solar

How U.S. Tax Breaks Brought a Chinese Solar Energy Giant to Ohio

The Inflation Reduction Act restored American manufacturing jobs – and gave China an opportunity to extend its dominance in some clean energy technologies. 

By Bloomberg News, October 29, 2024 

Nestled among the corn fields of Pataskala, Ohio, Illuminate USA’s sprawling new solar factory is buzzing. Hundreds of freshly hired local employees are hoisting pallets, soldering equipment and inspecting their work as sheets of glass are transformed into state-of-the-art photovoltaic panels. They’re collecting hourly wages that start at double the state minimum. The factory has also delivered contracts to area electricians and suppliers.

Inside the plant, signs in both English and Mandarin admonish workers to clean up trash. Machine displays also toggle between the two languages. More than 100 Chinese nationals are on site working alongside more than 1,000 American colleagues, and bridging the language barrier requires lots of hand gestures and smartphone-enabled translation. Illuminate says much of this is temporary, and most of the Chinese workers will leave once the Americans are up to speed.

But long after they return home, Longi will continue to profit. The joint venture benefits from millions in economic development incentives and federal tax credits for domestic clean energy manufacturing. For its part, Longi avoids anti-China tariffs and deepens its foothold in one of the world’s fastest-growing solar markets.

The Illuminate USA plant in Pataskala. Photographer: Maddie McGarvey/Bloomberg

Companies based in or linked to China are replicating the strategy across the US. They are building or planning to build at least a dozen plants with 30 gigawatts of module-making capacity, according to a Bloomberg review of public statements, filings and other documentation. All told, the facilities would be able to supply roughly three-quarters of today’s US panel needs.

Read the full story here

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Sun Reaches Solar Maximum State: What You Can Expect

(NASA)

By Eric Heyl, Patch Staff

PENNSYLVANIA — The sun is in a particularly perky state at the moment. For the next year, the star will be in what is known as its maximum solar period, which potentially could cause communication problems and other difficulties here on Earth.

That’s according to NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which last week cautioned that the solar maximum can trigger the sun unleashing immense explosions of light, energy and solar radiation – all of which can have impacts on Earth.

“During solar maximum, the number of sunspots, and therefore, the amount of solar activity, increases,” Jamie Favors, director of the space weather program at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. said in a release. “This increase in activity provides an exciting opportunity to learn about our closest star — but also causes real effects on Earth and throughout our solar system.”

According to NASA, the sun cycles through periods of low and high magnetic activity. About once every 11 years, at the solar cycle’s peak, the sun’s magnetic poles flip. NASA compares that to the Earth’s north and south poles swapping places every decade.

When the flip occurs, the sun transitions from a calm to a stormy state, creating conditions known as space weather. In space, satellites and astronauts can be affected. On Earth, power grids and communications systems such as radio and GPS can be impacted.

According to NASA, solar activity has led to increased aurora visibility and impacts on satellites and infrastructure in recent months.

Read the full story here

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NJ offers new website to assist solar development of landfill sites

New Website Will Streamline Transformation of Unusable Land into Clean Energy Sites

A 2.66 megawatt solar panel farm along the Old Erie Canal in New York state was constructed in an old landfill.
(N. Scott Trimble | syracuse.com)

From the NJ Department of Environmental Protection

TRENTON – New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on Wednesday announced the launch of a new website that will serve as a one-stop shop to guide municipalities and solar developers as they plan, fund, and complete solar plus landfill capping projects.

The Governor also signed legislation, A4619/S3479, enhancing the Historic Property Reinvestment Act and the Brownfields Redevelopment Incentive Program Act to support historic preservation and further incentivize the redevelopment of brownfields across New Jersey into new solar energy facilities.

“In New Jersey, we have set the ambitious goal of delivering a 100 percent green economy because we know how important it is to build a strong foundation for renewable energy, combating the imminent threat of climate change and propelling our state forward. My Administration has pursued innovative strategies to reduce our carbon footprint by shifting away from fossil fuels and uplifting renewable resources. These policies represent an investment into our residents and our communities by prioritizing public health, spurring economic development, and creating good-paying jobs, said Governor Murphy.

