Yesterday I mentioned the utility purchase of a solar IPP.  GTM picked up the story today of NEE buying Smart Energy Capital.  NEE stock is up over 60% in the past year and has been seen making big moves into solar.  Word has it that NEE COO has tasked the team to prove that distributed solar can be a threat to other utilities.  The COO is a remarkable utility mind so his team is making sure they put their best foot forward.  Let’s see how big of a player NEE becomes in the space.

News

• Greentech Solar: Giant NextEra Goes Solar, Buys Smart Energy Capital
• Bloomberg: Senate Confirms MIT’s Moniz as Obama’s Energy Secretary
• Gigaom: The spigot of money starting to open up for installing solar panels
• NBC2: NBC2 Investigators: Broken solar rebate promises
• Forbes: All Renewables, All The Time
• AZ Central: APS, solar industry at odds on value of power from rooftop units
• Bloomberg: SunPower Says Solar Power to Become Standard on New Homes
• Reuters: China says EU solar duties to “seriously harm” trade ties

Opinions

• Vote Solar: US Solar 2013 Halftime Update: Victories and Ongoing Initiatives

Have a great day!

Yann

Black & Veatch has published an interesting and free report linked to below.  The highlight comes on page 42 with the discussion of renewable energy and the utility respondents views on how distributed generation will integrate with the supply mix.  From the solar industry’s viewpoint, there is no doubt that utilities know solar and DG will play a large part.  Just this week, we heard of a very strategic acquisition of a solar provider by a utility but this time the acquired company wasn’t about to go bankrupt but quite the opposite.

News

• Greentech Grid: PSE&G Takes Over LIPA Operations
• Solar Industry: Trade War Update: China Wants Dialogue With EU
• Black & Veatch: Strategic Directions in the U.S. Electric Industry Report
• Grist: Utilities vs. rooftop solar: What the fight is about
• WSJ: Texas Legislature Authorizes Innovative PACE Program
• Greentech Solar: 3 Reasons PG&E Is Reaching Its California Solar Initiative Targets
• Solar Industry: Solar Carve-Out Wins Another Vote In Minnesota

Opinions

• Policy Mic: Will Water, Wind, and Solar Power Save Our Electric Grid?
• DC Caller: Minnesota legislature agrees to imposing costly solar power mandate

Have a great day!

Yann

Grist has an interesting story out of North Carolina.  It appears that Coal is causing an increased rate of suicide in County residents.  Whether there is truth to that is to be determined but I doubt that solar will ever have a similar headline.  Meanwhile NC has one of the leading solar markets but the legislature is trying to kill the RPS and may vote to keep Tesla out of the State.  Well done legislators, another redoubtable success!

News

• Greentech Media: Capping Solar-Friendly Rates Can Ruin PV Project Economics
• Gigaom: What SolarCity says about the challenges of building a solar retail business
• RE World: The Future of Solar in Latin America
• The Hill: DOE chief: US not backing down on Indian solar practices
• Biz Journals: Survey: Americans less favorable toward solar, wind
• Greentech Media: The True Value of Arizona Solar, By the Numbers
• Bloomberg: Silver Ridge Power Withdraws Solar IPO Due to Market Conditions
• Grist: Coal plants could be linked to thousands of North Carolina suicides

Opinions

• Emily Hois: Electric Utilities: If You Can’t Beat Renewables, Join Them

Have a great day!

Yann

I have to thank you again for smashing our daily views record yesterday.  Without breaking the secrecy of our readers, I have to say that I would not have imagined the growth of the SolarWakeup readership in such a short period of time.  CEOs, senior executives, leading investors, advocates and students of the solar industry are opening their SolarWakeup every morning.  For the continued support, I thank you and hope you will continue to pass it along to your friends and colleagues.

News

• CleanTechnica: European & Global Solar PV 2012–2017 (EPIA Report)
• EE News: U.S. industry sees chance to go from niche to mainstream
• Solar Industry: Arizona Solar Energy Provides Millions In Ratepayer Benefits
• Bloomberg: L.A. Utility to Seek Bids for 250 Megawatts of Solar Power
• Mass Live: Solar power industry sees bright future in Massachusetts
• Dallas Morning: Solar bill stalls in Texas Senate after power industry opposition
• The National: Dubai looks to rooftop solar power revolution
• Business Week: Electric Car Cut the Payback of Our Solar Investment in Half

Opinions

• USA Today: Better batteries could revolutionize solar, wind power
• Journal Gazette: Solar’s future dark in China

Have a great day!

Yann