geoharvey

Opinion:

¶   “An Accident Waiting to Happen” Huge amounts of oil are being transported by rail from the shale oil fields. The probability of an accident with an oil spill over time is close to 100%. The possibility of recovering lost oil before it does heavy damage is small. [Resilience]

¶   “Nuclear Plants and Nuclear Excuses: This is Getting Old” Getting old is but one of the reasons safety margins can decrease, or disappear, over time. Wear-out failures can cause the overall failure rate to increase. [All Things Nuclear]

Science and Technology:

¶   The first fleet tests of UPM’s renewable diesel oil proved that UPM BioVerno works in cars just as well as any regular diesel oil. UPM’s renewable diesel oil is a wood-based renewable product. [Wall Street Journal]

World:

¶   The Asian Development Bank in Manila is now running on 100% renewable energy, with a complete power switch made on Thursday during the institution’s celebration of No Impact Week. [eco-business.com]

¶   Acciona SA, one of the largest owners of renewable-power plants, reported a surprise €1.97 billion ($2.7 billion) annual loss, equating to more than half its market value, after Spain cut prices for solar, wind, and other renewables. [Businessweek]

¶   Australia’s Coalition government promised funding help for a “Million Solar Roofs” in the last election. Now, as they attack renewable energy targets, the money is not in the budget, and they are not saying why. [Business Spectator]

¶   The Gyeonggi Green Energy fuel cell park, in Hwasung City, South Korea, is fully operational. It is the largest fuel cell park in the world, having 21 FuelCell Energy power plants, rated at 2.8 MW each, for 59 MW of renewable power. [PennEnergy]

US:

¶   Tesla has developed a battery to store power for homes, commercial sites and utilities. They have announced plans to invest up to $5 billion in the world’s largest battery factory, and want to cut battery prices by 30%. [Businessweek]

¶   A new transmission project has been proposed for energy from wind turbines. The “Grain Line Express” is a $7 billion dollar project that would start in southwestern Kansas, go through eastern Missouri, and end at the Illinois and Indiana border. [Four States Homepage]

¶   Massachusetts regulators have signed off on what the state is calling “the largest procurement of renewable energy in New England.” Twelve long-term wind power purchase agreements total 409 MW from three projects in Maine and New Hampshire. [North American Windpower]

¶   Austin Energy got the green light to enter into a half-billion dollar agreement with Lincoln Renewable Energy for wind power. Over the next 18 years, the utility will spend about $31 million per year to purchase 300 megawatts of wind-generated power. [KEYE TV]

¶   A Texas-based renewable energy company has begun the first phase of construction on their 400 MW Texas wind farm. NGP Texas, a subsidiary of Chicago-based New Generation Power, will build the project at a cost of$ 650 to $700 million. [Windpower Engineering]

¶   A bid by the fossil fuel industry to thwart the will of voters in Broomfield, Colorado failed in court this week, as 17th Judicial District Court Judge Chris Melonakis upheld the five-year fracking ban approved by voters last November. [Summit County Citizens Voice]

Opinion:

¶   “Is Utility 2.0 A Forecast Or A Post-Mortem?” Not only is big infrastructure proving harder to pay off as revenues stagnate, it’s also increasingly irrelevant in a 21st century electricity system where power can be cost-effectively generated right on the roof. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶   The expansion of offshore renewable power generation, particularly large wind power installations, is helping to drive demand for transmission via high-voltage submarine electricity cables. [Fierce Energy]

World:

¶   One thing we did not see prominently in the news was that in 2013 China installed about 40 GW of solar water heating capacity. You see solar hot water may be quite boring, but it still owns solar power in terms of installed capacity. And China has the most. [Energy Collective]

¶   Advanced Energy Economy, has released a report finding that the global advanced energy economy — which includes efficient transport, biofuels, commercial and industrial efficiency, and clean electricity generation — was valued at $1.1 trillion in 2013. [Energy Collective]

¶   Reentering the Japanese market, General Electric  has developed a 2.85-MW turbine for Japan that can withstand the country’s unique conditions. It can survive typhoon-strength winds, turbulent conditions and lighting strikes common in the nation. [Bloomberg]

¶   Australia’s Climate Change Authority (CCA) has just released “Reducing Australia’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Targets and Progress Review – Final Report”. It says further efforts are necessary to achieve absolute reductions in emissions. [Energy Matters]

¶   The Australian Capital Territory government will amend its large-scale renewables feed-in tariff to support the development of up to 550 MW of wind, solar and waste to energy projects, up from 210 MW. This is expected to reduce costs. [RenewEconomy]

¶   The International Energy Agency released a report concluding that the integration of large amounts of renewable energy can be achieved at only a small increase on whole system costs, compared with the current fossil-fuel heavy electricity systems. [RenewEconomy]

¶   Europe’s ten largest power companies are set to lose billions of euros after over-investing in fossil fuels rather than renewable energy, according to new Greenpeace research. [Business Green]

¶   Renewable energy developments are sprouting up all over the UK, but a quieter revolution is taking place in a small town in Cornwall. Wadebridge is aiming to be the first town in the UK to be entirely self-sufficient, using various renewable resources. [BoilerJuice]

¶   Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority blasted TEPCO Wednesday for its inappropriate handling of fuel rods at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata Prefecture which caused some of the highly volatile rods to be damaged. [Global Times]

US:

¶   Research from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California in San Diego now shows the impact of melting arctic sea ice on global warming has likely been significantly underestimated. [Energy Collective]

¶   The 2014 edition of the Nissan LEAF is the cleanest production vehicle in the whole of the US, according to the Automotive Science Group. The rankings figure in the entire wheel-to-well lifetime environmental impact of the cars studied. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Democratic representatives introduced a renewable energy bill Wednesday that would raise Wisconsin’s renewable energy goals. The bill would mandate the state achieve 30% renewable energy production by 2030. [Madison.com]

Opinion:

¶   “How to save business billions, without cutting renewable jobs” Instead of trying to reduce power bills by undercutting investment and jobs in renewables, businesses can cut their power bills with the cost savings available from using energy more efficiently. [SBS]

Science and Technology:

¶   Hydrogenics Corporation, based in Ontario, believes it has come up with a solution for storing renewable power—such as wind or solar—and converting it into fuel, power or heat. Their power-to-gas technology improves conversion of renewable energy to hydrogen. [Canadian Manufacturing]

World:

¶   Yingli Solar has  announced that it will supply 54 MW of solar modules to seven projects in the UK that are developed by Grid Essence UK. The modules will be installed in ground-mounted solar projects in the south of England and Wales. [Your Industry News]

¶   After years of predictions that China would begin investing more in a smart grid than the US, Bloomberg New Energy Finance has reported that China invested $4.3 billion on smart grid in 2013, far outpacing U.S. spending of $3.6 billion in the same period. [Energy Collective]

¶   Australia’s largest renewables company, Infigen Energy, is confident the fixed renewable energy target of 41,000 GWh will remain in place, citing the emergence of sovereign risk among financiers, and soaring domestic gas prices as key arguments for its retention. [RenewEconomy]

¶   GDF SUEZ Canada has announced that the 10 MW Beckwith Solar Project in Ontario has entered commercial operation under a 20-year power purchase agreement with the Ontario Power Authority. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   Radiation from Japan’s leaking Fukushima nuclear power plant has reached waters offshore Canada, researchers said today at the annual American Geophysical Union’s Ocean Sciences Meeting in Honolulu. [Scientific American]

US:

¶   The 300 MW Utah Solar 1 project by Energy Capital Group has been awarded its conditional use permit by Millard County. The $600m project is sited on 1754 acres leased from the Utah School and Institutional Trust Land Administration. [reNews]

¶   New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that $3 million has been awarded to 18 research institutions, technology developers and biomass-fuel businesses to encourage the growth of high-efficiency, low-emission wood-fired heating equipment. [Evening Observer]

¶   First Wind announced it has obtained $206 million in financing for its Route 66 Wind project in Texas. The Route 66 Wind project is expected to deliver power to the ERCOT power markets, and will have a capacity of 150 MW. [Windpower Engineering]

¶   The US DOE is offering up to $3 million dollars in research and development funding to groups that research combining low-to-moderate-temperature geothermal resources with extraction rare earth elements from geothermal brines they can capture. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Sol Systems announced financial closing of a 940 kW solar system in Alamogordo, New Mexico. The project was the second deal that Sol Systems financed on behalf of New Mexico-based developer, Affordable Solar. [Your Renewable News]

¶   Dynamic Energy has announce the completion of an 860 kW solar project for Napoli Foods, Inc. (Napoli) in Cheshire, Connecticut. The solar project is one of the largest roof-mounted solar arrays in Connecticut. [Sacramento Bee]

¶   Senate energy efficiency legislation likely to be reintroduced will include a Republican-backed measure to block a requirement that federal buildings phase out fossil fuel use, according those monitoring the bill. [Bloomberg BNA]

¶   Yet another Florida nuclear plant may be in trouble. More than 3,700 tubes that help cool a nuclear reactor at Florida Power & Light’s St. Lucie facility exhibit wear. Most other similar plants have between zero and a few hundred. [Tampabay.com]

Opinion:

¶   “Why You Don’t Need Fossil Fuel to Fight Poverty. (Clean Energy Does it Better.)” The blog of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Energy, Security and Climate, had a thoughtful piece entitled, “Is U.S. Fossil Fuel Policy Keeping Millions Poor?” Here is one response. [National Geographic]

