SEPA Names Top 10 Utilities for New Solar

For the seventh year, the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) named the top 10 American electric utilities that added the most new solar power to their systems and the most solar on a watts-per-customer basis in the preceding year.

Here are the top 10 utilities based on MW capacity added in 2013:

1. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (CA) - 1,471
2. San Diego Gas & Electric Company (CA) - 643
3. Arizona Public Service (AZ) - 417
4. Southern California Edison (CA) - 373
5. Duke Energy Progress (NC, SC) - 137
6. National Grid (MA, RI) - 111
7. Public Service Electric & Gas Company (NJ) - 103
8. Hawaiian Electric Company (HI) - 98
9. Georgia Power Company (GA) - 59
10. Duke Carolinas (NC, SC) - 58

Six of the 10 utilities previously ranked in 2012. Newcomers to the list include Duke Energy Progress, National Grid and Georgia Power. This is the sixth year that Pacific Gas and Electric Company has topped the list.

The SEPA Top 10 Solar Watts-Per-Customer rankings take into account the number of customers each utility serves relative to its solar megawatts installed, giving small utilities a means to measure the relative intensity of their solar energy capacity on an equal footing with any other utility, regardless of size. Here are the top 10 utilities based on watts-per-customer installed in 2013:

1. Sterling Municipal Light Dept (MA) - 831
2. San Diego Gas & Electric Company (CA) - 461
3. Silicon Valley Power/City of Santa Clara (CA) - 427
4. Arizona Public Service (AZ) - 368
5. Hawaiian Electric Company (HI) - 329
6. Pacific Gas & Electric Company (CA) - 281
7. Hawaiian Electric Light Company (HI) - 182
8. Maui Electric Company Ltd (HI) - 178
9. Kaua'i Island Utility Cooperative (HI) - 167
10. Imperial Irrigation District (CA) - 159

In the Solar Watts-Per-Customer rankings the Hawaiian utilities and Imperial Irrigation District from California were in the top ten in 2012 as well.