After originally being cool to Suniva’s petition to the U.S. International Trade Commission for protection from its Chinese competitors, SolarWorld Americas has reversed its stance and joined the complaint as a co-petitioner.

Bankrupt module manufacturer Suniva’s petition before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) just got an enormous shot in the arm, as SolarWorld Americas has joined the complaint as a co-petitioner.

The news comes two days after the ITC agreed to launch an investigation to “determine whether crystalline silicon photovoltaic (“CSPV”) cells (whether or not partially or fully assembled into other products) are being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury, or the threat thereof, to the domestic industry producing an article like or directly competitive with the imported articles.”

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The power company has bought the 180 MW Upton County Solar 2 project in West Texas, and signed a contract to have the project built.

The announcements regarding large solar projects in West Texas have been rapid this week. Just two days after Southern Company announced that it had put online the 130 MW-DC Lamesa project, Texas power company Vistra Energy announced that it has purchased the 180 MW Upton County Solar 2 project.

Vistra has further signed a contract with an un-named engineering, procurement and construction contractor to build the plant, which it expects to go online in the summer of 2018. Vistra’s independent power producer (IPP) subsidiary Luminant will own the project, and the electricity generated by the project will be provided to both residential and commercial and industrial (C&I) customers of Vistra’s utility subisidiary TXU Energy.

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U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., along with U.S. Sens. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., have proposed landmark climate change legislation that would transition the U.S. to 100% clean energy.

The “100 by ’50 Act” lays out a roadmap for a transition to 100% clean energy no later than 2050. According to the lawmakers, it is the first bill introduced in Congress that would fully envision a transition off of fossil fuels in the U.S.

“America is home to innovative entrepreneurs and scientists who have tackled many challenges in our nation’s history – from harnessing electricity to putting a man on the moon to curing disease,” says Merkley. “The power to end the use of fossil fuels and completely transition to clean and renewable energy is within our hands, but just as with the moon landing, we need a roadmap, a goal and a passionate, shared national commitment to get us there. If an asteroid were hurtling its way through space towards our planet, we would do everything in our power to stop that asteroid. Our commitment to fighting climate change should be no less. Starting at a local, grassroots level and working toward the bold and comprehensive national vision laid out in this legislation, now is the time to commit to 100 percent by 2050.”

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PV Tech’s preliminary analysis of global solar PV manufacturing capacity expansion announcements in the first quarter of 2017, shows a strong rebound compared to the significantly subdued environment experienced in the second half of 2016.

Although capacity expansion announcements in January remained subdued and followed the low level of activity set in the second-half of 2016, February proved to be the third highest month since 2014, and the highest February in more than three years.

March did not maintain that momentum but still posted strong figures, becoming the second highest March figures in more than three years.

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Consumer advocate Ralph Nader may have been right when he said, “The use of solar energy has not been opened up because the oil industry does not own the sun.”

However, entrepreneurs beyond fossil-fuel folks have long recognized solar power as the non-polluting, reliable energy source that also helps fight climate change, and more efficient solar systems plus decreasing costs have contributed to dramatic good news: Solar energy companies now employ more workers than any other energy industry — including coal, oil and natural gas combined. That’s according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s second annual “U.S. Energy and Employment Report” released days before the Inauguration started snuffing out most news that wasn’t about the White House, Russia, false claims and bizarre tweets.

According to the report, solar — both photovoltaic (small-scale) and concentrated (large-scale solar-power “plants”) — employed almost 374,000 workers in 2016, a one-year increase of 25 percent.

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