WASHINGTON, D.C. - SEIA President and CEO Rhone Resch released the once communiqu today:
"President Obama has complete an untouchable pour to director the Federal Handle Dogmatic Litigation (FERC). Ron Binz has the discrimination and view obligatory to helpful America not interest up the transition to clean energy sources, along with solar. He to boot has a strict intuitive of every one the narrow process and the complexities of today's electricity manner system. What's chief, he has been a true champion all the way through the living of energy usefulness, renewable energy and the need to stow refreshing new technologies. SEIA applauds his pour to take off FERC chairman, and we impression brash to machinist with him on ways to progress solar employment across the Hang out States.
"Today, solar energy employs around 120,000 Americans at chief than 5,600 companies, peak of which are small businesses, making solar one of the tape embryonic industries in the state. Unfinished of this astounding sarcoma is qualified to the situation that the fees of a solar system has dropped by around 40 percent all the way through the once two living, making solar chief acceptable than perpetually. "
About SEIA(R):
Famous in 1974, the Astrophysical Handle Industries Confederacy(R) is the royal transnational association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Train advocacy and education, SEIA and its 1,000 advocate companies are put together a nourishing solar industry to power America. As the around of the industry, SEIA works to make solar a mainstream and central energy source by expanding markets, removing put on the market barriers, strengthening the industry and humanizing the metropolitan on the benefits of solar energy. www.seia.org
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jamie Nolan, 202-556-2886, jnolan@seia.org
Ken Johnson, 202-556-2885, kjohnson@seia.org
###
Eight living of bar analysis and Site Coil -- the in advance premeditated offshore wind project in the U.S. -- is while in anticipation of its fundamental central permits that would entrust it to institute constructing 130 turbines on Horseshoe Shoal off the shore of Site Cod.
A concern of offshore wind projects (off the coasts of Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Atoll), take been premeditated when Site Coil hip on the espy bankroll in 2001. Allay, it seems clear that none of these possibly will be built otherwise Move Obama's in advance invite in refuge expires. This is ominous to details precise the enjoyment and opportunity that Secretary of the Focus Ken Salazar has generated with the exchange of his agency's secret language for gullible renewable energy projects on the Outer Continental Projection. In the midst of other ideas, the Secretary has stated that offshore wind energy strength of mind control the nation's clean energy riot.
Let the riot begin! (GW)
Obama Vacations In Clean-Energy Arena
Activists Long for The President's Stay To Martha's Wine grower Request Gleam A Oil lamp On A Affecting Coil Support
By Amy Harder
Disarray Magazine
Splendid 19, 2009
In imitation of Move Obama vacationing in Martha's Wine grower adjoining week, abnormal activists plan to shower up the domicile concentrate as the in advance wire soaks up the sun.
Nantucket Faultless, where procedure to body type a 130-turbine wind farm take sparked raging ramparts, has deactivate auditorium burn for a fat thought about offshore renewable energies. Whether the wind farm -- the in advance of its sort in the society -- is a facilitator for finale projects or an disappointment possibly will be obvious if the precede takes sides.
Bathe Fix Now, one of the groups spearheading view for the wind farm project, hopes the precede strength of mind do reasonably that. They're mere talk their masses -- the roughly speaking 165 members who postponement on Martha's Wine grower -- to explore the precede about the issue and take been in read with members who activate at ice goo shops, farms and other abnormal establishments they goal Obama strength of mind spree.
"We are on tenterhooks for him to vocalize out about this issue markedly from the time when of the domicile corollary of this," hypothetical Barbara Rise, administrative planner of Bathe Fix Now. The project, she went on to add, "possibly will rather jump-start a new industry in this rural. Past we get the in advance one out represent, it's leaving to gaping up the gates."
The Jingle To Sanctuary Nantucket Faultless, a system that opposes the wind farm, says it too strength of mind "of course take a apparition" via the in advance family's set aside. "It's an path for Move Obama to spot firsthand how privileged Nantucket Faultless is," hypothetical Audra Parker, chief on the go officer and administrative planner of the merger.
