United States

A report just released by the University of Texas at Austin’s Webber Energy Group has tackled how much solar each state could develop along interstate interchange and exit locations and how much this solar could potentially be worth.

Another busy funding week with solar IPOs on deck and venture capital investments — but no cleantech SPACs in the last few day, at least.

Also in the brief: Wyoming regulators are critical of Pacificorp’s transition plan and solar and renewable industry leaders have begun an initiative to increase workforce diversity and inclusion throughout the industry.

The utility is planning on replacing the San Juan coal-fired station’s 847 MW of capacity with 650 MW of solar generation and 300 MW/1,200 MWh of accompanying energy storage. The new plan all but kills a proposal from San Juan’s owner and the City of Farmington to add a carbon-capture retrofit to the station.

Proclamation issued Oct. 10 cites impact of imported bifacial panels on U.S. solar manufacturing, while also raising the scheduled fourth-year tariff rate from 15% to 18%. 

The end goal of the three-year project is to use market-based financing to install 20 MW of low-income community solar at multifamily affording housing, while trimming 20% off subscribers’ electricity bills. 

Also in the brief: Solar installer Sigora Solar acquired California-based Aztec Solar, first-of-a-kind utility plan could transform Southeast grid

Executive moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance.

Dean Solon, CEO of Shoals: “A lot of people thought that the 100 MW fields were all dead, but those suckers are coming back with a vengeance.”

Dean Solon of Shoals Technologies Group: “The short version is that it’s been a damned good year.” An interview with Shoals covers the growth of large solar projects in the U.S., high AC/DC ratios and the real costs of using cheap components.