Renewable Energy News, February 25, 2011

California Senate OKs green energy bill

The state Senate acted Thursday to require California utilities to boost their use of wind, solar and other renewable energy sources to a third of total supply by the year 2020.

California law already requires utilities to get a fifth of their power from renewable energy. If this measure becomes law, utilities will be forced to lean even more heavily on green power — improving air quality and helping the economy in the process, supporters said. "Right now we can begin to create the jobs that this state so desperately needs,'' said state Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), the bill's author.

The measure passed 26 to 11. The vote split largely along party lines but with a few crossovers.

Jerry Brown's tough choice: green energy in hard economic times

Instability in the Middle East has put America’s dependence on foreign oil back on front pages. It’s also added another ball to California Gov. Jerry Brown’s juggling act over this state’s renewable energy sector in tough economic times.

Democrats are resurrecting an idea vetoed by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that would require utilities to buy at least 33 percent of state electricity from renewable sources by 2020, hoping Mr. Brown will be more amenable. On Thursday, the bill passed in the state Senate.

“All indications by those commenting on this in committee is that this is an idea whose time has finally come,” says state Sen. Joe Simitian, the bill’s author. “This last month in the Arab world has been a stark reminder of what happens when Americans are driven by energy needs rather than our values and principles.”

Official hopes firms will put turbines in Gulf of Maine

Middle East instability may be one reason more people than expected attended or tuned in online Tuesday to a wind power developers conference at the University of Maine.

As popular uprisings have broken out in Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and elsewhere, the price of oil has been rising, pushed up by uncertainty over how the instability will affect oil production. The volatility of oil prices, according to state and federal officials, is a major reason the potential for offshore wind power development in the Gulf of Maine is getting a lot of attention.

“With turmoil in the Middle East, oil prices are edging up again,” Ned Farquhar, deputy assistant secretary of the federal Department of the Interior, said Tuesday morning at the conference.

The United States, Farquhar said, must figure out how to meet its energy needs in sustainable and secure ways that do not rely so heavily on importing oil from unstable parts of the world.

USDA Requests Renewable Energy Funds in FY 2012 Budget

Although President Obama's fiscal year (FY) 2012 proposed budget for the U.S. Department of Agriculture decreased to $23.9 billion from the $27 billion level in FY 2010, the budget still invests $6.5 billion to support renewable and clean energy. In particular, the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative is getting an increase of $8.2 million for a research initiative to develop high-quality, cost-effective feedstocks for biofuel production. And the Rural Business-Cooperative Services, which operates a renewable energy loan and grant program for the purchase of renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements, will see a combination of mandatory funding and grants for programs at about $57 million above the 2011 total.

Wind energy eminent domain bill moves in Wyoming Senate

A proposed two-year extension of Wyoming's moratorium on wind developers' eminent domain powers passed another legislative hurdle Wednesday.

By a voice vote, state senators passed House Bill 230 on first reading. If left unchanged, the legislation must pass two more Senate votes before heading to Gov. Matt Mead for his signature.

Supporters of the bill say that allowing the current one-year moratorium to expire on July 1 would raise landowners' wariness of eminent domain when dealing with wind developers on land leases to build collector lines.

But other lawmakers have questioned why the state should prohibit wind developers from using eminent domain when other industries are still allowed to employ such powers.

Montana Senate passes bills that undermine renewable power incentives, mandates

Senate Republicans, after trying and failing earlier this Legislature, finally pushed forward a pair of bills Wednesday that dilute renewable-power incentives and mandates currently in state law.

On both bills, supporters said they're acting to help electricity consumers in the state, because the incentives are raising or have the potential to raise energy prices.

“It's about fairness,” said Sen. Jason Priest, R-Red Lodge, the sponsor of Senate Bill 226, which changes the rules and costs for small wind or solar projects that take advantage of “net metering.”

Ontario green-lights 40 renewable energy projects

Forty new green energy projects — mostly solar and wind power — have been given the go-ahead by the Ontario government.

Energy minister Brad Duguid said Thursday that four large wind projects, totalling 615 megawatts of power have been approved, along with 35 solar projects totalling 257 megawatts, and one 500-kilowatt water project.

But the announcement may upset hundreds of proponents of smaller solar projects, who have been told that their projects have been put on hold because they can’t be connected to the electricity system.

Duguid told reporters that the projects announced today, which are large scale projects, have all been analyzed, and connections are available.

He said the smaller projects are being approved as quickly as possible, but couldn’t give a deadline by which time all the small operators would be connected.

