Vermont’s largest solar farm opensWith the push of a button on David Blittersdorf’s iPhone, Gov. Peter Shumlin activated the last of 382 solar trackers at Vermont’s newest and largest solar farm.
Blittersdorf is president and chief executive officer of AllEarth Renewables in Williston, which designed and built the trackers that now stand in South Burlington at the end of Dubois Drive.
“I told you I’d get tough things done if you elected me governor,” Shumlin quipped as he pressed the button Wednesday afternoon.
After a delay of a few seconds, a flattened 20-by-22-foot panel began to turn on its tower with the click and whir of a small electric motor, then tilted slowly downward, stopping when it squarely faced the sun in the western sky. A crowd of more than 75 supporters, contractors who worked on the project and state officials applauded as the last tracker in the 25-acre meadow locked into place.
Disclosure: Dunkiel Saunders represents Chittenden County Solar Partners in this matter.
Green energy: California poll finds overwhelming supportA new statewide survey of environment issues conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California found more residents favor climate change policy, want to cut greenhouse gas emissions and believe they are already experiencing the effects of global warming.
“This is a clear mandate that people want to move beyond dirty energy,” said David Graham-Caso, Los Angeles Sierra Club spokesman.
The survey, the 11th since 2000, sampled more than 2,500 people and found Californians are strongly supportive of policies that encourage fuel efficiency and renewable energy, according to Mark Baldassare, president and CEO of PPIC.
Shumlin: Vermont on track with stimulus energy moneyVermont Gov. Peter Shumlin says the state has had success in promoting renewable energy and efficiency projects, thanks to $32 million in federal stimulus funding.
He and Public Service Commissioner Elizabeth Miller said Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Energy had recently conducted a routine review of the state's use of the money and given Vermont high marks.
VA Funds Solar Energy Projects at 5 Hospitals | Business Wire
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has awarded $56.7 million in contracts to build solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in support of ongoing energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives.
“The benefits of using solar power are profound, from reducing greenhouse gas emissions to improving the quality of the air we breathe. This initiative is good for Veterans and good for our environment.”
“With these investments in clean energy and other renewable energy projects, we are marching forward with the President’s initiative to expand innovation in the federal government and create new jobs,” said VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki. “The benefits of using solar power are profound, from reducing greenhouse gas emissions to improving the quality of the air we breathe. This initiative is good for Veterans and good for our environment.”
By summer 2012, VA will install the solar PV systems at five VA medical centers in sunny locations, from Texas to California. VA selected the sites based on feasibility studies that determined the most ideal locations to invest in on-site renewable energy projects.
Vermont Electric approves line upgrade needed for Lowell wind projectMembers of Vermont’s third-largest electric utility decided overwhelmingly Tuesday that their company should share a transmission line with a controversial wind energy project.
The vote among Vermont Electric Cooperative Inc. members was 5,340 to 1,379 in favor of upgrading a transmission line between Lowell and Jay under an agreement with Green Mountain Power Corp. Co-op officials pitched the plan as a way to save members’ money on an upgrade that had to be done anyway.
UK sails ahead in offshore wind power generationThe UK has sailed ahead in offshore wind power generation in the past six months, building more offshore windfarms than any other country in the world, and accounting for almost all of the turbines erected in European waters this year.
Of only 108 offshore turbines built around Europe's coastline from January to June, a whopping 101 were built around the UK, with only six built in Germany, and a single one in Norway, according to estimates published on Wednesday by the trade body European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).
Chris Huhne, energy and climate change secretary, told the Guardian the figures showed how fast the UK was moving in renewable power. "The UK is the undisputed home of offshore wind energy. Our natural resource and competitive advantage mean we have the biggest market in the world. We're blowing away the competition," he said. "It's part of the low-carbon revolution that's under way in the UK, bringing jobs and growth in new industries and building us a future less exposed to volatile global energy prices."
