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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Utility solar finance: economic and institutional analysis

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5817092

Various forms of utility solar finance are analyzed. This analysis will delineate the complexity of the regulatory issues involved with any scheme which uses public utilities as financial intermediaries for on-site solar. The study begins with concrete examination of various types of utility solar financing arrangements. The focus is on the costs of each arrangement to the utility. The discussion then broadens to consider the generic economic impacts of utility solar finance on both the customer and the corporation. With this background, the broader social issues associated with utility involvement in the solar market are surveyed. The legal and regulatory concerns which would shape practical utility solar finance programs are delineated. The particular cost factors that determine economic viability of utility solar finance are examined in a detailed case study. Finally, the complex interactions of federal taxation and state regulatory practices are described. (MHR)

Research Organization:
California Univ., Berkeley (USA). Lawrence Berkeley Lab.
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
5817092
Report Number(s):
LBL-9959
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English