| From: Eric | 6/17/2025 2:46:32 PM | | | | | | U.S. residential solar on the brink of collapse
Residential solar is on a downturn, and things may get worse. In a shock for the industry, the latest draft of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” excludes residential solar lease providers from the Investment Tax Credit.
June 17, 2025 Ryan Kennedy
Image: Kindel Media
Share
    
A teetering U.S. residential solar industry may now be on the brink of collapse. Faced by macroeconomic challenges and shifting sands of state and federal policies, an industry once defined by double-digit growth in installations is experiencing steep declines – and the latest draft of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act makes things far worse.
The latest draft of the bill is bad all-around for clean energy, but it is particularly damaging to residential solar, cutting federal tax credits far sooner than expected.
Residential solar installations declined 31% in 2024. Over the last year, industry titans like SunPower, Sunnova, and Mosaic Solar have filed for bankruptcy.
The industry historically has leaned on the value proposition of lowering customer electricity bills and providing predictable costs for the long-term. However, that value has been increasingly difficult to provide.
Gone are the days of low interest rates enabling attractive terms for loans or leased systems. In many major markets, like California, bill credit rates for sending excess electricity to the grid have been slashed by 75% or more.
Tariffs have posed challenges to the industry as well. Aluminum, used in both solar panel frames and racking systems, are hit with 25% tariffs. Solar cell and module import tariffs from major global suppliers have come in higher-than-expected this year, too.
The residential solar industry is no stranger to highs and lows, often referred to as the “solar coaster” by those who have weathered the storm of hot-and-cold policies that create markets and then take them away at a breakneck pace. But the latest draft of the federal reconciliation bill may represent a crash.
In 2022, the Biden Administration passed the Inflation Reduction Act, extending a tax credit that covers 30% of installed system costs through the mid-2030s. The latest One Big Beautiful Bill Act draft forwarded by the Senate Finance Committee ends this tax credit far ahead of schedule.
First, the bill takes a notably anti-consumer and anti-ownership stance, cutting the 25D residential solar tax credit within 180 days of enactment, which is payable directly to homeowners that purchase solar via a loan or upfront cash purchase.
Second, the bill sunsets the 48E investment tax credit for all eligible technologies to 60% of its value by the end of 2026, 20% of its value by the end of 2027 and all projects beginning construction by 2028 are ineligible for the credit.
In a surprise to the industry, the bill singles out residential solar leases, making the ineligible altogether for the 48E investment tax credit.
This posed a shock to the investment community. Share prices of the largest residential solar provider Sunrun are down over 40% in the trading day following the latest draft of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The bill is next headed to the Senate for a vote, with a simple majority needed to pass. Then, the bill must be reconciled with the House, with both chambers agreeing on an identical version for it to become voted into law.
Looking ahead, if the bill passes as-written, there will surely be a further retraction for U.S. residential solar. The industry will need to find new ways to lower costs to thrive in a harsher regulatory environment.
One pathway is pursuing lower soft costs, or costs not tied to hardware. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) said over 65% of the cost to install residential solar is related to soft costs like paying sales teams, securing permits, grid connection costs, and more.
The United States may find a path forward by pursuing market conditions like Australia, where over 40% of homes in some regions have rooftop solar. Soft costs are far lower in the nation, and average residential solar installation cost was $0.89 per W, more than $2.00 per W cheaper than both Canada and the United States.
pv-magazine-usa.com |
| | Solar Power | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: Eric | 6/17/2025 3:15:42 PM | | | | | | RFP alert: Massachusetts takes steps toward 40 GWh of energy storage
The Commonwealth issued a draft request for proposals of 1.5 GW of batteries with storage durations of 4 to 10 hours, primarily funded through the state’s Clean Peak Standard. The procurement is part of a broader effort to procure 5 GW of energy storage by 2030.
June 17, 2025 John Fitzgerald Weaver
Lightshift Energy storage system in Groton, Massachusetts.
