SOLAR POWER
Hawaii Senate Bill 2933 mirrors energy storage sector growth interest and introduces investment and utilization tax credits. Senate Bill 2933 introduces two tax credit forms on utility scale renewable energy storage properties with the requirement that all departments of business, economic, and tourism are to submit an annual joint report to legislature. Investment credit will…...
The $2.2B Ivanpah Solar Electric System can deliver 392 MW of solar power to California’s electric grid. On February 13, 2014, the Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz inaugurated the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, the world’s largest solar thermal power tower system. The three-unit power system spans approximately 3,500 acres of public desert land in…...
The NY Green Bank has issued a request for proposal to private sector lenders to facilitate financing for clean energy projects. On February 11, 2014, NY State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the start of NY Green Bank’s business operations through a request for proposal (RFP) to industry participants, private-sector capital providers, and investors for…...
The U.S. utility-scale solar PV industry is 60 percent towards the SunShot Initiative’s 2020 goal of making solar energy cost-competitive with traditional energy sources. On February 12, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that the U.S. utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) industry is more than 60 percent of the way to achieve DOE’s SunShot 2020…...
On January 21, Kilowatt Financial announced $100 million debt facility with Citi to support residential energy efficiency upgrades. One day later, Joule Assets announced a $100 million fund to aggregate energy efficiency and demand response projects for private equity investors. Overview Although creative energy efficiency financing has existed for decades, new mechanisms are emerging to…...
A Solar Foundation report shows U.S. solar industry jobs increased by 19.9 percent, 10 times faster than overall job growth. On January 27, 2014, the Solar Foundation (TSF), a non-profit research organization, released the 2013 National Solar Jobs Census, its fourth annual report on U.S. solar industry employment and projected growth. The report shows the…...
The U.S. and 13 World Trade Organization members have committed to advance free trade of environmental goods to make green technologies more affordable. On January 24, 2014, the U.S. and 13 World Trade Organization (WTO) members – Australia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, the European Union, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland, and…...
Solar carve-outs have been implemented as part of the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) in 14 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, helping to support the expansion of solar energy projects throughout the nation. All of these states are on track to meet their long-term compliance goals, and all show increasing percentages of annual RPS…...
Increasing solar energy investment opportunities will become available in 2014 as a result of financial innovation helping to accelerate project deployment and cost cutting. Historically, solar energy projects are difficult to finance because of high fixed costs and long investment return terms. As a result, the margin of error on risk evaluation is much greater…...
U.S. Commerce Chamber’s new energy advocacy platform proposes actionable recommendations to capitalize on the nation’s energy potential. On January 15, 2014, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy launched its new energy advocacy platform titled “Energy Works for US,” a comprehensive plan with recommendations for 2014 and beyond. The plan, an update…...
President Obama has ordered a comprehensive energy strategy review to ensure federal policies continue to address changing energy requirements. On January 9, 2014, President Obama signed a memorandum establishing a Quadrennial Energy Review (QER) to enhance the federal government’s capability to provide a comprehensive and integrated energy strategy to meet challenges posed by rising energy…...
Governor Cuomo’s 2014 State of the State agenda includes new clean energy and climate initiatives with a grid resiliency and distributed generation focus. In his State of the State (SOS) address on January 8, 2014, New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo reaffirmed his commitment to clean energy, proposing significant initiatives to address energy and…...