renewables
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Coal
Power Demand from Data Centers Keeping Coal-Fired Plants Online
The power generation sector is looking at numerous ways to provide enough electricity to satisfy demand from data centers. Bloomberg Intelligence recently said its research shows data centers, buildings filled with servers and other computing equipment for data storage and networking that supports operations and artificial intelligence (AI), could be responsible for as much as […]
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Renewables
Sumitomo, CEP Solar Form JV for Renewable Energy in Virginia
Japan’s Sumitomo Corp and Perennial Power Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of Sumitomo Corp. of Americas, have set up a joint venture with Virginia-based CEP Solar LLC to deliver renewable energy projects across Virginia. The companies said the JV will provide support for the state’s energy supply, in part to help with power demand from Virginia’s […]
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Wind
Bill Gates-Backed Group Secures Funding for New Wind Energy Project
A startup company whose investors include Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the group led by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, said it has received about $14 million in new funding in support of a pilot project in Wyoming. Airloom Energy has said its technology is prepared to “revolutionize” wind power through the company’s new design for wind turbines, […]
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Offshore Wind
RWE, TotalEnergies Developing 4 GW of Offshore Wind for Germany
German multinational energy company RWE is joining with France’s TotalEnergies to jointly develop two large-scale offshore wind projects off the German coast. The companies on October 7 announced that TotalEnergies is acquiring a 50% equity stake in the two projects from RWE, which was awarded the sites in Germany’s latest offshore wind auction in August […]
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Hydrogen
Spanish Group Injecting Hydrogen Into Natural Gas Network
A Spanish infrastructure company said it has achieved a “historic milestone” for Spain’s energy industry. Madrid-headquartered Redexis announced has begun injecting hydrogen produced with renewable energy into the country’s natural gas supply via Spain’s first hydrogen pipeline. The company said the project, inaugurated on September 20, is believed to be the first fully commissioned renewable […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Evolution of Decommissioning Requirements in Renewable Energy
With legislative momentum around clean power generation and net-zero emissions policies rapidly building, the U.S. is seeing rapid increases in installed wind and solar capacity each year. At the same time, older generations of renewables are facing a new challenge: obsolescence. The first utility-scale wind and solar projects in the U.S. were developed in the […]
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Renewables
Impact of the IRA on U.S. Renewable Energy Manufacturing and Supply Chains
The Inflation Reduction Act was designed to enhance domestic manufacturing and secure domestic supply chains. The act, signed by President Biden in 2022, was sponsored by Sens. Chuck Shumer (D-NY) and Joe Manchin (D-WV), with the legislation also drawing from House Bill HR5376 sponsored by Rep. John A. Yarmuth (D-KY 3). According to a White […]
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Renewables
U.S. Solar Manufacturing Generates More Than Electricity
As government incentives continue to accelerate investment, new manufacturing facilities are driving community resurgence, economic development, and job growth. That was the message from panelists during a session at the recent RE+ event, the largest renewable energy trade show in North America, held Sept. 9-12 in Anaheim, California. In order for U.S. economic policy to […]
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T&D
$2.2B for 13 GW of New Transmission Capacity: DOE Unveils Latest Boost for U.S. Grid Modernization
The Biden administration will invest $2.2 billion in eight projects under its Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership (GRIP) program to bolster the nation’s power grid with nearly 13 GW of new transmission capacity across 18 states. The funding, announced on Aug. 6, marks the second round under the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) GRIP program, a […]
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Renewables
A Refined Approach to Onsite Power Generation
The Pine Bend refinery in Minnesota added a 45-MW solar power array to support the facility’s supply of electricity, reaping the benefits of reduced costs, lower emissions, and more. Owners of commercial and
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International
South Africa Announces Bold Shift to Renewables and Nuclear
Emerging from a historic election that stripped the African National Congress (ANC) party of its majority, South Africa’s new government has indicated it will accelerate the transition to renewable power to
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Legal & Regulatory
EU Mandates Biodiversity Restoration, Setting Up New ‘Green’ Requirements Alongside ‘Clean’ Ones for Power Sector
This June, the European Council formally adopted a first-of-its-kind regulation that sets out to restore at least 20% of the European Union’s (EU’s) land and sea areas by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of
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Fiction
Marnie Surfaceblow: What Helped Make Marnie, Marnie
Negativity can push you off your course in life. This is when Marnie first pushed back. “Any signal, Maya?” asked Marnie Surfaceblow, vice president of Surfaceblow & Associates International, as she
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Offshore Wind
Ireland’s Energy Strategy Embraces Offshore Wind
The global wind industry is entering a new phase of accelerated growth as both companies and countries adopt ambitious sustainable energy goals. 2023 was a record year for wind installations, with a 50%
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Hydrogen
California, Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hubs Secure First Tranche of $7B Federal Awards
The California Hydrogen Hub and the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub have garnered a combined $57.5 million in the first tranche of funding under the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) $7 billion Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) program. H2Hubs, managed by DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED), is backed by funding from the Infrastructure Investment and […]
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Renewables
Colorado Power Provider Will Add 760 MW of Renewable Energy
Platte River Power Authority’s board of directors approved the utility’s 2024 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) on July 25, including the recommended “optimal new carbon” portfolio that adds 760 MW of new renewable energy projects between now and 2030. “We’ve heard from numerous community members throughout this process and I appreciate how transparent Platte River continues […]
