FERC declines to intervene in Montana PURPA fight
The federal regulatory body states that Montana’s PSC is not in compliance with PURPA, and says that FLS Energy is free to pursue a remedy in the courts.
PG&E switches to Net Metering 2.0
Less than a week after warning that it would hit caps on the previous net metering program some some time in December, the California utility has transitioned to its successor program.
Debates about future demand for silver in PV continue
With silver use per cell falling as overall PV demand grows, two different consultancies have given different accounts of future demand for silver in PV applications.
Lazard: Global solar PV, storage costs fall in 2016
The financial advisory finds that costs from solar are falling faster than other energy sources, and is additionally documenting steep falls in storage costs.
North Carolina urged to re-evaluate state’s solar policy
Among the issues up for discussion are third-party solar integration, a re-evaluation of solar’s 80 percent property-tax exemption and a re-evaluation of the state’s RPS.
DOE pushes back on Climate-Change ‘witch hunt’
In response to a questionnaire requesting the names of all employees involved with Climate-Change activities, an Energy Department spokesman flatly rejected the idea of giving any individual names to the president-elect’s transition team
Bill Gates’ energy innovation fund commits to $1 billion in investment
The Breakthrough Energy Coalition is backing research on zero-carbon technologies; however its guidelines show a lack of understanding of solar technology and market development.
Q3 was the largest quarter ever for the U.S. solar market
The nation installed over 4 GW-DC of solar PV during Q3 2016, and even more is expected in the fourth quarter of the year. However as utility-scale solar booms the residential segment is struggling.
PG&E to transition to net metering 2.0 by the end of the year
The second of California’s three large utilities expects to hit its cap under the original net metering program this month, with 2.4 GW of behind-the-meter solar installed.
Trump chooses climate-denying pro-fossil fuel politician to lead EPA
Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has a history of suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on behalf of fossil fuel interests. He will now run the agency.