France, Chile team up on renewable energy

Chilean and French energy officials will lead a joint energy group that focuses on renewable and alternative energy resources, a French energy company said.

Chilean and French ministers of energy sponsored a bilateral energy group tasked with promoting a policy of sustainable energy through renewable and non-conventional natural resources. Both nations would also support an exchange of technology for sectors such as nuclear power and hydroelectricity, French energy company GDF Suez announced.

The vision for the bilateral energy group was spelled out by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Chilean President Sebastian Pinera during October talks in Paris.

Renewable Energy News, February 18, 2011

DOE Requests $3.2 Billion for Renewable Energy, Efficiency in FY 2012

President Obama unveiled on February 14 a $29.5 billion budget request for DOE covering fiscal year (FY) 2012, including $3.2 billion for DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The budget request for EERE represents a 44% increase over the current FY 2010 appropriation of about $2.2 billion. The proposed budget aims to strengthen renewable energy sources, boost clean energy research, and cut expenses as the United States pursues the President's vision of generating 80% of its electricity from clean sources by 2035. Overall, the DOE budget would grow 12% over 2010 levels while cutting a number of programs and administrative costs.

Energy Funding Is Spared the Axe in the President's Budget

The release of markedly different proposed budget plans from President Obama and Republican members of the House of Representatives over the last several days marks the beginning of a legislative contest that will likely last most of the year, and that could have a major impact on funding for the development of clean energy. The House plan includes big cuts for clean-energy research, while the president's plan would in some cases double spending.

The president's plan looks ahead to fiscal year 2012, which starts in October. Congress failed to pass a fiscal year 2011 budget last year, and the government is operating on stopgap bills that keep funding at 2010 levels. The latest expires in early March, and this week, the House started debate on a bill meant to fund the government for the rest of the year.

Because of the big differences between the House bill and Obama's goals for energy funding, among other things, some experts say that it could be difficult to come to an agreement by the March deadline, making a government shutdown possible. The stakes are high on the form this bill takes, not only because the House cuts could have a big impact on the functioning of government agencies this year, but also because it will serve as a baseline for the 2012 budget negotiations.

John Kerry urges feds to OK loans for Cape Wind project

Sen. John Kerry and the state's Democratic congressional delegation are urging federal officials to approve a key portion of Cape Wind's financing package.

Kerry and all 10 Massachusetts members of the U.S. House sent a letter Thursday to Energy Secretary Steven Chu asking that he speed up Cape Wind's federal loan guarantee application so the project can begin construction.

Kerry said a timely approval will help reduce the cost of electricity from the nation's first offshore wind farm, to be located in Nantucket Sound.

"This innovative project is poised to create jobs and kick start a whole new industry in the United States," Kerry wrote. "A (Department of Energy) loan guarantee would greatly help this first U.S. offshore wind project secure financing in this challenging financial market."

Conergy Unit Plans $2.7 Billion Australian Wind Farms

A unit of Conergy AG, the German solar power company, said it plans three wind farms in Australia estimated to cost as much as $2.7 billion that will proceed if the government does more to spur clean energy investment.

The wind power developments in New South Wales state proposed by Conergy’s Epuron Pty unit depend on the expansion of Australia’s renewable energy target and the introduction of a price on carbon emissions, Andrew Durran, Epuron’s executive director in Sydney, said today in a phone interview.

“There is significant uncertainty in this market and that is going to continue,” he said. “There have been too many changes at the state and federal level over more than a decade, and people funding these projects don’t forget that.”

Australia, the world’s biggest coal exporter, has set a target of generating 20 percent of its power from renewable energy by 2020. Prime Minister Julia Gillard has said lawmakers must decide this year on a way to impose a cost on burning fossil fuels such as coal to tackle climate change.

Japan plans new renewable tariffs from 2012

Japan plans to make the power sector buy electricity from a wider range of renewable energy sources than it does currently in a feed-in tariff incentive scheme from the year starting April 2012.

The government is expected to submit related bills for the new scheme during the current parliament session, aiming to make electricity low-carbon and to support a clean-energy market.

Currently, Japan's 10 power companies are required to pay 48 yen ($60 cents) per kilowatt hour for surplus solar electricity from house owners and 24 yen per kwh for the surplus from small businesses and are allowed to add on the extra costs to users evenly.

New Oregon solar panel plant getting federal help

The manufacturer of a new generation of rooftop solar panels is getting a $197 million federal loan guarantee to expand a plant being built in Oregon, Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced Thursday.

Chu said in a teleconference that the renewable energy loan guarantee is going to SoloPower, a Silicon Valley startup that makes thin-film solar panels.

"We want technologies invented in America to be made in America," Chu said.

