Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) signed a permit allowing Amazon to build the largest solar farm in the state and in the mid-Atlantic. With McAuliffe’s signature the 80 megawatt solar farm in northern Accomack County received its final approval. The project is being constructed by Community Energy.

When people think of big states for solar power, they think of states like California, Arizona, Colorado and Nevada—sun-drenched states with vast open spaces where even the color leaches off rocks and seems to lie somewhere underground. They probably don’t think of leafy, green North Carolina, but they should reconsider. The state has recently surpassed 1 gigawatt of installed solar power—joining a list of only four states—Colorado and Nevada aren’t among them. 

SolarCity wants to prove solar power with battery backups can provide effective, cost-efficient energy for the grid. Earlier this month it signed multiple contracts for energy storage systems paired with solar, but the project on Hawaii’s KauaÊ»i Island might be the most ambitious—and least costly—yet. This comes as evidence shows that solar with battery backups may soon start challenging utilities on price.

Last week the Northern and Central California SunShot Alliance said they are looking into how solar power could be installed and connected to the grid on rooftops within a day. That would be quite a step because currently it takes about two months after signing for solar to actually start using solar power. And, in many places it can take a lot longer. 

Democrats may not be in charge in either the House or Senate, but that’s apparently not stopping them from introducing new legislation. Today (Sept. 22) Senate Democrats introduced a new bill to the Senate Finance Committee that would reduce emissions from energy generation in the U.S., reduce subsidies to fossil fuel companies and incentivize renewable energy. 

Vermont’s Green Mountain Power has partnered with Yeloha, a solar company that touts itself as a peer-to-peer solar sharing network. Under the agreement Yeloha and Green Mountain will offer Yeloha’s solar sharing services, which allows those with solar to provide their excess solar energy to other residential customers of the utility. It’s the first time a utility has partnered to offer Yeloha’s services. 

This past Wednesday (Sept. 16) the Department of Energy announced that it would support solar power with a $102 million investment in projects and technologies. Of that, $52 million will support 22 projects in public-private partnerships. Another $50 million will support advances in solar photovoltaic technologies to meet the cost-reduction goals of the SunShot Initiative. Vice President Joe Biden introduced the new funds for solar and clean energy at Solar Power International. 

Today (Sept. 16) the Energy Department released its second Quadrennial Technology Review. The review explores where clean energy technologies are and identifies research opportunities for more clean energy like solar and wind. 

Today (Sept. 15) Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) introduced a new report that anticipates the U.S. will see substantially more solar installations—and jobs—if the federal solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is extended at its current level. The report, commissioned by SEIA, anticipates that extending the ITC—as is—by 5 years would lead to more than 20 additional gigawatts of solar power installed in the U.S. by 2022. 

Seraphim Solar, a Chinese solar panel manufacturer announced that it plans to build a new manufacturing plant Seraphim Solar Manufacturing USA in Jackson, Miss. The new plant, when completed is expected to produce at least 300 megawatts of solar panels a year and could produce as much 1 gigawatt of modules annually within three years.