RENEWABLE POWER Direct

The power industry has always evolved to meet the rising energy demands of communities across the U.S. That demand is now shifting from energy powered by fossil fuels to greener alternatives that can help the world reach its goal of keeping global warming under 1.5C. The latest report from IPCC, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate […]

Planning, building, operating, or overhauling power plants has long been an emphasis in the power sector—and an important one, given that the creation of new power capacity plays an outsized role in

Officials in Angola announced that the Laúca hydroelectric power station is now fully operational, with Austrian company Andritz wrapping construction of the final 70-MW environmental flow power station at the site on the Kwanza River. Andritz built and installed all the units at the 2,070-MW plant, located on the border between the Angolan provinces of […]

Energy industry analysts have said energy storage will be needed to support the integration of renewable energy into the U.S. power grid, and to provide grid flexibility and reliability. Energy storage, including the use of battery energy storage systems (BESS), also will support moves toward electrification and continued decentralization of U.S. power generation. A new […]

In the common global quest for sustainable and renewable energy sources, traditional oil and gas producers are beginning to focus on alternative sources. Geothermal is emerging as one of the most promising renewable energy sources globally, and over the coming years will become an essential component of the overall power market. Power producers’ embrace of […]

The U.S. Dept. of Defense (DOD), as part of the agency’s climate action plan and its strategy for sustainability, will deploy a prototype microgrid at a military installation in New York state. Redflow Limited, an energy storage group, and Ameresco on September 18 announced that Redflow has signed a $2.83 million contract with the DOD’s […]

FuelCell Energy and Toyota Motor North America said they have completed what the groups call a “Tri-gen” production system at the Port of Long Beach in California. The system, owned by FuelCell Energy and serving Toyota’s operations at the port, will produce electricity from renewable resources, as well as hydrogen, along with water from directed […]

Companies in the agriculture sector are increasingly relying on distributed power generation to support their operations, particularly those wanting to use make their energy use cleaner and their supply of electricity more reliable. A vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley in California provides an example of an agricultural property benefiting from off-grid energy. The Kaerskov […]

A successful clean energy transition depends on maximizing output and minimizing the costs of renewable investments.In particular, wind turbines are highly effective assets but require frequent detailed inspections and maintenance to ensure they are fully operational and maximize their energy production. This can be ‘easier said than done’ for many wind turbine owners and operations […]

An innovative battery energy storage project, using a non-lithium technology, will be deployed at a research center in Arizona. Salt River Project (SRP), the state’s community-based, not-for-profit public power utility, and Germany’s CMBlu Energy, which designs and manufactures energy storage systems, on August 31 announced a pilot project for a 5-MW, 10-hour, long duration energy […]

A 200-MW onshore wind farm project is under construction in Texas, an installation that will add to the state’s U.S.-leading renewable energy portfolio. RWE, a German multinational energy provider, on August 31 said the Montgomery Ranch Wind Farm is being built in Foard County. The company said it the project will increase RWE’s installed wind […]

The International Energy Agency says electrification “means replacing technologies or processes that use fossil fuels, like internal combustion engines and gas boilers, with electrically-powered equivalents, such as electric vehicles or heat pumps. These replacements are typically more efficient, reducing energy demand, and have a growing impact on emissions as electricity generation is decarbonized.” The transition, […]

A government-run Canadian utility said it is considering restarting a nuclear reactor that was shut down more than a decade ago, in an effort to support the supply of energy in Quebec. Hydro-Québec on August 10 said it could bring Gentilly-2, Quebec’s only nuclear power plant, back online to support electricity production. The reactor was […]

A pilot floating offshore wind project near the California coast has been approved by the U.S. Dept. of Defense (DOD), the first of several steps needed by the 60-MW project that would be located near the Vandenberg Space Force Base. Vandenberg, in Santa Barbara County in central California, has long been used by the U.S. […]

Investors are continuing to pour money into community solar projects, with groups on July 31 announcing nearly $75 million in funding for multiple installations. Renewable Properties, which develops and invests in small-scale utility and community solar installations, on July 31 said it has closed its Fund 9 portfolio. The company said the $53.5 million portfolio […]

