With one solar panel in the state for every 28 people, Washington is falling behind a majority of states in an annual ranking of solar power capacity, despite having the technical potential to produce 21 times as much electricity from solar power as the state consumes each year. In this year’s ranking, Washington dropped to 27th in total solar capacity and 30th in total solar capacity per capita, after ranking 25th in both categories last year.

1. Report: As solar explodes nationwide, Washington falls, lags behind
most other states
State leadership would lead to more clean energy, more local jobs
Seattle,WA – Withone solar panel inthe state for every 28 people,Washington isfallingbehinda
majorityof states inan annual rankingof solarpowercapacity,despite havingthe technical potentialto
produce 21 timesasmuch electricityfromsolarpowerasthe state consumeseachyear. In thisyear’s
ranking,Washingtondroppedto27th
in total solarcapacity and30th
intotal solar capacitypercapita,
afterranking25th
in bothcategorieslastyear.
EnvironmentWashington Research&PolicyCenter’snew study, Lightingthe Way4: The Top Statesthat
HelpedDrive America’sSolarEnergyBoomin2015, showsthe stateswhorankedthe highestforsolar
percapita were those withpolicies thatallow increasingnumbersof homeowners,businesses,
communitiesandutilitiesto“gosolar,”not necessarilythe oneswiththe mostsunshine.
“The questionis:willWashingtoncapitalize onthe growingcleanenergyeconomy withmore clean
energyand more local jobs, or will we fall furtherbehind,” saidAimee Brisbin,CleanEnergyOrganizer
withEnvironmentWashington.“We’ve gotplentyof sunshinebutwe needleadershipatall levelswitha
commitmenttocleanenergypolicies.”
The study’s top statesforsolar capacity percapita -- Nevada,Hawaii,California,Arizona,NorthCarolina,
NewJersey,Vermont,New Mexico,MassachusettsandColorado –have foryears held incommon pro-
cleanenergy policies,suchasstrongnetmeteringprogramsandinterconnectionstandards.
However, the inducementsforgrowingnumbersof homes,businesses andschoolstogo solarare
increasingly underattackby utilities, whoview distributed cleanenergy generationasa directthreatto
theirbusinessmodel.
Last year utilitiesconvincedofficialsin Hawaii aswell as Nevadatoeliminate theirnetmetering
programs,while earlierthisyearCalifornia’sprogram narrowlywithstood ahigh-profileutilityassault.In
Arizona,one majorutilitychargedanewfee onnew solarcustomers,depressingrooftopsolarpower
growthin its1 million-personservicearea;twootherutilitiesinthe state are now pressingtoinstitute
similarchargesand eliminate theirretail netmeteringprograms.
Yet attacks like these haven’tyetstemmedthe tide of solarpower. InFebruary itclearedthe milestone
of 1 millioninstallationsacross the country,and is expectedto addanothermillioninjusttwoyears’
time as pricescontinue toplummet. Evenhere inlaggingWashington,we saw continuedsolarpower
growthduring2015.

2. Many pro-solarpoliciesremaininthe 10 leading-edge states,whomake up88 percentof the nation’s
solarcapacity butlessthan a thirdof itspopulation. All have renewableenergyrequirements,for
example,and nine have stronglawstoallow solarcustomerstoconnecttothe electricitygrid.
While Washingtonsawcontinuedsolarpower growthduring2015, it still lacksone of the most
importantpoliciestopromote the pollution-free energysource –a solar carve-outwhichcreatesa
specificminimumrequirementforsolarenergy -- whichledtoadrop inits rankings. State leadersalso
failedtoextendthe renewable energyproductionincentivewithlegislation (HB2346) inthe 2016
session;the productionincentive hascontributedgreatlytothe growthof cleanenergyinWashington.
"We encourage the political leadersinWashingtonState toidentifyandpromote thoughtful legislation
and policiesthatfurtherpromote the widespreaddeploymentof solarPV andothercleanenergy
technologies.WhileWashington’senergymix isrelativelyclean,the goal of completelydecarbonizing
our energygridisachievable anditwill create new jobsandbenefitourlocal economy,”SaidEvan
Leonard,Vice Presidentof ArtisanElectric.
In Washington,small businesses,local electedofficials,andaverage Americansare demonstratingtheir
supportfor thisincreasinglycost-competitive energysource,acrucial part of the solutiontoglobal
warming. Already inthe pastyear,more than 150 businessesandmore than20 electedleadershave
signedonto supportWashingtongetting10percentof itsenergyfromthe sunby 2025.
EnvironmentWashington saiditwastime forstate leaders toallow the state to realize itsvastsolar
potential bysupportingandadvancingpoliciesthatenable thiscleansource of energytogrow.
“Solarpowercan playa majorrole inthe biggeststepourcountryhas evertakentoaddressclimate
change while alsocreatinglocal jobs,”saidBrisbin.“That’swhyourstate legislatorsshouldensure we
become leaders,not laggards,whenitcomestocleanenergy.”
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EnvironmentWashington Research &Policy Center is a statewideadvocacy organization bringing people
together for a cleaner, greener, healthier future. www.EnvironmentWashingtoncenter.org.