Is FERC Order 2222 enough to push virtual power plants into the energy mainstream?
Aggregating DERs via virtual power plants has customers, utilities and financiers all ready to buy in. With FERC Order 2222, the question for two California aggregators is whether their models will play in less DER-friendly markets.
California plans for summer 2021 with 2,000 MW of new storage
CAISO’s new CEO says that rolling blackouts last August were a pivotal moment for the state. For 2021, he is focused on ensuring the grid has ample resources — including DERs — and well-functioning markets.
Illinois regulators restore retail-rate net metering
The Illinois Commerce Commission says no to Ameren’s claim it had reached a 5% cap for retail-rate net metering in its service territory, siding with advocates who figured the real percentage was around 1.4%,
CSP startup Heliogen scores $39 million in DOE funding for supercritical CO2 project
Startup founded by serial entrepreneur Bill Gross seeks to revitalize CSP with sCO2 technology that lowers costs, water usage, equipment size and plant footprint — and supports industrial applications in which PV may not be able to compete.
Will clean energy SPACs survive current Wall Street bubble?
The experts say yes. SPACs representing $53 billion in investments accounted for about half of all IPOs this year — providing a pathway to public markets for emerging clean tech companies developing disruptive, pre-revenue technologies.
Bloomberg NEF’s Jenny Chase still has unpopular opinions about solar
Bloomberg NEF’s head solar analyst, Jenny Chase is decidedly unimpressed with perovskite, floating solar (solar onna boat) or — as of her latest #unpopularopinions on solar thread on Twitter — agrivoltaics (solar onna field).
Politicians talk a green game, but do they have solar on their home rooftops?
The Solar Power Challenge website aims to identify the politicians who support solar and have the rooftop panels at home to prove it. The results will not surprise you.
Trump pulls tariff exemption for bifacial panels — again
Proclamation issued Oct. 10 cites impact of imported bifacial panels on U.S. solar manufacturing, while also raising the scheduled fourth-year tariff rate from 15% to 18%.
Project Sunlight wants to scale low-income solar nationwide — without subsidies
The end goal of the three-year project is to use market-based financing to install 20 MW of low-income community solar at multifamily affording housing, while trimming 20% off subscribers’ electricity bills.
US corporate solar market grew by 1.3 GW in 2019, reaching 8.3 GW total
SEIA’s Solar Means Business report finds that low prices and climate change commitments continue to drive strong corporate interest in solar and storage. Apple, Amazon and Walmart lead the list of top players.
