This is your SolarWakeup for December 11th, 2015
It’s Friday and the date that the original $800Billion spending bill was supposed to be done today. It’s not going to happen today and it’s now over $1Trillion but who is counting anyways. Since I have said it every day this week, I will say it again. You can use all of these links to contact your representatives via phone or email. There is no limit to how many times you can do it (as my colleagues can attest to my nonstop badgering of Senate staffers) Click Here or Here.
News
1 KQED:
CPUC Considers Cutting Subsidies for New Residential Solar Customers
2 Washington Post:
Just in time for the Paris talks, the U.S. solar industry is having its biggest year ever
3 Solar Power Portal:
DECC silent over VAT implication on new feed-in tariff rates
4 Greentech Media:
Can the New York C&I Megawatt Block Solar Program Be Fixed?
5 PV-Magazine:
Mexico completes energy reform with passage of the Energy Transition Law
6 New York Times:
California and Germany, Opposites With a Common Energy Goal
7 Money Morning:
What Investors Need to Know About Solar and Renewables in 2016
8 The Verge:
Google is now offering solar panel advice in nine states
Opinions:
9 EDF:
FirstEnergy’s Bailout Isn’t Just Bad Policy – It’s Illegal
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for December 10th, 2015
The solar market in the US is in the last month of the biggest quarter ever. The growth is exponential from where we were the last time the ITC was a discussion point, even with an insane recession in the middle. The dark blue line in the bar graph referencing residential shows the value of monthly savings to homeowners and monthly payments to leasing and loan companies. Congrats to the solar industry and now pick up the phone and get the ITC extended!
News
1 Greentech Media:
US Solar Market Prepares for Biggest Quarter in History
2 Reuters:
SunEdison's yieldco to pay less for Vivint Solar's assets
3 PV-Tech:
SunPower seeks to raise US$350 million to power corporate strategy
4 Rocky Mountain Institute:
7 Reasons Businesses Should Accelerate Their Renewable Energy Strategy Now
5 Wired:
California Marches Into Paris to Fight the Climate Apocalypse
6 CleanTechnica:
COP21 Delegates Review Draft Text, Will Work All Night
7 Las Vegas Review Journal:
Solar company sues Sandoval's office over refusal to release text messages
8 NPR:
To Know the True Meaning Of Solar Energy, Ask A Powerless Rice Farmer
Opinions:
9 Think Progress:
Did The Governator Just Come Up With A Republican-Proof Argument On Climate Change?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for December 9th, 2015
Here’s your ITC update for today. The spending/tax bill was supposed to get done on Friday but it looks like negotiations will run over the deadline and a short term bill may have to get done first. This will push the ITC decision into next week and gives the solar sector a few more days to make calls. Keep up the pressure, it is working and giving our negotiators the leverage they need to make our case to Congress. Use this link to make it easy, it will connect you directly to the Senator’s office.
News
1 Bloomberg:
Short U.S. Spending Bill Needed to Avoid Shutdown, Ryan Says
2 Latimes:
California members of Congress urge regulators to protect rooftop solar program
3 ScNow:
Santee Cooper moves to crack down on residential solar users
4 Energy Collective:
Horizontal Integration in CleanTech
5 Huffington Post:
Canada's New Prime Minister Signals a Policy Shift on Climate Change at COP21
6 PV-Magazine:
GCL completes disposal of non-solar business
7 Greentech Media:
Mining Could Be a Key Sector for Solar-Plus-Storage in Australia
8 Grist:
The hopeful news about CO2 emissions and climate change
Opinions:
9 NY Times:
Solar or Wind vs. Nuclear
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for December 8th, 2015
Governor Brown took the stage at COP21 with investor/activist Tom Steyer yesterday. During the panel the Governor spoke about the leadership that California has shown to grow the clean energy sector with a large focus on solar. There was plenty of focus about the political rhetoric in DC but no discussion about net metering in California. South Carolina could end up with a better policy than California for solar NEM if utilities have their way and that doesn’t sound like something that Governor Brown wants now or what he wanted in the 70’s during his first term.
