By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Ah. There it is. After escaping several quarters largely unscathed by the insane Trump tariffs on solar, the Solar Energy Industries Association and Woods Mackenzie report that the third quarter of 2018 saw the 30% tariffs take a bite out of the utility-scale sector. Though not unexpected, the slowdown hurt solar's overall growth numbers and has Woods Mackenzie analysts predicting that 2018 will finish flat with year on year growth. If most of us are being honest, we consider the solar industry a bit lucky that it hadn't already felt the bite of the tariffs, though as we've reported, a massive slowdown in the Chinese market created a glut of solar modules that helped offset some of the damage for a while. But given the wailing and gnashing of teeth that occurred last year as the tariffs were under consideration, surviving two quarters without damage being felt seems like something of a small victory at least. For the first time since 2015, quarterly additions of utility-scale solar photovoltaics (PV) fell below 1 gigawatt (GW), highlighting the impact of the tariffs and the uncertainty surrounding them in late 2017 and early 2018. As a result, the U.S. solar market was down 15 percent year-over-year in the third quarter of the year, but the report notes that a strong project pipeline lies ahead. “Developers originally planning to bring projects online in Q3 2018 were forced to push out completion dates to Q4 2018 or Q1 2019 due to uncertainty around tariffs,” said Colin Smith, Senior Analyst at Wood Mackenzie. “We did, however, see utility PV procurement outpace installations fourfold in Q3, showing that despite the tariffs causing project delays, there is substantial growth ahead for the U.S. utility PV sector.” Even with the tariffs, the report forecasts 3.5 GW of utility PV for Q4 2018, and projects that the fourth quarter will be the largest quarter for utility PV installations since Q4 2016, as Wood Mackenzie expects many of the delayed projects to come online by the end of the year.

Hopper On SolarWakeup Live! Abby Hopper is the CEO of SEIA and she joined me on SolarWakeup Live! to talk about the state of the solar industry. She’s been the CEO for an entire solar year, SPI to SPI, and it all started with tariffs. In this conversation we talk about where we are today, what States will take off and how SEIA negotiates for all members, regardless of the segment they operate in. We also talk about the reality of a split government in DC. Listen to the full interview here and make sure to leave a review on iTunes. 
Message To Federal Regulators. Don’t miss the conversation with New Jersey’s BPU President, Joseph Fiordaliso. He has a strong message for the federal regulators and we discuss the role that PJM plays within the NJ solar market. I ask about the reality of New Jersey leaving the PJM system. Full conversation available here, hit reply to let me know your thoughts and pass it on to your colleagues. 
Elon Continues Charm Offensive. I enjoy Elon on the shows, whether it is Joe Rogan or 60 minutes. He is the right amount of real while staying true to the overarching reasons for his businesses. Every CEO knows that if they fail to execute they will die, even the Walmart CEO keeps a list of the top retailers on his phone (hello Sears!). On the other hand, most CEOs would never tell millions of people that the failure would result in the company failing. 60 minutes is under fire for creative editing to release the full interview, this comes from the fact that Elon drama gets many clicks and views. I did enjoy Jay Leno’s 60 second pitch for supporting Tesla. 
UPS Spends To Lead. This may be the first sponsored post that I rebroadcasting but it is interesting and notable for UPS to spend money to talk about their fleet electrification. Transportation is one of the largest sources of emissions by segment and electrifying fleets across the globe would do great things if solar and wind are there to supply the needed generation. 

