Reminder that SolarWakeup will be off for the 4^th of July. Please be safe and enjoy your day with your family. We will be back on Thursday before heading to San Francisco for InterSolar.
The Fight For 21st Century Power. Glad that the full time reporters are catching up but here is a recap on the upcoming battle caused by the electric vehicle industry. Fundamentally, this is the first time ever that utilities that generate and deliver electricity will be competing with oil companies that create and deliver fuel for transportation. If transportation moves to electricity as a fuel you can see how utilities take market share from oil companies. That is why, even in the greenest States like California, it is very difficult to pass aggressive EV policies. Moreover, electric vehicles threaten the internal combustion engine manufacturing sector which causes further disruption. On the other hand, oil companies make more profits, billions every quarter, and it’s a cheap proposition for them to get into the electric space especially through the solar industry. I’m still a bit surprised at the pace and strategy by the oil companies. I find none to be advantaged tactically over others or any of their acquisitions and investments surprising, yet.
It’s Time For GWh. What is a utility to do if it doesn’t find natural gas peaker plants to be cost effective generation for its customers? In PG&E’s case, build storage. A massive storage plant. Last week I mentioned that it could be possible that the Oakland peaker plant could become a storage asset but I was wrong by a hundred miles or so. The Moss Landing plant owned by Vistra will become a 1.2GWh storage asset, this coming just a few weeks after they announced their 180MWh plant with our friends at FlexGen. Who wants to wager the over/under date on when storage falls below $100/kWh?
Will Arizona Follow Michigan? Tom Steyer looked at three States for his RPS ballot initiatives. Arizona, Nevada and Michigan. Michigan has already come to terms with him plan and it looks like Arizona could be close behind. The RPS is a policy, within monopoly markets, that can be a great policy for utilities that need reasons to transition generation due to policy and increase rate base. Quite frankly, if I were the CEO of APS, I’d be all over the plan for a 100% solar utility and my shareholders would love me for it because my customer net promoter score would be 99.
The Unsung Success In Haiti. Let’s take a moment to thank the folks that are still working hard and adding solar in Haiti which is by far the poorest Country in the Western hemisphere and a close friend to the community in South Florida. I can’t imagine how hard it is to add a few panels to areas in the poorest sections of Haiti, just the logistics alone seem daunting. But thankfully there are folks still doing it and making a difference. A small battery with a few panels can change the life of someone living without electricity.
Silicon Jobs. This is your quarterly reminder that the first AD/CVD caused a retaliatory tariff on US silicon which hurt REC in Washington State and Hemlock in the midwest. Tariffs are bad for everyone.
Presented by Sunrun. Sunrun is the largest residential solar, storage and energy services company in the United States with a mission to create a planet run by the sun. Since establishing the solar as a service model in 2007, Sunrun continues to lead the industry in providing clean energy to homeowners with little to no upfront cost and at a savings to traditional electricity. Sunrun is excited to expand its solar offerings to Illinois residents.

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Have a great day!
Yann

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

One year after making its request, Interstate Power & Light, an Iowa utility, has backed off its plan to offer electricity from existing solar and wind project at higher prices to its customers, formally withdrawing the proposal from before the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB), according to a report in Midwest Energy News. Instead, the utility has issued requests for proposals for community solar projects ranging from 2 MW to 7 MW. It will take bids through July 25 and hopes to have a finalized plan before the IUB by September. The premium pricing scheme, called "Beyond Solar" (an odd name since the proposal included selling electricity generated from existing solar arrays - but we digress), came under sharp criticism from solar advocates because of the built-in discrepancy between what solar users would pay under the plan compared with what non-solar users would pay. The utility called it a "premium" service to justify the gap, but what it was really was a practice akin to usury. As a non-solar utility, Interstate Power & Light must have surveyed the rest of the Midwest and realized they were quickly becoming a dinosaur in its own region. Illinois just passed its progressive Long-Term Renewables Resources Procurement Plan. Minnesota has a burgeoning community solar program. Even in Michigan, the utilities there have pledged to go coal-free by 2040 and invest heavily in solar energy over that same time period. And while Iowa has been known for its wind development (having high-profile advocates like Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst didn't hurt), solar has been slow to develop there. It's unclear exactly what caused this about face, but it's about time. As Josh Mandelbaum from the Environmental Law & Policy Center told Midwest Energy News:

I think they are legitimately trying to engage with stakeholders. We’re certainly appreciative of the continued effort and the fact we’re headed in the right direction.

