This is your SolarWakeup for January 17th, 2025

Much Ado About Hearings. Let’s start by saying what should be obvious, nominating hearings are not an indication of policy to come. At best they give you a glimpse of what a nominee thinks at the top of mind but it is left without influence and policy staff having vetted the intention. Governor Burgum made for an interesting hearing for the solar industry which he called intermittent, true but false with the side of batteries. But then he went to the problem, America needs more energy (1), in order to win the AI race (2), for national security (3), the grid is stretched and at a breaking point of instability (4) and permitting reform has to happen (5). “We’ve got to get to work in permitting reform and speeding permitting right now.” I personally think he listened to my podcast episode of Good Energy with SEIA’s Stephanie Bosh and Colin Silver where I kind of (exactly) said these things. 

Opinion

Best, Yann