Happy Birthday! 7 years I ago I came home and told my wife that someone should write a solar newsletter that covers the industry, not just press releases. She looked at me and said, “You should do it.” Those words still haunt her daily when I pull out the laptop every single night. Well, today is her birthday! (Don’t worry, she doesn’t read SolarWakeup)
600,000 New Solar Leads. 25 counties in Northern California are at risk to have their power shut off due to a potentially widespread wind event. This means 600,000 ratepayers are losing power, potentially for days. Guess what they’ll think about the moment that power goes out and the day after and the day after. I’ve lost power to my house for two weeks after a hurricane and I assure you that it causes permanent trauma. Couple that with the highest premium for home values in the US, this should shape up to be the solar equivalent of baby births after a major blackout.
The ITC Fight Page. Yesterday it was a well-sourced rumour, today it is a reality. SEIA has set up a fight page with three ways for you to get involved. First, you can join as a member. There are lower price levels for you to do so and get the SEIA membership benefits plus help fund the ITC. You can also join the ITC council. This is the $25k commitment to securing a future of the solar industry with a full 30% ITC. It may be rich for your company but how much profit will you lose if the ITC drops 4%? If you do over $1mm in deals, the ITC drop is worth $40k to your customers.
Three Lefts On Rick Perry. Back to the start for the Rick Perry saga, but don’t hold your breath. I would be surprised if he makes it to 2020.
Going Renewable At Home. Plenty of retail energy providers now offer a 100% renewable offering. CleanChoice Energy does it exclusively and gets involved in community solar projects as well. Axios’ Amy Harder writes about her personal experience joining Arcadia Power’s customer base while writing about renewable energy procurement.
- KCRA: PG&E – Power could be shut off for 600,000+ customers
- SEIA: Defend The ITC Fight Page
- Greentech Media: US Energy Secretary Rick Perry Says He’s Not Resigning
- Axios: How I am trying to get greener and cheaper electricity
- PV-Tech: Coal costs see PacifiCorp turn to major solar-plus-storage build-out
- Utility Dive: Coal-heavy Pennsylvania to join Northeast’s carbon cap and trade program
- Bloomberg: Big Oil Is Selling Its Dirty Assets, But They Aren’t Going Away
- New York Times: Battle for PG&E Hinges on Rival Plans and Uncertain Costs
Opinion
Best, Yann