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said the plant in Wilsonville is bringing 1,000 construction jobs and 500 manufacturing jobs to Oregon, which has become a leader in photovoltaic solar panel production.

Georgia Power Dalton Utilities break ground on solar power site

The first phase of what will eventually be Georgia’s largest solar power system could be in operation by the end of March, officials with Georgia Power say.

Groundbreaking for the project, on Dalton Utilities’ Land Application System (LAS) in Murray County, took place Wednesday morning.

“Solar is up and coming. We are going to see more of it. I am glad this is going to be the largest facility in Georgia. It’s exciting to be part of this,” said Dalton Utilities board member Cathy Holmes.

Officials say Dalton is also home to what is currently the largest solar array in Georgia, which is owned by U.S. Floors.

Voice of the Free Press: Take a leap of faith and ride the wind

The issue at hand is whether to allow Green Mountain Power Corp. to place 21 behemoth wind turbines on the ridges of Lowell Mountain to deliver renewable energy. The answer is "yes."

On Town Meeting Day last year, the voters of Lowell said "yes" in a resounding way after the utility wooed residents with sweet talk of payments to the public till and a vow of clean energy for 20,000 homes.

Feb. 11, Gov. Peter Shumlin, who has promised to be the green governor, chimed in with the second big "yes."

The Kingdom Community Wind project is before the Vermont Public Service Board for final approval.

Green Mountain Power waits for a third and final "yes."

It would be virtually impossible for the governor to turn his back on this project.

Vermont delegation gets perfect green score

Vermont's two U.S. senators and one congressman have received the nation's only perfect score for a state congressional delegation from a national environmental group.

The League of Conservation Voters says Sens. Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders and Rep. Peter Welch each received a perfect score of 100 on six Senate votes and nine House votes taken last year on issues involving the environment.

They league says those issues ranged from clean energy to public health protections to wildlife conservation.

Renewable Energy News, February 14, 2011

Magic Hat digester turns brewery waste into energy

Before he started “saving the earth, one beer at a time,” all inventor Eric Fitch knew about home brewing was that it could make quite a mess.

Once, he accidentally backed up the plumbing in his apartment building by dumping into his garbage disposal the spent grain left over from his India pale ale home brew. The oatmeal-looking gunk choked the pipes in his Cambridge, Mass., building, flooding the basement.

These days, he’s doing something more constructive, fulfilling the dream of beer lovers everywhere by recycling the stuff: The MIT-trained mechanical engineer has invented a patented device that turns brewery waste into natural gas that’s used to fuel the brewing process.

The anaerobic methane digester, installed last year at Magic Hat Brewing Co. in Vermont, extracts energy from the spent hops, barley and yeast left over from the brewing process — and it processes the plant’s wastewater. That saves the brewer on waste disposal and natural gas purchasing.

China Profits From Solar Policy as Europe Backpedals

China, the world’s biggest electricity consumer, is figuring out how to capture a larger share of the solar-energy market without losing money.

The government will spend at least a year studying Europe’s system of paying above-market prices for solar power before deciding if there’s a better way to spur clean-energy plants across China, said Wu Dacheng, an adviser to national power regulators. The delay has stalled projects planned on Chinese soil by developers such as First Solar Inc. of the U.S.

“We need to learn from European countries like Germany” that pay subsidized rates to spark solar-panel installations, Wu, vice chairman of the Solar Photovoltaic Committee of China’s Renewable Energy Society, said in an interview.

Europe, which attracted more than $65 billion in solar plant investment in 2010, is providing lessons for China. Germany, the largest panel market, together with Spain and France carried out four unscheduled subsidy cuts in 2010, trying to slow a torrent of projects by developers and speculators.

House passes Wyoming wind energy property rights bill

A proposal that would prevent landowners from selling wind rights separate from the rest of the property has passed the House of Representatives.

Senate File 22 would designate wind as a property right similar to surface and mineral rights.

Landowners can set up wind energy agreements with developers, and the lease would be canceled if wind generation stops long enough or development never occurs.

Maui Is Gassing Up Renewable Energy Effort

Trash at the Central Maui Landfill creates gas, which Maui officials want to convert into energy. Energy commissioner, Doug McLeod said the county is considering its options including selling the gas to nearby Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company.

Another option is to process the gas into fuel for your cars, or the more appealing alternative is burning the gas to produce electricity on site.

“The combustion option seems to be the most proven technology. It's something where we could buy an engine and put that to work. On the other hand it is attractive to think that the gas could be reused potentially by the sugar mill,” said McLeod.

