2015-10-29 Energy Week

Please note that this post is being developed.

Thursday, October 22:

• One of the world’s leading experts on permafrost told BBC News the recent rate of warming of permafrost is “unbelievable,” about one-tenth of a degree C per year in northern Alaska since the mid 2000s. He says the current permafrost evidence has convinced him that global warming is real and not just a product of natural variation. [BBC]

• Apple announced plans to build solar energy projects with a capacity of 200 MW in the northern, eastern and southern regions of China, while iPhone supplier Hon Hai Precision, also know as Foxconn, said it will add solar power plants with a capacity of 400 MW, supplying the Zhengzhou factory in Henan province, by 2018. [Mobile World Live]
• It was announced that a strategic investment agreement has been signed for the planned Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in the UK. The Renewable Energy Association said it is struggling to see the larger joined-up vision of a national energy strategy. The strike price for nuclear power is about double that of solar. [SeeNews Renewables]
• Globally, coal mining companies are on the edge of the financial abyss. More planned coal plants are being cancelled than built, as renewable energy is attracting more investment than coal, a WWF report says. In 2014, 59% of net additions to global power capacity were from renewable energy, nearly 80% in Europe. [Blue & Green Tomorrow]

Friday, October 23:

• By population, Ontario would be the 5th largest state if it were in the US, but its installed solar capacity, 1,500 MW would rank it 3rd. The province has also shut down all its coal-fired power plants. How does a northern province become a solar and climate leader, despite one of the poorest solar resources in North America? Smart policy. [CleanTechnica]
• At 12:30 am Thursday, the main Texas grid operator reported that nearly 37% of demand was met with wind power. The Electricity Reliability Council of Texas, which manages nearly 90% of the state’s electric needs, said it used 12,237.6 MW of wind power at the time. That bested a previous record of 11,467 MW. [mySanAntonio.com]

Saturday, October 24:

• Typical industry scenarios see coal, oil and gas use growing by 30% to 50% and still making up 75% of the global energy supply mix in 2040, but none take into account the potential for reducing fossil fuel demand as ever-more countries seek to ‘decarbonize’ their economies, according to a new Carbon Tracker Initiative report. [National Observer]
• The EPA officially issued the Clean Power Plan, regulations on power plants to cut carbon emissions part of the Obama administration’s plan to cut carbon emissions by more than 30% by 2030. The plan requires each state to create an effective plan to meet emissions cuts at power plants, but 24 states will fight the new rules in court. [Voice of America]
• Friday’s 24-state lawsuit seeking to block the EPA’s Clean Power Plan showed a rift between Colorado’s governor and attorney general. Governor Hickenlooper supports the EPA plan, but Attorney General Cynthia Coffman will fight it. Some accuse her of being unduly influenced by the fossil fuel industry. [The Colorado Statesman]
• Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin has been a forceful proponent of renewable energy during his three terms in office. But a recent proposal by Ranger Solar LLC to construct 20-MW solar arrays in six Vermont communities, Ludlow, Brandon, Highgate, Randolph Center, Irasburg, and Sheldon, is going too far, he said. [Barre Montpelier Times Argus]

Sunday, October 25:

• In Norway they use Teslas as taxis. Norwegians have the highest per capita ownership of the prestige plug-in. Taxi driver Trond Gustav Somme has owned his Tesla for the past two years, trading up from a Nissan Leaf. Mums and dads are also opting for a Tesla instead of a big Volvo; not only is it cooler, it’s cheaper. [New Zealand Herald]
• Less than two years after Vermont almost quadrupled the amount of renewable power that customers could sell back to their electric utilities, at least one utility has reached the cap. Vermont’s largest utility, Green Mountain Power expects to reach the net-metering cap of 15% of their peak load by early next year. [Rutland Herald]

Monday, October 26:

• Almost 100% of climate scientists now agree that global climate change is caused by humans. If you believe this is not a serious problem, you owe it to yourself to look at the the pictures with this article. They show how climate-change-related events have affected regions around the world, whether directly or indirectly. [Businessinsider India]

Click on image to view slideshow.

Click on image to view slideshow.

