This is your SolarWakeup for February 5th, 2016
The President is looking to raise $32Billion per year from new revenues. Not everyone is a fan of this new idea, namely Congressman Paul Ryan who called this an “out of touch climate agenda.” The idea is very simple, add a $10 fee to every barrel of oil sold in the US. At today’s prices you are talking about a ~30% tax to oil. This would accomplish two things, first it would increase the price of gas so that people look for more efficient options and second it would provide the financial resource to invest in cleaner infrastructure or mass transportation.
News
1 New York Times:
Obama to Propose a $10-a-Barrel Fee on Oil
2 Greentech Media:
Does Nevada’s Controversial Net Metering Decision Set a Precedent for the Nation?
3 CleanTechnica:
The Looming Electricity Storage Threat Our Utilities Face
4 Solar Industry:
Massachusetts Backs Early-Stage Clean Energy Companies
5 PV-Magazine:
US - Cumulative solar installs top 28 GW, 16 GW of renewables installed in 2015
6 Los Angeles Timess:
Revamping the electric grid could yield huge cost savings, SolarCity report says
7 Grist:
The world’s biggest solar plant takes important step forward
8 Utility Dive:
Kauai co-op integrates over 70% solar, 90% renewables four times in January
Opinions:
9 Seeking Alpha:
Politically, SolarCity Trumps Utilities
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 4th, 2016
Japan is innovating the art of solar brokers. Instead of the introduction, non-circumvent, game of hide and seek; Yahoo will be taking the solar project to a 3-day auction. The project is 500kW and pre-construction which will make it more interesting but this could also be a FIT phenomenon. The standard regulatory process makes diligence of documentation a bit easier but there is no reason that a good developer could get a US project through an auction. I can see it already, ebay for solar…
News
1 Financial Times:
Yahoo Japan to host online auction of solar power plant
2 Rocky Mountain Institute:
New York Just Proposed Its Plan to Reach 50% Renewables
3 Greentech Media:
A Solar Installer in Hawaii on Storage Hype and Getting to 100% Renewables
4 PV-Tech:
On the ground - How Nevada’s net metering fiasco has left solar installers reeling
5 Renewable Energy World:
Kansas Tax Authority Confirms Only a Utility May Sell Power in Kansas
6 PV-Magazine:
UK solar firms challenge government subsidy cuts in appeal court
7 Utility Dive:
NARUC opposes King-Reid solar net metering amendment to federal energy bill
8 Lowell Sun:
Gov. Baker unveils $15M solar, renewable energy plan
Opinions:
9 EDF:
3 Ways Texas’ Grid is Getting Smarter Thanks to DOE’s SunShot Initiative
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 3rd, 2016
Interestingly (and under the radar), energy has been making its way through the Senate. But when it comes to energy in the US, it is still very much the shale gas revolution. I really can’t fault the system for this but if you do, I would understand that too. It’s an election year, energy has been beat up and gas is spending the dollars in D.C. which solar is not. Everyone is raising money like crazy and in a decade long lobbying effort, the long money can make progress like this so it is not surprising. If solar wants to win these long battles, we have to look in the mirror on how we spend money in policy beyond individual companies.
News
1 Think Progress:
In The Biggest Energy Bill The Senate Has Debated In 8 Years, They Forgot Coal
2 PV-Magazine:
Tesla’s Musk confirms Powerwall 2.0 is on the way
3 Forbes:
This Software Reduces Soft Costs For Solar Installations
4 PV-Tech:
Global clean energy R&D push on course after Paris boost
5 Renewable Energy World:
California Bridges the Green Divide with Nation’s Biggest Solar Program
6 NRDC:
Polluters' Last-Ditch Bid to Stay Clean Power Plan Faces Long Odds at Supreme Court
7 Greentech Media:
Cleantech Funding Train Keeps On Rolling
8 Utility Dive:
Indiana utility requests 80% fixed charge increase
Opinions:
9 Reno Gazette Journal:
NV Energy files ideas to soften solar rate hike
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February 2nd, 2016
I spent some time managing PR and obviously watch story trends on a daily basis. A normal story has a daylong trend, a good story can last a few days while a great story gets articles about the original story written about it. But scandals have a unique ability to boil over from one media outlet to a bigger one for weeks on end. Typically the antagonist will first try to ignore a scandal, then try to make it seem less than what it is but once papers like the New York Times write the original story covering it, you can contain it no longer. Welcome to Nevada, home of a PR scandal.
