Unqualified facilities? The avoided cost contracts under PURPA for qualifying facilities have been a large part of the solar pipeline. It was just in the past few years that solar could be financed with the low prices offered by these PURPA contracts, only because of the 15 year terms is it even possible. There are some open lawsuits by FLS Energy and Vote Solar in front of FERC on the recent attempts by utilities to shorten the contract terms. With a few open seats at FERC, you could expect some push by utilities to have the shorter contracts approved, putting at risk the pipeline.
Guaranteed loan guarantee office. One of solar’s favorite topics is the loan guarantee program because as an industry we are tied to it, even though it has been a minor part of the overall capital that has flowed to the sector. As much as Trump may dislike Solyndra, the program is a big winner for taxpayers and only legislation can close the office. Hats off to the former directors of the office that worked hard to make the program a success, both are quoted in the article.
Islands go to storage. We all saw the advanced microgrid project in American Samoa but now to a smaller project on a bigger island. Hawaii changed the net metering program to push homeowners to add storage in a self supply program. In a slow start, with no applications as of 6 months ago, hundreds have applied since. If this program gets fine-tuned, expect storage developers to get excited about the prospects to expand it to the continental US.
In god we trust, all others bring data. When it comes changing rate structure, the national association for regulators says that changes to rate structure must be deliberate and data driven. What experts have been saying for sometime, rate design may be an overstated necessity. Net metering has been an unbalanced but fair mechanism to ensure solar customers receive the benefit that they provide to other consumers. If you disagree, bring data.
- PV-Magazine: BNEF – Betting on residual value is putting solar projects at risk
- Bloomberg: Trump Can’t Kill Solyndra Loan Office That Outperforms Banks
- PV-Tech: HECO’s self-supply scheme applications on the rise
- EDF: Utility Regulators Guided To Set New Rates Deliberately, Using Data
- Greentech Media: ‘A Wild Ride’- Term Winds Down for CPUC Commissioner Mike Florio
- Forbes: Swiss Voters Save Their Nukes
- Utility Dive: In push to 33% renewables, Los Angeles launches low-income rooftop solar program
- New York Times: Earth Isn’t Doomed Yet. The Climate Could Survive Trump Policies.
Opinion
Have a great day!
Yann