The Clean Power Plan that former President Barack Obama (D) enacted had a lot of positives. It would cut average household electricity bills by 7 percent in 2030. At the same time it would create $52 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) and 560,000 new jobs in the US by 2030. 

As the electric grid continues to change in the US states are changing how they prepare for more renewable and distributed energy resources like wind and solar and particularly rooftop solar. States like California, New York and Hawaii have been some of the big innovators, but a new report from ScottMadden and Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) shows that Illinois has been quietly preparing for a distributed energy future by making policy changes and other progressive actions. 

For years some have expressed concern that the variability of solar power and wind power could impact the reliability of the US electric grid. But a new report out from the Analysis Group finds that there’s no evidence that changing the US’s power mix is impacting the grid’s reliability, even as Energy Secretary Rick Perry has questioned whether renewables are impacting the grid in a negative way.

A new study today (June 19) from E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) found that more than 519,000 Californians now work in clean energy. The study included those working in renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean vehicles industries and attributed the success to California’s climate policies, including cap-and-trade.

Most of the news in the solar and renewable energy world was positive last week from states moving forward with progressive solar policies, to renewables powering 10 percent of the US grid for a month to companies raising large funds to spur growth. However, the Suniva trade case is looming, casting a shadow on a sunny week.

As anticipated and hoped for Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) signed into law the state’s Solar Bill of Rights (AB 405). The bill reopens net-metering in the state and gives homeowners assurances that rates won’t change while protecting them from shady solar sales tactics, among other things. 

When Suniva filed for bankruptcy in April it did not go gently into that good night. It shortly after filed a trade petition seeking tariffs on imported solar panels, holding essentially the whole US solar industry and its jobs hostage. 

By 2030 the cost of renewables will undercut the majority existing fossil fuel power stations in terms of price, found Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) in its New Energy Outlook 2017 (NEO2017), released today (June 15). It noted that renewable energy is expected to dominate new energy investments in coming years, and make up significantly more of the world’s energy supply in coming years.

Solar and wind power have now together produced more than 10 percent of the US’s electric needs for the month of March 2017. It’s the first time that the penetration of renewables has been so high in the US.  

To say Sunnova’s been busy raising capital lately is an understatement. The company announced June 13 that in last three months it’s raised a total of $915 million to support its residential solar services.