This is your SolarWakeup for September 30th, 2015
Another incredible story coming out of California which has not yet been reported on! While everyone was busy gloating about the 50% RPS bill that passed in CA, few eyes have been following the NEM 2.0 debate but it’s time to change that. The Office of Ratepayer Advocates is there to represent the ratepayers (ALL of them) and is appointed by the Governor. Historically the ORA has been pro net metering and issued opinions that represented the issue fairly and accurately. It seems this has changed (politics?) because in their NEM 2.0 filing, the ORA is advocating for solar fees that are WORSE than the egregious fees the utility in Arizona was asking for. This is the same utility that dropped the issue because it was so outrageous, yet the ORA appears to be going anti-solar in CA. The key issue seems that utilities are looking for solar customers to make up for bad utility investments and subsidize non-solar energy costs in addition to fixed transmission costs. The whole thing is fishy and needs to be reported on properly. Filing is the first story today…
News
1 Office of Ratepayer Advocates:
Proposal Of The Office Of Ratepayer Advocates For Net Metering Successor
2 CNBC:
Wall Street goes all in on climate policy
3 TWC Austin:
Austin Energy's $1.8B Plan Could be Largest Solar Deal Ever Inked
4 Huffington Post:
Jeb Bush Energy Plan Takes Aim At Obama Effort To Reduce Power Plant Emissions
5 PV-Magazine:
Australia leads world in residential solar penetration
6 Washington Post:
In smog battle, industry gets help from unlikely source - black business group
7 New York Times:
Many Conservative Republicans Believe Climate Change Is a Real Threat
8 Fortune:
Solar - It's baaacck
Opinions:
9 US News:
Big utilities entering market for small-scale solar power on customer rooftops
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for September 29th, 2015
To follow on the discussion from yesterday and last week, I am wondering what a national energy policy would look like in the US. We currently have 50 States that regulated (or don’t) energy at various levels and create an extreme climate of complexity. If the national government took over, would the policy around energy have to center around carbon instead of electrons? Could the national policy revolve around access to the grid and make distributed energy a more important part of central planning?
News
1 Scientific American:
Solar Power Invades Oil-Rich Middle East
2 New York Times:
U.S. Investigating Contract Awards in Buffalo Turnaround Project
3 Desert Sun:
For rooftop solar, one decision could change everything
4 PV-Tech:
Banks invest US$132 million in Fukushima’s biggest PV plant to date
5 Clean Technica:
New Campaign Urges UK Government To Rethink Small-Scale Renewables Cuts
6 Utility Dive:
How to become the 'Utility of the Future?' Industry experts weigh in
7 Think Progress:
No More Arctic Drilling Attempts For Shell
8 Renew Economy:
Duck season - How solar is impacting value of Australian networks
Opinions:
9 NRDC:
Utilities should stop driving with the brakes on! Give building owners information on energy use
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for September 28th, 2015
Quite a week for climate politics including how solar energy plays a role. The Pope visited the United States visiting with President Obama who also met with President Xi of China. Unveiling carbon regulations for the Chinese economy to recover from pollution related downward pressure, all of these policies are key to getting somewhere in Paris during the COP21 talks. For some reason, all of the obvious climate and financial benefits of climate and solar policies appear to be falling on deaf ears within the DC beltway. I don't know what it will take to make this change, but it has to happen at some point.
