Storms Are Coming. Florida is about to go on a storm spree, or at least the weather forecasters say so. Helene ravaged the west coast and panhandle before leaving devastating flooding in Western North Carolina. This week we get a visit from Milton, including myself with an expected foot of rain and some see another storm next week. It’s wet!
Pay It Forward. Our friends in the Southeast, especially Western North Carolina got crushed by Hurricane Helene. The good folks at the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) has setup a donation fund to help with those affected. https://energync.org/disaster-relief-fund/ if you have the ability to give.
Opinion
News
1 Axios:
Hurricane Milton
2 PV-Tech:
Xcel Energy advances 2024 Resource Plan to add 3.6GW new renewables
3 Financial Times:
Indian companies move in as US cuts China out of its solar industry
4 Utility Dive:
DOE selects 3-GW Pattern Energy transmission project linking ERCOT, Southeast for capacity buy
5 BLoomberg:
North Carolina Quartz Mine Owner Says Helene Damage Was Minimal
6 Energy Storage News:
European Commission approves support for ‘at least 5.4GWh’ of electricity storage in Poland
8 PV-Magazine:
Lithium-ion battery market to top $400 billion in 2035
Opinions:
9 New York Times:
Chasing Down a Trail of Climate Conspiracies
Have a great day!
Yann
Happy New Year! For those of that celebrate Rosh Hashanah, Happy New Year!
Pay It Forward. Our friends in the Southeast, especially Western North Carolina got crushed by Hurricane Helene. The good folks at the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) has setup a donation fund to help with those affected. https://energync.org/disaster-relief-fund/ if you have the ability to give.
Opinion
News
1 Axios:
View from space shows path of power outages from Hurricane Helene
2 Reuters:
US funds four power grid projects with $1.5 billion
3 BLoomberg:
New Solar to Meet Most of Europe’s Power Demand Growth in Winter
4 PV-Tech:
Masdar closes acquisition of US IPP Terra-Gen
5 Solar Power World:
Trina Solar, now a US manufacturer, asks government for help with alleged TOPCon infringements
6 Heatmap News:
The Most At-Risk Projects of the Energy Transition
7 PV-Magazine:
Average U.S. residential solar project breaks even at 7.5 years, said EnergySage
Opinions:
8 Canary Media:
Why won’t PJM let batteries and clean power bolster a stressed-out grid?
Have a great day!
Yann
Getting Political. CleanCapital’s Chief, Jon Powers, makes the case for getting more involved in politics. Jon (an amazing solar leader and someone I consider a friend) leads by example in both the way he served the Country and how he leads CleanCapital. Understanding that our industry is highly regulated and requires the participants to be involved in the political process across the landscape.
Tariff Continuation. As the solar industry maneuvers the latest tariff expansion, it’s a good reminder that the regulations are not limited to legislative action but also within the executive branch and agencies like the Department of Commerce. That being said, driving the message in Washington as well as state capitals can also be a helpful tool to advance the industry (and individual companies) priorities.
Peak Production Politics. I’ve long talked about(on in this case typed) about the fact that the US is currently producing record levels of oil and gas. Politically, the administration has been shy to highlight this at the risk of creating a wave from the left flank which is understandable given that most on the right flank would not actually believe this data point. From my seat, I see the focus across the energy ecosystem looking at the increase in energy demand in electricity. The energy bull market is a new concept after many years of declining electricity consumption and there is a concern in the market that we are not building new generation fast enough or moving projects through development (including transmission).
Opinion
News
1 PV-Tech:
Solar industry needs to grow up and be more political, says ex-US federal sustainability chief
2 Reuters:
US sets preliminary new duties on solar imports from Southeast Asia
3 Axios:
Helene blows climate change into prime time
4 New York Times:
A Shift Among Democrats
5 Bloomberg:
Why Only Climate Tech Cash Can Help Avoid Catastrophe
6 Renewable Energy World:
A speed boost? FERC approves California ISO’s interconnection reforms
7 Energy Storage News:
US set grid-scale BESS deployment record in second quarter of 2024
8 PV-Magazine:
U.S. market solar panel prices increase from April lows
Opinions:
9 Canary Media:
Michigan bets on EVs to revive its economy — and hopes jobs will follow
Have a great day!
Yann
Opinion
News
1 PV-Magazine:
Newsom rules that California schools and farms cannot use their own solar energy production
2 Utility Dive:
2M customers still without power after Helene; some local grids must ‘be completely rebuilt’
3 New York Times:
Britain Shuts Down Last Coal Plant, ‘Turning Its Back on Coal Forever’
4 Axios:
Nvidia's Jensen Huang sees possibilities in AI power use
5 Reuters:
US to unveil first of two decisions on more solar tariffs
6 PV-Tech:
Heliene closes US$50 million tax credit deal to support US manufacturing plans
7 Solar Power World:
Import duties imposed on aluminum solar racking from 14 countries
8 Heatmap News:
GM’s Chief Sustainability Officer Kristen Siemen Talks Shop
Opinions:
9 Renewable Energy World:
Trump and Harris have clashing records on clean energy, but the clean power shift is too broad for any president to control
Have a great day!
Yann
