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Suniva Being Sold For Parts (Literally), Just Like We Said

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

What Happened:And now in this corner, from the other end of the Section 201 tariff case, comes the news that Suniva is literally being sold for parts by its creditor SQN Capital Management.:

Who could have seen this coming? (Everyone. Everyone saw this coming.)
SQN Capital Management is the same outfit that famously offered to sell Suniva off to the Chinese Chamber of Commerce for a cool $55 million left on a Central Park bench at 3 a.m.
Now they’ve gotten the OK to sell off the manufacturing equipment at a public auction, does anyone really think they’re going to plow the money back into the company to restart production? No. No one does.

From Suniva’s Facebook page, that day they all got into scrubs and delivered a solar panel by hand.

SolarWakeup’s View: Lordy, when it rains it pours.

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This morning I got to write about the end of SolarWorld as an independent company as its assets were purchased by SunPower, which could signal an exit for them from the utility-scale market. Now I have to write about Suniva, the other Keystone Cop in the tariff travesty and the one that started it all.

Unfortunately, on this side of the ledger, there is no feel-good story about saving jobs for the citizens of Hillsboro, Oregon. In this scenario, the company’s major creditor SQN Capital Management – who offered about a year ago to settle the trade case with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce for $55 million and a bucket of balls – has now gotten permission from the bankruptcy judge to sell Suniva off for parts, specifically its manufacturing equipment, at a public auction.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that if SQN gets the $58 million Suniva owes it out of the equipment sale, it is going to take the money and run. And to say selling the production equipment would make it unlikely Suniva will ever return to production is like calling the Pope Catholic or me a Bernie Kosar fan. In other words, “Duh.”

All of this news today leads me to ponder the following: If one of the trade-tariff companies is being sold and the other is going to disappear into the cornfield, what the hell did we spend the past year fighting for (or against, depending on what side you were on)? Why did we have this extremely long, divisive battle if the two main combatants were going to leave the field early anyway?

One of my friends said it was all for the lawyers; another said it was to pump up SolarWorld’s valuation. Both could be true, I suppose.

All I know is that I have wasted far too much ink and breath on this divisive issue. Maybe this sordid chapter of solar’s history is finally coming to an end (with a whimper, not a bang).

More:

Suniva creditor wins U.S. bankruptcy court approval to sell company’s assets (Reuters)

Could We Finally Be Rid Of Suniva? (SolarWakeup)

We’re Happy For SolarWorld Employees – But That’s It

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

What Happened:And so it ends. What was once the emblematic brand of the U.S. solar industry – SolarWorld – is gone, as Sunpower has announced it will snap up at least the company’s assets.:

As much as SolarWorld the corporation deserves scorn for its destructive behavior over the past 12 months, there really isn’t any such thing as SolarWorld as a corporation.
In reality, the company is made up of people – real, flesh-and-blood people – and if Sunpower’s purchase of the company saves their jobs, then we can’t be anything but happy here at SolarWakeup.
But don’t expect us to be happy that the executives at the company will likely be walking away with golden parachutes after leaving a swath of destruction across the industry to the tune of 9,800 jobs and counting.

SolarWakeup’s View: No one is happier than I am to be writing this story, for two reasons. First, it means I will never have to type the name SolarWorld ever again, once this story is over. Second, it means the more than 300 employees working at SolarWorld’s Oregon facility may have their jobs saved – and I am all about actually saving jobs.

Now it should be noted that as happy as I am about saving those jobs on one of the most beautiful states in the country (and they make a mean Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley), it is a bit sobering to realize that those jobs came in part at the cost of 9,800 jobs (and counting) thanks to SolarWorld’s unconscionable decision to support Suniva’s “if-we’re-going-down, we’re-taking-the rest-of-you-with-us” trade action last year.

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But that was not SolarWorld’s employees’ fault, and losing their jobs won’t bring the others back. So saving those jobs for the people and the city of Hillsboro is an unalloyed good. I can’t lie: I’m hoping SunPower is able to get the factory back up to its full strength of more than 800 jobs – but only time will tell if that can or will happen.

Of all the potential suitors for SolarWorld’s assets, I’m personally glad they went to SunPower, a company with a track-record of success and making things work under difficult circumstances. The purchase of SolarWorld provides the company with a much-needed complementary product to their high efficiency premium offering in the residential market. It’s good for the overall industry that this transaction takes place.

I can’t wait to see what happens next.

