"Bob Gibson, vice president of market intelligence for the Solar Electric Power Association, a nonprofit that helps electric utilities use more solar technologies, said the global market for solar has boomed in the past five to six years, and is expected to grow in the United States."

"CPS/Oci's proposed 400-MW plant, assuming it is finalized and completed, would be bigger than all but a handful of solar PV plants now on the drawing board across the U.S., according to SEPA in list updated in early December."

"The solar industry also has something to brag about. The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) reports that solar grew 69% in the last year, now exceeding 3,100 MW."

"A ranking published last summer by the Solar Electric Power Association listed Pacific Gas & Electric (PCG) as the biggest producer of solar power, followed by Florida Power & Light, a unit of NextEra Energy (NEE), and Public Service Electric & Gas, a unit of Public Service Enterprise Group (PEG)."

"Julia Hamm, Executive Director of the Solar Electric Power Association, discusses the current status of the solar industry and why the utility’s role in the growth of the solar industry is growing."

"SEPA’s President & CEO Julia Hamm has strong relationships with individuals at utilities and solar companies worldwide, and is knowledgeable about solar programs, policies, barriers and trends. She is a frequent speaker at regional, national and international conferences and has authored numerous articles on solar trends as well as utility solar programs. Julia is also the chair of the annual Solar Power International conference and expo, the largest solar event in the US with 23,000+ annual attendees from over 90 countries."

"Those totals put JEA on a national map: The Solar Electric Power Association, a national educational nonprofit, ranked the city-owned utility No. 7 in the Top 10 list of the amount of solar watts available per customer."

"Concern for the environment was the primary motivator for those surveyed by the Solar Electric Power Association, followed by a desire to reduce dependence on foreign oil and energy self-sufficiency. The study predicted reducing energy bills would become more important as the economy sags."

"Don Lintvet, of the Solar Electric Power Association, a solar-energy trade group, said city officials aren’t exaggerating a success story about their use of solar energy here. He said annual statistics on the production of solar-produced kilowatt hours per customers will like put VMEU “on the leader board” when the association does its annual review for this year."

"On November 2nd, 2011 the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA, Washington D.C., U.S.) announced that it has appointed Darren Deffner to the newly created position of director of policy."

"The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) has appointed Darren Deffner to the newly created position of director of policy. In this role, he 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."

"U.S. electric utilities are participating in a growing number of solar projects with an expanding variety of utility solar business models (USBM). These USBMs can effectively, and often uniquely, align utility interests with policies favoring solar development. Many examples benefit both utility ratepayers and utility shareholders, while helping to further develop solar markets."

"Sharp Solar catches up with SEPA at the 2011 Solar Power International Convention in Dallas, TX."

"The Solar Electric Power Association report shows that solar energy fields in the city produce 219.7 solar watts of energy per customer by the end of 2010, Isabella said. The next closest in the country is the California-based Silicon Valley Power, which is producing 39.9 watts of solar energy per customer, he said."

"Solar energy made headline news this fall but not the kind of news that cheered the solar industry. Solyndra, the bankrupt solar manufacturer from California, became a symbol of the downside of government energy loans. The criticism expanded into knocks against the viability of solar in general."

"According to the Energy Information Administration, there were 18,833 megawatts of new capacity introduced in the United States including coal, gas, wind and solar between January 2010 and January 2011, says Mike Taylor, director of research at the Solar Electric Power Association. But solar accounted for only 4 percent of new generation, so the solar push that many experts expected to see hasn't fully taken off."

"That's why a Renewable Energy World report on a presentation by Julia Hamm, president of the Solar Electric Power Association caught my eye. In it, she took the audience to 2031 and presented as the CEO of Tomorrow Power and Light, the first US utility to cite solar power as its main source of energy."

"Today, I am writing from Dallas, Texas, where I just participated in an inspiring roundtable discussion with leaders of other utilities that are making a difference in renewable energy. I’m at Solar Power International (SPI) 2011 – North America’s largest and most comprehensive solar power trade show and conference, sponsored by two nonprofit organizations, SEIA and SEPA – and I can tell you this: despite the many uncertainties facing us in today’s world, one thing is for sure − the future of solar power is bright."

