This is your SolarWakeup for January 12th, 2016

Solar may be a small part of the energy production but it’s already having the impacts. PV-Magazine in collaboration with GTM Research covered the bankruptcy filing by Arch Coal, the nation’s second largest coal miner. You can layer the regulatory headwind for Coal on top of each other but as reported, it is the cost of electricity production that is hurting coal the most. Running a plant and using the fuel has a cost before a return is made. If the value of the electron is too low, then the cost can’t be recovered which in turn creates bankruptcy situations. That’s in an open market however where generators have to compete (and consumers win) but the next step is for monopoly regulators to understand the same math.

Opinion

Have a great day!

Yann