THE PRESENT & FUTURE OF SOLAR
Julia Hamm, President and CEO of the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) took the audience 20 years into the future during today’s General Session with a visionary presentation about the role of solar energy within an electric utility in the year 2031. Hamm stressed the importance of collaboration between the solar industry and utilities to make her vision of 2031 a reality.
Hamm’s visionary timeline for a solar future includes:
* 2013 – A national energy policy is adopted
* 2014 – A formation of a clean energy bank
* 2022 – Majority of cars are electric
* 2026 – Solar industry is the largest job creator in the U.S.
* 2028 – Solar power is mainstream for both consumers and utilities
* 2031 – Solar energy comprises 30 percent of a utility’s energy portfolio
During the Executive Utility Roundtable moderated by Matt Daily, reporter for Reuters, executives indicated their support for the solar industry and illustrated how they are currently incorporating solar into their renewable energy portfolios as well as their plans for the future.
Panelists: Doyle Beneby, President & Chief Executive Officer, CPS Energy ; Randy Mehrberg, President & Chief Operating Officer, PSEG Energy Holdings LLC and Executive Vice President Strategy &,Development, PSEG Services Corporation; Armando Olivera, President & Chief Executive Officer, Florida Power & Light Company; Robert Powers, President, American Electric Power; James Rogers, Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer, Duke Energy; Larry Weis, General Manager, Austin Energy.
Key themes of the discussion include:
* National Energy Policy – the need for a national policy so the industry has guidelines to use to make investment decisions.
* Carbon – create a system that puts a price on carbon emissions and fossil fuels, so solar becomes more cost effective and will advance faster.
* Cost – the drop in the price of solar has helped; further decline is needed for solar to be competitive with the cost of traditional energy sources.
Surprise guest, actor Larry Hagman addressed the audience and expressed his support for the solar industry. In addition to the solar panels installed on his roof, Hagman recently purchased an RV fully equipped with solar powered appliances.