Image: Lightshift Energy
Share
Massachusetts is initiating efforts toward its 2024 goal of procuring 5 GW of energy storage by 2030. A draft request for proposals (RFP) for 1.5 GW of 4- to 10-hour energy storage resources has been released. This initial RFP follows the state’s 2024 legislation mandating the procurement of 5 GW of storage capacity by 2030.
The exact release date for the Long-Term Contracts for Energy Storage Projects remains “TBD,” though a tentative schedule in the draft suggests a public release of the RFP on July 31, 2025.
The RFP includes scheduled periods for questions and feedback through the fall, with proposal submissions due by Sept. 10. Project selections will be announced approximately three months later, on Dec. 9, 2025.
The procurement will include National Grid, Eversource Energy, and Unitil, the three investor-owned utilities responsible for the majority of Massachusetts’ electrical infrastructure. These utilities will procure 45.1%, 53.89%, and 0.97%, respectively, of the total 1.5 GW capacity.
Projects must range in size from 40 MW to 1,000 MW. Bidders will pay a fee of $500 per MW, potentially generating $750,000 if the RFP is fully subscribed. The program is expected to attract significant interest, possibly leading to oversubscription. Upon executing long-term storage contracts, developers must provide a security deposit of $40,000 per MW, totaling up to $60 million.
With estimated costs around $200/kWh, total project value could range from $2.8 billion to $7 billion, depending on the chosen storage capacities.
A state-commissioned third-party analysis estimates annual revenue at just over $220/kW, primarily derived from the Clean Peak Standard (CPS) program. CPS incentivizes energy storage during “Seasonal Peak Periods,” identified by the state as times of peak demand and emissions. Massachusetts established the Clean Peak Program in 2018, following Vermont’s regional lead with its Tesla battery installations.
Revenue under CPS is paid via Clean Peak Energy Certificates (CPEC), each representing one megawatt-hour of certified clean electricity delivered during the Seasonal Peak Period.
Some of the project evaluation considerations include:- Bid value under the CPEC program
- Evaluation of resilience and reliability value adders
- Proximity to major electrical loads
- Proximity to intermittent renewable energy sources
- Separation from other energy storage systems
- Safety measures and stakeholder engagement
- Credibility of proposed commercial operation dates, based on:
-
- Initiation and completion plans for permitting
- Resource and environmental assessments
- Detailed financing information and plans
- Installation and interconnection strategies
- Progress in acquiring necessary real property rights
- Material progress toward the acquisition of all real property rights
- Viable installation and electrical interconnection plans
Proposals must adhere to organizational standards outlined in the RFP package (below), which also contains contract templates guiding the procurement process.
The energy storage procurement aligns with Massachusetts’ 2024 legislation, An Act Promoting a Clean Energy Grid, Advancing Equity and Protecting Ratepayers, which directs the state to procure energy storage totaling 5 GW by July 31, 2030.
The procurement targets 3.5 GW of mid-duration storage (four to ten hours), totaling 14,000 to 35,000 MWh. An additional 750 MW will be long-duration storage (10 to 24 hours), and another 750 MW will require capacities exceeding twenty-four hours.
Overall, the initiative complements the 5 GW peak output with at least 39,500 MWh of storage capacity. Notably, New England’s peak load has significantly dropped, from nearly 25 GW five years ago to just below 4 GW, driven largely by growing solar installations.
The current law expands upon the 2018 goal of deploying 1,000 MWh of storage by Dec. 2025. As of Feb. 15, 2025, Massachusetts utilities reported “644 MWh of installed energy storage with an additional 12,932 MWh of storage in the pipeline.
pv-magazine-usa.com |
| | Solar Power | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: Eric | 6/17/2025 3:25:22 PM | | | | | | Solar industry groups react to Senate Finance Committee draft bill
The announced investments of nearly $46 billion are at stake, along with jobs, the continued buildout of gigawatts of new solar and lower energy costs, all the while ceding the AI race to China, said industry leaders.
