skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Study: Solar Producing Big Savings for Solar Homes – and Their Neighbors

play audio
Play

Monday, August 8, 2016   

PORTLAND, Maine -- With some predicting that 2016 could be the hottest summer on record, a new study found that solar power in Maine is the most cost-effective way to meet peak demand.

According to Phil Coupe, co-founder of ReVision Energy in Portland, solar power achieves its greatest output during hot summer days when cranked-up air conditioners create peak demand.

"All those solar arrays are contributing clean electricity to the grid at a time when the grid needs the most support," Coupe said. "Even if you're a ratepayer without solar on your roof, your neighbor who does have solar is actually saving you quite a bit of money."

According to the Public Utilities Commission's "Value of Solar Study," the 20 megawatts of solar power currently installed in Maine reduces peak demand and could cut electricity bills for consumers who don't have solar by about $45 million over 25 years. The study was produced by consulting firm Crossborder Energy.

Speaking on a very hot day last week, Chris Raucher, director of public policy at Sunrun, said that using more solar energy means less demand on fossil fuel plants like the oil-burning plant on Cousins Island.

"Days like today in New England are historically peak days when you have a ton of demand on the electricity grid," Raucher said. "And Cousins Island wasn't running, due in part to things like rooftop solar. And when Cousins Island runs it gets paid millions and millions of dollars. And because it's not running, rooftop solar is saving everyone money."

Coupe said Mainers spend $5 billion a year to import gas, oil and propane from other states. But with solar, the investment stays in Maine.

"ReVision Energy has grown from two guys in a garage to 140 employees over the past 10 years," Coupe said. "So, in some ways, you can look at solar as a kind of job creation on steroids."

If lawmakers had approved a target goal of 250 megawatts of solar in Maine over the next five years, Coupe said, ratepayers would save $775 billion over the next 25 years.





get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021