2014-07-03 Energy Week

Please Note: This post is still under development.

Friday 6-27

¶   Utilities in Queensland are looking to limit and even stop households exporting excess electricity back into the grid from their rooftop solar panels, in a move that other Australian network operators are expected to follow. [RenewEconomy]

¶   China’s renewable energy capacity increased from 27.8 GW in 2001 to 183 GW in 2013, and alternative sources are expected to account for more than 20% of the country’s total electricity generation by 2020, says research and consulting firm GlobalData. [Business Spectator]

¶   The Fish and Wildlife Service expects to grant a permit to the Shiloh IV Wind Project near Rio Vista, California within 30 days that would allow for the deaths of five golden or bald eagles over a five-year period without penalty. [CNN]

Saturday 6-28

¶   An important new World Bank report concludes that just a few key policies aimed at cutting carbon pollution would boost the global economy, with an estimated GDP growth of between $1.8 trillion and $2.6 trillion. [Energy Collective]

¶   During the year’s first four months, renewables provided 14.05% of all electricity nationwide. Wind power grew past the 5% threshold, to 5.15% of US electricity production, and solar increased 108.9% from last year. But carbon emissions are growing too. [Justmeans]

¶   German lawmakers adopted a law on Friday to reduce renewable energy subsidies as the government seeks to keep its green “energy transformation” on track, curb rising prices and fight nagging criticism. [Yahoo News]

Sunday 6-29

¶   Microgrids are attractive to universities, hospitals and military installations aiming to protect their critical loads. They are also attractive to communities looking to survive the next storm, a dynamic spurring development of a new, potentially controversial grid model. [Scientific American]

¶   In the past, renewable power needed incentives. In Germany, however, the energy market is on the cusp of evolving to the next step: An era in which the sun and the wind replace fossil fuels through the sheer, unstoppable force of the market. [Engadget]

¶   Risky Business, an organization founded by Tom Steyer, Hank Paulson, and Michael Bloomberg, three business giants, released a report detailing the extraordinary risks that climate change poses to the nation’s economy and to the future business climate in the US. [Energy Collective]

Monday 6-30

¶   The UK Government has given consent to go ahead with the East Anglia One offshore wind farm. It is scheduled to install up to 240 wind turbines and will generate enough electricity to power approximately 820,000 homes. [SmartMeters] (1.2 GW)

¶   UK plans to drive investment in a new fleet of nuclear power stations took a step forward today after Toshiba and GDF Suez inked a deal to build three new reactors on the West Cumbria coast by 2024. [Business Green]

Tuesday 7-1

¶   New York’s cities and towns can block hydraulic fracturing within their borders, the state’s highest court ruled, dealing a blow to an industry awaiting Governor Andrew Cuomo’s decision on whether to lift a six-year-old statewide moratorium. [Bloomberg]

¶   ACIL Allen, the modellers hired for the Australian government’s review of the Renewable Energy Target (RET), suggest that the uptake of rooftop solar will be more without the RET because customers would pay higher electricity bills. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The next decade and a half will see renewable energy raise its share of European electricity generation capacity from 40% in 2012, to 60% in 2030, while the share of fossil-fuel sources such as coal and gas falls from 48% to 27%, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. [Nanowerk]

¶   Several research studies have shown that renewable energy could wind up saving US consumers tens of billions of dollars. Two of them found that $26.7 billion a year could be saved in the Midwest and Rocky Mountain states. [CleanTechnica]

Wednesday 7-2

¶   Bloomberg New Energy Finance foresee that by 2030 the world’s power mix will have transformed to one with over half from zero-emission energy sources, saying, “Economics – rather than policy – will increasingly drive the uptake of renewable technologies.” [Business Spectator]

¶   The German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern generates 120% of its electricity from renewable sources, according to a new publication. Reportedly, there are over 1600 wind turbines in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, which is also a top tourist destination. [CleanTechnica]

¶   After studying production data from 65,000 wells from 31 different unconventional shale rock formations in 2012, geologist David Hughes predicted big trouble ahead for North America’s unconventional hydrocarbon revolution. [Resilience]

7-3

¶   Despite five months of below-average temperatures and twice the normal of snowfall, when the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility ended its one-year test run, it had produced 491 kWh more than it used. [ScienceDaily]

¶   Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority could give de facto approval for the restart of Kyushu Electric’s Nos. 1 and 2 reactors at its Sendai plant in southern Japan as soon as July 9, the Sankei newspaper reported without attribution. [Businessweek]