• After dropping to a 20-year low last year, Colorado coal production is still falling, state data shows. Statewide, 2015 production through August totaled 13.9 million tons, down from 15.5 million tons for the same period of last year. Production totaled nearly 40 million tons in 2004 and under 23 million tons last year. [Grand Junction Daily Sentinel]
• Coal is becoming obsolete. For the first time, the UK renewable energy market has moved ahead of coal for a whole quarter. In the period of April to June, renewable energy was responsible for supplying 25% of the UK’s energy needs. Meanwhile coal, a traditional mainstay of the British electricity market, fell to just 17%. [Pollution Solutions]
• A complex of four linked solar mega-plants, along with hydro and wind, will help provide nearly half of Morocco’s electricity from renewables by 2020. When they are finished, the four plants at Ouarzazate will generate 580-MW of electricity, enough to power a million homes. The first, Noor 1, has a generating capacity of 160-MW. [The Guardian]

Tuesday, October 27:

• Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) announced her support for the Clean Power Plan yesterday evening, making her the first Republican Senator to support the landmark policy to curb carbon pollution from power plants, protect vulnerable communities, and galvanize America’s transition to a clean energy economy. [eNews Park Forest]
• The Florida Supreme Court approved a new ballot initiative that aims to expand the state’s use of solar energy. The ballot is backed by Floridians for Solar Choice, a solar energy advocacy group. The group now has to get 683,149 petition signatures before February 1, 2016, for the initiative to qualify for the November 2016 ballot. [Hydrogen Fuel News]
• Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper said he will seek the state Supreme Court’s opinion on the legality of Attorney General Cynthia Coffman’s lawsuit to stop implementation of the Clean Power Plan. Coffman’s office has joined 23 other states filing a lawsuit together against the EPA’s plan to reduce carbon emissions. [The Denver Post]

Wednesday, October 28:

• If oil stays around $50 a barrel, most Middle Eastern oil producing countries will run out of cash in five years or less, warned a dire report from the International Monetary Fund this week. That includes OPEC leader Saudi Arabia as well as Oman and Bahrain. Low oil prices will wipe out an estimated $360 billion from the region this year alone. [CNN]
• This year, China will become the world’s biggest installer of solar panels, but as companies increasingly struggle to secure the vast land banks they need for solar farms, they face greater needs to get around restrictions on converting agricultural land. So they grow everything from plants to hairy crabs beneath the solar cells. [Financial Times]
• Austin, Texas just might become the most solar powered city in America. It has approved an additional 162 MW of solar capacity, adding to 288 MW already in the works and 220 MW installed, bringing the total to 670 MW. In case you wonder about costs, the 162 MW round of project set of contracts were at $38/MWh to $40/MWh. [CleanTechnica]

2015-10-22 Energy Week

Please note that this post is being developed.

Thursday, October 15:

• Navigant Research has concluded that revenue from the global market for solar PV combined with energy storage nanogrids will expand rapidly through 2024. Navigant Research says the market for nanogrids based on PVs and energy storage nanogrids is likely to reach $23.1 billion, up from its current $1.2 billion in 2015. [CleanTechnica]

• Taking forward an announcement made by the Indian Prime Minister on August 15, the Union ministry of power has readied a plan to electrify 18,500 villages in seventeen states over the course of three years. Of these villages, around 3,500 would get their electricity through off-grid or renewable energy solutions. [Business Standard]
• Net retail sales of ethical and socially responsible investment funds in the UK have more than doubled from £206 million in 2013 to £460 million in 2014. However the UK has some catching up to do. Funds under management in this area have grown from $13.3 trillion at the start of 2012 to $21.4 trillion at the start of 2014. [FT Adviser]

Friday, October 16:

• The US clean tech industry employed more than 1.47 million people during second quarter of 2015, marking an increase of 16% on the same period last year. The Institute said July 2015 saw the number of new jobs being created in the industry more than double year-on-year. August 2015 saw an increase of 57%. [Business Green]
• A national network of utility interest groups and fossil-fuel industry-funded think tanks is providing funding, model legislation, and political cover for anti-solar campaigns across the country, and would-be solar power owners could pay the price, said a new report by Environment New York Research & Policy Center. [Long Island Exchange]
• Oklahoma is on track for more than 900 quakes this year, many presumed to be linked to oil and gas production. Cushing, the key pipeline and tank crossroads for the oil industry, just experienced a 4.5 quake Saturday. The tremor came right after a government report found nearby geologic faults had awakened and reactivated. [KERA News]