Pentagon streamlines approval for energy projectsA Defense Department clearinghouse for renewable energy projects has approved 229 of 249 projects proposed in 35 states and Puerto Rico, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said recently.
"These projects represent 10 gigawatts of renewable energy generation capacity in wind energy alone," Lynn said.
"Our action removes a major stumbling block for developers who are trying to attract financing, showing the department's commitment to supporting the president's vision for energy ... without compromising our national security," the deputy secretary said.
Energy Secretary Steven Chu noted during a speech at the same forum that DOD has played a crucial role in developing technologies, including the GPS system, the Internet and semiconductor electronics.
DOE Offers Support for Student-Focused Clean Energy Business ContestsDOE on July 21 announced $2 million in funding to support up to six regional competitions that will inspire, mentor, and train students from across the country to develop successful business plans for a new generation of U.S. clean energy companies. Under a new nationwide initiative called the National University Clean Energy Business Challenge, regional competitions will take place before May 1, 2012. Winners of the regional competitions will compete for a national grand prize at DOE headquarters in Washington, D.C., in early summer 2012. This national initiative will enable student participants to gain the skills required to build new businesses and transform promising innovative energy technologies from U.S. universities and national laboratories into innovative new energy products that will solve our nation's energy challenges.
DOE to Award $6.3 Million to 31 Clean Energy Projects on Tribal LandsDOE announced on July 21 that 31 tribal energy projects will receive $6.3 million over two years as part of DOE's ongoing efforts to support tribal energy development and continue strengthening the partnership with Tribal Nations. These competitively selected projects will allow Native American tribes to advance clean energy within their communities by developing strategic energy plans, expanding the skills and knowledge of tribal members, and improving the energy efficiency of their buildings.
Calif. Governor Vows to 'Crush' Foes of Renewable EnergyCalifornia Gov. Jerry Brown yesterday promised to overcome those working to block widespread renewable energy.
"When local communities try to block installation of solar like they did in San Luis Obispo, we act to overcome the opposition," Brown (D) said, referring to the city where environmental groups have been protesting two large-scale solar plants over environmental and endangered species concerns.
"In Oakland I learned that some kind of opposition you have to crush," the former Oakland mayor said. "You can talk, but you have to move forward."
Brown's goal, being fleshed out this week at an invitation-only conference at the University of California, Los Angeles, is to build 12,000 megawatts of distributed renewable energy, building on and extending former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's target of 5,000 MW by 2020.
2 wind projects under way in Maine this summerWith four grid-scale wind projects already built in Maine and another two under construction, the state is poised to surpass an important milestone as it moves toward its 2015 wind-power generation goal.
After last week’s ribbon-cutting at the Rollins wind farm in Penobscot County, Maine has four major wind farms, including Kibby Mountain in Franklin County, Mars Hill in Aroostook County and Stetson Mountain in Washington County. Rollins will soon join the others in generating power.
Construction is under way at two more; Spruce Mountain in Woodstock and Record Hill near Rumford.
Power produced from all of the completed projects, along with an approved portion of another planned wind farm in Aroostook County, will put the state past 21 percent of the 2,000 megawatt wind power goal set by state law, said Jeremy Payne, executive director of the Maine Renewable Energy Association.
Less red tape on solar projects in California would mean more jobs, study saysReducing government red tape for the California solar industry would create nearly 4,000 additional jobs statewide over the next decade, according to a new study.
SunRun, a leading San Francisco-based solar provider, said inconsistent government permitting processes in California add nearly $2,500 to the average cost of installing a residential solar power system, creating barriers to growth for the fast-emerging industry.
"You're trying to promote a 21st-century product by putting it through a 20th-century approval process," said Ethan Sprague, head of government affairs at SunRun.
"It's not a smart way to grow the economy."
From Governor Moonbeam to Governor Sunbeam -- Brown pushes for alternative energy in CaliforniaDuring his first two terms nearly four decades ago, Jerry Brown became famously known as Governor Moonbeam. Now he seems destined to become Governor Sunbeam.
