The MA Department of Energy Resources (DOER) recently published an updated qualified solar projects list as of September 23, 2011. The state currently has a total of 982 solar projects, 957 operational and 25 not operational, eligible for the SREC program. 11 of the 982 projects are greater than 1 MW, 3 of which are currently operational. The largest project, located in Sheffield, MA and approximately 2.0 MW, is not yet operational. The second largest project is 1.8 MW, located in Dartmouth, MA, and has been operational since March 2011. The table below demonstrates the change in capacity and # of projects from the last update on August 15, 2011.
| 8/15/11 | 9/23/11 | Change | % Change | |
| Capacity (MW) | ||||
| Operational | 23.0 | 26.6 | 3.7 | 15.9% |
| Not Operational1 | 14.9 | 14.0 | (1.0) | -6.6% |
| Total | 37.9 | 40.6 | 2.7 | 7.0% |
| Projects (#) | ||||
| Operational | 829 | 957 | 128 | 15.4% |
| Not Operational1 | 32 | 25 | (7) | -21.9% |
| Total | 861 | 982 | 121 | 14.1% |
| 1. A decline in capacity and # of projcts can be explained by not operational projects converting to operational. | ||||
Overall, the total qualified capacity currently stands at 40.6 MW, of which 26.6 MW is operational. The next SREC issuance period is scheduled for October 15, 2011. This will cover all SRECs generated during Q2 2011. Based on the information provided by the DOER as of 9/12/2011, 2,358 SRECs were issued in Q1 2011 (issuance date was 7/15/11). Additionally, based on the data provided, 5,652* MWh have been reported to the MassCEC Production Tracking System (PTS) for the period covering April – June 2011. An another 3,929* MWh have been reported during July and August 2011.
Taking into consideration the estimated load exemptions for the TransCanada settlement, MA electricity suppliers need to acquire approximately 63,000 SRECs during the 2011 compliance year. According to the DOER 2012 minimum standard announcement, the forecast generation for the 2011 compliance year is 29,056 SRECs.
The chart below demonstrates the qualified capacity as of 9/23/11 compared to the estimated MW requirements needed to be online and operational during the entire 2011 and 2012 compliance years to meet the state’s solar obligations.
Note: The 2011 and 2012 estimated megawatts required in the chart above have been adjusted for the impact of the TransCanada settlement.
* These figures represent the MWhs reported to PTS on a monthly basis. The DOER notes that the data from PTS is not finalized and the actual number of SRECs minted by NEPOOL GIS may differ.
Tags: Capacity, MA DOER, Massachusetts, NEPOOL GIS, Solar, SRECs
[…] The auction closed on Monday, October 17th at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. SRECs transacted at a clearing price of $535.00 per SREC. The clearing price, more than 97% of the 2011 Solar Alternative Compliance Payment (SACP), represents a strong demand for MA2011 SRECs due to a shortfall of supply in the market. […]