Saturday, October 17:

• When 149 countries, with 87% of the global population and 86% of climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions, had submitted their carbon-curbing pledges to the UN, Climate Action Tracker, a tool developed to model changes, said the pledges would put world is on course for average global warming of about 2.7° C. [Yahoo News UK]
• Climate change is taking a heavy toll on Canada’s far north. Buildings collapsing as melting permafrost destroys foundations, rivers running low, and wildfires all drain limited finances. With a population less than 50,000, the Northwest Territories spent more than $140 million in two years on problems linked to global warming. [Reuters]
• Texas’ primary grid operator, ERCOT, released an updated Analysis of the Impacts of the Clean Power Plan and there are some bright spots. ERCOT’s analysis confirms that compliance with the plan will keep Texans’ 2030 electric bills below 2002 prices, when Texas first opened the electric market to competition. [Environmental Defense Fund]

Sunday, October 18:

• Oil and gas industry bosses pledged to curb gas flaring as they sought to boost their image ahead of a United Nations summit later this year. The leaders of ten companies that produce 20% of the world’s oil and gas recognised that current greenhouse gas levels were inconsistent with a global warming limit of 2° Celsius. [MENAFN.COM]
• Even before Entergy announced that the Pilgrim nuclear plant would close, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker had two filed bills ready. One would encourage Massachusetts utilities to enter into long-term contracts with renewable energy producers. The other would raise existing caps on the state’s net metering program. [Valley News]
• Nebraska’s Pine Ridge is down to its last big stands of ponderosa pine. Most of the state’s elms are gone, the cottonwood is in decline and the ash, beloved for its brilliant autumnal yellow, will disappear soon. Trees are under assault through the combined effects of climate change, invasive species and changes in land use. [Omaha World-Herald]

Monday, October 19:

• Minister for the Environment, Simon Corbell, told a Canberra tech conference that the country needs an ‘orderly exit plan’ from a dependency on coal-fired energy. He said that the solution for Australia’s electricity needs is a responsible policy that encourages long-term investment in emerging microgrid technologies. [OmniChannel Media]
• United Nations’ chief environment scientist Jacquie McGlade has attacked the UK government over its stance on renewable energy subsidies. She told the BBC the UK was sending “a very serious signal – a very perverse signal” by cutting support for renewable energy while appearing to continue heavily subsidising fossil fuels. [Solar Power Portal]
• New York’s Westchester County will soon procure clean energy for around 75,000 residents. Over 15 municipalities are banding together to aggregate their demand for cleaner power sources and lower their energy bills through competitive bidding. The project is New York’s first implementation of community choice aggregation. [GreenBiz]

Tuesday, October 20:

• A ten-year review of the Renewable Fuel Standard by researchers at the University of Tennessee found that the RFS is “too reliant” on corn ethanol and is not a “bridge” to renewables. It says that the production of this biofuel is resulting in additional water and soil problems, as well as “hampering advancements” in other biofuels. [CleanTechnica]
• In Canada, the Liberal party, under the leadership of 43-year old Justin Trudeau, swept to victory in the Canadian federal elections. The Liberals have won at least 184 seats, 14 seats more than needed to form a majority government. The Trudeau government is pledged to “Make critical investments” in the clean energy industry. [Biobased Digest]
• German industrial group Siemens AG unveiled a new DC solution for connecting offshore wind turbines to the grid which can lower costs by as much as 30%. The platform involves a DC cable that can connect several of these platforms sequentially in a wind farm and then route them to an onshore transformer substation. [SeeNews Renewables]

Wednesday, October 21:

• Microgrids work for utilities. During California’s Butte Fire, PG&E asked Jackson Rancheria’s microgrid to stay off-grid for two days. Then it turned out to be a week. And then things didn’t work out for them, so the rancheria stayed off the grid for 10 days. It marked the 14th time this year the rancheria was asked to go off grid. [Government Technology]

• Australia has not just reached socket parity, it has smashed it, according to a report from Beyond Zero Emissions. In most cities in Australia, the cost of rooftop solar is now less than half the price of grid-based power. Indeed, even some utilities offer to install rooftop solar on your roof for free, and charge only 11¢/kWh for the output. [One Step Off The Grid]
• An unprecedented alliance of heads of state, city, and state leaders, has called for countries around the world to put a price on carbon. The call comes by way of the Carbon Pricing Panel, a group of world leaders convened by World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim and IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde. [CleanTechnica]

2015-10-15 Energy Week

Please note that this post is being developed.