June 17, 2025 Anne Fischer
Image: Newpowa, Unsplash
Share
Following release of the Senate Finance Committee’s draft text of the One Big Beautiful Bill, leaders of industry groups Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) and Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA) agree the the bill, as written, will halt the progress of an industry that has sparked a new American industrial revolution.
The bill will “pull the plug on homegrown solar energy and decimate the American manufacturing renaissance,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of SEIA.
SEIA estimates that announced investments in U.S. solar manufacturing now total $45.8 billion since the IRA was enacted in 2022.
“Despite modest improvements on several provisions, this legislation does not go far enough to remove the threat to one of the greatest economic success stories in American history,” Hopper said. “This bill makes it harder to do business in America for U.S. manufacturers and small businesses and will undoubtedly lead us to an energy-strained economy with higher electric bills over the next five years.”
ACORE president and CEO Ray Long calls the draft “a premature rollback of solar and wind tax credits.”
SEIA estimates that 3.8 million job years will be lost by 2035 if the energy credits are cut. Long said that “without changes, this bill will increase energy prices for consumers, threaten thousands of good-paying jobs, and all but guarantees we forfeit the AI race to China.”
Some of the energy provisions are improved in the draft, according to Jeff Cramer, president and CEO of CCSA, but he said that overall it would “weaken America’s energy leadership, deter billions in private investment, and hinder our ability to compete on the world stage. As other nations rapidly scale to meet growing power needs—especially in the global race for AI and advanced manufacturing—this bill risks destabilizing U.S. markets and ceding strategic ground to our adversaries.”
SEIA forecasts that the U.S. could see 500 GW of new solar capacity coming online by 2035, yet the bill as proposed by the Senate Finance Committee, jeopardized projects before they’ve begun, Cramer said.
“The result will be stalled growth, job losses, and higher electricity prices for families and small businesses across the country,” he said.
The window is closing fast, Cramer noted, “but there’s still time to get this right.” The draft must be voted on by the Finance Committee, then to the full Senate for a vote. The House will then have an opportunity to change, accept or reject the bill.
“We’re encouraged by efforts from some Senators to improve the bill, and we remain committed to working with Congress to ensure the final legislation strengthens domestic energy markets and delivers affordable, reliable power to Americans,” said Cramer.
“Congress has a narrow window to get this right,” said Long. “We urge lawmakers finalize a bill that utilizes all energy technologies, and honors existing pro-growth policies essential for strengthening American competitiveness.”
“There’s still time to fix this so that solar and storage can continue to lower energy costs for families and business and ensure the United States wins the AI race against China,” Hopper said. “We call on the U.S. Senate to amend the Finance Committee proposal and unleash American energy dominance.”
“Let’s be clear about who will pay the price if this bill becomes law,” said Hopper. “Americans’ electric bills will spike, American workers will be laid off, American factories will shutter, American communities will suffer blackouts, and American lawmakers will forfeit the AI race to China.”
pv-magazine-usa.com |
| | Solar Power | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: Eric | 6/17/2025 9:27:54 PM | | | | | | Sunny outlook: Major survey shows most near neighbours like solar farms, and want more
Screenshot
Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson
Jun 18, 2025
Renewables, Solar
Living near a large-scale solar project is not a problem for most residents, with a study finding 82 per cent of neighbours would allow more to be built nearby.
The US study, published in an international science journal on Tuesday, also found more than two in every five people surveyed felt positive about the renewable energy projects located near them.
Australian experts say the findings mimic the experience of those living near solar farms in regional areas, although they have called for greater education and transparency to ensure continuing community acceptance.
The research comes as the number of renewable energy projects ramps up in Australia, with 1.2 gigawatts of solar capacity added in 2024 in 14 large-scale projects, according to the Clean Energy Council.
The American study, published in Frontiers in Sustainable Energy Policy, surveyed 979 residents across 39 states living within five kilometres of a large-scale solar farm.
