This is your SolarWakeup for January 27th, 2020

My Amazon Idea. Like other tech companies, employees at Amazon are pushing their leadership to do more to fight climate change. Here’s my idea. Amazon has a way of getting consumers, myself included, to search, browse and click to buy very quickly. I would like a second buy it now button, color it green. Every product has a carbon cost embedded in it including the transportation related carbon debt. Let me click the buy it now price that pays for that carbon debt, a voluntary carbon tax if you will. I don’t know if people will do it or what the right carbon price is, experts and testing will tell us if it would work but I think that I would pay the extra dollar or two to quickly do my part.

The Existing Portfolio. The right battery price was always going to make this a reality. With the 10s of GW of solar capacity already in place in America and more around the world, owners of those assets will be adding storage to every solar plant. There will be hardware improvements and more importantly the need for power markets, off takers to adapt to this. It will also need project owners to determine if they want to reopen their contracts for negotiating the addition of storage.

Listen To The State Chapter. Arizona’s SEIA chapter has ideas for how their utility can meet their goals that were announced and the same is true for other state solar trade associations. Utilities and regulators alike should be working with these groups and their members to advance the ball on this important topic.

24. We do important work every day and many of us do it to improve the lives of those around us. No matter your role, remember that we need to work just as hard to be present in the moment. Kobe was the best at what he did in his moment and now the expectation for a bright and present future is gone. 

Opinion

Best, Yann