Corning will be expanding solar wafer manufacturing in its facilities in Hemlock, Michigan. The company is investing $1.5 billion, adding 400 jobs (up to 1500 total for the company) and contributing to domestically produced wafers to the U.S. solar supply chain.
Apparently, only a fraction of proposed data centers are getting built. One expert estimated that speculative interconnection requests were five to 10 times more than the number of actual data centers. This is making it tough for utilities and grid operators to plan for the future – the scale of the actual issue remains elusive.
Aurora’s third Solar Snapshot Report discusses that although there are policy and other kinds of headwinds, the demand for solar remains strong. They describe three key trends: 1) Savings matter – homeowners and businesses expect ROI from solar, 2) Financing is changing – third-party ownership (TPO) continues to grow more popular, and 3) Solar is bipartisan – Democrat, Republican, and Independent party members all feel that solar appeals to everyone.
The House Ways and Means Committee has passed the bill to shave back the IRA benefits. It eliminated the resi ITC, meaning that working-class households will be unable to receive the 30% tax credit. They also eliminated EV credits and preserved large-scale and manufacturing tax credits.
Sunnova skipped a bond interest payment in April and entered into a 30-day grace period that expired May 1, missing a $400 million payment on 11.75% senior notes maturing in 2028. They are trying to reduce debt and increase financial flexibility ahead of a potential bankruptcy filing or a bridge loan to restructure. This is partially due to the struggling resi sector with unpredictable tariffs and backpedaling renewable energy policy.
Spenser Meeks, founder of Apex Presentations and lead trainer for RE+, joins Nico Johnson to explain why 60% of solar presentations fall flat. They discuss an effective storytelling-first approach that hooks attention, builds trust, and sets the stage for better deals and more memorable conversations. Spenser looks at how emotional engagement wins over technical features, why a 30-point font can make or break your deck, and how to structure conversations that build connection, not confusion. The video is below.
Modern electric utilities have a problem. The grid is getting smarter, giving them granular insights into their systems. But they are grappling with making sense of all that info quickly. Software company Envelio Inc. has partnered with Clean Power Research to integrate the former’s Intelligent Grid Platform with the latter’s workflow automation software, PowerClerk to allow utilities to automate interconnection workflows, reduce project approval times and enhance grid transparency. The video is below.