This is your SolarWakeup for October 12th, 2021
The Big Solar Purchase. India’s Reliance Industries has acquired REC for $771million. REC, the module manufacturer, that has made strides to be a leading premium provider in the US market will grow its manufacturing operations across the globe including new factories in the US, France and India as well as expansion in Singapore. This is an exciting transition story for Reliance as well and a nice footprint addition for domestic manufacturing. I’m a big fan of the US team that REC has and wish them all the success possible in the future.
News
1 PV-Tech:
Reliance buys REC Group, plans to support new module facilities in France and US
2 Canary Media:
California’s biggest all-electric utility has a plan to meet the state’s tough 2030 carbon targets
3 Reuters:
Regulatory and practical keys to achieving a solar future
4 Utility Dive:
A century later, utilities still face billions in potential liabilities from obsolete manufactured gas plants
5 Bloomberg:
Biggest Saudi IPO Since Aramco Jumps 30% on Trading Debut
6 Axios:
Oil and gas producers are still holding back
7 RMI:
Growing Gigawatts of Green Hydrogen
8 PV-Magazine:
In California and Hawaii, the benefits of smart inverters are just beginning
Opinions:
9 GreenBiz:
Indigenous tribes are key to the US reaching its climate goals
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 11th, 2021
This Is The Climate Bill. The budget reconciliation bill was originally dubbed the societal benefits bill is taking on the mantle of a climate bill. Part of this is the push to get Arizona’s Senator Sinema to support the policy at a significant price tag and tease Senator Manchin with job training, reclamation and other energy related funding for West Virginia. Take me home, I say to this climate bill!
Community Solar’s Headline. Georgia’s Senator Ossoff has taken a focus to the solar industry, with Georgia taking leadership in solar manufacturing. Last week he hosted, Secretary Granholm as well as leaders from the solar space where the Secretary announced the plan to grow community solar to cover 5 million homes. For renters, lack of technical resource, or apartment dwellers, community solar does the good work of separating generation from offtaker. From a financing standpoint, it promotes a faster and more secure financing mechanism that doesn’t need a single mega off taker for a solar farm output.
A Pope’s Message. The Pope is canceling his attendance at COP26 in Glasgow but took time this week to speak to parliamentarians ahead of the UN climate conference. He emphasized that everyone has a role to play including political and government leaders and that society owes this commitment to young and future generations. He also met with Speaker Pelosi.
10 Years, Too Fast, Too Short. Senator King highlighted that the Biden goal for solar and clean energy production is fast and that utilities are rightfully calling it a tall order. That’s the Congressional issue with 10 year policies, that make it nearly impossible to push for legislation that outlines long term goals beyond that metric. So 10 years may be too fast, when it reality it’s the timeframe being too short for issues of climate’s magnitude.
News
1 New York Times:
Major Climate Action at Stake in Fight Over Twin Bills Pending in Congress
2 The Hill:
Biden administration announces goal of 5 million homes powered by community solar
3 PV-Tech:
NanoPV to open manufacturing facility in Georgia, US
5 Utility Dive:
The pace of Biden's clean energy standard is a 'tall order' for utilities, says Sen. King
6 FOX Local:
U.S. Senator Ossoff and U.S. Secretary Granholm visit Savannah, investing in solar energy
7 Bloomberg:
Energy Crisis Sets Stage for Record Global Carbon Emissions
8 Energy Storage News:
China continues to dominate lithium battery supply chains but policy support gives US new hope
9 PV-Magazine:
Scaling up distributed solar and storage could save ratepayers $109b by 2030
Opinions:
10 Canary Media:
What’s behind solar’s polysilicon shortage — and why it’s not getting better
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 8th, 2021
Opinion
News
1 Canary Media:
BP acquires Blueprint Power to tap the grid-balancing capability of big buildings
2 Reuters:
Exclusive-U.S. Democrats court Manchin with two-part climate plan -sources
3 Bloomberg:
Puerto Rico to Declare Power Emergency to Avoid Blackouts
4 Axios:
Biden administration to work with EU to prevent energy supply crisis
5 New York Times:
China’s Power Crunch Exposes Tensions Ahead of Key U.N. Climate Summit
6 Utility Dive:
Southern, Duke, PJM, others call for more transmission, coordination to handle renewables surge
7 Vox:
The US is closer than ever before to making major progress on the climate crisis
8 PV-Tech:
Ares Management acquires majority stake in Apex Clean Energy
9 RMI:
It’s Time for California to Face Its Dirty Oil Problem
10 Energy Storage News:
Northvolt’s US$750m R&D campus will directly benefit battery manufacturer’s grid-storage efforts
Opinions:
11 PV-Magazine:
Computer model uses AI to detect faults in residential solar
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 7th, 2021
Opinion
News
1 The Hill:
Senate poised to stave off debt crisis
2 Energy Storage News:
This year ‘marks the start of continued global expansion’ for energy storage industry, IHS Markit says
3 Canary Media:
North Carolina to mandate 70% cut in electricity CO2 emissions by 2030
4 PV-Magazine:
SunPower buys Blue Raven Solar to sharpen its focus on residential solar
5 Utility Dive:
US utilities have billions in unpaid customer balances. What should they do?
