This is your SolarWakeup for July 25th, 2023
Opinion
News
1 Reuters:
Canada's Heliene plans new US solar panel and cell factory
2 PV-Magazine:
2 GW Meyer Burger solar cell factory in Colorado, hints of more coming
3 Bloomberg:
Chevron Considers Lithium Production in Latest EV Bet by Big Oil
4 Wall Street Journal:
China Dominates Solar. Does the U.S. Stand a Chance?
5 PV-Tech:
Japanese corporation Itochu to invest US$2 billion in renewables in North America
6 Politico:
Biden’s clean energy goals have a union problem
7 Energy Storage News:
Community energy storage developer NineDot gets US$25 million financing from NYSERDA
8 Canary Media:
A dispatch from the dawn of the green hydrogen era
Opinions:
9 Axios:
How Trump could slow the U.S. EV transition
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 24th, 2023
Opinion
News
1 Utility Dive:
Investor interest in energy storage back on track after slow first quarter
2 Axios:
Relentless U.S. heat wave is likely to extend into August
3 Reuters:
California has enough power during heat wave after Thursday emergency
4 PV-Tech:
Utility-scale solar to overtake coal in North Carolina’s electricity generation
5 Energy Storage News:
Spain could eliminate economic curtailment of renewables’ with 15GW of long-duration energy storage
6 PV-Magazine:
Array Technologies to secure domestically made steel from new mill in Texas
Opinions:
7 Bloomberg:
John Kerry's China Trip Was Not a Total Climate Loss
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 21th, 2023
Opinion
News
1 Utility Dive:
House panel discusses grid threats
2 Bloomberg:
Making Solar Panels Is 'Horrible' Business. The US Still Wants It.
3 Axios:
The 15 hottest days, in the world's hottest month
4 Reuters:
Biden's tough sell in Pennsylvania - green energy to union workers
5 PV-Tech:
Tesla solar deployment drops 38% in Q2 2023 to 66MW
6 Solar Power World:
Over 100 advocacy groups push for solar above all government-owned canals
7 PV-Magazine:
New York Green Bank provides $25 million credit debt facility for energy storage
Opinions:
8 New York Times:
Why Heat Waves Are Deepening China’s Addiction to Coal
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 20th, 2023
It’s Getting Hot In Here. I’ve written about it the heat for what seems like months at this point. I’ve also been living in it as have many of you. Look at the headlines from today, Miami, Arizona and Texas all making the news because of the consistent heat. Step into the ocean near where I live and you find the water to be in the high 90s, bringing too much reality to the saying that the ocean is like a hot tub. I can only imagine what my utility is seeing on the demand side, 40 straight days over 100 degree heat index and reduced cooling efficiencies at the power plants.
But What To Do. The problem is that we’re not going to solve this years grid problem by next year at the rate that we’re going. Building a solar farm or storage project means at least a year in good times and likely a late 2024 or 2025 endeavor at this point given where the interconnection queue is.
News
2 Energy Storage News:
NYISO studies ‘unique characteristics’ of energy storage as a transmission asset
3 Utility Dive:
US utility-scale solar outlook improves on easing supply chain limits
4 Bloomberg:
EU Lawmakers Ease Concerns on Power Market Intervention
5 Axios:
U.S.-China climate talks are back on track — with obstacles
6 Canary MEdia:
Big companies seek new paths to deep grid decarbonization
7 Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Nevada leads nation in solar industry jobs, report says
Opinions:
8 Reuters:
Abu Dhabi's Masdar eyeing acquisition targets in US, Europe expansion
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 19th, 2023
It’s Getting Hot In Here. I’ve written about it the heat for what seems like months at this point. I’ve also been living in it as have many of you. Look at the headlines from today, Miami, Arizona and Texas all making the news because of the consistent heat. Step into the ocean near where I live and you find the water to be in the high 90s, bringing too much reality to the saying that the ocean is like a hot tub. I can only imagine what my utility is seeing on the demand side, 40 straight days over 100 degree heat index and reduced cooling efficiencies at the power plants.