It found most residents felt positive (43 per cent) or neutral (42 per cent) about the solar project in their neighbourhood, while only 15 per cent felt negatively about it.
Asked whether they would approve of more solar projects being built in their area, 82 per cent expressed support or felt neutral, and 18 per cent said they would be opposed.
The size of solar projects had the greatest impact on residents’ opinions, study author and University of Michigan associate professor Sarah Mills said, but the positive message from locals was clear.
“Just as has been documented for wind energy, we found that the NIMBY – not in my backyard – explanation for opposition to solar was overly simplistic and unhelpful in explaining neighbours’ sentiments,” Dr Mills said.
The study found some residents living near solar farms were poorly informed about them, she said, and recommended developers engage further with local communities.
The findings are similar to those from a Farmers from Climate Action study in 2024 that found 73 per cent of people in renewable energy zones supported wind and solar projects.
Australians were widely supportive of renewable energy as the recent federal election proved, RE-Alliance national director Andrew Bray said, and that approval extended to people in regional areas directly affected by solar projects.
“These are the sort of numbers we see supporting renewable technologies both in abstract and when you go to regional areas where these technologies are being built,” he told AAP.
“Often the headlines you see around these things are not always telling the full stories.”
Greater support and engagement should be provided to those living in renewable energy zones to keep them informed, Mr Bray said, and the federal government should consider establishing local energy hubs to help them access accurate information.
“The engagement has not been uniformly up to scratch,” he said.
Australia developers established 21 renewable energy projects in Australia in 2024 according to the Clean Energy Council, including 14 large-scale solar developments and six wind projects.
Source: AAP
reneweconomy.com.au |
| | Solar Power | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| To: Eric who wrote (9212) | 6/18/2025 10:53:45 AM | | From: Sam | | | | JinkoSolar Unveils White Paper on TOPCon and Tiger Neo 3.0, Signaling Next-Gen Solar Technology Shift
Chinese solar giant partners with TÜV NORD and CTC to launch a white paper detailing advance in TOPCon technology and commercial performance of its latest Tiger Neo 3.0 modules.
June 17, 2025 JinkoSolar
pv-magazine.com
brief excerpt:
Performance Gains and Efficiency Roadmap
JinkoSolar reports that since 2022, its TOPCon mass production cell efficiency has climbed from 25.1% to 26.5%, with 2025 targets of 26.7–27%.
Built on this platform, the Tiger Neo 3.0 module integrates innovations in materials, electrode design and process control, achieving a rated output of 670W—among the highest in its class.
Superior Bifaciality and Field-Tested Advantages
According to the white paper, Tiger Neo 3.0 offers three key advantages:
- High bifacial factor: averaging over 85%, significantly above mainstream BC modules (~70%), making it suitable for high-albedo surfaces such as deserts and rooftops.
- Low degradation: first-year power loss below 1%, outperforming industry norms.
- Improved low-light performance: under IEC 61215-2:2021, modules deliver a 2.26–2.49% gain in morning and evening generation.
Real-world data from Japan, Italy, and China demonstrate the module’s robust performance in hot, humid, and high-irradiance conditions. Notably, in Kagoshima, Japan, TOPCon modules produced 7.1% more power per watt than n-type BC modules, showcasing bifacial efficiency in reflective environments.
Economic Benefits and System Compatibility
Beyond performance, the Tiger Neo 3.0 offers cost advantages. The paper states that Jinko has reduced system-level capital and O&M expenses through material savings and design optimization. In high-temperature Saudi environments, BOS cost per watt fell by RMB 0.048, and LCOE dropped 4.73% for a 100MW plant.
more at the link |
| | Solar Power | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: Eric | 6/18/2025 1:45:38 PM | | | | | | Germany deploys 1.1 GW of PV in May
Germany installed 1.1 GW of new solar in May, bringing total installations for the first five months of 2025 to 5.97 GW, slightly below the 6.16 GW added over the same period in 2024.
