Wyoming Solar Rebates and Incentives

Solar Rebate and Incentive Programs

  • Wyoming Rebates and Incentives Summary


    Though Wyoming is a northwestern state, it is still firmly in the United States’ solar belt. And it has a bonanza of energy opportunities, with rich wind—including the most superb inland wind resources in the United States, which are in a small, southeastern pocket of the state, and better than average solar and geothermal resources. And while the state gets, on average, more than 5 kilowatt hours (kWh) of sunlight per square meter per day, the state also is rich in fossil fuels, particularly coal and natural gas. The state offers some incentives to residents and businesses to help them convert to solar and other renewables.

    The state—despite being the 10th largest—is also the nation’s least populated with roughly 500,000 people as of 2009, according to the Energy Information Administration. That’s less than the 600,000 people who live in Washington, D.C.—even though you could fit more than 1,500 Washington, D.C.’s within Wyoming’s borders. However, the state lacks some of the commitments to renewable energy that its neighboring states have made.

    In recent years, as oil producers become more desperate for domestic oil sources, they are looking increasingly to oil shale deposits in states like Wyoming to produce new sources of oil in the United States. Wyoming also is the top producer of coal in the nation, surpassing the other coal giant, West Virginia. The coal is easy to mine, since it is found in surface-based deposits and is low in sulphur, making it attractive to coal-fired power plants that want to keep their emissions low. Given its large fossil fuel resources, it’s no surprise that the majority of electricity produced in Wyoming now comes from coal-fired plants. But the amount of wind power produced in the state continues to increase.

    Both Wyoming’s northern and southern neighbors, Colorado and Montana, have established renewable portfolio standards, while Wyoming has not established an RPS as of September 2010. Other states bordering this cowboy state, including Utah and South Dakota, have established renewable energy goals.

    Despite the exploitation of fossil fuels in Wyoming and the lack of an RPS, Wyoming does offer some incentives to help its residents and businesses adopt renewables for their energy needs. But with harsh winters, the state is offering more incentives geared to help residents invest in energy-efficiency projects, like improving insulation, to help cut back energy costs in the winters. The state offers residents rebates, zero-interest rate loans, and a net metering program to make the conversion to renewable electricity easier for residents.
     

     

  • Powder River Conservation Loan Program


    Program Type Zero-interest Loan Program
    Technologies Photovoltaics, energy efficiency appliances, and retrofits
    Amount Up to $2,500 per utility member per year, 36-month repayment period                                  
    Required Documentation Conservation Loan Program Application
    Official Web Site http://www.precorp.coop/MemberServices/ConservationLoan/clp.cfm

    Powder River Energy Corp. offers its customers zero-interest rate loans for renewable energy projects, including PV, and energy efficiency projects. Loan amounts are limited to $2,500 per year per customer. The loans carry a 3 year repayment period. The application fee for a loan is equal to 4 percent of the loan’s full amount.

    The loans are made directly through the utility, via a revolving loan fund created through a partnership with Basin Electric Cooperative. Through the partnerships, the utility matched funds provided by the cooperative. Loans are made available on a first-come, first-serve basis and become available when previous borrowers repay their loans.

    The utility also offers energy efficiency seminars to those wishing to learn more about the loan program and renewable energy.

    To be eligible for the loan, customers must attend such a seminar prior to applying. Call 800-442-3630 for dates and times.

  • Wyoming Net Metering


    Program Type Net Metering
    Technologies Photovoltaics, Wind Energy, Solar Hot Water Heating
    Amount Up to 25 kW systems, credited to customer’s bill at retail rate                                      
    Required Documentation Interconnection agreement with utility
    Official Web Site N/A Check with utility

    Under Wyoming’s net-metering law, investor-owned utilities, electric cooperatives, and irrigation districts must offer customers with bi-directional electric meters the option to net meter. As of September 2010, no caps were placed on how much distributed generation a utility must purchase before turning away customers. Any net excess generation (NEG) produced by the customer is carried forward on a monthly basis. And at the end of a 12-month period, payment for any net excess generation is reconciled with the customer at an agreed rate.