With the epic battle over the state budget finally behind him, Brown's first major policy initiative aims to fulfill the ambitious goal laid out in his campaign: to develop a clean-energy economy in California.
Brown wants the state to produce 20,000 new megawatts of renewable electricity -- enough to power 20 cities the size of San Francisco and roughly one-third of the state's current peak use -- by 2020. That would nearly triple the amount of electricity that California currently gets from renewable sources.
The plan includes the fast-tracking of large, utility-scale renewable power plants. But 12,000 megawatts are to come from "localized electricity," small systems located close to where energy is consumed that don't require new transmission lines. A variety of technologies, from biogas to wind, will play a role. But solar panels -- on the roofs of commercial buildings and along the banks of state highways -- will be a dominant element.
New York City's solar power pushNearly 80% of the one million rooftops in New York city are suitable for solar power.
If every one of those roofs had solar panels, when the sun shines the brightest the city could get half its electricity from solar power.
New York has a long way to go before becoming that solar utopia. The city currently only gets a tiny fraction of its power from solar. And until there's a good way to store the electricity generated during the day and release it at night, solar will likely continue to make up a modest part of the city's overall energy mix.
But even a small amount of solar can help the city in big ways. It can reduce the overall stress on the electric grid, eliminating the need to build expensive new transformers or lay underground transmission wire.
Solar power's future remains bright in TennesseeIt's a safe bet that no one in this quaint little railroad town, with its cotton-processing operations and Main Street cannery, ever expected to see a farm quite like the one sprouting a few miles down the road.
Located along Interstate 40 on 35 acres of newly cleared land that bakes under the July sun, the West Tennessee Solar Farm is growing into an otherworldly latticework of pilings and metal racks pointed southward.
By the end of this week, the contracting firm Signal Energy should begin mounting 21,000 solar panels onto the racks. And when work is finished early next year, it will be the largest utility-scale solar installation in the state and one of the biggest in the Southeast, producing enough clean, renewable power for more than 1,000 homes.
Constellation celebrates launch of Western Maryland wind farmAmong residents of rural Garrett County, the 28 wind turbines now pin-wheeling atop Backbone Mountain conjure many images — some nicer than others. But whatever one's perception, the massive windmills are here to stay. And they demand attention.
Constellation Energy assembled several dozen guests next to one of the behemoths — about the size of a 40-story building — on Tuesday for a ribbon-cutting for Maryland's first commercial wind farm, even though the turbines started generating electricity months ago.
"Sit back, relax and enjoy the view of our wind park," Constellation's project manager Don Shilobod said to the group as they gazed at a vista dominated by eight of the light gray turbines looming over the treetops.
Alaska OKs Eva Creek wind farm near HealyThe Alaska Department of Natural Resources has given preliminary approval to a large-scale wind farm near Healy, despite the objections of a competitor in the wind-power business.
The DNR preliminary approval is the latest step forward for the Eva Creek project, a 24.6-megawatt turbine farm envisioned by Golden Valley Electric Association near Healy. The GVEA board of directors unanimously voted in favor of Eva Creek in June, advancing a 16-turbine project that will become the largest wind farm in Alaska if it’s developed.
GVEA President Brian Newton said that unless any new complications emerge in the next month, the state is on pace to give final approval in late August or early September. GVEA hopes to launch the project in September 2012.
“We’re not anticipating any problems,” Newton said.
BOEMRE Analyzing Proposed Mid-Atlantic Offshore Wind EnergyThe Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) announced on July 11 that it is seeking public comment on a draft environmental assessment (EA) that considers potential environmental and socioeconomic effects of issuing offshore wind energy leases in the mid-Atlantic. The agency, part of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), is specifically targeting designated wind energy areas off the coasts of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia.
Mozambique Cuts Poverty, Creates Jobs with Clean EnergyOnly ten percent of Mozambique’s population has access to the country’s electricity grid. Without electricity, subsistence farming is less viable, students cannot study at night, and hospitals cannot store vaccines. The lack of power is a drag on Mozambique’s economic development and an obstacle to improving the well-being of its people.
