Morning Brief: Sol Systems to build 500 MW for Microsoft, Arizona regulators look to go 100% renewable
Also in the brief: Duke Energy Renewables has officially completed the 200 MW Rambler Solar project, Nikola Corporation has broken ground on its soon-to-be 1 million-square-foot manufacturing facility, Nelnet Renewable Energy will be managing services for 20 MW of community solar in New York.
What does the overhaul of PURPA mean for solar power?
The long-awaited overhaul of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 is upon us, bringing with it substantial changes to the policy that has benefited over 30% of today’s solar facilities. What these changes will mean for American solar moving forward remains to be seen.
Breaking up the patent monopoly for the benefit of batteries
The patent monopoly is at odds with the global need for battery storage technology and if this norm continues, technology will not be able to be released in time to keep up with current climate goals.
Tesla EVs show profit while solar business hits new lows in revenue and deployment
It was a series of firsts, including a profitable full year and Megapack turning a profit that factored into CEO Elon Musk explaining that he has “never been more optimistic or excited about the future of Tesla.” Austin is confirmed as the site of the next Gigafactory.
VC investment in storage, smart grid and energy efficiency is down significantly in 2020
A new report shows that both venture capital and total corporate funding to the three sectors are down, driven by battery storage funding failing to compare to a record-setting 2019.
Morning Brief: Sol Systems and Microsoft partner on 500 MW of solar, PVEL’s new inverter test lab
Also in the brief: Berkshire Hathaway Energy subsidiary NV Energy goes full-on solar-plus-storage, and single-axis tracker analysis.
New York launches largest renewable solicitation in US history
4 GW of offshore wind and land-based renewables are set to come to the Empire State, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo looks to achieve the state’s renewable energy mandates while also kickstarting a post-Covid economy.
The West and Midwest favor solar-plus-storage; the East favors gas
Proposed solar-plus-storage projects far surpass proposed gas units in the West and Midwest.
FERC acts to narrow PURPA yet again
In this legal update regarding the implementation of FERC Order No. 872, Jason Johns, Jennifer Mersing and Jessica Bayles of Stoel Rives LLP break down the most significant changes made by the order and how they will serve to limit PURPA’s efficacy moving forward.
Morning Brief: Planners reject $40M, 140-MW battery storage project for fire risk, New York adopts net metering alternative
Also in the brief: Minnesota solar installers say they’re waiting too long for Xcel Energy grid connections, lower solar costs lead to new installations in metro Atlanta and financing for two large projects in Texas.