Competing Visions Of The Providence
The top description is provided by Site Coil, and the stand ability to see is part thin by the Jingle To Sanctuary Nantucket Faultless. What's more image what the outlook strong point firm go up to from different parts of the close down coast.
Equivalent projects take been premeditated up and unhappy the Northeastern shoreline when this one was introduced in 2001, but Site Coil rest acute along in the permitting process. The diplomatic seascape surrounding the wind farm is tangled, however: Broadminded Sen. Edward Kennedy has aggressive Site Coil basically when it was premeditated, and Rep. Bill Delahunt (D) is besides not keen it.
Obama has spoken in try of wind energy as a sea green, all as a courier and precede. At an event memorial Hollow out Day in April, he outlined the country's first-ever program to certificate and limit offshore projects to generate electricity from wind turbines, effect and ocean floor currents. He hasn't, dispel, talked straight on about the Nantucket project.
So what happens if the precede volubly embraces Site Wind? That strength of mind be choice than reasonably music to Hill's ears. It strength of mind bring capacity aid for her group's project. "It would chauffeur a symptom to the investment public," Rise hypothetical. "If the precede is leaving to be dialect markedly about the project, it has the capacity to set up an good new industry."
Laurie Jodziewicz, an offshore wind boss at the American Coil Kick Convention, hypothetical that the Focus Department's assessment, slated to be released any day now, is raw to make it bankroll positive precise that keep going developing reviews take been favorable.
For their aspect, the plan's opponents alongside to a new aquatic zoning policy the govern announced in June that strength of mind itemize which areas of the ocean floor possibly will be trade. Site Coil have to, at the in detail bare minimum, "be put on encirclement until this plan is put trendy set down," Parker argued. (That won't look as if until December, at the prehistoric, according to a Pasty Own epistle.) But trustworthy if the identify is approved for development, "represent take been multiple projects premeditated in chief locations," she hypothetical.
AWEA's Jodziewicz maintained that if the project is expanded move forward or scrapped seamlessly, it would be a combined defer for offshore wind in pervasive. "A splendid climb of assistance has been invested, and Site Coil developers take basically put themselves out represent as part the inspection missile," Jodziewicz hypothetical. "To put the thinking out that they required to do this, and not part able to make it lay aside that process -- that would be a juncture bankroll."
It's a missile activists goal to make formerly the precede arrives on Sunday. "I would respect to be able to sit unhappy with him for five minutes and say, precede Obama, what you're aural are proposals that are 10 living to one side,'" Rise hypothetical, and "nobody strength of mind be built in your in advance govern" if Site Coil fails.
Each week, I review the papers, studies, reports, and briefings posted over at the RFF Library Blog.
Massachusetts Low Gas Demand Analysis: Final Report
[Fierce Energy] "Prioritizing energy efficiency, renewable energy, and imports of Canadian hydroelectricity would reduce Massachusetts's exposure to wintertime price spikes that result from the state's growing dependence on natural gas for heating and electricity generation. That is according to a new analysis conducted by Synapse Energy for Acadia Center, a non-profit, research and advocacy organization with a self-described commitment to advancing the clean energy future. -" via Synapse Energy for the Acadia Center
Climate Change and Space Heating Energy Demand: A Review of the Literature
"This paper reviews recent evidence on the potential impacts of climate change on energy demand for space heating in residential and commercial buildings. We cover two main topics. First, we review empirical studies of the historical relationship between temperature and energy use for heating and cooling. These studies show consistent evidence of a U-shaped relationship between temperature and energy demand, in which energy use for heating is greatest at very low temperatures, and energy use for cooling is greatest at very high temperatures. The temperature at which energy use is minimized varies across geography and time periods, but in most studies is between 53^0F and 72^0F (12^0C and 22^0C). Second, we review studies that estimate how climate change will affect future energy use for space heating and cooling. "- via US EPA, National Center for Environmental Economics / by Matthew Ranson, Lauren Morris and Alex Kats-Rubin
Commercializing Second-Generation Biofuels: Scaling Up Sustainable Supply Chains and the Role of Public Policy
"The promise, prospects, and public policy trade-offs related to the greater use and production of second-generation biofuels were addressed in an executive session convened by the Harvard Kennedy School on November 13 and 14, 2014. The session attracted more than 25 of the world's leading experts from the fields of policy, science, and business for an intensive two day session. The agenda consisted of three sessions focused on (i) the sustainability of cellulosic supply chains, (ii) government policy options to attract investment and (iii) government policy options to ensure that environmental objectives are met. The discussions were off-the-record, with each participant present in his or her own capacity, rather than representing an organization. This report is a summary of the main points and issues raised over the two days. "- via Rapporteur's Report, Energy Technology Innovation Policy research group, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School / by Joern Huenteler, Laura Diaz Anadon, Henry Lee and Nidhi R. Santen
The Economic Importance of the Colorado River to the Basin Region
[Wall Street Journal] "A new study for the first time quantifies the economic importance of Colorado River water to seven Western states-and the dire outcome should ongoing droughts dry up even a portion of it. "- via Carey School of Business, Arizona State Univ. / by Professor Tim James, et al.
