NEM Under Attack In CT. Over the next few days, CT solar advocates will have to fight for the future of solar in Connecticut. This is your reminder that democrats can be just as influenced by utilities as republican legislators. Regulated power companies will control as many State Capitals as they can, which is also a stark reminder to SEIA that bringing utilities onto the membership rolls at SEIA is a very bad idea. The idea in CT is to replace NEM with something more like a feed in tariff. All production would flow to the grid and be repurchased by the solar owner. This is a terrible idea, not needed and just an attempt to reduce the value of solar. Step up and beat this thing back solar!
Forget 2017, What’s Coming Up. As I was manning the microphone in Minneapolis talking about growth in the midwest around community solar, some of you were in San Diego talking about growth in solar. Next time, just come with me to Minnesota and you would have seen it first hand. As expected, community solar is a large growth space in our industry and many states are looking at launching new programs around this. I also expect residential to make big strides, if the NEM fights go in the right direction, due to the homeowner’s continued desires to have solar and more states are making the economics look good.
The Money Play In Politics. The headline is more fun than the story. Solar companies give money to republicans and democrats. If you heard what Mulvaney said last week, money in politics means access to the legislators. If you are looking for administrative help to site a project, move an approval along, etc, then you are sometimes better served to make a few campaign donations. Republicans are also in charge of the House and Senate which means that’s a part of the donating strategy. This is a bit of a to do about nothing.
Dominion Is Losing Its Focus. The Virginia utility, which is interested in buying the troubled South Carolina utility, is out with his power plan going forward. And instead of a ton of solar and storage, it continues the trend of monopolies looking for giant rate base that requires ratepayers to hedge fuel costs for the utility. Will Vote Solar and others fight these projects when they’re requested?
Mercedes Stays Mobile. Mercedes, which I spoke to in an episode of SolarWakeup Live! a few months ago, is leaving home energy storage. The idea was to create a channel for batteries after they are used in the cars. The price declines and technological differences mean that batteries will simply be made for both segments.
SEIA DG Vice Chairs. In the effort of full information. Good solar folks Ed Merrick and Deep Patel are also candidates for the position. All the best to everyone that steps up and helps lead our industry.
- SolarWakeup: How To Screw Up Solar With One Horrid Bill (Connecticut Edition)
- Greentech Media: 2017 Was Weird For Solar. What’s Coming This Year and Beyond?
- SolarWakeup: Well-Funded Republicans Get Solar’s Hard-Earned Cash
- Utility Dive: Dominion plans up to 3.6 GW gas, 4.7 GW solar in Virginia
- Energy Storage News: Mercedes-Benz Energy – No economic benefit to basing home storage on EV batteries
- Business Journals: SMUD sells out its 150 megawatts of shared solar power
- Vox: The stunningly unequal growth of wind power in the US, in 4 maps
- Reuters: Clean energy sector swings Republican with U.S. campaign donations
Opinion
Have a great day!
Yann