USA

Although the International Energy Agency’s latest renewables report forecasts impressive solar growth there is still a nagging feeling it has produced conservative estimates and the emphasis on sharing costs with grid operators is predictable.

The government of Virginia has signed a deal with local utility Dominion Energy for 345MW of solar and 75MW of onshore wind energy to power government buildings and facilities

Secretary Perry informed President Trump yesterday that he will resign from his position, effective later this year. Perry released a message to DOE employees stating that he had “the coolest job in the world” as Secretary of the department.

Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is planning to be wholly powered by solar power and natural gas microgrid. For the first time in the United States, a major airport will be completely powered by its own microgrid with the use of its own on-site natural gas wells and a solar array.

Wells Fargo has signed a 10-year structured power purchase agreement (PPA) with Reliant, an NRG Energy, to power the bank’s 400 Texas locations with PV solar.

Greenbacker Renewable Energy has unveiled a flurry of new acquisitions that includes 31.33MW of contracted C&I solar assets from Sky Solar and IGS Solar across the US, alongside a partnership with Scenic Hill Solar in Arkansas.

Renewables investor Leyline Renewable Capital has secured US$150 million financing deal from Newlight Partners, a Soros Fund spin-off, to invest in early-stage solar and other clean energy projects.

Google says it will spend US$150 million on renewable energy in regions where its products are manufactured, in a move it hopes will galvanise a further US$1.5 billion of investment.

London-headquartered investor Cubico Sustainable Investments has achieved financial close on the 162MW Wagyu solar PV project in Brazoria County, Texas, the US.

Three scientists have been awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of lithium-ion batteries.

Some homeowners with Tesla solar panels said they had been left frustrated as they wait for the company to fixed damaged panels on their roof.

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) and Vote Solar have joined with Florida Power & Light to refine the company’s SolarTogether program design to include a low-income component and request Florida Public Service Commission approval.

Solar Energy International (SEI)’s technical consulting program for solar market development in rural communities, Solar Forward, has officially surpassed the 1-MW mark of new, installed solar across rural Colorado. The program has yielded 1.2 MW of installed solar to-date and numbers continue to climb.

Even by the standards of the generally well-informed clean-energy customers in California's Bay Area, Todd Karin is a savvy one.

The 121 MWdc Springbok 3 project in Kern County, California, brings the Springbok series to 448 MW, as Capital Dynamics continues its investments in U.S. solar.