Venture capital interest in solar plummets amid uncertain financial markets: Mercom Capital

New venture capital funding for solar companies has dropped 81% year over year, and high interest rates may erode investor interest in solar companies for some time, the consulting group says.

By Emma Penrod • April 19, 2024

Democratic bill mandates FERC interconnection reforms to bring new resources online faster

The bill would help bring new power supply online to address surging demand growth and increasing grid reliability concerns, according to the R Street Institute’s Devin Hartman.

By Ethan Howland • April 18, 2024

Explore the Trendline➔

Sustainability

Companies are pursuing increasingly ambitous sustainability goals around clean energy, but integrating rising amounts of renewables, minimizing environmental impacts, and achieving carbon reduction targets can be challenging.

By Utility Dive staff

Earlier derisking is key to offshore wind’s future in the US, Ørsted Americas CEO, others say

But that will extend a project’s lead time, “which is difficult for federal and state policies if people are trying to get these projects deployed as fast as possible,” Ørsted Americas CEO David Hardy said.

By Diana DiGangi • April 18, 2024

Constellation prepared to ‘visit with the courts’ about proposed hydrogen tax credit rules

The company plans to apply for 45V tax credits even though their hydrogen would not qualify under draft IRS guidance, Executive Vice President Kathleen Barron said Wednesday at the BNEF Summit in New York City.

By Emma Penrod • April 18, 2024

FERC’s final regional transmission rule is coming soon. It has one shot to get it right.

A strong rule will help spur the transmission lines necessary to meet America’s growing energy needs, while also setting the table for a future interregional rule to mitigate the effects of extreme weather.

By Ray Long • April 18, 2024

DOE cites cost, reliability concerns for new gas plants as it details how to meet surging power demand

Rising electricity demand will require a portfolio of resources, including energy storage, hydropower, nuclear, grid-enhancing technologies and demand-side management, DOE said.

By Robert Walton • April 18, 2024

Tackling 3 key issues can help scale virtual power plants and spur a wave of benefits, analysts say

Advanced operational software, communications standards and customer compensation are needed to scale VPP size and services, cut system and customer costs and enhance reliability, key VPP players agree.

By Herman K. Trabish • April 17, 2024

Georgia Power receives approval to add 1.4 GW of natural gas generation

Environmentalists are criticizing the Georgia Public Service Commission’s decision to approve the construction of new fossil fuel generation, citing cost and climate concerns.

By Diana DiGangi • April 17, 2024

CIP acquires 1.3 GW of New York onshore wind projects

Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners made the acquisition through its CI V fund, which has raised billions in capital commitments for greenfield renewable energy investments.

By Diana DiGangi • April 16, 2024

Inside the rise of groundwater-based geothermal heat pumps

The technology, which is cost-effective across 75% of the U.S. landmass and ideal for space-constrained users, could eventually displace utility gas service, proponents say.

By Brian Martucci • April 15, 2024

DOE awards $27M for communities to plan a clean-energy future

This is the first funding round for the Energy Future Grants initiative, which launched last year to help communities plan for transportation and building electrification, microgrids and solar projects.

By Ysabelle Kempe • April 12, 2024

Grid interconnection queues jumped 27%, to 2.6 TW, in 2023, led by solar, storage: DOE lab

Solar, battery and wind projects make up 95% of the capacity in interconnection queues, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researchers said Wednesday.

By Ethan Howland • April 11, 2024

Regulators: Don’t panic and rush to gas amid cries we’re out of power

Proposing new gas plants to serve growing demand does not occur in isolation. It is a decision that implicitly rejects alternatives as either infeasible, expensive or unconsidered.

By Mike O’Boyle and Eric Gimon • April 11, 2024

South Carolina advances bill that could spur gas power for Duke, Dominion utilities, hamper solar

Renewable developers EnergyRe and Pine Gate Renewables urged lawmakers to require that utilities add about 8 GW of solar from approved integrated resource plans, with offramps.

By Ethan Howland • April 9, 2024

Columbia Law report rebuts 33 ‘most pervasive false claims’ about solar, wind, EVs

The report from the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law rebuts common claims regarding renewable energy’s dependency on subsidies and its potential harms to people or wildlife.

By Diana DiGangi • April 8, 2024

These 8 nonprofits got $20B from the Biden administration for local clean energy financing. Now what?

The “green bank” funds must be obligated by September amid efforts by Republican lawmakers to repeal the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.

By Ysabelle Kempe • April 8, 2024

Maximizing the value of IRA tax incentives while minimizing investment compliance risk

The IRA is the single largest investment in clean energy in U.S. history, but industry will only benefit from the estimated $1.2 trillion in incentives if the tax credits can be successfully monetized.

By Charles Dauber • April 8, 2024

How solar manufacturers can leverage IRA clean energy tax credits

More than 500 companies and 45,500 projects registered for clean energy tax credits under the law as of March 8.

By Joelle Anselmo • April 4, 2024

Monday’s eclipse could cut US solar output by 40 GWh. Here’s how 5 grid operators are preparing.

Grid operators are not expecting any reliability issues during the eclipse but say forecasting energy demand will be complicated. Monday “will not be a typical spring day,” MISO noted.

By Robert Walton • April 4, 2024

Hawaiian Electric offers new incentives to customers with rooftop solar and battery storage

The company says it is streamlining programs for rooftop solar users to help the state meet its clean energy goals, but some customers could see smaller financial benefits.

By Patrick Cooley • April 3, 2024

Goldman renewables spinoff MN8 Energy secures $325M investment

MN8 has a solar fleet with a capacity of 3.2 GW, made up of more 875 projects in 28 states, and battery storage projects with a combined 270 MW of capacity.

By Lamar Johnson • April 3, 2024

Biden administration awards $4B in clean energy manufacturing tax credits

The money from the 48C credit spans 35 states and is part of a slate of tax incentives funded by the Inflation Reduction Act.

By Kate Magill • April 3, 2024

Massachusetts commission recommends faster approvals of clean energy projects, infrastructure

The commission suggested the state issue a single, consolidated permit for clean energy projects and limit deliberation to a maximum of 15 months.

By Diana DiGangi • April 3, 2024

Supporting strategic end uses is key to making hydrogen hubs the building blocks to scale

We must deploy clean hydrogen strategically to decarbonize sectors of the economy that are hard to electrify and unlock its true potential to accelerate the phaseout of fossil fuels.

By Cihang Yuan and Daniel Riley • April 3, 2024

DOE to invest $22M to improve planning, permitting of renewable energy, storage projects

The first round of funding, worth $10 million, will go to six state-based projects intended to provide training and technical resources to local governments evaluating large-scale renewable energy projects, DOE said.

By Patrick Cooley • April 2, 2024