News
1 Breaking Energy:
Pope Says The Environment Has Rights
2 Think Progress:
Chinese President Details Wide-Ranging Carbon Pollution Pledge At White House
3 Renewable Energy World:
Evaluating the Case for Module-Level Shutdown
4 PV-Magazine:
Walmart, Fortune 500 companies take 100% renewable energy pledge
5 Utility Dive:
Solar sector pleased as Nevada Gov. appoints Office of Energy head to PUC
6 New York Times:
Brazil Pledges to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions
7 Greentech Media:
APS Proposes to Withdraw Fee Increase for Solar Customers
8 Los Angeles Times:
State solar users would lose savings if proposal is OKd
Opinions:
9 Fortune:
Why an oil guy believes solar has a big future
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 Morning Consult:
Wyden Sees Tricky Path Forward on Energy Tax Credits
2 Fortune:
As a Valley solar startup shuts down, the solar sector booms
3 San Francisco Chronicle:
Solar war heats up - Sunrun wants S.F. Giants to dump PG&E
4 CleanTechnica:
Brace Yourself For Same-Day Rooftop Solar, SolarCity Joins Race To Cut Costs
5 24/7 Wall Street:
Chinese Solar Stocks Set to Rise With Eyes on US Settlement
6 Yale:
A New Vision of The Solar Suburbs of the Future
7 CleanTechnica:
The Dollars & Cents Of Pricing A PV Home
8 Renewable Energy World:
The Solar Foundation to Re-Energize Solar America Cities
9 PV-Magazine:
Vice President Joe Biden wows crowd at SPI
10 Bloomberg:
NRG's GreenCo Plan Echoes Clean-Power Shift in Germany
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 September 25th, 2015
We sometimes complain that China is beating us and most of the time it is political rhetoric but it seems that the Country we always used as an excuse in why we aren’t doing anything about climate change is now beating us. China appears to be ready to announce a cap and trade program in 2017 whereas the US will keep beating around the issue. China is already prepared to provide the most cost effective solar modules to the globe (which we are making more expensive for no reason) and now will take further strides to improve their horrible air quality thanks to many years of overbuilding coal plants.
News
1 Time:
U.S. and China to Announce New Measures to Combat Climate Change
2 Slate:
How Do You Solve Solar Power’s Nighttime Problem?
3 Renewable Energy World:
A Case Study in Energy-Transition Momentum
4 Grist:
Top 6 takeaways from Rolling Stone’s interview with Obama on climate change
5 Bloomberg:
China's Solar Power Analysts Can't Agree Why Shares Are Plunging
6 PV-Magazine:
Hillary Clinton calls for integrated North American approach to clean energy
7 Greentech Media:
Are Rooftop Solar Companies Doing Enough to Protect Consumers?
8 Vox:
What Germany learned from its war on coal
Opinions:
9 Huffington Post:
Jeb Bush - The Pope Shouldn't Discuss Climate Change Because 'He's Not A Scientist'
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for September 24th, 2015
A MUST READ! This is the most obscene story you will read today, this week and maybe this month. The politician that was supposed to help all 200,000 in the solar industry is Senator Ron Wyden but he is now showing his true colors. According to his interview in today’s story, the only thing that matter is SolarWorld’s factory in Oregon. Everyone else in solar is cheating. It appears that at this point, SolarWorld is willing to sacrifice the ITC in addition to the harm that the company has already done. Senator Wyden has clearly chosen to do the work of the Qatari owned company and is willing to do anything for them. You should be upset and make your opinion heard. This isn’t about jobs anymore, this is dirty politics and the people to blame are clearly labeled.
News
1 Morning Consult:
Wyden Sees Tricky Path Forward on Energy Tax Credits
2 New York Times:
Senate Democrats Offer Climate Change Bill Aimed Not at Success Now, but in 2016
3 PV-Tech:
India set for ‘massive jump’ in installed PV next year
4 BBC:
Pope Francis urges action on climate change on visit to US
5 PV-Magazine:
Saudi Arabia fires up new Kaco PV inverter line
6 Utility Dive:
As solar cap looms, installers ask CA regulators for interim metering measures
7 Press Enterprise:
EDITORIAL - Can solar shine without subsidies?
8 CleanTechnica:
Brace Yourself For Same-Day Rooftop Solar, SolarCity Joins Race To Cut Costs
Opinions:
9 Renew Economy:
Why Far Right should embrace solar + storage energy revolution
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for September 23rd, 2015
Some big news items for your day. Hillary Clinton did the right thing that may actually hurt in some swing states by coming out against the Keystone pipeline. Still the right move so good for her, clearly another donor/Podesta influenced decision. REC Silicon, the poly manufacturer in Washington State, may close the plant after already stopping an expansion. Why? Because China has a tariff on poly imports because we have a tariff on module imports. This directly counters the jobs saved in Oregon by Qatari owned SolarWorld.
