Utility-scale solar photovoltaic facility growth examined

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The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is attributing a portion of small utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity generating facilities growth to state-level policies and practices, as well as community solar facilities.

The United States currently has more than 2,500 utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity generating facilities, with most of the power plants being relatively small and collectively accounting for 2.5 percent of utility-scale electric generating capacity and 1.7 percent of annual electricity generation.

Community solar facilities offer a share of their solar capacity for sale to off-site customers who may not necessarily have access to solar generation, per the EIA, adding in those programs, customers subscribe to a designated community solar facility and receive monthly credits on their electric bills for the energy generated by the share of solar capacity they purchase.

In some states, such as North Carolina, officials used the Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to enable utilities to set long-term purchase agreements with solar facilities while allowing solar developers to secure project funding more easily and spurring growth.

North Carolina has 433 utility-scale PV facilities with capacities no greater than 5 MW, the most of any state, accounting for nearly a quarter of all utility-scale PV facilities in the country between 1 MW and 5 MW.