What Energy Future Do You Want? Sunrun has been busy this week. CEO, Lynn Jurich, has authored a report that asks the question we already know the answer to, what should be the default scenario for utility investments going forward? Do we rebuild the century old poles, plants and wires or focus on distributed generation in smart energy systems? For Sunrun, and others, the hope is to get consumers upset at the status quo and expect a newer, better system. My hope is this report makes it into the mainstream, it’s lengthy but simple enough to be understood by those outside of our industry. Here is the report
My Convergence Thesis Is Coming True. Solar is a vital part of the EV revolution which means that as the energy sector seeks new generation caused by automobile OEMs building more EVs, the two sectors will come together into one. Your utility, solar contractor, auto manufacturer and energy IPPs will all serve the same market. Look to the latest move at E.ON as a BMW board member joins the supervisory board.
Energy, Carbon, And Baseload. I didn’t watch the BNEF Summit live, just reading the twitter coverage makes me realize how we are still stuck in the past in so many ways. Wind and solar development are causing our energy grid to get cleaner (and cheaper) but holding back the replacement of fossil based plants is delaying the inevitable. I get that Tom Fanning and Rick Perry make for nice names to have at a conference but I don’t understand having Bob Murray the coal magnate at the NEW energy finance summit.
More On Murray. He has some funny commentary about his oil and gas colleagues. Sub-tweet is the fact that he’s showing who is true enemy is and what really killed coal.
Unrated Credit. As a reminder to you, each afternoon Frank writes up the story you found most interesting in that day’s SolarWakeup email. The story that gets the most clicks gets a follow up. I spoke with CleanCapital’s President, Jon Powers, about what the raise means to the company and how it advances C&I solar.
- SolarWakeup: What Would Consumers Choose? (Solar. They Would Choose Solar.)
- KFGO: BMW manager set to join E.ON supervisory board as energy, auto sectors converge
- Vox: The US is winning the climate fight in electricity — and losing it just about everywhere else
- Axios: Coal executive on big oil – “They’re prostitutes”
- SolarWakeup: C&I Snags $250 Million To Expand Sector Breadth
- Utility Dive: Residential storage faces sunny prospects this year
- The State: SC House to SCE&G – We’re just not that into you anymore
- Bloomberg: Even as Trump’s Tariffs Crimp Growth, Solar Jobs Are Rising
Opinion
Have a great day!
Yann