Demand Response Feedback. Over the coming months and maybe even a few weeks ago, we will see how robust the grid starting point is. Given the temperature spikes happening in the Northwest aren’t actually driving demand up since there are no A/C units, grid requirements didn’t get stressed to the levels that you would think but you’d have to forecast more folks buying window and other ventilation units that may change that. CAISO had a flex alert a few weeks ago and didn’t have to manage any shut offs or loss of grid but did tap into demand response, something that will be monitored closely in the coming months with several virtual power plants and demand response aggregations in place compared to last year.
Politics Means Talking Points. Former SecState Kerry is losing some diplomatic touch in his new role as climate envoy. Likening the fight on climate change to fighting a war may be met with agreement with one side of the table but even then it doesn’t gain any traction in the political arena. The slow nature of climate change is hard to fathom and the duration of the fight makes victory seem unachievable. Voters have a short memory and when it comes to policy in this ‘fight’ how can a decision today, reap political reward now rather than 10 years from now. In some ways, Kerry may have already pushed the boulder in the right direction, capitalism has made the energy transition inevitable, consumers favoring renewable energy and electrification of everything. The policy may be as simple as, making money means fighting climate change with a side benefit of saving lives and the planet.
Consolidation. You may have seen this in our coverage last week when it was announced that the former CEO of Vivint Solar is putting together a new group of solar installers, consolidating them into Lumio. They are now joined by Pineapple Energy, which in March announced a merger with a public company that is quasi reverse merging with the core business of the original public company being sold off. Pineapple has acquired two solar installers in Hawaii in addition to Horizon Solar Power which is the current day version of what is the original form of Sungevity. There are three big paths in the resi market today, grow big, get together or leverage the democratized services and go it alone. Let’s see if there is a wrong path.
- Axios: In photos – Roads buckle as record-setting heat wave grips Pacific Northwest
- Utility Dive: California braces for energy resource shortfalls amid extreme heat and drought
- RMI: The California Blackout that Wasn’t
- Reuters: U.S. envoy Kerry says world needs a ‘wartime mentality’ over climate
- Canary Media: Solo solar no more – Regional home solar installers join forces
- The Hill: McConnell to Schumer, Pelosi – Don’t hold bipartisan bill ‘hostage’
- Solar Power World: Pine Gate Renewables announces its first solar + storage project now online in North Carolina
- PV-Magazine: The electric utility anti-rooftop solar playbook
Opinion
Best, Yann