"Most of the women started with their firms when they were small struggling organizations and built them up through their own tenacity and staying power. Hamm spoke of the origins of SEPA when there was no one but her to run the whole organization, which at the time had no payroll, no staff and no office space.  SEPA now employs more than 25 people."

"The year is 2031. An electric utility company becomes the first utility in U.S. history to receive its primary form of generation from solar power. This was the scenario presented by Julia Hamm, president and CEO of the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), during a Solar Power International session on Oct. 19."

"Amidst a darkened room, space-age music and a distinct hush, Julia Hamm stepped onstage as the CEO of Tomorrow Power and Light (TP&L) during its annual meeting in 2031. She announced that the utility was thrilled to declare that TP&L was now the first major utility in the continental U.S. with solar power as its top power source, receiving 30 percent of the energy that it delivers to its customers from solar power."

"Julia Hamm talks with Jennifer Runyon about how utilities are using solar and explains some of the ways that SEPA is working to bridge the gap between the two industries."

"Xcel's Colorado operations were also ranked No. 5 in 2010 by the Solar Electric Power Association for the utility with the largest amount of solar capacity, with 42 megawatts. The No. 1 spot went to Pacific Gas & Electric with 157.2 megawatts. When broken down by watt per customer, Xcel's Colorado operations ranked fourth, with 30.9 watts per customer. Pacific Gas & Electric ranked fifth in this list, with 30.2 watts per customer."

"According to the president and CEO of the Solar Electric Power Association, Julia Hamm, solar power has the potential to be the largest job creator in the United States by 2026, and could provide 30 percent of the nation's energy in 2031, according to a report by Green Prophet's website."

"The just completed Solar Power International Conference and Exhibition in Dallas Texas painted a bright future for the use of solar energy in the USA, according to Julia Hamm, President and CEO of the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA). Hamm, who addressed the conference a few days ago, predicted that solar energy will become an important of the US utility system during the next 20 years and result of less reliance on fossil fuels."

"On October 18th, 2011, Tucson Electric Power (TEP; Tucson, Ariz.) announced that it received a solar business achievement award from the Solar Electric Power Association (Washington, D.C.) for its innovative Bright Tucson Community Solar Program, which allows customers to purchase solar energy directly from their utility."

"Tucson Electric Company (TEP) and Salt River Project were also recognized yesterday by the Washington based Solar Electric Power Association for their innovations in renewables. Arizona State also received an award for its commitment to solar power."

"The year is 2031. An electric utility company becomes the first utility in U.S. history to receive its primary form of generation from solar power. This was the scenario presented by Julia Hamm, president and CEO of the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), during a Solar Power International session on Oct. 19."

"Florida Power and Light is a leader when it comes to solar power – Armando Olivera explains what he did as a leader to drive his organization's interest in solar power."

"According to the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), as many as 50 utility-scale solar projects could be completed by the end of this year, totaling 831 MW."

"Julia Hamm, President and CEO of the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) provided a glimpse 20 years into the future during today’s General Session.  She shared her timeline, which she said requires strong collaboration between the US solar industry and utilities."

"'Why isn’t everyone doing these parking projects? There are a lot of people who don’t know the options, and it’s easy to be confused,' says Mike Taylor, director of research for the Solar Electric Power Association, an industry advocacy group in Washington, D.C. 'It’s still a market in its early stages.'"

"A recent report by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) shows all three of California’s investor owned utilities (IOUs) in the top ten utility solar rankings for 2010 – much of it DG."

"The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) has presented Tucson Electric Power (TEP) with a Solar Business Achievement Award for its Bright Tucson Community Solar Program. The scheme allows customers to purchase solar energy directly from local solar arrays in TEP’s catchment area."

