Policy

Even four years of the most pro-coal president in recent memory has done little to change coal’s misfortunes.

Two new reports see federal R&D dollars for energy innovation as critical for driving the economy’s post-Covid recovery and keeping the U.S. competitive and on the leading edge of the global energy transition. 

Also in the brief: Re-retiring Maui’s 72-year-old, 38-MW oil-fired plant — by adding more solar-plus-storage. Colorado Springs Utilities plans for a 175-MW solar farm to be coupled with a 25 MW battery storage system, all built and installed by Boulder-based juwi.

More than 1 GW of subsidized small solar arrays were installed in China last month alone and manufacturer Suntech has announced the start of operations at its 500 MW Indonesian cell and module fab.

Victory in the economic realm (increasingly the case with solar, solar-plus-storage and wind) is no guarantee of market victory if the regulations are stacked against renewables.

“This is a game changer,” Ravi Manghani, Wood Mackenzie’s head of solar said of the new rule, which many say will help make the grid more resilient, sustainable and affordable.

Also in the brief: Nextracker to supply Shanghai Electric with more than 1 GW of trackers, plus Enel X, LG Chem and Smart Charge Hawaii.

Another report from the virtual Solar Power International microconference: Industry jargon flies as SPI takes on the imperative of getting solar, wind and storage into wholesale markets, while stakeholders try to find the right balance between flexibility and reliability, and state and federal jurisdiction.

FERC has issued a ruling on PURPA described by some as “death of a thousand cuts” for the policy that has spurred large-scale solar development across the country.

Also in the brief: 67-MWdc Lotus Solar Farm in Madera County, California, developed by 8minute Solar Energy, is now fully operational. Plus First Solar’s secondary offering for the Waltons, and Natron gets $20 million for battery scale-up.