Solar industry should focus on virtual power plants, says DOE’s Jigar Shah
With the days of solar net metering “numbered” and more utilities looking to deploy virtual power plants that compensate owners of distributed storage, industry veteran Jigar Shah sees virtual power plants as a route to industry success.
Los Angeles, Austin and Vermont plan to exceed 90% carbon-free power by 2030
A dozen U.S. utilities have targeted at least 80% carbon-free generation by 2030. The Smart Electric Power Alliance hopes that their strategies to get there will influence other utilities to accelerate their own clean energy commitments.
HVDC transmission serves mostly wind and hydro power, not solar
A report from The Brattle Group and DNV recommends clearing barriers in the U.S. to high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission. HVDC transmission projects show many cost-saving use cases, but so far, transmitting solar power is rarely among them.
Native American group recruits solar construction firms as tribal partners
Native American tribal lands represent substantial solar and wind potential, yet tribes face many challenges in deploying renewables. A tribal nonprofit group is recruiting solar builders to partner with tribes to help clear the hurdles.
Bringing ERCOT’s speedy interconnection process to the rest of the U.S.
Texas grid operator ERCOT is enabling rapid growth in solar and wind capacity through an interconnection process known as “connect and manage.” That approach could be used across the U.S. with modifications, according to a new study.
Model procedures for fixing distributed solar and storage interconnection
Any state could adopt current “best practices” for interconnecting distributed solar and storage by instituting model procedures published by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, the group suggests in a report.
GridLab 100% clean reliable grid study uses scrubbed data from utility PNM
New Mexico utility PNM has three possible pathways—all relying on a high percentage of wind and solar generation—to reach 100% clean electricity while maintaining reliable service, found a study by the non-profit consultancy GridLab and a team of experts.
New York provides pre-development support for solar and storage for LMI housing
A New York State program helps bring solar power to low- and moderate-income (LMI) housing by providing pre-development grants and technical assistance. The Clean Energy States Alliance considers the program a model for other states.
Scientists outline innovation pathways for PV technologies
Continued innovation in PV cell technology will have major impacts as PV is deployed at “multi-terawatt scale” over the next two decades, says a global team of scientists.
Stiff competition predicted for USDA $9.7 billion focused on renewables
Modeling shows that five of the nation’s 63 rural generation and transmission cooperative utilities alone could cost-effectively install 19 GW of solar and 7 GW of storage with support from a USDA program.
