These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!

News

Have a great day!
Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for January 20th, 2017

Your dream job? So, I want you to be Secretary of Energy! That’s amazing, I’d love to do that and be America’s ambassador on our oil and gas capabilities. Telling the world about our energy strengths sounds great! That is how I imagine the conversation went between Governor Perry and Trump. Perry spent the day speaking with the members of the US Senate answering questions and doing his usual, giving SNL some great material to work with. Now that he will be Secretary, Perry regrets wanting to close the Department but was surprised to find out while speaking that the President’s administration doesn’t actually want to fund DOE. At least Congress still doles out the dollars, which bodes well for the Department.
You want a revolution? I want a revelation. We are all living the fact that the energy sector is changing but also recognize that much of the sector is the same. Same wires, same power plants and same way to recoup monopoly investments. If we really want to change the way it’s done, which needs to happen, then we need to admit that doing it the same way isn’t going to work.
Words matter, even if nuanced. Of all the nominees, the target from the environmental groups is squarely on Scott Pruitt, the Attorney General from Oklahoma. His hearings have been revealing with some old rhetoric (debate on climate change is ongoing) and some new things (it doesn’t matter what the administrator thinks about climate change). He did open up the possibility that EPA will be a watchdog on the States, in particular those that value clean air and go for enhanced fuel efficiency. Pruitt is going to get confirmed (listen to EnergyWakeup next week to see why I think that’s a good thing) and I cant wait for the Jerry Brown/Kevin de Leon versus Pruitt matchups.

News

Have a great day!
Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for January 19th, 2017

Solar is pro-islanding. Hawaii has been long aiming at 100% renewables and last year stopped the acquisition of HECO by NextEra because they were worried that the goal wouldn’t be met. HECO had some trouble getting the plans to achieve the goal passed the PUC in 2014 when it was rejected and now is laying out its vision on getting it done.
Peachy innovation. Southern Power is getting into the efficiency business and handing out some rebates for residential efficiency technology. If you recall, Southern tried to get into the solar game as well with little success. Surely with $100 off Nest thermostats, there will be a bit more appetite for taking up some efficiency and maybe leave the solar industry to handle what they know best.
A debate about Pruitt. Attorney General Scott Pruitt is going through the committee hearings regarding his EPA administrator nomination. As the Oklahoma AG, he has sued the EPA countless times, put a company’s letter on his letterhead for them and isn’t sure what the effects of lead in water supply could be. During the hearing he also said that there is still debate about climate change. Listen in to the EnergyWakeup episode to hear what Bryan and I think about the hearings.

News

Have a great day!
Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for January 18th, 2017

Oh Nevada. I’m somewhat entertained by the fact that the solar industry is whining about what NV Energy is doing but not getting political about it. I don’t mean argue policy but pick a political fight. There is total nonsense going on about energy savings and how people with solar shouldn’t get savings. In translation, it means that the utility is producing less electrons that it can add to the demand growth and build more infrastructure. I really hope that people drop the good guy act and throw our weight around. 80%+ support amongst both parties, solar should be a third rail for politicians except we don’t make them pay the price.
What’s the deal NY? I can think back to many years ago and someone is pitching me on the idea of solar in New York. When is it really going to pick up so people can actually get some things done outside of key projects that are pushed through the political arena? Someone please get the REV or whatever other policy the regulators want into the market.
Peak Coal? China just called the top of the coal market and is canceling 104 coal plants. The country was famously adding a coal plant per week Now that total coal usage is going down in China and the US will continue to decline, I think it is safe to say that coal consumption on a global basis will also reduce over time. Of course, we need to do more to eliminate those plants, and that is why we cover the importance of baseload solar/battery stations that can do exactly that.
What’s in an RPS. Every solar pro should be walking around with the latest DOE employment report. Solar and renewables are responsible for the vast majority of all job growth in the electric power sector. Solar is bigger than most other fossil segments, combined. 370k people spend time in solar and that is why Governors, who actually have to run the State and pass a budget, are looking at strengthening the RPS’s in their States. I’m sure some States will play politics and potentially try to reduce them but for the most part, RPS’s are looking good to Governors from both parties.

