This is your SolarWakeup for July 6th, 2018
Welcome to the second Friday of this week. See you next week in San Francisco, you can find me near the Quick Mount lounge or hit reply to this to say hello. Have a great weekend!
Scott Pruitt Becomes A Lobbyist. In between looking for chicken startups and buying used mattresses with his interns credit cards, Scott Pruitt did a really bad job protecting the environment. I said it in the past but his irrational behaviour put his regulatory policies on the front page of the news constantly. Can you name Obama’s EPA administrators? George W. Bush’s? Now we move to Scott Pruitt’s replacement, Andrew Wheeler, who knows the EPA well. He started his career there and learned how to apply the right pressure when he became a coal lobbyist. I expect Wheeler to be more manicured as administrator but just as bad at protecting the environment. Stay tuned because with FERC Commissioner Powelson resigning, a coal bailout could be coming soon.
Everyone Still Loves Solar. Another poll that takes solar to both sides of the aisle. In this case, a poll asked supporters of the NRA and Greenpeace how they feel about solar and businesses that use more solar energy. 75% of the respondents said that businesses that go solar should be rewarded.
That’s A Big Solar Rooftop. I’m not big on project announcements but a 40MW project that is built for self-consumption seems like a big deal. There’s a GM plant in Spain that has something around 13MW but this is more than three times that. Will be interesting to see if other large manufacturers will be doing the same since everyone wants them to according to the above poll.
Correcting Yesterday’s Note. Yesterday I made note that DeLeon wasn’t moving forward to the general election in November since he lost to Feinstein in the primary. While he was beaten in the primary by 1.5million votes, California has a top two process that results in DeLeon making it to the general in November. Apologies on the error.
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Yann
Scott Pruitt Out At EPA; Former Coal Lobbyist To Step In For Now
By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent There’s always a creative tension about covering the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a solar reporter. On the one hand, they don’t have anything directly to do with energy policy, so some solar reporters feel it’s not worth covering. On the other hand, as a solar reporter, it’s impossible to completely separate the environment and the Solar Revolution, since one of solar’s biggest selling points is that it helps reduce greenhouse gases and thereby helps the environment. Therefore, policy set by the EPA can have an indirect effect on the solar industry whether it wants … Read More
NRA And Greenpeace Reach Historic Agreement: Solar Rocks
By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent It’s our distinct pleasure to announce that the National Rifle Association (NRA) and Greenpeace have come to a historic agreement. And that historic agreement is this: Solar. Rocks. According to a new survey by Swytch, a blockchain platform that tracks, verifies and rewards those reducing the global carbon footprint, 75% of both NRA and Greenpeace members believe businesses that switch to clean energy should be rewarded – and NRA members are more than twice as likely to own solar electrical systems than the general public. [wds id=”3″] Those are the headlines from the new survey, … Read More
The Energy Show: What Are The Best Solar Panels?
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The Energy Show: By Barry Cinnamon What are the best solar panels? That’s a question we are asked all the time. When customers look for the “best” solar panels they consider efficiency, reliability, quality and cost. Cost and efficiency are closely related – all solar panels generate the same amount of electricity (kwh) on a per watt basis. Your appliances can’t tell the difference if they get their electrons from super-efficient panels made in the USA, or the cheapest panels made somewhere in Asia. Nevertheless, there are clear cut differences among solar panels when it comes to aesthetics (all black … Read More
This is your SolarWakeup for July 5th, 2018
I hope you all enjoyed your July 4th holiday, played with sparklers and indulged in a parade. Now it’s back to work to kick off Q3 and get solar on some rooftops. If you are coming to Intersolar next week, please let me know. I always enjoy meeting you in person.
Growing Florida’s Solar Market. We can call it a double. From 2016 to 2017, the Florida market increased by 92% according to the just released net metering report issued by the PSC. This is very much felt on the ground here in the market but we are just scratching the surface. Florida will break 100,000 systems per year in 2019 and may do it in 2018 if companies are able to put the funding and labor plans in place to execute. I’ve spent 10 years working in solar while living in Florida and am now leaving just went the market picks up, but Walnut Creek is calling my name! See you next week at Intersolar!
Goldman Gets A New Solar Fund. South Jersey Industries, operating a solar portfolio under Marina Energy, went to market a few months ago. This wasn’t the first time it came to market but this time it transacted. Many investors participated in the process made complicated by the structure but the assets are largely desirable in a hot New Jersey market. Goldman Sachs ended up on top with their $350million bid for the ~200MW. This is a nice cornerstone for the fund that just recently put a great team together. Congrats the GS team.
The EV Infra Ratebase Is Going To Get Gotten. Utilities across America have asked themselves how to play in the EV space and owning charging infrastructure is the most obvious to me. I used to advocate to utility CEOs that shareholders should front the money to increase demand in the service area without putting the infrastructure into rate base. It seems that IOUs will get the best of both worlds, increase demand with EVs while also getting a return on the EV infrastructure. I expect that we will see a big rush to take advantage of this boon.
100% In California. The California Assembly will be starting their hearings on the 100% RPS bill, SB100, after passing it through committee. This came after receiving 38,000 letters from constituents to pass a clean bill on the issue. Last year, this came really close to getting done but politics in an election year probably got in the way. Now that De Leon is out of the general for the Senate, I can see him getting this work over the finish line. His leadership is remarkable, especially on this issue.
Presented by ENGIE. ENGIE (formerly SoCore Energy) is a market leader in commercial, industrial, and distributed solar and storage portfolio development with installations across some 25 states. ENGIE offers commercial and industrial companies, electric cooperatives, and communities solar and storage solutions that provide energy cost savings, increased resiliency and carbon reduction opportunities.
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Yann
California Takes One Step Closer To Passing 100% RPS Bill
By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent One. Step. Closer. Nearly a year after SB 100, the California bill that would mandate a 100% RPS by 2045, failed to make it out of committee, the bill is now on its way to a vote in the full Assembly after passing out of the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee this afternoon. The measure had received 38,000 messages of support, delivered to lawmakers ahead of the vote by a broad coalition of solar, environmental and social justice activists. [wds id=”3″] In what would be a historic decision, the California Assembly could pass SB 100 … Read More
Florida PV Installations Increase 92% In 2017
By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent It’s not double, but it’s close. The new net-metering statistics are out in Florida, and the number of PV installations increased 92% from 2016 to 2017, from 4,365 to 8,434. It’s amazing what can happen when you rationalize your solar policy. [wds id=”3″] Needless to say, the state’s installers are thrilled with the news. “Florida’s solar growth has been explosive and it’s all due to the citizens who have been asking for solar for years,” said Michael Vergona, president of UrbanSolar. “Everyone wants another option for producing their own power and harnessing our abundant sun.” … Read More
Just Call Him Nostradamus Brandt: He Predicted The Moss Landing Storage Deal Two Weeks Ago
By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent You know how some people claim to have the gift of seeing the future? Well, I’m lucky enough to know someone who actually does see the future, and his name is Yann Brandt. OK, Yann won’t be doing palm readings at the Quick Mount PV booth at Intersolar next week or anything like that (note to Yann: a side business, perhaps?), but he was prescient enough to foresee the largest solar + storage deal announced yesterday at Moss Landing in California two weeks before it happened. [wds id=”3″] On June 19, Yann wrote: What if, … Read More
This is your SolarWakeup for July 3rd, 2018
Reminder that SolarWakeup will be off for the 4th 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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Yann
Iowa Utility Backs Off Its Usurious Beyond Solar Program, Moves To Community Solar Instead
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. [wds id=”3″] The premium pricing … Read More