The stakes are every bit as high as the energy industry and climate change activists say they are. The upcoming U.S. presidential election will dictate the pace of decarbonization in the world’s largest economy for decades, according to new research from Wood Mackenzie. Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s $2 trillion climate plan, including a pledge to […]
WoodMac: Large-Scale Solar Holds Cost Edge Despite ITC Stepdown, Coronavirus Impacts
Corporate demand and state mandates are driving utility solar installations, but voluntary procurements based on pure economics continue to dominate. Voluntary procurement of utility solar remains the top driver of U.S. utility PV in development, according to Wood Mackenzie. WoodMac defines voluntary procurement as procurement based solely on the economic competitiveness of renewables against other […]
Long-Term Value of Grid Storage Is All About Capacity, Study Finds
More batteries can mean fewer generation assets and new transmission lines. But market rules need to change to unlock that value. The grid is heading in the direction of more renewables, with or without overarching policies to guide it. There’s general agreement that the ability to store electricity will become more valuable as this happens, […]
US Solar Plants Now Expected to Run for More Than 30 Years: Berkeley Lab
Cheaper modules brought solar plants into the energy mainstream. Longer operating lives are making them better investments. Big solar plants are getting cheaper to run and expectations for their useful operational lives keep getting longer, according to a new survey of U.S. solar industry professionals. By the end of 2019, a cumulative total of 76 […]
WoodMac: How the Renewables O&M Market Is Adapting to the COVID-19 Crisis
Digital tools such as analytics and remote monitoring will get a boost as wind and solar plant operators draw lessons from the lockdown. Renewables generation has proven largely resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even as global electricity demand has declined, wind and solar PV penetration continues its growth in many regions. In the U.S. — one […]
Amazon Clicks Buy on 615 Megawatts of Large-Scale Solar
Tech giant may reach its 100 percent renewables goal five years early, but environmentalists remain skeptical of its climate goals. Amazon will add 615 megawatts of solar projects to its existing and announced renewables portfolio of more than 2.9 gigawatts, the technology and shipping giant said on Thursday. The projects will go up across the […]
Engie Looking for More US Clean Energy Acquisitions: North America CEO
French power giant plans to ramp up investments into U.S. batteries, hybrid renewables and offshore wind — but gas plants are off the menu. Engie is on the lookout for more clean energy acquisitions in the U.S., where the company plans to ramp up its investments into grid-scale batteries, hybrid renewables projects and offshore wind, […]
Lightsource BP Explores Green Hydrogen Site Powered by 1.5GW of Australian Renewables
Co-located solar and wind at a massive scale could fuel a potential ammonia export business. BP and its solar joint venture Lightsource BP are exploring a potential green hydrogen plant in Australia powered by 1.5 gigawatts of wind and solar. The oil major announced on Friday that a feasibility study was underway for a huge […]
US Treasury to Tweak Tax Credit Deadlines for Renewables Projects
A three-sentence letter issued by the Treasury Department on Thursday suggests relief may be on the way for a nervous renewables market. A concise three-sentence letter sent by the U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday suggests relief is on the way for a renewables industry concerned about meeting quickly approaching tax credit deadlines. The letter came […]
SoftBank Is Selling $40B of Assets but Stands Firm on Renewable Energy Plans
In an interview, the head of SoftBank’s global renewables arm says the company will have its first gigawatt of U.S. solar capacity in operation by next year. The head of SoftBank’s renewable energy subsidiary, SB Energy Global, says his firm is committed to growing its presence in international clean energy markets despite ongoing financial struggles […]