World:

¶   Lightsource Renewable Energy has announced that it will create a new commercial rooftop division in order to capitalise on the ‘huge potential’ the company sees in the sector. [Solar Power Portal]

¶   Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. has begun commercial operation of the 17.5 MW Northwest Stave River run-of-river hydroelectric facility. The facility is located in British Columbia, Canada . [RenewablesBiz]

¶   Ernst and Young reports that the US is still the most attractive place to invest in renewable energy, though China is catching up. Germany is third. Japan has taken fourth place, and the UK fell to fifth, due to government policy uncertainty. [reNews]

¶   The WWF says in a new report that the growing demand for renewable energy could put pressure on the supply of critical materials required in the production of renewable energy infrastructure. [Resource Efficient Business]

¶   In a closely watched case, Ontario developer Gilead Power has won a court appeal, allowing it to proceed with the 22.5 MW Ostrander Point wind project. Earlier, an Environmental Review Tribunal had revoked the project’s renewable energy approval. [reNews]

¶   Japan unveiled its first draft energy policy since the Fukushima meltdowns three years ago, saying nuclear power remains an important source of electricity for the country. The draft was presented to the Cabinet for approval expected in March. [Thegardenisland.com]

¶   Bypassing government guidelines, TEPCO said it will end compensation payments next February to people whose incomes have fallen because of the Fukushima nuclear accident. TEPCO says employment has improved, so the compensation is not needed. [Asahi Shimbun]

Australia:

¶   “The Great Australian Electricity Rip-Off” Nigel Morris says he is not a conspiracy theorist and gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. But, he says, the Australian public is being duped and constantly lied to on a monumental scale about electricity. [Energy Collective]

¶   Only 13% of Australians believe the renewable energy target is too high, despite the government reviewing the policy with the aim of reducing its impact on electricity prices. 39% said it was “about right” and 25% thought it was too low. [The Guardian]

¶   Wind farms have been shown to have no ill health effects, but the Australian anti-renewables lobby is hard at work saying they do. As fossil fuels continue to burn and pollute, a government witch-hunt has brought renewable energy investment to a halt. [Crikey]

US:

¶   The biggest military solar power plant in the US has just been completed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, a 16.4 MW installation that is expected to save about $500,000 in electricity costs yearly and provide about 35% of the base’s electricity. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Geothermal Energy Association has a new report on geothermal power in California. Most of California’s efforts for clean power have focused on solar energy, but the state has a great deal of geothermal potential that remains largely untapped. [Hydrogen Fuel News]

¶   The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments about whether carbon pollution limits will continue, under a Clean Air Act safeguard requiring major stationary source polluters to use available control technology. [InvestorIdeas.com]

Science and Technology:

¶   The idea that ammonia can be used as a fuel, while not new, is not widely known. The use of historically cheap coal and natural gas has kept ammonia on the sidelines in the electricity market as well. But one company is trying to change that. [Investing.com]

¶   The evidence is mounting that natural gas has no net climate benefit in any timescale that matters to humanity. In the real world, natural gas is not a “bridge” fuel to a carbon-free economy. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   With the right policy and regulatory support, the Baringa report and Scottish government analysis shows renewables in the Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles can deliver up to 5% of Britain’s electricity demand by 2030. [reNews]

¶   Energy production from wind resources in the Czech Republic increased a “disappointing” 15% to 478 GWh in 2013, industry backers said. This follows abolition of the feed-in tariff for all renewable projects over 100 kW. [UPI.com]

¶   Doubts have arisen over potential conflicts of interests of a controversial panel appointed by the Australian government to review the Renewable Energy Target after contradictory statements about the process used to select its members. [Sydney Morning Herald]

¶   Doubling the amount of wind energy on the Irish grid is key to preventing higher electricity bills in the future, Energy Minister Pat Rabbitte has said. Increasing the amount of renewable energy would provide a “hedge”against future oil and gas hikes. [Irish Independent]

¶   A report on Australia’s liquid fuel security warns that a severely declining oil refining industry, and increasing demand, could result in a scenario in 2030 where it has less than 20 days worth of fuel in reserve, and 100% imported liquid fuel dependency. [RenewEconomy]

¶   The new £16 billion nuclear power station at Hinkley Point looks set to go ahead whatever the results of the next election after Labour said it would stick by the contract to build the plant and hoped it would be the first of many. [Western Daily Press]

US:

¶   As Exxon Mobil’s CEO, it is Rex Tillerson’s job to promote the hydraulic fracturing enabling the recent oil and gas boom, and fight regulatory oversight. Nevertheless, he joined a lawsuit that cites fracking’s consequences when it is near his home. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Hawaii’s installed renewable nameplate capacity in 2013 was just over 600 MW, more than triple the amount that existed in 2005. Nearly 57 MW of additional renewable capacity is currently slated to enter service in 2014, with many more projects planned. [Business Spectator]

¶   NhSolarGarden.com is the first company in New Hampshire to offer group net metering, which lets off-site users benefit from energy created from a solar power array. The company was founded earlier this year. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   Numerous investors, including state government agencies, have filed shareholder resolutions with such fossil fuel companies as Exxon Mobil and Chevron, seeking an explanation of their strategies for competing in a low-carbon global market. [Triple Pundit]

Opinion:

¶   “Reaching Limits to Growth: What Should our Response Be?” Oil limits seem to be pushing us toward a permanent downturn, including a crash in credit availability, loss of jobs, and even possible government collapse. [Energy Collective]

Pictorial:

¶   “40 Religious Groups Practicing Creation Care with Wind Turbines” To mirror the 40 days of Lent, here are 40 churches, religious schools and faith-based organizations around the world that are putting their faith to work by promoting wind energy. [Clean Energy News]

World:

¶   Lightsource Renewable Energy has asked people living near a new solar site in Devon to help shape the solar farm through landscape management and wildlife conservation plans. In the site, 19 out of the planned 27 acres remain completely open and unused. [Blue & Green Tomorrow]

¶   The government of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu has drawn up an ambitious plan to generate 3,400 MW through solar energy, of which 700 MW of solar power plants are expected to be commissioned this year. [The Hindu]

¶   The European Investment Bank is providing a long-term loan of €200 million to the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency to help finance renewable energy projects and promote energy efficiency in the country. [SmartMeters]

¶   The Government of Niue [an island in the South Pacific] is expecting savings to the tune of NZ$137,000 (US$113,000) per annum with the recent commissioning of their solar photovoltaic system project.  [The Jet Newspaper]

¶   German Ambassador to Bangladesh Albrecht Conze has expressed his reservations on setting up nuclear power plants in Bangladesh, saying that the country is too populated and runs risks of earthquakes that may lead to a nuclear disaster. [The Daily Star]

¶   The private consortium that will manage the decommissioning of Britain’s ageing Magnox nuclear reactors will not be held financially liable if they suffer a major radioactive incident – even if it costs billions of pounds to clear up. [The Guardian]

US:

¶   At the “Three Amigos Summit,” where President Obama met with the prime minister of Canada and the president of Mexico, he made one of his strongest statements on Keystone XL to date, tying the pipeline to the broader climate concerns.  [Energy Collective]

¶   The US Army continues to move on renewable power. A coal-fired power plant at Fort Drum, New York, has been refitted to burn local biomass, and it will be providing up to 100 percent of the facility’s electricity, 24/7. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Recently, Duke Energy CEO Lynn Good has been on a media warpath against net metering. At the same time, former Duke CEO and Chairman Jim Rogers has suddenly come out strong in support of more distributed energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Northeast Utilities in Massachusetts opposes a plan that would bring economic growth to the state while boosting use of cleaner and more efficient solar energy. NU prefers investing in large transmission and gas projects that grow profits. [CleanTechnica]

¶   EIA’s latest prediction that about 60 gigawatts of coal will retire by 2016 is up from about 40 gigawatts that it predicted just last year, and more than double the 27 gigawatts it predicted in 2012. [Energy Collective]

Opinion:

¶   “Despite New Plants, Nuclear Future Still Decades Away” The Energy Department provided financing for the nation’s first new nuclear plants in years, but a generation of new plants remains a long way off. [U.S. News & World Report]

Science and Technology:

¶   Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new type of low-temperature fuel cell that directly converts biomass to electricity with assistance from a catalyst activated by solar or thermal energy. [Science Daily]

¶   EPA has announced that the two primary encapsulated uses of coal ash are safe, so recyclers have no legitimate remaining arguments to support their previous requests for a weak coal ash rule. [Energy Collective]

World:

¶   The Northern Cape is ready to become South Africa’s renewable energy hub through the construction of large solar and wind power stations, Premier Sylvia Lucas said on Friday. [AllAfrica.com]

¶   The Guardian has run an unprecedented banner headline in response to the record-smashing deluges that have inundated the UK: “Climate change is here now. It could lead to global conflict. Yet the politicians squabble.” [Energy Collective]

US:

¶   The US Army has handed out 20 new solar, wind and biomass base contracts under its $7 billion renewables drive. The agreements were signed off by under the US Army Corps of Engineers under the Multiple Award Task Order Contract scheme. [reNews]

¶   California SB 594 was passed, making it legal for power generated from an on-site renewable facility to be counted against other meters. Farms and ranches typically have multiple electrical meters on their property, and so will benefit from the change. [Daily Democrat]

