News in Brief: Santa Barbara, California, is the 30th US city to vote in a 100% renewable energy mandate, North Carolina legislators instate a competitive bidding process and leasing programme for solar PV while South Carolina's SCE&G launches the state's largest community solar programme; there's also more community solar online in Texas, and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources releases its final guidelines for its solar incentive SMART programme.
Nevada solar moved up in a big way earlier this week, with the state legislature passing several bills to ensure the industry will return to its former heights.
Residential solar provider Vivint Solar announced Thursday that it plans to re-enter the Nevada solar sector, with the company offering its residential PV systems to residents within the state.
Following on from the successful year for solar that was 2016, the US market added 2,044MW of new capacity in Q1 2017 alone. As installations grow, prices continue to fall to new lows and utility-scale system prices dropped below US$1/Watt for the first time according to GTM Research.
IPP and renewable energy solutions provider Coronal Energy, powered by Panasonic, and Dominion Energy announced this week that they are developing a new PV facility in Essex County, Virginia.
Utility-scale solar and wind project developer Apex Clean Energy announced that it has completed the final delivery of the largest renewable energy project serving the US Army at Fort Hood, Texas.
Sunrun, the largest dedicated residential solar company in the US, announced this week that it is expanding its home solar business to Texas, one of the sunniest and most populous states in the county.
