Washington, D.C. – On March 1, 2013, Georgia Power launched its Advanced Solar Initiative to grow solar resources in the state by opening the application process for distributed solar generation. The Georgia Public Service Commission approved the program in November 2012, allowing the southeastern utility to acquire 45 MW of solar capacity via distributed generation and 60 MW via competitive RFP in both 2013 and 2014. When fully implemented, Georgia will benefit from an additional 210 MW of clean solar power under long-term contracts.

Washington, D.C. - The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) announced today the selection of five new members to its Board of Directors and the reappointment of four members to serve an additional term.

SEPA welcomes newly elected Board members Holly Gordon of Sunrun, Jurgen Krehnke of SMA Solar Technology AG, Lori Singleton of Salt River Project, and newly appointed Board members Cris Eugster of CPS Energy and Matt Ferguson of Reznick Group.

SEPA is also pleased to welcome back four returning members to the Board of Directors. The SEPA membership re-elected Jon Bertolino of Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Matt Cheney of CleanPath Ventures LLC, Alex Kim of San Diego Gas & Electric and Jennifer Szaro of Orlando Utilities Commission.

Washington, D.C. - The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) President and CEO Julia Hamm today praised the collaboration between Georgia Power and Atlanta-based Solar Design & Development to develop and install a series of solar projects that will produce 19 megawatts (MW) of solar power throughout the state. Once complete, Georgia Power’s first retail utility-scale solar power development will more than double Georgia’s solar production.

Washington, D.C. - The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) has named Arizona’s Trico Electric Cooperative the 2012 Electric Cooperative of the Year.

“Trico recognizes that the member owners of electric cooperatives have evolving needs and expectations,” said SEPA President and CEO Julia Hamm. “Keeping today’s rates low remains a priority, but home and business owners have a growing interest in solar energy options that will protect them from electricity price volatility in the future.  SEPA is pleased to recognize Trico both for its long standing commitment to solar energy but also its recent progress in developing programs that allow all of its customers to take advantage of the benefits solar energy has to offer.”

Recently, representatives of the Chinese solar industry formed a new alliance and named it "the Solar Energy Promotion Alliance" in response to the U.S. preliminary ruling of levying anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese photovoltaic exporters. Unfortunately, the alliance is using the acronym - SEPA - which is the acronym that we at the Solar Electric Power Association have been using since 2000.

Since the mission of the Chinese alliance is unrelated to our mission at the Solar Electric Power Association, we feel that is important to make you aware of their choice of name and their current use of the SEPA acronym.   

Washington, D.C. – The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) Board of Directors recently held elections for two of its three officer positions. Ervan Hancock, Manager of Renewable and Green Strategies for Georgia Power, was elected to the position of Vice Chairman. Matthew Cheney, CEO of CleanPath Ventures, was elected as Treasurer. David Rubin, Director of Service Analysis for Pacific Gas and Electric Company, continues in his role as Chairman.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) today announced that President Bill Clinton will be the keynote speaker at Solar Power International (SPI) 2012 on September 12 in Orlando, Fla. SPI is the premier global solar energy conference and expo, designed to serve and advance the solar power industry. Taking place September 10 - 13 at the Orange County Convention Center, the show features over 1,200 exhibitors and more than 24,000 attendees from 128 countries.

Washington, D.C. – The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) is proud to announce and welcome Eran Mahrer into the newly created position of Vice President, Utility Strategy. In this role, Mr. Mahrer will lead SEPA’s efforts in engaging utilities to develop best-in-class solar strategies and practices. He will work closely with utility leaders, regulators, developers and other key stakeholders to position solar energy as a core resource for utilities.

SAN DIEGO – March 1, 2012 – In an effort to continue the San Diego region’s rapid deployment of residential, commercial and utility-scale solar power installations, CleanTECH San Diego and the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) are co-hosting the San Diego Solar Energy Symposium on March 6 at the University of San Diego (USD). The symposium will feature a number of distinguished guests from the solar industry to discuss the future of solar power in San Diego.

“No matter how much has been done, we’ve only just tapped into the full potential of rooftop solar solutions and mass adoption,” said Jim Waring, President and Chief Executive Officer of CleanTECH San Diego. “The lessons learned are the platform from which the region can grow to reach its full solar energy potential.”

Washington, D.C. - The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), an educational non-profit focused on helping utilities integrate solar power into their energy portfolios, is leading 19 utility executives and managers to Southern California on its U.S. Fact Finding Mission from November 13-18. This trip marks the first time SEPA brings its popular Fact Finding Mission program to the United States.

Washington, D.C. - The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) is pleased to announce and welcome Darren Deffner to the newly created position of Director of Policy. In this role, Mr. Deffner will lead SEPA’s efforts to monitor and analyze proposed and current federal and state policies to ensure that the organization’s members understand the potential impacts to their businesses.  He will provide members with timely information on state solar policy trends and the impact of those trends on solar markets and utility operations.  Mr. Deffner will also serve as a valuable resource for utility members who have questions about policy issues specific to their own company.

Washington, D.C. - Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) President Julia Hamm released the following statement in response to CPS Energy's announcement that it will be seeking up to 400 MW of solar electricity rather than the 50 MW it originally solicited earlier this year. CPS Energy is the nation's largest municpally-oned utility providing both natural gas and electric service.

"SEPA applauds CPS Energy's desire to integrate up to 400 MW of solar electricity into its grid. That is enough electricity to power 80,000 homes and will provide significant benefits to the utility's San Antonio, Texas customers."

Washington, D.C. – America’s electric utilities are ramping up their use of solar power, and not just in the sunny Southwest. That’s one of the principal findings of the new 2010 SEPA Utility Solar Rankings report released today by the Solar Electric Power Association.

