Focus
U.S. solar energy growth to slow as Washington priorities shift
Reuters – June 8
New U.S. solar capacity will be more than 10% lower in 2030 than in 2025, according to a forecast by the Solar Energy Industries Association and energy research firm Wood Mackenzie. The outlook includes the expected effects of new federal tariffs on a range of imported materials that are important to solar projects, including steel and aluminum. But it does not include potential cuts to clean energy tax credits being considered in a Republican budget bill in Congress - another major threat to the industry if passed into law.
News
California’s successful virtual power plant program faces big budget cuts
Canary Media – June 5
California’s biggest virtual power plant is facing over $100 million in funding cuts due to the state’s ongoing budget crisis. The Demand Side Grid Support program pays electric customers who reduce their energy use or who provide power to the larger grid during extreme events that stress the system, like heat waves or wildfires. Going into this summer, the program has hundreds of thousands of smart thermostats, batteries, grid-responsive EV chargers, and other distributed energy resources that participating companies can control remotely with software.
Projects
AES completes half of 1 GW California solar + storage project for Amazon with robotic help
Solar Power World – June 11
AES has completed construction of the 500 MW Bellefield 1 project, under a 15-year contract with Amazon in Kern County. Bellefield is a two-phase project, with each phase including 500 MW of solar and 500 MW of four-hour battery-based energy storage. Construction on Bellefield 2 is on track to be completed in 2026.
Scoping launched on 200 MW California solar plan by Clearway unit
Renewables Now – June 11
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has launched a public comment session on a proposed up to 200 MW solar farm with storage on public lands in Riverside County. The contemplated Redonda photovoltaic park would be backed by a battery energy storage system with a capacity of up to 250 MW.
Napa Valley town that once rode out emergencies with diesel gets a clean-power backup
Associated Press – June 4
For residents of Calistoga in Napa Valley, the threat of wildfire is seldom out of mind. The hillside bears burn scars from a 2020 fire that forced all of Calistoga to evacuate, and the 2017 Tubbs fire that killed 22 people in wine country started just a few miles from downtown. When fire danger required shutting off transmission lines that might spark a blaze, the town relied on a bank of generators in a popular recreation area that belched choking diesel exhaust and rumbled so loudly it drove people away. But now Calistoga is shifting to a first-of-its-kind system that combines two clean-energy technologies — hydrogen fuel cells and batteries — for enough juice to power the city for about two days.
Atlantic Shores requests to terminate 1.5 GW OREC contract with New Jersey
Offshore WIND – June 10
Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind has submitted a request to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), seeking that the existing offshore renewable energy credit (OREC) order, issued by the NJBPU in 2021 for 1,509.6 MW of generation capacity at Atlantic Shores Project 1, be terminated. The developer, which planned to take the final investment decision this year, cites the recent withdrawal of the Air Permit for further review as one of the key reasons it is looking to terminate the state-awarded contract.
Port of Los Angeles presses ahead with EV transition amid regulation changes
Utility Dive – June 2
The Port of Los Angeles is moving forward with its efforts to transition to zero-emissions truck fleets, despite legislative uncertainty surrounding the future of electric vehicles. With the approval from the Board of Harbor Commissioners, the port will continue to prioritize Clean Truck Fund revenue on charging and fueling infrastructure projects along with vouchers to make zero-emissions trucks affordable.
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