Sending SolarWakeup’s best to our friends in Texas that are affected by the storm and floods from Hurricane Harvey. If you can help, please find a charity doing work you support.
What’s Next For Nuclear Power? The End? Duke Energy is canceling the Lee Nuclear Plant citing the Westinghouse bankruptcy. This may be partly true but I would assume that solar and battery costs play a part in this decision. Hard to think an executive make this public but I can’t think how engineers wouldn’t have this discussion. It seems to me that once FP&L announces that they are abandoning Turkey Point expansion from the end of nuclear power construction in America. At the same time Duke is asking for a rate increase in the 15% range which could bode well for the PURPA tail that make solar projects work in North Carolina.
Speaking Out Against Tariffs. Right after the Suniva 201 petition filing I said that utilities should come out against the filing. Duke Energy has done just that in a letter to the Trade Commission. The logic is interesting given that the deregulated side of the business wants cheap solar to continue their investments. Remember that Duke bought REC Solar (commercial side) and has many ventures into large scale solar. I’d like to see NextEra, Berkshire, Dominion and Southern come out in the same way. On the other hand, Duke would see a reduction in PURPA projects in North Carolina which the company has been more openly hostile to in the last year.
Speaking In Favor Of Tariffs. Late yesterday, Axios got an inside look at an Oval Office meeting about tariffs. This was the first such meeting where newly installed Chief of Staff John Kelly was in the meeting. It included the trade representatives that oversee the USA’s policy on trade and tariffs. Trump’s comments were eerie and could bode poorly for the solar industry, “”So, John, I want you to know, this is my view. I want tariffs. And I want someone to bring me some tariffs.” Only positive for solar could be that steel is also in the conversation and a bigger hit than solar. Bad idea all around.
- Charlotte Observer: Duke wants customers in Charlotte, elsewhere to pay $636M for abandoned project
- PV-Magazine: Duke Energy to U.S. ITC – Trade case could “destabilize” the U.S. industry
- Axios: Exclusive – Trump vents in Oval Office, “I want tariffs. Bring me some tariffs!”
- Renewabe Energy World: Five Million Commercial Customers Could Cut Costs with Energy Storage
- Utility Dive: IHS Markit raises global solar installation forecast by 14% over Chinese solar boom
- CleanTechnica: India Likely To Add 10.5 Gigawatts Of Solar Power Capacity This Year, Says Mercom
- Greentech Media: Why It’s Still Important to Talk About Diversity in the Renewables Industry
- Washington Post: We’ve been underestimating the solar industry’s momentum. That could be a big problem.
Opinion
Have a great day!
Yann