¶   California’s second-largest county wants to designate almost ten percent of its land for renewable energy development, and a cultural protection group is taking up metaphorical arms against the core of the proposed policy. So much for NIMBYism. [KCET]

¶   According to the latest Energy Infrastructure Update report from the FERC, non-hydro renewable energy sources accounted for more than 99% of all new domestic electrical generating capacity installed during January 2014 for a total of 324 MW. [PennEnergy]

¶   The Washington State Senate passed a bill that would create a task force to study nuclear power as a replacement for fossil fuels with a 34-15 vote. It moved to the House Technology and Economic Development Committee on Feb. 20 for a public hearing. [Auburn Reporter]

¶   Upon completion of a new solar array, the 640-member Farmers Electric Cooperative of southeastern Iowa will have over 1,500 Watts of solar per customer on their system, nearly double the #2 utility. It’s also the most reliable utility in Iowa. [CleanTechnica]

Opinion:

¶   “Anti-Clean Energy Lobby Targets Ohio Renewables” The chair of the Ohio Senate Public Utilities Committee has renewed efforts to roll back clean energy policies. It may not make it out of committee, but it offers a venue for fossil fuel interests. [EarthTechling]

¶   “Why The Economics Don’t Favor Nuclear Power In America” by Mark Cooper From 2011 through 2013, the overwhelming majority of the new reactors that had been proposed as part of the “Nuclear Renaissance” were abandoned or delayed … [Forbes]

¶   “The World’s Largest Solar Plant is Frying Birds — Should We Worry?” The world’s largest solar power plant, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, officially opened for business a few days ago, but not all environmentalists are happy about it. [inhabitat]

World:

¶   China’s National Energy Administration announced it has set a 2014 goal of incentivizing 14 gigawatts of domestic solar capacity, 6 gigawatts aimed at utility-scale and 8 gigawatts aimed at distributed generation. [Energy Collective]

¶   The world’s largest district heat pump is on show. Located in the city of Drammen in Norway, it harvests heat from the freezing waters of the fjord and boosts it to 90⁰C for heating the buildings of the city. [PR Web]

¶   During a joint Vietnam-US workshop on wind power cooperation in Ho Chi Minh City, the US Consul General said the US is willing to provide technical assistance and share experience in developing renewable energy in Vietnam. [eco-business.com]

¶   Chile saw an explosion of solar capacity in January, largely due to connection of part of a large PV system. Chile had 6.7 MW of grid-connected solar in December of 2013. The following month, that figure had soared to more than 100 MW. [pv magazine]

¶   Ontario officials have cleared NextEra Energy Canada’s 60MW Adelaide wind project. An Environmental Review Tribunal has dismissed an appeal of the renewable energy approval (REA) that was granted in August 2013. [reNews]

US:

¶   The US Department of the Interior has approved two solar power projects on public land in California and Nevada. The projects on the Nevada-California border are expected to have a power generation capacity of 550 MW combined. [PennEnergy]

¶   By a 4-1 vote, the Vermont Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee approved S.201, a bill that would give communities hosting new energy projects more say in the Public Service Board’s review process. [Brattleboro Reformer]

Opinion:

¶   “Carbon divestment is a shining example” The divestment campaign – which originated in the United States and is now making its way across the Atlantic – is one shining example of what is needed to curb greenhouse gas emissions. [The Guardian] (The author, Mary Robinson, served as president of Ireland from 1990 to 1997 and UN high commissioner for human rights from 1997 to 2002.)

¶   “When baseload fossil fuel plants are no longer baseload” Times are changing, systems are becoming smarter and more flexible, and base load generation no longer reigns supreme in the way it once did. Most analysts suggest it is on an inevitable decline. [RenewEconomy]

Science and Technology:

¶   Eco Marine Power of Japan says that its rigid sail technology for ships, known as EnergySail, has successfully concluded function testing. EnergySail is a rigid structure that can be used to convert both wind and light power into energy. [The Motorship]

¶   US project developer American Vanadium has announced that the US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory would evaluate and demonstrate the CellCube vanadium redox flow energy storage system at its state-of-the-art testing facility. [Creamer Media’s Mining Weekly]

¶   A consortium consisting of Topell Energy and three electricity companies successfully tested a torrefaction technology to produce high quality, light, dry and very energy-dense ‘biopellets’ from biomass. [Biomass Magazine]

¶   Imperial College research says useful life of turbines may be longer than some people have asserted, countering claims machines need replacing after just 10 years. Wind turbines can remain productive for up to 25 years. [Business Green]

World:

¶   Saudi Arabia will spend $173 billion on energy projects between now and 2018. Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in renewable energy in a bid to curb domestic consumption of fossil fuels, which eats into oil export revenues. [ArabianBusiness.com]

¶   Used EV batteries will be reused for storing grid power in Japan. The  island of Hokkaido has announced a 60-MWh/15-MW redox flow battery storage project would be built by Sumitomo because of large amount of solar PV systems being installed. [OilPrice.com]

¶   Abundance Generation has received another vote of confidence in its crowd-funding renewable investment model, after raising a record £214,000 in just four days towards its latest wind energy project. [Business Green]

¶   The Australian today reports that the Renewable Energy Target will “likely” be weakened in the wake of Alcoa’s decision to close the electricity guzzling Point Henry aluminium smelter in Victoria. [Business Spectator]

¶   The latest sustainability report from IKEA has shown that the retailer is close to meeting its target of all its home furnishing products being either renewable, recyclable or recycled. It showed that in 2013, 98% of its products met this criterion. [Resource Efficient Business]

¶   A large amount of radioactive water, estimated to be 100 metric tons, has leaked from a holding tank at Fukushima Daiichi. The water is being absorbed into the ground, and is not going directly into the ocean, according to TEPCO. [CNN]

US:

¶   Stanford University professor Mark Z Jacobson’s proposed roadmap t0 a 100% renewably-powered US has a lot of solar and hydro in it, but for the most part, it is full of windpower. Bio-mass is notably absent. [Motherboard]

¶   Federal officials have announced the approval of two solar energy projects on public lands in California and Nevada. The plants are expected to supply 550 MW of renewable energy, enough to power about 170,000 homes. More than 700 jobs will be created. [CBS Local]

¶   Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced 18 projects that receive funding through the Renewable Heat NY program, to help install high-efficiency, low-emission wood-fired heating equipment, according to a recent article in Biomass Magazine. [EIN News]

¶   Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz confirmed Wednesday the Obama administration will make available billions of dollars in federal loan guarantees to support private construction efforts. [Washington Times]

Corporate Initiatives:

¶   Walmart is ahead of its self-imposed pace to convert to renewable energy and cut energy use, the company said as it held its annual Global Sustainability Milestone Meeting on February 17. [Environmental Leader]

¶   In its just-released Sustainability Report for 2013, Ikea indicated it is well on its way to generating 70 percent of its energy from renewables by 2017 and becoming a 100 percent renewable energy company by 2020. [brandchannel.com]

Science and Technology:

¶   The great potential that graphene has shown with regard to electronics and energy technologies is well known, but there’s quite a bit more to graphene than ‘just’ that…. In particular, the material interacts very strangely with water. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been underestimating methane leaks from natural gas production and use by 25% to 75%, according to a comprehensive assessment of more than 200 studies. [CleanTechies]

¶   El Hierro, the smallest and most remote of Spain’s Canary Islands, has embraced renewable resources, most notably through an innovative hybrid hydro-wind system, in which excess windpower provides pumping for pumped storage. [EarthTechling]

¶   A recent poll of climate experts asked what investments they would recommend to combat climate change. The numbers are: 29% for distributed renewable power, 26% for efficiency, 17% for next-generation nuclear, and 10% for centralized renewables. [IEEE Spectrum]

World:

¶   As Australia’s political leaders shift firmly into reverse on climate change, China and the US have jointly reaffirmed their commitment to contribute significantly to global efforts to meet the climate challenge. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Agreement in Denmark’s parliament this week cleared the way for passage of a bill to establish a legally binding requirement that Denmark cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent below 1990′s levels by 2020. [CleanTechnica]

¶   In Australia, the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme will have a zero net cost impact on household power bills, according to an analysis released today by the REC Agents Association. Its cost is matched by reduction in the wholesale price it causes. [The Australian]

¶   EU Competition Commissioner Joaquín Almunia and German Energy Minister Sigmar Gabriel came closer to agreeing on reforms for Germany’s Renewable Energy Law after a meeting in Berlin on 17 February. [EurActiv]

¶   Tokyo’s new governor has announced the creation of a public-private fund for the region to use for investment in renewable energy. The proposed fund could reach ¥4 billion (US$39 million). [eco-business.com]

¶   By embracing conservation measures and renewable energy, China can transition to an 80 percent renewable electric power system by 2050 at far less cost than continuing to rely on coal, according to a new report from WWF-US. [WWF International]

¶   Wind power has saved Ireland more than €1 billion in imported energy costs, cut greenhouse gas emissions and has not added to customers’ energy bills, according to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. [Irish Times]

US:

¶   EDP Renewables – a Madrid, Spain-headquartered company specializing in renewable energy – has begun the construction of the Lone Valley Solar Project – part of a 30 MW solar PV project in Southern California, US. [pv magazine]

¶   Olson Homes recently opened Oakgrove Walk in La Verne, CA, offering all new homes that exceed Title 24 standards by 15%. Along with a number of other green attributes, Oakgrove Walk offers solar as a standard feature on all of its homes. [Your Renewable News]

Opinion:

¶   “Benefits of a 100% renewable New York” How does this sound for New Yorkers: saving $2,000 in annual energy costs – or saving $4,100 per person in energy, health and climate costs each year? [Investigative Post]

¶   “Amory Lovins: energy visionary sees renewables revolution in full swing” From the Hypercar to home insulation, the early visions of the influential physicist are becoming a reality. “Heating systems are so 20th century,” he says. [The Guardian]

Science and Technology:

¶   EU targets of 30% for renewables and 40% energy savings by 2030 would be likely to lead to cuts of between 45% and 54% in greenhouse gas emission reductions compared with 1990 levels, according to a report. [reNews]

World:

¶   China is set to become the global leader for electric vehicle (EV) fast charging. ABB, a power and automation technology group, is working together with Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co. on the rollout of a record EV fast-charger network. [CleanTechnica]

¶   DRAX today said that its transformation to become a predominantly renewable power provider is well underway. During 2013, its earnings before interest taxation, depreciation and amortization fell by 23% reflecting increasing carbon costs. [Yorkshire Post] (DRAX is converting the largest coal-burning station in the UK to biomass.)

