The first-ever joint meeting of California agencies that will draw the path to a zero-carbon future met in Sacramento to start planning for the state’s 100% renewable goal by 2045. The meeting included the California Energy Commission, California Public Utilities Commission and the California Air Resources Board, which are all tasked to meet the ambitious goals of 2018’s Senate Bill 100, which mandates that California use renewable resources to supply 100% of its electricity by the end of 2045. … Read More →

Alternative Energy Store (altE), a Massachusetts-based distributor of solar energy products and systems, acquired Real Goods, a California-based solar retailer. … Read More →

They come from different backgrounds and hold a wide variety of political beliefs. The one thing they do have in common is a dislike for a plan that they fear could have a negative and long-lasting impact on the fabric of their community. … Read More →

Walmart Inc. isn’t the only corporation that has seen its Tesla Inc. solar panels catch fire. On Friday, Amazon.com Inc. said a June 2018 blaze on the roof of one of its warehouses in Redlands, California, involved a solar system that Tesla’s SolarCity division installed. … Read More →

Sunnova Energy International Inc., one of the leading U.S. residential solar and battery storage service providers, today announced a new strategic partnership with PetersenDean Roofing & Solar, one of the largest full-service, privately-held roofing and solar companies in the United States. Working together, Sunnova and PetersenDean will deliver Sunnova’s solar and storage services to home builders across California. … Read More →

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has signed a groundbreaking 25-year power purchase agreement with 8Minute Solar. The deal will make possible the largest municipal solar plus storage facility in the US. But the best part is the combined price for solar energy plus storage is just 3.3 cents per kilowatt-hour, the lowest ever in the US and cheaper than electricity from a natural gas powered generating plant. … Read More →

San Diego Gas & Electric earlier this summer said it wants to raise its minimum bills by almost 400%, along with a $10 fixed charge, a move the utility says is necessary to combat the $420 million annual cost shift between residential customers with and without solar panels. By next spring, the utility wants to raise the minimum bill to $1.26/day, or $38.19 per bill based on a 30-day billing cycle, effective March 1, 2020. Some vulnerable groups of customers would be eligible for a 50% discount on the minimum bill, according to SDG&E. … Read More →

Los Angeles has been sitting on a contract for record-cheap solar power for more than a month — and city officials declined to approve it Tuesday because of concerns raised by the city-run utility’s labor union. Under the 25-year contract with developer 8minute Solar Energy, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power would pay less than 2 cents per kilowatt-hour — the lowest price ever paid for solar power in the United States. … Read More →

If Pacific Gas & Electric goes bankrupt, who gets final say over whether it can renegotiate its old and expensive solar power-purchase agreements — federal regulators or the bankruptcy court? This multibillion-dollar question has come to the fore as PG&E, overwhelmed by tens of billions of dollars in potential wildfire liabilities, prepares to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as early as tomorrow. … Read More →

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) announced that it will partner with the University of California-Irvine’s  Advanced Power & Energy Program to design an “Advanced … Read More →

If Pacific Gas & Electric goes bankrupt, who gets final say over whether it can renegotiate its old and expensive solar power-purchase agreements — federal regulators or the bankruptcy court? This multibillion-dollar question has come to the fore as PG&E, overwhelmed by tens of billions of dollars in potential wildfire liabilities, prepares to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as early as tomorrow. … Read More →

SunEdison shares jumped more than 14 percent today after the company revised the terms of its acquisition of residential installer Vivint Solar. In July, SunEdison unveiled a $2.2 billion plan to acquire Vivint in cash, stock and convertible notes. Investors were not thrilled with the terms of the deal, however, and SunEdison’s stock declined precipitously over the following months. … Read More →

SunEdison, Inc. today announced that it has signed 20-year power-purchase agreements with six school districts across California. These agreements will see more than 9 megawatts of solar installed at 18 elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the state, and is expected to save taxpayers more than $30 million in energy costs over the next 20 years. … Read More →

SunPower Corp., the second-biggest U.S. solar manufacturer, is developing a plan to sell electricity in California. As the company combines its rooftop solar, energy storage and management systems, it will tap those resources to sell into the California bulk-power marketplace, Chief Executive Officer Tom Werner said in an interview Tuesday at the Edison Electric Institute Financial Conference in Hollywood, Florida. … Read More →

Novato and Sonoma based SolarCraft announced the completion of a 59 kW solar electric system at Horicon Elementary School in Annapolis, CA, near the northern coast of Sonoma County. The new photovoltaic system will offset 99% of their utility grid demand, essentially eliminating their electric bills and saving the school district thousands in utility fees every year. … Read More →