Solar panel display at the Minnesota State Fair

Good news! A bill to provide financial incentives for small renewable energy projects is moving forward in the South Dakota legislature. Senate Bill 58 passed the Senate State Affairs committee yesterday by a 6-2 vote.

While the school districts that are worried about their budgets certainly have my sympathy, local ownership of renewable energy in South Dakota will never fulfill its potential to create jobs and wealth if all the financial incentives the state offers go only to large-scale projects.

To get a sense of how far South Dakota needs to go to catch up with the incentives offered by neighboring states, check out this chart. (.Pdf file – chart begins on page 20.)