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Opinion:

¶ “2015 will see nuclear dream fade as wind and solar soar” – With nuclear power falling further behind renewables globally, and as the price of oil and gas falls, the future of the industry in 2015 and beyond looks bleak. Numbers of old nuclear plants are closing as fewer new ones are commissioned. [The Ecologist]

¶ “Top 5 Clean Energy Revolution Stories of 2014” – The steady march of renewable energy, primarily wind and solar, toward mainstream usage continued apace in 2014. Here’s to hoping 2015 moves us closer, rather than farther, from Edison’s dream that we get our power from the sun. [De Smog Blog]

¶ “6 Reasons 2014 Was a Good Year for Climate Action” – We couldn’t help but think of the potential disaster when climate-denying forces really take power next year. Good news makes ringing in the New Year more pleasant, so here are six reasons to be optimistic, even with a climate-denying Congress. [Huffington Post]

World:

¶ In Papua New Guinea, solar systems are often measured in watts – in part due to the remoteness of the locations where they are installed. But even a tiny solar system can make a massive positive change in lives, providing light and the ability to maintain communications – it can quite literally save lives. [Energy Matters]

¶ With aptitudes that may match Elon Musk’s, an equally young and motivated Chinese technology billionaire plans to surpass Tesla Motors by venturing into the production of electric cars in China, via his tech company, Leshi. His goals include protecting the environment for human livability for human livability. [CleanTechnica]

¶ A new report from the consulting company Accenture, the Digitally Enabled Grid, clearly states that if the utilities wish to keep market share similar comparable to today’s, they need to “fundamentally transform their business models.” Revenues could otherwise decline by $123 billion a year by 2025. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Two Indian companies are planning a hybrid renewable energy park in the Indian state of Gujarat. The proposed park would have both solar capacity of 3500 to 4000 MW and wind capacity of 600 to 800 MW. The park will be developed on the surplus salt pan land of Hindustan Salt, one of the companies. [Livemint]

¶ Danish wind energy giant Vestas Wind announced Tuesday two new orders to cap off an impressive year that saw the company take in orders up to 5,703 MW. The orders amount to 210 MW of wind turbines between them, one for 60 MW for SunEdison, and one for 150 MW for EDF Renewable Energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Britain is dicing with darkness. The electricity system is ageing and the mix of generating technology, including solar and wind power, is changing. Both factors increase the danger of power cuts at peak times. This winter, the available capacity will be only 6% higher than expected peak demand. [Reuters Blogs]

¶ India’s largest nuclear reactor, located in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, started generating electricity on a commercial basis early Wednesday, local media reported. The 1,000-MW reactor, which was constructed with assistance from Russia, is located in the town of Kudankulam. [International Business Times]

US:

¶ A spade of big solar power plants has risen from the ground in the Big Open West, where utilities have state mandates to increase the amount of renewable energy they buy. These power plants are a sight to behold. They often cover hundreds or thousands of acres, out in remote corners of the states. [Forbes]

¶ Advocates of small hydropower projects worked up a pair of bills for Congress, and a project in Silverton, Colorado was a poster child. For lawmakers on the right, the legislation shrinks federal bureaucracy. And on the left, it is a win for renewable energy, without new dams. The bills passed unanimously. [MTPR]

¶ Northern Power Systems, of Barre, Vermont, and BTI Energy will partner to install wind turbines across the US. Northern Power Systems manufactures a wind turbine with a newly optimized rotor configuration for customers at sites with lower wind speeds and historically lower electricity rates. [Broadway World]

¶ Solar energy farms, once considered too expensive to install despite their environmental appeal, soon may sprout in Sugar Creek and Independence, Missouri. One would be run by a private company, the other by a public city utility. Both would create clean energy in cities with fossil fuel legacies. [Kansas City Star]

¶ An agreement covering five solar power plants was approved by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission. The five 20-MW plants are owned by Boston-based First Wind and were already approved in an agreement with Idaho Power, which would pay $322.5 million over 20 years for their power. [The Idaho Statesman]

Opinion:

¶ “Five energy surprises for 2015: The possible and the improbable” Predictions: Oil and gas production both going into decline, oil going below $30 per barrel, a breakthrough in solar thermal, an international agreement calling for binding GHG emissions limits, and oil at over $100 per barrel by the end of the year. [Resilience]

