Tag Archives: solar

Well-Funded Republicans Get Solar’s Hard-Earned Cash

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

What Happened: So Reuters reported this morning that solar companies are setting large piles of cash on fire in their parking lots…oh, I’m sorry, I misspoke. They’re actually funding Republicans. Wait, maybe I was right in the first place.

  • OK, I’m not a political naif. I know you have to give money to both sides to get things done, especially when the party that doesn’t support you is in power.
  • But seriously, solar industry? How many times do you have to get sand kicked in your face before you realize that being nice to the anti-solar side isn’t going to get you anywhere?

    • Republicans

    SolarWakeup’s View:  It has long been a pet peeve of mine that the solar industry seems hellbent on playing nice with politicians who, given the opportunity, would completely destroy the solar industry on a heartbeat’s notice.

    After all, it’s not state legislatures led by Democrats that are trying to gut net metering and other pro-solar policies around the country. And while it’s true solar is a popular issue among the voters, anyone who thinks voters get to weigh in on what these politicians are voting on doesn’t understand democracy (small “d”) in the United States in 2018.

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    Which is why Reuters’ report that the solar industry has decided to provide more money to Republicans than Democrats this cycle just makes my head want to explode. Here are the details:

    Overall, political action committees representing solar and wind companies have donated nearly $400,000 to candidates and PACs in the 2018 election cycle, including $247,000 to Republicans, $139,300 to Democrats, and $7,500 to independents, according to the Reuters analysis.

    That marks a record. During the 2016 presidential elections, the first cycle during which the clean energy industry gave more to the GOP than to Democrats, Republicans received just over half of the combined $695,470 in political contributions from major wind and solar PACs.

    To which I scream (startling the dog in the process): “WHY?”

    Look, I’m no political naif. I’ve been steeped in politics since the age of 6, when I supposedly wanted to vote for my “Uncle Carty” for president (my Uncle Carty – a nickname – was not running for president, but a former peanut farmer named Jimmy CARTER was). I’ve been heavily involved in politics ever since, up to and including local politics. I’ve watched the sausage get made, and I do not have a weak stomach.

    But in politics as in business, I’m all about return on investment, and outside of an ITC extension in 2015 (and we can debate how much of that was the result of fawning over Republicans at some other date), what has this “investment” gotten us? Wouldn’t it make far more sense to invest in politicians who might actually SUPPORT our priorities instead of merely NOT ACTIVELY OPPOSING them?

    For reals – it’s time for us to get our priorities in order and support those who support us wholeheartedly without reservation. Otherwise, you’re just throwing good money after bad.

    More:

    Clean energy sector swings Republican with U.S. campaign donations

    How To Screw Up Solar With One Horrid Bill (Connecticut Edition)

    By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

    What Happened: The swath of destruction the Connecticut legislature is about to cut through the solar industry with their latest bill to replace net metering is breathtaking and stupefying to behold.

  • The absurdity of the legislation is so mindblowing I’m going to have to take more than one piece to do it justice, but it includes the illusory cost-shift, a buy-all, sell-all scheme, an arbitrary commercial solar cap….oh, yeah. This legislation is a beaut.
  • The worst part of it is, the legislative session ends next Wednesday, so there’s little time to scuttle this monstrosity (fire up your phones and get dialing is what I am saying).
    • Connecticut

    The level of awful in the Connecticut solar bill that is careening drunkenly toward passage as the session comes to an end is breathtaking in scope and stupidity.

    SolarWakeup’s View:  Connecticut Senate Bill (SB 9) is the perfect distillation of everything that solar opponents use when they’re trying to destroy solar industries in various states.

    For today’s lesson in bad solar ideas, let’s just start with the legislature’s decision to eliminate net metering.

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    As introduced, SB 9 moved solar power from net metering to a “sell all, buy all” system, meaning that homeowners with solar on their rooftops wouldn’t be allowed to use the electricity they produce themselves. Instead, they would have to sell all their electricity to the utility at a lower, wholesale rate. Then the homeowners would be required to buy all their electricity back from the utility at the higher retail rate. Solar advocates in the state say this is akin to having the utilities seize the solar panels from customers’ roofs and charging them for the privilege.

    This is, seriously, one of my favorite anti-solar policies because, DID YOU READ IT? They want solar consumers to sell their power to the utility so it can be sold back to them at a higher rate. Somewhere, Bernie Madoff is smacking his forehead and saying, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

    Pushback against this idiotic scheme has led solar opponents to say, “OK, fine. We won’t violate your property rights that way. Here’s another scheme, though, that we think you’ll LOVE!”

    The replacement is called “simultaneous consumption,” which means that every kilowatt-hour solar consumers produce will be credited immediately, and then the public service commission will choose what the utilities will pay them for their excess production. ‘Cause, you know, that’s fair.

    As The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC) argues,

    Its uncertainty would jeopardize the financibility of systems, which will disproportionately impact low-income customers who depend upon it. It also disadvantages working people who cannot change when they use electricity.

