Hundreds of companies stuck with solar power systems they can't use

About 200 companies that ordered solar-power systems to generate their own electricity are stuck with systems that the Israel Electric Corporation won't connect to the national grid.

Yesterday the IEC finished a preliminary estimate and concluded that out of the 35-megawatt quota of generation capacity allocated to the business and agricultural sectors, 43 have been used. Yes, it's overshot the quota, the utility suspects. So any more companies waiting for their systems to be connected to the national grid will just have to wait for the government to decide on its next policy move.

Originally, the plan had been for the companies to sell excess power to the utility, for a premium, but these 200 can't now, due to the quota.

To encourage the adoption of solar power, the state created a program enabling the IEC to buy excess power from companies that produce electricity for themselves and then some. But it capped the program at 35 megawatts. The state is unlikely to simply expand the quota program, because the incentive lies in the very high price the state agreed to pay for the excess electricity.

The IEC meanwhile is outraged at the Utilities Authority: That's the body responsible for regulating the electricity sector, the company spluttered, and holding the IEC responsible for the "surprise" exceeded quota is inappropriate.