Author Archives: Frank Andorka

State-Level Solar Data Provides Hours Of Fun

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

What Happened: The Solar Foundation released its follow-up to the National Solar Jobs Census 2017 in the form of its interactive state map, which:

  • provides a remarkably detailed look at how solar is affecting the lives of people in your Congressional District.
  • offers a historical look at the data for the same area.
  • gives more granular detail on how solar is providing jobs and economic impacts on people – which can be used to inform lobbying efforts.

SolarWakeup’s View:  Well, I know how I’ll be spending every waking moment this weekend – looking at The Solar Foundation’s (TSF) state-level solar data on their interactive state solar map (hey, I’m practically an elderly shut-in, don’t judge).

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I remember the first time they released this information. I literally spent hours looking at Cuyahoga County, where I live in Ohio. Specifically, I looked at the 11th District (which in The Hunger Games produced the fruit of Panem, which is clearly not happening in Cleveland, though I live across from an area that USED to be an apple orchard and is now a medical center … but I digress) and poured over the numbers so I’d be better prepared to talk solar with my state and federal representatives on the subject.

Look, I’ve talked about this before, but the solar industry does an incredibly poor job of mobilizing the general public to fight its fights on the state and local level. But when I look at this map, I’m confounded by why that is.

This could be such a powerful tool to mobilize the Solar Army I’ve written about before. The information from this map proves solar is having tangible, real-life effects in almost every Congressional district in the country, and if you don’t think politicians will listen to their constituents if their offices are flooded with pro-solar calls, you’re mistaken. We’ve already seen it work on other issues in the country. It can work for solar, too.

(If you’re listening, Andrea Luecke, the only thing that would make this map even MORE spectacular is if, when you clicked on your Congressional District, it provided you the opportunity to contact your U.S. Representative from that page. Oh, and Senators, too. Get on that for next year, would you?)

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get my time sucked right out of my day. I’ve got a new shiny state-level solar data map from TSF with which to play.

More:

State-Level Solar Data Map

National Solar Jobs Census

The Solar Foundation

Proterra CEO Predicts EV Adoption Timeline

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

What Happened: In this edition of the SolarWakeup Live! podcast, Yann Brandt sat down with Ryan Popple, CEO of Proterra, an electric vehicle manufacturer currently focused on building buses and driving and discussed:

  • why China is so far ahead of the United States in EV development,
  • how Tesla made it from being a small startup to the electric vehicle behemoth it is today (Popple was present at the creation), and
  • how soon will there be an EV in every driveway (OK, that last one’s made up, but they do talk about how quickly mass-transit EVs will be adopted)

SolarWakeup’s View:  I will never tire of listening to energy visionaries describe the future in terms that I, with my limited understanding of my day-to-day life let alone the FUTURE, haven’t even conceived of yet. And so I listened with great interest to Managing Editor Yann Brandt’s podcast interview with Ryan Popple from Proterra, an electric vehicle (EV) company dedicated to putting electric, mass transit buses in all U.S. cities in the near future. 

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The whole interview is worth listening to, but as you can see from the bullets above, three things really captured my imagination:

First, Popple talks about what it was like to be present at the creation (or at least the early years) at Tesla. What I was most interested in, honestly, was his contention that you don’t necessarily have to have the best technology when you first start a business as long as you have the top intellectual talent throughout the company to get you there eventually.

It’s a sentiment Popple shares with Jim Collins, former Stanford Business School professor and best-selling author of the book Good to Great: Put the best people you can hire in key positions first; then the products will follow.

Second, Popple talks about why China is so far ahead of the United States in EV development. His explanation will be obvious to anyone who ever sat in their college dorms at 2 a.m. discussing the merits of communism vs capitalism and coming to the conclusion that ultimately, capitalism wins – eventually.

Third, Yann asks Popple when he thinks EV development, at least on the mass transit front that Proterra serves, will hit 50% of all the purchases of those types of vehicles. Your jaw may well drop when you hear his answer (I know mine did).

Oh, and he has a prediction of what long-haul trucking will look like in 20 years that will blow your mind.

More:

 

Can EVs Save The Utility Model?

Proterra

Could We Finally Be Rid Of Suniva?

