Focus On The Short Term. There is much talk about the 2020 election and how climate policy could possibly pass through congress. All of this is presuming certain results and solar has short term goals. Congressional action should be focused on two short term issues, ITC and tariffs. This all comes ahead of Joe Biden’s climate plan unveiling which many believe will focus on restarting the Obama policies with some likely progressive additions.
Banking, Financing and Retirements. Interesting things are happening in otherwise uninteresting areas. A major French bank is backing out of lucrative business lines because of their climate impact. While BNP is using climate as a reason to pull financing for a coal dependent utility, they are also saying that it is potentially bad business to invest in long term. In Colorado, a small retailer has offered to buy 3 coal plants, close them and provide the cooperative with mostly renewable energy under a PPA. Consider it an innovative way to lock in a contract. They were rejected however. In other States, utilities are offering securitizations of rate base revenues to finance the retirement of coal plants.
Policy Through Other Means. An Iowa solar developer won a PPA with a municipality in Wisconsin and was denied the interconnection by We Energies. Going back to the often used, if you own a 3rd party solar contract you are a regulated utility playbook, We stopped the City from getting what it wanted. Now it will go to the courts after the developer sued the PSC commissioners and the utility to try and get a different interpretation of the rules.
No Coal In UK. It has been 11 days that the UK has been running coal free, not bad for an island utility. Also, big congratulations to a friend of solar, Jonathan Silver, for having joined the board of National Grid.
Making Software Free. Sungevity co-founder, Andrew Birch, whom you recall from my conversation on the start of the solarAPP start last summer is out with his new venture. OpenSolar, which is a free end to end software for solar installers. Check it out at opensolar.com
- Vox: Democratic hopes for climate policy may come down to this one weird Senate trick
- CleanTechnica: BNP Paribas Cuts Ties With Polish Electricity Producers Over Coal Dependency
- Wisconsin State Journal: Solar developer sues PSC, We Energies over denial of Milwaukee rooftop project
- Axios: Britain approaches its 11th day without using coal for electricity
- Utility Dive: Securitization fever – Renewables advocates seize Wall Street’s innovative way to end coal
- PV-Tech: Solar and storage to power Centrica’s new EV offering
- Renew Economy: Australia to reach 50% renewables by 2030, despite Coalition scare campaign
- GreenBiz: With infrastructure reform, U.S. could build world’s biggest, greenest carbon sink
Opinion
Have a great day!
Yann