Washington, D.C. – The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) announced today unprecedented first-quarter growth in its utility membership for 2011. So far this year, five major utility groups have joined SEPA increasing its membership by more than 100 percent. SEPA’s utility membership now represents more than 95 percent of the nation’s annual installed solar capacity and 47 percent of all U.S. electric customers.

Washington, D.C. – Julia Hamm, President and CEO of the Solar Electric Power Association, today offered the following comment for attribution on the recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Energy that a $1.45 billion loan guarantee has been finalized for Abengoa Solar Inc.’s Solana project. When completed, the 250-megawatt (MW) project will be the largest parabolic trough concentrating solar plant in the world, as well as the first large-scale solar plant in the United States that can also store the electricity it generates.

Washington, D.C. – Julia Hamm, President and CEO of the Solar Electric Power Association, today offered the following comment for attribution on the recent announcement by Sempra Generation that it has completed construction on the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in the United States. The 48 MW Cooper Mountain plant is located in Nevada, and the power will be sold to Pacific Gas & Electric in California. Prior to Cooper Mountain coming online this month, the largest PV plant in the country was the 25 MW DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center owned and operated by Florida Power & Light.

Washington, D.C. – Julia Hamm, President and CEO of the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), today called for utilities and solar companies to work more closely together as both look for opportunities to modernize the electric grid through the utilization of renewable and “smart grid” technologies. Her remarks came during a panel as part of the annual GridWeek conference in Washington.

Los Angeles – The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) today announced the results of the 2010 SEPA Solar Business Achievement Awards. The SEPA Board of Directors and staff are proud to recognize these utilities and solar companies who are responding to the challenges of the solar marketplace with action and innovation. Winners were selected in six categories based upon their demonstration of clear vision and imaginative business strategies.

Washington, D.C. – The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) today released the second phase of its Utility Solar Business Models (USBM) report, entitled “Utility Solar Business Models: Developing Value in Solar Markets.” The report provides a uniquely detailed look at the business models of 21 utilities that have integrated solar energy into their energy portfolios. SEPA has been working with electric utilities on USBM development and understanding since 2007 through working groups, reports, workshops, presentations and case summaries.

Washington, D.C. – The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), an educational and research non-profit focused on helping utilities integrate solar into their operations, today released its Photovoltaic (PV) Technology Characterization Review. The review provides an analysis of technical metrics across the commercialized PV materials, including manufacturing processes, efficiency and performance, market applications, and environmental characteristics.

Stamford, Conn., August 12, 2010 — Research undertaken by Gartner, Inc. and the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) has revealed that utilities are becoming increasingly interested in procuring photovoltaic (PV) solar power generation systems. The Gartner/SEPA survey found that PV is one of the leading technologies for near-term renewable energy for utilities. The survey also found that utilities view onshore wind and biomass as the other key near-term renewable energy sources.

ANAHEIM, Calif. Solar Power International 2009, the largest business-to-business solar energy conference and expo in North America, broke attendance records for the sixth year in a row last week. The 2009 conference drew more than 24,000 industry professionals, an increase from 17,500 in the previous year. Attendees originated from 99 countries and a broad cross-section of solar and related industries, including electric utilities, construction and investment banking. The annual Public Night event, open free to the general public, attracted an additional 2,700 people from the Southern California region.

Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) is pleased to announce the Monthly Webinar schedule for the second half of 2009. These live monthly events provide key industry insight and are one of the outreach tools which make SEPA the go-to resource for business-critical networking and unbiased, comprehensive analysis of the issues and opportunities associated with making solar practical.

Solar Power International 2009, the largest business-to-business solar trade event in North America, will welcome 900+ companies from every part of the solar value chain to a sold-out exhibit floor at the Anaheim Convention Center. The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), co-presenters of Solar Power International since 2004, reported that the 2009 event will be more than double the size of the 2008 event, in terms of exhibiting companies and the net square footage of the trade show. More than 900 companies will exhibit, reserving a record 203,900 net sq. ft. of floor space. In 2008, Solar Power International had a total of 422 companies occupying 88,000 net sq. ft. of floor space.

The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) commends the announcement today that Southern California Edison and First Solar have agreed to build two large-scale solar power projects in southern California. The agreement marks a key milestone in achieving SEPA's prediction that electric utilities will quickly become the largest and most important customer for the solar industry. According to Southern California Edison (SCE) and First Solar, the two installations will have a generation capacity of 550 megawatts of photovoltaic solar electricity, enough to provide power to approximately 170,000 homes.

The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) commends the leadership of Duke Energy for finding common ground with the North Carolina Utilities Commission and reaching an agreement to move forward on the proposed $50 million utility-owned distributed photovoltaic (PV) program, the first of its kind in the southeastern United States. Under the terms of the agreement, Duke Energy will commission up to 10 megawatts of roof- and ground-mounted PV systems located on utility property, businesses, and homes, leasing customer roof space with the PV systems sending all of the electricity back into the electric grid. The customer's electric bill will remain unchanged but they will receive economic compensation from the lease.

Online Tool Released to Facilitate Utility Exchange of Solar Experiences and Lessons Learned

As utilities work to meet electricity demand, especially during peak summer days, examining the relationship between demand and solar photovoltaic (PV) output can be of significant value to the utility industry. Over the years, energy researchers have developed different statistical methods for calculating this relationship. However, there is no consensus across the utility or solar industries on a statistical method for calculating the capacity value of PV or its practical use in electricity markets and utility planning. The new report, Photovoltaic Capacity Valuation Methods, released today by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) in consultation with project partners, and funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy?s Solar America Initiative, examines the variety of capacity calculation methods in use, and lays the foundation for building consensus within the solar industry, electric utility, and research communities.