But this is not another clichéd story about how the West must save Africa from poverty. Instead, it is a story about how to provide electricity, in an environmentally and economically intelligent manner, to the 85% of people in rural sub-Saharan Africa who lack it. It is a story about how to leverage efficiently local knowledge and resources. It is a story about innovation, a story from which the developed world can learn.
In 2009, Jason Morenikeji started The Clean Energy Company in Mozambique. Morenikeji’s company provides small-scale, off-grid renewable energy along Mozambique’s “wind-strong” coastline. The company focuses on the design, construction, and installation of micro wind turbines that can be tailored to fit local needs and combined with other renewable energy sources, such as solar photovoltaics (PV).
By manufacturing the micro-turbines locally, Morenikeji’s company creates jobs and lifts people out of poverty. This is one of many ways that independent electricity generation, particularly from renewable sources, can be crucial for addressing the challenges of socio-economic development such as education, food security, and health.
OPIC to invest up to $820m in India's renewable energy sectorUS government-owned financial entity Overseas Private Investment Corp (OPIC) plans to invest up to USD 820 million (about Rs 3,600 crore) in the fast- growing Indian renewable energy sector by the end of 2011.
As part of efforts to boost clean energy initiatives, OPIC will make investments to the tune of USD 520 million in India's renewable energy sector, including the solar segment, OPIC President and CEO Elizabeth Littlefield said today.
Further, it would also make private equity investments worth USD 300 million, especially in small solar companies.
These investments, totalling USD 820 million, would be made by the end of this year, Littlefield said.
Salazar approves 550MW of renewable energy developmentsUS Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has approved four new renewable energy projects on public lands, as well as launching environmental reviews on three others.
Salazar has also laid out the next steps in a comprehensive environmental analysis to identify ‘solar energy zones’ on public lands in six western states.
“The focus we have placed on smart planning and coordinated reviews of permit applications is paying dividends with new large-scale renewable energy projects that are springing to life, powering communities, and creating jobs across the West,” said the Secretary of the Interior last week.
Maine tidal-power firm joins Canadian ventureA Maine tidal power company is partnering with a Canadian project developer to break into a much larger market by installing underwater turbines off the coast of Nova Scotia, the parties said Monday.
Portland-based Ocean Renewable Power Co. and Nova Scotia-based Fundy Tidal Inc. plan to install underwater turbines in the Petit Passage off western Nova Scotia in the fall of 2012, about six months after installing Ocean Renewable's turbines off eastern Maine, the companies said.
The partnership would get Ocean Renewable into a lucrative market, one that's subsidized by Nova Scotia's government as it seeks to make the province a world leader in tidal power.
Maine shares the Bay of Fundy with Canada, and development potential in Canadian waters "is 10 times larger" than it is in Maine, said John Ferland, Ocean Renewable's vice president.
Solar ovens, renewable energy offer hope for AfghanistanAt first, she noticed Afghan children hauling brush. Then, in Afghan family compounds, she noticed women tending small fires and trying to cook over them.
But it wasn't until U.S. diplomat Patricia McArdle realized how often it was sunny in Afghanistan that she put it together with a youthful memory of cooking with solar ovens and realized this was a low-tech option offering long-term hope to the war-torn nation, which is preparing for a draw-down of U.S. troops.
"My concern is that it (renewable energy) really hasn't been part of our talk of reconstruction," said the now-retired McArdle, who spent a year in northern Afghanistan from 2005 at the end of a diplomatic career, in a telephone conversation.
"My hope is that we will focus a bit more on renewable energy as we start to pull out."
Green jobs pay better as clean-tech sector boomsThe green jobs movement is putting more greenbacks in workers' pockets.
Clean-tech jobs offered median wages 20% higher across the United States in 2010, according to a report released today from researchers Brookings and Battelle. Such green jobs span industries ranging from solar-panel manufacturers to wind- and ocean-based energy production to electric-vehicle technologies.
