Policy

Last year’s 1% growth in global PV additions is a sharp drop from increases in prior years, and a long way from the 15-29% annual increases that a Science journal article maintained were “challenging but feasible” through 2030. Continued progress on five major challenges can get us back on track.

The return of net metering in Maine points to the back and forth that the policy is going through nationally – including in nearby Connecticut.

Hello and welcome to the slightly-retooled pvMB. Today we’ll be looking at commercial development coming to southern Virginia, Dynapower’s new 500 kW DC-DC converter, the development of PJM and Argonne National Lab’s solar guidelines and everything else you need today.

The state has unveiled a straw proposal of its new Clean Peak Standard, which appears to focus on mitigating future “duck curve” effects, as well as meeting winter peak energy demand. And this is good news for solar + battery storage.

In today’s pvMB, we also bring you an Iowa legislator seeking more information before signing off on a bill to cut solar compensation, solar and wind entering their 3rd phase, and a bill to move prisons and university classrooms to solar.

Puerto Rico regulators have rejected the Integrated Resource Plan filed by the island’s utility; however the plan is also likely out of compliance with the island’s new 100% renewable energy law. In the interim, PREPA is moving to get gas plants online.

The Michigan utility is choosing wind over solar by assuming that costs for solar will remain relatively flat.

Actually, contrary to the title of this article, there is no MB today, nothing happened. Carry on with your day.

April Fools! I know, that was horrible, but it’d be even more horrible to not attempt a stupid joke today. As for today’s pvMB, we’ll be looking at a 6.9 MW project proposed in Orchard Park, New York, Clearway’s plan to construct 185 MW in Oahu, Quickmount PV expanding to the East Coast and everything else to get your Monday started.

The strangely-titled bill has been filed in Illinois, with an aim to transition and repurpose coal plants currently at risk of closure to solar+storage facilities. Vistra Energy, which owns both coal plants in this list and solar+storage facilities elsewhere, is pushing the legislation.

The bill would create a task force to recommend replacement revenue sources by June 7. Transmission lines serving the Arizona coal plant could support gigawatts of solar or solar-plus-storage.