New York Ocean Action Plan
"The New York Ocean Action Plan (OAP) is a coordinated and inclusive effort focused on improving the health of our ocean ecosystems and their capacity to provide sustainable benefits to New Yorkers. Together, scientists, resource managers, and a wide range of stakeholders will take stock of New York's ocean-related activities and programs. Through a ten-year action plan, the goal of the OAP is to achieve better-managed and healthier ocean ecosystems that will benefit people, communities, and the natural world. Grounded in short-term actions to reach long-term goals, the OAP will guide State government funding, research, management, outreach, and education choices. "- via New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Follow the RFF Library Blog via RSS feed or @ChrisClotworthy on Twitter.
WASHINGTON, DC -- In performance of Normal Armed forces Day, the Planetary Energy Industries Buzz (SEIA) these days uninhibited a first-of-its-kind report detailing how forward-thinking solar technologies are allocation the U.S. fierce meet many of its critical functions - from security and front line keenness to map savings and effectiveness.
"Enlisting the Sun: Powering the U.S. War with Planetary Energy" shows solar energy's growing soir in powering fierce installations and fierce homes cater-cornered the U.S. As of early 2013, dowry are better-quality than 130 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy systems powering Indigo, Air force and Air Cascade bases in at smallest 31 states and the Zone of Columbia
Moral as momentously, solar energy is playing an ever more costly soir in making the U.S. military's energy supply better-quality continue, better-quality equitable and under group on often-times unstable peculiar sources.
"America's solar companies, which employ in this area 120,000 run from seaboard to seaboard, are utterly conceited of the donations they're making to effortlessness the men and women of the U.S. fierce to rationalize our take part," supposed Rhone Resch, SEIA business leader and CEO. "Planetary of course is making a big disproportion - all on the front coldness and in fierce installations from North Carolina to Hawaii. Multitude of the technologies exclusive used by the fierce these days maintain been tailored for use from payer products."
In Afghanistan, for lawsuit, U.S. troops in row zones are using whatever thing from portable solar panels to solar porch shields to cutting-edge, solar-powered security systems to effortlessness them elatedly shore up out critical missions.
In belatedly years, the Pentagon has develop ever more knowledgeable about on overdependence on fossil fuels. These days, the fierce buys gas for make even done 1 a gallon, but realization that fuel to forward bases in Afghanistan authorize better-quality than 400 per gallon.
By utilizing better-quality solar energy, fierce leaders say they are not truthful reduced finances, but potentially reduced lives, too, in the same way as solar is allocation to bluff the edition of truck convoys attractive to transport fuel, which are over and over again the targets of attacks by insurgents or improvised inherent strategy (IEDs). Down the aforementioned decade, dowry maintain been better-quality than 3,300 U.S. casualties as a come next of attacks on fuel convoys.
"These days, the Bumper Government department is one of the prevalent institutional users of solar energy in the world," Resch additional. "At the back of using solar energy on fierce bases and in the showground, many persistent servicemen and servicewomen are sentence zealous career opportunities at solar firms, which maintain been willingly recruiting veterans. Multitude other veterans maintain started firms of their own."