June 18, 2025 Sandra Enkhardt
Image: Christian Paul Stobbe, Unsplash
Share
    
From pv magazine Germany
Germany’s Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) reported 1.1128 GW of newly installed net PV capacity in May 2025. The figure compares with 1,223 MW in May 2024 and 945 MW in April 2025.
Cumulative installations for the January-May 2025 period reached 5.97 GW, slightly below the 6.16 GW added in the same period a year earlier, said Bundesnetzagentur. This year’s new capacity includes 2,497.1 MW of ground-mounted systems, 213.2 MW of balcony solar devices, and 74.1 MW in the “other solar systems” category.
By the end of May, Germany’s operational PV fleet had reached approximately 106.3 GW. Figures from Marktstammdatenregister, the German federal registry for energy market data, show that demand for rooftop PV systems remained weak through the fifth month of the year.
Bundesnetzagentur recorded 476.7 MW of new rooftop capacity in May, just 1.3 MW more than March, the lowest month so far this year. Installers commissioned around 30,000 new rooftop systems in May.
pv-magazine.com |
| | Solar Power | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: Eric | 6/18/2025 1:49:03 PM | | | | | | UK rooftop solar installations surge, new battery storage record set
Latest MCS data for small-scale renewables reveal a strong month for solar installations up to 50 kW, double-digit growth for battery energy storage installations and a milestone reached despite a muted month for heat pump installations.
June 18, 2025 Matthew Lynas
May 2025 was a strong month for small-scale solar installations in the United Kingdom.
Image: Chris Robert, Unsplash
Share
There were 21,125 small-scale solar installations in the United Kingdom in May 2025, according to accreditation body MCS, which also recorded a record month for battery energy storage additions.
Data for PV installations up to 50 kW show May’s installation figures were 30% higher than the same month the previous year. MCS recorded 101,861 solar installations for the year to May 31, 2025, up 37% on the 74,459 recorded in the first five months of 2024. While MCS certification is not a legal requirement for small-scale solar installations, consumers can only access UK government incentives such as the Smart Export Guarantee, making it a good indicator of demand.
MCS certified battery energy storage installations also spiked in May 2025, with almost 3,400 certified installations, an 112% increase on May 2024 and the best month on record. First launched in 2021, the MCS battery installation standard applies to systems with maximum power output up to 50 kW.
Heat pump additions were more muted, but the cumulative total did break the 300,000 barrier in May 2025. MCS recorded 5,150 certified installations for the month, compared to 5,084 in May 2024. Despite flat growth for May, 25,676 heat pump installations were recorded for the first five months of 2025, putting year-to-date growth at 13% as of May 31. This remains well below the pace required to hit the UK government’s target of installing 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028. More relaxed planning rules for heat pumps came into force in England on May 31, 2025, in a bid to support deployment.
Ian Rippin, CEO at MCS, said in a press release. “It’s great to see us reaching crucial milestones in 2025 in the small-scale renewables sector, a positive sign that consumer confidence in home-grown energy is continuing to grow.”
pv-magazine.com |
| | Solar Power | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: Eric | 6/18/2025 1:55:00 PM | | | | | | Interconnection shake-out: 160 GW of solar advances as 12% of projects bow out
About one-sixth of queued solar capacity now holds signed interconnection agreements, signaling real progress even as developers pull more than 130 GW of projects amid tightening interconnection rules.
June 18, 2025 John Fitzgerald Weaver
Image: Solar Energy Industries Association
Share
Interconnection queues for U.S. power plants have grown steadily for years, largely due to the strength of wind, solar, and more recently, battery storage. At one point, the queue held enough clean energy capacity to meet all U.S. electricity demand. But joining the queue does not guarantee a project will get built. High interconnection costs and sometimes coordinated local opposition routinely thin the list.
An analysis by Interconnection.fyi shows that total capacity in the queues fell 12%, sliding from 2,596 GW in 2023 to 2,290 GW in 2024. However, this decline was not uniform, as some regions logged increases, and proposed natural gas capacity rose sharply.