A group that includes Rivian, the California-based electric vehicle manufacturer, said it will turn the site of a former coal mine in Kentucky into that state’s largest solar farm. The Starfire Mine, located in Breathitt, Knott, and Perry counties in Kentucky, for years operated as one of the largest coal mines in Appalachia, producing as […]

A Virginia-headquartered group said it has brought online the first two of the company’s four planned energy storage systems (ESS) designed to support and stabilize the New York City power grid. Summit Ridge Energy on July 25 said the projects, located across Brooklyn and Staten Island, ultimately will provide 58 MWh of generation to the […]

A UK-based energy supplier that counts former U.S. Vice President Al Gore among its investors announced it would pour about $20 billion into offshore wind projects by 2030. Octopus Energy Group on July 24 said the investment would come through its generation division. The company said it envisions building 12 GW of offshore wind capacity […]

Solar energy is a clean and environmentally friendly source of energy. It can also help in reducing the global carbon footprint and mitigating the impacts of climate change. Due to the positive aspects of solar energy, its demand is growing exponentially. Photovoltaic (PV) modules are undoubtedly the most significant component of a solar power system. […]

A Japanese news service said General Electric (GE) will join with Toshiba to establish a supply chain for equipment that would support Japan’s offshore wind power industry. Nikkei, a Tokyo-based financial and business news outlet, on July 16 reported that the deal is another move by Japanese officials as part of the country’s zero-carbon strategy. […]

Global solar power equipment provider First Solar announced a massive deal with Israel-based Energix Renewables, an agreement in which First Solar will deliver more than 5 GW of ultra-low carbon thin film solar modules for projects in Israel, the U.S., and Poland. Energix, among the largest renewable energy companies in Israel and with more than […]

Egypt’s support for renewable energy has received another boost, with ACWA Power and Egyptian officials on July 17 signing an agreement to allocate land for a 10-GW wind power project. Saudi Arabia-based ACWA Power, the world’s largest private water desalination company, on Monday announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the New and Renewable Energy […]

A Colorado electric cooperative said it has joined with energy integrator Ameresco on a battery energy storage system (BESS) project that will serve customers along the state’s northern Front Range. United Power, founded as rural electric co-op in 1938 and today serving some of the fastest-growing areas of Colorado, on July 10 announced it had […]

Much of the innovation in the power generation and energy sectors revolves around efficiency, with companies working to ensure a reliable and resilient supply of electricity while also reducing emissions. Those efficiency measures also include technologies to enhance sustainability, including recycling, cleaner fuels, and providing alternative modes of electric power. Companies such as Clean Energy […]

Amazon, the online retailer with a goal of powering its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025, on July 7 announced a project that would be the first utility-scale wind farm in Mississippi. The 184.5-MW Delta wind farm, being built in Tunica County, is Amazon’s sixth renewable energy installation in that state, and will join […]

A major offshore wind project off the coast of southern New Jersey has received approval for its construction and operation. The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on July 5 gave the go-ahead for the 1,100-MW Ocean Wind 1 installation. Ocean Wind 1 is the third commercial-scale offshore wind energy project approved for construction […]

In May, U.S. national laboratories Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) partnered with regulated utility Idaho Power to determine the viability of integrating

The need to decarbonize society has never been more apparent. Around the world, governments, corporations, and private citizens are doing what they can to shift to greener energy solutions. At the same time, it is becoming inherently clear that there is no one-size- fits-all solution to make the energy transition a reality. COMMENTARY That said, […]

Digitalization is now so firmly embedded in the power sector that if participants haven’t yet begun their digital journey, they’ve inherently fallen behind. That was a message repeated at the three-day 7th annual Connected Plant Conference (CPC), which took place this week in New Orleans, Louisiana. POWER magazine and Chemical Engineering magazine’s conference this year […]

Chinese officials on June 25 said the first phase of what is considered the world’s largest combined hydro and solar power plant has entered commercial operation. The Kela hydro/solar plant, part of an ambitious project anchored by the Lianghekou Hydropower Station on the Yalong River, is located in Yaijiang County in southwest China’s Sichuan Province. […]