News
1 Time:
Hillary Clinton Comes Out Against Keystone XL Pipeline
2 Fortune:
As a Valley solar startup shuts down, the solar sector booms
3 Bloomberg:
As a Valley solar startup shuts down, the solar sector booms
4 Clean Technica:
Now Solar Power To Meet Evening Peak Load In Hawaii
5 Ozarks First:
Students Build EF -5 Resistant Solar Home
6 Fast Coexist:
In Vermont, A Forward-Thinking Utility Is Helping Customers Share Solar Power
7 PV-Magazine:
REC Silicon may be forced to shutter Washington operations due to trade war
8 PV Tech:
European solar associations appeal for end to Chinese trade duties
Opinions:
9 Huffington Post:
A Key Element for the Forthcoming Paris Climate Agreement
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for September 22nd, 2015
Start your Tuesday with some inside baseball, definitely with some intended pun. There is some hometown drama in San Francisco between PG&E and Sunrun, with the Giants in the middle. The question is similar to that raised by Vice President Biden and is about the nature of incumbent participants. If you have extraordinary power awarded to you, it comes with great responsibility and in this case PG&E does not appear to be living up to the task. Should the Giants keep taking their money to allow them the publicity that comes with being a sponsor of a World Series caliber team?
News
1 24/7 Wall Street:
Chinese Solar Stocks Set to Rise With Eyes on US Settlement
2 San Francisco Chronicle:
Solar war heats up - Sunrun wants S.F. Giants to dump PG&E
3 PV-Magazine:
Vice President Joe Biden wows crowd at SPI
4 Energy Collective:
Green Power Is The Key For Utilities To Keep Their Commercial Clients
5 Reuters:
AES files first utility-sponsored solar ABS with SEC
6 Greentech Media:
Is California’s Net Metering 2.0 a Solar Tax Risk?
7 Scientific American:
Can Solar Desalination Slake the World's Thirst?
8 Yale:
Beyond Sprawl - A New Vision of The Solar Suburbs of the Future
Opinions:
9 Utility Dive:
A good rate design is hard to find - Experts push utility-solar compromise
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for September 21th, 2015
It has been widely publicized that the Chinese President is coming to Washington D.C.to meet with President Obama. The delegation is sure to discuss many topics and my presumption is that solar energy is one of them. The ITC is a benefit for the industry that almost directly offsets the cost of the trade tariff. The tariff artificially inflates the true cost of solar modules that could be used here. The politics here are inherently conservative and should be appealing to Republicans. Open trade can lower costs. Conserving energy through competitive markets lowers costs. So when the debate stage is in front of Reagan’s Air Force One, the question that should be asked is; Isn’t solar energy a great Republican Agenda item?
News
1 ABC:
President Xi's Visit Highlights Washington State-China Ties
2 Huffington Post:
What Would Reagan Do About CO2?
3 Renewable Energy World:
The Solar Foundation to Re-Energize Solar America Cities
4 Bloomberg:
NRG's GreenCo Plan Echoes Clean-Power Shift in Germany
5 PV-Magazine:
Colorful London Mayor rounds on UK government's solar cuts
6 Utility Dive:
Southern Co. jumpstarts operation of Georgia solar+storage test project
7 CleanTecnica:
The Dollars & Cents Of Pricing A PV Home
8 USA Today:
A Lone Star leader in solar
Opinions:
9 Grist:
This climate-denying Catholic congressman is boycotting the pope’s speech
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 Fortune:
Vice President Biden - Give oil industry's tax credits to clean energy
2 Greentech Media:
Two National Solar Trade Groups Clash Over How to Lobby for a Key Federal Tax Credit
3 Washington Post:
Why storing solar energy and using it at night is closer than you think
4 Vox:
Reimagining electric utilities for the 21st century
5 Bloomberg:
SunEdison's Yieldco Overreach Stirs Angst at Solar Companies
6 24/7 Wall Street:
After the Sell-Off, 3 Solar Stocks to Buy Now
7 Greentech Media:
California Passes a Bill Targeting 50% Renewables by 2030
8 Fortune:
In the solar industry, it's a scramble to the top
9 PV-Tech:
US solar industry must unite to save ITC, warns SEIA’s Resch
10 Huffington Post:
The Next Solar (r)Evolution
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