But What To Do. The problem is that we’re not going to solve this years grid problem by next year at the rate that we’re going. Building a solar farm or storage project means at least a year in good times and likely a late 2024 or 2025 endeavor at this point given where the interconnection queue is.
News
1 Axios:
Miami's worst heat wave breaks records on land and sea
2 Bloomberg:
Extreme Heat Drives Texas Power Demand to Another Record
3 Reuters:
Arizona power demand breaks records during heatwave
4 New York Times:
So far, Europe’s electricity systems are coping with the heat.
5 Utility Dive:
Battery storage systems could face rapid asset degradation, especially with arbitrage - Fitch
6 CNBC:
Solar and wind are set to produce a third of global electricity in 7 years. How to invest behind it
7 PV-Tech:
“It’s going to be a big ask” - IRA’s domestic content adders leave the PV industry with questions
8 Energy Storage News:
NYISO studies ‘unique characteristics’ of energy storage as a transmission asset
9 PV-Magazine:
Solar power purchase agreement pricing is finally cooling
Opinions:
10 Canary Media:
Are EV chargers a cybersecurity risk?
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 18th, 2023
Opinion
News
1 PV Magazine:
Massachusetts greenlights 800 MWh battery energy storage facilities
2 Canary Media:
Another major utility is accelerating its transition to renewables
3 Energy Storage News:
Facing unprecedented growth in electrical demand, Ontario turns to renewables, storage and nuclear
4 PV Tech:
The importance of data around extreme weather and variability in solar PV
5 Reuters:
Texas power use hits record high as heatwave lingers
6 Axios:
What this summer's weather reveals about climate change
7 Utility Dive:
Transmission development pace ‘severely’ limits renewable energy, carbon reduction potential - report
8 Bloomberg:
Schwarzenegger Came to Washington to Talk Climate Change With McCarthy, White House
9 Electrek:
Tesla launches ‘Charge on Solar’ to charge your cars with sunshine
10 Wall Street Journal:
Can Solar Energy Save the Crumbling Electric Grid During Heatwaves?
Opinions:
11 New York Times:
America Can’t Build a Green Economy Without China
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 17th, 2023
That’s Not Their Job. Possibility does not imply responsibility. One deal that consumers, government and utilities made in return for favorable regulatory proceedings like monopolies and franchise agreements was the responsibility to serve. That means that when you want to turn on the lights or hospitals run an X-ray machine, it works. Climate is making it more complex for grids to operate and an evolving generating portfolio means that complexity includes the dimension of time. But needing to count on your car to provide power to your house in the event of backup is insanity. While it sounds cool, you could have also plugged an extension cord into your combustion engine truck or run a generator as a backup. However, none of these scenarios create monetary value for the user which is what is supposed to happen if the grid ‘needs’ you to provide your own power. Grid operators could look at the EV increases on the grid and rightfully say, we will dispatch your vehicle and pay you X dollars to do so, if they ‘need’ those resources to keep the lights on. Of course they could simply say, if you reduce your homes load, we’ll pay you those same dollars but they do neither.
News
1 New York Times:
A New Job for Electric Vehicles - Powering Homes During Blackouts
2 Utility Dive:
US grid congestion costs jumped 56% to $20.8B in 2022 - report
3 Reuters:
US, China aim to revive climate cooperation as tensions simmer
4 Bloomberg:
How China’s Renewables Boom Is Fueling Its Coal Expansion
5 Axios:
Dangerous heat wave spreads across southern U.S.
6 Solar Power World:
Pegasus Solar debuts solar roof mount with pre-installed sealant
7 Energy Storage News:
Norway’s FREYR Battery gets €100 million EU grant for Giga Arctic factory
8 Canary Media:
Chart - The US is now exporting more LNG than ever before
9 PV-Magazine:
State climate policies that can make a difference
Opinions:
10 PV-Tech:
CEO Alliance calls for faster and simplified permitting procedures
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 14th, 2023
Shell’s (Possible) Move. Interesting to read that the CEO of Shell is publicly considering a sale of the renewable power unit. I say interesting because Shell was founded on the basis of the energy transition from coal to oil. It was the British Navy’s decision to use oil as the fuel that not only created a major market for Shell but ultimately built the BP empire. Now that the transition from molecules to electrons is happening, it would make sense for the oil majors to lean in on the transformation and recognize that batteries are the new oil tankers and generation is the commodity feeding the growing energy demand across the world. Given how portfolio sales have priced recently (see Duke), now wouldn’t be the greatest time to make this move.
