Smart Electric Power Alliance releases 2016 top 10 lists for solar, storage
The Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) recently released its 10th annual Utility Market Survey, which included top ten lists of the utilities that added the most solar and storage.
The survey includes two lists for solar. One featured the utilities that added the most megawatts (MW) and one for utilities that added the most new watts per customer. The survey also included two lists for storage that used the same methodology. The storage lists were a new addition to the annual survey for this year.
“One of the reasons we started the Utility Solar Top 10 lists back in 2007 was to highlight the key, but often unrecognized role utilities were taking in putting new solar on the grid,” SEPA President and CEO Julia Hamm said. “With utility-scale solar now well established as a mainstream power source, we wanted to similarly recognize utilities’ leadership in realizing the full potential of storage to drive critical system changes that will benefit customers and the grid.”
In the storage category, Imperial Irrigation District (IID), a public power and water utility in Southern California, came in first for most new megawatts with 30 MW of new storage. The Sterling Municipal Light Department, the municipal utility for the small town of Sterling, Massachusetts, added the most watts per customer, 533.
Southern California Edison (SCE) took the top spot for new megawatts (MW) on the Utility Solar Top 10. The City of Palo Alto Utilities added the most new solar watts per customer.
“We are proud to be recognized once again by SEPA as an industry leader in advancing renewable energy for our customers,” said Norrie McKenzie, vice president of Renewable Development for Georgia Power, which rose from 10th in 2015 to 5th in this year’s survey for solar additions. “We have focused on growing solar and other renewable generation sources in coordination with the Georgia Public Service Commission and the solar industry in a way that ensures reliability, diversifies our energy mix and helps keep our rates low for customers.”
The top 10 lists are based on data provided by 412 utilities, which together serve over 90 million customers across the United States.