Thursday, October 8:

• Spot shortages in solar panel equipment are lengthening delivery schedules and threatening to stall utility-scale projects for electric cooperatives. Some vendors and manufacturers project lead times for large orders of up to six months, beginning in 2016, and saying their delivery capacity could be completely booked by year’s end. [Electric Co-op Today]
• Scotland has reached and surpassed its target of generating 500 MW of locally and community owned renewable energy five years early. Scotland’s Energy Minister announced that Scotland has already installed an estimated 508 MW of community and locally owned renewable energy capacity, well in advance of its target of 2020. [CleanTechnica]
• Volkswagen’s US boss has admitted he was aware early last year of the emissions cheating affecting millions of the company’s vehicles. He said he was told about a “possible emissions non-compliance” in the spring of 2014. The revelation is in testimony due to be presented to a committee of the US House of Representatives. [BBC]
• While the production of fossil fuels drops in the United States, solar and wind power is skyrocketing as technology and cheaper financing drive down the costs. The federal government expects a surge in renewable energy in the coming year, just as America’s fracking boom is starting to falter and crude oil production declines. [Sacramento Bee]

Friday, October 9:

• Electricity sent to the National Grid by wind turbines in Scotland was 82% higher in September than the same month last year, analysis by WWF Scotland and data company WeatherEnergy found. The grid took 563,835 MWh of power from Scotland’s windfarms in September 2015, up from 308,301 MWh in September 2014. [Scotsman]
• SunEdison, one of the world’s biggest renewable energy investors has warned that “draconian” UK subsidy cuts will kill solar power in Britain, blaming policy changes for a pullback that led to the collapse of a big installer and nearly 1,000 job losses. Just two weeks ago Drax said it was pulling out of a £1 billion UK plan. [Financial Times]
• America’s reliance on renewable sources of energy has reached historic levels and is poised to make even greater gains in the near future, according to report by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The report found that energy sector carbon pollution was lower last year than in 1996, down 10% reduction in the past decade. [solarserver.com]

Saturday, October 10:

• California Governor Jerry Brown signed bill AB 693, which designates $100 million to solar installations in low-income communities over the next 10 years. The bill should assist installations in 215,000 multifamily housing units. Low-income families using solar power will also be eligible for credits toward utility costs. [Grist]
• New York may be giving California a run for its money as the most progressive state at transforming the electric grid. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced new goals, increasing the state’s commitment to clean energy. Topping the list is a target to install solar arrays on 150,000 additional homes and businesses by 2020. [pv magazine]
• The US will add 11 GW of utility-scale solar power plants in 2015 and 2016, doubling the cumulative capacity in that segment, the US Energy Information Administration projects. California, North Carolina and Nevada will get 70% of the expected new solar capacity. About 4.4 GW will be deployed in California alone. [SeeNews Renewables]

Sunday, October 11:

• A group of 11 leading energy utilities from around the world have published a major report detailing how 50 different electricity technologies could play a role in meeting international climate change targets. It projects costs for solar PVs to fall to $1 per watt, and a new generation of nuclear reactors coming by the 2040s. [Business Green]

Monday, October 12:

• Following in the footsteps of Burlington, Vermont and Greensburg, Kansas, Aspen, Colorado has weaned its electric power from fossil fuels and is running 100% on renewables. Aspen’s “Canary Action Plan” commits to reducing the community’s remaining greenhouse emissions 30% by 2020 and 80% by 2050. [EarthTechling]
• For every dollar spent on energy efficiency last year, Michigan ratepayers realized benefits of $4.38, a report from the Michigan Public Service Commission says. Between 2010 and 2014, the overall cost of the state’s Energy Optimization program has been $1.1 billion, but the lifetime savings to all ratepayers will be $4.2 billion. [MiBiz]
• Every house in Canberra’s newest suburb will have solar panels installed. Denman Prospect will be Australia’s first suburb to have a minimum requirement for solar power installation on all residences; with each house to have a minimum 3-kW system. Each system is expected to generate approximately 4,146 kW annually. [Energy Matters]