"[Julia] Hamm highlighted that the SPI has reached a record 1,200 exhibitors this year, but added that although times are exciting for the solar industry, they are also challenging. Echoing Hamm, Jefferies International Limited stated in its report from day one that the industry remains challenged. However, it says there are signs of rationalization."

"At Solar Power International 2011 in Dallas this week, the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) announced the results of the 2011 SEPA Solar Business Achievement Awards."

"Separately, the Solar Electric Power Association gave Salt River Project and Tucson Electric Power Co. awards for solar innovation and gave Arizona State University an award for its commitment to solar through its work with Arizona Public Service Co."

"The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) has honored Tucson Electric Power (TEP) with a Solar Business Achievement Award for its innovative Bright Tucson Community Solar Program, which allows customers to purchase solar energy directly from their utility."

"'If you have a strong handshake, it shows confidence,' said Julia Hamm, president and CEO of the Solar Electric Power Association, the majority of which is staffed by women. 'It seems like a strange thing, but I think it makes a big difference with a lot of men in terms of first impressions.'"

"This year's ranking from the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) for top US utility groups in capacity and watts per customer reveals new patterns including an expansion from the West Coast."

"Central Hudson Gas & Electric ranks 36 out of 230 nationally participating utilities in cumulative capacity of customer-installed solar electric systems and watts installed per customer, as reported by the Solar Electric Power Association 2010 Utility Solar Rankings. SEPA named Central Hudson among the top 30 utilities nationally in support of solar energy in 2007, 2008 and 2009."

"The nonprofit Solar Electric Power Association’s annual utility solar rankings report was recently released. According to SEPA, Westminster, Colo.-based Tri-State G&T and Kit Carson Electric Cooperative rank very prominently."

"There are limits to the scale advantages, however.  In their 2010 Utility Solar Rankings, the Solar Electric Power Association noted that projects over 50 MW in size have financing and transmission complications that outweigh their scale economies."

"'Our 2010 Utility Solar Rankings report found that the 10 U.S. utilities with the most solar activity added 561 MW of new solar capacity last year. This CPS Energy project would produce the equivalent of more than 71 percent of that new capacity on its own,' said Julia Hamm, president of the Solar Electric Power Association."

In fact, the Solar Electric Power Association ranked Hawaiian Electric third nationally in 2010 for their increase in solar power per customer.

As for the numbers, the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) states that energy output can be decreased by about 10% due to dirt and other residues.

Executives cited the ranking by the Solar Electric Power Association of several local utilities — including KUB and Lenoir City Utilities Board — in solar technology deployed.

"The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), an educational and research non-profit focused on helping utilities integrate solar into their operations, has recognized Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative (SSVEC) as one of the top electric cooperatives in terms of utilization of solar power during 2010."

"According to the Solar Electric Power Association, New Jersey installed 137 megawatts of solar power in 2010, a 140 percent increase from the 57.3 megwatts installed in 2009 and a 517 percent increase over the 22.5 megawatts installed in 2008."

"The Solar Electric Power Association recognized JEA as one of the nation’s top utilities driving solar electric power growth."

"The Solar Electric Power Association ranked Nashville Electric Service 10th regionally for total solar megawatts added in 2010 by its customers through Generation Partners."

"On July 18th, 2011, the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA, Washington D.C., U.S.) praised a statement by CPS Energy's (San Antonio, Texas, U.S.) that it will seek up to 400MW of electricity from solar sources, rather than the 50MW it solicited earlier in 2011. SEPA states that CPS Energy's decision was driven by the low prices that the utility received in response to its earlier solicitation."

"According to SEPA’s 2010 Utility Solar Rankings, the 10 U.S. utilities with the most solar activity added 561 MW of new solar capacity last year."

"Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) President and CEO Julia Hamm praised the utility for its 'monumental' initiative."

"My email in-basket today included a release from our friends at the Solar Electric Power Association that reports on their recent tour of Italian solar projects. I accompanied a group of American utility leaders on a similar SEPA fact-finding mission in Japan last year."