Perhaps this new community solar plan will light the solar fire in the state so it can join its other Midwest brethren and sistren in joining the solar revolution. More: After criticism, Iowa utility takes new approach with solar offering

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

No one knows exactly what progressive billionaire Tom Steyer hoped to accomplish with his pro-solar ballot initiatives. Taken on their face, his amendments in Nevada and Michigan are designed to accelerate clean energy development in those states. In the aforementioned states, the question is a little more clear: Steyer is not about putting ballot issues before voters simply for the sake of getting the vote. While the issue will go before Nevada voters, Steyer's group in Michigan used the ballot initiative as a bargaining chip to extract clean energy promises from the state's two largest utilities. Arizona may be the next case where the overall strategy will become clearer. Tuscon.com is reporting that Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) Commissioner Andy Tobin will file a plan with the commission to set an aggressive 80% renewable portfolio standard (RPS) by 2050 on Thursday - the same day Steyer's group Clean Energy for a Healthy Arizona is expected to file his petitions with the board of elections to have an equally aggressive 50% by 2030 plan on the ballot. According to the report, Arizona Public Service (APS), the state's largest utility, is trying to kill Steyer's initiative because of one major difference between Tobin's and plans: Tobin defines nuclear energy as "renewable;" Steyer's plan does not. Unlike other utilities in the state, APS actually owns two nuclear plants. According to Tucscon.com,

Tobin, while not taking sides on the initiative, said he understands the concerns being cited by APS. But he said his proposal is not based on any question of being supportive or opposed to nuclear power. “I concentrated on what’s harming the quality of our air,” he said, specifically meaning things like coal-fired power plants.

Tobin is also pushing the biomass aspect of "clean energy." Again, we turn to Tucson.com:

“I’m sick of these forest fires,” Tobin said, referring to blazes that get out of control because of overgrowth. He contends that promoting biomass means cleaner forests — and fewer, or at least smaller, blazes. He said that’s part of the reason for a big push now. “If I miss this opportunity, I miss another fire season,” he said. “I can’t wait to 2019.”

Initiative supporters say nuclear plants are not clean energy, citing the effects of uranium mining on the surrounding communities. And there's that whole "what to do with the nuclear waste once the fuel rods are spent" question no one seems ready to answer. But...no matter what the outcome, Tobin's filing on July 5 means he is concerned Steyer's ballot initiative has the backing of the majority of Arizonans, and he wants to head it off at the pass. It will be interesting to see whether Steyer takes the Nevada approach of putting the issue before the voters or whether he's willing to negotiate with the ACC over the nuclear issue. Stay tuned - this one could get really interesting really quickly. More: Arizona regulator's proposal: Require 80 percent renewable energy by 2050

Impact Of Mobility On Solar. It doesn’t appear to be happening a lot yet but I think there is a natural overlap between the mobility and solar markets. I am taking this beyond the EV charger under a solar carport. More interesting is the value of the PPAs between solar owners and C&I clients or homeowners and going back for an upsell. Many of the land use documents are already in place so why not go in and add more technology. Are you in either sector and actually going after this? Have any mobility companies reached out to you? Let me know.
Delisting Yingli Solar. If you are like me, you’ve been watching plenty of global football over the past few weeks. One thing that is different is the missing Yingli Solar ads on the banners around the stadiums which were everywhere when the World Cup was in Brazil 4 years ago. The Yingli name will also disappear from the NYSE as they are getting delisted. Are these modules still moving around the US market?
Adapting Tesla’s Solar Business. There is no doubt that SolarCity (sorry, I can’t call it Tesla yet) has taken a turn away from the clear leading role in solar. Cutting the speed of growth took much of the sales push away while the rest of the industry has been able to push upward as well. I know many in solar partake in the Tesla bashing, especially in solar, but I would say that the bigger story is what has happened to the growth of the local installer. Doing 1MW or more per year is no longer unique, it’s actually quite necessary in many instances. The distributed nature of residential solar is exactly why I made the move into the sector. Many great companies have the ability to serve consumers with great customer service and the same financing options that originally gave SolarCity the advantage.
Consolidation Is Good For Resi Solar. When the news broke a few weeks ago that SunCommon and Hudson Solar were merging, I read with interest. Mergers are a great way to grow in a market that is tight on the margins and for installers it means more volume to negotiate with distributors and finance providers. The news this week really made me excited because seeing business operation financing for solar companies means it’s another signal about markets understanding and appreciating solar.
Presented by Pfister Energy – Pfister Energy is a turnkey design-build renewable energy provider for commercial, industrial, utility, and community projects with an emphasis on energy efficiency and energy management. We possess 25 years of project experience with over 120 MW of solar installed on rooftops, carports and on unused land nationally. Clean energy is not limited to solar and as part of our smart building-integrated energy plan, we provide holistic solutions by stacking solar, LED lighting, wind, daylighting and other energy efficiency systems combined with storage.  Visit www.pfisterenergy.com for more information.

Have a great day!

News

 

Have a great day!
Yann