Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) has proposed a new plan to expand solar in the northeastern state that could result in the Bay State having 5 gigawatts of solar installed by 2025, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). The plans, which are still under review, would help the state maintain its ranking as one of the top states for solar power in the nation.

This week at the COP22 climate meetings in Marrakech, Morocco, the Obama Administration unveiled the United States Mid-Century Strategy for Deep Decarbonization and submitted the plan to the United Nations. The document lays out numerous plans for using renewable energy to grow the economy while reducing the US’s emissions to 50 percent of its emissions in 2005, going well beyond it requirements under the Paris Climate Agreement. 

This afternoon (Nov. 17) Tesla Motor’s shareholders approved the $2.6 billion purchase of SolarCity, with 85 percent of them voting in favor of the deal. While many assumed the acquisition—which brings two companies whose CEOs are cousins, together—would be approved, it still took months to accomplish. 

The Community Power Network has harnessed the power of co-ops to reduce the cost of solar for more than 1,500 homes throughout eastern and southeastern US. That’s resulted in 10 megawatts of solar on homes through more than 80 co-ops developed to lower the cost of solar. 

Today (Nov. 16) US Secretary of State John Kerry reassured the world at the COP22 meeting in Marrakech, Morocco, that the US will live up to its promises under the Paris Climate Accord it ratified with China earlier this year. That’s despite claims during the campaign season that now President-Elect Donald Trump would pull the US out of the agreements. 

International oil and gas giant Total will invest roughly $300 million to install solar power at 5,000 gas stations across the world! The company anticipates installing a total of 200 megawatts of SunPower solar arrays at its stations, including 800 in its home country of France.

How utilities deal with distributed energy resources like rooftop solar and small business solar is a topic of hot debate across the US that has divided homeowners, solar installers and utilities. The newly published manual: Distributed Energy Resources Rate Design and Compensation from the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) should help all players, solar installers, utilities and utility commissions make designing a fair plan a less acrimonious process for all. 

Between 2011 and 2014 solar power production grew by 577 percent and wind power grew 40 percent across the US, with states leading the shift to renewable energy. That’s according to the most recent findings in Georgetown Climate Center’s “State Leadership Driving the Shift to Clean Energy: 2016 Update.”

When President Obama was voted in he promised to expand renewable energy in the US and to reduce the costs of solar power to compete competitively without subsidies. One of those efforts was the Department of Energy’s decade-long SunShot Initiative launched in 2011. Now, just five years into the program, it’s already reached 90 percent of its goals, so it set new goals for 2030. 

Election results last week shocked many including those in the solar and renewable energy industries. However, the industries are ready to work with Trump. Elsewhere there was some good in the elections as an anti-solar amendment was voted down in Florida and solar will continue to grow in multiple states.