John Arthur’s Post

The weeks after the general election on 4 July have brought a flurry of approvals for large-scale solar and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects. So how could the consenting landscape continue to evolve following the change of government? In this article managing associate John Arthur examines the three Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (Sunnica, Mallard Pass and Gate Burton) that were granted development consent last month; ongoing challenges with decision-making on TCPA projects; and the proposed change to the NSIP threshold for solar projects. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ed4zxF_i #NationallySignificantInfrastructureProjects #BatteryEnergyStorageSystem 

Solar-friendly Maryland passes the Brighter Tomorrow Act: 🍁Hailed as landmark legislation, SB 783 empowers municipalities to speed permitting, raises net metering cap, supports a payment in lieu of taxes program and more. 🍁Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed the Brighter Tomorrow Act (SB 783) into law, making solar accessible to all, regardless of income. 🍁What the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is hailing as “landmark legislation” is expected to bring the state closer to its solar energy targets while also expanding solar access to low- and moderate-income Marylanders. A year ago Maryland’s governor announced the state had set a goal of 100% clean energy by 2035. 🍁“The Brighter Tomorrow Act is one of the most consequential pieces of clean energy legislation ever passed in Maryland. The new law will significantly boost solar deployment by lowering installation costs and making rooftop solar accessible for Marylanders of all incomes,” said Leah Meredith, mid-Atlantic senior manager for SEIA. “Empowering localities to adopt automated solar permitting will also go a long way to save local governments money and resources that can be spent on other important public services.” 🍁Maryland has long been a solar-friendly state with both supportive and forward-looking policies. For example, last year the state passed a new community solar program that allows projects to exceed certain size limits if they’re built on specified site types, such as rooftops, brownfields, or industrial areas. Not surprisingly the state has made great strides in solar capacity, jumping from a ranking of 30th in 2023, according to SEIA, to 19th in 2024. The state currently has 2 GW of solar installed and gets over 6% of its electricity from solar. #Solar panel installation #Photovoltaic systems #Solar energy solutions #Renewable energy technology #Solar power installation #Residential solar panels #Commercial solar systems #Solar energy company #Green energy solutions #Solar panel efficiency #Off-grid solar systems #Net metering programs #Solar financing options #Solar energy incentives #Solar energy benefits #Innovation #Worldwide

Solar-friendly Maryland passes the Brighter Tomorrow Act: 🍁Hailed as landmark legislation, SB 783 empowers municipalities to speed permitting, raises net metering cap, supports a payment in lieu of taxes program and more. 🍁Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed the Brighter Tomorrow Act (SB 783) into law, making solar accessible to all, regardless of income. 🍁What the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is hailing as “landmark legislation” is expected to bring the state closer to its solar energy targets while also expanding solar access to low- and moderate-income Marylanders. A year ago Maryland’s governor announced the state had set a goal of 100% clean energy by 2035. 🍁“The Brighter Tomorrow Act is one of the most consequential pieces of clean energy legislation ever passed in Maryland. The new law will significantly boost solar deployment by lowering installation costs and making rooftop solar accessible for Marylanders of all incomes,” said Leah Meredith, mid-Atlantic senior manager for SEIA. “Empowering localities to adopt automated solar permitting will also go a long way to save local governments money and resources that can be spent on other important public services.” 🍁Maryland has long been a solar-friendly state with both supportive and forward-looking policies. For example, last year the state passed a new community solar program that allows projects to exceed certain size limits if they’re built on specified site types, such as rooftops, brownfields, or industrial areas. Not surprisingly the state has made great strides in solar capacity, jumping from a ranking of 30th in 2023, according to SEIA, to 19th in 2024. The state currently has 2 GW of solar installed and gets over 6% of its electricity from solar. #Solar panel installation #Photovoltaic systems #Solar energy solutions #Renewable energy technology #Solar power installation #Residential solar panels #Commercial solar systems #Solar energy company #Green energy solutions #Solar panel efficiency #Off-grid solar systems #Net metering programs #Solar financing options #Solar energy incentives #Solar energy benefits #Innovation #Worldwide

PG&E lands $15B federal loan guarantee to expand clean energy 🌍⚡ TL;DR: Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has landed a groundbreaking $15 billion federal loan guarantee from the Department of Energy to enhance clean energy projects, focusing on hydropower and battery storage. This initiative aims to improve energy stability and customer rates ahead of potential policy shifts. Highlights • Largest conditional loan guarantee in DOE history to PG&E • Projects include expanding hydropower, battery storage, and grid upgrades • Funding supports PG&E's recovery and infrastructure modernization • Benefits for consumers with rooftop solar and electric vehicles • Urgent need to finalize funding before possible federal policy changes #CleanEnergy #PGandE #SustainableFuture #EnergyInnovation #Hydropower #BatteryStorage Article Source https://lnkd.in/gmUvnBeA

