Electrify Everything And Future Thing. This summer has caused challenges across the spectrum and some that haven’t been recognized yet. When we say electrification is the energy transition, we usually focus on EVs and gas stoves. But in reality there’s much more. One of those is that many more Americans and people across the globe want and need cooling solutions. This additional load will be additive to the load peak on the grid when the heat is most straining it, exacerbating the grid operators’ challenge.

• Bloomberg: Cooling Technology’s Next Act Could Be Even More Important Than Today’s Heat Pumps
• Axios: White House makes its move on permitting
• Los Angeles Times: California has new weapons to battle summer blackouts: Battery storage, power from record rain
• PV-Magazine: Enphase lowers revenue guidance as U.S. residential solar stagnates
• PV-Tech: Nextracker’s quarterly revenue rises 19% year-on-year
• Solar Power World: Biden Administration proposes new rules for solar permitting on federal lands
• Canary Media: Charts – US clean energy developers are hyped about post-IRA prospects

Opinion

• Utility Dive: Cautious investors and fast cash – Why AEP, Duke and other utilities have sold their renewable assets

Best, Yann

Weekend Rundown. A few things to get you into your weekend, back to regularly scheduled commentary next week.

FERC Gets Connected. New rules published by FERC to help with the interconnection backlog.

Factories In Focus. Enphase announced its second US factory and First Solar its 5^th, just yesterday.

Still Hot. If you build solar, stay up to speed on the hazard alert issued since it may affect your installation crews.

• New York Times: A Bottleneck on the Grid Threatens Clean Energy. New Rules Aim to Help.
• Axios: Biden announces first-ever heat wave “hazard alert” for workers
• PV-Magazine: First Solar announces fifth U.S. manufacturing facility
• Reuters: Enphase Energy sees revenue below estimates on weak U.S. demand, shares fall
• PV-Tech: SunPower reports net loss of US$30 million in Q2 2023 preliminary results
• Utility Dive: Barrasso ties possible transmission reforms to ‘premature’ power plant retirements
• Solar Builder: In for the long haul – Charting the rise of long duration energy storage
• Energy Storage News: Grid services revenues could be key to unlocking solar and storage for low-income communities

Opinion

• Bloomberg: No Clean Energy Source Is Marginal in the Quest for Net Zero

Best, Yann

• Utility Dive: ‘A tripling of electrical output’ – Tesla’s Musk urges power sector to anticipate higher demand
• Bloomberg: European Gas Prices Slump as Storage, Renewables Offset Risks
• Reuters: Energy-hungry Europe to brighten profit at US solar equipment makers
• Energy Storage News: US Department of Energy adds US$30 million funding for long-duration and storage R&D
• Canary Media: Major automakers take on Tesla with US-wide EV charging network
• PV-Magazine: California utility announces launch of distributed energy management system
• PV-Tech: Too big to succeed – different approaches to delivering large-scale solar

Opinion

• Vox: Biden’s $250 billion lure to clean up the dirty legacy of fossil fuels

Best, Yann

• Utility Dive: EVs will bring ‘unprecedented’ power demand, but their flexibility can improve grid reliability, utilities say
• PV-Tech: DOE releases US$20 million funding for solar lifecycle and recycling development
• Bloomberg: Why the Texas Power Grid Is Facing Another Crisis
• San Antonio Express News: Without wind and solar power, ERCOT CEO says, this summer’s grid story could be much different
• Axios: Study – Key Atlantic Ocean circulation could shut down by mid-century
• Reuters: Investment firm Low Carbon secures $513 million for renewables projects
• Energy Storage News: California’s SDG&E eyes up ITC for 200MW BESS portfolio
• PV-Magazine: Utility-scale solar and storage project updates across the U.S.

Opinion

• Canary Media: Maine to go all in on offshore wind

Best, Yann