• Utility Dive: AEP faces 15 GW of new load, driven by Amazon, Google, other data centers – interim CEO Fowke
• Energy Storage News: G7 nations set 1500GW global energy storage target for 2030
• Bloomberg: Sunnova Energy Huddles With Adviser on Balance Sheet Options
• Axios: PG&E seeks KKR deal to help fund California wildfire prevention
• Reuters: Microsoft, Brookfield to partner on renewable energy projects
• Solar Bilder: The eclipse’s path of totality as seen in solar PV monitoring data
• PV-Tech: Matrix Renewables, Hyundai sign 147MW solar PPA in Texas
• Renewable Energy News: New Jersey seeks fourth round of offshore wind farm proposals as foes push back

Opinion

• PV-Magazine: Virginia General Assembly passes pro-solar legislation

Best, Yann

• Bloomberg: PG&E in Talks with KKR to Sell Minority Stake in Power Unit
• Axios: Department of Energy dives into promises and perils of AI
• PV-Magazine: CATL presents EV battery with 1,000 km range
• New York Times: Hydrogen Offers Germany a Chance to Take a Lead in Green Energy
• Reuters: China, US to hold climate meetings in Washington in May
• PV-Tech: Philippines to add 2GW of installed solar capacity in 2024
• Renewable Energy World: Minnesota saw 54% zero-carbon power in 2023, hitting clean energy milestones
• Energy Storage News: Natron Energy starts manufacturing ‘50,000+ cycle-life’ sodium-ion batteries at Michigan factory

Opinion

• Utility Dive: Solar tariffs are in the spotlight again. Our current approach isn’t the answer.

Best, Yann

Tax Equity Transfers. Tax equity transfers are a game changer for monetization of the valuable tax credits but there’s a minor wrinkle. Typically when tax equity was in play, it was either funded at NTP or bridged by the construction loan since the takeout financing was in place. With credits, takeout funding is a bit more flexible and nuanced. So here’s the question to the SolarWakeup think tank, who’s doing the best structure and funding tax equity bridges from NTP to commercial operation for the tax credits? If you are, send those names this way so I can help connect both sides of the table. 

• Wall Street Journal: How Big Data Centers Are Slowing the Shift to Clean Energy
• Utility Dive: BlackRock, Temasek decarbonization venture raises $1.4B
• BLoomberg: Europe’s Power Prices Swing Wildly as Wind Supply Retreats
• Reuters: Insight – As solar capacity grows, some of America’s most productive farmland is at risk
• PV-Tech: Sunpower to cut 1,000 jobs, admits misstatements in financial results for 2022
• Renewable Energy World: DOE announces AI initiatives enabling cleaner power grid
• Energy Storage News: California – ‘Energy storage revolution is here,’ says governor as US leader state surpasses 10GW
• PV-Magazine: Hitachi Energy to invest more than $100 million to manufacture transformers in Canada

Opinion

• Heatmap: Can Biden Ditch Coal Without Killing Coal Country?

Best, Yann

Ready For Battery Primetime? We’re still in April and ERCOT is already putting peak notices into effect and California warns of blackouts. How well is your battery performing and what are you most concerned about? I’d love to hear from you and understand what you look at in the morning when running your battery.

Tracker Bonanza. Nextracker opened additional manufacturing line in Pittsburgh, Array Technologies hosted the Secretary of Energy at their factory opening in New Mexico and Nevados expanded capacity in Texas. There’s a drive for new capacity in the tracker market and it’s right here in the USA thanks to the IRA.

• Bloomberg: Texas Grid Issues Notice Ahead of Potential Emergency Next Week
• Utility Dive: MISO capacity prices triple for next summer, spring, partly on power plant retirements
• Axios: AI advances may frustrate U.S. climate goals as electric demand surges
• Renewable Energy World: Nextracker adding 4 GW of capacity with U.S. steel facility expansion
• Solar Power World: Array Technologies breaks ground on second tracker manufacturing site in Albuquerque
• PV-Tech: DNV – China to more than quintuple renewable energy installations by 2050, with solar capacity to reach 5.5TW
• Energy Storage News: US takes ‘significant step forward’ to speed up electricity transmission project permitting
• Canary Media: Chart – Heavy industry is the next big climate problem to tackle
• PV-Magazine: Minnesota sues GoodLeap, Sunlight, Mosaic and Dividend over dealer fees

Opinion

• Los Angeles Times: California battery storage increasing rapidly, but not enough to end blackouts, Gov. Newsom says

Best, Yann