More:

SunPower buys SolarWorld Americas

Illinois OKs Long-Term Renewables Procurement Plan

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

What Happened:Yesterday, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approved the state’s Long-Term Resources Procurement Plan (also known as “The Plan”), an overarching roadmap for the state to reach 25% renewable energy by 2025.

The Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan arose out of the Future Energy Jobs Act of 2016.
“With the approval of this ambitious plan, Illinois takes another step toward becoming a national leader in affordable clean energy. A more diverse power portfolio, which includes wind and solar, makes the grid more stable and affordable.

SolarWakeup’s View: Now that’s what’s called vision.

As expected, the Illinois Commerce Commission approved the Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan (the Plan), bringing to fruition the vision of Illinois lawmakers that began two years ago when the state’s legislature, utilities and clean energy advocates pushed for the passage of the Future Energy Jobs Act.

What made the Illinois plan unusual was the widespread support it received across all segments of the energy economy in the state. While not unheard of (California’s utility/legislature/renewable-energy partnership is a prime example), the Illinois plan is unusual, especially in the Midwest. Decisions like this bode well for the future of solar in the middle of the country.

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As I wrote last week as passage moved closer:

As the Midwest has moved – often glacially – toward its own solar future, most observers have pegged Minnesota as the early leader that has stood clearly head and shoulders above all the other states in the region. But I believe that as the Plan moves forward that it won’t be long before Minnesota is looking over its shoulder to see Illinois quickly approaching.

One of my favorite Illinois renewables observers, Christie Hicks, manager, Clean Energy Regulatory Implementation for the Environmental Defense Fund, said the following on the ICC’s decision:

“Hundreds of millions of investment dollars will soon be flowing into developing clean wind and solar projects that will power Illinois homes and businesses. Not only is Illinois solidifying its place at the forefront of America’s clean energy economy, it’s showing other states how to provide equitable access to renewables.”

We’re pretty pumped about the approval here at SolarWakeup, too, because it will make our SolarWakeup Live! Chicago stop later this year even more intense. We plan on arriving in the Windy City when it’s a little warmer (see this summer; We’re coming to Chicago this summer) to break it this plan down for you and what it means for the future clean energy in the Land of Lincoln.

We can’t wait, so stay tuned – details coming soon.

More:

Illinois Is Coming For You, Minnesota

17-0838 Final Order

Illinois Is Coming For You, Minnesota

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

What Happened:Illinois is inching closer to finalizing its Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan next month as the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) begins its final deliberations.

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) Manager for Clean Energy Regulatory Implementation Christie Hicks says could jumpstart renewable energy in the state.
The Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan arose out of the Future Energy Jobs Act of 2016.
Currently before the ICC, the final plan should be approved on April 3.

SolarWakeup’s View: When Illinois lawmakers, utilities and clean energy advocates joined forces in 2016 to sign the Future Energy Jobs Act into law, they knew the end goal – jump-starting the Land of Lincoln’s renewable energy industry – wasn’t going to arrive overnight. But now, two years into the process, an overarching roadmap for the state to reach 25% renewable energy by 2025 is slightly more than 10 days away from being finalized.

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Called the Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan, it is currently before the ICC – Illinois’ public utilities regulatory body – and is scheduled to be approved on April 3. “The Plan,” as it’s known among Illinois clean energy insiders, has been the result of two years of input from all involved stakeholders and is one that is almost universally supported.

Hicks does offer one small caution, however. In the final round of briefs in the case, a group known as the “Joint Solar Parties” (a coalition of trade organizations) called for changes to the lottery process by which projects are selected for pricing blocks in the Adjustable Block Program. They argued instead for guaranteed Block 2 pricing for all projects that submit within the initial 14-day opening of the Program, and reduced penalties for projects that receive “small subscriber” adders but fail to meet their small subscriber obligations. Hicks writes that these changes, if adopted, might put a damper on the Plan’s overall success, but she hopes the ICC has the wisdom to adopt the process suggested by the IPA.

As the Midwest has moved – often glacially – toward its own solar future, most observers have pegged Minnesota as the early leader that has stood clearly head and shoulders above all the other states in the region. But I believe that as the Plan moves forward that it won’t be long before Minnesota is looking over its shoulder to see Illinois quickly approaching.

This article was updated at 7:19 pm on 3/26/18 to add information to the paragraph describing Hicks’ cautionary note. We thank Hicks for the clarification

More:

Illinois is about to release its plan to kick-start new renewables. Here’s what you need to know.