This is your SolarWakeup for April 23rd, 2024
Negative Price Signals. I always have a hard time with bad headlines. While the Washington Post article doesn’t say anything novel, the headline implies that solar is such terrible energy that it gets thrown away. What it doesn’t say is two important things. First is that cheap solar energy has lowered the cost of energy for all of California in a way that nobody every predicted with a plethora of low cost PPAs that have no commodity price adjustment for fuel. Second, is that a negative price, is a price signal for investments that leverage arbitrage, like batteries. Energy storage arbitrage will enable more solar to be built than the 47GW that already has been built and ultimately create a base case for solar making up for most of the generation on the CAISO grid. That being said, there’s control complications that need to be taken into account and keeping those batteries flexible won’t be easy. This article is the exact reason why I love chairing the energy storage division for SEIA, because the combo of solar with batteries is exactly what we need in this energy transition.
Resilient Puerto Rico. Some humble brags for my team at FlexGen for signing on to a great project in Puerto Rico with Arclight Capital’s Infinigen. We all know how unreliable the Puerto Rico grid has been after many storms have harmed the infrastructure. This is an important step for more resilience that I’m proud to be a part of on Earth Day.
News
1 Washington Post:
Rooftop solar panels are flooding California’s grid. That’s a problem.
2 Energy Storage News:
FlexGen to deploy 15MW BESS in Puerto Rico for Arclight and Infinigen
3 PV-Magazine:
Earth Day celebrated with $7 billion solar funding announcement
4 PV-Tech:
Maxeon sues Hanwha QCells over alleged US TOPCon cell patent infringement
5 Canary Media:
Data centers want clean electricity. Can Georgia Power deliver it?
6 GreenBiz:
Salesforce to lobby for new rules on AI’s environmental impact
7 Axios:
Exclusive - New Democratic transmission legislation
8 Renewable Energy World:
U.S. hydropower generation expected to increase by 6% in 2024
Opinions:
9 Utility Dive:
Solar PPA prices stable for now but expected to rise absent interest rate cut - LevelTen
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 22nd, 2024
Opinion
News
1 PV-Tech:
Maxeon sues REC Solar over US TOPCon cell patent infringement
2 PV-Magazine:
Mercom, WoodMac note challenging PV investment climate in Q1
3 Utility Dive:
NYISO launches first-in-nation DER integration program in move toward FERC Order 2222 compliance
4 Bloomberg:
America’s Clean Tech Withers Even as Imports Are Blocked
5 Axios:
Many voters unfamiliar with Biden climate law, despite economic benefits - polling
6 Reuters:
FERC to unveil US power grid reform on May 13
7 Heatmap:
A Big Week for Batteries
8 Canary Media:
Chart - The US clean energy backlog is getting bigger and bigger
Opinions:
9 New York Times:
A Planetary Crisis Awaits the Next President
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 19th, 2024
Opinion
News
1 Bloomberg:
Solar Groups Lobby Biden to Head Off Sector-Roiling Trade Case
2 Reuters:
Higher interest rates pose risk to renewable sector, hurting energy transition, say analysts
3 Utility Dive:
DOE cites cost, reliability concerns for new gas plants as it details how to meet surging power demand
4 PV-Tech:
Italy’s solar renaissance - the challenges, the opportunities and the grid
5 Solar Power World:
New York includes renewable energy project permitting act in state budget
6 Energy Storage News:
Britishvolt ESS gigafactory plan dead after Blackstone buys site for data centre
7 PV-Magazine:
Allow solar developers to choose “connect and manage,” says DOE roadmap
Opinions:
8 Heatmap News:
Is AI Really About to Devour All Our Energy?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 18th, 2024
Opinion
News
1 Solar Power World:
Infinigen and ArcLight plan 32-MW solar + storage project in Puerto Rico
2 Utility Dive:
Equinor jumps into ERCOT market with 110 MW of merchant battery projects
3 PV-Magazine:
Bifacial panels, representing 98% of U.S. solar imports, may soon be subject to tariffs
4 Bloomberg:
First Solar Jumps After Report Says Biden to End Trade Loophole
5 Recharge News:
US solar firms tell Congress 'now is the time for policy action' on permitting and siting reform
6 Energy Storage News:
New York community-scale developer Ninedot secures US$13 million real estate financing
7 Canary Media:
The Biden admin has a plan to get more mileage out of the power grid
8 Bloomberg Law:
Grid Backlog Targeted by DOE to Accelerate Clean Energy Rollout
Opinions:
9 Reuters:
Slow clean power generation growth hits Texas power sector - Maguire
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 17th, 2024
Opinion
News
1 PV-Magazine:
Arcadia raises $50 million to bring AI to community solar
2 Energy Storage News:
AI-driven optimiser GridBeyond raises €52 million from investors including ABB, Energy Impact Partners
3 Bloomberg:
Chevron Launches $500 Million Fund to Invest in Clean Tech
4 Renewable Energy World:
With rapid solar additions, the ‘duck curve’ begins to emerge in Texas
5 Axios:
45 million from the Plains to Midwest face severe thunderstorm threat
6 Reuters:
Mexico presidential frontrunner pledges $13.6 billion for energy investments
7 Solar Builder:
SPAN to rapidly expand smart panel production via Jabil
8 Politico:
Climate in the World Bank’s spotlight
Opinions:
9 Utility Dive:
The time is ripe for utilities to play a larger role in the energy transition
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 16th, 2024
Solar For All Angles. Back in my IPP days it was always tricky to find the right piece of flat, square land for the solar farms. It was even worse when the development required more capex in civil work and compliance with various draining and environmental remediation for the property. If you’ve been on a piece of land that had civil works done to it, you know you hope that it didn’t rain on ribbon cutting day or you better have some tall mud boots. I’m proud to see Nevados innovation get some public recognition as the tracker company that has seen this problem for nearly a decade, with the award coming from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Obviously, I’m a biased board observer and investor of Nevados but this award comes from a third party so I get to throw some confetti for them here as well.