Solar posted the largest decline in interconnection queue capacity, dropping 11.9% from 1,086 GW to 956 GW. That 130 GW reduction accounted for 43% of the 306 GW nationwide contraction. Stand-alone battery storage fell 7.2%, hybrid projects (wind or solar paired with storage) dropped 19.2%, and offshore wind lost more than half its queued volume, amid policy and market headwinds.
Natural-gas proposals moved in the opposite direction, rising 72% from 79.2 GW to 136.2 GW, led by projects in ERCOT, MISO, the Southeast, and SPP.
Interconnection.fyi attributes much of the shift to tighter interconnection rules at regional grid operators. PJM, MISO, and CAISO now require higher deposits, clearer site control, and milestone-based study processes—changes that mirror FERC Order 2023. Although the order is not yet fully in force, the analysts believe the stricter standards appear to be here to stay.
The updated rules aim to trim the overwhelming backlog of interconnection requests that, among other effects, forced PJM to pause new applications several years ago.- CAISO posted the largest decline, shedding roughly 200 GW (about two-thirds of the national total), largely from the “Cluster 15” study group.
- ISO-NE recorded sizable reductions in offshore wind and utility-scale solar.
- NYISO lost more than 43 GW in offshore wind, along with significant drops in solar and storage.
- PJM saw a sharp fall in solar capacity.
Some markets moved in the opposite direction. ERCOT added about 15% in proposed solar and more than 50% in storage. MISO reported gains across all major resources, though analysts note that the jump is partly a timing artifact: the region was closed to new applications for most of 2023, opening to a surge in early 2024.
The analysis shows that most projects withdrawing from the queue had already waited years, many with deposits on file for four to five years. In CAISO, withdrawn projects had an average wait of about 5.5 years, while other regions averaged three to four years.
Tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act are now scheduled to fall by roughly 60% for projects beginning construction in 2026, and to expire after 2027. Those deadlines are expected to thin the queue further as developers reassess timelines.
To gauge which projects are most likely to advance, the study examined those with signed generator interconnection agreements. Nationwide, about 386 GW of capacity has reached that stage, which is nearly 17% of the total queue. Texas tops the list with more than 100 GW, while utilities in the Western Interconnection (excluding CAISO) account for another 83 GW.
Nationwide, roughly 150 GW AC (about 200 GW DC) of solar projects now hold signed, active interconnection agreements. The queue also includes about 70 GW of stand-alone battery storage and another 70 GW of hybrid wind- or solar-plus-storage capacity with active approvals.
For context, the U.S. Energy Information Administration expects developers to install about 50 GW DC of new solar capacity in 2025.
pv-magazine-usa.com |
| | Solar Power | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: Eric | 6/18/2025 1:58:37 PM | | | | | | Minnesota solar industry mourns loss of its five-star general
Melissa Hortman was a champion of climate action and climate justice, the solar industry, and community and other distributed generation.
June 18, 2025 Ben Santarris
Image: MnSEIA
Share
The late Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman, a primary backer of the state’s community-solar law and zero-carbon requirement, took clean energy to pioneering new heights.
If you ask solar-industry observers of the late Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman, it’s a safe bet you will hear the word “champion.”
The word, of course, bears dual meanings: a winner and a leader of a cause. For the Minnesota solar industry, Hortman was both. Observers told pv magazine USA:- “Melissa was our champion,” said Reed Richerson, president of U.S. Solar, a private, Minneapolis-based clean-energy project developer.
- “It’s a tragic loss of a champion,” said Jeff Cramer, chief executive officer for the Coalition for Community Solar Access, based in Washington, D.C.
- “We as an industry are trying to figure out how to move forward, when our biggest champion is gone,” said Logan O’Grady, executive director of the Minnesota Solar Energies Association (MnSEIA).
Hortman was a champion of climate action and climate justice, the solar industry, and community and other distributed generation.