    Under the net-metering law, eligible technologies systems include photovoltaics, wind, hydroelectric, and biomass systems up to 25 kW in size. The intention of the installed system must be to offset part or all of the customer's electricity needs.

    When production exceeds the customer’s needs over a month period, they are credited per kWh of NEG at their retail rate. At the end of a 12-month cycle, the utility will purchase any unused renewable energy credits for NEG at the utility's avoided-cost rate.

    Under the law, utilities may not charge customers’ fees in addition to minimum monthly charges that apply to other utility customers in similar rate classes.

    Customers must install an external disconnect switch pay for any costs to install equipment or make modifications required by the utility for safety and reliability purposes.

    To net meter in the state, customers must sign an interconnection agreement. All utilities in the state base their interconnection agreements on Rocky Mountain Power’s (PacifiCorp) agreement form.

  • Residential Renewable Energy Program


    Program Type Rebate
    Technologies Photovoltaics, Wind Energy, and Geothermal Heat Pumps
    Amount $2,000 per installed kW for photovoltaics (PVs), capped at 50 percent of project costs or $10,000, whichever is less
    Required Documentation Application form filled out prior to construction (available on Wyoming Business Council’s site)
    Official Web Site http://www.wyomingbusiness.org/economic_stimulus/residential_renewable.aspx

    While this program continues to accept applications—which are being added to a waiting list—it’s a little taxed-out at this point. On Dec. 1, 2009, the state expanded the program to $2.2 million of grants with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act monies. And within 10 days of expansion, the Wyoming energy office said it received 332 applications. However, not all funds have been paid out as of Sept. 2010, and the state continues to accept applications. The program may see more funding in the future.

    The program’s administrator, the State Energy Office, warns applicants not to start work on a renewable energy project they’re seeking the incentive for until they receive confirmation from the office. The energy office is a division of the Business and Industry Division of the Wyoming Business Council. As of June 30, 2009, the program already had supported the construction of more than 174 projects.

    The Residential Renewable Energy Program originally only supported photovoltaic (PV) projects and with rebates no larger than $2,000. But when it was expanded in December 2009, geothermal and wind was added to the program, and the rebate level was increased to $10,000 or 50 percent of the installed cost for PV, wind, and geothermal heat pump installations. Solar and wind systems have a rebate of $2,000 per kW, capped at 20 kW. Both grid-connected and off-grid systems are eligible.

    Applicants are required to submit an application form prior to starting construction. After completing the system, homeowners must submit an equipment invoice, before and after pictures, and during the first year of operation, quarterly reports. While residents can apply for multiple systems, they can only receive one incentive per project type.

  • Wyoming Solar Power Financial Incentives


    Financial Incentives

    Sales Tax Exemption

    State Grant Program

    State Loan Program

    State Rebate Program

    Utility Loan Program

    Utility Rebate Program



    Rules, Regulations & Policies

    Building Energy Code

    Interconnection

    Net Metering




    Related Programs & Initiatives

    Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center
     

    The U.S. Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center (AFDC) provides a wide range of information and resources to enable the use of alternative fuels and other petroleum-reduction options, such as advanced vehicles, fuel blends, idle reduction and fuel economy. The AFDC site offers a database of state and federal laws and incentives related to alternative fuels and vehicles, air quality, fuel efficiency, and other transportation-related topics.



    Green Power Network
     

    The U.S. Department of Energy's Green Power Network provides news and information on green power markets and activities, including opportunities to buy green power. This site provides state-by-state information on green power marketing and utility green power programs. In addition, the site lists marketers of renewable energy credits (RECs), also known as green tags or renewable energy certificates, which represent the environmental attributes of the power produced from renewable energy projects.



    Weatherization Assistance Program
     

    The U.S. Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) enables low-income families to reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy-efficient. Through this program, weatherization service providers install energy-efficiency measures in the homes of qualifying homeowners free of charge. The WAP program web site offers a state-by-state map of opportunities, projects and activities.



    Wind Powering America
     

    The U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America site provides state-by-state information on wind projects and activities, including wind working groups, validated wind maps, anemometer loan programs, small wind guides, state-specific news, wind for schools, workshops and web casts.