Also on the rise: NPPD shops for 2 million MWh of renewables, JV will fuel ReneSola expansion, Canadian Solar sells a project stake, and natural gas rebounds after a lousy 2020.

Also on the rise: Wisconsin to revise dated DER rules, Massachusetts sets a course for 2050 energy goals, Sungrow notches an inverter delivery milestone, and a 1.6 MW solar carport enters service in New Jersey.

Solar is big enough now that its soft costs are a real drag on local economic activity. Soft costs in the U.S. defy the example of other countries that install solar at one-third the cost because of how the steps that drive soft costs have been structured.

Also on the rise: An innovative program brings solar to a school district, a Canadian investment group buys a 563 MW portfolio of renewable capacity, and developers want to build solar in the heart of Wyoming’s coal country.

Nearly 1.4 GW of battery energy storage capacity is under construction and slated for delivery during 2021, according to data from FERC and DOE.

Also on the rise: Fluence gains an investor, Cap Dynamics buys an Arizona solar facility, and legislation would boost DER as a safeguard in wildfire-prone California.

AES and Siemens will remain major shareholders and will continue to support Fluence’s long-term growth. The company currently has 2.4 GW of projects deployed or awarded across 24 countries and territories worldwide.

Also on the rise: Canada an an EV supply hub; SEIA board expansion; a trio of projects explore energy storage + fossil; things are looking up for JinkoSolar down under

Across the country, more than three dozen solar projects with nameplate capacities of at least 100 MW are slated to enter service in 2021. The Texas oil patch is on track to host the largest of these.

Utility regulators approved Xcel Energy’s plan to spend $102 million over three years to build charging stations, incentivize homeowners to install charging equipment and provide support for converting school buses, government and business fleets to electric.