71 percent of homeowners want solar panels
San Francisco-based software company Aurora Solar has released its fourth annual Solar Snapshot report, surveying more than 1,000 American homeowners, 1,000 solar professionals, and millions of projects managed by the Aurora software.
According to the report, 63 percent of solar installers expect that the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act and the federal Investment Tax Credit termination will "negatively impact their business." Additionally, 68 percent of homeowners with solar panels already installed say they benefited from the IRA's tax credits, and installers saw a "surge" in solar demand before the tax credit ended.
"Meanwhile, 71 percent of homeowners reported that they would like to install solar panels on their home, but 44 percent of those say it costs more than expected and nearly half don't think they can afford them without the IRA's tax credits.
53 percent of homeowners agree the power grid is becoming less reliable. As a result, storage is increasingly being included in residential systems: 31 percent of installers expect more than three quarters of their 2026 projects will include battery storage."
Additionally, 71 percent of installers surveyed say they now offer EV charging equipment.
January's Winter Storm Fern was “classic near-miss” for US grid
The U.S. grid withstood Winter Storm Fern in January without a major disruption to the bulk power system, but the electric sector suffered a "near miss" that easily could have resulted in millions left stranded without power during the widespread cold snap, Jim Robb, president and CEO of the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC), told a House subcommittee last week.
Fern was a wide-spread, multi-day, extreme weather event that left about 1 million people across the Midwest, Northeast and South without power — but those outages were largely due to local issues, such as downed power lines. Robb called the storm a "classic near-miss" that required extraordinary measures to avoid a major catastrophe.
Severe weather events place a significant strain on the already shaky national grid. The rate of increase in electricity demand is "staggering," NERC reported. Summer peak demand is projected to rise by 200 GW, with winter demand growing even faster. "That's 70 percent higher than what we projected at this time last year," Robb noted in his comments to Congress.
While the grid managed to weather the storm by putting in place what were termed extreme measures, There was considerable price volatility across the US grid as a result.
In ERCOT, the highest price in the day-ahead market reached $1,900 per megawatt hour (MWh). The situation was similar in PJM, where the highest price in the day-ahead market was $2,300/MWh. This is nearly 100 times the normal wholesale electricity prices, which generally range from $20 to $40 per MWh.
Forcing coal plants to stay open could cost customers billions
In an unprecedented use of federal authority, President Trump's administration has invoked emergency powers to force a series of retiring coal plants to stay open.
Utilities, states and grid operators have said the aging plants are expensive, in bad repair and no longer needed to meet regional energy needs. But Trump's efforts to save the dwindling coal industry have forced plant operators to continue investing in the facilities — a move that some consumer advocates fear could mean billions of dollars in added costs for customers in dozens of states.
Will Toor, executive director of the Colorado Energy Office argued that "Rather than allowing the realities on the ground, the regulators and the utilities to make rational decisions about how to meet energy needs, we have the Trump administration trying to do Soviet-style central planning to push an ideological agenda that will drive costs to customers."
Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act gives the White House broad authority to take temporary control of the U.S. electricity system during emergency situations. Until now, that authority had only been invoked during wartime or natural disasters. All of the Trump administration's orders were issued prior to the start of the war with Iran.
A report published by Grid Strategies, found that as many as 90 aging plants could be subject to the emergency orders. The analysis found that keeping those plants open could cost ratepayers anywhere from $3 billion to $6 billion a year.
Consumer advocates say Trump's use of the act to overturn long-planned facility retirements is unprecedented, and likely illegal. They are appealing the orders in court.
Campaign for plug-in solar access in Illinois
Illinois State Sen. Rachel Ventura and Rep. Daniel Didech joined fellow general assembly members and clean energy advocates to launch a campaign to pass legislation enabling plug-in solar in Illinois. The Plug-In Illinois Act would allow access to solar power for residents who generally cannot install rooftop solar – such as renters, apartment dwellers, or those who simply cannot afford the upfront cost. The act would remove regulatory barriers to small scale plug-in or "balcony" solar units.
Illinois now joins 26 other states where plug in solar legislation is making its way through the legislative process. Virginia and Utah have already passed similar bills.
Plug in or balcony solar are small solar units that plug directly into a standard wall outlet - requiring no permitting or solar installer. The systems have become quite popular in Europe, where in Germany, for example, millions have been installed. Homeowners there can simply purchase a system from their local IKEA and install it themselves in minutes.