News
1 Bloomberg:
Coal Keeps Powering India as Booming Economy Crushes Green Hopes
2 Solar Power World:
Virginia solar project using Nevados trackers receives state environmental award
3 New York Times:
To Fight Climate Change, We Need New ‘Political Technologies’
4 Axios:
The IEA is sticking to its guns on peak oil demand
5 Reuters:
Hawaiian Electric may initiate rolling outages
6 PV-Tech:
National, nodal or zonal - potential of different pricing structures in the world’s energy markets
7 Renewable Energy World:
DOE seeks feedback from distribution utilities on $6.5M interconnection program
8 Canary media:
California derailed its booming rooftop solar buildout. Can it be fixed?
9 PV-Magazine:
U.S. median residential solar price is $2.80 per watt, payback period 8 years
Opinions:
10 Utility Dive:
Power grids are facing more demand than ever. Policy needs to catch up.
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 15th, 2024
Opinion
News
1 Wall Street Journal:
The Home-Solar Boom Gets a ‘Gut Punch’
2 Utility Dive:
China, Russia ramping up cyber activities against energy, water and other critical sectors - FBI director
4 Solar Power World:
Bureau of Land Management releases final rules for renewable energy projects on public lands
5 PV-Magazine:
Solar cell prices fall for 3rd consecutive week
6 PV-Tech:
Dominion Energy Virginia launches RFP for solar and BESS projects
7 Bloomberg:
The Century-Old Transmission Line Is Getting a 21st Century Upgrade
8 Energy Storage News:
EU Battery Passport ‘will help reduce procurement and recycling costs’
9 Canary Media:
Chart - Which US states generate the most solar and wind energy?
Opinions:
10 Reuters:
Visiting Chinese trade official warns EU on greentech probe
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 12th, 2024
Happy Friday. Apologies for the lack of columns this week, unfortunately travel and daytime responsibilities have taken up all of the time. In the meantime, consider whether you have a paragraph to contribute. Email me your thoughts on a topic, in the format of SolarWakeup, and you could get published with your name and company in the byline. Have a great weekend!
News
1 PV-Magazine:
California Supreme Court to review rooftop solar net metering
2 Reuters:
Texas kicks on with solar, storage as developers eye profits
3 Financial Times:
Wall Street turns to ‘solar grazing’ sheep in its push to go green
4 Bloomberg:
Equinor’s Energy Trader Eyes New Zealand Amid Expansion in Asia
5 Axios:
National Grid's VC arm makes three Q1 investments
6 Renewable Energy World:
California’s virtual power plant potential is high, new report says
7 Energy Storage News:
IPP Lydian launches with 1.7GW US solar and BESS portfolio, backed by infrastructure fund Excelsior
8 Canary Media:
More demand, more gas - Inside the Southeast’s dirty power push
9 Utility Dive:
Regulators - Don’t panic and rush to gas amid cries we’re out of power
Opinions:
10 Heatmap News:
Is Renewable Energy Too Cheap to Be Profitable?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 11th, 2024
Opinion
News
1 Bloomberg:
How to Cut Industrial Emissions and Dodge the Valley of Death
2 Axios:
European court ruling on climate may affect pending cases, including in U.S.
3 Renewable Energy World:
Nexamp raises $520M for community solar portfolio
4 Utility Dive:
FERC approves PJM’s $5.1B cost-share plan for transmission to be built by Dominion, others
5 Solar Power World:
Maryland General Assembly passes bill to incentivize local solar development, streamline permitting
6 Canary Media:
Texas got more electricity from solar than coal last month
7 Politico:
Great unknown
8 PV-Magazine:
Triple-junction solar cells have technical potential to reach 44.3% efficiency
Opinions:
9 Reuters:
France on track to smash clean electricity export record in 2024
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 10th, 2024
Opinion
News
1 New York Times:
The U.S. Urgently Needs a Bigger Grid. Here’s a Fast Solution.
2 PV-Magazine:
Five energy equity policy wins in 2024
3 Utility Dive:
Pennsylvania issues guidelines on using energy storage to boost distribution grid reliability
4 Reuters:
US power system set to cut coal use to record lows
5 PV-Tech:
Industry lobby group ERT says EU requires €800 billion in grid investment by 2030
6 Energy Storage News:
Maryland is first US state to pass vehicle-to-grid legislation, alongside virtual power plant tariff rules
7 Canary Media:
Solar and wind power have surged wildly in the US over the last decade
Opinions:
8 Bloomberg:
Power Bills Will Keep Rising Even After the Fed Tames Inflation
Have a great day!
Yann
