In the absence of a national green infrastructure bank that could provide financing for clean, renewable energy and energy-efficiency projects, individual states have stepped up to fill the gap and provide financial incentives and promote and facilitate investment. We discussed earlier in this blog how New York and New Jersey are rethinking energy finance and embracing green banks to support investment in renewable energy and distributed energy resources.

Topics: Energy Policy, Structured Transactions & Tax, Energy Efficiency, Energy Finance, Distributed Energy, Solar Energy, Renewable Energy

Topics: Utilities, Energy Policy, Structured Transactions & Tax, Energy Storage, Energy Efficiency, Microgrid, Energy Finance, Distributed Energy, Energy Management, Solar Energy, Renewable Energy, Public/Private Partnership, Wind

The problems encountered by the Solana Generating Station, a solar thermal facility, illustrate that sponsors may be able to negotiate for a favorable position despite operating at well below the agreed upon output. For example, Solana has experienced fluid leakage and fires due to the intense heat generated by its mirrors. Although not publically available, it seems that the sponsor, Abengoa,

Topics: Structured Transactions & Tax, Energy Finance, Solar Energy, Renewable Energy

In an era which often seems to be defined by partisanship, renewable energy has recently shown that it is one issue that can defy party lines.

Topics: Carbon Emissions, Energy Policy, Distributed Energy, Solar Energy, Renewable Energy

While the solar market has been exploding over the past few years, the small commercial segment of the market, made up of locations like apartment buildings, office buildings, small businesses, factories, warehouses, and hospitals, has been extraordinarily slow to develop. Residential installations, built on standardized transactions and easy access to financing because projects can be pooled based on homeowner credit scores, is red hot as large investors with cheap capital are attracted to homogenous amassed projects and the perception of well-understood credit risk. The utility scale solar market also continues to grow (despite fewer available long-term power purchase agreements) on the strength of declining costs and abundant liquidity in the form of very low cost capital driven significantly by yieldcos.

Topics: Energy Efficiency, Energy Finance, Distributed Energy, Solar Energy, Renewable Energy

Last week South Carolina’s major utilities announced new residential solar incentive programs under the state’s Distributed Energy Resource Program Act (DERPA). Signed in mid-2014 by Governor Nikki Haley, DERPA requires utilities to establish distributed energy resources programs, authorized third-party solar leasing, and updated the state’s net metering program.

Topics: Utilities, Energy Policy, Energy Finance, Solar Energy, Renewable Energy

Topics: Energy Storage, Distributed Energy, Solar Energy, Renewable Energy

Sunny, tropical Puerto Rico may finally have a break through in solar development and investment. Although the island represents a solar opportunity today, renewable generation only represented 1% of the Caribbean territory’s energy mix in 2012, despite high electricity prices and renewable friendly policies. The reason for the lack of solar development is likely due to poor investor confidence in the local utility as offtaker.

Topics: Utilities, Energy Policy, Energy Finance, Distributed Energy, Solar Energy, Renewable Energy

Developers and investors are seeing increasing clean energy opportunities in Georgia. Below we discuss recent Georgia solar legislation, growth in biomass, and the major potential for wind power in the state, as well as related ancillary benefits in reduced energy-related water demands.

Topics: Utilities, Water, Biomass, Energy Policy, Solar Energy, Renewable Energy, Wind

Topics: Power Generation, Solar Energy, Renewable Energy