Report: Trump Is Short-Circuiting Military’s Solar Push

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent Donald Trump says he’s a big military supporter. He’s consistently and constantly talking about the importance of military budget and has said in the past that no one, including the generals, knows more about the military than him. Which is why an article from the ever-excellent McClatchy New Service’s D.C. Bureau – and reporter Greg Gordon specifically – caught my eye. It seems that the military, which under President Obama had worked hard to add solar power backup to its arsenal in case of enemy attacks, cyber warfare or destructive weather, wants to continue to … Read More →

This is your SolarWakeup for November 28th, 2018

NRA For Solar. Yesterday was giving Tuesday and one of the groups I’d like to point out to you is the Solar Rights Alliance. The intention of the group is to focus on activating solar homeowners much like the NRA does. In the initial roll out, the hypothesis worked. The Solar Rights Alliance was able to activate and engage solar homeowners to make calls and send emails to legislators. SRA is looking for more financial backing but it is also looking for access to grow the homeowner base, make sure to get acquainted and reach out to them to learn more. 
Where Solar Installs. Part of the issue with the above exercise is the lack of data of homeowners that went solar. One startup is putting this data to work and help solar companies get more granular. I’ve personally used and paid for the data that comes from Ohm Analytics because I think that a solar community of like minded homeowners is one of the most valuable assets in solar. 
Based On Alternative Facts. In yesterday’s White House Press Briefing, Sarah Sanders said that the National Climate Assessments wasn’t based on facts. See for yourself in the clip below. 
SEIA Backs Storage ITC. Frank talks to Abby Hopper, CEO of SEIA, about SEIA’s letter asking for energy storage to be added as an eligible technology for the ITC. 
PG&E Did What? A lawsuit has been filed by PG&E customers and a new report filed with the CPUC shows that PG&E was indeed worried that winds would require that the grid be shut down but decided it didn’t need for it to happen. This is going to work out in the legal system and undoubtedly find its way into the legislative process next summer once again. 

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Have a great day!
Yann

Q&A With Abigail Ross Hopper Of SEIA On Energy Storage And The ITC

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent The investment tax credit (ITC) has been one of the most successful methods for supporting solar development at the federal level for nearly the past decade. Under its provisions, solar consumers can take a 30% tax credit on their tax returns if they install solar electricity (though under a 2015 extension, the amount of the credit starts to go down starting in 2020. As energy storage has become more of a factor in people’s decisions to go solar, however, there’s been a growing movement that would add energy storage projects into the ITC as a … Read More →

Massachusetts Finally Begins To Accept SMART Applications

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent After several years of fits and starts, Massachusetts yesterday began to accept applications to it’s Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target, or SMART, program. Billed as a successor to the state’s former solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) program, the SMART program is designed to encourage solar development in the state within the context of its three major utilities. According to the SMART website: The SMART Program is a 1600MW declining block incentive program. Eligible projects must be interconnected by one of three investor owned utility companies in Massachusetts: Eversource, National Grid, and Unitil. Each utility has established … Read More →

This is your SolarWakeup for November 27th, 2018

FERC Nominee Showdown. Look for more under the radar news about the nominee to join FERC after Bernard McNamee was videotaped saying “renewable energy screws up the grid” amongst other anti renewable rhetoric. This is up to the republican leadership in the Senate but given some Senators support for wind and solar energy, this could spell some trouble for the nomination. Look for solar supporter, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), to potentially step into the sunshine given his 2020 re-election date. 
Good For Me, Not For You. Some markets have great amount of solar especially within rate based approvals but lack the uptick of distributed generation. The likely reason is that the market policies work against consumer choice that stop consumers from being able o put solar on their roof. Frank takes you through the story out of Georgia. 
Get Some Energy (Storage). The utilities have taken over the cap tables across the energy storage space and many European utilities have been more active than some US utilities. The most notable energy storage company in the market for acquisition is FlexGen which we covered a few weeks ago and who has been active providing storage solutions to IPPs like Vistra Energy. 
Trump Refuting Trump. Mainstream political reporter from the Washington Post goes line by line of the most famous Trump speeches and refutes them with the National Climate Assessment. Worth a read. 
Who Gets Hurt. Whether it was the 9th ward in New Orleans during Katrina, firefighters on Long Island during Sandy or folks living in Paradise during the Camp Fire, those that are harmed by the effects of climate change are everyday Americans; often lower and middle income. The cost benefit for many Americans is largely obvious, given that the people that can most take advantage of the opportunities of the clean energy future also benefit from less dramatic climate events. Like some people say, the worst that can happen is a great new economic opportunity is created. 
Where To Next? Where should SolarWakeup Live! go to next? What market is opening up and you want to learn more about?

