This is your SolarWakeup for March 4th, 2023
Some Stats For You. Electricity demand in 2022 was up 0.5% and grids are estimating a growth rate of 2-5% over the next ten years. But did you know that data centers will use 6% of energy demand in two years? Did you know that your ChatGPT query uses 9 times more energy than your google search? The CCA in Silicon Valley estimates it’s load to double by 2035. All of this will put enormous pressure on planners to figure out a way to say yes to growth opportunities because no Governor wants to hear that a data center didn’t come to their State because no connection was available.
News
1 Utility Dive:
IRA implementation is still suffering from regulatory uncertainty, executives say
2 Heatmap News:
Electricity Demand Is Surging for the First Time Since the 1990s
3 Bloomberg:
Europe’s Unusually Mild Winter Is Set to Extend Into March
4 Politico:
EU presses countries to rescue drowning solar industry
5 Axios:
EPA tries the Goldilocks route on power plants
6 Solar Power World:
Senate Democrats ask Treasury to require American-made wafers for solar panel domestic content bonus
7 Energy Storage News:
UK’s Harmony Energy expects ‘attractive returns’ in 2024 as BESS trading conditions improve
8 PV-Magazine:
Alberta lifts moratorium on renewable energy projects
Opinions:
9 Reuters:
Yellen vows to work for closer ties, work on green energy in visit to Chile
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 1st, 2023
Happy Friday! Question for you, would you drive a Chinese car? Would your siblings, parents or kids?
News
1 Heatmap News:
Biden Knows Tariffs Won’t Stop Chinese EVs
2 Reuters:
Biden nominates two Democrats, one Republican to federal energy regulator
3 New York Times:
Biden’s Energy Balancing Act
4 Canary Media:
Two major New York offshore wind projects are back on track
5 Utility Dive:
Crypto miners, Biden administration appear to reach agreement over energy data collection
6 PV-Tech:
Polysilicon exports to China lowest since 2011 due to US import laws – Bernreuter
7 Axios:
Six different countries facing same climate risks
8 PV-magazine:
Shell to sell 25% of its U.S. solar assets, said Reuters
Opinions:
9 Energy Storage News:
The reasons why investors are busy buying BESS developers in the UK and Germany
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 29th, 2023
Opinion
News
1 Utility Dive:
DOE, NARUC publish cybersecurity ‘baselines’ for utilities, distributed energy resources
2 Axios:
Wildfire in Texas Panhandle explodes into state's second-largest blaze
3 PV-Tech:
Array Technologies reports US$1.58 billion in revenue in 2023
4 Reuters:
First Solar swings to quarterly profit, forecasts higher sales in 2024
5 Bloomberg:
NRG Targeting $900 Million From Texas for New Gas Plants
6 Energy Storage News:
Europe - Rising battery storage markets playing catch-up to the UK’s lead
7 Heatmap News:
The Next Big Climate Tool - Little Chunks of Rock
8 PV-Magazine:
U.S. solar up 52% in 2023 as nation deploys 35.3 GW of capacity
Opinions:
9 Renew Economy:
How Australia’s newest big battery has cashed in on market volatility
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 28th, 2023
Opinion
News
1 PV-Tech:
SunPower announces departure of CEO Peter Faricy
2 PV-Magazine:
Massachusetts lawmakers urged to adopt “million solar roofs” equivalent
3 Bridge Michigan:
$900M solar component factory to add 1,100 clean energy jobs in Michigan
4 Utility Dive:
Congressional action on energy permitting remains stuck, but states, developers are finding solutions
5 BLoomberg:
Trump's Green-Bashing and Europe's Right Put Climate Goals at Risk
6 Reuters:
US unveils $366 mln for clean energy in underserved, remote areas
7 Energy Storage News:
‘Battery developers were biggest winners’ in UK’s T-1 Capacity Market auction last week
8 Canary Media:
This report puts a price tag on the climate impacts of US LNG exports
Opinions:
9 Heatmap News:
Even Warren Buffett Thinks the Era of Private Utilities Is Over
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 27th, 2023
Let’s Do Some Quick Hits. Thank you to Standard Solar for the incredibly kind words about this newsletter. I know it shocks some of you when you find out that this isn’t my full time job but enough of you have been here long enough to know that I have a day job that is both fun and time consuming.
News
1 Axios:
There's a power struggle brewing over crypto and AI — literally
3 Canary Media:
Texas will add more grid batteries than any other state in 2024
4 Utility Dive:
ERCOT, CAISO offer best grid interconnection processes; PJM, ISO-NE the worst, report finds
5 Renewable Energy World:
Interconnection ‘report card’ shows an ongoing struggle to connect new generation
6 Energy Storage News:
Over 1.8GW of energy storage clears in ISO New England’s latest Forward Capacity Auction
7 PV-Magazine:
Arizona approves “discriminatory” charge on rooftop solar customers
Opinions:
8 Bloomberg:
Exelon CEO Warns Cleaning the Grid Needs Higher Power Bills
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 26th, 2023
Strong Auction In ISONE. The northeast has a strong need for updates in its infrastructure, shown by the latest capacity auction that highlights what it will take to get more capex into the system. I’ve seen developers go through the planning and interconnection process given my colleagues support of them with PSCAD and PSSE planning endeavors which are not small achievements. This deployment of capital will ultimately mean more resilient and reliable energy for the consumers as well the ability to grow the economy with energy access for new facilities.