"'Solar Power International 2011 is a critical event for solar industry professionals, utility executives, investors, technical experts as well as policy makers who are interested in the latest solar technology, discovering emerging markets, and identifying business prospects,' SEPA President Julia Hamm said in a news release."

"U.S. utility leaders on a recent fact-finding mission to Italy, led by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), returned with new insights on how to effectively integrate solar as a mainstream energy resource, how to adapt to a rapidly changing market and how policy-makers struggle to encourage sustainable growth in a ‘boom’ market. The lessons learned by touring the second largest global solar market in the world will be useful for domestic utilities as they continue to expand the scope and availability of solar energy in the United States."

"Mike Taylor, director of research for the Solar Electric Power Association said the Redskins’ effort 'is the equivalent of other iconic type buildings nationally or regionally — governors’ mansions or the White House, Congress or state legislature buildings, military base, influential company headquarters, Google or IBM.'"

"Julia Hamm, president and CEO of SEPA, said the city's power company ranked 10th for Watts-per-Customer among all municipal utilities in the United States."

"The Kit Carson service area includes New Mexico’s two largest solar arrays, and is ranked fourth in the nation among rural electric cooperatives by the Solar Electric Power Association."

"Hawaiian Electric Co. ranked third among the top 10 utilities nationally in solar generation capacity installed per customer, having put in about 33.16 solar watts per customer in 2010, according to a recent report by the Solar Electric Power Association. The previous year, HECO ranked No. 8."

"With its solar feed-in tariff program facing criticism from local contractors, Gainesville Regional Utilities ranked in the top 10 among the nation’s municipal utilities for adding solar capacity in 2010, according to a recently released report from the Solar Electric Power Association."

"Since solar thermal projects tend to require years of planning, financing, and construction, it’s unlikely that centralized solar thermal prices will fall as rapidly as decentralized solar PV, supported by this excerpt from a recent Solar Electric Power Association report."

"Arizona Public Service Co. and Tucson Electric Power Co. made separate lists for being among the top installers of large-scale solar power among U.S. utilities. The list, compiled by the Solar Electric Power Association, found that APS ranked seventh for installing 29.9 megawatts of solar in 2010."

"Solar power may still primarily reside on the West Coast, but utility companies in states outside of California are starting to pick up the pace as far as new development over the past year, according to the Solar Electric Power Association."

"It will take some digging to figure that out, of course, but meanwhile, we have the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) to keep us abreast of utility-scale solar investments across the United States. The organization has just released its top utility solar rankings, based on activity in 2010."

"A growing number of utilities are installing their own solar projects rather than buying power from private systems, the Solar Electric Power Association says. Utility-owned solar projects increased 300 percent from 2009 to 2010, the association reported this month."

"Tucson Electric Power (TEP) said it ranked sixth in the nation last year for per-capita additions to its solar energy portfolio, according to a report released this month by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA)."

"The Solar Electric Power Association's (SEPA) fourth annual Utility Solar Rankings report analyzes utility solar electricity markets in the United States, focusing particularly on the top utilities that are driving solar electric power growth."

"Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) has released its latest report which showed that U.S. electric utility providers are including more and more solar power generation in their portfolios and much of this increase is happening outside of California."

"Other than the fact that the Solar Electric Power Association’s top 10 U.S. utilities integrated 561 megawatts of solar in 2010—up just over 100 percent from the 279 megawatts the utilities integrated in 2009—SEPA’s '2010 Utility Solar Rankings' found something interesting. For the first time, more of the top utilities weren’t in California, and some weren’t even in the Southwest."

"Thanks to an interactive map and report on utility rankings from the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), we can see which states are using the most solar electricity and which utilities have the most solar electricity customers per watt."

"Kit Carson Electric Co-op has announced its placement atop national rankings for solar electric production for the year 2010. The news came via the non-profit Solar Electric Power Association annual utility solar rankings report."

"Utilities continue to be a major driving force behind the expansion of solar generated electric power in the United States according to a recently released report by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA)."