¶   According to a recent report from Navigant Research, the portion of energy consumption in the mining industry supplied by renewable energy will grow from less than 0.1% to at least 5% – and possibly up to 8% – by 2022. [Digitimes]

¶   Egypt’s domestic market may reach 80% usage for new and renewable energy by 2025, according to Mohamed Moussa Oumran, first secretary at the Ministry of Energy and Electricity. [Al-Bawaba]

¶   The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Program has allocated $1 million to Samoa, the Cook Islands and Kiribati for renewable energy. Much of the funding will go towards a solar system on a remote island in the Cook Islands. [Radio New Zealand]

¶    A €34 million solar plus storage project received funding under an innovative model, in the French territory of Réunion Island. The operator will commit to an amount of electricity for the island’s grid a day in advance, making availability predictable. [RenewEconomy]

¶   Nuclear power accounted for the largest share (29%) of domestic energy generating capacity in the European Union in 2012. It was followed by renewables (22%), solid fuels (21%), gas (17%) and oil (10%). [Energy Live News]

¶   International ratings agency Fitch said that nuclear generators are likely to be cash-flow negative in 2014 because of large spending programmes and weak electricity demand in western Europe, amid a general environment of uncertainty.[Nuclear Engineering]

US:

¶   Distributed energy resources, far from being a tiny fraction of the country’s massive central generation fleet, may account for up to one-third of the total US electricity supply by decade’s end. [Energy Collective]

¶   A Seattle company hopes to harness some of the fiercest winds off the Pacific Coast. Principle Power has got a nod from the U.S. Department of the Interior to proceed with its application to lease 15 square miles of federal waters near Coos Bay, Oregon. [Yakima Herald-Republic]

¶   Utah homeowners and other small customers could buy electricity produced by solar, wind and other renewable sources under a bill introduced in the Utah House. Rocky Mountain Power, the state’s largest utility, opposes the bill. [Salt Lake Tribune]

¶   Google invested $168 million into the Ivanpah solar plant, the latest in a series of 15 investments Google has made in renewable energy in just under a year. This takes the company past the $1 billion amount for its total investment in wind and solar energy. [TechWeekEurope UK]

¶   An Ohio state senator, backed by local car dealers has for the second time introduced a measure that would ban the sales of the Tesla Model S. So much for the unfettered free market, eh? [CleanTechnica]

Finance:

¶   Larger companies from a variety of backgrounds, including ExxonMobil, DuPont, and BP, are seeing the potential in biofuels and are investing in a range of different advanced biofuel technologies. [DailyFinance]

¶   Exposure to companies with extensive fossil fuel reserves and companies with high carbon emissions ranks as the top concern among trends in environmental, social and governance issues, driving pension funds to examine the risks and to craft responses. [Pensions & Investments]

World:

¶   The Abbott government has appointed a self-professed climate sceptic to head an “extensive” review of Australia’s renewable energy target. Abbott has signalled before Christmas the target could be wound back or the scheme scrapped. [The Guardian]

¶   Farmers in the UK are increasingly finding that renewable power production makes their farms financially more viable. Almost 40% of U.K. farmers are investing in renewable energy compared with just 5% in 2010. [Triple Pundit]

¶   The European Investment Bank has offered assistance for development of renewable energy projects in Pakistan. The bank is looking forward to Pakistan’s working on wind power projects to meet its rising energy needs, and is also accessing hydropower. [eco-business.com]

¶   Vietnam considers the development of renewable energy a top priority in its national climate change strategy. Vietnam has begun exploring the potential of its promising bio- gas, wind power, solar power and geothermal electricity resources. [Global Times]

¶   E.ON has submitted a planning application to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit for the Quantans Hill wind farm development. The facility is to be installed with up to 19 turbines that could generate up to 57 MW of electricity. [SmartMeters]

¶   According to a report in Russia’s daily news agency, Kommersant, the Iranian ambassador said that Russia could build a second reactor at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant in exchange for 500,000 barrels of oil per day. [International Business Times UK]

US:

¶   Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) has committed to a $25 million (€18.2 million) equity investment in Rennovia, a privately held company which develops catalysts and processes for the production of renewable feedstock-based chemical products. [BioEnergy News]

¶   A compromise working its way through the Oregon Legislature could end a longstanding fight over renewable energy mandates, which was about to come to a head at the ballot box in November. [The Register-Guard]

¶   U.S. Representative Dave Loebsack (D-IA) introduced legislation that would establish a grant program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture to invest in renewable and alternative fuel infrastructure. [NACS Online]

¶   Duke Energy issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking Solar Farm projects of over 20 MW that can be commissioned by December 31, 2015. Innovative Solar Systems already has twelve projects underway, totaling 620 MW, that meet the criteria. [PR Web]

Opinion:

¶   “Spying on environmentalists – the American Petroleum Institute” The US fossil fuel industry has been caught red-handed spying on green activists. But it has received poor value for money – and is no closer to tackling the ‘existential crisis’ it faces. [The Ecologist]

¶   “Carbon investments may run out of gas” Investors are being urged to recognise the risk of putting money into the fossil fuel industry. About 80% of known fossil fuel reserves are ”unburnable carbon”, risking leaving investors holding stranded assets. [Otago Daily Times]

Science and Technology:

¶   A new analysis published in Science today concludes that more methane is leaking from natural gas wells and pipelines than the federal government has estimated, eroding some of the climate benefits of the cleaner-burning fuel. [Energy Collective]

¶   2013 was more than a rough year for weather. It was a sign of things to come. Drought and storms have always been with us, but climate change is making them more intense—the equivalent of pumping them with steroids. [Energy Collective]

World:

¶   The South Australian government has given approval for the development of a $1.5 billion, 197 turbine wind farm on the Yorke Peninsula in the state’s west. The 600 MW Ceres project would be the largest in the southern hemisphere if built. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Mainstream Renewable Power has announced eight wind and solar projects, spread across four continents. They will have a combined capacity exceeding 1,000 MW when complete, generating enough electricity to power more than half a million homes. [Renewable Energy Focus]

¶   Panama’s government has put into operation the country’s first solar plant. The 2.4 MW plant was built with the support of the Italian government and Rome-based Enel Green Power, which donated $9 million for the project. [Hispanically Speaking News]

¶   New Zealand’s Green Party is introducing a new energy policy. They want the Crown to lend money to households for the cost of installing PV systems at the same rate at which it borrows money – at present 4.1%. [Radio New Zealand]

US:

¶   A new white paper report finds that wind energy is keeping electric bills low for American homes and businesses, thanks to plummeting wind energy costs driven by technological improvements. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Stanford Professor Mark Jacobson and his colleagues have put online a new roadmap to renewable energy for all 50 states. The interactive roadmap is tailored to maximize the resource potential of each state. [Science Codex] (The site is not given in the article, but is at THIS LINK. Scroll down for the roadmap.)

¶   Operators of the Davis-Besse nuclear plant that sits beside Lake Erie say workers there found a gap within the concrete of a protective wall. An NRC spokeswoman told The Blade newspaper in Toledo it’s too early to say whether the gap was a problem. [Michigan Radio]

World:

¶   Leading investment bank Citigroup says Australian utilities will be impacted by the ‘energy Darwinism” that is currently sweeping the global electricity industries. And Australian utilities have a high risk that they will come off second best. [CleanTechnica]

¶   New analysis shows that the additional costs associated with building to the proposed Zero Carbon Standard in the UK have declined significantly since 2011, and are expected to continue to fall as we approach 2020. [CleanTechnica]

¶   In Ireland, the Knocknagoum wind farm has begun operation. Located in County Kerry, Knocknagoum consists of 26 Vestas turbines and is capable of producing 44.35 MW, enough to power over 29,000 homes, saving 72,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. [Renewable Energy Focus]

¶   Canadian Beothuk Energy has selected a site in western Newfoundland for a C$400m 180MW offshore wind demonstration project. Beothuk says the St. George’s Bay location is outside of both major shipping lanes and bird migration routes. [reNews]

¶   TEPCO says that 37,000 becquerels of cesium-134 and 93,000 becquerels of cesium-137 were detected per liter of groundwater sampled from a monitoring well earlier in the day, Russia Today reported on Friday. [Press TV]

US:

¶   In a study by iSeeCars, the Tesla Model S had an averaged used sale price of more than $99,700. That’s about $10,000 more than the top-tier 85 kWh P85+ model sells for new, and doesn’t even factor in the $7,500 Federal tax credit or local incentives. [CleanTechnica]

¶   While biodiesel has its own limitations, it does not face the issue of a limited market based on policy or regulation. Biodiesel production and use reached record levels in 2013 with production nearing 1.7 billion gallons. [Michigan State University Extension]

¶   The president of the American Soybean Association urged the EPA to amend its proposed 2014 and 2015 Renewable Fuel Standard volume requirements for biomass-based diesel. [High Plains Journal]

¶   The Michigan PSC says they are on pace to meet its renewable energy standard of 10% next year. The state reached 5.4% in 2012 and 6.9% in 2013, mostly from wind. And ratepayer surcharges to develop renewable power dropped from $3 to 43¢ per month. [MLive.com]

¶   A ribbon cutting ceremony for a new photovoltaic solar array project on the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona was held on Feb. 13. The 16.4 megawatt solar array is the largest of its kind on any U.S. Department of Defense installation. [DVIDS]

Opinion:

¶   “Wake up, the clean energy ‘revolution’ is here” Despite numbers for last year, America remains in the thick of a far-reaching sustainable energy “revolution” with “major implications. [Business Green]

Science and Technology:

¶   The University of Greenwich has won funding for three pieces of research related to algae. The research on algae gives hope for renewable carbon-negative source for a whole range of essential products including food, medicines and fuel. [Phys.Org]

¶   Avancis has achieved a new world record for efficiency of encapsulated thin-film solar modules. The company’s cadmium free CIS solar module achieved a peak value of 16.6%, as confirmed by the US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. [Compound Semiconductor]

World:

¶   The UK-based Renewable Energy Association has welcomed publication of the Environment Agency’s updated Quality Protocol for digestate from anaerobic digestion, setting standards and increasing market confidence in digestate for fertilizer. [Biomass Magazine]

¶   The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change awarded funds to a partnership of Viridor Waste Management Ltd. and Highview Power Storage to seek to commercialize technology that turns air into liquid as a way to store energy from intermittent sources. [Bloomberg]

¶   The Scottish island of Eigg currently produces 90% to 95% of its electricity from wind, water, and solar. The system provides a limited supply, with a 5 kW per household maximum load, but runs 24-7. The previous diesel system ran five hours per day. [Motherboard]

¶   Despite advances in research and development on renewable energy, Small Island Developing States in the Pacific remain the most energy-poor in the world, with an estimated 70% of the population still without access to reliable energy. [Islands Business]

¶   The Scandinavian-German panel manufacturer Innotech Solar has supplied more than 1,400 photovoltaic modules with a total output of 360 kW peak to schools in England. Nineteen schools have received panels so far, and others will soon. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   Abundance Generation, a crowd-funding platform that allows direct investment in UK renewable energy, is extending its portfolio to bigger budget projects in 2014. The company is launching drive for a £1.5 million single wind turbine in Cornwall. [Greenwise Business]

¶   Feldheim (population 150), in the cash-strapped state of Brandenburg, was a communist collective farm when Germany still was divided. Now it is a model renewable energy village putting into practice Germany’s vision of a renewably powered future. [GreenBiz.com]

US:

¶   The 2014 installment of the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook, produced by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, has found that renewable energy and energy efficiency advancements are leading a transformation of America’s energy. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   BELECTRIC Inc.has announced the completion of four individual solar facilities in San Bernardino County in late December 2013. The projects are 1.95 MW each and have a combined capacity of 7.8 MW. [pv magazine]

¶   Citing corporate rights under the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, a St. Louis, Missouri circuit court judge has temporarily blocked a citizen-led municipal ballot initiative that could end city tax breaks to “unsustainable” fossil fuel companies. [RT]

¶   Federal authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the massive coal ash spill into North Carolina’s Dan River, targeting both the energy company responsible for the ash pond that leaked and the state’s environmental regulator. [Al Jazeera America]

¶   The State Department softened some of its sunniest growth predictions for Canadian oil sands by rail in its final environmental review of Keystone XL — but greens still warn that only analysts in rose-colored glasses could see trains as a viable substitute for the pipeline. [Energy Collective]

¶   Even before TVA finishes building its new nuclear unit, the utility is preparing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to replace faulty steam generators in the new reactor within the first decade of its operation. [Chattanooga Times Free Press]

Finance:

¶   Legendary hedge fund investor Jeremy Grantham says there is no doubt that solar and wind energy will completely replace coal and gas across the globe, it is just a matter of when. He says, “The question is only whether it takes 30 years or 70 years.” [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶   For the first time, scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California say they produced more energy from their fuel source in a nuclear fusion reaction than they put into the fuel. [CNN]

World:

¶   The Australian solar industry is preparing for what it calls a “David and Goliath” battle against the country’s biggest generators and network operators. It is a contest that pitches households and their solar modules against the centralized utilities. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The European Commission has delivered what Greenpeace UK says can only be called a scathing initial verdict on the UK Government’s deal with French state-owned EDF to build the first new nuclear reactors in the UK for a generation. [CleanTechnica]

¶   In a meeting with the EC Representatives of six large companies pointed out that the EC’s own figures show their 30% green energy goal would create 570,000 jobs and save €260 billion in fossil fuel imports, compared with a single carbon-cutting target. [Budapest Business Journal]

¶   Renewable energy plants constructed in the last 10 years will save Turkey $5.5 billion in natural gas imports each year for the next 49 years, according to Turkey’s Energy Minister. [www.worldbulletin.net]

¶   New Delhi: India will add nearly 30,000 MW of power generation capacity from renewable energy sources – doubling it from the current size – in the next 4 years, according to a senior official. Of that, 20,000 MW would be wind, and 10,000 solar. [INDOlink]

¶   A biogas liquefaction plant supplied by Wärtsilä will produce biofuel for buses in Norway by converting household food waste into liquid biofuel. The new liquefaction plant is able to produce enough fuel to run 135 buses. [Your Renewable News]

US:

¶   The California Public Utilities Commission has proposed a plan for power sources to replace the San Onofre nuclear power plant, largely by relying a lot more on renewable energy, though environmental activists say the plan could be a lot better. [KCET]

¶   Citing levelized cost of energy data from the National Renewable Energy Lab, the Department of Energy says that the average price for a utility-scale PV project has dropped from about $0.21/kWh in 2010 to $0.11/kWh at the end of 2013. [Fierce Energy]

¶   The Solar Foundation says Vermont is ranked first for solar jobs per capita. There are approximately 1,300 solar jobs total in installation, manufacturing and project development. Vermont added about 990 solar jobs from 2012 to 2013. [Bennington Banner]

¶   The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System is now operational and delivering solar electricity to California customers. At full capacity, the facility produces a gross total of 392 MW of solar power. [Your Renewable News]

Opinion:

¶   “A 10-Year Oil Supply Retrospective Shows Unwarranted Optimism” Ten years ago the Oil & Gas Journal published a story from CERAWeek, an annual oil industry conference put on by Cambridge Energy Research Associates, that bears revisiting. [Resilience]

¶   “Renewables’ Disruption Of The Utility Business Model Is A Good Thing” Renewables were 69% of new capacity added in 2012 in Europe and 49% in the United States. Not surprisingly, this threatens outmoded business models and fossil-fuel generation. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶   The UN has issued its climate change report, which concludes that global warming is unequivocal, human influence on the system is clear, and limiting climate change will require substantial and sustained reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. [Energy Collective]

¶   HyperSolar, Inc., a developer of technology to produce renewable hydrogen using sunlight and any source of water, today announced that its artificial photosynthesis technology is now capable of producing 1.2 volts for use in hydrogen production. [RenewablesBiz]

World:

¶   An imposing concrete flak tower in Hamburg that has sat dormant for decades is now used to generate enough heat for 3,000 homes and enough electricity for another 1,000 via several renewable energy technologies. [Mother Nature Network]

¶   UK air traffic provider NATS has signed a radar mitigation deal with SSE and Vattenfall that could if widely adopted unlock up to 2.2 GW of new wind energy across Scotland and England. [reNews]

¶   Eddie O’Connor’s Mainstream Renewable Power has announced plans for €3.1 billion of new green energy projects in four countries. The planned projects in Canada, Chile, Scotland and South Africa will have a combined output of more than 1,000 MW. [Irish Independent]

¶   Lockheed Martin has signed a $230 million agreement with a unit of US-based Ocean Power Technologies to harness the motion of ocean waves to generate electricity off the coast of Australia. [Business Spectator]

¶   In his latest action to prevent a windfarm from being built off the coast of Aberdeen, within sight of his Scottish golf resort, Donald Trump has been once more rebuffed by a Scottish court. He claimed his human rights were being violated. It did not work. [EarthTechling]

¶   As always, big money is attempting to have its say in renewable energy, and such is happening in Australia, where coal and gas power producers are blaming solar power for their financial woes. [The Green Optimistic]

¶   The Indian government is aiming to swap out 26 million fossil-fuel-powered groundwater pumps for solar-powered ones, Bloomberg reports. The pumps are used by farmers and currently rely on diesel generators or electric power from the grid. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Two cracks were discovered in a concrete floor near radioactive water storage tanks on the grounds of the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the plant operator said Feb. 11. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   Washington Gas Energy Systems, Inc. today announced the completion of two solar projects that will generate renewable energy for Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California. and Corcoran Unified School District in Corcoran, California. [AZoCleantech]