McLeod said the amount of generated gases could power patches of homes and businesses across the island and burning gas at the source would have a direct financial impact.

Renewable Energy News, February 11, 2011

DOE, Department of Interior Announce Offshore Wind Initiatives

DOE and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) unveiled on February 7 a coordinated strategic plan to accelerate the development of offshore wind energy, including new funding opportunities for up to $50.5 million. The joint National Offshore Wind Strategy: Creating an Offshore Wind Industry in the United States is the first-ever interagency plan on offshore wind energy. The departments also named several high priority "wind energy areas" in the Mid-Atlantic that will spur rapid, responsible development of wind energy. The initiatives are part of DOI's "Smart from the Start" program, announced in November 2010 and designed to speed appropriate commercial-scale wind energy development. The plan includes deployment of 10 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind generating capacity by 2020 and 54 GW by 2030, enough energy to power 2.8 million and 15.2 million average American homes.

Maryland Gov. O'Malley readies offshore wind power mandate

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is circulating a proposal that would require state utilities to enter long-term contracts with offshore wind companies.

O'Malley, a Democrat, would have Maryland utilities enter into 20-year contracts to buy electricity generated by offshore wind turbines, according to a draft copy of the governor's bill obtained by The Associated Press Tuesday.

The bill would also rewrite state conservation laws to allow offshore wind companies to run transmission lines onshore. No wind turbines have been built yet in federal waters, although the Obama administration has placed a new emphasis on developing offshore wind.

USDA Guarantees South Dakota Wind Loans

A South Dakota wind farm will receive U.S. Department of Agriculture loan guarantees that will help build 100 wind turbines providing 151.5 megawatts of electricity.

This USDA press release says the money will help Basin Electric Power Cooperative build the PrairieWinds wind farm energy project in central South Dakota that will join the cooperative’s other electric generation projects to meet the needs of 2.8 million customers served by 135 distribution systems in nine states:

“The investment announced today will help us ‘win the future,’” said [Agriculture Secretary Tom] Vilsack. “Capturing and converting wind to electricity will create jobs, reduce our reliance on imported energy, and build a reliable source of renewable energy for generations of rural Americans.”

Large wind farm approved near Williams, Ariz.

Coconino County Supervisors have approved a large wind farm on state and private lands in northern Arizona.

NextEra Energy plans to begin construction this summer if it receives clearance from state agencies to install 62 405-foot-tall wind turbines. The site is 13 miles north of Williams and 50 miles south of the Grand Canyon.

The Arizona Daily Sun reports that county supervisors approved the project late Tuesday.

Wyoming House declines to reconsider wind tax bill defeat

The Wyoming House of Representatives decided not to reconsider a bill that would have tripled the tax on wind energy generation in the state.

The House on Wednesday voted 32-27 against reconsidering a bill sponsored by Rep. Tim Stubson, R-Casper. The bill had failed Tuesday on a tie vote.

The bill would have tripled the state's pending tax on wind power generation from $1 a megawatt to $3 a megawatt when the tax takes effect next year.

Wisconsin Legislature again considers tighter wind farm rules

Less than a month before new rules are set to go into effect, the state Legislature is reopening the debate over wind farm regulations and casting a shadow over the industry's future in Wisconsin.

The Legislature's joint rules committee heard more than seven hours of testimony Wednesday from both supporters and opponents of Wisconsin's wind siting regulations, which are official March 1.

The regulations, developed by the state Public Service Commission, were debated for nearly two years before a bipartisan group of lawmakers approved them in December. But last month Gov. Scott Walker proposed legislation to dramatically increase the distance between homes and wind turbines. The measure failed, but ultimately led lawmakers to revisit the rules.

"This isn't about shutting down the wind industry, it's about protecting homeowners," said Sen. Frank Lasee, R-De Pere, testifying before the committee Wednesday. "I urge you to send this back and do some more work on it."

Noise expert to testify in Vermont wind project hearing

A noise expert will testify about the sounds created by windmills at a Vermont Public Service Board hearing on the proposed Kingdom Community Wind project in Lowell.

Robert McCunney, retained by project developers Green Mountain Power Corp. and Vermont Electric Co-Op, will testify Thursday in Montpelier. State utility regulators are weighing plans for a 20-turbine wind project that was approved by Lowell voters last year but is now being challenged by a group of opponents.

The $150 million project needs a certificate of public good from the state in order to begin construction.

Iowa Senators propose rebates for installing small wind turbines, solar panels

Democrats in the Senate are proposing $10 million worth of rebates for Iowans who install solar panels or small wind turbines to power their home, business or farm.

