Issue 34: The precarious future of community solar Hi Friend, As we’ve said before it’s a good time for community solar — at least at the moment. The US market has tripled in size since 2020, according to a new report by Wood Mackenzie and the Coalition for Community Solar Access. However, only a limited number of states have pro-community solar policies, and their markets are going to get saturated. The report forecasts the market will grow 5% annually through 2026 and then contract by 11% through 2029. Action by state lawmakers could change that, especially in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, where legislation is pending. Unfortunately, utilities tend to oppose community solar and they are often powerful voices in state legislatures. So the industry has a fight on its hands. The good news is that it’s got strong champions on its side, among them Nate Owen, CEO of Ampion, who I interviewed in the first Energy Changemakers Podcast, released this week. “We’re constantly having to bang down doors in areas that are, you know, not necessarily open to competition and/or a change in policy. So it’s a long battle that we fight,” Nate says. Nate describes community solar as “a little rowboat bumping up against an aircraft carrier.” “We’re trying to make the aircraft carrier take a bit of a perpendicular turn, you know, or a 10 or 20-degree turn. We need a lot of rowboat,” he says. Listen to my full interview with Nate, What’s Next for Community Solar? Please give us a review and follow the Energy Changemakers Podcast. We’ll be posting a new conversation every two weeks. Thank you! — Elisa Wood If you like this newsletter, please forward it to a friend.
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What’s Next for Community Solar?
From our magazine, Decentralized Grid
A couple of interesting reads from the web |
Community solar needs a bigger boat
Attribution: Art Hunter