How Big Will Florida Be? Big! Here’s a couple of things to consider when you think about Florida. First, it’s a really, really big State. It takes 8 hours to drive from Miami to Tallahassee which justifies the 3rd highest usage of electricity in the Country. Second, the building codes here are as tough as they come because of a long history of hurricanes destroying homes. As such, the building officials care about the installation methods and products used, so I expect a quick stop to any subpar installation methods. Third, and most important, ‘everyone’ in Florida wants solar on their home. This is based on being in the Sunshine State and the fact that Floridians have a unique view on consumerism, more on that soon.

Consumers Come First For IPPs. NRG is shedding its power plants, the fossil ones this time. Earlier, NRG had announced it was selling its solar business to a private equity invest at the pressure of an activist investment firm. Getting rid of fossil fuel power plants is the trillion dollar game of hot potato for IPPs and that was foreseeable years ago. Much of the David Crane strategy centered around de-carbonization of the fleet but was also rooted on the fact that coal was finished. This time Wall Street is buying into the strategy, given that that customers are as well. Next step is getting back into EVs so that NRG comes full circle and gives Crane a board seat for his vision.

A Story About Tesla. It’s not all race cars and rocket ships at Tesla. At the shareholder meeting, Tesla announced it has reached a cumulative energy storage capacity of 1GWh. Given the average size of the systems, that is quite impressive and adds a level or storage scale to the company trying to lower the cost of batteries for car buyers. Look back at today as a funny milestone, because it’s so small, compared to what’s coming up.

What’s Next For Trump’s Coal Bailout. The immediate next step is likely a hearing or directive from FERC to the ISOs that will be subject to the coal bailout. It’s also indicative of the absurdity that Exelon came out with a statement against the policy. Good coverage from GTM on the legal aspects of the case.

The Jobs Of The Future. Not too many Wells Fargo carriage coachmen around anymore. That’s what happened when Ford came out with the Model T and the innovation that followed. Solar and wind plus batteries will replace much of the central power plant portfolio. Each time the innovation changes a fundamental sector, jobs have to adapt. The blacksmith became a toolsmith and so on. The same is true for internal combustion motor manufacturing sector, it is going to go away as EVs take the segment over. That is a reality of the future of work, but it isn’t going to happen overnight and economies must plan for it.

Sponsor SolarWakeup Live! Chicago. Join a great crowd of sponsors and attendees for the Chicago event on June 21st. We have a few more sponsorship slots left, email me for more info. Tickets at solarwakeuplive.com

Have a great day!

News

 

Have a great day!
Yann

Inovateus Solar, Kenyon Energy and the City of Pratt, Kansas announced today the upcoming solar farm project (6MW) located on the North East Corner of town. Half mile North of 54 highway on NW 20th Ave. The awarded project will produce 12.6 MWh annually, enough to power 10,000 homes and offsetting over 23 million tons of CO2 emissions. "The City of Pratt is a highly diverse community moving in a progressive direction, supporting extensive growth and business opportunities. For these reasons, we are very pleased to announce our partnership with Inovateus Solar to lead in our region with the utilization of clean energy sources," said Doug Meyer, Mayor of Pratt. The construction of the solar project will start in June and is expected to begin commercial operation in January, 2019. The project is contracted under a 15-year power purchase agreement, with Pratt's utility power plant for 100% of the array's output. Construction will be managed by Inovateus. "Kenyon Energy is very pleased to partner with Inovateus Solar and the City of Pratt on this exciting solar energy project," said Clay Biddinger, Chairman & CEO of Kenyon Energy. "This project is creating tangible economic and environmental benefits for Pratt's citizens and local businesses. We continue to develop solar energy projects similar to this throughout Kansas and encourage other cities and municipalities across Kansas to reach out if they are interested in benefiting from solar energy." Another benefit from this project is to provide Pratt Community College with assistance in the development of a solar program. "We are impressed by the enthusiasm expressed by city officials as well as Pratt Community College in the creation of a solar program. This aligns really well with our core values to continue educating and promoting the use of solar technologies," said Jordan Richardson, Business Development Manager at Inovateus Solar. Inovateus Solar, Kenyon Energy and the City of Pratt, Kansas announced today the upcoming solar farm project (6MW) located on the North East Corner of town. Half mile North of 54 highway on NW 20th Ave. The awarded project will produce 12.6 MWh annually, enough to power 10,000 homes and offsetting over 23 million tons of CO2 emissions. "The City of Pratt is a highly diverse community moving in a progressive direction, supporting extensive growth and business opportunities. For these reasons, we are very pleased to announce our partnership with Inovateus Solar to lead in our region with the utilization of clean energy sources," said Doug Meyer, Mayor of Pratt. The construction of the solar project will start in June and is expected to begin commercial operation in January, 2019. The project is contracted under a 15-year power purchase agreement, with Pratt's utility power plant for 100% of the array's output. Construction will be managed by Inovateus. "Kenyon Energy is very pleased to partner with Inovateus Solar and the City of Pratt on this exciting solar energy project," said Clay Biddinger, Chairman & CEO of Kenyon Energy. "This project is creating tangible economic and environmental benefits for Pratt's citizens and local businesses. We continue to develop solar energy projects similar to this throughout Kansas and encourage other cities and municipalities across Kansas to reach out if they are interested in benefiting from solar energy." Another benefit from this project is to provide Pratt Community College with assistance in the development of a solar program. "We are impressed by the enthusiasm expressed by city officials as well as Pratt Community College in the creation of a solar program. This aligns really well with our core values to continue educating and promoting the use of solar technologies," said Jordan Richardson, Business Development Manager at Inovateus Solar.

