Aaron Ratner

As the Investment Manager of the internationally diversified Gore Street Energy Storage Fund (LSE: GSF), we have been operating #energystorage assets in the #US since March 2022 when we entered the ERCOT market in Texas, before later completing a transaction in California in early 2023. These acquisitions by the fund followed years of preliminary work driven by the fact that the US has been undergoing a boom in #renewables deployment for several years. Since August 2022 this market appeal has been reinforced by the #InflationReductionAct which continues to deliver #investment tax credits for standalone energy storage and other #renewableenergy solutions. This has led to incredible deployment of new wind and solar generation, as well as the energy storage systems that play a crucial role integrating this clean power. Despite its successes, the future of the legislation has become uncertain as we get closer to November’s presidential #election and a potential second term for former President Donald Trump. A return to a Republican administration would signal a shift in US energy #policy and has the potential to impact the work being done under the Inflation Reduction Act. In our latest blog, we take a look at what the Inflation Reduction Act has done so far, how a new Trump Presidency may seek to change its course, and why any action could face opposition from red states that have received considerable investment under the legislation. While we do not expect existing investments to be affected by any shift in direction, the key takeaway remains that the US is expected to continue to be a key market for renewable energy solutions like energy storage, no matter who is in the White House. The fundamentals of renewables deployment, diminishing thermal generation, falling technology costs and societal demand for #decarbonisation will continue to drive the #energytransition well into the future. We are confident that the enduring nature of this transition and the economic forces driving investment into clean power will continue. You can read our full blog here: https://lnkd.in/eR3V-V2s

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I wonder how the valuation and modeling service providers factor in these latest market conditions in their models. Thoughts?

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Hey good news, this week, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) voted to modernize long-distance high-powered transmission policies, aligning with the Biden Administration's decarbonization goals and fortifying the grid against extreme weather impacts. The transmission system must modernize and expand to meet 21st-century demands. With the growth of AI, data centers, and EVs powered by green energy, the U.S. must double regional transmission capacity. Key changes include: Increased Renewable Energy: Expect more renewable energy and less coal-fired power, though litigation is anticipated. Enhanced Grid Stability: Regional authorities can now improve grid stability, making the network more renewables-friendly. Improved Transmission Coordination: Transmission owners will plan every five years for future needs, thinking 20 years ahead. Notably, 260,000 MW of power generation is waiting to connect to the U.S. grid, with 95% from solar, wind, and battery storage. This ruling facilitates power movement from rural to urban areas, benefiting renewable energy. FERC’s new policies also revise backstop authority, allowing federal intervention when states fail to push through vital projects. This ensures no state can veto projects crucial for national interest. The changes aim to cut CO2 levels by 40% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Falling prices for wind and solar, coupled with increased clean energy capacity, signal a bright future for renewable energy and grid resilience. Rudy Garza of CPS Energy noted, "This transition is going to happen whether you like it or not." #Renewableenergy https://lnkd.in/gK4nJQB3

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Kudos to Duane Highley and the team at Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. for seizing the benefits of the #InflationReductionAct to accelerate its transition to cleaner and lower cost #renewables. Power supply to its distribution coop members will hit 50% clean next year en route to a 89% reduction in #GHG emissions by 2030 ... with new resources additions focused on #windpower, #solarpower and #batterystorage with a small amount of #gas for peaker/reliability purposes. This is very much in line with the trajectory envisaged by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) #CleanPowerRules and shows that those rules do not force a "major" change in the industry, rather they run totally with the grain of what makes economic sense, and what is happening on the ground, while of course reducing harmful pollution at the same time. A win all around for coop members and the planet. #climatecrisis #stopburningstuff c Dave Munk Alex DeGolia Keith Klesner, PE Kristen Bertuglia NRECA Jim Matheson Kent Singer Colorado Rural Electric Assn. Mark Jacobson Leah Stokes Michael E. Webber Holly Metzler Sonja Macys Will Toor Chris Hansen Lisa Tiffin Amy Robertson Alana Miller Jeffrey McManus Kendra Foley

