Xcel Energy finalizes purchase of two wind projects
Xcel Energy has completed the purchase of two wind energy projects in the Upper Midwest: 200-MW Blazing Star 2 in southwest Minnesota and 300-MW Dakota Range 1 and 2 in eastern South Dakota.
Renewable Energy News
Innovative arrangement produces renewable natural gas and helps Monarch Butterflies
Today, Smithfield Foods and Roeslein Alternative Energy (RAE) announced that they have formed a joint venture called Monarch Bioenergy to produce renewable natural gas (RNG) across Smithfield’s hog farms in Missouri.
Demystifying bank solar asset management with U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, and kWh Analytics
Bank asset management is known to be an opaque subject. Thankfully, Diana Weis and Sarah Disch, each co-heads of the Solar Asset Management groups at their organizations, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo Bank respectively, shared their expertise with me at SAMNA 2019. They each have over a decade of experience in solar finance. Here are three key takeaways bank asset management experts Weis and Disch shared:
Ford invests $500 million into battery company Rivian
Through a strategic partnership, Ford will develop an all-new, next-generation battery electric vehicle for Ford's growing EV portfolio using Rivian's skateboard platform
Iowa pork producers stall utility efforts to upend solar net metering
In their push to upend the economics of rooftop solar, Iowa’s major electric utilities are up against an opponent as politically potent as they are: the state’s pork producers.
DTECH asks experts to share what they know about the future of energy delivery
Utilities and other energy experts convene each year at DISTRIBUTECH International (DTECH) to discuss the future of energy and this week Clarion Energy, organizer of the event, announced that the call for abstracts for the 2020 event is open.
Nevada is the fourth US state to commit to 100 percent clean energy
Nevada is joining the growing list of U.S. places that aim to ban fossil fuels from its electricity supply.
APS battery energy storage facility explosion injures four firefighters; industry investigates
Last Friday evening in Surprise, Arizona a storage facility owned by Arizona Public Service (APS) exploded, injuring four firefighters. Reporter for azfamily.com, Maria Hechanova, visited the scene yesterday and reported that the explosion happened while four hazmat firefighters from Peoria were working to extinguish a battery fire at the facility.
Duke Energy unit buys 150 MW California solar power project
The North Rosamond solar project is Duke Energy Renewables’ sixth solar generation facility in Kern County
The world’s longest wind turbine blade rolled off the assembly line last week
Last week, LM Wind Power said it had successfully manufactured the world’s first wind turbine blade to surpass 100 meters in length.
FERC finalizes expedited licensing process for hydropower projects
The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued a final rule establishing an expedited licensing process for original hydropower licenses for certain qualifying facilities at existing non-powered dams and for closed-loop pumped storage projects.
In Michigan, developer cancels plan for large Upper Peninsula wind project
Citing planning delays, a global renewable energy developer has canceled plans for a major wind project in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Mayor: PG&E assets are ‘great’ opportunity to bring clean energy to San Francisco
San Francisco Mayor London Breed wants to use PG&E Corp.’s bankruptcy to take over some of the company’s assets for the city’s power needs, a move that would shake up California’s largest utility and remake the state’s energy landscape.
Duke Energy to build North Carolina solar estimated at $404M
Duke Energy Corp. will develop six utility-scale solar power projects in North Carolina that may cost up to $404 million as part of the state’s bid to boost renewable energy.
California college invests in 1-MW solar carport to offset 100 percent of its energy use
Yuba College, a community college part of the Yuba Community College District, this week completed a 1-MW solar carport installation that it says could result in $10 million of avoided utility costs over the life of the system. The District purchased the solar outright, which resulted in optimal savings.
Three strategies for building solar and wind energy systems on potentially contaminated lands
Building solar and wind energy projects on potentially contaminated lands can be a golden opportunity, both effective and cost-effective, for developers. The 120-acre Reilly Tar & Chemical Corporation Superfund site was recently redeveloped with a utility-scale solar farm and is a prime example of the reuse potential inherent in thousands of Superfund sites, brownfields, retired power plants, and landfills.
IREC’s career map shows climate change related employment opportunities on the rise
A new career map, Careers in Climate Control Technology, provides a first-of-its-kind interactive, visual tool to showcase the employment opportunities that exist in the swiftly growing HVAC/R industry – Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration. The sector is on track for projected growth of 15 percent from 2016 to 2026.
In Northeast, more research needed on offshore wind’s impact on fishing
As plans for wind farms across New England’s waters progress, fishermen continue to express concerns about the impact of the burgeoning offshore wind industry on their livelihoods.
SEPA helps demystify transactive energy in new report
This week the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) released a report that is says will help utilities and other industry stakeholders understand and prepare for the grid of the future
Vermont utility launches vision for 100 percent renewable energy by 2030
This weekend at its “Earth Day Every Day Fair,” Green Mountain Power announced an energy vision to have a 100 percent carbon free energy supply by 2025 and 100 percent renewable energy by 2030. The utility said the move is among the most aggressive carbon targets for a utility of GMP’s size in the country.