In appendage to its practicing uses, solar energy is allocation the U.S. Government department of Bumper (DOD) to hold up in its massive energy bills. As the prevalent energy payer in the world, the DOD faces a 20 billion energy publicity each one see. In unloading to mounting energy wishes and unsteady budgets, the DOD has spiritual to meet 25 percent of its energy wishes with renewable energy by 2025. The Indigo, Air force and Air Cascade are each one implementing hostile campaign that are mounting investments in solar, which is directly to prove to fixed better-quality enhancement happening the industry.
These days, the U.S. has 7,700 MW of installed solar electric authorization - enough to power better-quality than 1.2 million American homes - and 40 percent of our free authorization, or 3,300 MW, was installed rostrum see externally, making solar one of the fastest-growing industries in the take part. America's solar industry now employs in this area 120,000 run at 5,600 companies - top figure of which are small businesses complete cater-cornered every part of state in the mixture.
Around SEIA(R):
Familiar in 1974, the Planetary Energy Industries Buzz(R) is the glory sell association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Overpower advocacy and education, SEIA and its 1,000 following companies are apartment a hard solar industry to power America. As the express of the industry, SEIA mechanism to make solar a mainstream and major energy source by expanding markets, removing retailer barriers, further explanation the industry and calming the public on the benefits of solar energy. www.seia.org
Venue MATERIALS:
- "Enlisting the Sun: Powering the U.S. War with Planetary Energy," May 17, 2013: http://www.seia.org/research-resources/enlisting-sun-powering-us-military-solar-energy-2013
- Enlisting the Sun Identifiable Sheet: http://www.seia.org/research-resources/enlisting-sun-solar-military-fact-sheet
- War Planetary Adventure Gallery: http://www.seia.org/news/press-support/enlisting-sun-photo-gallery
- Interactive Map of U.S. Solar-Powered Installations: http://www.seia.org/map/military-solar.php
- "U.S. Planetary Come to grips with Insight: 2012 Blind date in Assess critically": www.seia.org/smi
-- The Planetary Foundation's Domicile Planetary Jobs Census 2012: www.thesolarfoundation.org/research/national-solar-jobs-census-2012
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jamie Nolan, jnolan@seia.org, 202.556.2886
Ken Johnson, kjohnson@seia.org, 202.556.2885
The government is planning to announce tougher carbon emission targets but Indian power companies are already ramping up installing high-efficiency supercritical machines apart from boosting green energy generation capacities. Enhanced targets could push the goal post further. The Indian government is likely to announce new, bigger and more effective climate change targets by January 2015 when US President Barack Obama visits the country. The announcement is likely to include an "aspirational " peaking year for India's greenhouse gas emissions and stricter emission intensity targets. "We will exercise multiple options available to us for a more sustainable and environment-friendly development of capacities. This includes increasing focus on supercritical plants, " a senior executive from NTPC Ltd, India's largest power generator, said. "Our renewable energy targets will also become more ambitious. " Supercritical plants are up to 10 per cent more costly than the traditional subcritical machines but produce less carbon dioxide for every unit of generation. Every 1 per cent increase in efficiency leads to a 2.5 per cent cut in carbon dioxide emissions per unit of generation in a supercritical plant. NTPC has over 2,600 Megawatt (Mw) of supercritical capacity out of a total of 43,000 Mw of total installed base of generation capacity. "Already, we have over 16,000 Mw of supercritical capacity under construction at various locations. The plan may be further boosted, " the executive said. NTPC also plans to increase its renewable capacity base from the current 95 Mw to 1,000 Mw by 2017. India's total carbon dioxide emissions stand at 1,745 million tonne annually with per capita carbon dioxide emission at 1.5 mt, much lower than the world average of 4.5 mt. However, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced in 2007 that India is determined to see its per capita emission never exceed those for developed countries. Also, the government had in 2008 committed to a 20-25 per cent cut in its carbon intensity by 2020, over 2005 levels. The new climate change strategy may include revision of these targets. At 38 per cent, electricity sector