POPS Is Here to Stay
Reports of Plain Old Power Service’s death greatly exaggerated
The vast majority of electric consumers want reliable, clean, reasonably priced electricity, and little else.
SolarCity
Musk and Me
I signed up for a free quote on line.
With all the talk of the “existential threat” to traditional utilities from solar and other disruptive technologies (and the blowback against net metering in various states), I thought I’d check out SolarCity first hand.
From Grid to Cloud
A network of networks – in search of an orchestrator.
The Energy Cloud will change the way we generate, store, and consume energy by changing from a one-way power flow to a dynamic network of networks supporting two-way energy and information flows.
Wind of Change Challenging Utilities
Elon Musk’s appearance at the Edison Electric Institute’s annual convention was a “wind of change” moment.
The industry is coming to terms, or trying to come to terms, with new forces that are challenging it as a business proposition in a way that it hasn’t been challenged in a history of more than 100 years.
Transactions (December 2014)
NRG Energy acquired Pure Energies Group, a residential solar industry provider; Duke Energy Progress filed with FERC for approval to purchase the North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency’s generating assets for $1.2 billion; Trina Solar Limited signed a share purchase agreement to sell a power plant to funds managed by Foresight Group LLP; AES entered into an agreement to sell its 49.62% equity interest in a joint venture in Turkey; Southern Power acquired the 150-MW Solar Gen 2 solar facility in California from First Solar; SolarCity is planning to launch what would be the first registered public offering of solar bonds in the US; and debt offerings from Dynegy and ComEd.
Making Peace With Solar
Electric executives open up on what they’re planning next.
Electric power executives open up about their solar investments. What motivates them? What are they planning next?
Turning Toward Customers
Utility transformation guided by improved customer insight.
Improved customer insight can help utilities transform their business models, to strengthen engagement with consumers and remain competitive as the energy sector evolves.
SolarCity Completes Solar Power Projects in Maryland forWalmart
Submitted by aburr on Wed, 2013-07-17 13:11Walmart and SolarCity completed solar projects at eight Walmart stores and two Sam's Clubs across the state of Maryland.
Goldman Sachs Funds $500 Million for U.S. Rooftop Solar Leases
Submitted by aburr on Sat, 2013-06-01 13:38SolarCity raised lease financing from Goldman Sachs to fund more than $500 million in solar power projects – an estimated 110 MW in generation capacity – for homeowners and businesses. The agreement was initiated in 2012 and expanded per its initial terms at the end of April. Solar City says the combined lease financing is the largest of its kind announced in the U.S. for homeowners’ rooftops. About 26 MW has already been deployed under the lease program.
Turning Energy Inside Out
Amory Lovins on negawatts, renewables, and neoclassical markets.
Fortnightly speaks with Amory Lovins about the evolving role of conservation, competition, and distributed resources in the energy industry.