Dave Krejchi, president of Dalton Plumbing, Heating and Cooling in Cedar Falls says over the past three years his company has installed solar-panel systems that provide the power for hot water heaters in seven homes in the Cedar Falls area.

“Our measurements show that the systems we have installed reduced energy for hot water consumption by 75 percent. That is a huge energy savings provided by the sun,” Krejchi says. “Based on our experience we believe solar is the growth industry for us and for Iowa.”

Those systems cost up to $10,000. Installing solar panels to provide electricity for an entire home can cost up to $40,000. Over 1300 individual Iowans and up to 400 businesses could qualify for the state tax credits Democrats propose. Senator Pam Jochum, a Democrat from Dubuque, says it will help a “diverse group” of small businesses that are installing these small-scale solar and wind systems.

Colorado Senate committee kills three GOP bills aimed at rolling back renewable energy policies

Renewable energy backers today were buoyed by the defeat of three bills floated by Colorado Republicans aimed at rolling back clean energy policies passed largely by Democrats last legislative session.

The Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee today struck down SB 71, which would have rolled back the state’s renewable energy standard to 2004 levels, SB 58, which would have mandated so-called “least-cost” resource planning for electric utilities, and SB 113, which would have overturned the Clean Air, Clean Jobs Act. That bipartisan bill requires Xcel Energy to shut down or retrofit several coal-fired power plants to run on cleaner-burning natural gas and renewable energy sources.

“We simply cannot and will not turn back the clock on the progress that has been made with our state’s investment in renewable energy,” said state Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass. “We aggressively pursued renewable energy economic development goals because our state is committed to a strong economy and healthy environment.”

Green Building Law Resources

Efficiency Vermont is sponsoring the Better Building by Design conference in Burlington Vermont this week. Yesterday's sessions offered a host of excellent speakers on energy efficiency and green building issues, and the conference continues today. It's s great opportunity to get up to speed this rapidly evolving and quickly expanding industry.

There is not a specific panel on the many legal issues that builders and consultants in this industry often encounter, but several of the technical panels have alluded to some of these issues. For example, the panel discussion yesterday on retrofitting the envelop of older buildings touched in the common conflict between historic preservation regulations or goals, and energy efficiency goals. We see that conflict often in renewable energy development as well (placing solar panels on a building that is historically signifiant or eligible for listing). Other legal issues that can arise in the industry include, among many others:

- performance certification or compliance

- contractual issues associated with building energy performance (For example, potential liability for failure to achieve certain performance standards or expectations, particularly where eligibility for tax credits or incentives is affected);

- liability for, and consumer fraud claims related to, green marketing claims (for example ensuring that all claims are consistent with requirements of the Federal Trade Commission's green marketing guidelines);

- warranty issues and allocation of risk between manufacturer, consultants, contractors and subcontractors.

I've included links to a few of my favorite informational resources below for those interested in learning more about the legal issues associated with energy efficiency and green building.

- Green Building Law Update

-Green Building Law Blog

-Ohio Green Building Law

Renewable Energy News, February 7, 2011

From Sputnik to SunShot

The energy secretary, Steven Chu, was publicly using the phrase “Sputnik moment” two months before President Obama picked it up in the State of the Union speech to describe the need for a national effort to improve competitiveness in a technical field. Now he has moved on to a new space-challenge term: SunShot.

Just as President Kennedy pledged in 1961 that the United States would land an astronaut on the moon by the end of that decade — a moonshot — Dr. Chu said the United States should attempt a “sunshot” by aiming to cut the cost of solar power by about three-quarters by the end of this decade, to $1 a watt for utility-scale projects. That would translate to an end-user price of about 6 cents per kilowatt-hour, he said. “That would make solar energy cost competitive with other forms of energy without subsidies of any kind,’’ he said in a conference call with reporters on Friday.

Wisconsin wind farm bill meets stiff resistance

The state Legislature moved with remarkable speed during its special session to enact proposals advocated by Gov. Scott Walker.

The single great exception: a bill to restrict development of wind farms.

Of 10 bills considered by the Legislature in the special session that began Jan. 4, the wind siting bill is the only one that didn't clear the state Assembly.

Legislative leaders last week decided to stop consideration of the Walker bill, saying they would move to address wind siting in a different way. The move came one week after Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the state's largest business lobby, announced its opposition to the wind siting bill. It's the only plank of Walker's special session platform that WMC opposed.

The energy proposal runs counter to Walker's jobs agenda because it threatens to block several large wind power projects, with an investment valued at $500 million, this year and next, wind power advocates say. But Walker is concerned about the cost of wind power and says the state needs to have a better balance between wind development and property rights.