News
1 KQED:
With Rooftop Solar Booming, California Utilities Want to Charge More
2 Renew Economy:
Paris, COP21 - Ministers move in, as do the climate deniers
3 Greentech Media:
Mississippi Regulators Strive for Compromise With New Net Metering Rule
4 Energy Collective:
Follow the Money - The Role of Innovation in Climate Finance
5 New York Times:
Sanders Unveils Climate Change Plan, Rails Against Polluters
6 Gloucester Times:
Solar talks turn cold over winter recess
7 Forbes:
How The EU's Extension Of Trade Protections Could Impact Chinese Solar Companies
8 Reuters:
China's rooftops hold power to propel solar into the mass market
Opinions:
9 Arizona Central:
Robb - Burns isn't playing games with APS
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for December 7th, 2015
Time to turn up the pressure. The leaders have left Paris and the COP21 negotiations are in full force, let’s hope that a global agreement comes together that is strong and measurable. Back at home, Congress is trying to pass a massive ($1 Trillion massive) tax bill that has something for everyone, which means everyone wants to vote for it. What is in it for solar is to be determined in the coming days and weeks so now is the time to push. I just sent an email to my colleagues to make the calls and send the emails, you should do the same. Together we can mobilize 100,000 calls to Congress that only the SolarWakeup community could do! Use this tool to make it easy, http://www.weareteamsolar.com/call-your-senator--extend-the-itc.html
News
1 New York Times:
Lawmakers Near Deal on Billions in Tax Cuts
2 Think Progress:
4 Cities That Are Leading The World On Climate Action
3 Bloomberg:
Chinese Solar-Panel Makers Face Possible Renewal of EU Tariffs
4 BBC:
Thailand's finances boosted by lower oil prices
5 Renewable Energy World:
Wind, Solar Projects Find New Buyers, Uncertain Prices
6 PV-Tech:
Investment in Turkish solar at risk from new commercial sector proposals
7 Sydney Morning Herald:
Paris UN Climate Conference 2015 - Solar chief hits out at China over coal
8 Motley Fool:
Who Wins If Solar Subsidies Plummet in 2017?
Opinions:
9 The Guardian:
Debbie Dooley Tea Party Solar Energy Florida Environment
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 Politico:
Tax deal swelling into $800 billion blowout
2 PV-Tech:
ITC extension back on the cards, says Credit Suisse
3 Reuters:
U.S. solar industry in urgent push to extend tax incentive
4 PBS Newshour:
Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg launch international fund for clean energy tech
5 Greentech Media:
The Mercifully Short List of Fallen Solar Companies - 2015 Edition
6 Financial Times:
COP21 Paris climate talks - US solar tax credit debate heats up
7 Bloomberg:
The Silicon Valley Idea That's Driving Solar Use Worldwide
8 PV-Magazine:
City of Las Vegas to get 100% of its electricity from renewable energy
9 The Atlantic:
How Solar and Wind Got So Cheap, So Fast
10 Motley Fool:
Why Growth Is the Enemy of Solar Stocks
The Top 10 is ranked by the number of SolarWakeup.com readers that clicked on the news article during the previous week. It is the poll of the most relevant solar news of the week as judged by your colleagues and competitors.
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for December 4th, 2015
David Crane is out at NRG which recently announced it was splitting some of its business units out. The easy assumption would be that the business suffered due to his statements on the utility sector and renewables but that would be a mistake. NRG is going through commodity and deregulated power issues. Central assets are becoming less valuable, just look at nodal pricing throughout the Country, especially with wind and solar complemented by perpetually cheap natural gas. Best of luck to David, if you have his email, pass this on to him. Also, call your Senators and Congressman to extend the ITC!
News
1 PV-Tech:
ITC extension back on the cards, says Credit Suisse
2 Utility Dive:
David Crane steps down as NRG Energy CEO
3 Oilprice.com:
Global Solar Alliance Sets $1 Trillion Investment Goal For 2030
4 PV-Magazine:
COP21 - African Renewable Energy Initiative launched, 300 GW 2030 target
5 Venture Beat:
Google makes ‘largest purchase’ of renewable energy to power data centers - 842 MW in 3 countries
6 Grist:
5 important developments from the Paris climate summit
7 Reuters:
Exclusive - Germany's RWE bets big on wind and solar in corporate overhaul
8 New York Times:
Germany May Offer Model for Reining In Fossil Fuel Use
Opinions:
9 EDF:
2 Ways Solar Energy’s Future in Illinois Just Got Brighter
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for December 3rd, 2015
The blockbuster tax deal is on deck. These things happen the year before elections as everyone goes home with something to show for. A small set of folks in solar have done the heavy lift with the voices of so many of you, and for that we need to commend ourselves. What we need to do now is keep up the pressure. The hype around the deal at COP21 is made possible by the price reduction and market expansion of solar because for the first time, clean energy is cheaper than volatile fossil fuel choice alternatives. So let’s redefine ‘alternative’ energy with strong tax and net metering policies, just like we pushed for through The Solar Pledge.
