Earlier this week Environment America introduced a new report “Solar On Superstores” showing the vast potential of covering the more than 102,000 box stores and their supporting infrastructure in the U.S. with solar panels. That would be the equivalent of 62.3 gigawatts of solar power—enough to power more than 7 million homes in the U.S. That’s more than 3 times the total amount of solar power installed in the U.S. at this point. 

Rooftop solar power in Nevada is off to an acrimonious start in 2016 following the Nevada Public Utilities Commission (PUC) ruling in December 2015, just before Christmas, to raise rates and fees on all of its solar rooftops customers, existing and future. The changes have spurred protests, companies to leave the state and layoff thousands of employees, a class-action lawsuit and new advocacy organization. The PUC made things slightly better on Friday when it voted to reduce net-metering rates and increase solar rooftop fees over a 12 year period rather than a 4 year period but it’s still far less than advocates were hoping for. 

Last year President Obama enacted sweeping regulations to reduce the U.S.’s dependence on fossil fuels and to move the country to clean energy sources like solar power. The plan, called the Clean Power Plan, faced opposition from conservative governors and from the coal industry, among others, which filed a suit against implementing the plan. Now the U.S. Supreme Court has issued a stay against implementation and sent the case back to an appeals court. 

Yesterday (Feb. 10) GTM Research introduced U.S. Residential Solar Economic Outlook its latest report on rooftop solar power in the U.S. The newest report found that rooftop solar is at this point at pretty with other electric sources in 20 states—from California to Missouri. By the end of the decade that number is expected to more than double to 42 states, the report found. 

Choosing a financing mechanism for a solar array can seem complicated but new tools are coming out to help people understand more about their options. For example the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) introduced a new three-page SEIA Residential Lease Disclosure form, which can operate as an industry standard. 

The Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it is investing $21 million to further reduce the costs of solar. The department is investing $13 million in states’ efforts to reduce the soft costs of solar power. It’s investing another $8 million in solar energy innovations.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) keeps tabs on how much solar is installed across the nation and where it’s installed. In the most recent update it noted that California has 9,976 megawatts of solar power installed, nearly half of the solar power installed in the country. 

This year isn’t just the golden anniversary of the Super Bowl, its 50th, it’s also going to be a solar, energy efficient spectacular. Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, is the first stadium in the NFL to open as a LEED Gold-certified building. That’s thanks, among other things, to its 375 kilowatt solar power array.

Earlier this week Sens. Angus King (I-Maine) and Harry Reid (D-Nev.) proposed an amendment to the Senate Energy Bill that would protect net-metered customers with solar power. The amendment would protect such consumers from rate hikes on a federal lever. Currently states, particularly like Nevada, can change net-metering rates even on existing rates.

It’s not rooftop solar, it’s not community solar but now customers of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) can go 100 percent solar through PG&E’s Solar Choice program. The program allows the utility’s customers to choose to purchase all or half of their electricity from solar farms in Northern and Central California, for what the utility called “a modest charge.” For instance, a homeowner that chooses to source 100 percent of their power through the program would pay $35.18 for 1,000 kilowatt hours a month in 2016.