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Have a great day!
Yann

Utility Monopoly Slows Rooftop Solar Growth In Georgia

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent In the past five years, solar capacity in Georgia has gone through the roof. It’s grown so fast, in fact, that it is ranked as the 10th largest solar state according to the Solar Energy Industries Association’s annual rankings. But just because it’s grown rapidly doesn’t mean it’s grown evenly. The growth Georgia has seen has mostly accrued to the state’s largest utility, Georgia Power, instead of individuals and businesses owning their own rooftop systems. One group – Solarize Middle Georgia – is looking to even the playing field a bit, at least according to … Read More →

This is your SolarWakeup for November 26th, 2018

What You Missed. While you were recovering from your turkey coma, the Trump administration dumped volume II of the National Climate Assessment on black Friday. In the hopes that no-one would see it, it caused quite the weekend on Twitter. On Thursday I was wondering why Trump was busy tweeting twice about the climate change hoax and how cold it was on Thanksgiving. Obviously this was in anticipation of the release the following day. Today is a day to talk about climate change, the reality being that solar is so bipartisan that neither side wants to make it an issue to debate in an election and until solar makes politicians pay for voting against solar, climate change is the issue that will lead us. I’m not saying this is the best path for solar but it is the political reality. 
The Friday Dump. In 1990, Congress passed a law requiring the executive branch to release a climate change assessment every 4 years, volume II of which was released in the proverbial Friday trash. You can read the full report here. The report comes a month after the dire warnings of the IPCC and is no less dire in the wording and impact to the economy. If America and the world don’t start acting on climate change the world will be a different place and any legislator that ignores it will likely be thrown out of office over time (how much time is the question). 
The Takeaways. Vox gives you the three biggest takeaways in of the 1,500+ page report below. Moreover, the New York Times gave two columns on the front page on the issue. 
Right’s Reaction. Climate change made the top issues on the Sunday shows. Senator Mike Lee and conservative talking head, Danielle Pletka, knocked down the report with “I’m not a scientist” and doing something about climate change would be “harmful to the economy.” You no longer need to be a scientist, you can simply believe the Trump administration’s report and their warnings about the impacts of climate change. On the other hand dealing with climate change not only isn’t harmful to the economy, it is helpful as the report says that failing to deal with climate change is a 10% drag on the US GDP. 
Left’s Reaction. The loudest voice online, in my timeline, was Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. Senator Klobuchar was on the Sunday shows and lightly dodged the questions about running for President, it’s not a no but no decision is made. Klobuchar rightfully highlighted the impacts to the midwest and how climate change will hurt farmers across America. Politicizing the impacts is the right step forward for politicians that find issues that they care about and their opponents do not. 
From The Author. There are many authors but I urge you to read the Katharine Hayoe’s twitter feed on the topic. She is well versed as a climate scientist and speaks clearly about the issue ahead and what your takeaway should be. If you’re not planning on reading the National Climate Change Assessment, read this tweet story. 
Political Next Steps. As I mentioned above, climate change is the political reality for everything within solving climate change. Solar should politicize 100% RPS across the Country and talk about clean energy job creation. But when it comes to the political reality, don’t expect solar to be the wedge issue that makes politicians do pro-solar on both sides and ignoring this fact would be political negligence by our trade associations, (i.e. no more solar awards to republicans for now). Don’t take this is as a negative however, the report also broke down the demographics of who is most concerned about climate change. Hispanic Catholics, who have been historically hard to rally for the left, are most concerned about climate change. More than anything, climate change now created a wedge issue for a key political demographic.

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Have a great day!
Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for November 20th, 2018

Today is the last newsletter before the Thanksgiving break as I once again look to escape the smoke and hunker down for the first rain of my Bay area living. I am thankful for your continued support and readership and hope that I am able to give you valued content every day. 
What Is The Value Of Solar? Every time this happens, a PSC looking to understand the value of solar that is, the report comes back showing that solar is worth more than the retail rate offered by net metering. This is the fundamental argument against calling NEM a subsidy. So you may ask yourself why solar never asks for a NEM rate above even credit and the answer to that is simplicity. Homeowners understand what they pay and they understand that it doesn’t matter when they produce versus when they consumer. Simplicity is the face of solar the utilities look to break in their opposition to our industry. 
The Fate Of PG&E (Once Again). There was a non-solar policy battle in California this summer centered around the liability (and ability to charge consumers for) the cost impact caused by fires in 2017. Before the fires in Paradise and Malibu are even put out, the issue is coming up again. The camp fire is the worst fire in California history and early news reports appear to question what caused the fire to spark. Look for PG&E to look at ratepayers to bail the company out which makes one wonder whether PG&E wouldn’t be better post restructuring as a wires company focused on transmission and get out of the generation and retail side of the business. I do expect that Wall Street is paying close attention and ready to make a move. 
A Green New Deal. I don’t want to debate the Green New Deal. I want to talk about the political strategy of the Select Committee on Climate Change and Green New Deal. I think America will view both of those ideas as partisan. How about the Select Committee On Clean Energy Jobs and a Wind and Solar New Deal instead? 
Get That Load. An offer to municipalities and other fleet operators to sign up for special rate schedules for their electric vehicle fleet. This is a direct attack on the oil customers and make it easier and cheaper for fleets to electrify. This is going to be copied across the Country by every utility desperately looking to growth their base load of consumption. 
Make It Easy. The New York PSC is right, “if you want people to do something, make it easy.” 

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Yann

Maryland Releases Its Value of Solar Report. SPOILER: Solar Is Good For The State

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent Maryland’s status as a solar state has waxed and waned over the years. Under Governor Larry Hogan, the ups and downs have been rather violent. On at least two occasions – most notably the Clean Jobs Act in 2016 – Hogan has vetoed legislation that would have encouraged solar and other clean energy development. And unfortunately, the legislature lacked the votes necessary to overturn them – at least in the Senate. But if Hogan decides to stand in the way now, he’ll have his own Public Utilities Commission with which to contend. After all, the … Read More →

This is your SolarWakeup for November 19th, 2018

Escaping Smoke. No column this morning as the family and I have escaped the smoke that has enveloped the Bay area from the Camp Fire in Paradise, CA. We are now busy in Tahoe raking up the leaves. 

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Have a great day!
Yann