Hi there. The Arctic’s PV capacity is growing up to 145% annually—no, not an April Fools’ joke. While the frosty region was long considered a “solar dead zone,” a new IEA report notes that the sun’s rays are increasingly vital to the Arctic’s energy mix. In fact, silicon PV cells work more efficiently (and may degrade more slowly) in frigid temps. ❄️
As of 2023, installed capacity above 60°N added up to roughly 1,400 MWp. It’s a tiny drop in the global bucket, but a notable trend to keep an eye on. 👀
Following up: Yesterday, we asked for your take on 100-amp, all-electric homes—and the responses were all over the map. 23% of Daily readers said it seems feasible, 36% said it’s likely context-dependent, and 41% aren’t buying it. 🤔
— The Energy Central editorial team
General forecasts show conditions, not consequences. When wildfires and extreme heat hit, raw data isn’t enough. DTN Weather Hub not only projects asset and safety risk — but also recommends your best next move.
DOE is handing $9.5M to eight projects that will tally geothermal’s grid benefits. (DOE)
The GRID initiative has tapped EPRI, along with several universities and national labs, to model geothermal’s economic contributions (including firm capacity, flexible dispatch, and ancillary services). The participants will model regions including PJM, ERCOT, CAISO, and the Northwest.
Why it matters: Geothermal is increasingly prevalent in utility IRPs and data center power strategies…but its grid benefits remain underpriced. The hold-up? The modeling hasn’t caught up. Now, these projects will arm utilities and planners with data that supports more accurate geothermal pricing.
Iran attacked two major Gulf aluminum producers, stoking concerns of global shortages. (Semafor)
After strikes this weekend, aluminum prices jumped to a four-year high. That’s because the Middle East produces 9% of the world’s aluminum—a critical component of solar panels, transmission infrastructure, wind turbines, and EVs.
The bottom line: A prolonged Strait of Hormuz shutdown could disrupt aluminum supply for clean energy manufacturing, with few alternatives outside sanctioned Russian and Chinese sources. Higher prices, meanwhile, will get passed through to end users…and eventually eat into demand.
Golden Pass LNG has produced its first gas at one of the country’s biggest export terminals. (Reuters)
The $10B Texas facility is a joint venture between QatarEnergy (70%) and Exxon (30%). Construction on the plant started in 2019…and has since been dogged by delays, cost overruns, and contractor bankruptcy.
When fully online, it’ll be capable of producing 18M mT/year. Exxon says the plant will export its first cargo in Q2 this year.
Reactive storm response isn’t cutting it. See how utilities get ahead with weather intelligence in this free event—save your spot for April 15 at 1pm ET
PJM utilities are lobbying hard to own and build power plants again. (EPI)
Over the past two years, Exelon, FirstEnergy, PPL, and other utilities have met privately with officials and pushed legislation, the Energy & Policy Institute reported. The goal: reversing state policies from the late 1990s, which moved electricity generation from their hands to competitive wholesale markets.
Their pitch: Stability in a capacity market where price shocks are set to raise customer bills by hundreds of dollars a year. The pushback? Ratepayers, not shareholders, would absorb the risk.
While we’re here: Last week, a PJM committee approved a “connect-and-manage” framework, which lets large loads interconnect ahead of new generation…but subjects them to curtailment when supply runs thin.
The Texas Supreme Court scrapped lawsuits against power generators over the 2021 winter storm—no explanation offered. (Texas Tribune)
On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court threw out lawsuits brought by tens of thousands of residents and small businesses who lost power during the storm, which resulted in 246 deaths and >$300B in damages. The generators involved, including CenterPoint and NRG, have argued that the record-breaking cold—not their own failures—caused the harm.
The pattern: In 2023, the same court ruled ERCOT couldn’t be sued at all, granting it sovereign immunity as a provider of “essential government service.” Between that and Friday’s decision, it appears that legal avenues for storm accountability in Texas have effectively dried up.
Energy storage developer Aypa Power has raised $1.55B—the largest such transaction for the sector, the company claims. (Yahoo Finance)
Aypa, a Blackstone portfolio company, reached this milestone with a recent $500 million upsizing of its corporate credit facility. The company has 42 utility-scale storage and hybrid renewable projects in operation or under construction, with a development pipeline of over 22 GW.
What it means: This signals that institutional capital sees opportunity in the storage sector, even in what Aypa’s CEO called a “capital-constrained market.”
Low Impact certainly isn’t the easy lane. Explore how utilities streamline controls while meeting rising evidence and audit demands in this free virtual event—save your spot for April 8 at 1pm ET
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