"Tucson Electric Power (TEP) ranked sixth in the nation last year for per-capita additions to its solar energy portfolio, according to a report released this month by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA)."

"Newark, N.J.-based PSE&G placed third behind Pacific Gas & Electric (PCG) and Florida Power & Light in a ranking of 230 utilities in the amount of solar power in its service territory, according a survey by the Solar Electric Power Association."

"'It’s very much policy driven. Targets still comprise a majority of the activity,' said Bob Gibson, Vice President of Market Intelligence for SEPA. 'Utilities see the costs continuing to come down. Even with that, most of the growth is to meet the portfolio standard. But they see it as the start of having a truly diversified portfolio.'"

"For the third time in the last four years, LIPA has been named among the top 20 utilities in the nation based on the amount of solar electricity it helped deploy in its territory. The rankings, done by Washington, D.C.-based Solar Electric Power Association, placed LIPA sixth among municipal utilities for megawatts installed in 2010 and 20th among all utilities."

"The list was compiled by the Solar Electric Power Association. Westminster, Colo.-based Tri-State earned its place of honor by integrating 30 megawatts of solar from the Cimarron Solar Facility in New Mexico. The G&T has a 25-year deal to purchase the plant’s entire output."

"The latest report from the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) into U.S. utility integrated solar electricity installations has revealed that their numbers grew by 100 percent in 2010 and that the growth is occurring in states outside of California at greater levels than were expected."

"Kit Carson Electric Co-op is ranked in the top echelons of a national survey on solar electric production by municipal and cooperative utilities. The co-op came in No. 2 among 230 utilities surveyed by the Solar Electric Power Association for number of watts produced per customer in 2010."

"The Solar Electric Power Association said this week that Charlotte-based Duke ranked 10th in the nation for the amount of megawatts brought online last year."

Utilties Double Solar Capacity (Renewables Biz)

"The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) just released its 2010 Utility Solar Rankings report, which shows an influx of interest in the resource, and much of it is outside of the U.S. Southwest."

"Duke Energy Carolinas has cracked the top 10 utilities for solar-power production, according to the Solar Energy Power Association’s annual rankings."

"Comprised of American electric utilities and solar companies the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) calls itself the 'go-to resource for unbiased and actionable solar intelligence.' In its latest report, SEPA's research reveals that utilities are rapidly increasing their solar power generation portfolios and surprisingly the majority of newly installed solar capacity is happening outside of California."

"The 2010 SEPA Utility Solar Rankings report produced by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) ranked Xcel fourth out of 230 utilities surveyed in the solar megawatts-per-customer category, which measures solar power added per customer served."

"SEPA released the 2011 Utility Solar Rankings Report, which found that America's electric utilities are ramping up their use of solar power, and not just in the sunny Southwest."

"The U.S. solar power sector had a strong 2010, and 2011 could be even stronger, according to a recently released ranking of U.S. utility-scale solar power from the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) (Washington, D.C.)."

"Kauai Island Utility Co-op ranked second in total solar watts per customer in the Solar Electric Power Association's 2010 utility solar rankings. Hawaii Electric Light Company on the Big Island ranked fourth and Maui Electric Company ranked fifth in total solar watts per customer. Hawaiian Electric Company was ninth on that list."

"MECO parent Hawaiian Electric Co. again was named one of the nation's Top 10 electric utilities for the amount of solar power added to its system per customer in the the 2010 Solar Electric Power Association Utility Solar Rankings."

On July 9th, 2011, the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA, Washington D.C., U.S.) released its fourth annual report ranking the solar electric capacities added by U.S. utilities.

"Kauai Island Utility Co-op ranked second in total solar watts per customer in the Solar Electric Power Association's 2010 utility solar rankings."

"The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) released its 2010 SEPA Utility Solar Rankings report today that details the top utility companies to add solar energy to their portfolios in 2010."

"The top 10 utilities ranked by integrated solar energy capacity added 561 MW of new capacity in 2010, doubling the additions from a year ago, according to a report by the Solar Electric Power Association."