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Solar Alliance sees strong potential for 2024 growth fueled by $2.3 million in contracted backlog and $3.7 million in solar grant applications Company signs contracts for $615,00 in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama as medium size project pace accelerates Toronto, Canada and Knoxville, Tennessee, May 13, 2024 – Solar Alliance Energy Inc. (‘Solar Alliance’ or the ‘Company’) (TSX-V: SOLR, OTC: SAENF), a leading solar energy solutions provider focused on the commercial and utility solar sectors, is pleased to announce several contract signings that have contributed to a backlog of contracted projects exceeding $2.3 million and provide an update on its grant-supported project pipeline, which currently totals $3.7 million. The Company is currently working with clients to submit projects for U.S. federal grant applications with a combined $2.6 million capital cost, in addition to $1.1 million in grant-supported projects announced on April 15, 2024. The grant applications are for United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) Rural Energy for America Program (“REAP”) eligible projects. Subject to USDA approval, the Company anticipates these projects will be added to the Company’s backlog as early as the end of Q3, 2024. “Solar Alliance is extremely proud to be supporting rural businesses as they make the transition to solar and reduce their electricity costs”, said CEO Myke Clark. “These projects allow for a faster cycle time from sale to construction and can generate consistent cash flow. The Solar Alliance team has developed sufficient capacity to provide solar solutions to commercial clients of all sizes. In addition to executing on these medium-sized projects, we remain committed to delivering larger projects that require a longer sales cycle. The combination creates an ideal cashflow combination as we continue to scale our business.” The Company is also pleased to announce it has signed contracts for four medium-sized commercial projects for retail, agriculture, and education customers in the Southeast U.S. The four projects have a combined capital cost of $615,000 and are located in Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama. The project in Alabama is the first for Solar Alliance in the state. All four projects are expected to be built in 2024. For a Full Profile View & Press Release of Solar Alliance Energy Visit: https://lnkd.in/exTSu5a #stockstowatch #stocks #smallcap #greenenergy #smallcaps #Investment #investing #stockstobuy #investors #renewables #renewableenergy #cleanenergy #solar #greenenergy #solarenergy #energy #solarpower #gosolar #solarpanels #sustainability #climatechange #environment #sustainableenergy #solarinstallation #sunpower @solaralliance $SOLR

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Check out the latest edition of Solar Brew: Your Energy Joe News Letter. Find out how NREL is using Ai to project future energy climate impacts and the latest news about Solar Projects in Uzbekistan. https://bit.ly/3UuI8Qg #RenewableEnergy #EnergyStorage #CSP #SolarPV #ClimateChange

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#ERCOT's recent approval of NPRR1224 means #energystorage asset operators should expect an increase in ECRS deployments, along with a reduction in real time price volatility. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁: Last year’s introduction of ECRS led to an unintentional increase in energy prices for buyers. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯? 💵 The new product created a new revenue opportunity for energy producers. ⛔ As more assets were bidding into ECRS, their capacity was being held in reserves, and therefore were withheld or unavailable to be dispatched in the real-time energy market. 🙈 To ERCOT it appeared as though supply was not able to meet demand, despite the fact that the capacity was there – this is called artificial scarcity. 📈 Due to the appearance of scarcity, real time prices would increase.  In an effort to quell artificial scarcity, ERCOT is implementing NPRR1224, which enables them to manually release up to 500MW of ECRS capacity from the SCED at a 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 $𝟳𝟱𝟬/𝗠𝗪𝗵 when: 🚨 Energy demand exceeds the supply dispatched by SCED by 40MW or more ⏰ The imbalance lasts for 10 consecutive minutes 

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According to Fortescue's US chief a 1GW electrolyser needs 7GW of green energy supply to meet hourly matching requirements 🤔 “If I am building a gigawatt of electrolysers in Texas I may only need a gigawatt of energy at any time, but I have to buy seven times that to ensure that I have all the probabilities working, so I know I can match in that hour, which means the bulk of what I buy I don’t need,” I think Fortescue needs better energy project modelling tools (*cough* Gridcog) and a better understanding of how to contract PPAs. Oh and a reminder that Hyrdogen produced with coal and gas isn't especially green. https://lnkd.in/ge2x5Wdf

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DOE invests $71 million in solar manufacturing R&D: First Solar, Silfab, Cubic PV among award winners. The Dept. of Energy has announced more than $70 million in research and development selections to seed new technologies across the solar supply chain. Funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will enable new entrants to the solar manufacturing market to establish their technologies and access more capital. The 18 selected projects will address gaps in the domestic solar manufacturing supply chain, including equipment, ingots and wafers, and silicon and thin-film solar cell manufacturing, and open new markets for solar technologies like integrated-photovoltaics and agrivoltaics. ------- Project: Noria Energy Holdings – Tracking and Positioning System for Floating Solar Location: Sausalito, California DOE Award Amount: $1.6 million Awardee Cost Share: $1 million Project Description: This project aims to develop tracker components for floating solar systems, demonstrate and test various sizes of installations, and test certifications to ensure reliable operation and product bankability. The proposed technology allows floating PV islands to rotate and follow the sun throughout the day. Tracking the sun leads to increased power output per solar panel installed, reducing the cost of electricity from floating solar arrays. ------- https://lnkd.in/ggWSXBSm