News
1 Utility Dive:
New England capacity prices rise almost 40% in most recent auction
2 Bloomberg:
Apollo, Other Investors Commit $300 Million in Boost to SunPower
3 PV-Magazine:
U.S. residential solar prices drop, strong interest in storage
4 Renew Economy:
Europe’s largest solar module plant faces shutdown as company shifts focus to US
5 Axios:
What an SEC rule change says about the climate fight
6 PV-Tech:
Modernising grids and substantial investments key to ease connection queues
7 Solar Power World:
How grid-forming inverters will enable continuing growth of solar and grid reliability
8 Canary Media:
Chart - Nearly all new US power plants built in 2024 will be clean energy
Opinions:
9 GreenBiz:
How sustainability professionals can use their collective voice to speed climate progress
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 23rd, 2023
Too Early To Grade. The need to grade the IRA before the rules are barely written, unwritten and factories still under construction are missing the point. Solar and storage will be 81% of the grid additions this year. With energy demand scheduled to double in the next 25 years, that trend will continue which means the supply chain needs to keep up with hopes of that coming shoreside increasing, the IRA’s impact will have decades to show its impact. The transferring of tax credit is already clearly a winner, billions have already transacted. The 45x credits for domestic manufacturing is massive, primarily for trackers and inverters so far, even with the resi solar market having a moment of headwind. That’s just where we are today, so everyone knock it off with the grading on a generational policy.
News
1 New York Times:
Here’s Where Biden’s Climate Law Is Working, and Where It’s Falling Short
2 Energy Storage News:
‘UK project size sweet spot somewhere between 200-500MW’
3 Reuters:
Rush for data centers creates US solar hotspots
4 PV-Magazine:
Nearly 800 MW of solar bound for the Texas grid
5 Renewable Energy World:
NERC warns of bulk EV charging’s grid impact
6 Canary Media:
Smart tech could help fix the biggest barrier to building clean energy
7 Utility Dive:
Repowering will represent nearly half of all new wind capacity in 2024
Opinions:
8 Heatmap:
Why Clean Energy Projects Are Stalling Out on Native Lands
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 22nd, 2023
Opinion
News
1 Utility Dive:
Solar, battery storage will be 81% of new electricity generation capacity this year - EIA
2 Reuters:
Record US renewable energy investment not enough to meet climate goals -report
3 Axios:
Coal's influence on energy generation is fading fast
4 Solar Builder:
PG&E rate hikes improve home solar ROI under NEM 3
5 PV-Magazine:
Georgia utility “adamantly opposed” to community solar
6 PV-Tech:
SolarEdge Q4 inverter shipments drop by 76% quarterly
7 Solar Power World:
Shoals to move eBOS manufacturing operations to new massive factory just across the street
8 Energy Storage News:
BESS wins highest percentage among clean energy technologies in UK Capacity Market auction
9 Bloomberg:
California’s Solar Subsidy Cut Fuels Sunrun Battery Sales Surge
Opinions:
10 Canary Media:
US climate goals - EVs are on track, but clean power is lagging
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 21st, 2023
Opinion
News
1 Utility Dive:
California PUC approves plan to add 56 GW of clean energy resources by 2035
2 Bloomberg:
SunPower’s Former CEO Werner Returns as Executive Chairman
3 Reuters:
Brazil miner Vale eyes more battery systems in its operations
4 PV-Tech:
Colombia awards 4.4GW of solar PV in renewables auction
5 Energy Storage news:
EU’s Battery Passport ‘will give energy storage investors more clarity on bankability’ of projects
6 Canary Media:
EVs are one step closer to becoming roaming grid batteries
7 PV-magazine:
Raising consumer confidence critical to energy transition, finds EY report
Opinions:
8 Renew Economy:
Four reasons rooftop solar will grow to dominate Australia’s electricity market
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 20th, 2023
Opinion
News
1 Bloomberg:
Europe Is Poised for a Surge in Battery Investments
2 PV-Magazine:
Utility-scale solar had a record year in 2023. It’s set to double in 2024
3 New York Times:
Republican Attacks on Biden’s Climate Law Raise Concerns Ahead of Election
4 Axios:
Exclusive - New early-stage climate tech fund of funds closes $152 million
5 Renewable Energy World:
DOE urges industry to hit 20 GW of community solar by end of 2025
6 Solar Power World:
USITC’s midterm report on Sec. 201 solar tariffs heads to President
7 Energy Storage News:
Brookfield’s X-ELIO and NIC invest in German battery storage firm Eco Stor
8 Canary Media:
How US protectionism is holding back the country’s offshore wind plans
Opinions:
9 Utility Dive:
FERC OKs cold weather reliability standards, and 5 other takeaways from Thursday’s open meeting
Have a great day!
Yann
