Renewable Energy Archives - Capitalist Times

Renewable Energy

The More Things Change, the More Some Utilities Profit

By Roger S. Conrad on Oct. 14, 2016

Critics who dismiss utilities as dinosaurs doomed for extinction aren’t paying attention to the forward-looking moves made by Edison International and some of its peers.

The Sun is Setting on SolarCity Corp, But Renewable Energy is for Real

By Roger S. Conrad on Feb. 22, 2016

SolarCity Corp continues to lose more money with each incremental sale. Meanwhile, electric utilities can leverage their low cost of capital, existing customer relationships and ability to recover capital expenditures in rate base to spur adoption of renewable energy.

Solar Power: Not a Death Knell for Utilities

By Roger S. Conrad on Nov. 10, 2015

After the first day of presentations and meetings at the Edison Electric Conference's 50th Annual Financial Conference, one theme stands out: increasing adoption of solar power doesn't sound the death knell for regulated electric utilities. In fact, this would-be disruptor creates a huge growth opportunity for incumbent power producers.

Yieldcos Offer Big Yields after Meltdown

By Roger S. Conrad on Sep. 18, 2015

Up until midyear, investors couldn’t get enough of yieldcos—a new generation of spin-off that offers a similar investment proposition to some master limited partnership (MLP), minus the tax advantages. We explain why investor sentiment toward yieldcos has soured.

Key Takeaways on Renewable Energy from the EIA’s Annual Conference

By Roger S. Conrad on Jun. 21, 2015

Here are some of our key takeaways on utilities and renewable energy from the Energy Information Administration's annual conference.

The Truth about Green Energy

By Roger S. Conrad on May. 5, 2015

In the US, renewable-energy developers continue to reap the rewards of favorable policies at the state and federal level. However, concerns about rising electricity costs and general opposition to government subsidies raise questions about whether this support will continue.

SolarCity Corp: Sun-Dazed Investors Get Burned

By Roger S. Conrad on Mar. 9, 2015

A charismatic CEO and disruptive business model aren't enough to paper over SolarCity Corp's (NSDQ: SCTY) dismal financial results.

First Solar and SunPower’s Yieldco: Building Value or Cashing Out?

By Roger S. Conrad on Feb. 28, 2015

First Solar and SunPower Corp announced a yieldco earlier this week. Should you believe the hype?