“With the launch of the Landfill to Solar website, we are putting all our resources in one place so municipalities and developers can leverage otherwise unusable land into renewable energy sites. We are also expanding tax credits under the Economic Development Authority’s Historic Property Reinvestment Act and Brownfields Redevelopment Program Act so that we can preserve New Jersey’s communities while promoting environmental cleanup and green energy production. Today’s bill signing will ensure future generations can celebrate the rich history of our state while living in a greener, healthier environment.”

The new Landfill to Solar website, created by the Governor’s Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy, brings together resources from New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities (BPU), Economic Development Authority (EDA), and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to provide both municipal governments and solar developers with a step-by-step guide to initiating and completing solar projects.

The site highlights DEP’s Solar Siting Analysis Mapping Tool to help identify eligible landfill sites in municipalities across New Jersey and provides streamlined instructions on how to apply for incentive programs made available through the state. This includes EDA’s Brownfields Redevelopment Incentive Program Act as well as BPU’s Community Solar Energy Program (CSEP) and Competitive Solar Incentive (CSI) program. New Jersey’s solar programs provide incentives tailored to the needs of different projects, further enabling the continued growth of the solar industry at a lower cost to ratepayers. At their September 4 board meeting, BPU adopted rules for the permanent Community Solar Energy Program and proposed changes to allow for the co-location of projects on uncapped, municipally-owned landfills up to a total size of 10-megawatts.

Read the full news release here

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Penn State Extension to host fourth annual Solar Law Symposium

Penn State Extension is hosting the upcoming Solar Law Symposium from noon to 4:30 p.m. Aug. 20.

This event will gather experts from various sectors to discuss critical legal issues surrounding the solar energy industry and provide CLE credits to those who request them. The event is co-sponsored by Penn State Extension, The Penn State Center for Energy Law and Policy and The Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law.

The symposium will explore key topics such as regulatory frameworks, policy developments, financing mechanisms and environmental considerations related to solar energy projects. Participants will include scholars, practitioners and industry leaders, facilitating interdisciplinary dialogue and knowledge-sharing.

The symposium will occur virtually. Registration details and a full agenda are on the symposium website at www.bit.ly/psusolarlaw. Any questions about the Solar Law Symposium can be directed to Michael Helbing at mdh224@psu.edu.

Have an upcoming event you’d like us to list for free? Send your details to: editor@enviropolitics.com

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Why Florida utilities have gone bullish on solar

The Sunshine State is finally living up to its nickname

Environmental News

By Craig Pittman, Tampa Bay Times columnist, July 5, 2024

Not far from the musical sign that marks the bridge over the Suwannee River, I encountered what looked to be a former farmer’s field. Now, it had sprouted a new crop: acre after acre of solar panels.

Maybe it’s because I’d been listening to classic rock on the car radio, but my first thought when I saw all those gleaming silver rectangles was a Beatles song: “Here Comes the Sun.”

Our duly elected doofuses have lately taken to sneering at clean energy sources. For instance, our fine Legislature voted to ban offshore windmills, even though nobody wants to build those near Florida.

That bill also deleted most mentions of climate change from state law (as if that will stop it). It prompted Gov. Ron DeSantis to endorse a repeal of the state’s clean energy goals.

Read the full opinion piece here

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Solar’s spread over farm soils alarms some in Georgia

Today’s news from your EnviroPolitics Blog

By Dave Williams, The Telegraph, June 14, 2024

Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River, with eight million acres of prime farmland.

Yet, there’s so much concern over the spread of solar farms eating up huge portions of that acreage with vast fields of solar panels that the state Senate has formed a study committee to explore what can be done to save the most fertile land for farmers.

“We’ve lost a little over two and a half million acres of farmland in the last 40 years,” said Sen. Billy Hickman, R-Statesboro, who will chair the Senate Study Committee on the Preservation of Georgia’s Farmlands. “We’ve got to make sure to protect our farmland.”

Other factors are playing a role in the rapid shrinkage of farmland in Georgia, including the construction of housing subdivisions to accommodate population growth, warehouse-distribution centers and – most recently – data centers.

But solar projects also have cropped up across the state during the last decade, including some rooftop installations on individual homes and businesses but mostly the larger “utility-scale” deployments of fields of solar panels known as solar farms.

Read the full story here

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