¶ “Some rural co-ops cling to past on energy” Unfortunately, too many of Iowa’s rural electric co-ops put out-of-state coal interests ahead of the economic interests of their own co-op members. The Clean Power Plan is expected to generate $235 million in savings for Iowa’s households and businesses by 2020. But those co-ops oppose it. [DesMoinesRegister.com]

¶ “Pennsylvania should embrace the new-energy economy” As an investor, first in the private sector and now in the public sector, I believe the EPA’s Clean Power Plan would reduce unacceptable risks from carbon emissions, but also would create tremendous new economic opportunities. It could prove tough to embrace. Tough, but right. [Pittsburgh Post Gazette]

World:

¶ One of India’s biggest integrated power companies, Tata Power, is partnering with the state-run Russian Direct Investment Fund to invest a total of $1 billion in various solar/renewable energy projects to be developed across Russia, according to recent reports. Tata Power will be responsible for around $500 million. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Renewable energy company Masdar yesterday announced the start of construction of four solar power projects in the Pacific island nations of Kiribati, Fiji, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. The solar projects will collectively provide 1.8 MW of clean energy and contribute to fuel savings worth $2 million per year in countries where energy is a common concern. [The National]

¶ 2014 saw new records for German renewables, which produced 25.8% of the year’s power. Wind power hit a new record peak of 29.7 GW on December 12. Coal-fired power in Germany during 2014 was 10% less than in 2013. Gas-fired power plants dropped to 9.7% while nuclear energy’s share increased by half a percent to 15.9%. [Energy Matters]

¶ Scotland’s solar power capacity has increased by about a third in the past year, according to new figures. More than 35,000 homes and 600 business premises now have solar PV systems, December figures from regulator Ofgem show. The capacity of these systems has reached 140 megawatts, a rise of 32% from 106 megawatts last year. [RenewablesBiz]

¶ Norway’s state owned electricity company Statkraft has revealed plans to invest $8.1 billion in renewable energy projects, after the Norwegian government decided to give the company a $1.3 billion cash injection. The company will invest in wind and hydro projects both in Norway and further afield, and will explore solar and biomass potential. [RTCC]

US:

¶ The Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant stopped sending electricity to the grid Monday after producing total of 171 billion kWh over its 42-year lifetime. The shutdown came just after noon as the plant completed its 30th operating cycle when workers inserted control rods into the reactor core and stopped the nuclear reaction process. [Washington Times]

¶ Oslo-based Scatec Solar has clinched financing of $157 million for construction of the 104-MW Red Hills solar plant in Parowan, Utah. It will have 325,000 modules on a single-axis tracking system. Red Hills will generate around 210 million kWh of electricity per year, under a 20-year power purchase agreement with PacifiCorp’s Rocky Mountain Power. [reNews]

¶ Two major power line projects that have progressed by fits and starts over the past six years would lay the groundwork for a next-generation power grid throughout the West. Once completed, the new transmission lines would carry 1,500 megawatts of electricity across the West – from the Pacific Coast and the edge of the Great Plains. [The Idaho Statesman]

Opinion:

¶ “The Grid Reliability Myth” On August 1, 2011, a heat wave had Texas over 100 degrees for 40 days. Traditional power plants failed in ways that illustrated their vulnerability. Power prices went to unreal levels. Solar and wind may be intermittent, but a grid powered by coal, gas, and nuclear is not reliable. [Huffington Post]

World:

¶ Toshiba and its perhaps not as well known co-patriate IHI have been tapped to pilot a new ocean energy project that will deploy a phalanx of underwater turbines that float like kites. The project demonstrates once again how legacy companies are transitioning to new clean tech. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Financial analysts warn that the fossil fuel industry faces “a perfect storm.” Oil prices have crashed. Demand is dropping. New regulations aim at cutting GHG emissions, and renewable forms of energy are growing worldwide. Now investors, large and small, are increasingly heeding the warnings. [RTCC]

¶ The Turkish government is planning to build its first nuclear power plant in cooperation with Russian company Rosatom. A controversial environmental impact report was recently accepted by the Turkish environment ministry. Construction is set to start from mid-2015, despite opposition. [Deutsche Welle]

¶ The government of Pakistan is taking measures to speed up development of alternative and renewable energy to diversify its energy mix and ensure energy security and sustainable development. The Alternative Energy Development Board has been mandated to act as a central agency. [Business Recorder]

