Renewables

  • POWER Digest [December 2023]

    Kenya Set to Expand Hydropower Project. Kenya Electricity Generating Co. (KenGen) said it received approval from government officials to move forward with the Gogo hydropower redevelopment project. The Gogo

  • Wind Project Approvals, Tax Credits Look to Outpace Macroeconomic and Supply Chain Headwinds in 2024

    Recent events in the wind power industry, all occurring on a single day, provide a snapshot of the sector’s challenges and opportunities heading into 2024. Ørsted, the world’s largest developer of offshore wind, on Oct. 31 announced the cancellation of Ocean Wind 1 and 2, two 1,000-MW-plus projects off the coast of New Jersey. In […]

  • Transformative, Next-Gen Grid Control Technologies Get $42M in Federal Funding

    The Department of Energy (DOE) has initiated a new “enabling” pathway to achieve and sustain a dramatic transformation of the nation’s evolving grid—through its power electronics fabric, with the realization of advanced semiconductor materials, devices, and power module technologies. The agency on Nov. 21 unveiled the agency’s first awards—$42 million for 15 projects across 11 […]

  • Pioneering Hydrogen-Powered Gas Peaking: Inside Duke Energy’s DeBary Project

    In late 2024, a first-of-a-kind, fully functional project spearheaded by Duke Energy, GE Vernova, and Sargent and Lundy could begin demonstrating the commercial peaking capabilities of an integrated hydrogen power-to-power system at Duke Energy’s DeBary power plant in Florida. In an exclusive interview, project partners revealed details of the potentially trailblazing installation, which is slated […]

  • Amazon Expands Renewable Portfolio With Solar Farm at Reclaimed Coal Mine

    Amazon has announced two utility-scale renewable energy projects in Maryland, with the company saying it now has invested in nearly 80 new wind and solar power installations this year. Among the new projects is a solar farm being built at the site of coal mine that operated for more than a century. That 170-MW project, […]

  • Major Renewable Energy Projects Announced Across Western U.S.

    U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said the agency’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is developing 15 new renewable energy installations across the western U.S., including some that recently have begun commercial operation. Haaland provided an update on the projects Nov. 6 as she addressed the Western Governors Association Winter Meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Haaland […]

  • Vestas Will Supply 15-MW Turbines for South Korean Offshore Wind Project

    Vestas will supply 33 of the company’s wind turbines for a major floating offshore wind project in South Korea. The Ulsan Gray Whale 3 installation, which was announced in March of this year with few details, is part of a 1.5-GW floating wind development being built in three phases in an area about 37 miles […]

  • Current Trends in Climate Change Technology Investment

    As the world grapples with fast-changing weather patterns, wildfires, record-breaking heat, and many other climate-related issues, it is becoming increasingly important to develop the technologies that will help to combat climate change. There is a race to develop new technologies that can capture, remove, and store carbon, create renewable energy, improve energy management and efficiency, […]

  • National Grid’s Evolution: Branching Out from Deep Roots

    Rooted in the birth of the UK’s energy industry, National Grid’s operations have traversed critical periods of the energy industry’s tumultuous history. While it is today one of the world’s largest

  • Flow Battery Market Poised for Growth as Energy Storage Needs Expand

    When it comes to energy storage, most people are quite familiar with lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. They are, of course, commonly used to power cell phones, electric vehicles (EVs), power tools, and many

  • Twin-Row Hydropower Unit Begins Operation in China

    The Lijiaxia Hydropower Station No. 5, one of the world’s biggest hydropower plants in a dual-row turbine layout, completed its 72-hour trial run and became officially operational on Oct. 10. Completion of

  • UAE Launches 104-MW Wind Project Despite Low Winds

    A landmark utility-scale wind project is now operational in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), despite previous concerns that large-scale wind energy is not viable owing to the region’s low wind speeds. Abu

  • Connect Without the Clutter: Building Neater, Tidier, Safer Electrical Enclosures

    In light of the widespread integration of renewable energy resources to the power grid, the imperative of ensuring optimally efficient, safe, and reliable energy storage infrastructure cannot be overstated

  • POWER Notebook: Deriva Energy Launches; Arizona Gets New Battery Factory; Mini-Grids For Africa, Asia

    Brookfield Asset Management announced the launch of Deriva Energy, the new name for Duke Energy’s former unregulated commercial renewables business that Brookfield acquired earlier this year. Deriva, which considers itself a leading operator and developer of clean power projects in the U.S., is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Brookfield on Oct. 25 said it had […]

  • Off-Grid BESS Technology: Revolutionizing Remote Power Solutions for Energy Independence

    Off-grid projects with battery energy storage systems (BESSs) are revolutionizing the energy landscape, providing reliable power solutions in remote locations while promoting sustainability. Off-grid BESS technology is beginning to grow in demand, as it offers a plethora of benefits to customers seeking energy independence through its role in managing power supply and demand. In remote […]

  • New York Announces 6.4 GW of Renewable Energy Projects

    New York officials said the state will invest in several new renewable energy projects, both offshore and onshore, that will add 6.4 GW of clean energy generation capacity to the state’s power grid. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Oct. 24 said the projects will deliver about 12% of New York’s electricity supply once all the installations […]

