Sunrise brief: California off to a strong clean electricity start with solar up 33.8%

Also on the rise: U.S. states still have a lot of work to do on energy policy. U.S. solar cell manufacturer shoring up supply chain with second multi-year agreement. And more.

California off to a strong clean electricity start with solar up 33.8% Forty-eight days into 2025, CAISO gas use for electricity is down almost 28%, while battery use is up 78%, and solar has already met 100% of demand in the midst of winter.

U.S. solar cell manufacturer shoring up supply chain with second multi-year agreement ES Foundry announced a multi-year agreement to supply 300 MW of U.S.-made solar cells to Bila Solar, an Indianapolis-based maker of ultra-lightweight solar modules.

Remembering Frédéric Dross: A tireless solar champion Jenya Meydbray writes a tribute to a well known and beloved member of the solar industry, Frédéric Dross.

U.S. states still have a lot of work to do on energy policy The Institute for Local Self-Reliance Community Power Scorecard gave 23 states failing grades on policies related to energy democracy and accountability.

Illinois proposes bill to cut bureaucratic inefficiency in residential solar permitting The Residential Solar Automated Permitting Act would require local governments to adopt instant solar permitting for residential rooftop solar and home battery storage.

California bill introduced to mandate a VPP implementation plan Virtual power plants, which could save state ratepayers an estimated $550 million per year, are connected aggregations of distributed energy resources like rooftop solar and energy storage.

In case you missed it: Six big solar stories in the news this week  pv magazine USA spotlights news of the past week including market trends, project updates, policy changes and more.