POLITICO Energy

Solar power flourished during recent storms. Will that brighten its future?

Episode Summary

Last month, when Hurricanes Ian and Fiona made landfall, they knocked out power for 2.7 million people in Florida along with the entire island of Puerto Rico. But residents who relied specifically on solar power during the storms say their systems performed well and were critical to keeping the lights on. That success could help solar supporters dealing with regulatory and legislative battles around the country. POLITICO’s Kelsey Tamborrino and Catherine Morehouse discuss why solar power flourished during these recent storms, how industry is reacting, and the political challenges solar power still faces in Florida and Puerto Rico. Plus, the White House is expected to announce additional action this week to help bring down gas prices.

Episode Notes

Last month, when Hurricanes Ian and Fiona made landfall, they knocked out power for 2.7 million people in Florida along with the entire island of Puerto Rico. But residents who relied specifically on solar power during the storms say their systems performed well and were critical to keeping the lights on. That success could help solar supporters dealing with regulatory and legislative battles around the country. POLITICO’s Kelsey Tamborrino and Catherine Morehouse discuss why solar power flourished during these recent storms, how industry is reacting, and the political challenges solar power still faces in Florida and Puerto Rico. Plus, the White House is expected to announce additional action this week to help bring down gas prices.

 

Kelsey Tamborrino is a reporter covering clean energy.

Catherine Morehouse is an energy reporter for POLITICO. 

Nirmal Mulaikal is a POLITICO audio host-producer. 

Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.

Jenny Ament is the executive producer of POLITICO’s audio department.