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Debate Night 1. Climate change, with specific mention of solar, made major appearances in the debate part deux. It comes up when the candidates talk about national security, economic growth and corporate misalignment with the american people. The debate also had job retraining from fossil to solar and wind which goes to the core of the argument we’ve been making for some time.
Jay Inslee Impresses. I made this comment on Twitter yesterday as I keep seeing Jay Inslee and David Roberts do a back and forth on climate policy. I am sure that Roberts would be happy to cover other candidate’s climate plans but until the others roll out plan after plan, Inslee will continue to hold the gavel on the issue for many.
So Does Enphase. A few years ago Enphase was basically out for the count, string inverters were too cheap and Enphase couldn’t get the traction it needed. I even had folks pitching me hard for MLPEs in the C&I market to no avail. That lack of traction is no more and ENPH has rebounded to $25 per share with positive earnings per share and $200million of cash in the bank. The biggest headwind for the company is making enough product as wall street analysts try to figure out the highest potential value based on how much the company can build not what it can sell.
Demand For Community Solar. I haven’t seen a community solar press release that says that lack of consumer demand means that a solar farm isn’t going to get built. My hypothetical question to community solar developers is, how many GW of solar gardens would create an oversupply and gardens go unsubscribed?
Residential Podcast Series. A big announcement to all the loyal followers of what is becoming the most influential podcast in solar. I will be doing a deep dive into residential solar in a series that will go out this fall. The conversations will be with the CEOs of installers across the Country, large and small, to figure out what drives the homeowners desire to go solar and how to grow and make these companies profitable. In the meantime, check out the current pods and leave a rating so that we go up in the rankings.
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A Movement Indeed. This has been a year of climate activism and by all measures it has been successful. Polling and media tracking has shown that Americans care more about fighting climate change than ever before. While climate change got none of the presidential debate questions in 2016, every major campaign on the democratic side is talking about climate change as the number one threat facing America. In a few months, there will be another major climate walkout from schools and work. The Global Climate Strike will highlight the issue across the world and get more people thinking about how they can participate. Check out some of the information here.
Planning A Contest. Last climate strike I made a few t-shirts for my kids and even used an idea and quote that was inspired by some readers. Many of you brought up the desire to buy some as well but last minute planning made it impossible. The next climate strike is September 20th. In preparation, let’s get some ideas for a t-shirt that is appropriate for the Global Climate Strike. If you have an idea, email it to yann@solarwakeup.com. I’ll work to get them printed and make them available to you so we can all match around the world.
The Trade Talks. The trade talks are back and the deal looks uncertain. While the politics are bad in DC, the landscape for voters keeps the issue as one that Trump finds attractive. With the GDP dropping last quarter, it may get the advisors to push for a deal. Don’t hold your breath though.
Steyer Talks POTUS. Tom Steyer went on Julia Pyper’s Political Climate podcast. The podcast which typically features a bipartisan panel, with a republican and democrat complementing Julia, was without the republican for the interview. Steyer went strong on calling for a national emergency proclamation on day 1 and gave some of the specifics that he supports. As an aside, when talking about climate change, I prefer the lack of balance from the hosts. As long as the Republican Party refuses to deal with the issue, I could go without their opinion.
Don’t Forget ITC. Make sure to get your I ️ MY
️ postcards out by going to itc.ilovemy.solar and reaching out to member of Congress. They are on recess and need to hear what the ITC means to you and your company. You can find their contact information on the Find Your Rep page.
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The Bigger Problem. When Ohio passes a bailout bill for nuclear power plants and out of state coal plants, while gutting energy efficiency and renewable energy policies, the problem isn’t just the policy. The top 5 oil companies made over $10billion in profits last QUARTER and the investor owned utilities make billions every single year. In any given quarter, renewable energy companies can’t get anywhere near the type of profits even though they are making the product that consumers prefer. We like to say that we want a free market but this market is neither free or fair, it is broken. Solar and wind generators/developers should be making the larger share of profits or at least grow exponentially that investors can’t resist the growth potential. The system needs to be reformed in a way that moves the margin from the current products most people don’t want and brings them to the side of the equation that makes consumers happy and satisfied.
Potential Solution. Policy. The problem with renewable energy’s future is that we don’t invest anywhere near what we should in policy. How many legislative affairs pros are on retainer in DC? In Sacramento? In Tallahassee? Most solar companies view policy as something that’s nice to have and do when there is some extra cash around (forget getting execs to dole out campaign cash) but policy is always the first to go when the going gets tough. Imagine if every single solar installer in America hired a full time policy person? There would be roughly 10,000 advocates knocking on the doors of mayors, reps and Governors. Arm them with campaign cash? If we accept that the market is too slow to change and the margins are too thin, then we have to make a bet that policy is what will drive it in the right direction. Maybe folks like Tom Steyer have the right message but $100million would be better spent in the bank accounts of Vote Solar?
A Sunday Headline. Mike Allen writes a daily newsletter like SolarWakeup. The difference is that his comes out 7 days per week, is read by millions and shapes American democracy. When climate change makes his top headline on the Sunday series, I perk up and you should too.
The Media Picks It Up. The DNC is moving too slow for MSNBC and CNN and they want the ratings that come with the climate change voter. One of the questions that will be interesting to hear is in relation to Trump’s Supreme Court victory and his emergency declaration. With climate change presenting a national emergency, would you as President declare it as one on day one and what actions would you take immediately?
Congrats To $NOVA. Sunnova Energy successfully went public late last week and is trading close to the $12 mark. Congrats to the entire team for showing that a solar company from Houston can go public.
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