Gov. Ralph Northam has signed the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which requires the state’s utilities to switch to 100% clean energy by 2050, while also adding 16 GW of solar and onshore wind, 3 GW of energy storage and the closing of all the state’s coal power plants by 2024.
While praised for the level of large-scale energy storage the state’s Clean Peak Standard is anticipated to bring, opponents have called the policy “a waste of ratepayer funds for behind-the-meter energy storage.”
Also in the brief: the chance that Covid-19 gives to reform our energy system, Engie has signed tax equity financing for a 2 GW portfolio, Panasonic names inaugural class of Elite Residential Installers and more.
Even EIA expects that U.S. coal generation will fall by 20% in 2020. The agency forecasts the electric power market will add 19.4 gigawatts of new wind capacity and 12.6 gigawatts of utility-scale solar capacity this year.
“EIA’s projections greatly underestimate the growth of solar and significantly overestimate coal’s persistence in the energy mix,” says Dan Shugar, CEO of NEXTracker.
Also in the brief: the challenges facing islands and other isolated systems with high levels of renewables, AIP finances 604 MWdc of solar, SolarReviews preaches caution with Tesla solar rental program and more.
New legislation also creates the U.S.’s first Office of Renewable Energy Siting — charged with consolidating the environmental review of major renewable energy facilities and providing a single forum for ensuring that siting decisions are predictable, responsible and delivered in a timely manner with opportunities for input from local communities.
Roger Lin, VP of marketing with NEC Energy Solutions sat down with pv magazine to discuss the larger national impact of the Massachusetts Clean Peak Standard, including how the policy can be modeled for other states, regardless of their renewable penetration levels.
Also in the brief: The $400 million, 500 MW PV project in Oman, Tampa Electric Company is looking to double its solar capacity, New York passes renewable siting legislation and more.
The Kansas Supreme Court has ruled that a fixed fee for distributed solar customers violates state law. Vote Solar and Sierra Club brought the case, with representation from Earthjustice.
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