This is your SolarWakeup for April 2nd
Opinion
News
1 Solar Power World:
Op-ed - We’ve built gigawatts, but can we build a winning coalition?
2 New York Times:
Will the Iran Crisis Push the World to Rethink Oil and Gas?
3 Bloomberg:
The US Data Center Boom Is Hitting a Transformer Crunch
4 Utility Dive:
Expect retail electricity prices to rise further
5 Axios:
Get ready for $200 a barrel oil prices if Hormuz stays closed
6 Reuters:
SpaceX files for IPO, sources say, offering investors stake in Musk's space ambitions
8 PV-Magazine:
U.S. solar and storage market report
Opinions:
9 Canary Media:
What if Duke Energy shared the burden of fuel costs with its customers?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for April 1st
Final Madness. We’re setup for a best of the rest heading into the Final Four. David Beech, Jon Abe, Sam Boykin and FTC’s own Brian DiDonato are going into the weekend setting up for a Michigan versus Illinois winner with an outside looking in for those that picked Arizona. Yours truly had one of the worst showings this year and I’m fully out of it with my Florida takes all pick.
News
1 New York Times:
This Is What Happens When the Gas Runs Out
2 Bloomberg:
India’s Gas Shortage Will Make Dal Compete With Data
3 Utility Dive:
Large load tariffs proliferate as states take more active role in data center regulation
4 Axios:
The race to build new nuclear reactors — fast
6 PV-Tech:
Philippines fast-tracks 1.4GW of renewables amid Iran energy price shock
7 Energy Storage News:
‘Do not overlook it at pre-construction’
8 PV-Magazine:
U.S. small-scale solar hit record 1.9 GW in Q4 2025
Opinions:
9 Canary Media:
Will California fund or kill its thriving virtual power plant program?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 31st
Opinion
News
1 Bloomberg:
JPMorgan’s Institutional Clients Are Asking About Climate Tipping Points
2 PV-Tech:
‘You’re going to see a lot more of these’
3 Utility Dive:
Utility-scale solar and wind hit a record 17% of US generation in 2025
4 New York Times:
Why the Iran War May Force Countries to Rely Less on Natural Gas
5 Reuters:
Iran war seen boosting renewable energy investment with focus on security, not climate
6 Energy Storage News:
'Absolutely bright’ future for battery storage in Ukraine
7 Canary Media:
The Iran war is driving a clean energy wake-up call
8 PV-Magazine:
U.S. ITC opens Section 337 probe into global TOPCon supply chain
Opinions:
9 Axios:
This man has a strategy for using Bezos' climate billions
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 27th
The EV Comeback. I may be biased because I’ve been driving electric since 2012 (Chevy Volt beta tester!). My reason for driving electric goes beyond that it’s a better car to drive, I get to plug in every night and start the day with a full tank of gas. Not going to the gas station is an amazing feeling. But it’s also because electricity tends to be FAR less volatile in pricing than gas, especially right now. This is the same thought process why corporations love solar, what other fuel can give you a 25 year contract with predictable contract costs. Imagine a gas plant locking in the cost of electricity (without fuel adjustments) for any period of time, let alone 25 years.
News
1 Bloomberg:
The Solution to Soaring Gas Prices? For Some, It’s Going Electric
2 New York Times:
Wealthy Investors Are Targeting Foes of Clean Energy, and They Want Revenge
3 Utility Dive:
50 GW of data centers online at end of 2025, with MISO seeing strongest growth
4 Axios:
Energy execs say they're trying to address ratepayers' anger
5 Reuters:
Soaring AI demand spurs roll-out of long duration energy storage
6 PV-Tech:
SMA Solar losses exceed US$75 million in 2025
7 Solar Power World:
Report
8 Canary Media:
Virginia set to enact a flurry of laws boosting cleaner, cheaper power
Opinions:
9 PV-Magazine:
California bill would unlock distributed energy participation in grid resource adequacy market
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 25th
Insurance Innovation Rewarded. Congratulations to the team at kWh Analytics, especially Jason Kaminsky and Richard Matsui who couch surfed their way to building an incredible business. A 14 year overnight success as they say, as kWh gets acquired by Beazley.
News
1 Yahoo Finance!:
Beazley agrees to acquire US-based kWh Analytics
2 PV-Magazine:
California’s SB 886 could make storage a prerequisite for data center interconnection
3 Canary Media:
Suddenly, the US manufactures a ton of grid batteries
4 Axios:
Rare offshore wind reversal highlights shift under Trump
5 Bloomberg:
Expensive Oil Is EV Makers’ Best Sales Pitch
6 Reuters:
CERAWeek opens with protests as energy chiefs clash
7 PV-Tech:
Solar wafer origin could be ‘significant risk’ for US industry, lawyers warn
8 Energy Storage News:
Nebraska advances energy storage and data centre-focused bill
Opinions:
9 Solar Power World:
Aurora warns resi installers
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 23rd
Opinion
News
1 Utility Dive:
DOE taps SoftBank arm to develop 9.2 GW of gas generation in Ohio
3 New York Times:
Hochul Moves to Delay and Alter Climate Law, Citing Energy Prices
4 Axios:
Iran war looms over global energy summit
5 PV-Tech:
Solar wafer origin could be ‘significant risk’ for US industry, lawyers warn
6 Solar Power World:
Michigan Senate committee advances bills for state VPP program
7 Canary Media:
Where in the world is clean energy technology made?
8 PV-Magazine:
Massachusetts mandates 15-month permitting deadline for solar and storage
Opinions:
9 Energy Storage News:
‘US battery manufacturing will surpass 100% of demand’, US ESC report states
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 19th
Tourney Time. Today is the Last Day! 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.
News
1 PV-Magazine:
How on-site batteries are fast-tracking data center grid connections
2 Utility Dive:
13 DOE emergency orders have cost Americans $235M, Sierra Club says
3 Axios:
Higher energy prices might eat your tax refund, economists say
4 Reuters:
Brazil secures 19 gigawatts at power capacity auction to strengthen energy supply
5 PV-Tech:
Origis Energy begins operations at 210 MW Indiana PV project
6 Energy Storage News:
Over 17GWh of BESS deployed globally in February 2026
7 Canary Media:
Trump deal for a $33B gas megaplant in Ohio faces huge hurdles
Opinions:
8 Bloomberg:
Trump’s Energy Emergency Is Self-Fulfilling
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 18th
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.
News
1 Utility Dive:
Mass. governor orders state to pursue 15 GW of resources, including storage, VPPs
2 Bloomberg:
EVs Avoided Use of 2.3 Million Barrels of Oil Per Day In 2025
3 Reuters:
AI power dash transforms clean energy offtake market
4 PV-Tech:
What is dictating solar module price increases?
5 Energy Storage News:
‘Interconnection remains the big bottleneck’
6 Canary Media:
The fight over California’s community solar plan is heating up
7 PV-Magazine:
U.S. government confirms Tesla as mystery buyer in $4.3 billion LG Energy Solution LFP deal
8 Axios:
Meet the sustainability exec at the center of the AI boom
Opinions:
9 New York Times:
As War Chokes Natural Gas Supply, Asia Turns Back to Coal
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for March 17th
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.
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
This is your SolarWakeup for March 16th
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.
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