Wyoming House narrowly passes wind bill on second reading

Legislation that would dramatically change the way Wyoming’s wind energy industry is taxed — and the way the tax revenue is distributed — narrowly advanced in the state House on Friday.

The bill, which faces a final House vote on Monday, would combine the upcoming $1-per-megawatt-hour wind energy tax and the sales tax on wind energy equipment into a single $3-per-megawatt-hour excise tax.

It would also change the way that tax revenue would be distributed and create a $15 million impact assistance account to help local governments pay for infrastructure costs associated with wind energy projects.

Right now, existing wind farms would pay the $1-per-megawatt-hour excise tax when it takes effect in 2012. A sales tax exemption on renewable energy equipment is set to expire at the end of this year.

Arizona Solar Plant Picks Chinese Supplier

Suntech, the Chinese solar giant, has won a contract to supply photovoltaic panels for a 150-megawatt project in Arizona, marking China’s entry into a lucrative United States power-plant market dominated by American companies.

The project is the first phase of a planned 700-megawatt project called Mesquite Solar to be built about 40 miles west of Phoenix and operated by Sempra Generation, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy. A California utility, Pacific Gas & Electric, will buy the electricity produced by the power plant’s first phase, called Mesquite Solar 1.

U.K. Signals It May Cut Prices Paid for Renewable Energy Sources

The U.K. government signaled it may cut the prices paid for electricity from renewable energy sources, saying it began a “comprehensive review” of feed-in tariffs introduced last year.

Evidence that larger-scale solar farms may “soak up” money meant for roof-top solar panels, small wind turbines and smaller hydropower facilities prompted the study, the Department of Energy and Climate Change said today in an statement. A review was originally planned to start next year.

The move will allow the government to change the above- market prices paid for wind and solar electricity by more than already planned when the new prices come into force in April 2012. The department said it will speed up an analysis of solar projects bigger than 50 kilowatts and that new tariffs may be mandated “as soon as practical.”

“This is going to put the jitters into some market segments,” Dave Sowden, chief executive officer of the Solihull, England-based trade group Micropower Council, said today in a phone interview. “It’s the fast-track threshold of 50 kilowatts that is of concern, because that’s going to catch a lot of rooftop installations. That’s come as a surprise.”

Study: Better turbine spacing for large wind farms

Large wind farms are being built around the world as a cleaner way to generate electricity, but operators are still searching for the most efficient way to arrange the massive turbines that turn moving air into power.

To help steer wind farm owners in the right direction, Charles Meneveau, a Johns Hopkins fluid mechanics and turbulence expert, working with a colleague in Belgium, has devised a new formula through which the optimal spacing for a large array of turbines can be obtained.

"I believe our results are quite robust," said Meneveau, who is the Louis Sardella Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the university's Whiting School of Engineering. "They indicate that large wind farm operators are going to have to space their turbines farther apart."

Renewable Energy News, February 3, 2011

Renewable energy feasible, group says

A world that runs almost completely free of fossil fuels is possible without new technological development or radical lifestyle changes, a leading environmental group says.

With “reasonable” government investment, renewable energy will be economically feasible – even profitable – worldwide by 2050, including in countries that are currently deprived of power or fuel, the World Wildlife Fund said in a report released on Thursday.
More related to this story

While acknowledging there are serious challenges in achieving the all-renewable goal, the group says it is both possible and necessary if there is to be a substantial cut in greenhouse gas emissions, which experts warn could have devastating impacts on the environment.

Vermont Legislators Aim To Boost Incentives For Renewable Energy Projects

Legislative leaders are crafting a bill that would expand incentives for renewable energy projects.

The bill sets aggressive targets for clean energy development, and adds money to a fund that could help pay for the projects.

The bill broadens a program known as net metering. This allows utility customers to sell electricity back to their power companies if their home and business has its own renewable generating plant.

California Democrats launch 'green energy' bills

Flanked by solar energy business people and investors, legislative Democrats announced Wednesday that they're resurrecting a bill to require utilities to buy at least 33 percent of California's electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

Legislators presented the proposal along with related measures as a pro-business effort to help create jobs.

"The budget is and remains our top priority," said Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento.

But, Steinberg added, "we must also continue to provide state and national leadership in our ongoing efforts to strengthen California's economy by supporting emerging industries, improving public education and creating jobs for Californians."

Two other measures described at the Capitol press conference would expedite permits for renewable energy projects, and create a curriculum for "green partnership academies" that use grants to provide students with skills to enter renewable-energy jobs.