¶   The United States will hold a commercial lease auction on 19 August 2014 for the up to 1.45-GW Maryland wind energy area, the county’s third such sale for offshore wind development. [reNews]

¶   Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems received 740 megawatts worth of new orders in the last several days, with its machines destined to generate electricity at wind farms in Kansas, Minnesota, New Mexico, and North Dakota. [Denver Business Journal]

2014-06-26 Energy Week

The following is a list, with links, of the news items talked about on the BCTV show Energy Week with George Harvey and Tom Finnell, June 26:

Also on BCTV for the week is  Energy Week Extra: SolarFest

6-20

¶   “The EPA carbon plan: Coal loses, but nuclear doesn’t win” Assuming that states generally adhere to the prime directive of public utility resource acquisition—choosing the lowest-cost approach—the proposed rule will not alter the dismal prospects of nuclear power. [Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist]

¶   The Renewables 2014 Global Status Report says that 22.1% of the world’s electricity was generated from renewable sources in 2013. That percentage is expected to rise as countries across the globe pour money and resources into alternative, clean energy. [Wall Street Journal]

¶   The nation’s largest companies are leaving Washington gridlock on climate change behind and rapidly embracing renewable energy sourcing and greenhouse gas emissions reduction efforts, according to a new report from Calvert Investments. [Insurance News Net]

6-21

¶   Barclay’s rationale for the downgrade they gave the entire US utility industry is their expectation that for more than 20% of US electric consumers, solar combined with electric storage will be at least as cheap as power from utilities within 4 years.[Energy Collective]

¶   Climate change may drive a shift to more wind and solar power generation to conserve water, a US DOE report said this week. Thermoelectric power including gas, coal and nuclear, is responsible for 40% of US water use. [Responding to Climate Change]

6-22

¶   “Utilities unsure of future as environmental regs loom” Coal is under fire, gas and wind are blowing up, and consumers may yet wrestle control of power generation from their utilities. There’s a lot on the mind of your average electric company executive these days. [STLtoday.com]

¶   Polling for the Climate Institute shows 72% of Australians want to keep or expand the renewable energy target, which requires that 20% of energy is sourced from renewables by 2020, as the Abbott government considers abolishing the incentive. [The Guardian]

¶   As its nuclear plants increasingly look like an albatross rather than a boon, Exelon is at a crossroads. The so-called nuclear renaissance has not come, and the company would have to play catch-up other new investments. Or it could split off the nuclear generating business. [Crain’s Chicago Business]

6-23

¶   The Japan Meteorological Agency reported Monday that March-May was the hottest in more than 120 years of record-keeping. It was also the hottest May on record. This is all the more important because we are still waiting for the start of El Niño. [Energy Collective]

¶   Germany’s windiest area, Schleswig-Holstein, will probably achieve “100% renewable electricity” sometime this year. Schleswig-Holstein has a goal to generate 300% of its electricity consumption with renewables eventually.[CleanTechnica]

6-24

¶   The Australian federal government’s case to scrap or weaken the Renewable Energy Target has been dealt a blow, with modelling it commissioned for the review showing consumers will be better off if the target is kept. [The Canberra Times]

¶   At long last, America’s first offshore wind project, Cape Wind, has secured its permits, leases and is finalizing financing. Once turbines are erected, miles off-shore, it will begin producing most of the electricity for Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. [The Hill]

¶   Renewables have supplied 47.83% of new electrical generation in the U.S. since the start of 2012. The share of clean energy is rising, with non-fossil fuel generation accounting for 54% of new capacity from January to the end of May, according to FERC. [pv magazine]

6-25

¶   Several developments in the power sector, including growth in smart meters and variable renewable generation, have created an environment conducive to virtual power plants, which Navigant Research expects to be worth $5.3 billion in 2023. [Virtual-Strategy Magazine]

¶   The vast majority of Vermonters want to use less fossil fuel for their energy needs, but the cost to reduce one’s carbon footprint is a perceived challenge, according to a survey the Energy Action Network released last week. [vtdigger.org]

¶   The Northeast Biodiesel Diesel plant in Greenfield, Massachusetts has gotten a major boost toward becoming a reality with a $540,000 grant from the state Department of Energy Resources. The $3.5 million plant has been a work in progress for 10 years. [GazetteNET]

6-26

¶   New organic, non-toxic, water-based batteries that last five times longer than their lithium counterparts have been developed. Created by researchers at the University of Southern California, the batteries would also be much cheaper than lithium batteries. [The Conversation]

