Last week the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its latest forecast for new electric generation in the US coming online in 2019—two thirds will be wind and solar. It’s no surprise as renewable energy promises savings and states want clean energy. But not all may be benefitting even with rooftop solar at solar at record low costs.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) published its latest forecast for new electric generation in 2019 with fully 66 percent of the expected 23.7 gigawatts (GWs) of new generation coming online, coming from renewable energy sources, while the rest will come from natural gas. At the same time the majority (53 percent) of the 8.3 GWs of electric generation retirements will be coal plants.

A new study from Tufts University and the University of California, Berkeley shows that neighborhoods that are primarily African-American or Hispanic are likely to have less rooftop solar than neighborhoods that are primarily Caucasian. That’s even when accounting for other factors like household income and the rate of home ownership.

Yesterday (Jan. 8) Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) signed an executive order establishing a statewide goal to reduce carbon emissions in the state by 80 percent while increasing renewable energy to offset at least 40 percent of the state’s electric use. The order also established the GreenGov Council to achieve the order’s goals and boost clean energy in the state while saving taxpayers money and creating jobs. 

The winds of change are talking in Colorado. A new study found that by ending power from aging, costly coal-fired power plants in the state, it could save electric consumers in the state $2.5 billion through 2040, while slashing emissions from electric generation almost 65 percent. 

Last week SolarPowerRocks issued its annual rankings of how easy states make it for people to go solar, Massachusetts regained the lead after falling in the previous rankings. Meanwhile renewable energy is getting a strong push in at least three states from entirely different sources, one state is seeing a big push from a utility, another from its governor and the third from advocates. 

Hawaii’s largest utility Hawaiian Electric Companies (HECO) submitted a proposal to the state utility commission for 262 more megawatts (MWs) of solar energy coupled with a whopping 1,048 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy storage. The utility is looking to renewables to reduce energy costs in the state while reducing its use of fossil fuels. 

In South Carolina a diverse coalition of solar and clean energy advocates as well as conservation advocates have come together as a coalition supporting a 100 Day Clean Energy Agenda. Together the organizations aim to support solar power growth in the state by making more than 750,000 contacts in support of legislative action—by April 10.

In December Connecticut announced that it signed contracts to get roughly 45 percent of its energy 11,658,080 megawatt hours, from solar, wind and nuclear energy. The state will source the power from nine solar projects, an offshore wind farm and two nuclear facilities. 

As 2019 kicks off, SolarPowerRocks has issued its 2019 State Solar Power Rankings Report, rating states and Washington, DC, on their solar policies and incentives. With the launch of a new incentive program Massachusetts retook the top spot from New Jersey, while Alabama took 51st place, falling four spots last year.