Wind Projects Backed By Tax Credits, Subsidies

Most people think of big wind projects as a way to harvest the breezes that blow freely across the earth.

But sophisticated investors look at big wind quite differently. That's because besides generating electricity, the large-scale projects also involve sophisticated financial instruments that harvest a variety of tax benefits.

In the last of our series on big wind, VPR's John Dillon has this look at how the projects are financed.

DOE Promotes Energy Innovation Portal To Business Professionals

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Innovation Portal now has more than 300 business-friendly marketing summaries available to help investors and companies identify and license leading-edge energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.

The Portal is an online tool that links available DOE innovations to the entrepreneurs who can successfully license and commercialize them.

By helping to move these innovations from the laboratory to the market, the Portal facilitates an integral step in supporting growing America’s clean energy industries and meeting the Administration’s clean energy goals.

“Our National Laboratories are a major driver of innovation in this country. By connecting American entrepreneurs with cutting-edge, ready-to-commercialize technologies from the National Labs, the DOE Innovation Portal is helping to grow our economy and create the next generation of American jobs,” said U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

Wyoming House committee moves wind energy tax bill

Wind energy companies would pay higher generation taxes in Wyoming in exchange for ending the state sales tax on equipment used in wind farm construction under a bill that cleared a legislative committee Wednesday.

The House Revenue Committee voted 5-3 in favor of a bill sponsored by Rep. Tim Stubson, R-Casper, Sen. Drew Perkins, R-Casper, and others. It now goes to the House floor.

The bill would triple the tax rate that goes into effect next year on new wind projects, from $1 per megawatt hour to $3 per megawatt hour. In exchange, the bill would exempt wind projects from sales tax on generators and other equipment.

Stubson said the bill would increase total state revenues slightly over the lifetime of wind projects. But he said it would also save the wind industry money because companies would no longer need to borrow to cover the upfront sales taxes on equipment.

Study: Wind could mean big money for Wyoming

Wind energy development could bring thousands of jobs and billions of dollars to Wyoming over the next decade, according to a federal report.

The analysis, conducted by analysts at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, examines the economic impact of Wyoming wind energy development, construction of the power lines needed to transport electricity out of state, and the growth of natural gas power generation, commonly used to back up wind energy sources.

During the next decade, that development may create 47,000 jobs, pay $2.6 billion in wages and benefits and pump $5.1 billion into the state’s economy, said Eric Lantz, a research analyst with the laboratory. The study, released Tuesday, only examined one version of the next decade of wind energy and infrastructure development.

California backstops two Alberta wind projects

California’s stringent rules for renewable energy have given a kick-start to two major wind-power projects planned for Alberta.

Under California’s renewable energy credits program, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has agreed to buy all the power for 20 years from Greengate Power Corp.’s 150-megawatt Halkirk 1 project east of Stettler and the 300-megawatt Blackspring Ridge project north of Lethbridge.

The wind power will go into the Alberta electrical grid, which is linked to the western half of North America.

Edmonton’s Capital Power Corp. is a 50-50 partner in Halkirk, although it has not yet signed a formal agreement.

“This power purchase agreement with California is certainly a step forward, but there are other conditions to be meet before Capital Power signs onto Halkirk,” Capital spokesman Mike Long said.

Tennessee solar farm gets OK from U.S. Dept. of Energy

The U.S. Department of Energy has cleared construction of a 5-megawatt solar array in West Tennessee, ruling that the project will have no significant impact on the surrounding environment.

Energy officials approved the solar farm near I-40 in Haywood County under the National Environmental Policy Act, the state Department of Economic and Community Development announced Tuesday.

The project is intended to bolster interest in a nearby megasite for industrial development.

"We've seen billions of dollars in capital investment in the solar industry alone in Tennessee," ECD Commissioner Bill Hagerty said in a statement.

Michigan utilities power up renewable energy efforts

Michigan utilities are adding to their wind and solar portfolios as they strive to meet the state's mandate to generate 10 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2015.

A massive wind farm under construction in Gratiot County north of Lansing is one of the most recent efforts by Detroit Edison to bolster its renewable energy portfolio. The farm, the largest wind farm in Michigan, will contain 125 wind turbines on 30,000 acres and is expected to be up and running by the end of the year.

Under a 20-year, $1.1 billion agreement, Detroit Edison, a subsidiary of DTE Energy and the largest utility in Metro Detroit with 2.1 million customers, will buy 200 megawatts from the farm, enough energy to power 54,000 homes.

"Our goal is to have 1,200 megawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2015," said spokesman Scott Simons. "Half of that would be owned and operated by us and the other half would be purchase power."

