Nothing To See Here. A few weeks ago it was announced that regulators in MA were opening an investigation into the interconnection practices. Going as far back to my last SolarWakeup Live! in Boston, solar was being stifled by delayed and expensive interconnections. As soon as the investigation is announced, National Grid finds an extra 300MW that can connect without any cost. That’s great but what would be better is a transparent, speedy process so that development can continue past stops and starts.
A New Era. Ford unveiled their first real electric car, a crossover named Mustang. I’m going to judge it by the cover and headline numbers as a winner. Pricing comes in at mid 40s with a standard 230 mile range and an option to get to 300 miles. In 2021, expect two versions of the Mustang GT to come out as well. The looks of the car are great as well, like a Mustang version of a BMW X6. We shall see how it does, but it’s the first electric car not from Tesla that I find compelling. Why is this important to solar? Homes with electric cars are much more likely to put solar on their home and think about it for their office. Plus the additional load makes the need for new generation more likely.
The Norm Going Forward. The smaller Arizona utility is adding a 250MW solar plant that also includes storage. The battery will be a 250MW/1GWh version that will allow the plant to shape its peak and move production to higher value. Aside from grid services, I would expect that the plant release energy sometime mid day and recharge to have a full load for the morning peak. If SRP releases an operating plan, I will make sure to pass that along.
Lots of Chatter. The farmer goes solar chatter is increasing in strength and frequency. This story is important to the future of solar in America and hopefully our industry learns ways to tell more of it.
Congrats. Christian Roselund is leaving his post at PV-Magazine to become the editorial director at Rocky Mountain Institute. A great addition at RMI, congratulations to Christian on the new gig.
- Greentech Media: National Grid – 300 MW of Halted Solar Can Move Forward With ‘No Cost’
- Axios: Ford Mustang Mach-E debuts with new attitude
- Utility Dive: Salt River Project to install Arizona’s largest battery system, helping to replace giant coal plant
- St Louis Public Radio: Farmers Look At Solar Panels As A Hedge Against Crop Prices And Trade Uncertainty
- PV-Tech: Q CELLS to appeal US ITC judgement on patent infringement case dismissal
- CleanTechnica: US Solar Panel Prices Continue Dropping, Solar+Storage Increasing — Tracking The Sun Report
- Bloomberg: Mexico’s Latest Hit to Energy Investors Upends Wind, Solar Aid
Opinion
Best, Yann