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

What Happened:Remember Suniva? The company whose bankruptcy last April set off the swirling cesspool that became the solar tariffs this January? Well, there have been some interesting developments with its bankruptcy lately, to wit:

  • The company’s biggest creditor, SQN Financial, has asked the judge to extend its exclusive right to Suniva’s assets, and
  • the reasons they give could be an indication that the creditor is close to negotiating a final dissolution of the company.
  • It should be noted that SQN tried to dump Suniva one month into their bankruptcy to make the tariff case go away, requesting a $55 million payment from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to make Suniva disappear. Think of all the headaches that could have been saved if only SQN had thrown a 6th Round draft pick into the deal.

SolarWakeup’s View:  Will no one rid me of this troublesome solar company? Well, hold on, folks, because there could be a deal in the works to rid the solar industry of Suniva for good.

In the last year, I’ve become far too adept at reading solar companies’ bankruptcy filings, but when someone suggested I look at Suniva’s filings again, I thought, “Do I have to?” It’s not an overstatement to say I’m so sick of talking about Suniva I can’t even with this.

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But I pulled myself together and dived back into the muck of Suniva’s bankruptcy and found a few interesting notes I think may mean our long national nightmare could soon be over.

A flurry of filings by the bankrupt module manufacturer’s biggest creditor (and all around bad actor in this tariff drama) indicate they are trying to procure a clean title for all of the former company’s assets because they have had, according to the filings, multiple companies inquire about purchasing them. SQN, however, doesn’t currently have a clean title to the assets, which makes negotiating a final purchase…difficult to say the least.

I checked again this morning and there doesn’t seem to have been activity since last week. But I think the filings bear watching – Suniva might be no more very soon.

(It should, of course, be noted that if Suniva is sold as it appears increasingly likely it will, it means almost the entirety of the whole stupid, idiotic tariff decision was for naught. After all, wasn’t the whole craven thing an attempt to save THIS company’s skin? You know what? I was right…..I can’t even with this.)

More:

The Section 201 Trade Case: Suniva’s Tangled Web (Renewable Energy World)

The Section 201 Trade Case, Part II: In the Hands of DIPs (Renewable Energy World)

The Section 201 Trade Case, Part III: Will Any Americans Benefit? (Renewable Energy World)

As They Sowed, So Shall We Reap (SolarWakeup)

Bonus:

Have some Peter O’Toole, will you?

Will Natural Gas Lose Its Place As A Transition Energy?

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

What Happened:Our friends at the Environmental Defense Fund penned a fascinating blog post on the future of energy production in the Northeast, with particular focus on:

  • whether the lack of natural gas pipelines in the area will harm fuel stability in the region, and
  • outlines the challenges for regulators in the region as they look to keep their energy supplies stable.

SolarWakeup’s View:  The central question facing the Northeast, at least according to N. Jonathan Peress of the Environmental Defense Fund is how the Northeast will continue to keep its fuel supplies secure if it uses natural gas as its transition energy from fossil fuels to renewables.

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Peress does an admirable job of laying out some of the myths surrounding the building of natural gas pipelines in the Northeast and then goes on to explain how these challenges might be overcome with the right regulatory framework.

Here’s the thing, though: As recent examples in Arizona and California indicate, renewables may have already lapped natural gas as a transition energy. Let’s review:

In California, the Public Utilities Commission has become far more unwilling to allow its utilities to build or fix natural gas plants and is insisting far more often that they produce grid support through the use of solar + storage instead. And in Arizona, the Corporation Commission (its public utilities commission – if I were king for a day, I would insist these bodies be called by a consistent name) told Arizona Public Service (the state’s largest utility) to throttle back its plans to build 5.3 GW of natural gas plants in its latest integrated resource plan and instead resubmit it with more renewables (read: solar) in it.

Energy storage is the key. As the technology gets better and the prices come down, the need for a transition energy like natural gas becomes increasingly less important. So while N. Jonathan Peress’ analysis may well be spot on, it may also become increasingly irrelevant as renewables + storage become more prevalent in the generation mix.

More:

New England’s energy future lies in the balance

Natural Gas Plans Hit Snag For Arizona Utility