Sunrise brief: GOP bill aims to ban federal funds to buy solar equipment made in China
Also on the rise: Concentric Power builds a microgrid, research pegs smoke’s impact on 2020 solar output, SolRiver buys a Carolinas development portfolio, jobs growth could signal good times for solar installations, and Plug Power plans another green hydrogen plant.
Sunrise brief: The future of long-duration energy storage looks bright, but costs need to fall…a lot
Also on the rise: DOE’s Solar Decathlon is getting under way as a virtual event, Massachusetts has a climate law (finally), and Nextracker wins a supply deal with Solaria.
Vote Solar begins work in Pennsylvania, pushes for greater renewable commitment
March is turning into one of the busiest months ever for solar in Pennsylvania, at least legislation-wise. The latest bill would lift the state’s renewable energy goal from 8% by 2026 to 18%, with a 5.5% solar carveout.
California adds more layers to its summer 2021 electric reliability effort
The regulatory orders were the latest in a series since last November and came in response to a mid-August 2020 heat wave that forced the CAISO to impose rotating power outages across California.
Renewable energy growth is being slowed by current transmission planning, ACORE study says
The report warns that because of long lead times, the window “may be closing” on transmission upgrades needed to support a range of renewable energy goals.
Sunrise brief: Solar shone, more energy storage could have helped ERCOT during storm, report says
Also on the rise: How shading California’s sprawling canal system with solar makes economic sense, Safari Energy marks a milestone, Rio Tinto tests AI-enabled CSP for process heat, and researchers claim a structural battery breakthrough for EV use. Uff-da!
EPRI nets $2m to study why people choose solar energy
EPRI will look into how residential and commercial utility customers make decisions related to adopting solar power along with other technologies, such as energy storage and electric vehicles.
Commercial trucks are ripe for electrification, if policies back EV adoption
A Berkeley Lab report says that a lack of policies is blocking wider adoption of electric trucks. Even so, ventures are under way to shift the diesel-to-electric transition into high gear.
Sunrise brief: Soltage and Harrison Street partner to deploy 450 MW of distributed solar
Also on the rise: New York housing authority residents help install 1 MW of rooftop solar, Nevada regulators OK a $2.5b transmission line, PG&E equipment sparked a deadly 2020 wildfire, and a RGGI auction sets a new high for CO2 prices.
Sunrise brief: Clouds and storms are impacted by lingering wildfire particles, researchers say
Also on the rise: Coal is down but not out as nukes and gas are forecast to decline in 2021, solar for an airport enters service, and landfill gas flows for SoCalGas from a facility slated to add a battery energy storage system.
