North America

Southern California Edison will purchase 125 MW AC from the Maverick Solar (formerly Palen 1) Plant, which is expected to start delivering electricity on Dec. 1, 2020.

Axios reporters Jonathan Swan and Amy Harder are reporting Scott Holmstead could be appointed as the deputy to Climate Change denier and U.S. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. Holmstead might curb some of Pruitt’s worst instincts – but solar advocates shouldn’t be jumping for joy just yet.

Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a new semiconductor alloy that can capture near-infrared light in the leading edge of the visible light spectrum. This could be a major step forward the development of a new generation of solar cells called “concentrator photovoltaics”.

The Canadian renewable energy company has taken full control of the joint venture that acquired the solar unit of Carmanah Technologies Inc. in April. Furthermore, the company has secured a contract to build a 17 MW ground-mounted solar plant near Calgary.

The eight projects being built by Black & Veatch and Blattner for FPL will greatly increase the state’s solar capacity and could catapult it into a leading solar market.

The latest long-term forecast from analysts Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) predicts solar energy costs to drop a further 66% by 2040, and onshore wind by 47%. Given these predictions, BNEF expect that renewables will undercut the majority of fossil based generation by 2030, even in India and China.

According to Deloitte’s annual “Resources 2017 Study – Energy Management: Sustainability & Progress,” grid parity, driven by technological advances and plunging prices, has allowed consumers and businesses to choose clean energy over more traditional fossil-fuel options, with increasing solar use being most consumers’ top priority.

The tech giant’s latest investment in tackling climate change follows last year’s $1.5 billion green bond sale. Proceeds from this latest bond will be earmarked for eco-friendly projects, with solar at the forefront.

At the first day of the conference PV Asset Management and O&M Europe 2017, which winds up today in Hamburg, almost all the participants agreed on the fact that the business is becoming more and more complex, and that getting to scale may provide a path through a period of further consolidation.

President Donald J. Trump has proposed devastating cuts to the U.S. Department of Energy and its related research arms. Leaders from multiple industries – including names you’ll know – are begging the U.S. Congress not to implement them.