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Two new programs in Massachusetts will provide subsidies for solar power projects, the state announced this week.
The
Bay State's original solar subsidy, the Commonwealth Solar Fund, ran
out of money in October due to overwhelming popularity. It was
administered by the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust, which is
funded through a surcharge on residents' electric bills. The surcharge
amounts to about 50 cents per month per customer, the trust says.
Now
the trust will be responsible for overseeing one of the new solar
incentive programs, dubbed Commonwealth Solar II. It will provide $4
million of rebates per year - but only for projects generating 5 or
fewer kilowatts of electricity.
The second rebate plan will be
funded with $8 million federal stimulus monies. It will provide rebates
for installations between 5 and 200 kilowatts in size, the Boston Globe
reported.
A separate provision of Massachusetts' announcement is
a solar credit program, which will require utilities to buy the
electricity that homes' and businesses' solar panels generate.
Under
Massachusetts' renewable energy portfolio standard, utilities will have
to generate 15 percent of energy renewably by 2020, with 1 percent
increases each year thereafter.
