Feast And Famine. I had a chat with an old friend this week and we thought about the US solar market. On one hand the resi market is in total freefall, making it one of the worst global markets, and on the other side is the utility scale market which is building an enormous amount of capacity with growing PPA rates. Which is why you see the headlines of IPPs boosting investment into the US and module factories (aka assembly plants) growing for domestic supply while resi shrinks by 25%+ and struggles to find a foothold in the new market realities.
Inverter Thoughts. I’ll spend more time talking about this but the inverter supply chain is going to get tossed upside down in my opinion and folks (or the solar market) are not ready for it. I think that the battery market may also have similar aspects that are coming their way. Stay tuned to this storyline.
News
1 Bloomberg:
The Bust in US Home Solar Has Worsened After Trump Ends Subsidies
2 PV-Magazine:
SEG Solar to expand U.S. manufacturing with 4 GW Houston module plant
3 Reuters:
EDPR upbeat on US renewables market, sees profitable growth and new opportunities
4 New York Times:
Why America Is Removing So Many ‘Deadbeat’ Dams
5 Pv-tech:
PV inverter manufacturers reshape strategies as policy shifts drive regional production
6 Capital:
The $12 billion Nikola IPO and the fall of the so-called ‘Tesla of Trucking’
7 Axios:
Ford's secretive EV project could reinvent the way it designs and builds cars
8 Energy Storage News:
Organic flow battery company CMBlu closes €50 million Series C
9 Canary Media:
Organic flow battery company CMBlu closes €50 million Series C
Opinions:
10 Utility DIve:
Competitive markets are best for virtual power plants, consumers
Have a great day!
Yann
Oil Driving Renewables? This isn’t the first headline hyping the shift to renewables and it certainly feels good but let’s remember that the solar that’s being built today was thought of years ago. The key question is whether this is a step change moment to make renewables, namely solar and storage, more profitable. The gas commodities haven’t moved like oil, in fact they’re as low as ever and based on last week’s headlines could be going lower. So the view is that solar and storage is faster and cheaper but perception remains that gas is more reliable.
NERC Alert. If you’re not in tune with NERC Alerts, get smart of them. And now you know where the money is flowing, because large load losses can cause quite the issue in the grid that relies on stability like humans do on gravity and tension.
News
1 New York Times:
The Global Oil Crisis Seems to Be Helping One Industry - Renewable Energy
2 Bloomberg:
Biggest US Grid Must Redesign to Cope With AI Boom, CEO Says
3 UTility Dive:
AEP eyes exit from PJM, SPP over slow generation interconnection
4 Renewable Energy World:
NERC issues Level 3 Alert to address ‘immediate risks’ data center loads pose to the grid
5 Solar Builder:
Shoals opens battery manufacturing mega facility in northern Tennessee
6 Reuters:
Microsoft may shelve 2030 clean energy target as AI lifts power use, Bloomberg News reports
7 PV-Tech:
Corporate solar financing more than doubles to US$11.1 billion in Q1 2026
8 PV-Magazine:
U.S. inverter market faces policy, supply headwinds despite safe harbor pipeline
9 Energy Storage News:
Fortescue’s chairman says AI and battery storage ‘healed’ Australian mining grid in nanoseconds
Opinions:
10 Canary Media:
Resident-led campaign fails to reverse Ohio county’s ban on renewables
Have a great day!
Yann
Power Of Compute. Just after yesterday’s headlines about nuclear failures and solar’s growth, we have the IPO for Fervo energy, a geothermal tech provider. With the headline valuation, you can see that the promise of future opportunity is driving the market for anything that can get more electrons to the AI / Data Center trend.
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News
1 Reuters:
Fervo Energy eyes $6.5 billion valuation in US IPO
2 Politico:
Democratic leaders want an affordability debate on AI. Critics say they’re ducking the real fight.
3 Bloomberg:
AI Boom to Add Hidden Extra Cost to Northeast US Power Bills
4 The Guardian:
Solar booms in industrial US midwest as energy crisis persists
5 PV-Tech:
CIP acquires Orsted onshore unit, launches Perigus Energy with 826MW capacity
6 Utility Dive:
Dominion upbeat on offshore wind as cost estimate eases, sales rise
7 Energy Storage News:
US administration ‘must make it easier to get things built,’ DOE chief of staff says
8 Canary Media:
For cheaper power, Virginia’s local utilities build small grid batteries
Opinions:
9 PV-Magazine:
Tigo Energy expands Predict+ capabilities to enhance financial forecasting for United States energy producers
Have a great day!
Yann
May The Fourth. Be with you. (Yes, I still have never watched Star Wars)
Everyone Loves Data Centers. At least they used to and I am guessing it’s much more nuanced now. I think that most people like using their AI but consumer use of AI isn’t really what is driving the need for the amount of compute we are seeing in the gold rush of building data centers. The problem that you’re seeing is that energy use is through the roof, construction is bother neighbors and inflation of energy prices can be tied back to their build outs. That’s why you’re seeing some moratoriums, community opposition and some political angst about how to communicate this growth.
News
1 Politico:
Data centers used to be a prize. States are having second thoughts.
2 UTility Dive:
Southern Co. electricity sales soar on 42% data center growth
3 PV-Magazine:
First Solar reaffirms 2026 guidance as CuRe launch and record India sales drive Q1 margin expansion
4 Bloomberg:
Nuclear AI Startup Fermi Promised Land and Ample Power. But It Couldn't Sign a Single Client
6 PV-Tech:
Tata Power targets 10GW ingot-wafer capacity with US$685 million investment
7 Energy Storage News:
Data centres’ speed-to-power need driving US LDES commercialisation
8 Canary Media:
Used EVs are on the upswing in America
Opinions:
9 Solar Power World:
How dual-use solar gets built
Have a great day!
Yann