The Democratic former House speaker and her husband, Mark, died of gunshot wounds at home in Brooklyn Park, north of Minneapolis, over the weekend. Also shot were state Sen. John Hoffman, another Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, at their home in another town, Champlin, though they survive. Police have detained a suspect.
Solar-industry operators of varying stripes voiced the same theme: Minnesota has lost its most tenacious climate-change warrior, solar-industry proponent and community-solar godmother.
Several pointed out that even in the waning days of the state legislative session just ended June 9, Hortman once again succeeded in defending the state’s landmark community-solar bill she had done much to pass in 2013 to make Minnesota a national model. Hortman had backed the bill as chair of the Energy Policy Committee. As speaker in 2023, the lawmaker also led passage of a bill requiring utilities to source 100 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2040.
The community-solar bill paved the way for U.S. Solar to make a business out of developing, owning and operating community-solar, small-utility and energy-storage projects, Richerson said. In that light, he said, sizeable numbers of its 90-person workforce owe their jobs to Hortman.
Inside and outside of solar, Richerson said, Hortman also was known as an advocate for disadvantaged state populations. “Melissa Hortman has meant so much to so many communities across Minnesota,” he said.
House speaker for six years ending in mid-January, Hortman won many of her battles by confidently and quietly combining her political savvy and grit, her fixation on both vision and detail and a disarming measure of personal warmth, several observers said.
“She truly felt everyone was important, and people felt heard when talking to her,” Richerson said. “She was uniting. She looked for common ground.”
Hortman even relinquished her speakership early this year as part of a comprise to enable an evenly divided House to move forward, observers said.
Cramer met Hortman in 2018 in Minneapolis at his community solar coalition’s second annual conference. There, the two served together on a discussion panel, then later enjoyed trading notes about both having been philosophy majors in college.
Thanks in no small part to Hortman’s leadership, the community solar category now possesses a U.S. capacity equivalent to more than 1 million rooftop systems, Cramer said.
“I don’t think we’d be where we are at all without her,” he said. “She was willing to stick her neck out and really do something that hadn’t been done before then.”
In a LinkedIn tribute Cramer posted Tuesday, he wrote in part: “Speaker Hortman wasn’t just a legislative champion for community solar – she imagined a future where access to clean energy was a right, not a privilege.”
O’Grady recalls that when he formerly worked as a law-firm lobbyist, he was charged with convening a videoconference including Hortman, himself and representatives of the Lower Sioux Indian Community. As O’Grady expeditiously tried to steer the group into the main substance of the meeting, he said, Hortman mindfully interceded to guide it through protocols that she knew the tribal representatives considered minimally respectful.
Afterwards, Hortman and O’Grady conferred about what he dubbed the learning opportunity, O’Grady said. “I hope you found my direction gentle,” he said she told him.
Likewise, whenever political storms seized the Legislature, O’Grady said, “She just had this way of making you feel better about it and not take it too seriously.”
Hortman’s conscience about the urgency of climate change drove her agenda to marshal solar to fully deliver on its upsides, O’Grady said. “She just led the charge on making sure our industry could continue to grow and thrive,” he said.
MnSEIA gave Hortman a lifetime achievement award in 2023. Now, though he said the MnSEIA circle is mainly still raw in absorbing Hortman’s death, he imagines that the organization’s annual conference on Oct. 7 and 8 will again somehow honor her.
Meantime, the Minnesota solar industry is laid low – unsure how to move forward without her, O’Grady said. Other legislative leaders are poised to continue fighting for the industry’s role in climate action, he said. “But I just don’t think you can fill those shoes – ever.”
Richerson said for now, admirers of the late lawmaker just feel a void of uncertainty. “I don’t know what is going to be done to move on without her,” he said.
But in keeping with Hortman’s infectious determination, Richerson said he was certain about one inevitability: “We will bring motivation to the table.”
pv-magazine-usa.com |
| | Solar Power | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| |
