If an electric utility must construct a line extension for a customer, and the utility requires the customer to pay a Contribution in Aid to Construction (CIAC) or a pre-payment charge, or to sign a contract with a term of one year or longer, the utility must provide the customer with information about on-site renewable energy and distributed-generation (DG) technology alternatives. The information must be provided to the customer at the time of the CIAC estimate or pre-payment. This information must comply with guidelines established by the Public Utilities Commission of Texas (PUCT), and must be provided to the customer

This program was repealed by Act 90 of 2019 and will expire for tax years beginning after December 31, 2031.

Note: Public Act 38 of 2011 repealed the Michigan Business Tax (MBT) and implemented the Corporate Income Tax (CIT). Public Act 39 was passed in conjunction with the CIT and allows for certain credits awarded under the MBT to be retained for the duration of the agreements. Businesses receiving certain credits, including Renaissance Zone credits, may choose to either continue to file under the MBT to continue claiming their credits, or file under the CIT. Certain Renaissance Zone credits will

Arizona has energy requirements for state buildings contained within their statutes. A.R.S. § 34-451 requires the Department of Administration, the Department of Transportation, and the Arizona Board of Regents to reduce their energy use by 15% by July 1, 2011 using July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2002 as the baseline year. As a whole, the three building systems reduced their energy usage on a BTU per square foot basis by 15.8% by July 2011, meeting the requirements of the statute.

The statute also requires all departments to purchase products certified by Energy Star or the Federal Energy Management Program

Eligibility and Availability

Austin Energy, the municipal utility of Austin Texas, offers net metering to its non-residential retail electricity customers for renewable energy systems up to 20 kilowatts (kW). Austin Energy offers the Value of Solar rate instead of net metering for residential customers with solar photovoltaic (PV) systems no larger than 20 kW. The current Performance Based Incentive Rate being accepted is $0.09/kWh for a ten year term.

The definition of renewable includes solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, wave and tidal energy, biomass, and biomass-based waste products, including landfill gas.

Systems must be used primarily to offset a

The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) is authorized to issue licenses for solar-thermal work, solar-electric work and wind-electric work. "Solar thermal work" is defined as "the installation, erection, repair, replacement, alteration, or maintenance of active, passive and hybrid solar systems that directly convert ambient energy into heat or convey, store or distribute such ambient energy." Solar electricity work is defined as "the installation, erection, repair, replacement, alteration, or maintenance of photovoltaic or wind generation equipment used to distribute or store ambient energy for heat, light, power or other purposes to a point immediately inside any structure or adjacent to

Florida has licensing requirements for all solar contractors. State licensure for such contractors is required by those who install, alter, repair, maintain, relocate, or replace a solar thermal or solar photovoltaic system. Those employed by a licensed contractor are not required to be licensed. Plumbing contractors are also allowed to provide services related to installing, maintaining, repairing, and altering solar heating water systems. Such contractors can do so without obtaining additional local regulatory licenses, certificates, or registrations.

To qualify for a license, installers must have four years of experience, which may include both installation and education and one year must

Arizona law requires that new state building projects over 6,000 square feet follow prescribed solar design standards. Solar improvements should be evaluated on the basis of life cycle costs. Affected buildings include buildings designed and constructed by the department of administration, school districts and universities. These projects must include an evaluation of: (a) proper site orientation; (b) active and passive solar energy systems for space heating; (c) solar water heating; and (d) use of solar daylighting devices. 

SMUD offers an incentive of $300 to residential customers who install grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems. All systems must be permitted and installed by B, C-10, or C-46 contractors. The incentive will be adjusted based on expected system performance, which is affected by factors such as inverter efficiency, orientation, tilt and shading. An incentive calculator can be accessed at https://smud.powerclerk.com/.

The incentive can be paid directly to the customer or the installer. PV equipment listed on the CEC Approved Equipment list is eligible for incentives: http://www.gosolarcalifornia.org/equipment/pv_modules.php and http://www.gosolarcalifornia.org/equipment/inverters.php.

Visit the program web site for more details. 

Wisconsin has several laws that protect a resident's right to install and operate a solar or wind energy system. These laws cover zoning restrictions by local governments, private land use restrictions, and system owner rights to unobstructed access to resources. Wisconsin permitting rules and model policy for small wind can be found here. The state's original laws, enacted in 1982, have subsequently been amended and expanded numerous times.

Limitations on local zoning restrictions

First, Wis. Stat. § 60.61 specifically authorizes towns to enact zoning ordinances to provide “adequate access to sunlight for solar collectors and to wind for wind

Utah's solar easement provision is similar to easement provisions in many other states. Parties may voluntarily enter into written solar easement contracts that are enforceable by law. An easement must be created in writing and filed, duly recorded, and indexed in the office of the recorder of the county in which the easement is granted. A solar easement, once created, runs with the land and does not terminate unless specified by conditions of the easement.

Any deed, will or other instrument that creates a solar easement must include:

• A description of the affected properties
• A spatial description of the solar