Solar In Illinois. The Illinois Power Agency is looking to finalize the adjustable block program which will be key to the distributed and community solar markets in the midwest’s solar market. SolarWakeup Live will start the full day looking into the market with the director of the IPA, which on June 21st will likely have the rules finalized, so that you can get on the ground and moving forward. We have a few more sponsor spots for the event (email me) and tickets are available at solarwakeuplive.com.

Coal Collusion. Looks like coal magnate, Bob Murray, got what he wanted from Trump on the 1-year anniversary of announcing the departure of the Paris agreement. The best response going around about this announcement is from the PJM twitter account. To date, PJM has not been notified by governing agencies to prop up coal plants yet but expect that to happen. The way for the government to really prop up these plants without picking winners would also cause the value of solar generation to increase which then causes the demise of coal to quicken. So here we are, throwing wind to the free market, rules be damned.

Arizona Plea Deals Rejected. This is your reminder that the original sin in fighting solar net metering is still embroiled in a federal grand jury investigation. Now there’s news that a former regulator and lobbyist are rejecting plea deals in the case. When I read this, I can’t help but to think of the many ex parte communications happening every day across the Country and we may be better off when the power isn’t concentrated to the monopolies anymore. Just a thought.

Thoughts On NV Energy. The gigawatt of solar represents the value of solar in high irradiance areas, like Nevada. Also, I’d be amazed if storage isn’t closer to 2GWh than the 400MWh outlined in the proposal. Let’s revisit this in a few years.

Slowing Chinese Solar. New rules from the Chinese government have caused a few people off guard. This is perhaps a sign of the strength of the global markets. Imagine what else would be possible with the trade wars.

Quality Of Resi Solar. Australia has been growing distributed solar in a big way and a lot of it has to do with the ease of installing solar on homes. Little delay between selling and installation means consumers are happy. With the ability to review the installs later on, gives the consumer advocate a way to make sure installers are doing a good job and there is some work to do. In the US, we need to do more to get closer to an instant solar process. We also need to do more in having the solar industry regulated by solar experts. We will be discussing this in much greater detail this summer but ponder how the solar industry could ensure that consumers are getting great solar.

• SolarWakeup: UPDATE – Trump Throws Free Market Principles Out Window On Behalf Of Coal, Nuke Plants
• AZ Daily Sun: Plea deals offered in utility bribery trial
• SolarWakeup: NV Energy Unveils Massive Solar, Storage Plans
• Global Times: China cuts solar subsidies to curb industry overheating
• Sydney Morning Herald: One in five rooftop solar units deficient, official figures show
• Greentech Media: Breaking Down the Opposition to DOE’s Emergency Coal and Nuclear Bailout Plan
• New York Times: A Year After Trump’s Paris Pullout, U.S. Companies Are Driving a Renewables Boom
• SolarWakeup: PPL Corporation Acquires Safari Energy 

Opinion

• SolarWakeup: The Energy Show – John Farrell on Why It Costs More For Utilities to Sell Power

Have a great day!

Yann

Bad wifi on the plane means no column this morning. Have a great weekend and I will see you all on Monday. Let’s get ready for a strong June to close our Q2 in a great way! SolarWakeuplive.com to register for our Chicago event.

• SolarWakeup: Minnesota Forges New Rules For Easier Clean-Energy Interconnection
• PV-Tech: Why Trump shouldn’t revel in latest US solar manufacturing expansions
• CNN: Trump hits allies with metal tariffs; Mexico, EU and Canada vow to retaliate
• ILSR: Failed Ballot Measure for City-Owned Utility in Decorah Demands “Serious Reconsideration” of Process
• Vox: Europe is building more wind and solar — without any subsidies
• Scientific American: How the World Is Coping 1 Year after Trump Abandoned Paris Climate Pact
• KCUR: Kansas Regulators OK Merger Of Westar And Great Plains, State’s Two Largest Electric Utilities
• Tech Radar: Google really wants you to get some solar panels

Opinion

• Utility Dive: Will batteries do for wind what they’re doing for solar?

Have a great day!

Yann

Learn This, Import License Fee. Here is the thing for you to think about going forward with the global solar economy. As we read about new plants in the US, product is coming and going across borders. Silicon, wafers, cells, glass, back sheets etc, are made all over the world. Some innovative companies like SunPower will have an onshore/offshore strategy which creates the best blend of lead times, cost of goods and types of products the market wants. Tariffs just increase the cost of the products across the value chain and nobody benefits. If instead, we had an import license fee on modules, the market would be able to pay for local module assembly manufacturing. Any module that comes into the market from abroad would create a pool of capital from the ILF that gets distributed to domestic manufacturers. So using an example that has both on and off shore manufacturing equally, the manufacturer ends up basically being tariff free. This ensures the solar market gets low cost solar while benefitting local manufacturing. Best of both worlds!