News
1 Politico:
Tax deal swelling into $800 billion blowout
2 Reuters:
U.S. solar industry in urgent push to extend tax incentive
3 PV-Magazine:
It's official - New York to get a 50% by 2030 renewable energy program by July 2016
4 Greentech Media:
Commercial Solar Rebounds - Large Corporate Installations Up 60% in 2015
5 New York Times:
Chasing a Climate Deal in Paris
6 Las Vegas Sun:
Solar advocates drop off 31k petitions at PUC
7 The Atlantic:
How Solar and Wind Got So Cheap, So Fast
8 Motley Fool:
Big Oil, Solar, or Wind for the Next Decade?
Opinions:
9 Barry Goldwater Jr.:
A Cap on Solar Is Not the American Way
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for December 2nd, 2015
I love the challenge that was presented by Bill Gates and other uber successful entrepreneurs. Take innovative technologies and deploy them! The reason for my enthusiasm is that I wrote about the need for early stake, technology agnostic capital a year and a half ago. And today, we have this challenge from the Energy Breakthrough Coalition, "private investors who will support companies that are taking innovative clean-energy ideas out of the lab and into the marketplace.” Either my blog made it up to Gates (I doubt it) or it’s just a great idea and an exciting day for every hardware inventor that sees some viable path out of the lab.
News
1 Bill Gates:
A Big Win for Cheap, Clean Energy
2 Greentech Media:
Goldman Sachs - Investors Should Be Focused on 4 Technologies for Maximum Climate Impact
3 Renew Economy:
Paris, COP21 - Poor countries want 100% renewables, not coal
4 Renewable Energy World:
Climate Finance Programs Reap $41 Billion in Pledges in Paris
5 PV-Magazine:
Massachusetts reaches nearly 15,000 solar workers
6 Utility Dive:
City of Las Vegas strikes deal for 100% renewables as casinos look to defect
7 New York Times:
A Path for Climate Change, Beyond Paris
8 PV-Tech:
73 companies join commitment to American Business Act on Climate Pledge
Opinions:
9 Quartz:
India’s “solar alliance” is a great idea with one fatal flaw
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for December 1st, 2015
Paris kicked off yesterday with speeches from world leaders and some new initiatives. Many of these centered around solar with India leading a global solar initiative (Go Modi!). One thing that separates Paris’ COP21 from previous conferences is the cost of solar. Making drastic investments (unsubsidized) into clean energy while realizing market rate returns is more possible today than ever before. Developing nations can participate without asking for handouts and that has a tremendous impact. Paris is different and should be the start of a new climate beginning. I will not be in attendance but my colleagues will be.
News
1 New York Times:
Citing Urgency, World Leaders Converge on France for Climate Talks
2 The Guardian:
India unveils global solar alliance of 120 countries at Paris climate summit
3 Financial Times:
COP21 Paris climate talks - US solar tax credit debate heats up
4 PV-Magazine:
Abengoa US yieldco faces uncertainty as parent company opens insolvency proceedings
5 Bloomberg:
The Silicon Valley Idea That's Driving Solar Use Worldwide
6 Greentech Media:
The Mercifully Short List of Fallen Solar Companies - 2015 Edition
7 Rocky Mountain Institute:
3 Ways Wind and Solar Can Continue To Grow In a 21st-Century Grid
8 CleanTechnica:
Net Metering Boost Takes Place In Brazil
Opinions:
9 Think Progress:
Can Bill Gates’ ‘Breakthrough Energy Coalition’ Become Truly Useful?
Have a great day!
Yann
