winter storm

As 2021 draws to a close, PV Tech is reviewing the year in solar, reflecting on some of the biggest stories and hottest trends of the last 12 months. Today we start in orderly fashion, analysing the headlines from the first three months of the year, as the industry got off to a roaring start.

The fallout from February’s winter storm in Texas could see new legislation enacted that would shift the cost of ancillary services onto renewable energy projects, potentially derailing solar deployment in a state that is currently on track to surpass California and become the US’ leading PV market. Jules Scully speaks to the market to determine the risk posed to solar as a result.

Three US utilities have hit out at proposed changes to Texas’s energy market that they say would lead to new costs for solar facilities and curb investment in the state’s renewables sector.

The new episode of the Solar Media Podcast, sponsored by Honeywell, is now available stream, as we take a look at US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s in-tray and explain why solar module prices could be set for a short-term price increase.

Solar assets in Texas have continued to generate despite the weather, but policy remains a hurdle to them aiding the grid