"The Hawaiian Electric Company captured third place for national utilities regarding how much solar power per customer was gained in 2010, according to the 2010 Solar Electric Power Association. The competition ranked 230 electric utilities."

"Silicon Valley Power, Santa Clara's municipal electric utility, more than doubled its solar installations last year. That earned the utility the number one ranking in the U.S. by the Solar Electric Power Association."

"The designation came from the 2010 Utility Solar Rankings report, published annually by the Solar Electric Power Association, or SEPA. Of the 230 utilities that participated in the survey, Banning ranked 10th in the Annual Solar Megawatts-per-Customer category."

"On July 9th, 2011, the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA, Washington D.C., U.S.) released its fourth annual report ranking the solar electric capacities added by U.S. utilities."

"Public Service Electric & Gas and Jersey Central Power & Light ranked third and ninth, respectively, in the amount of solar capacity added in 2010, according to a survey by the Solar Electric Power Association, a green energy trade group."

"Silicon Valley Power, Santa Clara's electric utility, has been ranked number one in the country for solar installations by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA)."

"According to the Solar Electric Power Association’s (SEPA) most recent report, US-based power utilities are ramping up the use of solar photovoltaics."

"In an announcement released this week, the Solar Electric Power Association, or SEPA, said that Silicon Valley Power installed more than 1.8 megawatts of solar last year for an average of 39.9 watts per customer."

"Hawaiian Electric Co., serving about 300,000 customers on Oahu, ranked third out of 230 utilities surveyed in the amount of solar generation capacity installed per customer. HECO's 33.16 watts of installed capacity per customer trailed New Jersey's Public Service Electric & Gas at 35.19 watts and California's Silicon Valley Power at 39.95 watts, according to the report from the Solar Electric Power Association."

"The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), a trade group representing mainly solar-owning utilities, says the top 10 operators added 561MW of solar capacity to their systems in 2010 – a year-on-year doubling."

"Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G) and Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) ranked third and ninth, respectively, in the amount of solar capacity added in 2010 according to a survey by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA)."

"The City of Santa Clara’s municipal electric utility, Silicon Valley Power (SVP), more than doubled its solar installations in 2010 to be ranked the top utility in the U.S. by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) for new installations based on the average number of solar watts per customer installed."

"Oahu beat the Neighbor Islands last year for the amount of solar energy per customer installed on Hawaii’s electric grids in 2010, according to a new study by the Solar Electric Power Association, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit dedicated to helping utilities integrate solar power into their energy portfolios."

"According to the 2010 Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) annual ranking, Hawaiian Electric Company has again been named third out of 230 electric utilities nationally for the amount of solar power added to its system per customer in 2010."

"Which U.S. electric utilities are using the most solar? In ranking utilities by their totals of newly installed solar power, the fourth annual Utility Solar Rankings report from the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) reveals several striking trends."

"Electric utilities are not only adding large amounts of new solar capacity to their supply portfolios, many of them are buying the actual power facilities, according to the Solar Electric Power Association’s '2010 SEPA Utility Solar Rankings' report released today."

"The topic was recently addressed by the Solar Electric Power Association in a webinar, 'SPVP The Pathway to Grid Parity.'"

"The City of Banning’s Electric Utility has been honored as one of the nation’s Top 10 utilities in the amount of solar power it added to its system per customer served in 2010. The designation came from the 2010 SEPA Utility Solar Rankings report published annually by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA)."

"Japan’s federal policy, specifically its residential subsidy program that began in 1994, drove the expansion of the photovoltaic market, according to the Solar Electric Power Association."

"EPRI coordinated the effort with the Department of Energy, Sandia National Laboratories and the Solar Electric Power Association."

"Bob Gibson, VP for market intelligence at the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), pointed to one large source of growth for the industry: utilities expanding their energy mix to include solar. 'In very real and growing ways,” said Gibson, “electric utilities … across the country are part of the renewable energy industry, and in particular, the business of building and providing solar power.'"

