Michigan regulators pump the brakes on DTE’s plans to increase customer charges (again)
The utility keeps trying to kill distributed solar, one way or another, and regulators just keep rebuffing them.
pvMB 3/7/19: PanelClaw Partners with Yotta, China plans a space-based solar station…and more!
Hey evrybody, the weekend is nearly here, but what’s already here is your Thursday edition of the pvMB. Today we’re taking a look at San Diego Gas and Electric’s time-of-use billing, Microsoft purchasing 74 MW of solar energy in North Carolina, HellermannTyton releasing First Solar module-specific wire hardware and everything else that matters today in solar.
Uncle Sam supporting cheap gallium arsenide, 30% efficient perovskite, and more
The DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy has awarded $50,000 to 20 teams that advanced to the semifinal stage of the American Made Solar Prize. The teams will now have 90 days to design a proof of concept.
100% zero-carbon energy policies advance in three states
Bills to move to 100% carbon-neutral electricity by 2030 and 2045 advanced in Washington and New Mexico, while Minnesota’s governor announced a plan to move his state to 100% zero-carbon by 2050.
pvMB 3/6/19: Hawaii stays at 27% renewables, GameChange Solar ups production capacity
Happy Hump Day and welcome to your Wednesday edition of the pv magazine USA morning brief. Today we’ll check out a GreenPeace co-founder comparing the Green New Deal to the End Times, ASU dominating the Solar Energy Technology Office awards, GRID Alternatives’ “Solar Spring Break” program and everything else interesting in the industry today.
North Dakota finally embraces big solar
For the first time, North Dakota will have a solar installation at least 1 MW in size. Actually, that’s an understatement, as state regulators have approved Geronimo Energy’s bid for a 200 MW project outside of Fargo.
The solar will rise again
Louisiana utility Cleco Power may issue a request for proposals for up to 400 MW of solar capacity some time this year.
Nukes not included: 100% renewable energy proposed in Illinois
Senator Cristina Castro and Representative Ann Williams have introduced The Clean Energy Jobs Act, which would raise the state’s RPS to 45% renewable energy by 2030 and 100% renewable energy by 2050.
Fossils going hard after solar in Spotsylvania
Large scale solar power development is under attack by fossil fuel interests, with the Spotsylvania, Virginia project by sPower being focused on by right wing news websites and “think tanks”.
Inertia, frequency regulation and the grid
The old system of regulating frequency on electricity grids with the help of the inertia provided by large spinning masses is under threat by the rise of wind, solar, and batteries. But what will replace inertia-based control, and how will the transition work?
