Tag Archives: solar

Report: Trump Is Short-Circuiting Military’s Solar Push

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Donald Trump says he’s a big military supporter. He’s consistently and constantly talking about the importance of military budget and has said in the past that no one, including the generals, knows more about the military than him.

Which is why an article from the ever-excellent McClatchy New Service’s D.C. Bureau – and reporter Greg Gordon specifically – caught my eye. It seems that the military, which under President Obama had worked hard to add solar power backup to its arsenal in case of enemy attacks, cyber warfare or destructive weather, wants to continue to leverage solar energy as an alternative source of power.

But Trump, who has long declared that he was going to end the fictional “War on Coal”, is digging in his heels and not allowing them to continue their investments, turning off the financial spigot just as the programs were starting to take root.

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Gordon writes:

But President Donald Trump has all but eradicated the words “renewable energy” from the agenda and, according to two former Pentagon officials, slowed progress toward upgrading emergency electricity supplies at bases like Camp Lejeune.

Now it’s no longer clear that the Pentagon will make use of all of the solar farms installed both to combat global warming and to enhance national security at U.S. installations here and abroad.

And former military commanders are not happy, as Gordon documents:

“I am concerned, and I am frustrated,” Dennis McGinn, a retired admiral who as an assistant Navy secretary managed both that service’s and many of the Marine Corps’ energy needs during Obama’s second term told Gorodn. Progress, he said, “has slowed down,” even while private-sector technology is leaping ahead.

But the military has decided the way around the obstacle of the Commander in Chief is to remove the word “renewable” from plans put forward about increasing solar power on military bases and replacing it with the word “resilience.” For some reason, they think that this particular president won’t inquire too deeply about the “change” and that they might be able to sneak in an expansion of the program by just changing the verbiage. And they just might be right.

What is more concerning to me is that the military believes solar will strengthen their ability to fight and defend this country, and the Commander in Chief is standing in the way because … reasons. To me, that’s a dereliction of duty worthy of a court martial.

More:

Military’s push for solar backup power loses speed under Trump

Illinois’ Commercial Solar Segment Gets Boost From Walmart, Sam’s Club

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Illinois has been in the news a lot over the past year, touting its solar revolution as started by the Future Energy Jobs Act of 2016. Heck, even SolarWakeup got in on the act, holding one of its prized SolarWakeup Live! events there to celebrate.

And while much of the hype has been anticipatory, there are real successes going on, too. And one such success is that 19 Walmart and Sam’s Clubs stores will be adding solar to their rooftops by the end of 2019. For those of you who don’t know, both Walmart and Sam’s Club are owned by the Walton family out of Bentonville, Arkansas, so it makes sense the two companies are linked when it comes to solar development.

It should be noted that Walmart has been one of the most solar-friendly big box stores in the country, regularly trading places with Target as the business with the most installed solar capacity in the Solar Energy Industries Association’s annual Solar Means Business report, which ranks businesses in order of installed solar capacity for the year.

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In case you weren’t clear on the connection between Walmart’s decision and the new law, the Belleville News-Democrat has the scoop:

The move was prompted by the state’s new Adjustable Block Program, which provides incentives for commercial and residential rooftop solar projects, as well as community solar farms.

A spokesperson from Walmart told the paper the other reason for making the move to solar: The corporation can actually beat its current electricity costs under the new agreement. Between saving money on electricity, freeing themselves from the monopoly utility and the new Illinois law, putting the solar arrays on the 19 stores was an absolute no-brainer.

Well, and it can’t hurt that such an installation could help them get back to the top of the SEIA list of top solar businesses in the country. We know that’s their real motivation. (We may be projecting there, but it could be a consideration, couldn’t it?)

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Walmart to install solar panels on 19 of its stores in Illinois, including Belleville

Magnificent Minnesota: Study Says 70% Renewables By 2050 Within Reach

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Most solar observers who look at the Midwest and identify what state leads that group of states almost inevitably settle on Minnesota as the far-and-away leader.

(Here’s the obligatory note suggesting that Illinois is hot on Minnesota’s tail and that it had better keep moving forward if it wants to remain the name on everyone’s lips when it comes to a Midwestern solar leader).

But the Land of 10,000 Lakes (which is actually closer to 15,000, but who’s counting?) is well known for its progressive solar policy, particularly when it comes to community solar, where its reputation doesn’t just make it stand out in the Midwest but in the entire country.

And it benefits too from having a utility that, after long and involved battles, decided to join the Solar Revolution instead of fighting it. Xcel is now not only on board with solar development but in some cases is leading the charge (though it still isn’t an enthusiastic supporter of rooftop solar, preferring instead the utility-scale and community solar farms that it has control over).

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Now there’s even strong support for the expansion of solar power and other forms of renewable energy in the state as the latest study for the state’s Department of Commerce suggests that the state could get up to 70% of its electricity by 2050 without destroying the state’s economy.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune has the details:

The deployment of more solar and wind generation would be no more costly than new natural gas power, a cheap source of electricity, according to the study done for the state Department of Commerce. Enough solar generation could be added cost-effectively by 2030 to meet Minnesota’s ambitious solar-power goals.

So that’s great news for solar advocates in the state, some of whom have been pushing for a much more aggressive renewable portfolio standard for the past couple of years. Could this latest study add fuel to that fire and get it passed? Could Minnesota boldly join states like California and Hawaii and go all-in on 100% renewables?

OK, maybe that last is a pipe dream for now, but the new study should buoy hope that Minnesota can stay on the Midwest’s leading edge when it comes to solar development, at least for the foreseable future.

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Study says Minnesota can economically reach renewable energy goals by 2050

Could 100% RPS Become The New Standard In Up To Six States?

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Managing Editor Yann Brandt has done a masterful job since the midterm elections of highlighting the victories clean energy advocates won around the country, and he has rightly suggested that the momentum for clean energy is becoming more overwhelming every day (except in places like Arizona, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever).

But an article from the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank, suggest the news might be even better than even Yann and I think it was.

In the article, writer Christy Goldfuss highlights six new governors who campaigned strongly on dealing with climate change and won election. That’s not even the most exciting part, however. What’s most exciting to me is that three of those governors have pledged to work toward a 100% clean energy transition between 2030 and 2050 in their states. Currently, only two states (California and Hawaii) have 100% goals – but if the governors Goldfuss highlights stick to their pledges, that may not be the case for long.

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J.B. Pritzker, who won election in Illinois, comes into a good situation already. With the Future Energy Jobs Act already on the books and strong actions by the state’s energy agency already to carve out a solar future, a 100% goal is certainly within reach. And with a new Democratic legislature in place, expect Pritzker to succeed in his goals. Here’s hoping, anyway.

Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan’s newly minted governor elect, spent her campaign talking about setting up an Office of Climate Change to examine the effects of climate change on her state (something we need in my home state of Ohio, too) and has committed to a 100% clean energy transition as well. With utilities that have moved in the direction of shedding their coal generation by 2040, the state appears to be on the path to clean energy as well.

Finally, Tony Evers, who unseated longstanding Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, has pledged to join the U.S. Climate Alliance, which is a group of states committed to upholding as many tenets of the Paris Climate Accords as possible. He, too, has committed to transitioning the state to 100% clean energy. From my perspective, he has the most uphill battle of any of the new governors. But given Wisconsin’s progressive past, I’m confident he’ll make it work.

There’s other good climate-related news in the article, too, but this post is getting too long. Go read Goldfuss’ piece. You’ll be glad you did.

More:

6 New Governors Who Will Lead the Way on Climate Action