Have a great weekend and Merry Christmas! We’ll be off Monday and Tuesday for the holiday. 
What’s Happening DC. Check out the Q&A with Mike Healy about DC’s 100% RPS. 
Top To Bottom Green New Deal. The push and pull of the climate/clean energy legislation in Congress is quite interesting. While the green new deal is gaining traction with co-sponsors, it still poses no danger of becoming law with McConnell in charge of the Senate. It does appear to have caused the Select Committee on Climate Change to become the Select Committee on Clean Energy and Global Warming and some are pushing for the Committee to gain access to subpoena power as well. 
The New Jersey Details. New Jersey will transition off the decade old SREC program in the near future, with some expecting the cap to be hit in the first quarter of 2019. This has prompted some in the industry to ask for help to alleviate a potential cliff. I asked the person responsible to avert this problem, the President of the NJ BPU, what he thought about his and what could be done. Listen to my interview with Joseph Fiordaliso, the President of the BPU. 

Opinion

News

 

Have a great day!
Yann

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

After the DC City Council passed its groundbreaking clean energy resolution on Tuesday, reaction came in fast and furious. One of those people who reacted was New Columbia CEO Mike Healy, whose company works strictly within the district and is heavily invested in solar development in the city. We thought he'd be the perfect person to weigh in on the resolution, which now goes to Mayor Muriel Bowser for her signature and then on to Congress and the President for approval. Here's what he had to say on the historic passage. SolarWakeup: What is the specific impact of Tuesday's vote? New Columbia Solar's CEO Mike Healy: The District is going to be 100% powered by clean energy by 2032, with 10% of that power coming from solar energy . SolarWakeup: How did the DC Council get here? Mike Healy: The Council and the city leadership have shown strong and consistent environmental and clean energy leadership over the past 15 years. The passage of the Clean Energy DC Act is an important step in a long history of developing a robust clean energy industry in the District. SolarWakeup: What makes the DC vote so groundbreaking? Mike Healy: It is the strongest, most aggressive renewable clean energy target in the country. As the nation's capital, we are setting a precedent by ensuring it’s going to be powered by clean energy. The District is leading in utilizing renewable energy as a mechanism to help preserve affordable housing and assist low income residents in the District. SolarWakeup: Do you foresee any opposition in Congress or by the President? Mike Healy: No. SolarWakeup: What effect will this have on New Columbia Solar's business? Mike Healy: We are a local company focused on the District, that means hiring District residents and working with local partners. The passage of The Clean Energy DC Act creates an opportunity that allows our company to stay focused on the District and not have to go anywhere else. We can focus our efforts fully on the community that we love. SolarWakeup: How do you think DC's vote will affect similar efforts around the country, if at all? Mike Healy: As the Nation’s capital - this should set the stage for both states and cities. We are setting an example by how we power our city and showing how local clean energy can benefit our city's most vulnerable residents.

Happy Birthday. My daughter turns 7 today, where does the time go?
Catch Up. On the SolarWakeup Live! Podcast series. Subscribe and rate (please)
Senator Jeff Flake. Revenue neutral carbon tax from the Arizona GOP Senator. 

Opinion

News

 

Have a great day!
Yann

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Leading clean energy developer Community Energy announced the approval of a 70-megawatt (MW) solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) in Adams County, Pennsylvania to power government facilities in Philadelphia. The solar farm, named Adams Solar LLC, will produce enough electricity to operate 22 percent of Philadelphia government buildings by 2020. The project is the largest in Pennsylvania by sevenfold, and a significant step toward the City’s clean energy goal of sourcing 100 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2030 Adams Solar LLC will sell 100 percent of its power under a 20-year contract to The Philadelphia Energy Authority, an independent city agency. The project will generate 156,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy in the first year of operation, eliminating more than 4 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the life of the project. “The Philadelphia solar commitment demonstrates impressive and much-needed leadership on climate change in Pennsylvania,” said Brent Alderfer, Community Energy CEO and co-founder. “As the costs of climate change go up, Philadelphia is showing the way for municipalities to secure reliable, long-term solar power to decarbonize and head off irreversible climate damage.” An Economic Opportunity Plan (EOP) will use best efforts to incorporate minority, women and disabled-person owned businesses into the Adams Solar LLC project. Job fairs for sub-contractors and the workforce will be held in both Philadelphia and Adams County. Community Energy’s efforts will connect to existing solar training opportunities, such as recent Philadelphia Energy Authority initiatives. This latest large-scale solar project by Community Energy reflects shifting energy production and sourcing trends that extend well beyond the state of Pennsylvania. According to a report by GTM Research and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), constituents are calling on government officials to set renewable energy goals that will bring reliable, climate-friendly energy to their communities. As requests for clean power translate into municipal sustainability goals, the industry is witnessing an acceleration of utility-scale project deployment and that growth is expected to continue. “This project not only helps Philadelphia demonstrate leadership on climate action, but it also makes good economic sense and helps to boost regional job growth in the renewable energy sector,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “We thank Councilwoman Reynolds Brown, the Philadelphia Energy Authority, and Community Energy, Inc. for their partnership in creating this win-win deal for Philadelphians.”