Growing Choice In Illinois. As policy fights in energy come up, I see a natural ally for solar in the retail energy companies. Utilities see this alignment as well and fight the consumer choice rules that allow retail energy providers to compete for consumers’ business. This is happening in Illinois right now. As a tangent, this affects community solar in a big way because the rules could overlap. Learn more about community solar and adjustable block grants in Illinois at SolarWakeup Live! Chicago on June 21st. Early bird pricing ends today so get your ticket today!

EVs For Everyone. EVs everywhere, that is a future of our transportation sector that I can get behind. This isn’t just for your Tesla owners, this is a 40x growth of where we are today in the next 10 years. The future includes electric buses and scooters in addition to cars. Add this to the retirement of coal and gas peaker plants, we’re going to need a lot of solar to be built in that same time frame.

Solar Powered Peaches. Hanwha is setting up an assembly plant in Georgia which is great news. I will note once more, this has very little to do with 201. This has to do with the value of supply chain and the growth of the markets on the East Coast. The Jacksonville and Savannah ports are massive distribution hubs with rail that goes up and down the coast. 201 supporters can save their happy dance for another argument.

• SolarWakeup: Import License Fees – A Reasoned Argument For A Tariff Alternative
• SolarWakeup: Are Renewables Being Targeted In Illinois Despite Public Support?
• CNBC: Electric vehicles will grow from 3 million to 125 million by 2030, International Energy Agency forecasts
• PV-Tech: Hanwha Q CELLS to build new US factory in excess of 1.6GW
• ABC: How being prepared for hurricane season starts with solar power in one Puerto Rico town
• The State: SC solar opponents skipping key facts
• Greentech Media: California and the Southwest Excel in New Ranking of Top Performing Solar Projects
• Utility Dive: N.J. sets ‘aggressive’ 2 GW storage target by 2030

Opinion

• Fast Company: Solar is starting to replace the largest coal plant in the western U.S.

Have a great day!

Yann

The Bridge Fuel To Solar. Utilities and IPPs, like Vista Energy, are showing the future of the grid by announcing intentions to build more solar and less natural gas. If natural gas was the bridge fuel, the future costs of solar and storage may be the land on the other side of the moat. This is a space to keep your eyes on as a critical power market intent, especially when it comes from IPPs that benefit from more consumer retail choice. Having forward thinking allies on our side could be a great partnership in the future.

Policy Advocacy Works. SolarCity used to spend a ton of human and financial capital on policy in the US, on their own and in partnership with advocacy groups. Since the acquisition by Tesla, the company has been quieter on policy, not necessarily absent but a lot quieter. With the news out of Australia, it appears that it may be a US internal policy to stay out of the limelight but this is a great reminder that policy advocacy is an important part of our work. Can you commit one hour of legislative outreach in June? Meet with a State rep, Member of Congress or your mayor?

Great Benchmark In Haiti. Having lived in South Florida for most of my life it’s great to see some positive news out of Haiti. Glad to show off the results of solar leaders that have pushed for more solar to be built their and drive some economic growth in the space.

Cost Of Inaction. Trillions of lost economic growth due to inaction on climate issues. This is on top of the cost of inaction that drive more damage to our society and infrastructure. Pennywise, pound foolish is the saying you are looking for.

Taking It Up A Notch. Bam! Vote Solar, ELPC, SEIA, and others are appealing the Michigan commissions decision to approve the DTE natural gas plant. At the very least I hope that the legal tie-up lasts long enough for DTE to see the virtue in our argument and rescind the request to build the gas plant.

• SolarWakeup: No New Natural Gas Plants For Vistra, Dominion, As Solar Soars, Reuters Reports
• Renew Economy: Tesla leads charge against generators over market access
• SolarWakeup: Haiti Hits Solar Benchmarks As Electrification Drive Continues
• Think Progress: Trump’s abandonment of Paris climate deal to cost U.S. economy trillions, new study reveals
• Vote Solar: Groups Appeal Michigan Commission Decision to Approve DTE Energy’s Proposed $1 Billion Gas Plant
• Utility Dive: South Carolina regulators reject rehearing for controversial SCE&G solar rates
• Renewable Energy World: Amazon’s Onsite Solar Just Went Up a Notch
• EDF: New report – 5 energy innovations that Ohio can use to attract $25 billion in investment

Opinion

• GreenBiz: Why corporate tax savings should be held to a higher standard

Have a great day!

Yann