Bursts of Free Power Raise Red Flags for Green Tech Investors

  • Prices below zero may slow the deployment of renewables
  • There aren’t enough batteries to store wind, solar energy
A solar park in Badajoz, Spain.Photographer: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg
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Something strange is going on in Europe’s power markets: Prices keep dropping below zero.

Solar parks on Spanish plains and wind turbines above Norwegian fjords were so productive in May that a record share of clean electricity flooded the grid. At times, supply vastly exceeded demand, and producers needed to do something with all that energy.