700+ Solar Companies Ask For Stronger Solar Legislation From Congress
Solar power keeps getting cheaper and keeps growing year after year, now accounting for nearly half of new power capacity in the United States. But coal and fossil methane (also deceivingly called “natural gas”) power plants need to be retired more quickly than they have been. We need to cut emissions more quickly than we have been cutting them or else we’re going to face climate catastrophes beyond what we can imagine and human society as a whole will be hurt and tested like never before.
With that in mind, 700+ solar companies would like to see stronger action from Congress in support of solar power (and, naturally, solar companies would rather make more money, not less). They sent a joint letter to Congress asking for 6 specific things to provide a boost to the solar industry. The first thing on the list: extend the federal solar tax credit (Investment Tax Credit), which provides a 30% reduction in the cost of a solar project.
Second on the list is “Address financing challenges and shortfalls by adding direct pay provisions to the ITC and help the industry reach ambitious deployment targets.”
They also now want standalone energy storage projects — not just energy storage projects connected to solar power systems — to be eligible for the aforementioned 30% ITC.
Furthermore, they are asking for the federal government itself to invest in solar power projects, as well as transmission, interconnection, and grid resiliency projects.
Last — but not least — on the list: “Support training programs and equitable policies that continue to build a strong, diverse solar workforce.”
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) highlights, “The solar industry is now a $25 billion industry that employs over 231,000 Americans in quality, high-paying jobs across all 50 states. To meet President Biden’s 2035 clean energy goal, the size of the solar workforce must quadruple to more than 900,000 Americans.”
“The science is clear: we must rapidly decarbonize the electric grid to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change, and the solar Investment Tax Credit is the most effective policy we have to drive solar deployment in the United States,” said SEIA president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper. “The ITC is also a proven job creator, and after years of policy whiplash, it’s time that we give clean energy businesses the policy certainty they need to clean up our grid and create the millions of jobs necessary to build an equitable clean energy economy.”
Will the voice of 700+ companies, a $25 billion industry, be enough to push for these solar policy commitments from Congress? Will the industry at least see an extension of the 30% solar tax credit? It’s hard to say. The last extension was supposed to be … the last extension. But that’s not the first time it was supposed to be the last one. At the end of the day, the solar tax credit, and everything else on that list, serves a lot of bipartisan policy goals. That said, Congress is not always logical. It seldom is, in fact — even on issues that are very popular across the US.
If you’d like to ensure a solid tax credit for a rooftop solar project or even ground-mount solar project, you may want to play it safe and make the commitment soon. If you decide to do so, and you decide Tesla is the company you want to go with due to its low pricing and perhaps other factors, feel free to use my Tesla referral code — ts.la/zachary63404 — for $100 of (and a bit of a bonus for me).
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Germany is about to become home to Europe’s largest battery storage system – a massive 1 gigawatt (GW) / 4 gigawatt-hour (GWh) project in Jänschwalde, Brandenburg.
LEAG Clean Power GmbH and Fluence Energy GmbH, a subsidiary of US-based Fluence Energy (NASDAQ: FLNC), are teaming up to build the “GigaBattery Jänschwalde 1000.” The four-hour system will use Fluence’s Smartstack technology, its latest large-scale energy storage solution.
Once complete, Europe’s largest battery storage project will play a key role in stabilizing Germany’s grid and storing renewable power for when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing. It’s designed to deliver essential grid services, support energy trading, and boost energy security as the country phases out fossil fuels.
LEAG’s broader “GigawattFactory” plan combines solar and wind farms with flexible power plants and large-scale batteries across Germany’s Lusatian energy region. “By constructing gigascale storage facilities, we’re addressing one of the biggest challenges of the energy transition: ensuring constant power regardless of the availability of renewable energies,” said Adi Roesch, CEO of the LEAG Group.
Fluence CEO Julian Nebreda described the project as a “milestone for the energy future of Germany and Europe,” adding that it demonstrates how collaboration and cutting-edge technology can “transform the foundation of our economy and our everyday lives.”
The German government recently reaffirmed the importance of storage in building a secure and affordable clean power system. With this 4 GWh giant, LEAG and Fluence are implementing that priority in one of Europe’s most coal-heavy regions.
Read more: Battery boom: 5.6 GW of US energy storage added in Q2
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![The Genesis GV90 is shaping up to be a real stunner [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/Genesis-GV90-ultra-luxury-SUV.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
The GV90 will be the brand’s largest, most luxurious SUV yet. With its official debut coming up, a production version of the Genesis GV90 was spotted in public for the first time, offering a closer look at the stunning SUV.
The Genesis GV90 is a stunning flagship SUV
Genesis vehicles already have a unique design that’s hard to miss. The big Creste Grille, Two-Line Quad Lamps, and smooth character lines offer a refined, luxurious look, but Genesis is planning to take it to the next level with the GV90.
The GV90 is an “ultra-luxe, state-of-the-art SUV,” according to Genesis. It will be the luxury brand’s new flagship vehicle and first full-size electric SUV.
We got our first look at the flagship SUV last March after Genesis unveiled the Neolun concept at the New York Auto Show.
The GV90 has been spotted out in public several times now, even flashing high-end features like coach doors and adaptive air suspension, but now, we are finally getting our first look at the production version in real life.
A new video from HealerTV shows the production version of the Genesis GV90 in action. Although it’s still covered in camo, you can see a few slight design changes from the concept shown last year.
The headlights and grille appear closer in design to its current vehicles, but other than that, the GV90 looks essentially the same up front as the Neolun concept.
Since it’s still covered, it’s hard to see where the headlights are connected at this point. From the side and rear, the GV90 looks identical to the concept.
Genesis has yet to announce an official launch date, but the GV90 could debut by the end of the year with sales expected to kick off in mid-2026.
The flagship SUV is rumoured to be the first vehicle to debut on Hyundai’s new eM platform, which it claims will “provide 50% improvement in driving range” compared to its current EVs. It will also serve as a tech beacon, featuring Hyundai’s most advanced connectivity and safety tech.
We will learn official prices and final specs soon, but one thing is for sure: it won’t be cheap. The Genesis GV90 is expected to start at around $100,000, but higher trims could cost significantly more with added features and options.
Genesis is also introducing its first hybrid, the GV80, next year, followed by its first extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) based on the GV70. The EREV is expected to launch in late 2026 or early 2027. There’s also an off-road SUV in the works, which will likely arrive as a 2027 model.
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