Industry News
All SEIA News
Top stories summarized by our editors
Top stories summarized by our editors

Record Q1 growth pushes US solar past 100 GW milestone

6/15/2021

The US added a record 5 gigawatts of new installed solar capacity in the first quarter and now has a total capacity of more than 100 GW, reports the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie. "While we're poised for more growth, we must accelerate solar and storage deployment to address the climate crisis and reach President Biden's ambitious clean energy goals," said SEIA President and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper.

SEIA makes energy storage an advocacy pillar

5/26/2021

Solar and storage go hand in hand and the Solar Energy Industries Association plans to ramp up its advocacy on behalf of energy storage through a new venture known as the Storage Advocacy Network. "Over the next decade, we need to dramatically ramp up solar + storage installations to achieve emissions goals, and we'll need world-class federal and state advocacy to help us get there," said President and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper.

Colo. PUC paving way for more solar-plus-storage

5/24/2021

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission has decided to streamline several aspects of the residential and commercial solar-plus-storage interconnection process, at the request of the Solar Energy Industries Association and the Colorado Solar and Storage Association. "These decisions will clear up years of uncertainty and reduce the amount of time it takes for solar + storage customers to connect to the grid," said Sean Gallagher of SEIA.

S.C.'s new net metering rules geared toward customers

5/21/2021

The South Carolina Public Service Commission has finalized a new net metering program developed by the Solar Energy Industries Association and Duke Energy that features time-of-use rates, smart thermostat rebates and provisions that will encourage residential solar growth. "This is ultimately a win for current and future solar customers in South Carolina and will ensure the local rooftop solar market continues to grow," said Will Giese of SEIA.

RESB Murmurs: For more background information on how net energy metering policies can shape markets, don't miss the Renewable Energy SmartPod episode featuring Joseph Triepke from Lium Research. - Sean

Solar supply chain racing to cut ties with forced labor

4/13/2021

China may control much of the global solar supply chain, but that won't stop governments, the Solar Energy Industries Association and companies from cutting ties with suppliers in Xinjiang that may be using forced labor. Establishing new suppliers may slow solar industry growth and delay some US projects, per SEIA, but it's absolutely necessary because we "cannot have the energy transition come with the cost of forced labor," said European Parliament member Anna Cavazzini.

Solar supply chain racing to cut ties with forced labor

4/12/2021

China may control much of the global solar supply chain, but that won't stop governments, the Solar Energy Industries Association and companies from cutting ties with suppliers in Xinjiang that may be using forced labor. Establishing new suppliers may slow solar industry growth and delay some US projects, per SEIA, but it's absolutely necessary because we "cannot have the energy transition come with the cost of forced labor," said European Parliament member Anna Cavazzini.

RESB Murmurs: The next episode of the Renewable Energy SmartPod launches tomorrow featuring an interview with Tristan Grimbert, the president and CEO of EDF Renewables North America. Among many topics, you'll hear Tristan's views on the solar supply chain issues related to China. - Sean

SEIA: US solar boom requires stable policies

3/30/2021

The US solar industry is on track to hit 419 gigawatts of capacity by 2030 and is working to raise that target to 600 GW by 2030 in line with the Biden administration's climate agenda, but that level of growth cannot be achieved without stable policies like a long-term Investment Tax Credit extension, writes a team from the Solar Energy Industries Association. "Our message to leaders in Washington is simple: Policies that support solar will help our economy recover, create jobs, and address climate change," the authors write.

SEIA, APA tools shows renewables are a win for rural Texas

3/26/2021

Anyone doubting the importance of renewables in Texas should take a look at a new interactive website from the Advanced Power Alliance and Solar Energy Industries Association. The tool analyzes the economic impact of renewables on rural Texas communities and shows the industry provides much-needed revenue via leases and tax payments.

SEIA's input sought on US' Xinjiang solar dependency

3/24/2021

Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., have asked the Solar Energy Industries Association for more information on steps the industry is taking to ensure the US supply chain doesn't support forced labor in Xinjiang, China. SEIA is "working hard to develop a supply chain traceability protocol that can be used as a compliance tool to ensure the products they use are free of forced labor," said executive Dan Whitten.

What to expect from solar's stand against forced labor

3/3/2021

The global solar supply chain is preparing for a shake-up, with the Solar Energy Industries Association and the 175 signatories of the SEIA Forced Labor Prevention Pledge sending a clear signal that the use of forced labor in Xinjiang, China, won't be tolerated. The move away from Xinjiang-manufactured goods probably won't have a major effect on wafer supplies, but the market for solar-grade polysilicon may tighten. On a brighter note, some of that lost production capacity may be shifted to the US.