Solar eclipse of the grid

Your guide to the political forces shaping the energy transformation

Apr 05, 2024 View in browser   By Arianna Skibell The moon covers the sun during a total solar eclipse in August 2017 in Cerulean, Kentucky. | Timothy D. Easley/AP What does a brief loss of sunshine mean for an electric grid increasingly run on solar power? The nation’s grid operators are preparing to find out Monday, when the moon blocks the sun and creates a path of total darkness from Texas to Maine, writes Jason Plautz. The loss of sun power could be significant. Texas could lose more than 90 percent of its solar capacity, enough to power roughly 2.8 million homes. Even areas thousands of miles from the path of the eclipse could see solar generation cut in half. Grid operators have been preparing for the solar eclipse for months and say they are fully equipped to compensate for the loss of sun power. But the predictable celestial occurrence is offering power providers a test run for unpredictable sun-blocking events, such as winter storms and wildfire smoke so thick it blankets the sky. “In the future, you might see something that has the same effect as an eclipse, but you may only know about it a day ahead of time,” Barry Mather, chief engineer for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, told Jason. Mather is part of an Energy Department team that will study how the grid responds to the eclipse, including gathering real-time information as the shadow moves across the country. While astronomers can pinpoint eclipse events hundreds of years into the future, the less predictable weather conditions of the day can make a difference for grid planners. If it’s a sunny day, the eclipse will lead to a sudden loss of solar power, which can be tricky to maneuver. But a cloudy day means there’s less of a sharp decline to manage. Since the country’s last solar eclipse in August 2017, solar power in the U.S. has more than tripled. It now accounts for more than 4 percent of total electricity generation, and it’s only expected to grow.   Thank goodness it's Friday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Arianna Skibell. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to askibell@eenews.net.   Access New York bill updates and Congressional activity in areas that matter to you, and use our exclusive insights to see what’s on the Albany agenda. Learn more.     Listen to today’s POLITICO Energy podcast Today in POLITICO Energy’s podcast: James Bikales breaks down why the Energy Department is dramatically walking back new energy efficiency standards for distribution transformers. Power Centers Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler testifies July 19, 2023, before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government. | Win McNamee/Getty Images SEC hits pause on climate rule Amid a slew of lawsuits, the Securities and Exchange Commission paused its new climate disclosure rule. The agency said it stands by the rule but wants to give companies and the court of appeals "breathing room," write Lesley Clark and Avery Ellfeldt. The Wall Street regulator said it will continue to "vigorously" defend the rules, which require public companies to disclose their climate risks. The SEC said the rules are both “consistent with applicable law” and within the agency's authority. Paris to everyone: Buy French solar panels France's Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire is encouraging decisionmakers, energy companies and solar park developers to buy solar panels made in France, a request that might run afoul of European Union rules, writes Giorgio Leali. The EU bans measures that favor one country's companies over another for public contracts. In Other News Be green, but not too green: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen faces a diplomatic test in urging China to curb its green energy exports. Small group, big problems: A new study found that the majority of recent CO2 emissions are linked to just 57 producers.   SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, the newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world, including WEF in Davos, Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to UNGA in NYC and many more. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW.     Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. A lobster boat passes the country's first floating wind turbine off the coast of Castine, Maine. | Robert F. Bukaty/AP Maine’s plan to build an offshore wind port on an undeveloped island is facing pushback from some environmental groups, highlighting the land use conflicts embedded in the clean energy transition. Rising incidents of domestic terrorism and a surge in state-sponsored cyberattacks on critical infrastructure could pose a heightened risk to the U.S. power system. Backlash against Washington state's carbon market is vexing California officials as they seek to overhaul their own cap-and-trade system. That's it for today, folks. Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!   Follow us on Twitter Arianna Skibell @ariannaskibell   Follow us

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