In case you missed it: Five solar stories in the news this week
pv magazine USA spotlights news of the past week including market trends, project updates, policy changes and more.
Unstable permitting, aging grid threaten U.S. AI leadership, 113 GW of clean energy at risk
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) warns that current policies risk U.S. energy dominance and grid reliability as data center demand surges. In comments to the U.S. Department of Energy, the association highlights solar and storage as the only energy sources available at scale today but notes over 110 GW of capacity is imperiled by regulatory instability.
Plan now for faster clean energy support in a future presidential administration, report says
To enable construction of federally supported clean energy projects during a single presidential administration, a report offers 14 recommendations, and an overriding imperative to plan now.
‘New York model’ for safety: Strict fire codes to unlock Long Island battery storage
State officials and fire deparment representatives confirmed new fire standards for Long Island BESS projects are the new cost of business in getting storage into the urban grid.
Solar job numbers hold steady despite challenges
National solar jobs census shows employment level with 2023 and indicates cautious optimism for the future due to strong deployment and efficiency gains.
MARS Energy Group acquires Nelnet Renewable Energy
The national solar provider acquired the commercial and community scale engineering procurement and construction firm.
Ohio House passes 1.5 GW community solar pilot program
The new legislation creates a framework for “community energy facilities” across the state, allowing a wider range of residents and businesses to participate in and benefit from local energy generation projects.
The contract-fab model is heading for batteries
Unigrid’s offshore contract manufacturing hints at a new playbook for storage startups that mirrors the chip industry’s evolution.
United States recall targets 25,000 EcoFlow Delta Max 2000 units
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says EcoFlow is recalling about 25,030 Delta Max 2000 power stations after six reported fires caused more than USD 850,000 in property damage.
Lawsuit targets FERC approval of SPP capacity evaluation, citing bias against solar
Environmental groups are challenging the approved Southwest Power Pool capacity evaluation rules, arguing they create market disadvantages and interconnection delays for solar projects by favoring fossil fuels.
