Tourney Time. Sign up for the annual SolarWakeup March Madness Challenge. Search for SolarWakeup 2026 on ESPN TC or create your bracket for Women’s and Men’s tournament challenges here, password is gosolar. Winner gets bragging rights and the morning paragraph on a topic of their choice.
Opinion
News
1 PV-Tech:
AI in PV plant operations
2 Bloomberg:
US Data Center Boom Slows Due to Power Grid Limits, WoodMac Says
3 UTility Dive:
Data center demand spike could drive 79% ERCOT price hike in 2027
4 NPR:
Oil and gas prices are soaring. Some countries are ready with solar panels and EVs
5 New York Times:
Hydropower Line From Quebec to Queens Could Power a Million N.Y.C. Homes
6 Axios:
Nuclear, fusion companies sign deals with Japanese counterparts
7 Energy Storage News:
New York leads US in BESS moratoriums, recent data shows
8 Canary Media:
Which states have the most grid batteries?
9 PV-Magazine:
Alabama senator seeks statewide ban on solar installations
Opinions:
10 Reuters:
India may soften new grid-supply rules for renewable power producers
Have a great day!
Yann
Price Shocks Everywhere. There are no shortage of places to see the price shocks in energy. From the gas pump, to PJM wholesale costs or shipping, everyone is paying more for energy. So when I think about how to help achieve that, I also think about the tariffs coming to batteries for example and think that we should be taking a step to lower energy costs by focusing on safety and not building more commodity factories which is what I consider the battery boxes to be. There’s also a pending 232 on poly coming that will further increase panel prices potentially. For storage, there’s a pending cybersecurity docket at Commerce that could focus on BMS and EMS for grid safety and leverage global manufacturing capacity to fast track the energy storage build out for the growing energy demand.
Opinion
News
1 Bloomberg:
Oil Gets More Expensive. Batteries Keep Getting Cheaper
2 Utility Dive:
‘Clear warning signs’ as PJM wholesale power costs jump 54% in one year
3 Sierra Club:
The Solar Industry Has Been Bogged Down by Red Tape. Digital Tools Are Changing That.
4 Mother Jones:
The Battle Over Solar on Farmland
5 PV-Tech:
Top ten solar manufacturers shipped over 500GW of modules in 2025
6 Solar Power World:
Maryland legislators include utility solar in statewide energy savings initiative
7 Energy Storage News:
Google completes US$4.75 billion Intersect Power acquisition, initial focus on California & Texas solar-plus-storage
8 Canary Media:
A chapter of California’s rooftop solar battle closes
9 PV-Magazine:
AI datacenters rewrite the solar PPA playbook
Opinions:
10 Axios:
Iran war reignites debate over U.S. oil exports
Have a great day!
Yann
Opinion
Best, Yann
News
1 Puck News:
Katie Miller’s Solar Express
2 Utility Dive:
PJM is now using ambient-adjusted transmission ratings. Other grid operators will soon follow.
3 Bloomberg:
Longi Chief Calls for Tech Innovation to Reverse Solar Downturn
4 Axios:
U.S. oil stockpile is at a three-decade low
5 Reuters:
RWE in $20 billion US expansion push, shares near 16-year high
6 Solar Builder:
IPX Power launches as independent power producer following Intersect spinoff
7 PV-Tech:
Primergy closes US$760 million refinancing for Gemini solar-plus-storage project
8 Canary MEdia:
Virginia to become second state that allows balcony solar
9 PV-Magazine:
Swift Solar acquires Meyer Burger assets to scale U.S. HJT and perovskite production
Opinions:
10 Energy Storage News:
US BESS industry is ‘primed for years of growth’
Have a great day!
Yann
UNC Climate Summit. Some conferences may lack industry notoriety but are full of solar celebrities. I spent the last two days networking in the halls of UNC’s conference center hearing about lots of AI and ideas around solar’s future but also stories from the past from folks like Markus Wilhelm (Strata Solar CEO), Ahmad Chatila and Jigar Shah. I even made my first appearance on the infamous SunCast video stream. Hats off to the organizers for the summit. It was made extra special for us at FTC as we announced our first expansion of our MSA with Strata Solar, adding 1GW of trackers to the agreement.
Opinion
News
1 Solar Power World:
Strata Clean Energy signs 1-GW FTC Solar tracker supply agreement
2 Politico:
‘We’ve got to pay attention’
3 Utility Dive:
Utilities are spending billions on the data center boom. What are the risks?
4 Bloomberg:
Jefferies Makes the Case to Double Down on Clean Tech Investments
5 New York Times:
‘The Old Game Is Back’
6 Reuters:
US utilities scale up grid-boosting tech to meet surging demand
7 PV-Tech:
Polysilicon prices plunge, with maximum decline exceeding 12%
8 PV-Magazine:
Eaton invests $75 million in SPAN to scale smart home electrical panels
Opinions:
9 Energy Storage News:
EU ‘Made in Europe’ regulation welcomed but ‘will not remove dependency on China’
Have a great day!
Yann