¶   Connecticut’s electric utilities are kicking off the second round of the state’s small Zero-emissions Renewable Energy Credit program on February 14. Installations of less than 100 KW get a chance to receive 15-year contracts for their renewable credits. [Hartford Business]

¶   New York has officially launched its Green Bank, confirming plans to boost investment in environmental technologies and renewable energy, such as wind farms and solar panels. [Business Green]

¶   FirstEnergy Corp. is beginning a $600 million construction project to replace the two steam generators at its Davis-Besse reactor in Ottawa County, about 25 miles east of Toledo on Lake Erie. [The Plain Dealer]

Finance:

¶   Clean Reach, the world’s first crowdfunding platform for the ocean energy industry launched today, debuting with five projects. One university professor estimates that just 0.1% of the ocean’s energy could support the needs of 15 billion people. [Crowdfund Insider]

Science and Technology:

¶   There is a growing body of research supporting the idea that bicycling can be an effective means of managing one’s health (“preventive healthcare”).  It is an idea makes perfect sense to may who bike regularly, but others are often unaware. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   Australia’s energy utilities have added a new element to their push for solar incentive schemes to be removed. Now they say rooftop solar threatens the gas networks as consumers consider other technologies. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Borusan EnBW Enerji, an Istanbul-based renewable energy company, has signed a $346 million deal with the Danish company Vestas Wind Systems to supply turbines to power 5 separate new and existing wind farms in Turkey. [Balkans.com Business News]

¶   Fukushima Prefecture has signed an agreement with the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia to work together to promote the use of renewable energy. The prefecture aims to realize a society not dependent on nuclear power. [GlobalPost]

¶   BNRG Northern Power has announced it has received planning permission for the first utility-scale solar farm in Ireland. The 5.1 MW facility will be constructed on the outskirts of Downpatrick in Northern Ireland. [Energy Matters]

¶   Decommissioning Sellafield nuclear power station in the UK will cost taxpayers at least £70 billion as costs hit “astonishing levels,” senior MPs said yesterday. “What’s worse is that the cost is likely to continue to rise.” [Morning Star Online]

¶   EDF will have to carry out maintenance to fix excess corrosion on fuel rods in 25 of its 58 French nuclear reactors, a spokeswoman for ASN, the nuclear watchdog, said Monday. Tests have shown that “unacceptable” levels of corrosion. [Platts]

US:

¶   Alstom signed a contract to supply 5 offshore wind turbines for Deepwater Wind’s 30-MW Block Island pilot Wind Farm located off the coast of Rhode Island. The 6 MW turbines are the largest available today. They will supply power for 17,000 homes. [Your Renewable News]

¶   More than 20,000 Dominion Virginia Power customers now are signed up for the Dominion Green Power program. These residential and business customers are supporting renewable energy to match some or all of their energy needs. [CIOL]

¶   Strata Solar has 300 MW of solar panels scheduled for completion in 2014 across more than 40 projects in North Carolina, Tennessee and Missouri. Its pipeline currently stands at more than 1 GW in seven states. [reNews]

¶   Apple’s desire to have its Arizona sapphire plant run entirely on renewable energy from day one has spurred the construction of new solar and geothermal power projects in the region, a new report says. [Apple Insider]

¶   The Louisiana Democratic Party is supporting lawsuits demanding that 97 oil and gas companies pay for damages to the state’s marshes that led to coastal wetlands loss and contributed to higher storm surges during hurricanes. [The INDsider]

Opinion:

¶   “Beyond Keystone XL: Eight Reasons for Optimism on Climate Change” Even considering signs that Barack Obama may approve the Keystone XL pipeline, huge and positive changes are quietly taking place. [Truth-Out]

¶   “Nationwide Wind & Solar Misinformation Scheme Making The Rounds, AWEA Responds” The fossil fuel dark side doesn’t rest in its efforts to delay a healthy, economically beneficial transition to clean energy. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   France has launched a “call for expressions of interest” for innovative solar PV, solar thermal, wind and renewable cooling projects. The call includes hybrid solutions, renewable-conventional hybrids, and technologies incorporating energy storage. [solarserver.com]

¶   India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has initiated the process to ask the World Bank, in Washington DC, for a $500 million loan to support the first 750 MW of a massive solar PV project in the state of Rajasthan. [solarserver.com]

¶   In Taiwan, the recent approval of the Feed-In-Tariff Disbursement and Collection Guidelines has ushered in more investments in the renewable energy plants powered by solar, wind, biomass and run-of-river hydro. [eco-business.com]

¶   As Australia’s south-eastern states continue to swelter and burn, the Australian Youth Climate Coalition has embarked on a nationwide campaign for the establishment of more ambitious national climate and renewable energy policies. [RenewEconomy]

¶   Political delegations from several small Caribbean islands who gathered on Richard Branson’s private isle have committed to working with his renewable energy non-profit organisation and move at a faster pace to cut their dependence on fossil fuels. [Yahoo!7 News]

¶   According to Fairfax Media, doubt over government policies has all but frozen new investment in clean energy in Australia. Infigen Energy managing director government review and unsettling rhetoric on policy had put the industry in paralysis. [Business Spectator]

¶   Turkey’s first nuclear power plant has hit further delays that will push back the start of production by almost a year after Turkish authorities requested resubmission of an environmental report, industry sources and experts said. [Balkans.com Business News]

US:

¶   The US DOE will fund up to $12 million for technologies to produce cost-competitive renewable carbon fiber from agricultural residues and woody biomass. Carbon fiber produced from biomass offers environmental benefits over that from fossil fuels. [Energy Business Review]

¶   The first wind farm project planned for Stutsman County, North Dakota will seek approval under the county’s zoning ordinance Wednesday. Plans include 100 turbines, each with a 2-MW capacity. The project’s estimated cost is $350 million. [In-Forum]

¶   Hoping to revive a sluggish solar sector, the state of New Jersey approved 19 relatively large projects to provide electricity from solar panels to the power grid over the next few years. The projects could end up supplying 140 MW of electrical capacity. [NJ Spotlight]

Financial:

¶   “Biofuels Companies Rev Up While Oilcos Sputter” What’s going on – aren’t biofuels supposed to be dead, and fracking changing everything forever in oil & gas? Yet, public oil companies languish, while bellwether renewable fuel equities are on the rise. [Alternative Energy Stocks]

World:

¶   A company in New Zealand is selling turnkey solar systems. The homeowner pays $2000 installation costs for the 3 kW system, which includes batteries, and then a $70 monthly lease payment. Installation takes just a few hours. [Stuff.co.nz]

¶   Support of the US Agency for International Development will bring a remote neighborhood in the Philippine province of Palawan a biomass gasifier, solar panels and wind turbines. It will also get an ice machine to help keep fish catches fresh. [Business Mirror]

¶   Indonesia will open three geothermal power plants with a total capacity of 62 megawatts this year, as the country is seeking to better tap its renewable energy sources to promote a green economy. [Bernama]

¶    MAN Diesel & Turbo’s recent market introduction of its new generation of waste heat recovery systems is already notching up important milestones, with installations supporting both power production and maritime traffic. [The International News Magazine]

¶   According to exit polls, Yoichi Masuzoe, who is backed by Japan’s ruling party, won Tokyo’s gubernatorial election on Sunday with 30% of the vote, defeating two candidates who had promised to end nuclear power, who each got about 20%. [Hilton Head Island Packet]

US:

¶   Mosaic is making progress with crowdfinanced a rooftop revolution. Working with the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority and Sungage Financial, Mosaic is enabling up to $5 million of crowdsourced solar loans. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The US EPA has separated hype from fact and awarded gold, silver, and bronze to the three Fortune 500 companies using the most renewable energy. Intel Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, and Kohl’s Corp. topped the list. [DailyFinance]

¶   At a cost of $8 billion, a 3000 MW windfarm is being developed on a cattle ranch in Wyoming owned by Anschutz. Transmission lines will carry the power to southern California. Construction is expected to start in 2015. [Los Angeles Times]

¶   Americans generated about 250 million tons of trash in 2011, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Organic materials like yard trimmings and food waste accounted for 28% of it. Instead of going to landfills, it could be made into fuel. [Crain’s Cleveland Business]

Science and Technology:

¶   A new process for the creation of gasoline-like fuels from cellulosic plant waste materials has been developed by researchers from UC Davis. Cellulosic plant waste is in very plentiful supply. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Sumitomo Corp. has developed and installed the world’s first large-scale power storage system which utilizes used batteries collected from electric vehicles. The prototype for a grid-scale storage system will begin operating in February 2014. [Today’s Energy Solutions]

World:

¶   India has pledged to build the world’s most powerful solar plant, with a nominal capacity of 4,000 MW. The ‘ultra mega’ project will be more than ten times larger than any other solar project built so far. [Scientific American]

¶   2014 looks like it will be an even better year for electric vehicles than 2013. IHS Automotive predicts that global electric vehicle production will increase by 67% in 2014, while global production for vehicles overall is forecast to increase by only 3.6%. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The oil sands of Athabasca are responsible for much higher levels of hazardous pollution and emissions than previously thought, according to a new report from University of Toronto Scarborough. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Mainstream Renewable Power has landed environmental approval for a 94-turbine wind farm named Sarco in northern Chile. The scheme features 2.5MW turbine hardware with 110-metre towers, and could generate around 740 GWh per annum. [reNews]

