This is your SolarWakeup for April 21st
Miami Grand Prix. It seems to me that amongst my readership some of you will be in my hometown for the Formula 1 race on May 1st. If you’re in need for some company, don’t hesitate to reach out and we can talk some solar and storage or of course more importantly about energy storage strategy in Formula 1 cars.
News
1 Bloomberg:
Cheap Batteries Are Taking Over the World’s Power Grids
2 Utility Dive:
FERC tees up June decision on data center interconnection reform
3 New York Times:
The Long-Term Plan to Scrub Carbon From the Sky
4 Axios:
Renewable energy gets an Iran war boost
5 Yale Climate Connections:
As Cuba’s grid fails, solar power becomes a lifeline
6 Reuters:
Fervo Energy discloses revenue fall in US IPO filing
7 PV-Tech:
Toyo centres US efforts in Texas as it looks to build policy-proof supply chain
8 Energy Storage News:
‘We’ll never be the cheapest’
9 PV-Magazine:
Solar developers face high-stakes tax credit risks as FEOC rules tighten
Opinions:
10 Canary Media:
What to know before you get balcony solar
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 16th
Opinion
News
1 Bloomberg:
Germany Pushes for New Solar Farms to Be Equipped With Batteries
2 Reuters:
Carmakers navigating the costly and tricky transition to battery storage systems
3 PV-Tech:
US DOE proposes 52% cut to National Laboratory of the Rockies funding
4 Solar Builder:
Gov. Spanberger signs suite of solar, storage bills for Virginia
5 Utility Dive:
Distributed batteries get legislative, utility lift in California
6 Solar Power World:
Total community solar in the US reaches 10 GW
7 Energy Storage News:
‘Unfettered optimism’ on US BESS degradation hits wall of operational reality
8 Canary Media:
Georgia Power will now let data centers bring their own clean energy
9 PV-Magazine:
Residential solar company Freedom Forever files chapter 11 bankruptcy
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 14th
From The Desk of Jon Abe. Blue chip teams, NIL, and transfers dominated March Madness. There were several great games; Karaban could be the last of his kind. In Solar Madness, though, small but mighty organizations, our deep roster of Cinderellas, are the heart of our industry from innovation and workforce development to making projects happen. I encourage everyone to make an assist, in the form of a donation, to a local program that boosts solar, such as workforce coach, Browning the Green Space or top-dog PPA scorer, MSPCA. Cut the nets for small victories, and bring it in with your solar teams, friends, and family. I am grateful for the full-court hustle of the Sunwealth team and partners; huddles with solar OGs, HCB, DL, WT, CN, HW, RM, and CC; and the love of family, TNKA, SKA, and HKA – we have each other’s backs. And remember, every day tips off with SolarWakeUp.com. Kind regards, J. Abe
News
1 Canary Media:
Data centers are on the ballot in 2026 — and just failed the first test
3 Associated Press:
Hosting solar can be a lifeline for farmers. But overcoming local opposition is tough
4 Politico:
Texas’ latest solar fight feels different
5 Utility Dive:
PJM proposes adding 14.9 GW with bilateral contracts, central procurement
6 Bloomberg:
Soaring Electric Bills Stoke Voter Fury Ahead of Midterms
7 Reuters:
Equinor aims to sell 8% stake in solar energy firm Scatec
8 PV-Tech:
Vikram Solar doubles PV deployments to 10GW
9 Solar Power World:
American-made FranklinWH Energy Storage keeps manufacturing local
10 Energy Storage News:
Brazil’s electricity regulator ANEEL delays energy storage rulemaking, approves hybrid solar-BESS
Opinions:
11 New York Times:
Why Investing in Wind and Solar to Avoid Gas Shocks Hasn’t Added Up for Some
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 9th
The Tournament Champs. Congrats to Jon Abe for winning the Men’s bracket challenge and Robert Pierno for winning the Women’s! I came in dead last in the Men’s which is an impressive feat as well, in my opinion. Better luck next year for all the players! Jon and Robert, come claim your prize by sending me an email to get your paragraph out.
News
1 Utility Dive:
Energy storage pricing beginning to ‘fracture’ by product type
2 PV-Magazine:
Batteries buying “free” California solar, driving up price
3 The Guardian:
Turkey to race ahead of EU on battery storage amid fossil fuel crisis
4 Reuters:
China's Xi urges faster development of new energy system as Middle East war continues
5 Bloomberg:
UK Approves Largest Solar Farm in Clean Energy Drive
6 Solar Builder:
Deadline approaching to comply with new NERC regulations
7 Energy Storage News:
IPPs Zelestra, BNZ adding BESS to solar PV plants in Southern Europe
Opinions:
8 Canary Media:
Xcel Minnesota is building a first-of-its-kind virtual power plant
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 7th
The Storage Thesis, Executed. Congrats to my former colleagues at FlexGen for acquiring CES and increasing their capacity for keeping energy storage systems running at the highest levels of availability and safety in the market. 5 Years ago, we set out to build a storage company that wouldn’t focus on making the battery boxes but to help asset owners buy them, commission them and keep them running. With a portfolio of control systems, software built over a decade and an amazing team, FlexGen slowly built itself into the largest integrator not hyping its own box and continues to build that lead expanding even further into the storage asset operations support. Most battery systems don’t run as well as they could, certainly aren’t balancing remotely and barely doing any data analytics on their performance, and you deserve better.
