Deloitte says millennials are driving solar expansion
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.
California market troubles bring down U.S. residential numbers during Q1
While utility-scale and C&I solar performed well, the U.S. residential market contracted 17% due to slowness in California and other key solar markets.
More solar and hydro brings California gas use to five-year low
As renewable energy breaks new output records in California, both the need for and availability of gas in California have both declined.
Trump budget guts solar research at NREL and Berkeley (14 essential documents embedded)
The president’s federal budget for Fiscal Year 2018 includes the expected cuts to renewable energy within the DOE’s walls, but the cuts to prominent national labs – including the elimination of energy-storage research funding at both – could have unforeseen long-term effects on the industry.
TEP to buy solar power at under 3 cents per kWh
The Arizona utility has signed a 20-year contract to buy electricity from a 100 MW plant at this new record low price.
U.S. researchers say solar micro-grids can help military facilities prevent cyber and physical threats
A U.S. research team from the Michigan Technological University is assessing the technical and economic viability of military microgrids run on solar power.
U.S. utilities try new tactics to discourage solar, but still aren’t getting what they want
The latest NCCETC report on state solar policies finds some new twists as part of an ongoing attempt by utilities to weaken the economics of customer-owned solar, but regulators still mostly aren’t on board.
Dominion to add 990 MW of solar PV in the United States over the next five years
The U.S. utility sites the falling cost of utility-scale solar for the expanded role, and the large majority of solar plants will be located in North Carolina.
NRG begins moving solar, wind O&M in-house
The U.S. power giant shifted 2.5 GW of solar and wind projects to its internal operations and maintenance team in 2016, and is planning on sending another 900 MW in-house this year.
“Skinny Budget” nukes U.S. renewable energy research
President Trump’s Department of Energy hit list includes advanced energy research, loan guarantees and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