¶   Solar power has been given lift-off at the Bombardier wing-assembly plant in Belfast after the company was granted planning permission to install a 3.8 MW PV array on the factory roof. [pv magazine]

¶   Carpet tile giant Interface has further boosted its green credentials this week, confirming that it is now operating a factory in the Netherlands using solely renewable energy. [Business Green]

¶   With wind power technology gaining increased popularity and institutional support from across the world, the wind turbine towers market is expected to increase from $12.1 billion in 2013 to $19.3 billion by 2020, according to GlobalData. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   TEPCO has revised the readings on the radioactivity levels at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant well to 5 million becquerels of strontium per liter – both a record, and nearly five times higher than the original reading of 900,000 becquerels per liter. [RT]

¶   Tokyo, one of the largest and most energy-guzzling cities in the world, is set to hold elections for a new governor Feb. 9. Analysts say it could prove crucial in stopping the Japanese government from restarting some nuclear reactors this year. [Independent European Daily Express]

US:

¶   A Seattle wind company has gotten the go-ahead to develop plans for a 30-megawatt offshore wind pilot project off of Oregon’s Coos Bay, officials announced this week. The project, developed by Principle Power, would be about 15 miles off the coast of Oregon. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Solar farming, putting solar power onto an electric grid for a profit, is a relatively new practice in North Carolina. It is driven in part by large tax incentives, the availability of low-cost land and small municipalities hungry for a boost in tax revenue. [Laurinburg Exchange]

¶   A new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says the renewable energy industry is responsible for 615,000 jobs in the United States. Many Americans, from all political stripes, want to see more of it. [Natural Resources Defense Council]

Opinion:

¶   “Reality Check: Society Pays for Carbon Pollution and That’s no Benefit” Every ton of coal, and every barrel of oil, causes more in external damages than it adds value to GDP. Those who profit from producing these fuels should not get a free ride on the taxpayer. [Energy Collective]

Science and Technology:

¶   Trials by UK consumer advice group What Car claimed that carbon dioxide tailpipe emissions increased in every vehicle tested, when the vehicle was powered by 10% ethanol. The research also said cars get lower mileage, costing drivers more. [CITY A.M.]

World:

¶   Ikea’s energy program dedicates over $2 billion–three times as much as originally planned–to clean energy investment through 2015. It is designed to protect the company from energy price shocks and to tap into customers’ green wishes. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Madhya Pradesh government has approved an ambitious plan to provide electricity in 44 Naxal-hit villages of the State using solar energy. Each of 4437 households will be given with an 11 or 18 watt CFL and access to other equipment. [The Hindu]

¶   Several Caribbean nations committed on Thursday to start replacing diesel generators, the most common means of producing electricity on islands, with renewable sources like wind, solar or the earth’s heat. [New York Times]

¶   A&P Falmouth has been awarded a landmark contract by wave energy firm Seatricity to build a wave energy device to be deployed at Wave Hub, an offshore renewable energy test facility at Hayle, Cornwall. [Maritime Journal]

¶   SITA UK has signed a 30-year public-private partnership contract worth around £1.8 billion in total revenue over its duration, with the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority to convert household waste into energy. [H&V News]

¶   The Irish Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources has launched the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan to provide a framework for the sustainable development of Ireland’s offshore renewable energy resources. [Afloat]

US:

¶   Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association announced that it has entered into a 25-year agreement with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources for a 150 megawatt wind power generating facility to be constructed in eastern Colorado. [Your Industry News]

¶   Newly released reports on an attack on an electric substation in California last April raise questions about the vulnerabilities of the U.S. power grid. The Wall St. Journal speculated that the attack could have been a test ground for a larger attack. [IEEE Spectrum]

¶   Recurrent Energy, a leading North American solar project developer, announced the commercial operation of six solar PV projects totaling 106 MW peak/88 MW AC in Southern California and Arizona. [CIOL]

¶   Advances in turbine technology could transform wind development in the Southeast, adding another renewable fuel option to an area once dominated by coal. But emerging lawsuits and legislation could drive them away. [Environment & Energy Publishing]

¶   Chicago-based Exelon Corp. said Thursday on a conference call following its quarterly earnings results that it will shut down nuclear plants to save money if it doesn’t see a path to steady profits this year. [Chicago Tribune]

World:

¶   In a decisive vote, 341 to 263, the European Parliament called for three binding targets for 2030: a 40% cut in greenhouse gases from 1990 levels; at least 30% of energy to come from renewable sources; and a 40% improvement in energy efficiency. [The Guardian]

¶   Construction planning for mid-sized geothermal plants is becoming a boom energy concern across Japan in the wake of the 2011 “Great East Japan Earthquake” that effectively destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi six-nuclear-reactor complex. [OilPrice.com]

¶   According to the Bank of Scotland, banks are keen to help farmers looking to invest in small-scale renewables because it makes their businesses more resilient. Renewables provide another income source and give greater control over energy costs. [The Southern Reporter]

¶   A report from the European Commission says the deal between the UK and France to build the Hinkley C nuclear plant could constitute illegal state aid and  is raising doubt over whether the reactors will be built as planned. [PennEnergy]

US:

¶   Climate change makes Western droughts longer, stronger, and more frequent. California is now in the death-grip of a brutal, record-breaking drought, driven by the very change in the jet stream that scientists had anticipated.  [Energy Collective]

¶   “Victory for the Arctic Ocean: No Drilling Next Summer or Maybe Ever” The wild Arctic Ocean just got a blast of good news. Shell Oil bowed to the inevitable and announced it will not be drilling for oil off the coast of Alaska this summer. [Energy Collective]

¶   Azle Texas has suffered a swarm of earthquakes — more than 30 — that has cracked the foundations of the houses, frightened local residents, created sinkholes and raised concerns about property values. Increasingly, science blames fracking. [Resilience]

¶   Principle Power intends to deploy a five-turbine 30 MW Windfloat demonstration project 16 miles off the Oregon coast at Coos Bay, at depths of around 1200 feet. It will be at least a couple of years before the site can be developed. [reNews]

¶   EDP Renewables will use GE’s Wind PowerUp software to increase the power output of 402 GE 1.5-77 wind turbines located at five U.S. wind farms. The result is expected to be an additional 420,000 MWh each year, enough for 33,000 average US homes. [PennEnergy]

¶   While sky-high propane prices are causing hardships for many businesses and homeowners, they’re also helping generate interest in renewable alternatives such as wood, solar and geothermal. [Midwest Energy News]

¶   Smithfield Foods commitment to renewable energy is starting to show tangible results according to the company. Anaerobic digesters in Missouri and Utah will soon deliver electricity to neighboring communities. [Hoosier Ag Today]

World:

¶   Public support for clean energy has remained strong, according to a government survey that says 77% of Britains support renewable energy. The poll also reveals only 5% of households actively object to renewables. [Blue & Green Tomorrow]

¶   Electricity has been generated for the first time from the West of Duddon Sands Offshore Windfarm, a major renewable energy project being developed by ScottishPower Renewables and DONG Energy in the Irish Sea. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   Necker Island, the Caribbean Island owned by Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson, will shift to 75 percent renewable energy by the end of 2015. Branson said shifting to solar and wind energy will cut his energy costs by 40 percent. [Washington Post]

¶   General contractor AMEC Black & McDonald is assembling a team to build the 270 MW K2 feed-in tariff project near the southeastern shore of Lake Huron in Ontario. The 140-turbine wind farm is owned by Samsung, Pattern Energy and Capital Power. [reNews]

US:

¶   The Windthorst-2 wind power project in Windthorst, Texas, is expected to commence commercial operation in fall 2014. With 28 Siemens 2.3-MW wind turbines, the project will provide clean power to nearly 20,000 American households. [Your Renewable News]

¶   The Energy Department today announced up to $12 million in funding to advance the production of cost-competitive, high-performance carbon fiber material from renewable non-food-based feedstocks such as agricultural residues and woody biomass. [Automotive World]

¶   Renewable Energy Group Inc. has broken ground on a $13.2 million improvement project at its Newton biodiesel refinery that will increase the plant’s ability to produce higher-purity biodiesel from a wider array of raw materials. [Today’s Energy Solutions]

¶   The Ivanpah Solar Power Plant, the world’s largest solar thermal electric plant has begun operating its three generating units, which will soon deliver enough clean energy to power more than 140,000 homes in Northern and Southern California. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   Burlington Electric has settled with current owners of the Winooski One Dam for a purchase price of $16 million. This will allow Burlington Electric to provide a 100% renewable power supply and provide greater energy security. [WCAX]

¶   New wind farms in Kansas will sell wind energy to power companies as far away as Alabama. Recently completed projects included a roughly 250-megawatt farm, known as Buffalo Dunes, that will supply power to Alabama Power Company. [Topeka Capital Journal]

¶   The ENE EnergyVision report, covering New England, New York, and New Jersey, says simply switching things like building heat and transportation over to electric power, using currently available technology could cut emissions in half. [ThinkProgress]

¶   Saying Entergy Corp. “is under no legal obligation” to shut down the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, the NRC has asked Entergy for additional information before granting its request to be exempted from costly studies and safety improvements. [Barre Montpelier Times Argus]

Science and Technology:

¶   Audi has just completed a series of tests that take it a step closer to its goal of developing synthetic e-fuels as an alternative to gasoline and diesel. The company says e-fuels burn more efficiently than fossil fuels and produce fewer emissions. [Autonet.ca]

World:

¶   One of the most senior Liberal Democrats in the UK cabinet says that shale gas will not be a reality in the UK for at least a decade, and that energy policies should focus on renewable energy. [Business Green]

¶   Neste Oil produced enough renewable fuel from waste and residues last year to power over 1 million cars. Neste Oil used more waste and residues than vegetable oil to produce renewable fuel for the first time in 2013. [MarketWatch]

¶   Faced with a plunge in profits, Germany’s power utilities are having to bend to the will of the government and join the renewable energy revolution, while smartening up on the retail front with new customer-friendly energy saving products. [Business Recorder]

¶   Hutton’s Group – the UK’s leading ship supplier – is expanding its Renewables Division to better service the growing offshore oil and gas and renewable energy sectors. [BYM News]

¶   Israel’s Ministerial Committee for Renewable Energy approved the transfer of a sizable chunk of renewable energy quotas to the photovoltaic industry, as well as provisions for the state to underwrite solar facilities in the West Bank. [Jerusalem Post]

¶   Vestas has notched revenue, EBIT and free cash flow figures “above expectations” for 2013 as it reaches the end of its ‘two-year turnaround’. Figures reveal revenue for the Danish wind turbine manufacturer stood at €6084 million. [reNews]

¶   The Isle of Man Government has gone further towards exploring the opportunities for generation of offshore wind and tidal energy and is now seeking parties seeking to develop offshore energy production in Isle of Man territorial seas. [Click Green]

US:

¶   The military historically has been at the forefront of developing new power sources, and now the U.S. military is at the tip of the spear for clean energy, too, according to a new report by the Pew Charitable Trusts. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   Arkansas utilities are increasing their reliance on wind energy as the states surrounding Arkansas produce more electricity from wind. Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp and Southwest Power Pool are two examples. [THV 11]

¶   Constellation has signed a deal to build a biogas cogeneration plant in Los Angeles. The 27 MW renewable energy power plant will fuel Hyperion Treatment sewage facility with both steam and electricity. [Renewable Energy Focus]

¶   The EPA is looking to modernize radiation standards for nuclear power plants dating to the 1970s. The new standards would establish new limits on how much radiation nuclear plants can emit during normal operation without endangering public health. [The Hill]

Opinion:

¶   “Consultation is the key to curing wind turbine syndrome” Wind turbine syndrome is a symptom of a community that feels it has lost control. It has very little to do with wind farms and ‘infrasound’. [ABC Online]

¶   “No Matter How You Count Them, Fossil Fuel Subsidies Are As High As Ever” New analysis by the Worldwatch Institute says estimates range from $523 billion to over $1.9 trillion, depending on what is considered a “subsidy” and how they are tallied. [De Smog Blog]

Science and Technology:

¶   The MiniSun12H, developed by the NGO SunLife, is an affordable, durable, solar-powered light capable of providing 12 hours of light from 8 hours of charging. At just $5, it is cost-competitive with a kerosene lantern, and it never needs fuel. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   Nearly 500 MW worth of new renewable energy feed-in tariff project applications were received by Ontario’s energy regulator in the five-and-a-half week time period when the FiT window of opportunity was last open. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Spain’s National Association of Photovoltaic Energy Producers is demanding that central authorities in Madrid hold a consultative national referendum about the chosen energy model for the country. [pv magazine]

¶   The Japanese region of Fukushima, left devastated by the 2011 nuclear disaster, has said it will aim to be 100% dependent on renewable energy by 2040. The region already has an offshore wind farm, which was developed following the disaster. [Blue & Green Tomorrow]

US:

¶    A study from UC Boulder Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research says the global warming we are seeing is outside any kind of known natural variability, and it has to be due to increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. [Energy Collective]

¶   Minnesotans interested in saving money and the planet can look to an incentive program administered by the Minnesota Department of Commerce that will offer rebates to Minnesota residents and businesses who install solar thermal or PV systems. [Morris Sun Tribune]

¶   Admirals Bank, a leading national provider of residential renewable energy financing, recently agreed to participate in the Solarize Durham [NC] initiative to offer interested homeowners loan products to subsidize residential solar systems and installations. [Virtual-Strategy Magazine]

Opinion:

¶   “Why traditional utilities are like frogs in warming water” Jim Rogers, the recently retired head of Duke Energy, the biggest utility in the US, says regulations and business models will not change quick enough to save traditional utilities in face of solar. [RenewEconomy]

Science and Technology:

¶   A new, relatively low-temperature means of creating liquid fuels from common plastic waste has been developed by researchers from the Centurion University of Technology and Management, and the National Institute of Technology, both in India. [CleanTechnica]

¶   This year has seen the start of a testing program in Japan for fiber-reinforced plastic sails 20 meters high and eight meters wide. The testing is part of the Wind Challenger project to develop a next-generation cargo ship using sails to cut fuel costs by 30%. [The Maritime Executive]

World:

¶   Bloomberg New Energy Finance has revealed that China “outstripped even the most optimistic forecasts” to install a record 12 GW of photovoltaic projects in 2013. In fact, a boom at the end of the year could have pushed the total up to 14 GW. [EnergyCollective]

¶   South Africa plans to cut its reliance on the fossil fuel to about 50% 2050, down from more than 80% now. The 50%goal set by the continent’s biggest coal producer is part of an integrated energy plan currently under development. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   Indian state-run National Aluminium Company Limited has set up its second wind power plant at Ludarva in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, with a capacity of 47.6 MW. The project will have 56 wind turbines, each of 850 KW rating. [SteelGuru]

US:

¶   A new law allows the Guam DOE to work directly with leased schools to install solar panels. The public school system will not be completely off the Guam Power Authority grid, but the intent is to incorporate more green energy into the school system. [Pacific Daily News]

¶   A $160 million wind farm project — a first for Campbell County, South Dakota — has cleared most major hurdles, and construction is ready to begin. The farm will produce 98 MW of power. South Dakota’s windpower capacity might be over 100,000 MW. [AberdeenNews.com]

¶   When a wave of cheap Chinese-made solar panels flooded the market a few years ago, it nearly laid waste to America’s solar manufacturing industry. But recently, one California firm, Solaria Corp., started rolling out its technology across China. [Merced Sun-Star]

¶   In Gypsum, Colorado, 140 miles west of Denver, a biomass mill began operations in December, burning wood to create 10 megawatts of round-the-clock electricity. It will burn wood taken from forests that would otherwise very likely burn in forest fires. [Denver Post]

¶   Indiana state Sen. James Merritt introduced a bill that would allow utilities to build a nuclear power plant, such as a small modular reactor, and pass along the engineering and construction costs to customers. It is a good deal for utilities. [Indianapolis Star]

World:

¶   The European Parliament put out a press release to explain the European Commission proposal to cut emissions by 40% compared to the level in 1990 and increase the share for renewable energy to 27% by 2030. [European Parliament]

¶   Developers have dropped plans for wind farms in Cornwall and Lancashire, accusing the government of “constantly shifting its position” on renewable energy. The firm said the turbines would have put £100 million into local economies. [BBC News]

¶   The Northern Ireland Renewables Industry Group are proclaiming 2013 a banner year at their conference, pointing out that Northern Ireland’s output reached a record output of 506 MW on the 17th of December. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Areva is celebrating the successful delivery of the Bio Golden Raand biomass power plant in Delfzijl in the north of the Netherlands. The plant has an installed capacity of 49.9 MW and is fuelled by waste wood from domestic and industry activities. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   The Nigerian Federal Government on Friday signed a $350 million investment agreement on renewable energy in the power sector with General Electric. The purchase will provide electricity consumers who were not on the national power grid. [The Punch]

¶   The world’s first magma-based geothermal energy system has been built in Iceland, taking advantage of the Earth’s heat to generate electricity. Iceland’s new system is the first to produce that steam in a region of molten, rather than solid, rock. [Wired.co.uk]

¶   Britain’s Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing plant ordered all non-essential staff to stay at home on Friday while it investigated an elevated radiation reading onsite. It later concluded radiation was caused by naturally occurring radon gas. [Reuters]

¶   In a scathing 68-page assessment published on Friday, the European Commission raises concerns about the UK contract with French utility EDF, for Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. It says £17.6 billion of taxpayer support is being wasted. [Financial Times]

US:

¶   Shell’s incoming CEO announced that a court ruling has placed “significant obstacles” in the way of oil exploitation in Alaska. The company also announced it will cut capital spending by around $10 billion this year and sell many of its assets. [inhabitat]

¶   The Clean Energy States Alliance released a new report that provides information on where a renewable energy generator in a particular state or province can sell its renewable energy certificates. [Virtual-Strategy Magazine]

¶   The Connecticut state energy department locked in long-term contracts Friday with two of the largest wood-burning biomass plants in New England, a move it says will save ratepayers $15 million and diversify the region’s sources of renewable power. [Hartford Courant]

¶   The U.S. wind power industry didn’t put a whole lot of new generating capacity into operation in 2013, but it laid the groundwork, beginning construction on a whopping 10,900 megawatts in the fourth quarter. [EarthTechling]

¶   US-based renewables developer First Wind is planning to deploy 750 MW of solar and wind generation capacity over the coming two years – equivalent to a 75% expansion. The increase includes 600 MW of wind power and 150 MW of solar. [NewNet]