News
1 Power Magazine:
FlexGen Acquires BESS Provider Clean Energy Services
2 New York Times:
In Imperial County, Calif., half of the roads are unpaved and the unemployment rate is sky-high.
3 Reuters:
Britain hits renewable power record in 2025, but fossil fuel use also up
4 PV-Magazine:
All emerging cyber threats targeting power infrastructure at a glance
5 Utility Dive:
Trump adjusts metal tariffs, sets 15% rate for some electrical grid equipment
6 Bloomberg:
Polish Power Prices Turns Negative for Some as Renewables Boom
7 Maine Biz:
Plug in solar bill gets green light from maine legislature
8 Axios:
Oil climbs anew on mixed signals about Iran war's future
9 Solar Power World:
Texas attorney general launches investigation into residential solar sales practices
Opinions:
10 Canary Media:
This spring has been a record season for renewables
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 3rd
Opinion
News
1 Axios:
Google eyes natural gas as AI power demand outpaces clean energy
2 Bloomberg:
Neoen to Build France’s Largest Battery Amid Strained Power Grid
3 Reuters:
The Iran war's energy 'paradox'
4 Energy Storage News:
EnerVenue closes US$300 million Series B for 30,000-cycle nickel-hydrogen battery manufacturing
5 New York Times:
Trump’s Budget May Target Climate Programs. Here’s What Still Survives.
6 Canary Media:
Green steel is the way forward for Indiana, former steelworkers say
7 PV-Magazine:
Rooftop solar now accounts for one fifth of Puerto Rico’s generation capacity
Opinions:
8 PV-Tech:
Are US solar tariffs helping or hindering PV manufacturing?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 2nd
Opinion
News
1 Solar Power World:
Op-ed - We’ve built gigawatts, but can we build a winning coalition?
2 New York Times:
Will the Iran Crisis Push the World to Rethink Oil and Gas?
3 Bloomberg:
The US Data Center Boom Is Hitting a Transformer Crunch
4 Utility Dive:
Expect retail electricity prices to rise further
5 Axios:
Get ready for $200 a barrel oil prices if Hormuz stays closed
6 Reuters:
SpaceX files for IPO, sources say, offering investors stake in Musk's space ambitions
8 PV-Magazine:
U.S. solar and storage market report
Opinions:
9 Canary Media:
What if Duke Energy shared the burden of fuel costs with its customers?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 1st
Final Madness. We’re setup for a best of the rest heading into the Final Four. David Beech, Jon Abe, Sam Boykin and FTC’s own Brian DiDonato are going into the weekend setting up for a Michigan versus Illinois winner with an outside looking in for those that picked Arizona. Yours truly had one of the worst showings this year and I’m fully out of it with my Florida takes all pick.
News
1 New York Times:
This Is What Happens When the Gas Runs Out
2 Bloomberg:
India’s Gas Shortage Will Make Dal Compete With Data
3 Utility Dive:
Large load tariffs proliferate as states take more active role in data center regulation
4 Axios:
The race to build new nuclear reactors — fast
6 PV-Tech:
Philippines fast-tracks 1.4GW of renewables amid Iran energy price shock
7 Energy Storage News:
‘Do not overlook it at pre-construction’
8 PV-Magazine:
U.S. small-scale solar hit record 1.9 GW in Q4 2025
Opinions:
9 Canary Media:
Will California fund or kill its thriving virtual power plant program?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 31st
Opinion
News
1 Bloomberg:
JPMorgan’s Institutional Clients Are Asking About Climate Tipping Points
2 PV-Tech:
‘You’re going to see a lot more of these’
3 Utility Dive:
Utility-scale solar and wind hit a record 17% of US generation in 2025
4 New York Times:
Why the Iran War May Force Countries to Rely Less on Natural Gas
5 Reuters:
Iran war seen boosting renewable energy investment with focus on security, not climate
6 Energy Storage News:
'Absolutely bright’ future for battery storage in Ukraine
7 Canary Media:
The Iran war is driving a clean energy wake-up call
8 PV-Magazine:
U.S. ITC opens Section 337 probe into global TOPCon supply chain
Opinions:
9 Axios:
This man has a strategy for using Bezos' climate billions
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 27th
The EV Comeback. I may be biased because I’ve been driving electric since 2012 (Chevy Volt beta tester!). My reason for driving electric goes beyond that it’s a better car to drive, I get to plug in every night and start the day with a full tank of gas. Not going to the gas station is an amazing feeling. But it’s also because electricity tends to be FAR less volatile in pricing than gas, especially right now. This is the same thought process why corporations love solar, what other fuel can give you a 25 year contract with predictable contract costs. Imagine a gas plant locking in the cost of electricity (without fuel adjustments) for any period of time, let alone 25 years.
News
1 Bloomberg:
The Solution to Soaring Gas Prices? For Some, It’s Going Electric
2 New York Times:
Wealthy Investors Are Targeting Foes of Clean Energy, and They Want Revenge
3 Utility Dive:
50 GW of data centers online at end of 2025, with MISO seeing strongest growth
4 Axios:
Energy execs say they're trying to address ratepayers' anger
5 Reuters:
Soaring AI demand spurs roll-out of long duration energy storage
6 PV-Tech:
SMA Solar losses exceed US$75 million in 2025
7 Solar Power World:
Report
8 Canary Media:
Virginia set to enact a flurry of laws boosting cleaner, cheaper power
Opinions:
9 PV-Magazine:
California bill would unlock distributed energy participation in grid resource adequacy market
Have a great day!
Yann