News
1 New York Times:
Nevada’s Solar Bait-and-Switch
2 Seeking Alpha:
Why Solar Stocks Have Immense Upside Despite Current Pessimism
3 Rocky Mountain Institute:
As Oil Prices Gyrate, Underlying Trends Are Shifting To Oil's Disadvantage
4 Think Progress:
Why The Renewables Revolution Is Now Unstoppable
5 PV-Tech:
Warning that Japan’s auctions could cap new PV at 2GW a year and signal end of FiT
6 PV-Magazine:
Germany - Solar installs just 1.37 GW in 2015
7 Utility Dive:
17% of Hawaiian Electric customers now have rooftop solar
8 Newsweek:
GOOGLE TESTS SOLAR-POWERED '5G' INTERNET DRONES
Opinions:
9 Renew Economy:
Was the renewables industry better off under Abbott than Turnbull?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for February1st, 2016
About 5 years ago, as solar modules cleared the $2/watt, I was speaking with some colleagues about the opportunity that the industry would have if modules went to $1/watt. Today’s top story talks about solar costs at $0.40/watt which allows the manufacturer to push some profits while the value chain becomes more competitive. It’s a great time to be in solar, teams are coming together with more capital and ITC runway. Point is, solar is in a good place and time for execution.
News
1 Seeking Alpha:
In The Solar Industry, 40 Is The New 50
2 Huffington Post:
Civil War on Your Rooftop
3 PV-Tech:
SolarCity chief – California net metering decision part of new energy paradigm
4 The Energy Collective:
Using Clean Power To Get Off The Grid
5 PV-Magazine:
New York includes subsidies for nukes
6 Treehugger:
France to pave 1000km of roads with solar panels
7 The Guardian:
What is holding back the growth of solar power?
8 Motley Fool:
The Best Solar Stocks for 2016
Opinions:
9 CleanTechnica:
The Net Metering Disconnect
Have a great day!
Yann
These are the top 10 most read solar articles by your peers this week!
News
1 Motley Fool:
Are These Two Solar Stocks About to Explode?
2 TechCrunch:
How Solar Software Can Save The World
3 Yahoo:
Einhorn's Greenlight seeks sale of solar company SunEdison
4 Seeking Alpha:
Vivint Solar Files Its Proxy Statement For The SunEdison Acquisition
5 New York Times:
California Votes to Retain System That Pays Solar Users Retail Rate for Excess Power
6 Treehugger:
1.2-million sq. ft. solar panel 'Gigafactory' in Buffalo almost ready, will make 1 GW/year
7 New York Times:
Under Pressure, SunEdison Gives David Einhorn’s Fund a Board Seat
8 Bloomberg:
California to Decide Fate of Solar in Biggest U.S. Market
9 Vox:
How big a deal was Congress extending the renewable energy tax credits? A very, very big deal.
10 San Francisco Chronicle:
How much is your solar power worth? The fight over solar’s future
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 January 29th, 2016
There you have it. By a 3 to 2 vote, the California PUC revamped the net energy metering policy. NEM 2.0, as its known, will feature a few common sense adaptations including a preset interconnection fee for residential, a time of use factor and adjustment for some societal benefits chargers paid by all consumers. The known benefit of distributed solar will continue in California so that homeowners can save money and other consumers benefit from a more stable energy system. As the CPUC said, the vote means more choice, more control and more responsibility over energy issues.