Tuesday, October 13:

• Pennsylvania has seen jump from 100 natural gas fracking wells in 2006 to 8,000 today. A study from Johns Hopkins University suggests that the industry’s growth has come at high price for local residents, especially expectant mothers. Along with increases in fracking have come increases in high-risk pregnancy and premature birth. [CleanTechnica]
• Europe’s climate change chief says he is astonished at the positive progress by governments towards a global deal on CO2, saying even six months ago he would not have believed such commitments would appear. He warned, though, that the pledges had not yet reached the level needed to prevent potentially dangerous warming. [BBC]
• Australia’s energy markets are on the cusp of rapid change, but it is not just the prospect of individuals quitting the grid that represents the biggest challenge to industry incumbents. It’s possible whole towns and communities will defect. The creation of micro-grids is seen by many as an obvious community-based solution. [RenewEconomy]

Wednesday, October 14:

• The Swedish government seeks to become the world’s first fossil fuel free nation. The country says it is laying the groundwork and reinforcing progress at every turn. It will be spending an extra $546 million on renewable energy and climate change action, according to “The Budget Bill for 2016 – Investing in Sweden’s Future.” [CleanTechnica]
• Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth will close no later than June 1, 2019, its Louisiana-based operator announced Tuesday morning. In its news release Tuesday, Entergy said the exact timing, which depends on several factors, including discussions with regulators, would be decided during the first half of next year. [Fx Report Daily]
• In 2008 the USGS reported that California has a 99% chance of a magnitude 6.7 or larger earthquake in the next 30 years. Just last year a 6.0 magnitude earthquake knocked out power to more than 40,000 people in the San Francisco Bay area. The City of San Francisco is not taking chances – they’re preparing with microgrids. [RMI Outlet]

2015-10-08 Energy Week

Please note that this post is being developed.

Thursday, October 1:

• Renewable power plants produced 31.3% of Spain’s power output in September, led by wind farms with 15.2% of total output. The wind farms generated 3,023 GWh, up 41.8% on the year. Hydro, PV and concentrated solar power plants registered shares of 8%, 3.5% and 2.5% of total generation, respectively. Demand was down 3.7%. [SeeNews Renewables]
• Swiss engineering firm ABB has raised the upper limit for microgrid renewable-energy penetration without storage. Research by the company suggests up to 50% intermittent generation could be admitted to microgrids without needing storage, provided that automation systems are in place to keep the grid stable. [Greentech Media]
• Energy storage just got a big vote of confidence from one of the world’s largest utilities. The CEO of NextEra Energy says he expects the company to deploy $100 million in energy storage projects in the next 12 months. He expects there will be no gas-fired peaking plants built after 2020 because of competition from batteries. [Greentech Media]

Friday, October 2:

• Oil giant BP Plc’s second-quarter profit reported missed analyst estimates. The investor presentation accompanying the earnings call following the results announcement highlighted the difficulties faced by BP Plc as cash flow dries up. The company’s earnings did not cover costs. Other oil companies are also suffering. [Bloomberg]
  A note: The Dow Jones U.S. Oil & Gas Total Stock Market Index is down about 35% over the last year.
  A note: The Dow Jones U.S. Coal Index has dropped from 723.51 on June 27, 2008 to 24.34 on Friday. That is a drop of 96.6%.
• India has submitted its 2030 climate action plan to the United Nations in advance of December’s Paris climate talks. The plan includes a pledge to expand its renewable power capacity to 40% of its energy mix and cut greenhouse gas emissions 35% by 2030. It aims to install 175 GW of solar, wind and biomass power capacity by 2022. [PennEnergy]
• Half of the world’s coal isn’t worth digging out of the ground at current prices, according to Moody’s Investors Service. The global metallurgical coal benchmark has fallen to the lowest level in a decade, hitting $89 a metric ton. “Further production cuts are necessary to bring the market back into balance,” an analyst wrote. [The Globe and Mail]

