This is your SolarWakeup for July 13th, 2018

I hope you enjoyed your week and if you attended, Intersolar. Have a great weekend and see you on Monday!

Exxon Diverges From ALEC. On its own, Exxon leaving the anti-renewables group in ALEC probably doesn’t mean very much, especially when Exxon doesn’t come out and say why it didn’t renew its membership. If this becomes a trend it could mean that the values alignment with the membership group hurts members when they try to hire or acquire talent. If Exxon is to follow the oil industry with investments and business units in renewables and electric vehicles, then the policy initiatives by ALEC may be partly the reason. Consider this a data point not pointing to a trend, just yet.

Big Plans In PA. Pennsylvania has the potential to be a great solar market. Land availability, reliable grid, low install prices and access to PJM in most areas. What it lacks is some of the foundational market support including some access to SRECs. A draft plan from the state environmental agency is trying to push the solar market forward with a plan to get to 10% of retail sales which would equate to 15GW of solar up from 300MW today. Let’s give them some support to get that done.

Greening Supply Chain. There have been several jobs posted over the past 6 months by Apple that vaguely sounded like they were solar jobs but always spoke about supply chain. One of those jobs had a requirement to be able to work in China and speak the language. This announcement about a solar fund adds additional color. It is no longer enough for this manufacturer to be ‘solar powered’, it also wants to make sure the inputs to the business are aligned with its own values with renewable energy. The other piece, which I’d like to see be more vocal, would be to get the tech giants more involved to open the markets for the solar industry. The instant permit process would be a great start, tech companies should be behind that endeavour so that consumers and customers have the same access to solar as the corporation does.

NY Times Learns About Solar. A local story for the NY Times covering the community solar market and the access to solar it gives to folks in dense areas. Any national coverage for solar that isn’t covering a fight solar has to be in to increase access is a positive one and should make people ask why they don’t have the same choice. Community solar should be a national option, the separation of site to user is the best way and most efficient way to let consumers get 100% solar energy at a very competitive rate. This way consumers can put solar on their home if possible then buy additional energy as their usage demands.

Opinion

Have a great day!

Yann