News

Have a great day!
Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for January 17th, 2017

No Commentary. It’s just too funny not to make it the number 1 story today but I continue to be amazed what politicians can dream up.
Solar jobs, jobs, jobs. DOE is out with the second annual energy employment analysis and the numbers create some political reality for DC. They may not care much but when it comes to the electric power sector, more people work in solar than any other fuel. Over 370k Americans spend all or part of their time within the realm of solar energy. Take that to the next legislative debate you have.
PR sets the bar high. I’ve become a bit jaded. When I read an article about solar or renewables in national papers like the NY Times, I wonder who pitched the story. Someone pushed the story so that a message was put out and in this case the article is all about how AES is excited about the crucial job energy storage is going to perform in California. No fossil fuel plant with much bigger capacity goes through the PR of this level to set the bar of importance this high. It makes me think that any minor issue will be covered with the same lens which perhaps is the intent of this article, to set the bar high.

News

Have a great day!
Yann

These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!

News

Have a great day!
Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for January 13th, 2017

Growth by decline. The data comes out every year. Massive capacity growth across the world but lower capital deployment. With modules at low 30 cents, who would think that you can get more with less? Focus on the GW top line but also note that you’ll more deals to get your investors happy.
Enphase gets more money. Private capital into a public company doesn’t usually mean positive news but hey it’s solar and winter season is never pretty. On the other side, the investors are high end and Enphase makes a good product that needs more runway to get scale. The one piece of concern is the end of the article, some of the funds will be used to hire consultants on how to get more demand globally.
NV Energy goes for it again. First off, NV Energy policy folks need to listen to the EnergyWakeup podcast. We covered their overreach tactic this week here, but it seems that they continue to get bad advice from their lobbyists. NV Energy wants the PUC in Nevada to undo the net metering for the Northern part of the State. The policy was just put back into place in December. Maybe the company should focus on its baseload in the Casinos that continue to leave their service, solar on every home in the State wouldn’t get close to that kind of demand reduction.

News

Have a great day!
Yann

This is your SolarWakeup for January 12th, 2017

EnergyWakeup. Your feedback has been incredible and hearing everyone’s positive thoughts on the podcast is great. If you haven’t caught episode 2, here it is.  You can subscribe to it on iTunes, Souncloud or Stitcher radio.
Tillerson echoes corporate talking points. Rex Tillerson, the CEO of Exxon, has spent his entire professional career at Exxon. While Exxon is currently under investigation for covering up early climate science, the CEO was vocal at the time of the Paris climate deal signing that Exxon stood behind the international community’s deal. In a different arena, the US Senate hearing room, Tillerson did not go so far to back the accords but also failed to say that he would push the administration to withdraw. Even saying that the entire global community needs to work to fight climate change.
SunEdison drama continues. At this point it appears only the restructuring advisors and paid board members are making any money dragging this story out. Brookfield Asset Management is still interested in buying the yieldcos and replace SunEdison as the sponsor on the projects. Assuming that the offtakers and capital providers are okay with the qualified sponsor transfer, Brookfield is stepping into deals that only a few companies would be able to. That would explain the reason for offering a share price below the public market valuations.
A solar drone gets parked. Google had made an investment into Tital Aerospace to build a solar drone capable of beaming internet to the masses. That program is now shut down and most of the leadership has left the company. Facebook has also been working on a similar program actually getting a plane off the ground but not without some trouble. As battery costs come down, the efficiencies should make this sunshot a doable program.

News

Have a great day!
Yann

EnergyWakeup – Episode 2 – Bryan and I discuss the Trump Energy Cabinet and the fight in Arizona

This is your SolarWakeup for January 10th, 2017

A new EnergyWakeup. Stay tuned as a new episode gets released, an email will be sent as soon as it hits the airwaves. Remember to subscribe on iTunes and leave a rating.
SEIA moves ahead. Welcome Abby Hopper as the new CEO and President of SEIA. She takes over for Tom Kimbis who has been the interim President and will return to General Counsel and Executive Vice President. Hopper led the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and prior to that the Maryland Energy Administration. She will start next week, just a few days before Donald Trump takes the oath of office.
The States reconsider. After making some anti-solar decisions, it seems that some blowback is occurring. Arizona and Nevada are going back to look at how to alleviate some of the tension. In Nevada that means looking at reinstatement of net metering in Las Vegas service area and Arizona has to fix the grandfathering rule is recently created. In our podcast, we cover how the baby step efforts to attack solar may be getting some traction.
More nuclear policy. Sometimes I get the feeling that nuclear policy may be the way solar gets some opportunities to advance its own policy across the Country. Whether it is DOE or at the State (see IL) and now NY, solar could grab on to some of the subsidy bills that work to bailout the operators. Look at this in the same way we identified the oil embargo as an opportunity to attach the ITC. Stay tuned on this.

News

Have a great day!
Yann