Saturday, October 3:

• Renewable energy plants in Scotland have helped displace 12.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in 2014, which is 119% more than in 2010. Scotland’s wind, solar and hydropower plants saved more CO2 from entering the atmosphere than what is released by every single car, bus and train journey in the country. [SeeNews Renewables]
• Based on new research, the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association estimates that roughly 90% of existing US single family homes are under-insulated. This wastes energy, costs more, and decreases comfort. The study focuses on how increased insulation across the US housing sector can decrease energy use. [CleanTechnica]
• SolarCity unveiled a new solar panel product that the company says will be the “world’s most efficient.” The new panel will be manufactured in the US, and will produce 30% to 40% more power than standard panels while costing less than the average panel now when manufactured at scale, according to the company. [TIME]

Sunday, October 4:

• “G20 Energy Ministers Heart Renewables, Squash ‘Energy Poverty’ Case For Fossil Fuels” High-level energy ministers from G20 countries met got for the first time ever, and if fossil fuel stakeholders were hoping for a show of support from that historic event, they got bupkus. Fossil sector’s talk of “energy poverty” fell on deaf ears. [CleanTechnica]

Monday, October 5:

• “Africa’s ‘Light Bulb Moment’ and Its Lead Role in the Global Renewable Energy Transformation” Africa’s lack of access to clean, affordable energy is a scandal. The poorest households in Africa are spending the equivalent of U.S. $10 per kilowatt-hour on lighting. But Africa’s energy deficit is not only a scandal. It is an opportunity. [AllAfrica.com]

• An expert report submitted to the Victorian government notes that in that state, as in many others in Australia, the current levy on PV exports to the grid pays rooftop solar owners around 6 ¢/kWh, which is then resold at 20 to 30¢/kWh, leaving 15 to 25¢/kWh to be shared as a “windfall profit” by the retailer and network operator. [RenewEconomy]
• The International Energy Agency is revising its new renewable energy forecasts. In its recent medium-term outlook assessment it now expects renewable energy will account for two-thirds of net additions to global power capacity over 2015 to 2020. It expects installation of 700 GW of renewable capacity in the next five years. [Business Spectator]
• This month SolarCity will start producing a solar panel with 22% efficiency. The company plans to produce the majority of the new PV panels at its 1-GW-plus manufacturing facility in Buffalo, New York, which is expected to open in 2016. Until that plant opens, the PVs will be produced in a pilot facility. [SeeNews Renewables]

Tuesday, October 6:

• South Africa plans to build a solar park in its Northern Cape Province to produce an additional 1,500 MW. Africa’s most advanced economy is investing heavily in renewable energy to counter chronic electricity deficits, which have made utility Eskom resort frequently to controlled power cuts to prevent the grid from collapsing. [Citizen TV]
• Last Friday, the rather conservative International Energy Agency quietly released its Medium-Term Renewable Energy Market Report 2015. The report concluded that by 2020, 26% of the world’s energy will be generated by renewable sources. The agency calls it “a remarkable shift in a very limited period of time.” [Motherboard]
• To combat climate change, some of the most influential companies have become a part of a green alliance called RE100. RE100 has 36 member companies, all of whom are moving to 100% renewable power in their operations. Goldman Sachs, Starbucks, Nike, P&G, and Walmart have all joined the campaign. [OilPrice.com]

Wednesday, October 7:

• “The Republican Party stands alone in climate denial” Sondre Båtstrand at the University of Bergen compared the climate positions of conservative political parties from the USA, UK, Norway, Sweden, Spain, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Germany. He found the US Republican Party stands alone on climate change denial. [Skeptical Science]
• New research published in the journal Nature says 3.3 million people are killed every year as a result of outdoor air pollution. The number of deaths each year is currently set to rise to 6.6 million a year by 2050 (by researcher estimates), if emissions aren’t cut, reminding us of the importance of electric vehicles. [CleanTechnica]
• Energy efficiency saved large manufacturers in the United States an estimated $2.4 billion in energy costs over the past five years, and could generate over $11 billion in annual energy savings by 2020, according to the US Department of Energy’s Better Plants Program, a multi-sector initiative to improve energy efficiency in buildings. [CleanTechnica]