This is your SolarWakeup for September 28th, 2017

Listen to the latest podcast and put a review on iTunes please. Get your tickets to SolarWakeup Live! Boston here.

Tax Reform Is Here.The important parts of tax reform have been highlighted and the way it would affect solar are as follows. Corporate rate is proposed to drop to 20% and a repeal of the estate tax and AMT. The corporate drop would affect the supply of tax equity because less would be owed and reduce the value of the depreciation, both of which will cause a negative pressure on tax equity value if it passes as proposed (it will not). Some senators and Secretaries have proposed making the reform retroactive to 2017, which would cause larger issues and drive contractual clauses that are ignored right now. Hoping to cover ‘change in law’ provisions with future guests on the podcast soon.

SolarWorld May Have Lost A Customer. Roofing contractor PetersenDean has signed a supply agreement with San Antonio’s Mission Solar. This is noteworthy because on my many trips to California, the radio waves are plastered with ads from PD about made in America modules which used to be purchased from SW. Now it appears that Mission Solar is getting that business, I don’t know if that is related to bankability or the 201 petition but noteworthy. I do want to ask something of the solar industry. SolarWorld is screwing the industry and we should take our business elsewhere. HOWEVER, the employees are stuck in a shitty position. You can be honest with them about your feelings but at the same time, you should offer your help to them in terms of finding another opportunity if they so desire. It’s not their fault and they probably had no ability to impact this. Just saying that we shouldn’t necessarily put the two in the same basket.

The RPS, Forgotten But Not Lost. They used to seem ideological and far fetched, especially in the mid 2000’s. Today, RPS continue to drive state and utility purchasing into renewables without cost to ratepayers. We’ve spent the year debating the 100% RPS across the leading States but many red and purple States have long forgotten the RPS. I can’t think of the last RPS bill filed in Florida since Representative Kreegel killed it in 2009 because 20% RPS by 2020 with a 2% cost cap was ‘impossible’. I laugh out loud now on how wrong we were but maybe having a doctor as the head of the energy committee was the problem to start with.

Opinion

Have a great day!

Yann