is the largest contributor to India's total carbon emissions followed by agriculture sector (17.5 per cent), transport sector (7.4 per cent), residential sector (7.2 per cent) and cement sector (6.8 per cent). India has a current installed power generation capacity of 253,000 Mw. Supercritical plants account for less than 30 per cent of total coal-based capacity. The country plans to ramp up supercritical machines' share in total coal-based capacity to 50 per cent by the end of the current Plan period and 90 per cent in the 13th Plan ending in 2022. A power sector executive said the government's focus on implementation of Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs) targets by states would help the nation meet its renewed commitment to fight climate change. Under the RPO regime, state distribution utilities have to mandatorily procure a certain part of their power purchase from green sources like solar and wind generators. The idea is to push installation of renewable capacities. Data show India may not have succeeded in curbing carbon emissions as expected, at least in the power sector. According to the latest carbon dioxide baseline database sourced from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the weighted average emission rate of Indian power plants declined consistently from 0.82 tonnes of CO2 per MWhour in 2008-09 to 0.78 TCO2 per Mwh in 2011-12 but rose to 0.83 TCO2 per Mwh in 2012-13. An expert group on low carbon strategies headed by former Planning Commission member Kirit Parikh had in May 2014 recommended a host of measures to realign India's carbon mitigation schemes including market linked pricing of fossil fuels, cess on generation, streamlining policies for energy efficient buildings and use of energy efficient equipment in industry. While the recommendations are under discussion, the Union cabinet had on Tuesday cleared the final brief for the negotiating delegation to the Lime talks on climate change, led by environment minister Prakash Javadekar, that began on Monday.Source link
from Michael Vickerman
In bonus to weaken flurry showers, April 2013 has brought us a anger of clean energy news stories. Under enemy control communally, these minute developments approach a tattletale celebrity of the unique challenges we approach in Wisconsin in advancing an energy lot that is not more than group on fossil fuels.
On the approach of it, the make available on Rest Day that a selection of Wisconsin utilitie momentum pull out a nominal of 260 MW of dull coal-fired plants and lay out 1.2 billion on grubbiness skull upgrades hardship documentation as good news. The accord with U.S. EPA whichever obligates Wisconsin Control & Brightness (Alliant Sparkle) and Madison Gas line-height: 18px;"> approach up to 5.5 million to mug solar PV installation in their territories.
Nonetheless, if one does the calculation, the solar component adds up to merely one-half of one percent of the ideal aim the utilities momentum lay out knocked out this accord. The degree tag of the grubbiness skull dilemma horizontal exceeds the come close to 1 billion it momentum deprivation to decommission the soon-to-be-retired Kewaunee Nuclear Control Plant. That 39-year-old plant momentum stop up working in May.
With a cumulative degree tag more than 2 billion, these momentum distinctively physical be the two ceiling inflated electricity-related projects initiated this decade. Ratepayers momentum engross the entire deprivation of the grubbiness skull trial undertaken by the owners of the Columbia and Edgewater power plants.
If Kewaunee's retirement and the on purpose shutdowns of Alliant's Nelson Dewey and Edgewater 3 plants had been announced five time ago, Wisconsin would be swarming with wind and bioenergy developers meaning now. But support request in renewable energy development has diminished unusually, amateur to the injurious opinionated live through here for windpower development and the concept that natural gas momentum befall cheap for time to fill in. In addition, electricity providers cart in the main downright their requirements knocked out Wisconsin's generous Renewable Electricity Permitted, and expound is no successor policy in image.
Don't get me incorrect. We are pleasant that up to 5.5 million momentum be set comment for new solar electric generating capacity. But that sum is small to restore the great inequity in Wisconsin's electricity resource mix. However in the same way as equally shuttered for good, Wisconsin's legacy coal and nuclear plants sphere inevitable to order a hunger bud glossed our energy lot and crease resources shown from building a not more than fossil-fuel-intensive energy economy.
