This is your SolarWakeup for March 5th, 2019

Busy week here in the Walnut Creek headquarters so some quick notes on what is on my desk right now. 

The Trade War. General optimism about the tariffs being settled is making the rounds in corporate board rooms. Mostly we are looking for our long term supply chain pipelines to come back to normal and many domestic manufacturers are looking for that as well. Lead times are unsustainable right now causing lots of crunch on procurement offices. 

Corporate Solar Responsibility. As DTE energy is looking to kill rooftop solar in Michigan, it strikes a renewable supply deal with GM and Ford. GM and Ford have a responsibility to make sure that their employees have access to the same type of renewable energy as they do. Using their power for their own advancement without trickling down the benefits is short sighted and hurts the effort. 

The RPS One-Uppers. I’m all in for States to compete on their own versions of the RPS. Sooner, renewable or other is the type of 100% debate that helps the markets. 

Nuclear Schemes. I doubt that the real truth about the Georgi & South Carolina nuclear boondoggles will ever come out but you can read between the lines here. That is why I get frustrated when renewable energy advocates get labeled as anti-nuclear. I am anti-nuclear subsidies and rule making because even when the industry has been given EVERYTHING, free insurance, free cleanup, free water and early cost recovery from ratepayers, they have failed to build anything at all. Nuclear isn’t dead because ‘environmentalists’ won, nuclear failed because of their own lack of execution. 

Opinion

Have a great day!

Yann