¶   The use of executive powers to regulate greenhouse gas emissions has been reaffirmed by the US Supreme Court in a ruling issued on Monday. This suggests President Obama’s climate policy has solid legal foundations. [Carbon Brief]

2014-06-19 Energy Week

This is a collection of the news items used in Energy Week with George Harvey and Tom Finnell, June 19, 2014

6-13

¶   Uruguay’s government said on Thursday that 84% of its energy last year came from renewable sources. The small South American country has been pushing for an energy diversification policy focused on developing wind and solar energy since 2008. [HispanicBusiness.com]

¶   Germany’s government has decided to stop issuing credit guarantees for exports of equipment used for nuclear power generation because the risks to public safety are too great, according to the Economy Ministry. [Reuters]

¶   EPA chief Gina McCarthy said on Thursday that newly proposed rules to slash carbon emissions from U.S. power plants will cut electricity bills after 2030 by forcing power plants to become more efficient. [MarineLink]

6-14

¶   Elon Musk has made yet another highly interesting and somewhat unpredictable move/announcement (in a long line of such moves) — Tesla Motors will not initiate patent lawsuits against anyone who, in good faith, uses the company’s technology. [CleanTechnica]

¶   New York legislation would let people without their own roofs for solar panels invest in clean energy projects, which is more attractive than ever thanks to recent drops in the price of solar and wind power. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) dashed the hopes of environmentalists, leading manufacturers and renewable-energy businesses Friday and signed a bill shelving requirements for utilities to ramp up the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency. [Washington Post]

¶   The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities has issued two orders that will allow Massachusetts to become the first state in the country that requires electric distribution companies to take affirmative steps to modernize the electric grid. [Berkshire Eagle]

6-15

¶   As the use of solar energy has grown exponentially over the past decade, Massachusetts has become a national leader in the field. Massachusetts currently has 496 MW of solar energy capacity, up from less than 1 MW 10 years ago. [Wicked Local Wilmington]

¶   A new report conducted by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection shows that the state has made progress with greenhouse gas emissions. It was 5.4% below 1990 levels in the most recent test period, 2010, which is better than hoped. [The Daily Voice]

6-16

¶   The latest round of UN climate talks concluded in Bonn yesterday on an upbeat note, with a pledge that elements of a draft treaty aimed at curbing global warming would be circulated to the parties as early as July 15th. [Irish Times]

¶   A massive Chinese state-owned company has been given $25 million by the governments of Australia and Victoria to develop more Latrobe Valley brown coal. Shanghai Electric is promising to build a $119 million demonstration plant to process coal into briquettes. [The Age]

6-17

¶   Lawrence Livermore’s National Ignition Facility had its first fusion reaction that got more energy from the fuel than it absorbed. The reaction, which was at 50 million° C and a pressure of 150 billion atmospheres, produced twice as much power as was used to trigger it. [Scientific American]

¶   Tesla has managed to bring down battery prices per kWh by half in just four years with plans to half the cost again when its gigafactory comes online in 2020. As electric cars become more affordable, demand should produce even more economies of scale. [ValueWalk]

¶   At the International Off-Grid Renewable Energy Conference and Exhibition in Manila, large international agencies and financial organizations showing support for off-grid renewable systems that can offer viable, strikingly swift change to remote communities. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The new leader of Norway’s Labour Party has called for the country to become the world’s first zero-emission nation in an unexpectedly radical speech that signalled a sharp change in the party’s climate policy. [The Local.no]

6-18

¶   Energy companies generate the lion’s share of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, about 40% of the total. But they will also suffer as global warming picks up pace, as generators – from nuclear reactors to coal-fired power plants – feel the brunt of the weather changes. [The Guardian]

¶   Chinese President Xi Jinping says that his government is drawing up new criteria for reforming energy consumption and production and will move faster to modernize its outdated energy regulations. [OilPrice.com]

¶    France is set to unveil a much-delayed energy transition bill on Wednesday that will avoid making tough choices on its dominant nuclear energy sector, instead focusing on measures to cut red tape currently stifling renewables and boost energy savings. [Reuters]

6-19

¶   Despite being quite a grey country, with average solar irradiation levels worse than even the US Northwest and Alaska, Germany is the world’s solar power leader. In the past couple of weeks, it broke another three records, at one point getting 50.6% of demand from solar PVs. [Treehugger]

¶   Four former heads of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency who served under Republican presidents urged lawmakers Wednesday to stop bickering over whether climate change is real and start finding solutions. [Tico Times]

 

2014-06-12 Energy Week

This is a collection of the news items used in Energy Week with George Harvey and Tom Finnell on June 12, 2014.

