Utility Dive published this 2020 Outlook piece highlighting the projected rise of renewables in the new decade, quoting AEE's JR Tolbert. Read excerpts below and the entire UD piece here. 

Renewable energy resources have become a bigger part of the grid in recent years, competing with traditional generation sources. With flat load growth, falling costs and the expansion of the energy storage sector, this trend is only expected to rise. While onshore wind is more economic than utility-scale solar in many areas of the U.S., analysts say solar could become increasingly competitive with wind...

"Even in the places where we're not seeing large comprehensive policy, in the Southeast, we are seeing consumer demand pushing the utilities" to develop renewables, J.R. Tolbert, managing director of Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), told Utility Dive...

Meanwhile, states are leading a big shift in 2020 in administrative and regulatory processes to continue advancing the ball in integrating renewables, according to AEE's Tolbert. States from Minnesota to Oregon attempted to pass renewable goals through their legislatures and will renew those efforts this year, he said. "More and more states seem to be trying to get their ducks in a row for when their legislature matches their values," he told Utility Dive.

Virginia and Illinois state legislatures are considering bills this year to increase renewables in the energy mix. Illinois' bill seeks to increase utility-scale solar and wind procurement and new development of residential, community and C&I solar, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Virginia's Senate and Assembly, following an executive order from Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam in September, will consider a bill to increase distributed and utility-scale renewables...

Read the entire UD piece here.