PCSC), Christian Coalition, Conservation Voters of South Carolina, Southern Environmental Law Center, South Carolina Solar Business Alliance, Coastal Conservation League, Current and former Democrat and Republican state legislators, Audubon Trade associations and industry partners: SEIA, EFCA/SCTY/Tesla Vivint, Cypress Creek 15

16 Case Study: Telling Solar Stories in South Carolina A key part of winning public campaigns is making your story personal and compelling. In South Carolina, we worked with the Southern Environmental Law Center to show the positive jobs and savings that state residents gain from solar. 16

17 Midwest Landscape -NEM -TPO - Rent-a-Roof 17

18 Illinois Landscape Priorities Leading in the Midwest Legislation to ensure smooth bridge for NEM customers Strategy Building broad understanding of the benefits of solar Op eds and media from local leaders and community members, demonstrating the value of jobs, local clean energy Partners Solar advocates: Vote Solar Trade associations and industry partners: SEIA, ISEIA 18

19 Wisconsin Landscape Priorities Seeking clarity on TPO Defeating We Energies Rent-A-Roof program Upcoming; We Energies general rate case Strategy Drive pro-solar and pro-business messaging through advocate s/calls to decision makers, pitching media: Slash regulatory red tape that is holding back business Enable competitive, homegrown energy Solar is a job creator, solar lowers energy bills Partners Solar advocates: NAACP, Sierra Club, Clean WI, City of MKE, UW-Extension, M-WERC, WI Sustainable Business Council Trade associations and industry partners: SEIA, EFCA, Vote Solar, Renew WI, MREA, ELPC 19

20 How You Can Help! Sign your customers up with the Solar Rights Alliance (CA only) Facebook Follow, like, comment Stay connected on social media Twitter Facebook Follow, like, comment on policy-related Sunrun and TASC posts Become a solar advocate TASC Advocate Sign-Up: 20