Science and Technology:
¶ Acta has developed a product it calls the Acta Power which provides the whole hydrogen system on-site – hydrogen generation, storage and conversion to electricity. Acta refers to this system as the ‘Hydrogen Battery’. [Cogeneration & On-Site Power Production Magazine]
World:
¶ A report by Goldman Sachs’ global commodities team said that Chinese demand for imported coal is past its peak, so demand for seaborne thermal coal will grow just 2% per year on average to 2018, leaving coal prices too weak to generate profits on new mines and infrastructure. [Courier Mail]
¶ Tata Power Solar, one of the pioneering solar manufacturers in the world and India’s largest specialised EPC player, today announced a 60% expansion of its manufacturing facility in Bangalore, taking the total production capacity to 200 MW. [Your Renewable News]
¶ Germany’s Energiewende is very much alive. The biggest “winners” in the first quarter were solar power, whose production was up 82.5%, and offshore wind, up 33%. Natural gas production was down 19.7%, hard coal down 17.4%, and nuclear energy down 4.6%. [CleanTechnica]
¶ Greenpeace has launched a petition that they will deliver to the headquarters of Origin, AGL and Energy Australia, which control 77% of the Australian residential energy market, ‘in a spectacular, public way that they won’t be able to ignore’. [Energy Matters]
¶ France’s highest administrative court on Wednesday annulled the decree setting wind power feed-in tariffs, marking the end of a complex legal procedure that has stifled investment in the French onshore wind sector. [Scientific American]
¶ Scotland is arguably one of the greenest countries in Europe. It produces 40% of Scottish electricity demand from renewable sources, and models suggest this could rise to 67% by 2018. Some question what effect the independence vote on September 18 will have. [New Scientist]
¶ Trade Association RenewableUK has said that if the UK is to meet its legally-binding target of generating 15% of all energy from renewable sources by 2020, more onshore wind may be needed to make up for a possible shortfall in other parts of the energy mix. [Click Green]
¶ The new Indian government may de-emphasize the previous government’s plan to install 20 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2020, and instead focus on wind and solar to achieve energy security, according to global auditing firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers. [domain-B]
US:
¶ The Massachusetts-based Millbury Solar project will produce cost-competitive clean energy for UMass and surrounding communities. The 3 MW project is part of First Wind’s first solar development and first renewable energy project in its home state of Massachusetts. [Renewable Energy Focus]
¶ Illinois lawmakers have advanced a plan urging environmental agencies to adopt nuclear power-friendly rules following financial struggles at Exelon. Exelon has said several of its nuclear power plants could be closed if their financial outlook doesn’t improve. [DeKalb Daily Chronicle]
¶ An Asheville, North Carolina company has proposed a dozen solar megafarms. Innovative Solar Systems has filed applications for 12 solar farms of between 25 and 80 MW, mostly in Eastern North Carolina. [The State]
¶ After more than an hour of passionate debate, the Ohio House voted Wednesday 53-38 in favor of Senate Bill 310, which calls for freezing renewable energy benchmarks and energy conservation measures for the next two years. The bill is going to the governor. [Springfield News Sun]
¶ The future of three Exelon nuclear power plants is in question after they failed to secure a capacity payment which would have that supported their operation in a difficult power market. The capacity payment is worth $5 per MWh. [World Nuclear News]
¶ Electric school buses that feed the power grid could save school districts millions of dollars — and reduce children’s exposure to diesel fumes — according to research by the University of Delaware’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment. [University of Delaware]
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