The solar industry is getting big, and these days, there are constantly new solar farms going in, and that’s on top of all of the smaller home and business installations! But, many of these announcements just aren’t that great on their own these days. So, toward the end of the month, I like to do news roundups to highlight some of the cool and good news that happened during the month that we hadn’t already covered.
The Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target program, offering financial incentives to solar system owners, has fostered a robust market for commercial and industrial solar throughout the state. Additionally, SMART incentives have rendered Massachusetts an appealing market for community solar, expanding access to clean, renewable energy for numerous low-to-moderate income communities statewide.
So far, Aspen Power has developed or acquired over 600 projects across the nation, spanning from Maine to Hawaii. Supported by global investment firm Carlyle, Aspen ranks among the largest distributed generation independent power producers in the country. The company added more than 50 staff members and 220+ MW of operating assets to its portfolio through the Safari Energy acquisition in 2022.
“We need to lead the way, particularly because the state has been MIA, or in some cases, has been working to undermine efforts around solar and renewable energy,” Ginther told WOSU. In its latest Five Year Plan, the Chinese government detailed its goal to install 100 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2026, with a focus on solar and wind power in desert regions. The National Energy Administration reported that China’s installed capacity of renewable energy continued to grow in the first quarter, reaching 47.4 million kW, representing an increase of 86.5% compared to the same period last year.