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

[caption id="attachment_10226" align="aligncenter" width="952"] Former NRG Energy CEO David Crane[/caption]

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

NRG Energy shed David Crane in 2015, blaming the company's financial struggles on the former CEO's decision to dive head-first into renewable energy and focusing on how consumers wanted to get their electricity instead of focusing on propping up the old centralized utility model. Turns out, maybe Crane had a point. Reuters reports the company is now eliminating more than half its power plants to focus more on the retail side of the business. As new CEO Mauricio Gutierrez told the wire service:

NRG started as a generation company that moved into retail and some people still think of NRG in terms of (power plants). But when you think about NRG in the future, I invite you to think about the company in terms of the number of customers we serve.

Stop focusing on polluting fossil-fuel-based power plants. Move to a more consumer-friendly model. Perhaps throw in renewable energy as the catalyst for keeping customers happy and on board with NRG Energy. Hmmm....we feel like we've heard that before. Oh, right. We did. From ... David Crane, who could have saved Gutierrez and the rest of the NRG Energy braintrust three years of wheel-spinning had they just allowed him to complete his transformation of the company beyond his 2015 expiration date. But they didn't, and now here they are. Now Gutierrez says the company is finally on the right track, telling shareholders in a letter (again from Reuters):

"When I became CEO, it was clear we were trying to be too many things to too many people," Gutierrez said in a letter to shareholders on Wednesday. He wants to grow the retail business, especially in the Northeast where NRG still has more generation than it needs to serve customers.

So let us get this straight - you entered in the middle of someone else's transition from a power-plant purveyor to consumer-focused energy company, decided he was trying to be "too many things to too many people," and are now ... transitioning from a power plant purveyor to ... a company that is consumer-focused. And hilariously, Gutierrez's interview appeared a mere two hours after NRG Energy just signed a deal to do three big solar farms with food distribution giant Sysco. So there's that. Somewhere, David Crane is laughing his face off (and probably crying a little. But mostly laughing.) More: NRG Sheds U.S. Power Plants to Focus on Retail Customers https://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Sysco-and-NRG-to-team-up-to-build-solar-gardens-12969596.php

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Sunrun officially announced its Florida leasing package only two months after getting its declaratory statement from the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) that would allow it to lease solar systems without penalty. When the FPSC in April formally allowed Sunrun leasing customers to avoid becoming regulated utilities, the company formally announced that Florida residents can start receiving Sunrun leasing's solar-as-a-service and Brightbox home battery beginning tomorrow. As hurricane season approaches, the battery backup systems should be attractive to Florida customers. “Freedom is a value Americans hold dear," said Lynn Jurich, CEO and co-founder of Sunrun. "In offering Floridians solar-as-a-service, households in the Sunshine State are given the freedom to make, control, and store their own energy. "Unfortunately, too many Floridians have experienced first hand the effects of extreme weather and power outages," she added. "Home solar and batteries provide peace of mind and backup power when disaster strikes, keeping food fresh and the lights on." The declaratory statement by the FPSC opened the floodgates for residential installers to race into the Florida market. Sunnova followed the statement by entering with its own loan product, while Vivint - the country's third largest residential solar installer - has formally petitioned the FPSC for its own letter assuring its customers that they won't become regulated utilities if they lease solar for their rooftops. Installers will be targeting a solar market ripe for growth with unique challenges such as advanced building codes written around hurricanes. With wind speeds up to 180mph in some areas, the building officials will be looking at solar to comply with the robust codes that were put in place after Hurricane Andrew. The engineering will mean more roof mounts that have to be flashed properly to avoid roof leaks. Proper installation tactics are key to the solar industry's growth as building officials have already begun meeting together to ensure solar projects are engineered and built according to the plans. According to Navigant's solar resource study, Florida's residential solar market could reach 40 GW based on available space with good solar potential. Sunrun's decision to enter the Florida market is a no-brainer. Wood Mackenzie Solar Analyst M.J. Shiao says the company believes Florida will have more than 7 GW cumulative capacity by 2023. The numbers are so big even Tallahassee politicians - who are often beholden to the state's powerful utilities - recognize the significance of Sunrun's latest move. “Sunrun’s new solar lease will give Central Florida residents greater access clean energy choices, lower energy costs, and continued momentum for local job growth in our state’s renewable energy market,” said State Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando) said. “This is the Sunshine State and Floridians should be able to take full advantage of an abundant, emissions-free energy source that contributes to a healthier community while remaining affordable.”