6-6

¶   Global oil prices—which, at the current $90 to $110 per barrel range, are at historically high levels—are nevertheless too low to justify tackling ever-more challenging geology. The industry needs an oil price of at least $120 per barrel to fund exploration in many places. [Resilience]

¶   A team of scientist from the University of Florida developed electrical cables that are augmented with nanotechnology, giving these cables the ability to transmit and store electricity in a single, lightweight copper wire. [Hydrogen Fuel News]

¶   The Chinese government has established ambitious targets of 5,000 MW of offshore wind power installed by 2015 and 30,000 megawatts by 2030. They are teaming with the British Embassy in Beijing to investigate ways a China offshore wind plan could scale up quickly. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Indian government is aggressively accelerating the solar energy program, and aiming for four giant plants of 1,000 MW each. It also wants to bundle solar and conventional power to make renewable energy more affordable. [Economic Times]

6-7

¶    A team of students has calculated that for the low cost of $5.00, your home could be transformed into a smog-eating house that could eliminate pollution-causing nitrogen oxides from the air just by sitting there. The is done with a coating of $5 worth of titanium dioxide. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Europe’s power, gas and coal markets are in a sharp down from their highs. Power and coal futures are down by around 40% since peaking after the Fukushima Disaster of 2011 pushed prices up. Solar and wind power have added generating capacity while demand has fallen. [Reuters]

¶   Tokyo Electric Power Company started building the big underground cooler meant to freeze the soil into a rectangular ice wall around TEPCO’s four nonfunctioning but still highly radioactive reactors to keep ground water from leaking through. [CleanTechnica]

6-8

¶   The average fuel economy for new vehicles hit a record high in May of 25.6 miles-per-gallon, a 0.4 mpg rise from April. Vehicle fuel efficiency has increased 5.5 mpg since October of 2007, when the Institute began monitoring fuel economy. [Energy Collective]

¶   Already the No. 1 windpower state, Texas is on pace to increase wind capacity by about 70% within two years. Between that and new natural gas capacity, several energy analysts expect Texas to meet the EPA’s proposed goal of cutting CO2 emissions 39% by 2030. [Fort Worth Star Telegram]

6-9

¶   Analysis by the Rocky Mountain Institute found the US could transition to a 2050 economy energized by tripled efficiency and 75% renewables for a $5 trillion savings while supporting a 158% bigger U.S. economy and slashing carbon emissions 82–86%. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The solar energy storage system market in Germany is approaching a boom period, according to many analysts, with a rapid uptick in sales likely as the technology enters wider use. The systems benefit both the consumer and the grid. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Obama administration’s proposed regulations for power plants would give a big boost to nuclear power as the industry faces an uncertain future with increasing retirements and declining prospects for dozens of aging reactors. [Washington Times]

6-10

¶   A decision by parties to an obscure convention has huge implications for Europe’s ageing nuclear reactors. Licence extensions for nuclear reactors must follow EIAs which compare the potential impacts to those of alternatives – including wind, solar and other renewables. [The Ecologist]

¶   At the Edison Electric Institute’s annual convention, Warren Buffett was reminded by an aide that Berkshire Hathaway had spent on $15 billion on wind and solar power. He responded: “There’s another $15 billion ready to go, as far as I’m concerned.” [Businessweek]

¶   University of California President Janet Napolitano formed an advisory group to help the UC system cut pollution. Napolitano hopes the University of California will reach carbon neutrality by 2025, by cutting some of its emissions and paying to offset the rest. [San Francisco Business Times]

6-11

¶   Japan’s parliament on Wednesday enacted legislation that will allow the country to liberalize the household electricity market that has been dominated by regional monopolies over the past 60 years. [GlobalPost]

¶   According to Gina McCarthy, administrator of the EPA, numerous toxic chemicals found in Hispanic communities, largely from power plants, account for the difference in the number of Hispanic children who die from asthma compared to non-Hispanic whites. [VOXXI]

¶   The first industrial-scale municipal solid waste to biofuel facility opened in Edmonton, Alberta on June 4, 2014. Enerkem’s waste-to-biofuels and chemicals facility will convert 100,000 tonnes of sorted municipal waste per year into biofuels and chemicals. [CleanTechnica]

6-12

¶   Google Inc. is looking to make a deeper push into the billion-dollar U.S. energy market by developing tools to deliver power more efficiently, with hope that a “smart grid” would be an improvement, as solar and wind power become more prevalent. [MarketWatch]