New Mexico will be the third US state to go 100% renewable
With the passage of the Energy Transition Act in both houses of New Mexico’s legislature, the state is poised to join California and Hawaii in setting a mandate to fully decarbonize its electricity system by 2045.
After a tough 2018, US solar is getting ready for a major boom
Definitive data from analyst Wood Mackenzie and the Solar Energy Industries Association show tariffs taking a bite out of the U.S. market, but also a near-record number of new projects under contract.
No more auctions for solar and renewables in Mexico
CFE boss Manuel Bartlett has again stated the national utility will not buy electricity from private companies as it can generate power itself. It is unclear whether CFE intends to develop solar assets.
The hurdles in the way of Spain’s rich solar promise
On Thursday, PV conference organizer Solarplaza and Spanish solar association UNEF will host the Solar Market Parity conference in Madrid. pv magazine’s Pilar Sánchez Molina will participate in the Vision of the future: Spain in 2030 panel.
EkoRE breaks ground on 1 GW vertically integrated module factory in Turkey
The facility is in the Bor organized industrial zone of Niğde, in central Anatolia. The factory was backed by incentives provided by the country’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.
EU wants to know more about Eon’s bid to acquire Innogy
According to the Brussels authorities, the transaction could affect competition in the electricity and gas sectors. EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager wants to ensure there are no price increases as a result of the proposed takeover.
French regulator proposes tightening up controversial carbon footprint rules
In a report which states utility-scale PV project development in France can cost as little as €600 per installed kilowatt, the CRE has made recommendations including factoring in transport and full supply chain costs into the calculation of how environmentally friendly solar panels are.
South Korea to prioritize PV projects with low carbon footprint, high-efficiency modules
The Korean government is planning to introduce new rules for carbon footprint certification, minimum efficiency levels and industrial standards for solar and wind energy. The measures are intended to make the domestic renewable energy industry grow while securing sustainable competitiveness, the administration said.
The weekend read: A battery and inverter powerhouse
In December, pv magazine met SolaX Power president Li Xinfu and his team at the company’s headquarters in sprawling Hangzhou, in Zhejiang province. The region is a hotspot for the Chinese PV industry and SolaX belongs to the cutting edge of Chinese inverter and residential battery manufacturers.
India launches national mission on ‘Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage’
Aiming to localize production across the electric vehicle value chain, the government wants to support battery manufacturing at a gigawatt-scale. The initial focus will be on large-scale module and pack assembly plants in the new fiscal year, followed by integrated cell manufacturing by 2021-22.