News
1 New York Times:
California Votes to Retain System That Pays Solar Users Retail Rate for Excess Power
2 Los Angeles Times:
California solar owners face new fees, utilities say costs should be higher
3 PV-Tech:
Solving the soft-cost puzzle
4 Solar Industry:
Solar-Plus-Storage Market Poised To Reach $8 Billion In 2026
5 Utility Dive:
Ohio Gov. Kasich pledges to reinstate clean energy standards if lawmakers try to cut them
6 Rocky Mountain Institute:
Spark - New Report - Financial Benefits of Home Energy Upgrades
7 Fast Co.Exist:
If The Price Of Solar Falls As Fast As Other Technologies, The World Can Breathe Easier
8 Bloomberg:
Doing the Math - Why China's Exports Aren't Adding Up
Opinions:
9 NRDC:
Senate Energy Bill Makes Important Steps Forward But Still Has Problems
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for January 28th, 2016
The SunEdison topic continues to be in the news and I am rooting for the great team to work themselves out of the issues they are going through. There are good people at the company that we share an industry with. About a year ago, a David Einhorn powerpoint made the rounds that spoke about the great business model and growth of the company. Yesterday, the company and hedge fund agreed to some corporate governance and board seat. Vivint Solar also filed the proxy for the sale to SunEdison and assets to Terraform.
News
1 Seeking Alpha:
Vivint Solar Files Its Proxy Statement For The SunEdison Acquisition
2 New York Times:
Under Pressure, SunEdison Adds David Einhorn to Board
3 Vox:
How big a deal was Congress extending the renewable energy tax credits? A very, very big deal.
4 Greentech Media:
What’s at Stake in California’s Coming Net Metering 2.0 Decision
5 Bloomberg:
California to Decide Fate of Solar in Biggest U.S. Market
6 NRDC:
K-Solar Lets the Sunshine In
7 Renewable Energy World:
Coalition of States Asks US Supreme Court to Stay Clean Power Plan
8 Nasdaq:
Coal Will Struggle To Survive Australian Solar Surge
Opinions:
9 Utility Dive:
How utilities and regulators differ in their approaches to distributed energy
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for January 27th, 2016
Keep your eyes out for stories from California as the CPUC could vote on the NEM 2.0 rules this week. If you are in CA, make sure to get involved in rallies and calls to action. This week, IREC and Vote Solar released their annual Free the Grid Report. The report does a great job of showing the success of solar throughout the Country so take a look in today’s top link.
News
1 IREC:
IREC and Vote Solar Release 2015 Freeing the Grid
2 San Francisco Chronicle:
How much is your solar power worth? The fight over solar’s future
3 Huffington Post:
Supreme Court Rejects Fossil Power's Effort to Stifle the Clean Competition
4 PV-Magazine:
Egypt preps tender for 30 GW of energy projects
5 Grist:
How to tell the story of climate change, in photos
6 CleanTechnica:
US Could Cut Energy Production Emissions By 78% In 15 Years, Says NOAA
7 Greentech Media:
From Narcos to Natural Gas, a Solar Developer Considers the Risks of Mexico’s Solar Market
8 Zacks:
How to Add Solar Energy to Your Portfolio
Opinions:
9 Think Progress:
Florida Mayors Want To Give Bush And Rubio A Climate Science Lesson
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for January 26th, 2016
I've been pondering the question asked by GTM's CEO yesterday. What if other States retroactively changes their net metering policies. Then I naturally took it a bit further. Why does it stop with solar policy? Why can't regulators change the rules on other energy topics, like lower the return on capital to utilities retroactively 5% which is nothing compared to changing the NV policy. This power move by NV Energy should send shivers down the Berkshire Hathaway spine. Wells Fargo, Geico, NetJets, and Mid American are all highly regulated entities that operate under the purview of regulators. If a regulatory body is willing to change a solar rule, they would be willing to change something else. And that's a scary thought.
News
1 Greentech Media:
What If Nevada’s Solar Regulators Came to Massachusetts?
2 Motley Fool:
Are These Two Solar Stocks About to Explode?
3 Albuquerque Journal:
Solar industry urges extension of New Mexico tax credit
4 Treehugger:
1.2-million sq. ft. solar panel 'Gigafactory' in Buffalo almost ready, will make 1 GW/year
5 CleanTechnica:
Global Revenue From Solar PV Installations Expected To Reach More Than $1.2 Trillion
6 PV-Magazine:
It’s official - China has the most solar PV installed globally
7 Utility Dive:
10 state rooftop solar debates to watch in 2016 and beyond
8 Yahoo:
Einhorn's Greenlight seeks sale of solar company SunEdison
Opinions:
9 NRDC:
U.S. Supreme Court Decision - Demand Response Forces Awaken
Have a great day!
Yann
