Midwest and Northern Tier states added 400 MW of small-scale solar in 2019
Solar contractors added far more small-scale solar in the 19-state area than in 2018, when they added 250 MW. Solar policy groups aim to improve opportunities for distributed solar in Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota and Montana.
Here’s how utilities use their resource plans to block solar power
At least seven utilities chose to bias their resource modeling against solar in 2019. The good news is that transparent utility modeling could fix the problem.
Sungrow hits 100 GW, moves at Standard Solar: pvMb 12/11/19
Hello and happy Hump Day to all of you wonderful readers. Today we have Solar FlexRack supplying a 105 MW project, Northwestern Energy simultaneously adding coal and promising to cut carbon and more!
Do Montanans dream of affordable electric buses, EDF and Shell sign a substantial contract: pvMB 12/5/19
Hello wonderful people and welcome to your Thursday pvMB. today we’ve got Savion’s 8 GW project pipeline, Mrs. Butterworth going solar, 3 MW coming to Virginia schools from Standard Solar and more!
Montana maintains net metering (for now)
In the first general rate case in 10 years, Montana regulators have rejected NorthWestern Energy’s proposal to change the way net metering customers would be charged. Would these charges have been as catastrophic as they seem?
Montana utility wants gas units; Sierra Club suspects biased modeling
In developing its resource plan, NorthWestern Energy apparently used modeling assumptions that favor gas-fired generation, says the Sierra Club. The group has filed a legal motion requesting access to the modeling inputs, and to the model itself.
Coal lobby group drafted state utility commissioners’ letters to FERC
Emails show that the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity provided utility commissioners with a template letter to FERC – which some commissioners copied word-for-word.
Balancing solar development and preservation of agricultural lands in the Midwest
In this op-ed for pv magazine, Sara Bergan and Thomas Braun, attorneys at Stoel Rives LLP discuss the difficult balancing act of solar and agriculture in the emerging Midwestern market.
Cuomo signs mega mandate for renewables, a Montana hollerin’ match, more! : pvMB 7/19/19
It’s a scorcher out there – but at least its a Friday! Today we have the recommendation of a utility leader on how to make solar customers “go away”, new hires at SunPin Solar and EQ Research, and more!
Enormous Montana pumped hydro project gets Danish investment
The investment from Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners suggests that new pumped hydro storage projects can compete with battery storage. Construction of the 400 MW, 3400 MWh facility could begin as early as next year.
