Louisiana

The approval of a gas plant for which Entergy hired actors to fake support is just the latest demonstration of the failure of government bodies to meaningfully regulate utilities, a failure which is playing out across the nation.

Good morning – it’s Friday! In today’s pvMB we will also bring you more regulatory capture in New Orleans, NREL’s new database for albedo, and a study that looks at the idea locations for EV chargers in Michigan.

While installers in Florida added the most distributed solar last year, South Carolina leads on a per-capita basis, and Georgia, North Carolina and Louisiana round out the leaderboard. Snapshot stories included.

The agency expects solar and wind to again dominate capacity additions in 2019, with solar showing modest market growth. If anything, this estimate is conservative.

The research firm’s latest analysis of utility rate case filings finds regulators often rejecting the hikes on fixed charges that many utilities are asking for. However, the general direction of fixed charges is still upwards.

Entergy New Orleans has filed an application to build and procure 90 MW of solar, which would double Louisiana’s current installed capacity. But we aren’t holding our breath.

By using real-time weather data and energy management stadiums can better manage their own consumption, as well as sheltering local residents in the event of a natural disaster.

Entergy New Orleans is denying knowledge of the hiring of the actors, but admits to hiring a contractor with a history of deceitful astroturf tactics and connections to Edison Electric Institute.

It turns out that the public support for a proposed gas plant in New Orleans includes actors who were paid to show up and in some cases provide public comment. Entergy has denied any connection to the hiring.

A new report sheds light on primarily states, primarily in the sunbelt, that dampen (or drown) rooftop solar through bad policies, or none at all.