Policy

Washington is looking to become the fourth state to make the move to 100% renewable electricity, with only a senate review and the hand of Governor Inslee left in the path of SB 5116.

Asia is home to more than 60% of the world’s population, about half of whom live in cities and towns. With climate change being largely driven by urban centers, Vice President Naidu called upon governments across the continent to build climate resilient communities.

All-electric buses will cost the same as diesel options by 2030 – and possibly earlier – according to research into the global EV market.

First-quarter data from Green Energy Markets shows double the uptake of small-scale rooftop solar on the same period last year as record numbers of residential and business consumers seek to reduce electricity bills. A tendency for installations to increase toward the year end suggests more than 2 GW of solar will hit the rooftops this year. But could this become a cautionary tale?

The NEA has offered a broad hint that RMB3 billion will be made available in incentives this year – including RMB750 million for residential PV. Roth Capital Partners says achieving 40 GW of new capacity will hinge on timely action by the National Energy Administration.

With Narendra Modi being tipped to triumph again in the current Indian elections, Indian solar capacity is expected to grow robustly, at 15.3% per year, on the back of continued strong government support.

The opening of India’s marathon six-week election yesterday will bring policymaking to a halt but a prominent consultancy says the nation is trailing behind peers when it comes to guidelines for materials and recycling, and the lack of a viable business case for reusing materials doesn’t help matters.

Solar could meet approximately 68% of global energy demand with other renewables making up the rest, according to a new report. A 100% renewable energy system could also create 22 million solar jobs by 2050, the study claims. Keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees C, though, would require FITs for projects up to 40 MW in capacity, auctions for bigger systems, removing fossil fuel and nuclear subsidies and providing more education and R&D and less red tape.

Although details are vague, the Vice Ministry of Alternative Energies is reportedly developing the country’s first medium sized projects to be connected to the national grid. It is also planning to implement distributed generation projects ranging in size from 1.5 MW to 3 MW in the crisis-torn nation.

The emphasis on grid-parity PV has been highlighted in a consultation document that has emerged after several weeks of haggling in Beijing. Chinese analyst AECEA says the success of any subsidy-free effort would hinge on the ability of power companies to transmit and guarantee consumption of power generated by new projects.