Morning Brief: massive PacifiCorp renewable energy RFP excites developers, China’s energy storage boom falters
Also in the brief: First Solar will supply Geronimo Energy with 415 MW of Series 6 modules, a D.C. circuit court hears about a vital FERC energy storage order, the Midwest Solar Expo will not be postponed and more.
Pollinator-friendly solar: a feel-good way to make projects cleaner and greener
Opposition to solar project siting can be turned into broad support by designing projects with “pollinator-friendly” landscaping — a trend gaining momentum across the country.
SEIA calls for strengthening PURPA
About 9.3 GW of solar projects have come online thanks to the law known as PURPA. The national solar association argues that federal rules implementing PURPA “should be strengthened rather than weakened,” to ensure that solar facilities up to 80 MW may compete in every region of the country.
Morning Brief: Renewable prices reach record low in California, rural Georgia meets big solar and jobs
Also in the brief: DOE to invest more than $5 million in tribal energy infrastructure
Dominion plans 16 GW of solar for Virginia by 2035
Under the utility’s latest IRP, Dominion plans to procure 16 GW of solar, 2.7 GW of storage and 5.1 GW of offshore wind in the next 15 years. Kicking off these new plans comes a request for proposals of 1 GW of solar or wind and 250 MW of energy storage.
Morning Brief: Houston is buying 100% renewable energy, SolRiver Capital has $200 million for solar projects
Also in the brief: Alchemy Renewable Energy has closed on deal to acquire a 44.5 MWdc solar energy portfolio, Ormat Technologies has begun the commercial operation of the Rabbit Hill Battery Energy Storage System, Kansas’ largest solar project ever has officially gone live and more.
Texas could add 3.5 GW of solar this year
Additional solar could help the ERCOT grid region in Texas meet its summer peak, after it faced “tight grid conditions” last summer. New task forces aim to improve ERCOT’s markets for ancillary services and battery storage.
J-Power, a dedicated fossil fuel developer, goes big in solar with 350 MW in ERCOT
The economics of solar project development in Texas are so compelling, even coal and gas giants want a piece of the action.
The world added .115 terawatts of solar power in 2019 for a cumulative .629 terawatts
IEA PVPS report: Global solar demand increased by 12% in 2019 compared to 2018 — but that was BC. According to the report, photovoltaics provided just under 3% of global electricity needs in 2019.
Philadelphia-area transit agency expects six-figure annual savings from 44 MW solar project
The transit agency expects to save “several hundred thousand dollars a year, on average” through its fixed-price contract for solar power. The agency’s sustainability program “is a platform not just for environmental improvements, but for financial improvements,” said an executive.
