By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent There just might be something to this electric vehicle (EV) revolution after all – at least New York and California seem to think so. Greenbiz is reporting that between the two states, nearly $1 billion will be spent adding EV-charging stations to the nation’s infrastructure. In California, more than $750 million of public money is being invested in three of the state’s largest utilities, while in New York $250 million is being allocated to the New York Power Authority (NYPA). As the invaluable Katie Fehrenbacher notes in her article, the decision to invest with utilities … Read More →

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent The South China Morning Post reports a Chinese solar market in freefall after the government decided it would no longer fund new solar farms and slashed subsidies to solar electricity users by almost 10%. According to the paper, the government says the move is designed to wean the Chinese solar market off of government subsidies and put it on a more “sustainable path.” The Post wrote: A joint statement put out on Friday by the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance and National Energy Administration said, “The measures are aimed at “promoting the … Read More →

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent Get ready for 300 MW of solar projects coming your way, Badger State. Two of the state’s utilities – Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) and WEC Energy Group (WEC), through its Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) – will be partners in two projects in the state. The projects will be developed Invenergy and NextEra Energy Resources, according to applications filed with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) at a cost of approximately $390 million. If approved by the end of 2018, construction of both projects is expected to begin by spring 2019, with both plants … Read More →

Iron Mountain® Incorporated (NYSE: IRM), the global leader in storage and information management services, today announced two important environmental commitments that significantly advance the company’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and increase its usage of renewable energy around the world. Firstly, Iron Mountain is joining the RE100 initiative, a collaborative, global platform developed by The Climate Group, an independent, not-for-profit organization working internationally with government and business leaders to advance smart policies and technologies to cut global emissions and accelerate a low carbon economy. Iron Mountain joins more than 130 multinational corporations in committing to a shift to using … Read More →

This article has been updated to reflect that President Trump has in fact given the order rather than just considering it. By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent Well, that’s not very free market of him. In a move that made George Gilder do a spit take, President Donald J. Trump has ordered the Energy Department to instruct grid operators to purchase electricity from failing coal and nuclear plants in an effort to keep such faltering plants alive and well, according to the Associated Press. [wds id=”3″] Earlier today, Bloomberg indicated such a move might be imminent, citing a memo it reviewed … Read More →

For over a hundred years our civilization has been getting electricity from centralized generation. This utility business model relies on remote power plants fueled originally by coal, oil and gas — and now increasingly by wind and solar. But the development of inexpensive rooftop solar power over the past 20 years is changing this central generation paradigm. It is now cheaper for homes and businesses to generate their own electricity on their rooftop, and only stay connected to the utility for night time power. These Distributed Generation (DG) solar power systems are connected on the customer’s side of the meter, … Read More →

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent Well, that’s not very free market of him. In a move that made George Gilder do a spit take, President Donald J. Trump may soon order grid operators to purchase electricity from failing coal and nuclear plants in an effort to keep such faltering plants alive and well, according to a Bloomberg report. [wds id=”3″] A memo reviewed by the news organization says the Energy Department is considering using its power under the Federal Power Act – Section 202 powers, to be exact – to use emergency powers to take such action. Bloomberg called the … Read More →

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent NV Energy, Nevada’s largest utility, unveiled plans to add more than 1 GW of solar power and at least 100 MW of battery storage in its latest Integrated Resources Plan (IRP), filed today with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN). The new projects will be evenly distributed throughout the state, with three new plants located in the north and three located in the south, pending the plan’s approval by the PUCN. [wds id=”3″] “The six new projects position NV Energy to keep its commitment to double renewable energy by 2023 and, importantly, by diversifying … Read More →

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) decided last week to make significant changes to its interconnection procedures in an effort to make it easier for clean-energy customers to connect to the grid. Despite its reputation as being the Midwestern leader in community solar development, outdated interconnection rules had slowed the progress of community solar garden growth and caused frustration among solar advocates within the state. With the help of he Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), Fresh Energy and the Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC), the MPUC has adopted more straightforward rules and procedures that … Read More →

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent The legislature giveth with one hand and seems poised to taketh away with the other hand from the Illinois renewable energy providers. Despite a recent survey by CleanChoice Energy that shows 83% of Illinois residents want to have the choice of clean energy as an option to supply their homes and state-sponsored support under the Future Energy Jobs Act of 2016, action in the legislature later this week could diminish solar’s growth considerably if two amendments to SB 1531 are passed as part of the bill. At issue is the idea of “automatic renewals,” a … Read More →