Georgia bill offers break on energy saving

More home and business owners who buy solar panels and other energy-savers would get a tax break under a bill state Rep. Doug McKillip introduced Tuesday.

House Bill 146 would raise available clean energy tax credits from $2.5 million to $10 million per year and extend them until 2014. It would benefit employers like Power Partners, a local company that manufactures solar panels, said McKillip, R-Athens.

"It's good for jobs," he said. "It's good for the environment. It's good for the economy."

Puget Sound Energy Offering Renewable-Energy Grants to Local Schools & Select Educational Institutions

Puget Sound Energy is offering public schools and other educational institutions an opportunity to bring renewable energy into the classroom – or perhaps, onto the classroom.

This week the utility opened the grant-application period for organizations seeking to install small-scale solar arrays or wind power turbines. Schools and nonprofit institutions with a renewable-energy education focus are eligible to apply for a PSE grant, which can range from $5,000 to $20,000.

PSE’s Renewable Energy Education Program (formerly called Solar Schools) and voluntary Green Power Program have provided $394,139 in grants to fund 23 educational solar-power projects in Western Washington during the last seven years.

The programs promote understanding and acceptance of renewable-energy technologies and expand the range of options available to local educators, students, families and communities in PSE’s nine-county electric service area.

Intel the Biggest Buyer of Green Energy in the U.S., Report Says

Intel Corporation remains the top purchaser of renewable energy in the U.S., nearly doubling the amount of green energy credits it will buy in 2011 to more than 2.5 billion kilowatt-hours - the equivalent of powering 218,000 American homes - according to a new ranking by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). With that increase, the California-based chipmaker - which has also built nine solar plants at its facilities in the U.S. and Israel - now gets about 88 percent of its electricity from renewable sources.

The retail chain, Kohl's, which ranked second on the EPA's list of the top 50 green energy buyers, now gets 100 percent of its electricity from green sources, purchasing more than 1.4 million kilowatt-hours annually. The EPA works with more than 1,300 businesses and organizations through its Green Power Partnership to encourage the voluntary purchase of green energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to the EPA, those partners are using about 19.2 billion kilowatt-hours of green energy each year. Intel's purchase of renewable energy credits is the largest green power purchase to date in the EPA's Green Power Partnership.

Renewable Energy News, February 1, 2011

Boston Company Plans Region’s Largest Solar Array

A Boston-based renewable energy company is pledging to open the region’s biggest solar power array on a former landfill in Canton.

Officials at Southern Sky Renewable Energy said Monday that the 5.6 megawatt solar photovoltaic facility will be the largest of its kind in New England when completed.

The company said it’s already received final approval from the Canton Board of Selectmen and is negotiating a distribution agreement with NStar.

Once that’s completed it should take about six to nine months to build the facility.

EU calls for double investment in renewable energy

The European Union says investment in renewable energy has to be doubled to reach the bloc's target of having 20 percent of its energy come from renewable sources by 2020.

The EU's executive Commission said Monday that only three states -- Germany, Hungary and Sweden -- have met their 2010 interim goals for renewable energy for both electricity and transport.

The Commission says to reach the 20 percent goal, investment in renewable energy needs to rise to euro70 billion ($96 billion) a year from euro35 billion currently.

Hawaii's 'Big Wind' Power Project Stirs Up Fans, Foes

In Hawaii, hearings begin Tuesday for the state's extensive windmill project. The plan is for a massive wind farm with hundreds of windmills on several islands. It's the largest renewable energy project for a state racing to get off oil.

Almost all of Hawaii's electricity now comes from a few massive generators, which burn oil imported on a never-ending line of tanker ships.

Hawaii would rather get electricity from wind — like that produced by the new 42-story windmill at the Kahuku Wind Farm on Oahu's North Shore.

"They're big but they're beautiful, they are," says Kekoa Kaluhiwa, who works for the company running this farm, First Wind.

Hawaii is hoping to build up to 200 more of these windmills on the small and windy islands of Lanai and Molokai. The power produced on the islands would then be sent to heavily populated Oahu through undersea cables.

Vermont Public Service Board To Open Hearings On Lowell Wind Project

This week, the Public Service Board opens hearings on Vermont's largest wind development - a proposal for 21 wind turbines that would stand 440 feet tall on a ridgeline in Lowell.

Developers hoped to avoid some of the controversy that other projects have faced by asking for, and winning, Lowell voters' support last Town Meeting Day. But it hasn't been that easy.

In the first part of our series on wind's future in Vermont, VPR's John Dillon explains how passionate, and personal, the debate still is in Lowell.