6 Axios:
GM plans to double revenues by 2030 as it rolls out EVs and services
7 Reuters:
Google wants to use AI to time traffic lights more efficiently
Opinions:
8 RMI:
Fighting Climate Change on the Home Front
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 6th, 2021
Gas Is The Talk. Natural gas pricing is skyrocketing, aimed to go even higher. Possibly as high as they’ve been this millennium. The global energy crunch is coming and the PR campaign to blame renewables is already starting. Interesting considering, gas capacity is as high as ever and it’s the commodity price alone that is creating the price impacts.
Energy Costs This Winter. The forecast for this winter is not pretty, some forecasting natural gas prices over $10/mmBtu. That is real money for families across the Country and takes money directly out of discretionary spending that would otherwise go into the economy.
SunPower Goes Vertical. With their quarterly earnings, SunPower announced it was buying Blue Raven Solar and looking to get out of C&I by potentially selling that division. Interesting to see the consolidation towards the Sunrun business model happening across the market.
Big Win By CALSSA. California’s Attorney General filed an answer to the CALSSA lawsuit in court yesterday, saying the regulator would delay implementation of their plan to make solar installer fulfill unnecessary licensing requirements. Last month, the solar trade organization had no choice but to respond by attacks on the industry by filing suit on the licensing issue. Fight is not over (it never is) and all focus temporarily goes to NEM 3.0 at the CPUC.
News
1 Axios:
Natural gas price surge puts new focus on LNG
2 New York Times:
A Scary Energy Winter Is Coming. Don’t Blame the Greens.
3 PV-Tech:
SunPower mulls sale of CIS unit, bolsters residential solar position with Blue Raven deal
4 Utility Dive:
Duke Energy would see timely cost recovery under bipartisan North Carolina energy bill
5 Bloomberg:
California’s Offshore Industry Under Fire After Oil Spill
6 Solar Power World:
California’s C-10 solar + storage licensing requirement on hold for at least a year
7 Energy Storage News:
Community Choice group PPA, SDG&E project completion
8 ccount for another 300MWh+ of California battery storage:
9 Canary Media:
Aerial and satellite imagery can find methane leaks. Will EPA bake the tech into new rules?
Opinions:
10 PV-Magazine:
Competition is the sunshine that solar (and storage) need
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 5th, 2021
Opinion
News
1 Politico:
Democrats start bargaining in bid to save party-line megabill
2 Utility Dive:
MISO, ISO-NE execs stress need for new power supply planning framework at FERC reliability meeting
3 PV-Tech:
FERC rolls back ‘anti-renewables’ policy in PJM market
4 Solar Power World:
California legislators push for community solar provision in new net-metering plan
5 PV-Magazine:
Massachusetts weighs SMART program changes
6 Bloomberg:
Adani Says Total Green Investments to Top $50 Billion by 2030
7 Axios:
Tesla beats Q3 delivery expectations, sets new record
8 Reuters:
Investors argue Musk should repay $9.4 bln to Tesla for SolarCity deal
Opinions:
9 Canary Media:
Build Back Better Act would reduce the burden of household energy costs
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 4th, 2021
Biden Gets Involved. The President went to Congress last week and linked the two infrastructure bills, the bipartisan bill and the budget reconciliation. Pelosi couldn’t bring the bipartisan bill to the floor last week and has set a Halloween deadline to get things done even though there is a 2-week recess coming up. The question now comes down to price tag on the social safety net bill, which is what most of you are keen to see because the 10 year ITC extension for solar at 30%, ITC for standalone storage and direct pay for small solar is expected to be packaged in that bill. The showdown is between the House Progressive Caucus and Senators Sinema and Manchin who are not ready to sign on to the $3.5trillion ask in the House. To put it into context, this is a 10 year spending number and Congress passed a defense authorization over $7trillion last week.
