TVA’s Fiedler said he couldn’t speak to specifics of Tennessee’s deal with Ford, especially whether the company was attracted by its Green Invest program. But he could say that “TVA has made our region the premier destination for businesses who want to achieve their sustainability goals.” GLOBAL AND NATIONAL PERSPECTIVES The world is still pretty dim when it comes to solar. According to the latest data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), solar power supplied just a bit over 5 percent of the world’s electricity last year. But there’s no denying that solar power has turned a market corner and is hurtling toward the future at a breakneck pace. Consider that record numbers of solar installations have been installed all over the world in the last two years, even as the pandemic slowed materials production and gunked up supply chains. For perspective, in 2010 about 17 gigawatts of solar power capacity was added. In 2021, 172 gigawatts of new solar installations were built. By the end of last year, more than half (57 percent) of solar installations were in Asia, 21 percent were in Europe, and 16 percent were in the Americas, according to the federal National Renewable Energy
THE WORLD IS STILL PRETTY DIM WHEN IT COMES TO SOLAR.
Laboratory (NREL). China leads the way as the unmatched global champion for solar installations. Last year alone, China added nearly 55 gigawatts of capacity for solar energy, nearly a third of all new solar power installations in the world. In the first quarter of 2022, China added 13.2 gigawatts of solar, a 148 percent increase in solar production from the same period last year. Still, China (at around 4.5 percent) ranks just below the global average (5 percent) for solar as a percentage of its total electricity generation. Though the United States’ solar market was second only to China’s last year, the U.S. installed 23.6 gigawatts of solar last year, not even half of China’s increases. The U.S. total solar capacity was 120 gigawatts last year, less than half of China’s 309 total gigawatts. The U.S. also falls slightly behind the global average of solar in its overall electricity mix (at 4 percent) behind China, the United Kingdom, South Korea, South Africa, and Morocco, according to the IEA. Australia leads the way globally on using solar, as nearly 15 percent of all its energy came from solar last year. The top five is rounded out by Spain, Greece, Honduras, and the Netherlands. But if California were a country, it would top this list. The Golden
State’s total electric generation mix is 25 percent solar. Other U.S. states would top Australia on this list, too. Behind California is Massachusetts (at 19.7 percent), Nevada (at 18 percent), Hawaii (at 17.1 percent), and Vermont (at 16.12 percent). Oh, and how does Tennessee rank against other states on solar? It sits at 43rd place. The Volunteer State’s percentage of total energy from solar is 0.0056 percent, according to the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA). That’s enough solar to power 61,904 of the state’s 2.4 million homes. It’s still enough, however, to have 109 solar companies in the state that employ 3,948 people. The total investment of Tennessee’s 608 megawatts of installed solar power is about $918 million, according to the SEIA. However, the agency projects Tennessee’s solar capacity will more than double over the next five years (to 1,314 megawatts) and rank 22nd nationally. Note: This story is a companion piece to “Sun Block,” our cover story from March on solar in Tennessee and the South. That story largely outlined challenges and barriers to solar power here. This story focuses on the opportunities for solar and the investments being made in it, and it frames Memphis in the global and national context of solar power.
T H I S W E E K at
CROS STOWN ARTS TUESDAY
We are seeking blood and
Qualified donors are
cell donors to support
compensated for their time —
important medical research
from $50 to several hundred
focused on fighting life-
dollars depending on the
threatening diseases.
time required.
PETER SLAVOV with THE TED LUDWIG QUARTET MUSIC | THE GREEN ROOM | 7:30pm
WEDNESDAY
INDIE MEMPHIS SCREENING of NEPTUNE FROST presented with INDIE MEMPHIS’ BLACK CREATORS FORUM, TONE, CROSSTOWN ARTS, and DEDZA FILMS FILM | CROSSTOWN THEATER | 7:00pm BRASILIS STRING QUARTET MUSIC | THE GREEN ROOM | 7:30pm
THURSDAY
BLACK MUSIC MONTH POP-UP SERIES: AZPEN MUSIC | CENTR AL ATRIUM | 5:00pm CROSSTOWN ARTS RESIDENCY ARTIST TALK THE GREEN ROOM | 6:00pm | FREE, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC CROSSTOWN ARTHOUSE presents WESTWORLD FILM | CROSSTOWN THEATER | 7:30pm
FRIDAY
GARRISON STARR: EIGHTEEN OVER ME 25th ANNIVERSARY TOUR MUSIC | CROSSTOWN THEATER | 7:30pm BILL MIZE MUSIC | THE GREEN ROOM | 7:30pm
SATURDAY
901-252-3434
researchchampions.com
FOLK ALL Y’ALL presents THIN LEAR MUSIC | THE GREEN ROOM | 7:30pm
For more info visit CROSSTOWNARTS.ORG or call 901.507.8030
COVER STORY m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m
PAY IT FORWARD & GET PAID
SHOOT & SPLICE: A CASE STUDY OF FLOATING PILGRIMS with DAVID GOODMAN FILM | CROSSTOWN THEATER | 6:30pm
13