"Highlights include a presentation on the market by Bob Gibson, Vice President of the Solar Electric Power Association. The SEIA and SEPA will present the premier Photovoltaic Project of Distinction Award, celebrating major achievements by US companies in the solar energy marketplace."

"While the Vestas manufacturing facility brings in job opportunities and economic development to Colorado, the project will provide 55 onsite jobs at the location. Black Hills Energy serves 93,300 electric customers in 21 southeastern Colorado communities and was ranked No. 6 in Total Solar Watts per Customers in Solar Electric Power Association's 2009 Utility Solar Rankings report."

"Julia Hamm, President and CEO of the Solar Electric Power Association, today offered the following comment for attribution on the recent announcement by Xcel Energy, the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office (GEO), Solar Alliance and the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA) regarding the restart of the Solar*Rewards program."

Gridlock, but There’s Hope (RenewablesBiz)

"Julia Hamm CEO of the Solar Electric Power Association saw some reasons for optimism in her arena. 'Regardless of the policy gridlock we are seeing here in Washington, for renewables, especially solar, we will see rapid deployment even without federal support,” she said. “The question becomes how quickly this will happen and at what scale.'"

"According to data from the Solar Electric Power Association, an industry group, of the top 25 solar photovoltaic projects, 13 were completed in 2010. That includes the largest currently running plant to date, the Copper Mountain Solar Facility in Colorado."

"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."

"Utilities are increasingly part of this large-scale development. The Solar Electric Power Association released a report at SPI showing that in 2009 and 2010 U.S. utilities were involved in over 800 MW of solar projects (both CSP and PV) worth $2.5 billion dollars."

"I also want to thank the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) for hosting this event."

"Solar Power International 2010 realized its name and reached critical mass last week, due to the booming global solar industry and the efforts of presenting organizations Solar Electric Power Association and the Solar Energy Industries Association."

"Shades of '99-'00, it feels like the Tech Boom Act II. Otherwise known as the Solar Power International show, held Oct. 12-14 at the L.A. Convention Center. A feeling of seemingly limitless optimism filled the hallways and auditorium, as 1000s of senior executives from top renewable energy and solar companies participated in SPI."

"The survey was conducted by the independent firm Kelton Research, and the result were presented just before the Solar Power International trade show in Los Angeles."

"Jermain was talking about Solar Power International (SPI) 2010’s open-to-the-public night. When SPI -- the biggest business-to-business solar industry convention in the U.S. -- opened its doors, hundreds, including students from at least three local installation programs, streamed in."

"Again Solar Power International brings together the companies from around the world that are working diligently at bringing to the population of he world a better living through cleaner air and innovations, that will turn back the clock of potential global warming that has been looming around us all."

"Solar Power International has wound down and what was the big news?"

"Presented by Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), Solar Power International 2010 will last till Oct. 14 at the Los Angeles Convention Center."

"Here at Solar Power International, a conference and trade show that has attracted about 27,000 people to the Los Angeles Convention Center, the exhibit halls and meeting rooms are buzzing."

"Yesterday, I spoke at the Solar Power International Conference in Los Angeles, California. Being at the largest solar conference in North America gives you a real sense of possibility and promise." - Ken Salazar

"U.S. Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar ushered in the second full day of the 2010 Solar Power International (SPI) expo on Wednesday by signing off on the first large-scale solar energy project to be built on public land in Nevada."

Happenings from around Solar Power International (Los Angeles Times)

"Solar Power International, the solar-industry confab taking place in Los Angeles this week, comes to a close Thursday. The conference, which sprawled across the downtown Los Angeles Convention Center, encapsulated many of the key issues the solar community was facing."

"A sea of similar looking panels; companies whose names are all deeply different to each other but similar at a glance. If you don't find it faintly ridiculous, you're actually inside it, and the headline from Solar Power International this week is that more people are inside it this year than ever before: 27,000 people, with 1100 exhibitors, converged on LA this week."

"Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) President and CEO, Julia Hamm, praised the report saying, 'solar power will be critically important to... creating jobs and supporting their local economies. With the current economic environment in the U.S. and the need for job creation across the country, now is clearly the time for utilities and solar companies to work together in order to realize the potential employment growth illuminated by this report.'"

"The National Solar Jobs Census was administered through a partnership between The Solar Foundation, Green LMI Consulting and technical assistance from Cornell University. Its findings were made public at the Solar Power International event..."

"Opening the Solar Power International 2010 Conference and Exhibition today in Los Angeles, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar signed off on the first large-scale solar project ever to be approved for construction on public lands in Nevada."

"At Solar Power International in Los Angeles today, AltaTerra Research unveiled pre-release excerpts of its forthcoming renewable energy industry study, 'Utility Solar: U.S. Market Taking Off.'"

"In the opening address to Solar Power International, taking place this week in Los Angeles, CA, Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), highlighted solar energy's triumphs and the work left to be done. Below are main points, with a link to the full text of Resch's speech."

"Day One of Solar Power International is over. SPI landed in Los Angeles, California along with 27,000 of its closest friends and filled several exhibition halls with solar products and people."

"The Solar Power International conference and trade show at the Los Angeles Convention Center has attracted 1,100 exhibitors, including big global companies, such as Sharp, LG, Sanyo, 3M, DuPontabout, and 27,000 people. Announcements of new products and deals are being made. Ken Salazar, Interior Secretary, is expected to arrive today to talk about the efforts of the Obama administration for generating large-scale production of renewable energy on public lands."

"According to a few announcements that have been made at Solar Power International this week, while the broader economy struggles, the solar industry keeps right on growing."

"The issue is expected to be a hot topic of debate this week at the Solar Power International conference at the Los Angeles Convention Center, one of the largest gatherings of its kind."

"Rebekah is spending the week nerding out on all things solar at Solar Power International 2010 in Los Angeles. She's picking one item as the "cool solar thing of the day" and blogging on Huffpo about it."

"Resch and Julia Hamm, President and CEO of the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), came on like cheerleaders with the convention’s themes of teamwork and collaboration."

"Presented by Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), Solar Power International 2010 will last till Oct. 14 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. As the premier U.S. event for the global solar energy market, the 2009 show broke all previous records and conference organizers expect the event this year to reflect the continued growth of the global solar energy market."

"Standing on the same stage that hosted the prime time Emmy Awards just a month or so ago, Rhone Resch, President of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEAI) and Julia Hamm, President of the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) began the show by pointing out all of the celebrities who have installed solar power on their residences:  Sheryl Crow, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and many more..."

"Julia Hamm, president and CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), said one of the major trends in solar is diversification. 'We're seeing the solar development happen in a much broader way across the country rather than being so California-centric.'"

"'Solar energy is now the fastest growing energy source in the United States,' Rhone Resch, SEIA's president and CEO, said Tuesday during the opening session of the Solar Power International 2010 conference in Los Angeles."

"Solar Power International has taken over downtown Los Angeles. Guestimates are that 27,000 people will descend on the Los Angeles Convention Center to view the 1,100 solar exhibitors."

"I'm in Los Angeles at the Solar Power International conference hoping to find some solar-powered news to bring home."

"The Solar Energy Industries Assn., which is co-sponsoring the show with the Solar Electric Power Assn., estimated this week that the U.S. could install more than 1 gigawatt this year."

"The night before the kickoff of this week's Solar Power International (SPI), a lovely, sunny Southern California evening, found us sitting in a nice hotel lobby with casual but energetic meetings taking place all around. It seems natural to think about the 'Big Picture.'"

"There’s a logical reason for this. I don’t think anyone in the industry will be in town to take my calls. They’ll all be in Los Angeles at Solar Power International."

"Armed with new products, trends and insight, solar professionals from around the world are set to unite at Solar Power International 2010, the largest business-to-business solar event in North America, Oct. 12-14, at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles. Co-sponsored by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the annual trade show and conference offers solar professionals three days of valuable networking opportunities."