US senators call for Huawei ban in letter to energy regulator
Eleven U.S. Senators have signed a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission about the threat that Huawei’s equipment poses to the nation’s energy infrastructure.
Netherlands: Bid to exclude grid-congested areas from subsidy fails to stem solar tide
Some 7,525 renewables projects with a total generation capacity of 6,223 MW are under review by the Dutch Ministry of Economy in the second round of the SDE+ program for this year. Solar accounts for 74.7% of the submitted capacity.
African Development Bank to lend almost €49 million for 208 MW of solar in Burkina Faso
The lender is providing the funds to support the West African country’s solar ambitions under the bank’s Desert to Power program. Several other European organizations have vowed to back the €137 million Yeleen solar project, which will encompass four sites.
Scottish Power enters PV business
The distribution network operator for central and southern Scotland says it wants to maximize onshore renewables potential by adding solar and storage to its clean energy business. The company said hybrid projects combining wind, solar and storage will become the industry standard in 2021.
Cyprus installs largest rooftop PV under net billing program
The 2.5 MW array will operate under a payment system which guarantees grid operators will not be left out of pocket.
Australia’s Marinus Link interconnector project inches forward following new reports
Tasmania’s ambitions of becoming the “battery of Australia” improved following early reports on the proposed Marinus Link, a second interconnector between the states of Tasmania and Victoria, which show that the project’s economic advantages far outweigh expected costs.
Construction begins at Hydrogen Park South Australia
The transformation of South Australia’s energy system has taken another step forward with early site works at a green hydrogen facility near Adelaide. The plant will integrate what is billed as Australia’s biggest electrolyzer of its kind.
Ather Energy to set up Li-ion, EV production unit in India
Ather Energy, an Indian electric scooter maker, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu to open a new production facility for lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles.
Ofgem’s plan for network charges triggers renewables sector backlash
Ofgem passed its long-awaited, controversial plan for network charges last week, despite earlier warnings against the move. The UK electricity market regulator’s Targeted Charging Review has provoked a backlash in the renewables sector, as many believe that the plan will damage the economics of distributed energy resources and unsubsidized onshore wind and solar development.
300 MW of new solar for China’s 800 kV UHV transmission project
JinkoSolar has announced that it will supply 300 MW of its Tiger solar panels for what it describes as an ultra-high voltage demonstration plant in China’s Qinghai’s province. The project will be connected to an ultra-high voltage power line that State Grid Corp. of China is building to connect the far northwestern part of the country to the more heavily populated eastern provinces.