The report on positions in 100 U.S. cities highlights a job boom in the sector that now counts 2.7 million jobs. The Brookings Institution figures the industry contributed exported goods and services valued at $53.9 billion in 2009.
The report points to a growing industry of opportunities fueled by public and private backing of cleaner forms of energy that promise environmental benefits.
U.S. clean-tech jobs surged 8.3% per year, compared with 4.2% a year for other occupations during the 2003-2010 period studied.
California leads nation in 'green jobs,' study saysCalifornia continued to lead the nation in the number of people with "green jobs," according to a study that looked at the growing influence of the so-called clean economy.
Nearly 320,000 people in the state work in such jobs as installing solar panels, making electric vehicles and running organic farms, the study by the Brookings Institution found. A little less than one-third, or about 90,000 of those jobs, are in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, it said.
Nationwide, the clean economy — characterized as goods and services with an environmental benefit — employs 2.7 million people. That's more than the fossil fuel industry, the study researchers said.
"No swath of the economy has been more widely celebrated as a source of economic renewal and potential job creation," the report said.
$130M Rollins Mountain wind project in Maine almost readyIf you’re traveling in the Lincoln Lakes region and you see the 40 turbines of the Rollins Mountain industrial wind site turning with the wind, be advised: They are not yet generating electricity.
But they are almost ready to.
With 37 of its 40 Rollins turbines successfully tested and commissioned, officials from First Wind of Massachusetts will be holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the project site off Route 6 near Lee on July 20 to formally launch the state’s first wind site that will generate electricity for Maine’s utility ratepayers, officials said Tuesday. Testing of the remaining three turbines is ongoing.
“Essentially, the project is about 98 percent completed, and some final punch-list items remain — things like finishing up work in the operations and maintenance building and finishing work on some of the roads,” said John Lamontagne, First Wind’s spokesman.
Disclosure: Dunkiel Saunders represents First Wind in a separate wind project.
‘NetZero’ aims to cut greenhouse gases on military basesA Senate committee is endorsing a Defense Department program that aims to combine new building designs, energy conservation and use of renewable energy sources to reduce the net output of greenhouse gases on military installations to zero.
The Senate Armed Services Committee’s biggest worry is that the concept is so ambitious that it will be difficult to complete. The committee wants an assessment from the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, on the chances of success, and whether Congress can do anything to help.
All of the services are involved in a partnership with the Energy Department in the so-called NetZero program, which by 2020 aims to have six Army bases producing as much energy and water as they consume, while sending no solid waste to landfills. The goal is to have the entire Army at a “net zero” greenhouse gas emissions level by 2030.
New incentives ramp up Connecticut's commitment to solarState officials are hoping to encourage homeowners in Connecticut to invest in solar energy, setting a goal of installing the energy panels on about 3,000 homes by 2022.
The government will also be promoting commercial solar projects, such as solar farms, and require Connecticut utility companies to get more of their energy from renewable sources.
State officials are debating how those different programs will end up being administered, but that they are coming is a good sign for the renewable industry in Connecticut, attorney Brad Mondschein said.
Residential panels will be paid for through surcharges already on residents' electric bills, while commercial projects will be paid for with a new surcharge.
Shumlin: New England can work with Canada on renewable energyVermont Gov. Peter Shumlin is optimistic the New England states can reaffirm their commitment to renewable energy sources and reducing greenhouse gases.
Speaking on a Monday conference call from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Shumlin said a regional collaboration of New England states and eastern Canadian provinces has taken steps to develop a more complete renewable energy portfolio and strengthen the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
The development of reliable, "green" energy will have a special focus in Vermont regarding hydropower generated in Canada.
"We're going to leave here with a commitment to work together with the ambassadors here and with the New England governors and Eastern premiers to really push the envelope on the question of how we get green, reliable hydro as an able source of power for New England," Shumlin said.
