3 June 2009:
Standard Solar CEO Clifford Calls on Congress to Include Distributed Generation Requirements in Energy-Climate Legislation
Distributed Generation – Including Solar – Can Play a Key Role Reducing Summer Stress on the Power Grid
ROCKVILLE, Md., June 3 -- Joining environmental leaders throughout Maryland to urge Congress to pass a substantive renewable energy and climate law, Standard Solar Chief Executive Officer Tony Clifford called on members of Congress to specifically reserve one-fourth of the overall requirement for electricity generated by renewable resources to come from solar and other forms of Distributed Generation that do not require transmission over high-voltage power lines.
“If Distributed Generation is not specified, most utilities and utility commissions will not do it,” Clifford said at a news conference organized by the Maryland League of Conservation Voters. Clifford went on to say that language should be added to ensure the role that Distributed Generation can play in reducing demand for power on hot summer days as part of a “Smart Grid” strategy.
“The potential for Distributed Generation reducing the need for new high-voltage power lines deserves to be fully assessed,” he said.
With the Chesapeake Bay and over 3,000 miles of coastline, Maryland is especially susceptible to the effects of rising waters which are believed to be a result of the buildup of greenhouse gases. Higher water levels in the Bay allow water to be pushed farther inland, causing greater flooding. Also present at the news conference to spotlight efforts Maryland is making to reverse the effects of climate change on the Bay were Environment Maryland, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and the Clean Water Fund.
Joining Clifford and the environmental groups were Shari Wilson, Maryland’s Secretary of the Environment, and the two sponsors of Maryland’s new Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act, Senator Paul Pinsky and House Majority Leader Kumar Barve. This new Act, which requires the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 25% from 2006 levels by 2020, combined with Maryland’s requirement that 20 percent of electricity generated within the state come from renewable sources by 2022, put the state at the forefront of national efforts to curb global warming and transition to a clean energy economy.
In addition to reducing the need for invasive and unsightly high-voltage transmission lines that move power from rural areas to population centers, incentives for small-scale solar electric systems can do what solar has accomplished in Germany and Japan, each of which has less solar energy potential than virtually every region of the U.S.
“Solar can contribute significantly to meet our nation’s thirst for power throughout the country, not just in the West and Southwest,” Clifford said. “Because it works directly on the roofs of homes, schools, offices and factories, solar is an inherently distributed energy resource that can produce power where it is used, not thousands of miles away,” Clifford said.
For more information, contact: Jim Pierobon, jim.pierobon@standardsolar.com or 301-944-5133.
About Standard Solar
Standard Solar, Inc. is a leading installer of solar electric systems. The company designs, sells and installs high quality custom solar electric systems, providing solar solutions to residential, commercial and government customers throughout the Mid-Atlantic. In addition, it offers professional audit & weatherization services. Customer satisfaction drives every aspect of the company's operation to deliver superb service and high value from their system. For more information, please visit www.standardsolar.com