Arbitrage Value. Curtailment is an unfortunate side effect of renewable resource growth in the market. The sun shines when the sun shines and wind is similar. With curtailment comes inherent value of arbitrage because the delta between time X and time Y expands if time X (time of production) goes to 0.
Happy Birthday! To my oldest son, turning 13 today!
The Lender You Can Depend On. In a market that is full of uncertainty, you can rely on Dividend Finance to bring you white glove service to help you reach your long-term goals. Apply Here
News
1 Bloomberg:
Shell Explores Selling Stake in Renewable Power Unit
2 Reuters:
Energy curtailments likely to rise as Texas wind and solar capacity increases -EIA
3 Utility Dive:
DTE Electric agrees to speed Michigan coal plant retirements, renewable and energy storage buildout
4 PV-Tech:
Aquila and Trina sign 800MW European module supply deal
5 New York Times:
Republicans Assail Kerry’s Climate Strategy as He Prepares for China Talks
6 Energy Storage News:
Residential battery installations grew 83% in Europe in 2022
7 PV-Magazine:
Michigan utility settlement revises resource plan to add 3.8 GW of renewables
Opinions:
8 Vox:
Climate change is already making parts of America uninsurable
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 13th, 2023
The Lender You Can Depend On. In a market that is full of uncertainty, you can rely on Dividend Finance to bring you white glove service to help you reach your long-term goals. Apply Here
News
1 Bloomberg:
Texas Power Use Hits Record as Solar, Wind Keep Grid Running
2 Reuters:
High river temperatures to limit French nuclear power production
3 Utility Dive:
Volkswagen overhauls its charging and energy business
4 Axios:
Expanding heat wave leaves more than 112 million under alerts
6 Energy Storage News:
Eku Energy and Renera to develop 1GW of battery storage in Italy
7 Canary Media:
Can mobile batteries make dirty diesel generators obsolete?
8 PV-Magazine:
Florida municipal solar project expands to 600 MW
Opinions:
9 New York Times:
The Energy Transition Is Underway. Fossil Fuel Workers Could Be Left Behind.
Have a great day!
Yann
This is your SolarWakeup for July 12th, 2023
Texas Breaks Records. Hard to fathom that ERCOT is forecasting peak demand of over 82GW several times in the next week. Not just for this individual moment with less than 10% capacity reserve margin but for what that means in the future. This week I wrote about the global temperatures causing family members across Europe to install air conditioners in their homes, when they never had to in the past. Along the electrification that consumers are going through with appliances and electric vehicles, the grid has the added strain of the real energy transition. As a society we will use more and more energy, that's the natural course of progress. The energy transition is electrification, shifting more of the energy from molecules to electrons and the grid has to be resilient and therefore intelligent enough to let the lights stay on every time the consumer wants or more critical applications like hospitals require. (originally posted on my Linkedin)
The Lender You Can Depend On. In a market that is full of uncertainty, you can rely on Dividend Finance to bring you white glove service to help you reach your long-term goals. Apply Here
News
1 Reuters:
Texas power demand to hit record highs again as heat bakes state
2 Axios:
Why the high price of modernizing the U.S. power grid is worth it
3 New York Times:
When Climate Change Hits Home
4 Bloomberg:
AI Trading Is Playing a Growing Role in Europe’s Power Bills
5 Energy Storage News:
ASEAN regulators’ involvement with energy storage lags behind renewable energy support
6 Utility Dive:
EV batteries can be repurposed as grid storage to reduce battery supply chain impacts - report
7 Canary Media:
Biggest offshore wind farm in the US gets the go-ahead
8 PV-Magazine:
Insurer to cover up to $20 million in damage limits for solar projects
Opinions:
9 Politico:
Utilities to Biden’s carbon capture money - Meh
Have a great day!
Yann