𝟭𝟱 𝗚𝗪 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗦𝗪’𝘀 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗘𝗭: 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮'𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝟰𝗫 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 • AEMO Services says the access rights tender for South West REZ resulted in offers coming in for 4X the indicative capacity   • As against 3.98 GW offered, it has received interest for 15 GW of generation and storage projects   • Hybrid power projects that pair wind and solar with storage infrastructure make up a significant volume  𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://lnkd.in/eM36NTtM #markets #Australia #NewSouthWales #RenewableEnergyZones(REZ) #NewSouthWalesRenewableEnergyZones

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $2.2 billion of investment in the nation's grid to lower costs, protect against extreme weather and prepare for growing demand. The investment is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program, and includes $389 million for #PowerUpNewEngland. The Power Up project was proposed by the states in April 2024, and includes upgrades to points of interconnection in #MA and #CT to prepare the onshore transmission system for up to 4,800 MW of additional #offshorewind energy, and an innovative, multi-day battery energy storage system in #ME to enhance grid resilience and optimize the delivery of renewable energy. Conservation Law Foundation joined other groups in an April 2024 letter to DOE supporting the proposal, noting that "[b]y investing in transmission and storage infrastructure, Power Up will enable the injection of thousands of MW of zero-marginal-cost, carbon-free resources during bitter cold winters in New England, when #reliability and #resilience are at greatest risk." Joint letter of support: https://lnkd.in/eFs4NxSe Announcement from DOE: https://lnkd.in/eUZVqj4h Announcement from MA: https://lnkd.in/ed-3VKbj Announcement from ME: https://lnkd.in/e4ZDmcZ5

𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱, 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 The draft decree, incorporating feedback from 21 government members, has been finalized. Key implications include: • Non-Retroactive Implementation: Rooftop solar (RTS) projects initiated prior to December 2020 and not in compliance with existing regulations will not be legalized. • Streamlined Procedures: Administrative processes will be significantly simplified, especially for RTS projects that are not connected to the national power grid. • Ongoing Debate: Controversy persists regarding the priority given to RTS projects with a capacity under 1MW that intend to sell electricity to the grid. The revised draft decree is anticipated for approval in the coming days.

Bundesnetzagentur, Germany’s Federal Network Agency, has published the results of its latest tender for solar systems on buildings and noise barriers. For this round, the tendered volume was 258 MW, with bidders submitting 162 bids totaling 363 MW. In the preliminary round, the bid volume was 378 MW. The Federal Network Agency was able to award contracts to 119 bids, amounting to 259 MW. “The bidding deadline was once again significantly oversubscribed,” said Klaus Müller, President of Bundesnetzagentur. “Due to the strong competition, low bid prices continue to be achieved.” The bid deadline for this round was 1 June 2024. The award values determined through the bidding price procedure ranged between 7.95 ct/kWh and 10.19 ct/kWh. The volume-weighted average award value was 8.94 ct/kWh, slightly up from the previous round’s 8.92 ct/kWh. The maximum value in this round was significantly higher at 10.50 ct/kWh. The awards were distributed across the following regions: North Rhine-Westphalia (34 awards, 83 MW), Lower Saxony (17 awards, 31 MW), Bavaria: (13 awards, 23 MW), and Baden-Württemberg (11 awards, 32 MW). Bids were allowed for capacities ranging from more than 1 MW to 20 MW. Notably, 78 of the awarded contracts were for bids with volumes up to 2 MW, with the largest bid having a volume of 10 MW. However, the Federal Network Agency excluded 19 bids due to formal errors. #cleanenergy

Have you heard about the impact of Biden's infrastructure plan on #SolarInvestments? The recent surge in solar installations in the United States is not just a coincidence - it's a sign of the significant progress being made towards a cleaner, more sustainable future. As a result of Biden's policies, investments are being redirected from Europe to the US, highlighting the country's emerging reputation as a favoured destination for renewable energy projects. With the current momentum in solar investments and installations, one can't help but wonder about the broader implications of Biden's infrastructure plan on the renewable energy sector. How will the increased focus on clean energy solutions impact job creation and economic growth in the US? And what opportunities can this transition towards renewable energy create for businesses and communities across the country? 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e3QmFuEK #BidenInfrastructurePlan #CleanEnergyTransition

Bureau of Land Management to advance nine solar energy projects on western lands The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), an agency within the Department of Interior, is advancing nine solar projects on public lands that could potentially power nearly 2 million homes with clean energy according to a department press release. The projects, which are located in Nevada and Arizona, also aim to further the Biden-Harris Administration’s objective of creating a carbon emission free power sector by 2025. Clean energy progress being made at scale. The Department of Interior also provided summaries of the progress being made with respect clean energy projects approved earlier in the year. These projects are targeted to generate 25 gigawatts, enough clean energy to power 12 million homes across the country. These undertakings include solar, wind and geothermal projects, as well as gen-tie lines on public lands that are essential for connecting clean electricity projects on both federal and non-federal lands to the grid. This story can be read in its entirety (no paywall) on the Wolters Kluwer Vital Law site at https://lnkd.in/ggD6dPDB.   As reported by Brad Rosen. #BLM #SolarProjects #CleanEnergy #ClimateReslience