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Reconductoring could enable 764 GW of transmission-connected solar by 2035. (My latest for PV Magazine USA) Replacing existing transmission lines, known as conductors, with advanced conductors could enable 764 GW of transmission-connected solar by 2035 even if transmission in new corridors was limited, found a study by UC Berkeley and GridLab researchers. 3M CTC Global TS Conductor Amol Phadke #Reconductoring

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Solar Alliance revenue increases 55% in 2023 to $7.5 million Company continues to execute on its strategy in the high-growth U.S. solar Industry   Toronto, Canada and Knoxville, Tennessee, April 30, 2024 – Solar Alliance Energy Inc. (‘Solar Alliance’ or the ‘Company’) (TSX-V: SOLR, OTC: SAENF), a leading solar energy solutions provider focused on the commercial and utility solar sectors, announces it has filed its audited financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2023. The Company’s Financial Statements and related Management’s Discussion and Analysis are available under the Company’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca.   “Solar Alliance continued to successfully execute on our strategy as our team delivered a 55% increase in revenue year-over-year,” said CEO Myke Clark. “Solar Alliance continues to see strong demand for commercial solar projects, and we remain focused on larger, higher margin commercial solar projects to support our growth. In addition to executing on larger projects, we are now experiencing strong demand for solar projects for small and medium-sized businesses in rural communities. We reduced expenses and overhead during 2023 and we believe we will experience ongoing bottom-line improvements as those cost reductions have an impact on the full year for 2024. We continue to build a stable, growing company that is well positioned to take advantage of the current global shift to renewable energy,” concluded Clark.   For a Full Profile View & Press Release of Solar Alliance Energy Visit: https://lnkd.in/exTSu5a    #stockstowatch #stocks #smallcap #greenenergy #smallcaps #Investment #investing #stockstobuy #investors #renewables #renewableenergy #cleanenergy #solar #greenenergy #solarenergy #energy #solarpower #gosolar #solarpanels #sustainability #climatechange #environment #sustainableenergy #solarinstallation #sunpower @solaralliance $SOLR

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Ever wanted to know how power markets in Texas work? Maybe you're new to the industry, looking at opportunities in new markets, or just curious... The Energy Academy: ERCOT - hosted by Modo Energy's ERCOT Market Lead, Brandt Vermillion - is a great jumping-off point. Across ten episodes (and just 30 minutes), you'll learn about: - ERCOT's responsibilities as the system operator. - The operational timelines of its markets. - How locational prices are formed. - And loads, loads more... Learning about power markets is hard. The information you need is often impossible to find, difficult to understand, and just plain dull. So, if you want an easy "in" to the electricity system in Texas, check out The Energy Academy - link in comments. 👇 #TheEnergyAcademy #ERCOT #PowerMarkets #BatteryEnergyStorage

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📈 Corporate PPA activity in the ERCOT market has reached 1.8 GW, YTD 2024. Data from the Enerdatics Energy Transition PPA database indicates that ERCOT has seen ~1.8 GW in corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) since the start of 2024, constituting over 60% of the U.S. total. 💡 Tech giant Microsoft leads the way, having secured ~800 MW across three deals. Meanwhile, new entrants such as UnitedHealth Group, Sonoco, and AdventHealth are also stepping up their sustainability efforts. 🏆 Key Suppliers Making Waves: > Regional Leaders: Primergy, Leeward Renewable, Scout Clean Energy > International Players: Orsted, ENGIE 🤝 Positive PPA negotiations in ERCOT are driven by the market's lower land and interconnection costs, which help mitigate higher interest rates and supply chain issues. 🌟 Top Deals to Note: > Microsoft and Primergy Solar: 408 MW from Ash Creek solar project > Hyundai and Matrix Renewables: 147 MW (Hyundai’s first U.S. PPA) > RTX and ENGIE: ~38 MW from Priddy wind project #CorporatePPA #ERCOT #RenewableEnergy #Sustainability #Microsoft #Hyundai #RTX #ENGIE #Orsted #Primergy #LeewardRenewable #ScoutCleanEnergy #UnitedHealthGroup #Sonoco #AdventHealth

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Interesting thinking about the electricity market and how market forces could support an evolution of the way we do business there. "For instance, similar to markets that trade different grades of crude oil (WTI and Brent), perhaps we can “grade” energy based on its characteristics, so that energy that includes inertia and VARs is valued higher than energy that doesn’t include these other characteristics. A MWh of energy from a synchronous generator has a higher operational reliability value than a MWh of IBR energy, so how can we signal this economically?"

