QUICK NEWS, July 29: ATTACKS ON NEW ENERGY DOCUMENTED; HOW WYOMING AND CALIF WINDS FIT; SOLARCITY GOES FOR THE HUGE SMALL BUSINESS MRKT

ATTACKS ON NEW ENERGY DOCUMENTED Report: Attacks on Renewable Energy Policies in 2015

Elsner and Kasper, July 2015 (Energy and policy Institute)

“Fossil fuel and utility interests, concerned about the rise of cheap clean energy, continue to finance attacks on pro-clean energy policies in an effort to delay the growth of their [competition, according to a new report]. These companies, along with the Koch Brothers’ political network and front groups, want to continue selling as much coal, oil, and gas as possible — and, in their effort to roll back clean energy policies, are spreading misinformation about clean energy and the energy market…[They] fund front groups, who then attack clean energy policies…With greater numbers of customers generating and using their own clean energy, utility corporations saw decreased revenues…As a result of this competitive market threat, the utility industry, through its trade association, the Edison Electric Institute, launched a calculated, multi-year campaign…” click here for more

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HOW WYOMING AND CALIF WINDS FIT UW Study Demonstrates Benefits of Pairing Wyoming and California Wind

July 27, 2015 (University of Wyoming)

"…[C]ombining the strengths of Wyoming wind with California wind and solar will reduce the intermittency of renewable energy and smooth the power supply -- leading to benefits for utilities and energy consumers alike [according to Wind Diversity Enhancement of Wyoming/California Wind Energy Projects: Phase 2 from the University of Wyoming…[It] digs into the details of geographic diversity relative to renewable energy and is based on one year of actual one-minute average wind and solar electrical production data from California and data from four operating meteorological towers in Wyoming…[Wyoming and California wind patterns are very different and very] complementary…California wind is strongest at night, while Wyoming wind is strongest during the day and peaks in the afternoon -- coincident with the time when the sun is beginning to set while the electric load is still increasing into the evening hours…” click here for more

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SOLARCITY GOES FOR THE HUGE SMALL BUSINESS MRKT SolarCity launches plan to bring solar power to small and midsize firms

Ivan Penn, July 28, 2015 (LA Times)

“SolarCity Corp. wants to deck the rooftops of small and midsize businesses with solar panels by offering a new financing strategy to a market that the company says has largely gone untapped…Companies that lease the solar panels from SolarCity would be able to save 5% to 25% compared with their current electric bills…Businesses with potential for solar arrays of less than 500 kilowatts made up less than 40% of commercial solar installations in the first quarter of 2015. Solar arrays under 100 kilowatts were less than 10% of commercial installations…SolarCity's target is businesses that would use small solar arrays ranging from 30-kilowatt systems that a mom-and-pop store would use to a 500-kilowatt system designed for a warehouse or storage facility. The company plans to make the leasing plan available to businesses first in California and then expand in the next year...” click here for more

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