    And that’s just the beginning of what’s wrong with this bill. Just you wait – if you think it can’t get any worse, wait until you see my next article.

    I can’t urge you strongly enough to get on the phones and tell Connecticut legislators not to destroy the state’s solar industry by passing this bill. No, seriously. Do it now. You only have seven days left to stop this monstrosity.

    More:

    Here’s this asinine bill:

    SB 9

    The Energy Show: Gigawatt Scale Solar Installations

    We often talk about smaller solar power systems on homes or commercial buildings. On this week’s Energy Show we are discussing gigawatt scale solar installations. The logic is simple: solar panels are getting cheaper and installation costs are declining. At the same time, utility electric prices keep increasing. When prices go up and costs go down profits can skyrocket – so it’s no surprise that there is a big market for large-scale solar installations.

    When I started doing PV installations in 2001 the biggest projects were about 5 MW. Now there are several 500 MW installations proceeding in the U.S., and several 1,000+ MW (a gigawatt) installations are under way in India and China. Solar power plants in the gigawatt range are now being planned in the U.S. To put a gigawatt solar power plant in perspective, it is twice the capacity of most natural gas plants, covers about ten square miles, uses over three million solar panels, and employees thousands of people during construction.

    To fill us in on the details of projects of this size, my special guests are Mark Cox and Shola Ashiru with the New Energy Fund II. Mark and Shola have been financing solar companies and projects for almost 20 years. They are currently working on a 1.2 gigawatt project which would be one of the largest systems in the world and the biggest in the U.S.

    MPSC Issues Most Unsurprising Ruling Ever (And Approves $1 Billion DTE Energy Plant)

    By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

    What Happened:The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), in a decision that surprised no one, awarded DTE Energy the right to build its $1 billion boondoggle natural gas plant.

  • The commission appears to have ignored, you know, the evidence that showed renewable energy – specifically solar – would provide a much better bang for ratepayers’ bucks than this natural gas plant.
  • The action comes as a blow to solar advocates across the country, who were watching this case to see if the aggressive tactics would stop the plant.
  • Proposed natural gas plants are increasingly being denied in various states as unnecessary, particularly in solar-friendly states like California and Arizona. But the DTE Energy plant is a victory utilities desperately needed to keep putting these monstrous proposals forward.
    • MPSC

    Proof that, given the choice, public utilities commissions will protecct the utilities’ right to do whatever they want, even in the light of evidence.

    SolarWakeup’s View:  That was as predictable a 4-win season for the Cleveland Browns, wasn’t it? Despite strong, well-reasoned and evidence-supported opposition, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) decided to cave to DTE Energy’s desire to build a $1 billion natural gas plant instead of investing in renewable energy technologies, which evidence from critics of the plant prove would have been a better investment for everyone involved.

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    This is the second crushing blow to the state’s solar industry within a week after the MPSC replaced net metering – the most effective pro-solar policy ever invented – with an inflow/outflow system that penalizes solar users and eliminates retail net metering.

    In particular, Vote Solar, which had led the opposition to the plant in a striking departure from their usual strategies of intervening solely in solar cases, expressed disappointment in the decision.

    “This is a rotten deal for customers and terrible precedent for utility planning in Michigan,” said Becky Stanfield, senior director of Western States for Vote Solar. Stanfield oversaw the Michigan fight for the group. “Everyone in this case knows that there is a better way for DTE customers than this expensive, inflexible and polluting plant. The record was solid against approval.”

    The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) also weighed in – and they weren’t happy, either.

    “We are extremely disappointed with the Michigan Public Service Commission’s decision in this case,” said Sean Gallagher, vice president of state affairs for SEIA. “Despite the overwhelming evidence that DTE failed to adequately consider alternatives, including a portfolio of renewable energy solutions that would lead to greater savings, more jobs, reduced risk, and environmental benefits, the Commission authorized a $1 billion plant that would not pass muster with Michigan’s laws if it were proposed today.”

    I gotta throw in with Becky and Sean. This decision doesn’t make any sense on any level and deals a significant blow to chances of building a robust solar industry in the state. Meanwhile, Illinois and Minnesota get to keep their lead in Midwest solar development. It’s perplexing, though it’s not surprising.

    As more consumers are finding as these battles play out across the country, most public utilities commissions are naturally inclined to support utilities over consumers and, although that is changing, it’s not changing fast enough, as today’s decision in Michigan shows.

    More:

    Michigan Utility Under Fire For Alleged PURPA Violations

    Decision On Fate Of $1 Billion DTE Natural Gas Plant Looms

    Coalition Delivers 10,000 Michigander Letters Calling on DTE to Drop Its Gas Plan and Choose Clean Energy (Vote Solar)

    Power Up Michigan

    Michigan Public Service Commission

    Bonus:

    “I’m shocked, SHOCKED…..”