April 18, 2012: Small New Jersey Utility Leads Nation in Providing Solar-Generated Electricity for Customers; Utility Once Ran One of Dirtiest Coal Plants in State

A small New Jersey utility leads the nation in providing solar-powered electricity to its customers. The Vineland Municipal Utilities Authority provides solar-generated power to its 25,000 customers, leading the nation on a watts-per-customer basis, according to an analysis by the Solar Energy Power Association. Three of the state’s four electric utilities are among the top 10 nationwide in the amount of electricity generated from solar units installed or the number of watts produced from solar during 2011. The utilities in New Jersey, far from battling solar energy, are embracing it, though some fear this push will be undercut by a proposed cut in the prices solar owners earn for the power their units produce. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities is considering whether to expand the utilities’ solar promotion efforts, a move supported by the solar industry. Proponents say the move would help stabilize the solar energy market in the state, which is trying to handle a drop in the amount of money solar systems earn for their owners. The Vineland utility, located in Cumberland County, used to operate one of the dirtiest coal plants in the state to provide its customers with electricity. The analysis shows that utilities are increasing their involvement in building solar plants, contrasting the status of a few years ago, when the market was dominated by customer-owned, net-metered systems that do not supply electricity directly to the grid. [NJ Spotlight, 4/18/2012]