  • Enel Sells Entire U.S. Geothermal Power Portfolio to Ormat

    Italian power and gas giant Enel Group has agreed to sell its entire geothermal power portfolio in the U.S., along with several small solar plants, to Ormat Technologies for $271 million. The multinational’s 2008-founded renewables subsidiary, Enel Green Power, on Oct. 23 said it reached an agreement with Reno, Nevada–headquartered Ormat for the sale of […]

  • ACES Delta’s Hydrogen Electrolyzers Arrive in Big Boost for Hub’s Progress

    The much-watched Advanced Clean Energy Storage Hub (ACES Delta)—a project shaping up to be the largest renewable hydrogen energy hub in the U.S.—has received its first shipment of large-scale hydrogen electrolyzers and gas separators.  The shipment, unveiled on Oct. 25, marks the first equipment delivery for the Delta, Utah, project’s integrated Hydaptive package. Hydaptive is […]

  • Major Solar-Plus-Storage Project Online at Retired Gas-Fired Power Plant

    A California-headquartered energy company announced the start of commercial operation of one of the nation’s largest solar-plus-storage hybrid power plants. Officials with Clearway Energy Group, along with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, on Oct. 18 said the Daggett Solar + Storage project in San Bernardino County is now online. The installation features 482 MW of solar […]

  • U.S. Deploys $3.5B Boost for Grid Resilience: Major Projects Revealed

    Fifty-eight projects spearheaded by major U.S. power stakeholders will receive up to $3.5 billion in federal funding to improve grid flexibility and boost power system resiliency against extreme weather and climate change, the Biden administration announced on Oct. 18. The projects mark the  Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) first competitive selections under the Grid Resilience and […]

  • Energy in Transition—Where Are Investors Looking Next?

    Renewables are far from the primary power source in the U.S. No longer is the cost of renewable energy, particularly onshore wind and solar, the most substantial hurdle to the energy transition. New obstacles loom large. Predominant among these is connecting the infrastructure dots between new alternative sources and the current grid, all while maintaining […]

  • Five Key Transformations Required to Achieve Net-Zero in the U.S.

    During President Biden’s first year in office, his administration published a document titled “The Long-Term Strategy of the United States: Pathways to Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2050.” The document says all viable routes to net-zero involve five key transformations. They are: Decarbonize electricity. Electrify end uses and switch to other clean fuels. Cut energy […]

  • TVA, Origis Announce Three Solar-Plus-Storage Projects for Mississippi

    A renewable energy development group said it has started work on the first of three planned solar-plus-storage projects in Mississippi that will serve both residential and industrial customers. Origis Energy, headquartered in Miami, Florida, on Oct. 11 said the three installations will have total solar power capacity of 550 MW, along with a total of […]

  • SRP Shifts from Traditional IRP to ‘Holistic’ Power Planning

    Salt River Project (SRP) has become one of the first U.S. utilities to shift from an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) to an Integrated System Plan (ISP), a “holistic roadmap” that takes into account evolving power system needs, energy affordability, and carbon reduction goals. The pioneering move by the public power entity that provides power and […]

  • POWER Notebook: New Projects For Energy Storage, Community Solar, Electric Buses; Google Announces PPA

    An Arizona utility plans to build a battery energy storage system (BESS) that will help it store more of the region’s abundant solar energy, enabling the power to be used after the sun goes down. Tucson Electric Power (TEP) in early October said it plans to start operating what would be the largest energy storage […]

  • Reducing Carbon Intensity with Renewable Propane

    Most propane used in the U.S. today is produced as a byproduct of natural gas processing and crude oil refining, which are not considered “green” technologies. However, renewable propane availability is growing. Renewable propane, like its conventional brother, is commonly made as a byproduct of other fuel production, in its case, often renewable diesel and […]

  • Choosing the Right Distributed Energy Resource

    The decision on whether or not to invest in distributed energy resources is complicated. Evaluating all aspects, including cost, consumption metrics, resource availability, personal goals, and reliability

  • Equity in Energy: How Community Solar Is Involved

    In the U.S., there has always been a direct correlation between the disparity in income and the distribution of renewable resources. Equity in energy refers to fairness in the distribution of energy, benefits, and burdens among different people and communities. It was designed to rectify historical inequalities, recognizing the need to create a fair and […]

  • Germany’s Energy History Is at the Root of Its Current Challenges

    Over a year after the start of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Germany is at the heart and center of current debate when it comes to energy dependence. Like most European countries, Germany did not have adequate time to wean off Russia’s rich and steady inflow of natural gas. But the impact of Russia’s abrupt supply […]

  • How Power Companies Benefit from Accurate Weather Forecasts

    It’s pretty easy to understand how the weather affects certain forms of power generation and infrastructure. Sunlight is obviously needed to generate solar power, wind is required to produce wind energy, and extreme storms of all kinds can wreak havoc on transmission and distribution lines, and other energy-related assets. Therefore, having accurate and constantly updated […]