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Yann

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Illinois is one of the hottest solar markets in the country, thanks in part to the Future Energy Act of 2016. Solar companies are flooding into the state, and many cities are clamoring to be part of the Solar Revolution in the state. And now at least one city has decided to take its devotion to clean energy that extra step by pledging to become the 102nd city in the United States - and the first in Illinois - to generate 100% of its electricity from renewable sources. Yesterday, the Evanston City Council unanimously approved its new Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP), which includes a commitment to achieve 100 percent renewable electricity supply community-wide by 2030, along with other bold climate goals. “We thank Mayor Hagerty and the Evanston City Council for taking bold steps to address climate change and prioritize an equitable, just transition to 100 percent renewable clean electricity,” said Jack Darin, Director of the Sierra Club Illinois Chapter. “As a fellow Evanstonian, I look forward to the Sierra Club’s continued work with the City as it implements the Climate Action and Resilience Plan and ensures that the transition to 100 percent clean, renewable electricity by 2030 benefits everyone in our city.” The Plan calls for 100 percent renewable electricity for municipal operations by 2020, 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030, and carbon neutrality by 2050, in addition to other ambitious goals to address climate change. The plan was developed by a 17-member working group appointed by Mayor Stephen Hagerty, who is also signed on to the Mayors for 100 Percent Clean Energy initiative. CARP identifies critical actions that need to be taken in order for Evanston to play its part in avoiding cataclysmic climate change as well as key strategies to ensure that Evanson is prepared to deal with those climate hazards. “From our residents, to our businesses, to our schools and hospitals, Evanston is united i its efforts to mitigate the far-reaching effects of climate change through bold and immediate action,” said Evanston Mayor Stephen Hagerty. “While Evanston will likely undergo many changes on the way to 2050, this plan ensures that our longstanding commitment to climate action will remain.” Evanston’s plan for moving to 100 percent clean, renewable electricity can serve as an example to other communities in the Prairie State looking to set their own renewable energy goals. A transition to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030 means cleaner air, energy bill savings, local solar development and job creation, and a healthier community for all Evanstonians. “I’m proud to live in a community that is willing to confront climate change head on. Citizens’ Greener Evanston looks forward to working with all community stakeholders to make the vision of a zero carbon, zero waste Evanston a reality. We’re particularly proud of the fact that the plan directly addresses equity issues so that the effects of climate disruption won’t be borne disproportionately by those of our neighbors who are least equipped to adapt,” said Jonathan Nieuwsma, President of Citizens’ Greener Evanston.

Regulator Talks Policy and Climate Change. Here is the first of the conversations from our sold out event in New Jersey with the President of the BPU, Joseph Fiordaliso. In a conversation that was expected to focus on the regulatory activity in New Jersey (They are busy, and hiring), President Fiordaliso threw me a curveball by speaking in great detail about the reasons behind the important work he is undertaking, climate change. Moreover, he provides some feedback to the folks at DOE and FERC trying to prop up coal and nuclear power plants. Listen to the entire conversation here or on your favorite podcast streaming app. 
Q&A With Governor Inslee. The Governor of Washington, Jay Inslee, is proposing a 100% RPS by 2045 and sees it as a legislative priority for the next legislative session. Frank had the opportunity to get some of the most relevant questions answered about the latest initiative to go 100% renewable. 
Big Day For Big Name. 8minuteenergy is one of the most well known names in solar development. From the day I started in solar, 8minute was out in California developing these unfathomably large solar projects. As the company puts together a new $200million fund with JP Morgan, I’d like to congratulate Martin Hermann for exiting from the company. His partner announced over the weekend that Martin has been bought out. When people ask me what I wish I’d done in 2006 when I entered solar, I look back at the things Martin was saying at solar conferences because he was more right than anyone else. 
Opening Energy Storage. FERC is receiving the filings from grid operators about the Order 841 filed early this year. ISOs and RTOs had to file their plans to implement the order which asked for the enablement of market participation by energy storage systems. More work needs to be done but you can see how this plays out over the next few years. 
Explorer, Escalade. Yes, an electric Ford Explorer would be great. Yes, I know that GM doesn’t own Ford. Yes, I got it wrong yesterday, I am sorry! I am glad to see many of you reading the column emailed me to point out my error. I would recommend GM to make an electric Escalade or Tahoe though!

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Have a great day!
Yann