Energy Transition Jobs: Plug Power readies for M&A with new VP, plus Solaria, Samsung SDI, Aurora Solar, QuantumScape
Executive jobs and job moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance.
Solar 2020 year in review: Thriving markets despite a pandemic, import tariffs and expensive PV
We cover residential resilience, tariff trouble, big Texas solar, storage everywhere, IPOs, interconnection queues and more in a review of this difficult, ridiculous, successful year. Next year will be better.
Morning Brief: Swell raises $450M for VPPs, Terra-Gen and Mortenson start on world’s largest standalone solar and storage project
Also in the brief: CPS Energy opened bidding last week on a contract that will double its solar capacity and add 500 MW of backup power to the grid.
Morning Brief: Brookfield to buy Exelon’s solar business for $810 million, NRG Energy issues $900 million in sustainability-linked bond
Also in the brief: Panasonic’s new solar modules
QuantumScape finally unstealths — with breakthrough performance in solid state batteries
After ten secretive years, several hundred million dollars spent, and the efforts of hundreds of scientists and engineers, QuantumScape went public on a video call today with the performance results of its solid-state battery — and its potential impact on the electric vehicle industry.
Morning Brief: Tesla’s lack of diversity, 7X Energy partners with Nestlé as tax equity investor for 250 MW solar project
Also in the brief: Senators optimistic that a bipartisan energy bill could be passed this year, CESA released a study that found a need for up 55 GW of long duration energy storage in California by 2045.
Morning Brief: Loanpal’s record originations means residential solar is going strong, SCE adds 590 MW of energy storage
Also in the brief: The American-made solar prize, and six Clearway Community Solar projects kick off construction across Illinois
The unglamorous approach to impact investing in energy
In the fashionable world of “impact” investing, often the least sexy investment makes the most impact; nowhere is this truer than in the energy sector
Morning Brief: Energy transition SPAC spreadsheet, Ørsted goes big on solar, Tesla’s lack of diversity
Also in the brief: Tesla’s first-ever Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Impact report shows the Elon Musk-helmed EV pioneer’s U.S. leadership is 83% male, and 59% white. Joe Biden weighs the 25% China import tariff, Some Cadillac dealers choose not to invest in an EV future.
SPAC, the final frontier: QuantumScape raises $680M for advanced EV batteries, TJ Rodgers raises $200M in SPAC IPOs, plus EVs galore and Stem
Once sort of disreputable, the SPAC is now a “financial innovation” and a “funding mechanism for ambitious companies who are in the midst of a growth phase-change,” in the eyes of some investors. Here’s a roundup.
