In case you missed it: Six big solar stories in the news this week
pv magazine USA spotlights news of the past week including market trends, project updates, policy changes and more.
Sunniest state in U.S. turns its back on the sun
Arizona holds a Guinness World Record for “most sunshine” and holds no significant gas reserves. However, despite hundreds of objections, its commission voted to repeal its renewable energy standard, letting its utilities take the wheel and head back toward more gas.
New Use Energy introduces ruggedized 16 lb. portable solar battery bank
The battery bank contains a 550 Wh LFP battery and a 600 W pure sine wave inverter.
People on the move: Vesper Energy, Bloom Energy, ESS Tech and more
Job moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance.
Space-based solar power advances to the launch pad
Experts on a SpaceNews webinar say the technology is ‘having a moment,’ with projects scheduled for deployment as early as 2026.
Minnesota ushers in first standalone energy storage project
After Spearmint Energy applied for two separate but similar 150 MW energy storage projects, one will break new ground while the other faces ongoing hurdles from local opposition.
GridBeyond now offers revenue floor and synthetic toll contracts in ERCOT and CAISO
The Dublin‑based energy optimizer is expanding its presence in the most mature U.S. battery storage markets – Texas and California – to help asset owners navigate rising uncertainty around revenue predictability.
Researchers use solar to turn human waste into fertilizer
Stanford University researchers have built a photovoltaic-thermal electrochemical stripping system that extracts fertilizer nutrients from human urine. They say the system could provide a cost-effective alternative in regions with limited access to conventional fertilizers.
Trump: “We will not approve wind or farmer destroying solar”
U.S. President Donald Trump took to social media to express an anti-solar and wind energy stance. The President has made a series of actions to slow the growth of renewable energy in the United States, but it is expected to remain the dominant source of new-build electric generation capacity.
The behavior of solar project resilience
Technology is only one part of the resilience equation; how a renewable energy site actually operates and maintains its assets can be just as important as the equipment itself.