U.S. Interior Dept. seeks public comment on proposed wind turbines off Mid-Atlantic coastThe U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) on Monday announced it is seeking public comment on a draft environmental assessment on potential environmental and socioeconomic effects of issuing renewable energy leases for wind turbine development off the New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia coasts.
“America’s offshore wind resources offer great potential for helping power the Eastern seaboard and spurring new jobs and innovation,” Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said. “The ‘Smart from the Start’ initiative will help companies identify areas offshore that are best suited for wind development, while also reducing the potential for costly delays and red tape. With today’s announcement, we are taking another step toward ensuring that renewable development along the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf becomes a reality.”
Chinese renewable energy firms have their eye on JapanWith Japan looking to hedge its bets on nuclear energy by exploring other renewable energy sources, Chinese companies are eagerly vying for a seat at the table, anteing up its leadership in wind and solar power technology.
While Japan has built 54 nuclear reactors, China has grown into a global power in renewable energy, although its domestic market is fraught with problems. China also has 13 nuclear reactors and is building 28 more.
Top manufacturers such as Goldwind Science and Technology Co. and Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. are looking to break into the Japanese market as wind and solar power gets renewed attention following the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
The Chinese government has committed public funds to improving the international competitiveness of manufacturers of renewable energy facilities.
Brazil Reaches Wind Energy MilestoneBrazil has reached a renewable energy milestone, among the first of many as the nation pushes to meet its ambitious pledge to reduce carbon emissions. Beginning in June, Brazil now generates 1 gigawatt of electricity from wind turbines, sufficient to power around 1.5 million homes, and is the first in South America to do so. Currently, 51 wind farms are in operation throughout the Brazilian northeast and southern states and over thirty more are currently under construction thanks to a program of government incentives which is expected to add an additional $15 billion in clean energy investments -- though there still may be a long way to go before its full potential is met.
According to the Brazilian Association of Ecological Energy ABEEólica, by 2013 the nation is on track to produce as much as 5.3 gigawatts of electricity through wind farm projects, and an eight-fold increase in capacity over the next five years -- the highest growth potential in South America, says Renewable Energy Focus.
Kodiak, Alaska looks to renewable sources to generate electricityKodiak is moving forward with a plan to have more than 95 percent of electrical power generation come from renewable sources within just a few years.
The Kodiak Electric Association is upgrading its hydro-electrical plant at Terror Lake, according to the Kodiak Daily Mirror. Company chief executive Darron Scott said the plan is to build a third turbine.
The addition of a third hydroelectric turbine would increase the capacity of the Terror Lake plant from about 22 megawatts to nearly 34 megawatts. It also would allow the local electric cooperative the ability to cover even peak needs for power generation, such as when canneries are running, with hydro power alone.
Vermont speeds up the PACE on energy efficiencyEarly next year, Vermont will become the only state in the country to move ahead with a national program that allows property owners to borrow money against their tax assessments to fund energy efficiency projects.
The Property Assessed Clean Energy Program, or PACE, gives property owners access to low interest loans to pay for energy efficiency projects by pegging the money to the property tax assessments.
The money is paid back through the tax payments, and so the loans stay with the properties, if the home is sold.
Global investments in green energy up nearly a third to $211 billionWind farms in China and small-scale solar panels on rooftops in Europe were largely responsible for last year's 32% rise in green energy investments worldwide according to the latest annual report on renewable energy investment trends issued by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
Last year, investors pumped a record $211 billion into renewables -- about one-third more than the $160 billion invested in 2009, and a 540% rise since 2004.
For the first time, developing economies overtook developed ones in terms of "financial new investment"--spending on utility-scale renewable energy projects and provision of equity capital for renewable energy companies.
Malaysia Renewable Energy Act On Track For September ImplementationThe Renewable Energy Act is on track to be implemented on September 1, upon the setting up of the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA), said the Minister of Energy, Green Technology & Water, Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui.
"The industry is keen on the implementation of the Act, and many people even wanted the Act to be in effect immediately. Unfortunately SEDA is only able to function in September, with the Act approved by the cabinet to be in effect then," he said after the launching ceremony for the 2011 MCCC-Country Heights Environmental Green Award.