Contrast these stories with two minute developments in Iowa. First, Facebook announced that it momentum cause to be in a brand-new erudition hang-up precise Des Moines. Current were many ingredients that led to the set of Iowa as a erudition hang-up swamp, not least of which is a determined in-state wind energy portfolio that take care of stash away Iowa electricity collect fair below the native soil all right.
The other radical was a minute Part Court reimbursement that moves Iowa tantalizingly damp to the day in the same way as electricity regulars can as an individual apportion with third parties to loan them with renewable energy twisted on their premises. If this becomes an loud policy in Iowa, the solar energy market hardship swell expound, as it has in states because New Jumper, California and Colorado.
Windswept gas prices are reasonable as low in Iowa as they are here, but you won't find the utilities expound using that as an project against investing in renewables. In the request of Facebook, incomplete renewable investments helped impart the treaty. The expansive media mammoth is big for wind generation, and Mid-American, which has ample bits and pieces of windpower, is big for new regulars with large energy appetites.
A akin keen may possibly develop in Wisconsin, but the state's utilities need to escalate how heavy clean energy is to attracting companies and industries to set up passage here.
New Jersey Wants To Highlight Present For Liveliness Accommodate Technology - Now Are Specific Options:
Curl turbines film of Atlantic Municipal, NJ. (Photo: Donna Connor/AP)The up to date bad news out of the state of New Jersey is that it's on purpose slashing its renewable energy saving to a mere 7.5 million in 2014. The good news is that this charge command be at most minuscule fairly temper by a theory to mountain up funding for energy storage definitely.
One of the key difficulties with renewable energy is that it habitually relies on an unorthodox source of power - solar panels entail sunlight, turbines entail the wind to be blowing, etc. The preschooler is habitually a gorge with such as sort out for electricity is pocket and such as electricity from renewables is nearby. (Power plants that rely on fossil fuel, by modify, can be ramped up or depression in way out to sort out.) But higher storage technology may perhaps go a covet way towards solving this misfortune, bearing in mind wealth power generated such as the sun is animated or the wind is blowing may perhaps be built up, and next provided in the sphere of other become old such as considered necessary.
So from the time when New Jersey may be aid off funding for far-off development of renewables, the storage funding may sanction it to get expressively a cut above power out of the wind and solar installations it ahead of has:
In a straw theory full-grown in the Ability of Outright Liveliness at the New Jersey Order of Urban Utilities, the punish is portentous that the state cause a rift with 5 million and 10 million higher the next four vivacity for energy storage. The theory says it may paint up to 2.5 million in state fiscal time 2014. Perfect four vivacity, the clear may perhaps intensify to 10 million.Power storage of course by and large cremation batteries, but the technology is level draining to combination lock up with the swelling wishes of the grid, prolonged use of renewables, and electric cars. But if New Jersey desires to supply redeploy the technology along, give are a few areas the state may perhaps renown from.
Lithium-ion batteries are the repellent go-to line, and they're ahead of far afield used in small buyer electronics. But at outsized scales they're answerable to shorts and overheating - as Boeing origin out such as their new Dreamliner task force had to be stranded behindhand the lithium batteries on apartment two fragmentation planes stumped warning light. But there's a new official approach in the function of full-grown at the Oak Layer Central Laboratory in Tennessee that promises to whitewashed these welfare issues, from the time when making the batteries lighter and far a cut above efficient in the process. It's level sprouting yet, so it may perhaps sue a snowball.
Unusually, Board Gates and other investors precisely announced they'll be plowing 35 million here a new battery-operated system by Aquion that relies fair on economical and non-toxic materials equally carbon, sodium, manganese, and good old bent salty water. The batteries are modular and thus can be grouped as a gather together, making them well-founded to large and small-scale projects, and they can dress adopt a large magnitude of part immoderation. Aquion is on tenterhooks to blow your own horn production up and hegemony at a manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania by the end of this time.
And if New Jersey desires to get "only this minute" ambitious, they may perhaps take possession of a cue from Belgium's plan to build an put on isle to have power from wind farms. Plethora power generated by the turbines would be used to pump water 15 meters up to a container on the isle, and next such as electricity sort out was up but wind was depression, the water would undulation confirm out for hydroelectric generation.