Tesla Delivers And Elon Forecasts. Tesla delivered over 240k new cars last quarter, mostly their model 3 and Y version which have a more than 6 month delivery wait currently. This is not a new statement from Elon, but he reiterated that the continued shift to electric transportation will require a doubling of global electricity generation.
The Global Energy Crisis. You’re starting to hear it, the fuel shortage in Europe for oil and gas causing lines at gas stations and price increases for electricity, the rationing of electricity in China causing factories to lower production forecasts and then the gas price spikes in the US. It’s a global energy crisis and don’t look now but most utilities are upside down on their fuel forecasts for low cost natural gas power plants that consumers will have to pick up the extra costs for. A hard winter in the northeast could be a financial disaster with fuel futures showing much higher costs than previous winters.
California’s Path To Energy Resilience. The most frustrating political fight is California legislators and regulators singing the tune for 100% renewables but then allowing net metering changes to go to the goal line with the threat to eliminate the crucial policy for distributed energy. This isn’t just about solar on homes but also microgrids for manufacturing and schools that allow for the economy to keep moving forward if transmission is impacted by extreme weather events.
News
1 Axios:
Biden floats roughly $2 trillion price tag for reconciliation
2 Barrons:
Tesla’s Musk Says U.S. Electricity Production Needs to Double to Power Transition to EV Vehicles
3 New York Times:
Global Natural Gas Crunch Roils Consumers and Industry
4 Utility Dive:
As California's solar net metering battle goes to regulators, a focus on reliability may be the best answer
5 Bloomberg:
What’s Behind Europe’s Skyrocketing Power Prices
6 Reuters:
Solar supply squeeze frustrates New Mexico's move away from coal
7 Energy Storage News:
Fluence IPO ‘can open investment doors for energy storage and renewable energy industry’
8 Canary Media:
SoftBank’s renewables developer just made the biggest flow battery purchase ever
Opinions:
9 PV-Magazine:
PV Evolution Labs crowdsources solar inverter testing
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for October 1st, 2021
Opinion
News
1 Politico:
Pelosi delays infrastructure vote as Democrats struggle to reach deal
2 Reuters:
Exclusive-The king of oil bets on batteries for a green world
3 The Hill:
Manchin says his spending limit is $1.5 trillion
4 PV-Magazine:
House bill would channel $3.5 billion to domestic solar manufacturing
5 UTility Dive:
Democrats' clean electricity plan to require 85 GW of renewable energy additions a year - S&P
6 Bloomberg:
China Orders Top Energy Firms to Secure Supplies at All Costs
7 PV-Tech:
Solar manufacturing majors call on customers to delay projects amidst supply ‘crisis’
8 Solar Power World:
Commerce says petitioners can’t be anonymous in latest solar panel tariff development
Opinions:
9 Canary Media:
Utility Entergy stymied transmission projects that might have prevented some New Orleans blackouts
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for September 30th, 2021
Opinion
News
1 The Hill:
House appears poised to pull infrastructure vote amid stubborn stalemate
2 Reuters:
U.S. trade officials delay decision on new solar tariffs
3 Politico:
Manchin offers alternative plans to Democrats' 'fiscal insanity'
4 EarthJustice:
PJM Reverses Policy Designed to Stymie Clean Energy
5 Canary Media:
Energy storage leader Fluence preps for old-school IPO, bucking SPAC trend
6 PV-Tech:
SEIA calls for solar to reach 30% of US electricity generation by 2030
7 Bloomberg:
TotalEnergies CEO Says Europe Gas Crisis May Last All Winter
8 Energy Storage News:
Morocco-UK Power Project
Opinions:
9 PV-Magazine:
U.S. solar notches record Q2, but faces bottleneck issues
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for September 29th, 2021
Opinion
News
1 Politico:
Solar trade woes cast a pall over Biden’s climate goals
2 The Hill:
Left warns Pelosi they'll take down Biden infrastructure bill
3 Reuters:
Tariffs, seizures expose U.S. solar industry's vulnerability to imports
4 Axios:
The energy crises roiling Europe and China — and beyond
5 Energy Storage News:
Fluence files for IPO
6 Utility Dive:
FERC approves PPL acquisition of Narragansett Electric from National Grid
7 Solar Power World:
Meyer Burger plans to build 400-MW capacity solar module assembly factory in U.S.
8 PV-Magazine:
GAF Energy completes work on rooftop solar manufacturing facility
Opinions:
9 Bloomberg:
Democrats Need a Carbon Tax and a Coal Miner Buyout
Have a great day!
Yann