"I will be announcing the Director General for SEDA early next month," he said.
Under the Act, SEDA will manage the Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) programme and also the development of the renewable energy industry in the country.
The much awaited FiT will enable the public, ranging from individuals to independent power producers to sell energy generated via renewable means back to the utility companies, which are mandated to buy the energy at a rate gazetted in the Act.
Australian Greens secure $13 billion for expanding renewable energy projectsThe Australian Greens have succeeded in securing some big concessions from the Government during negotiations inside the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee.
The substantial focus the carbon price package has on renewable energy, including $13billion directed towards expanding clean technology projects, was a demand the Greens insisted on being included.
Describing yesterday as historic, Greens deputy leader Christine Milne was referring to the agreement that placed a healthy emphasis on renewable energy.
But it was also a historic day for the minor party that allows Labor to cling on to minority government and that now has the balance of power in the Senate.
''This historic agreement delivers the biggest investments in renewable energy and biodiversity Australia has ever seen,'' Senator Milne said. ''We are particularly delighted that this package is designed as a platform for stronger, more ambitious action into the future.''
EIA Report: Renewables Surpass Nuclear OutputAccording to the most recent issue of the "Monthly Energy Review" by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), renewable energy has passed a milestone as domestic production is now greater than that of nuclear power and is closing in on oil.
During the first quarter of 2011, renewable energy sources (biomass/biofuels, geothermal, solar, water, wind) provided 2.245 quadrillion Btus of energy or 11.73 percent of U.S. energy production. More significantly, energy production from renewable energy sources in 2011 was 5.65 percent more than that from nuclear power, which provided 2.125 quadrillion Btus and has remained largely unchanged in recent years. Energy from renewable sources is now 77.15 percent of that from domestic crude oil production, with the gap closing rapidly.
DOE Offers $4.5 Billion in Loan Guarantees for Three Solar Power PlantsDOE announced on June 30 offers of approximately $4.5 billion in conditional commitments for loan guarantees for three California solar power plants. The support is for three solar generation facilities using solar photovoltaic (PV) panels made from thin films of cadmium telluride. DOE is offering a conditional commitment for a $680 million loan guarantee to support the Antelope Valley Solar Ranch 1 project, conditional commitments for partial loan guarantees of $1.88 billion in loans to support the Desert Sunlight project, and conditional commitments for partial loan guarantees of $1.93 billion in loans to support the Topaz Solar project
First Solar, Inc. is sponsoring all three projects and will provide PV modules for the projects from a new manufacturing plant that has begun construction in Mesa, Arizona, as well as from its recently expanded manufacturing plant in Perrysburg, Ohio. The company expects that the projects will create a combined 1,400 jobs in California during peak construction.
Solar Plant in Spain Generates Electricity for 24 Straight HoursSpain's Gemasolar concentrating solar power plant just became the first solar power plant to generate power for 24 continuous hours.
The plant uses a Power Tower design where a field of mirrors concentrate the sun's heat onto a boiler in the central tower. That boiler creates steam which turns a turbine. None of that is out of the ordinary when it comes to concentrated solar power, but the Gemasolar plant is the only one in the world to use molten salt as a heat transfer fluid, which allows for the storage and generation of electricity even once the sun goes down.
Duke Energy to build new wind farm in KansasUtility company Duke Energy Corp. is building its second large-scale wind farm in Kansas.
Duke Energy said Wednesday it will build a 131-megawatt wind power farm in Gray County, Kansas, about 200 miles west of Wichita. The company said it plans to start construction on the wind farm this fall, and the facility should be operational by 2012.
All the electricity from the wind farm will be sold under a 20-year contract to Kansas City, Mo.-based utility Kansas City Power & Light.
The wind farm, called Cimarron II, will be located on 16,000 acres of leased farmland and will generate enough electricity to power about 40,000 homes.
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