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Wind generation in 2023 declined in the US for the first time despite capacity addition. The drop was driven by a 33.5% capacity utilization (vs 35.9% in 2022). More efficiency is always the answer. For instance, tools that identify better wind spots, avoid downtime, prevent cyber attacks, improve maintenance routines, batteries coupled to store energy, etc. Of course 100% utilization rate is not achievable, but is 1/3 utilization rate a number we should table on? https://lnkd.in/d8eQn4e9

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#Business #Energy Market #Report – May24 - Mostly upward trends were observed across most tracked #gas and #electricity contracts, continuing the overall bullish wholesale pricing movements that have been observed since March. However, day-ahead power was the exception, recording a month-on-month loss. Seasonal gas contracts from Winter 24 to Winter 26 were on average 8.6% higher in April when compared to the previous month.   This was due in part to elevated levels of maintenance across the Norwegian Continental Shelf, limiting total gas flows to GB.   Moreover, forward contracts recorded gains as higher Asian gas demand for storage restocking, ahead of the winter period, bolstered competition for LNG shipments across Europe. Winter 25 was the premium gas contract, averaging 90.20p/th across the month.   Across the month, we saw the day-ahead gas price rise 5.0% to average 71.71p/th. Likewise, front-month contracts were up 7.5% on average when compared to March, with May 24 seeing a 6.6% rise and June 24 recording an 8.4% rise to 71.67p/th and 71.17p/th, respectively.    However, stronger gains were limited by high gas storage stocks across Europe, sitting at approximately 62.0% full at the time of writing, 3.4 percentage points above the levels seen last year according to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe. Despite being heavily influenced by its gas counterpart, day-ahead power prices averaged £58.78/MWh across April, down 10.0% when compared to the prices observed last month.   This loss can be attributed to higher levels of wind generation across April, acting to decrease gas demand and the requirement for more expensive fossil-fuelled emitters.   Likewise, day-ahead power was further influenced by a decrease to carbon prices across the UK.   As a result, day-ahead power prices fell to the lowest level seen since July 2020 on 12 April at £26.50/MWh, and GB achieved a new low carbon intensity record of 19gCO2/kWh on the 15 April at 1pm – beating the previous record of 21gCO2/kWh achieved earlier in the month on 5 April.   A bullish trend was recorded across contracts further out on the forward curve, with May 24 rising 2.6% to £61.96/MWh and June 24 growing 7.2% to £63.53MWh. Likewise, seasonal power prices saw an upwards trend, increasing 6.0% on average – with Winter 25 the premium market, standing at £80.89MWh, up 7.0% when compared to March.   Despite these upward movements, stronger gains were limited by the return of the Heysham 1 and Hartlepool nuclear reactors from maintenance at the beginning of the month, bolstering available power capacity across April as a whole.

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🚀 Swift Solar Powers Ahead with $27M Series A Funding Round! 🚀 We're thrilled to share that Swift Solar has successfully closed a $27 million Series A financing round, following a $7 million award from the Department of Energy under the Advancing U.S. Thin-Film Solar Photovoltaics program. 🌞 🔍 Key Highlights: 1️⃣ Innovative Technology: Swift Solar, a spinout from MIT, Stanford University, and NREL, specializes in perovskite tandem photovoltaics. Their groundbreaking technology combines metal halide perovskites with silicon or other perovskites to create tandem cells that boast higher efficiency than traditional solar cells. 2️⃣ Strong Financial Backing: The funding round was co-led by Eni Next and Fontinalis Partners, with contributions from Stanford University, Good Growth Capital, BlueScopeX, HL Ventures, Toba Capital, and other notable investors. This brings Swift Solar��s total funding to $44 million. 3️⃣ DOE Award: The $7 million from the DOE is part of a $71 million investment, including $16 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, aimed at boosting the domestic solar supply chain. Swift Solar is among four awardees advancing tandem PV devices that combine established PV technologies with perovskites. 4️⃣ Future Plans: With this substantial financial support, Swift Solar is gearing up to break ground on its first manufacturing facility, marking a significant milestone in their journey to revolutionize solar energy. 🌍 A Brighter, Greener Future: Swift Solar’s innovative approach and robust support from the DOE and prominent investors underscore the immense potential of perovskite tandem photovoltaics in transforming the renewable energy landscape. This is a giant leap towards a more sustainable and efficient energy future! 🔗 Read more about Swift Solar’s exciting developments here: https://lnkd.in/dNWJmjfi #RenewableEnergy #SolarInnovation #SustainableFuture #CleanEnergy #GreenTech #Inspiration #EnergyEfficiency #SolarTechnology #InvestmentInGreenEnergy

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