Ditto here. The database doesn’t include community choice aggregators in California, which serve 15 million accounts.

Updated data on electricity price trends and drivers from the folks at Berkeley Lab @berkeleylabemp.bsky.social: emp.lbl.gov/retail-elect...

Berkeley Lab releases series of reports on regulatory barriers affecting microgrids The three-part report series from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory aims to guide community leaders and developers through the complex legal and regulatory hurdles that often stall the development of local microgrid projects across the United States.

Berkeley Lab releases series of reports on regulatory barriers affecting microgrids #energysky -- via pv magazine usa:

Looks like it’s open season on pedestrians in Allegheny County. Bring your Hummer!

I also wonder why you need to put 5 GW of computing capacity in one place. It creates all kind of grid problems. Why not split them into hundred megawatt units?

Security Analysis of the Official White House iOS App We reverse engineered the official White House iOS app (gov.whitehouse.app) and found concerning security and privacy issues, including a Russian-origin company executing live JavaScript, GPS tracking...

I’m not usually into conspiracy theories, but this is creepy as hell. If you are an app coder, what do you think of this analysis?

www.atomic.computer/blog/white-h...

Is anyone thinking of data centers as cogeneration plants? That is computing + heat output. They could feed a district energy system, or industrial loads or greenhouses. Site them in cities and connect to a thermal energy network.

You can read the details in the article. Four 300 W panels parallel wired through a 960 W AC inverter. On my flat garage roof. Only 30% of systems in Germany are on balconies, so it’s kind of a misnomer.

The theory and practice of plug-in solar Achieving a system cost of $0.65 per watt through the secondary market and DIY assembly demonstrates a viable pathway for U.S. plug-in solar to provide immediate utility bill relief to renters and apa...

My plug-in system is doing about 150 kWh this month. Around 18 month payback.

pv-magazine-usa.com/2026/03/27/t...

Vermont is not there yet, and has a dumb sentence prohibiting current solar customers from adding a plug-in kit. Virginia is likely next. A useful guide is here: pluginsolarguide.com

The theory and practice of plug-in solar Achieving a system cost of $0.65 per watt through the secondary market and DIY assembly demonstrates a viable pathway for U.S. plug-in solar to provide immediate utility bill relief to renters and apa...

You can read about my adventures in solar DIY in a guest piece I wrote for PV Magazine USA, on newsstands today.

pv-magazine-usa.com/2026/03/27/t...

@torsolarfred.bsky.social @commercialsolarguy.com @jigarshahdc.bsky.social @brightsaver.bsky.social @davemargulius.com @solarunitedneighbors.org

And vice versa -- what do we energy policy people need to do to make sure DIY systems are installed correctly and safely? What is the role of state energy agencies, national labs, advocates, and marketers? 5/

After 30+ years doing research, writing, advocacy, and funding clean energy stuff, I finally had to understand amps and volts and series and parallel wiring! After all, the whole point of plug-in solar is that it's DIY. What do non-professionals need to know to do it right? 4/

While my CESA paper mostly discussed the THEORY of plug-in solar, including regulatory and programmatic issues, I thought I should do some field research on the PRACTICE – by installing my own system. 3/

What States Need to Know About Plug-In Solar - Clean Energy States Alliance This paper provides information and guidance on plug-in solar configurations, regulatory issues, economics, and safety concerns.

Given the buzz around it, I was asked by one of my clients, @cleanenergystates.bsky.social (CESA), to develop a short report for state energy agencies. With 28 or so state legislatures considering plug-in bills, state energy staff are busy coming up to speed. 2/

www.cesa.org/resource-lib...

The sudden emergence of plug-in solar in the U.S. is timely, given the high concern about energy affordability. It offers renters and apartment dwellers – over a third of U.S. households – a way to cut their utility bills with solar power, complementing rooftop and community solar. /🧵

That's the thing - as much as we get upset about siting battles and permit rejections, solar is flexible, adaptable and persistent. It sneaks through. It flows around obstacles.

Plug-in Solar Simple Calculator

I made a much simpler payback calculator here, as part of a research paper. It is in US$ but it should manage any currency. It doesn't account for TOU or tiered rates.

docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

It doesn't account for TOU or tiered rates. Getting off of tier 2 in California is very valuable -- like 60¢ per kWh. TOU peaks are highest in summer 4-9pm, but are not that much higher than off peak. Tier 2 is where the money is.

Plug-in Solar Simple Calculator

I made a simple spreadsheet payback calculator as part of the research for my CESA paper. It's in US$ but just pretend they are Euros.

docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

Wealthy Investors Are Targeting Foes of Clean Energy, and They Want Revenge

I’m not so sure the clean energy industry are the naifs @bradplumer.bsky.social and Lisa Friedman make them out to be. But there are more targets than Chip Roy. Rep. Miller-Meeks of Iowa is top of my list.

www.nytimes.com/2026/03/26/c...

With Diesel Prices Up 42%, Rethink Fuel Use This Spring As U.S. diesel prices climb 42% from last year, closely examining how equipment is used impacts the bottom line, with even small fuel efficiency gains making a significant difference.

The rise in diesel prices from the Trump war in Iran is hitting farmers too. Switching to no till is good for the soil and runoff, plus saves on fuel.

www.agriculture.com/with-diesel-...

What Can Be Done To Keep California’s Utility Bills From Getting Even Higher? - Ava Community Energy What can be done to keep California’s utility bills from getting even higher?

Here's a 2022 news clip on electricity affordability issues in California. Of all the ideas raised, exactly none have been implemented. Since then average residential retail rates are up 25%.

avaenergy.org/news/what-ca...

Coming soon to a Walmart near you. Or Ace, Home Depot or Lowe’s.

Why Hydrogen Stations Lose up to 50% of Their Fuel At California hydrogen stations, boil-off losses are significant, but a new Bosch cryogenic pump aims to fix the problem.

As if hydrogen vehicles weren’t dumb enough already, their fueling stations lose up to half their fuel to “boil off.”

flip.it/rdDbYr

There is a real business opportunity in used solar panels. Get paid for disposal, test them, sell the good ones, recycle the rest.

I thought the essay was spot on. One of the few times I've seen an NYT op-ed that I would have written. 👍

People denigrate personal action in order to promote policy. Why not just promote both?

It's like putting down renewables to promote effiency, or vice versa.

At least Trump has done us the favor of giving us the text for his own eulogy. Every accusation is a confession with him.

Graphic of two people painting a bright outdoor scene with a sun and hills, with a dog nearby. Text says community sponsorship applications from Ava are open, offering up to $2,500. Apply by March 31. Learn more at AvaEnergy.org/community-sponsorships

Are you part of a community organization looking for funding? Ava is here to help! Apply for a Community Sponsorship of up to $2,500 to support projects in Alameda County, Tracy, Stockton, and Lathrop. Apply by March 31: AvaEnergy.org/community-sponsorships

DOGE Goes Nuclear: How Trump Invited Silicon Valley Into America’s Nuclear Power Regulator In its rush to boost nuclear energy, the Trump administration is rapidly rewriting rules to ease regulations and provide financial breaks for industry. “The safety culture is under threat,” a former h...

Of course your “follow the money” thesis is always reliable.

Though I don’t think tech bros can afford nuclear power either. They’re in business to make money.

flip.it/UIj1ex