A tale of two (or more) utilities.  Georgia Power doesn’t want more solar, Hawai Electric wants more and Dominion is offering a program.  What’s the difference?  Some utilities have realized that it makes sense to keep your friends close…you know how it goes.  Not that solar is the enemy but it’s important to keep the utility as a stakeholder instead of just making them the No factory.

News

• Greentech Media: Behind Closed Doors, Utilities Grapple With New Strategies
• Vote Solar: Palo Alto Municipal Utility: going big on solar
• Atlantic: Obama Signals He’s Finally Ready to Act on Climate Change
• Solar Power Rocks: 2013 State Solar Power Rankings
• Bloomberg: Dominion Offering Solar Incentive Program to Virginia Customers
• Greentech Media: Live Event: Distributed Solar in NYC
• Seattly Pi: Hawaiian Electric eyeing new solar, wind projects
• Savannah News: Georgia Power execs reject solar proposal

Opinions

• Yahoo: Visionary Energy Plan Key to New York’s Storm Strategy

Have a great day!

Yann

Qatar now owns a large percentage of Solarworld A.G. at a steep loss to debt holders.  It seems that the German solar manufacturing sector has almost entirely consolidated.  I recall the Asian presence at Intersolar Europe in 2007, but in 2013 it appears that the market has created new partnerships and ownerships.  To answer Mr. Shah’s question, Yes, we are definitely drunk on natural gas having been sold a bill of goods that is not as advertised.

News

• Greentech Media: Lists: The 12-Step Program for Solar Interconnection
• NY Times: Harnessing the Net to Power a Green Revolution
• Bloomberg: Solarworld Holders to Lost 95% in Debt Deal With Qatar
• Denver Post: PUC extends Xcel’s Solar Rewards subsidies
• Fox News: China, EU to hold talks on solar dispute
• Washington Post: Why you should care about Solar Impulse long, long journey
• RE World: Shoring up Solar in Massachusetts

Opinions

• Jigar Shah: Are We Drunk on Natural Gas?
• Energy Collective: California Solar Initiative Is Ending: What Has It Left Behind?

Have a great day!

Yann

Two important things of note in today’s news.  APS is taking on the net metering discussion, when it comes to utilities always remember that their argument will sit behind two thoughts.  1. Utilities have an obligation to serve, meaning that the customer expects the light to come on when the switch is pushed. 2. Utilities will do EVERYTHING in their power to protect their ultimate prize, the monopoly.  Also, the GOP in the House thinks it’s time to lower spending in the DOE, a lot of talk about Solyndra once again.

News

• Greentech Media: APS Responds to Sunrun CEO Ed Fenster on Net Metering
• Daily Caller: GOP seeks to cut green energy spending in half 
• Bloomberg: Siemens Will Shut Solar Unit on $1 Billion Loss in Two Years
• Breaking Energy: Renewables Are ‘Victims of Their Own Success’, says Ruhl
• Grist: Three key features of Los Angeles’ new local solar program
• Greentech Media: Utility Solar Is Dead; Long Live Distributed Generation
• NY Times: AT&T to Introduce Solar-Powered Charging Stations
• The Hill: Energy secretary pledges to keep momentum behind solar power

Opinions

• Forbes: Solar Is Not Enough For The Next Sandy

Have a great day!

Yann

The Sandy effect is showing up in news content more and more.  Intelligent storage is now an industry term, built in storage to solar panels and utilities looking to create isolated micro grids is becoming a norm.  I am interested to see how companies exhibiting at Intersolar will including this new trend in their offerings and booths.

News

• CleanTechnica: Anti-Dumping Duties Will Cost EU 1.3 GW Of Solar In 2013
• Discovery News: Backup Solar Coming to New York, New Jersey
• The Week: The 3 biggest obstacles to a solar energy boom
• Forbes: A New Spin On Solar: A Great Retirement Vehicle
• Breaking Energy: Gas and Renewables are Complementary Generation Fuels
• US News: Solar-powered plane lands near Washington
• Solar Server: Global investments in solar fall 11% despite increased deployment

Opinions

• Robert Kennedy Jr.: Make New York the solar hub for the East Coast
• LA Times: Who’ll pay for San Onofre?

Have a great day!

Yann