Bill Gates leads $10M investment in Quidnet’s long-duration geomechanical pumped storage
The year of living durationally — the holy grail of energy storage has always been low-cost and long-duration. Venture investors have started putting their money into novel, extended-duration storage technologies.
Morning Brief: turn Rikers Island into a solar farm, Solar Frontier Americas changes name
Also in the brief: Morgan Solar has announced the sale of 13.6 MW of enhanced bifacial modules, FERC will hold two technical conferences in 2020, clean energy in a House infrastructure package and more.
New York regulators, NYSERDA, release white paper on how to better achieve 70% renewables by 2030
In pursuit of the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, the two entities have outlined a plan to rewrite current procurement procedures, expand the role of offshore wind and establish a new tier of eligible generation resources.
First Solar backs carbon pricing for wholesale electricity
First Solar has backed carbon pricing in comments submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The firm also co-founded a global policy institute that supports carbon pricing as a “cost-effective, equitable and politically viable climate solution.”
Calm before the Q2 storm: US energy storage market posts decent Q1
WoodMac looks back at the storage industry in simpler, long-ago times — eight weeks ago.
PVEL solar module scorecard: In a rush to innovate, some manufacturers ‘overlooked basic quality control’
PV Evolution Labs (PVEL), a test lab for the downstream solar market, just published its PV Module Reliability Scorecard. The lab notes the high level of innovation in the solar module industry and namechecks the market’s reliability leaders — but also observed a resurgence of known failure mechanisms — such as PID.
Replacing peakers with storage to achieve the greatest health benefit
Regulators and community groups can use a new interactive resource to see the emissions impacts of existing and proposed peaker units. Storage developers may also find the tool helpful, to identify peakers likely to be replaced.
Morning Brief: Six Ohio school districts go solar with no upfront cost, two big solar projects are coming to capped landfill sites in New York
Also in the brief: the California Solar and Storage Association has released an eight-point economic stimulus plan of action, PG&E’s restructuring will likely happen later this month, a new solar car, Mark Menezes’ nomination to become Deputy U.S. Energy Secretary and more.
Morning Brief: Trump administration slaps retroactive rent bills on solar, wind on federal lands
Also in the brief: Lightyear gets a key supplier, a nine-project network in New York, the 25th National Solar Tour of Homes and more.
US solar industry cut 65,000 workers due to Covid-19, erasing five years of solar job growth
New York, New Jersey, Pennsyvania, and Washington are among the states hit the hardest. SEIA’s analysis shows that vast majority of renewable energy job losses come from the solar energy industry.
