The Jobs Census. While the pandemic took some air out of the jobs market in the solar industry, our productivity increased a great deal. We’re now seeing the lack of workers in solar once again while seeing backlogs and pipelines expand across the market ecosystem. Without a doubt, pipeline of trained workers is a crucial piece of the pie.

Busy Week. Sorry for the lack of content this week, it’s been a busy week at FlexGen and I will be getting back to your regularly scheduled programming next week. Have a great weekend!

• Solar Builder: Solar needs 4x more jobs to hit U.S. energy goals and more stats from Solar Jobs Census
• Reuters: Renewables to grow far faster than oil sector expects, Rystad says
• PV-Tech: Sunrun raises 2021 guidance after Q1 installs break seasonal records
• RMI: Six Innovative Funding Methods to Achieve Climate Action and Equity in US Cities
• Energy Storage News: UK solar investor Foresight Solar Fund makes first battery storage project acquisition
• Canary Media: Arizona rejects plan for 100% carbon-free electricity
• PV-Magazine: Greenbacker buys one of Montana’s largest solar projects

 Opinion

• The Hill: Granholm backs wind and solar in Biden bid to decarbonize electricity

Best, Yann

• PV-Magazine: These countries are the world’s best for renewable energy investment
• Reuters: SunPower backs view on strong rooftop solar demand, Biden policy support
• Canary Media: Utilities can’t be for the Paris Agreement and against building electrification
• NJ Biz: PSE&G to sell solar subsidiary to LS Power affiliate
• Energy Storage News: Retrofit and community energy projects to add 1,200MWh of battery capacity to California grid
• Utility Dive: HECO chafes at Hawaii PUC’s conditions on new battery project, saying they could deter deployment
• Solar Power World: Enel announces new solar + storage projects in Texas

 Opinion

• Axios: The supply crunch that could slow the climate fight

Best, Yann

24 By 7 Procurement. Corporate renewable energy purchasing is headed to the next phase and it is going to impact ecosystems across the market. Corporates have reached their 100% renewable energy goal and now going to the time matching of procurement and usage. Google Cloud is announcing that they are partnering with AES to buy renewable energy matched to their usage. This is a little fish in a big ocean way to do it but here are two things that will happen next. Data centers will go first, not only those that are exclusive to big corporates, but data centers that are providing services to companies will have to match renewable energy to their consumption in order to retain their customer base. Second, renewable energy generators will have to learn to shape their curve. Imagine having to reengineer the 8760 forecast based on the consumption curve of the off taker. Careful though, missing your production could mean having to go to the market to make up the energy and leave you naked on the hedge. 

• Bloomberg: Solar Industry Crimped by Supply-Chain and Logistical Challenges
• Axios: What’s next for Google’s data center carbon plan
• Reuters: Oil and gas investor EnCap raises $1.2 billion energy transition fund
• PV-Tech: Amp Energy plans 1.3GW of solar at South Australia renewables hub
• Solar Power World: NREL to hand off management of SolarAPP+ to UL to expedite rollout
• Energy Storage News: California electric system operator CAISO prepares to ‘embrace historic tide’ of energy storage
• Canary Media: Can a new SunShot push the US toward 100% clean energy?

 Opinion

• PV-Magazine: Shoals reports 12% revenue growth, plots to accelerate its EV charging strategy

Best, Yann

May The 4th. May the force of all the regulatory, policy and market tailwinds be with you. EPA is back to protecting the environment from greenhouse gases.

• Axios: EPA moves to phase down powerful greenhouse gas
• Reuters: U.S. approves massive solar project in California desert
• Utility Dive: NREL app expected to significantly speed up US residential solar permitting
• PV-Magazine: Most LMI solar programs lack strong evaluation metrics, report says
• NJ Spotlight: Can NJ entice solar developers while reining in costs? Latest round of arguments
• Bloomberg: Coal Is Getting Even Closer to the End of Its Line
• PV-Tech: Solarcentury retires brand as it fully joins Statkraft
• Solar Power World: Virginia State Corporation Commission approves nearly 500 MW of new solar projects for Dominion Energy
• Energy Storage News: Innovative battery solutions and electric vehicles are solar energy’s strongest allies

 Opinion

• Canary Media: BMW, Ford bet $130M on Solid Power’s advanced batteries for electric vehicles

Best, Yann