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Nuclear
India Pledges Support for Nuclear, Coal, and Pumped Storage Projects
Officials in India said that country’s energy transition plan will focus on developing small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), pumped energy storage projects, and more efficient coal-fired power plants. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presenting the government’s 2024-2025 budget, noted the latest financial allocations outline a shift in priorities for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sitharaman on July […]
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Offshore Wind
Shanghai Group Calls for 29 GW of Offshore Wind to Support Grid
China’s central government has approved Shanghai’s plan to build 29 GW of offshore wind generation capacity, part of the city’s strategy to build more energy infrastructure and diversify the electricity mix. Reports said the plan was devised by the Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission, with a goal to have offshore wind generate as much […]
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Solar
Historic Gemini Solar-Plus-Storage Project Now Fully Operational
One of the largest solar-plus-storage installations in the U.S. has entered commercial operation. Primergy Solar and Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners on July 18 announced that the Gemini Solar + Energy Storage project, which will provide power to Las Vegas, Nevada, and other communities, is now fully online. Gemini has 690 MW of power generation capacity and […]
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Hydrogen
Auditors Call EU Hydrogen Production Goals ‘Overly Ambitious’
A group that assesses the effectiveness of actions by the European Union (EU), including how energy initiatives impact the economies of EU member states, said the current goals for EU hydrogen production are “overly ambitious” and not realistic. The European Court of Auditors (ECA) in a report published July 16 said targets to produce as […]
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Connected Plant
Logical Data Management for the Energy and Utility Industries
By now, with the most devastating effects of the pandemic behind us, it’s important to remember the key takeaway—there’s no such thing as “business as usual.” As a result, companies have learned that to be able to thrive are those that quickly adapt to sudden, unforeseen changes is essential. This is especially true for energy and […]
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Renewables
GOP-Held Congressional Districts Cash in on Clean Energy Projects
More than $106.5 billion in large-scale clean energy project investments have been announced in Republican-held congressional districts in the U.S. during the period from August 2022 through June 2024. The figure was released by E2, a national, nonpartisan group of business leaders, investors, and professionals from every sector of the economy who advocate for “smart […]
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Solar
The POWER Interview: Growing Importance of Solar Recycling
Waste from end-of-life solar panels and other solar-related equipment provides an opportunity to recover valuable materials, along with other benefits. The International Renewable Energy Agency said that by 2030, the cumulative value of recoverable raw materials from end-of-life panels alone will be about $450 million worldwide, which the agency said is equivalent to the cost […]
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Solar
Sulzer Will Deliver Hot and Cold Molten Salt Pumps for China Solar Project
A major concentrated solar power (CSP) project in China selected Sulzer, a global fluid engineering company, to supply both the hot and the cold molten salts pumps for the installation. The planned 100-MW solar project will feature technology designed to deliver electricity from solar energy 24 hours a day. Molten salts have been used in […]
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Renewables
Nearly 5 GW of New Offshore Wind Power Approved for the U.S. Northeast
Over the past week, the offshore wind power sector in the U.S. received two major federal approvals that could add nearly 5 GW to the grid. On July 1, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) approved a construction and operations plan (COP) for Avangrid’s 791-MW New England Wind 1 project and 1,080-MW New England Wind […]
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Courts
The Chevron Deference Is Dead. What Does It Mean for the Power Sector?
The U.S. Supreme Court on June 28 overturned the Chevron doctrine—a forty-year-old precedent—significantly curtailing the power of federal agencies to interpret ambiguous statutory provisions, even in areas of agency expertise. The landmark 6–3 decision could have far-reaching effects on the power industry, with specific impact on sweeping energy regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) […]
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Coal
Tri-State Advances ERP With Unopposed Settlement Filing
Colorado electric cooperative Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association is proposing aid to coal communities in its service territory as part of an unopposed comprehensive settlement of the first phase of the group’s recent Electric Resource Plan (ERP). The company on June 27 said the filing is an important milestone in the energy transition of the […]
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Renewables
Masdar Inks $3.4 Billion Deal to Acquire Greece Renewable Energy Major
Masdar, the Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy major, said it has agreed to buy Greece’s Terna Energy in a €3.2 billion ($3.4 billion) deal. The agreement signed June 20 is one of the largest renewable energy transactions in the history of the European Union. Masdar—also known as Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co.—said Thursday it had a […]
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O&M
Four O&M Strategies to Give Your Solar Asset Efficiency a Boost
As the solar industry matures, pressure for asset owners to deliver higher returns continues to mount. Not surprisingly, so has the demand to improve operations and maintenance (O&M) efficiency – the single largest component of a utility-scale solar asset’s post-construction budget. Whether an asset owner performs O&M in-house, outsources to a third-party, or utilizes a […]
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Renewables
Construction Moves Forward on Australia’s Largest Wind Farm
The second stage of one of the world’s largest wind farms is moving forward after developer TagEnergy announced it had closed financing for the project. The $2.6 billion Golden Plains Wind Farm in Australia, which when complete will have about 1.3 GW of generation capacity, will be the largest wind farm in Australia once fully […]