PHOTON International The Photovoltaic Magazine

Rhode Island passes RPS with no solar carve-out

A Rhode Island renewable portfolio standard (RPS) signed into law on June 29 contains no solar carve-out. The RPS for the smallest state in the US calls for 16 percent of the retail electricity sales to come from renewable sources by 2019. Of that, 2 percent can be from existing sources. The requirement starts at 3 percent by the end of 2007.

The state's Public Utilities Commission will be working on details of the regulations through Dec. 2005. But Erich Stephens, CEO of People's Power & Light, a non-profit energy alliance in Rhode Island, says that no one in the state is advocating additional support for solar in the RPS. »If they did, we would oppose it,« he says. »PP&L supports the development of PV through other types of programs."«

Residential solar installations, which are exempt from property tax, can receive a 5 percent state income tax credit. But the credit is slated to expire soon. Stephens hopes it will be reinstated next year. Rhode Island also has a PV buydown program with $5 per W for residential and commercial and $7 per W for institutional non-profit organizations.