United States

Portland General Electric and NextEra Energy Resources are developing the nation’s first major energy facility co-locating wind, solar and energy storage: 300 MW of wind, 50 MWac of solar, and 30 MW / 120 MWh of energy storage.

The clean energy market analyst says that the United States installed 11.7 GWdc in 2018, 15% higher than earlier estimates, as well as 292 MW of batteries. Despite new solar and wind growth and coal closures, emissions still rose from 2017 levels on the back on increased gas use.

Happy hump day to you and welcome to the pv magazine USA morning brief. Today we’ll be looking at an Australian company’s drone powered by solar wings, Southern Arkansas University Tech going solar and everything else fit to get you caught up on solar news.

REC Silicon has revealed plans to halt operations at its Moses Lake facility in 17 days’ time. The company says it has taken the decision to maintain liquidity for its semiconductor business with American workers set to pay the price for President Trump’s trade war with China.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s move to phase out three gas-fired power plants by 2029 is expected to accelerate the transition to 100% renewable energy by the largest municipal utility in the nation. But there are big questions about the role that local solar + storage will play.

Welcome to today’s pv magazine USA morning brief and thanks for spending your morning with us. Today we’re looking at English researchers’ development of a solar flag, two community solar projects in Illinois under fire, University of Northern Iowa’s new group-buy program and everything else on our solar slate. Let’s ride!

Commissioner Sandra Kennedy of the ACC is calling for 50% renewable generation by 2028 and, in a first for the ACC, is calling on distributed solar to lead the way.

The United States lost approximately 8,000 jobs across the 50 states, with California alone losing more than 9,000 jobs and cancelling out growth in 29 states. Puerto Rico and solar + storage joined the party, but not the job count yet, by contributing 5,900 jobs.

The research and consultancy group’s study of the latest polar vortex shows the need for greater interconnection of grids and 18-40 hours of energy storage in the Upper Midwest under high renewable energy scenarios. It also shows a potential role for nuclear power; but other extreme weather events tell a different story.

Good morning and welcome to the pv magazine USA Morning Brief. Today we also bring you a new solar project at a phosphate mining site in Florida, more than 1,000 EV chargers coming to New York, a cool installation video, and more…