¶ The traditionally conservative and closed African mining industry is beginning to discover the advantages of renewable energy. Some experts see a boom in joining the two industries for 2015. Renewable investment by African mines expected to be between $600 million and $1.1 billion by 2016. [AFKInsider]

¶ The Indian government has a goal of providing electricity to all in the next three years. To do that, it plans to doubling electric generation by 2019, with a focus on renewables, whose output will be multiplied by five. Even so, the plan requires for doubling production of coal from India’s mines. [SME Times]

¶ Nanyang Technological University signed an agreement with Alstom to develop a system for microgrid management. The system will manage and integrate power from multiple sources, including solar, wind, tidal, diesel, and various energy storage and power-to-gas solutions. [Asian Scientist Magazine]

US:

¶ The New York Public Service Commission approved Con Ed’s Brooklyn-Queens Demand Management Program. The plan calls for replacing about $1 billion to upgrade two substations, which the utility says it would need to do by 2018, with less expensive distributed alternatives. [Energy Collective]

¶ Workers at Vermont Yankee are beginning the process of powering down the four-plus-decades-old, single-reactor nuclear power plant — a routine procedure by and large. But this time, the plant will not be brought back online. Not tomorrow, not next week. Never. Let that sink in. [The Keene Sentinel]

World:

¶  The German manufacturer Daimler AG will be increasing its production capacity for lithium-ion batteries with €100 million in new investments via the Deutsche ACCUmotive subsidiary. As part of this new push, the company is currently building a new facility that’s set to be completed by the middle of 2015. [CleanTechnica]

¶  Nigeria has adopted an approach to directly engage with prospective project developers to set up renewable energy projects. The government has recently finalized a new agreement for a lot more solar power. Three companies will construct total of 1 GW of distributed solar power capacity. [CleanTechnica]

¶  When bosses at Cars Taxi first saw fuel-efficient hybrid cars in Europe and the US they wondered whether the concept would work in the UAE, where petrol prices are significantly lower. But after a year of operating more than 20 Toyota Camry hybrid vehicles in Dubai, the outcome has been resoundingly positive. [The National]

¶  South Korea’s nuclear power operator said on Sunday that cyberattacks on non-critical operations at the company’s headquarters are continuing but the country’s nuclear power plants are operating safely and are secure from attack. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co Ltd has been intensifying its cyber security. [Reuters Africa]

US:

¶  Why do some US states have higher rooftop solar installation rates than others? NREL researchers used statistical analysis and detailed case studies to better understand why solar market policies in certain states are more successful and lead to higher distributed solar PV installations. [CleanTechnica]

¶  Blattner Energy is building the Mesquite Creek Wind Farm near Lamesa, Texas, with 118 1.79-MW GE turbines. Each turbine stands 287 feet tall with 140-foot long blades. The wind project is expected to be completed by the end of March. Annual output of 800,000 MWh will power Mars, Inc’s US operations. [Pressreporter]

¶  The wind and solar contracts recently announced mean that the Lincoln Electric System will have a 2016 energy portfolio with 48% of the electricity from renewable sources. There are few power companies that can make that claim. But investing in renewable capacity also means lower bills for ratepayers. [Lincoln Journal Star]

¶  Elon Musk announced that Tesla will relaunch its Roadster model. The new model will have a new battery pack, increasing the distance the car can travel. According to the company, the new battery pack will allow the car to travel about 400 miles with a single charge compared to 245 miles with the current model. [Uncover Michigan]

¶  The Windham Solid Waste Management District says it has 11 proposals to build a solar array on a closed landfill in Brattleboro, Vermont. Four of the proposals are from Vermont companies. The system being considered will have a capacity of 5 MW. It will provide revenue for the district and its 19 member towns. [Press Herald]

¶  Workers recently finished adding 86 acres of solar panels at the Indianapolis International Airport, bringing the size of its solar farm to 151 acres, solidifying its status as the home of the nation’s largest airport-based solar farm. The airport now has 76,000 solar PV panels feeding power into the local electrical grid. [Skift]

¶  The annual University of Idaho Snake River Sugar Beet Conference saw much discussion on dealing with pests. Rather than thinking solely about eliminating them with chemicals, growers are increasingly looking for more sustainable alternatives for control of weeds and bugs that are increasingly resistant. [Idaho Press-Tribune]

World:

¶   In many ways, the German energy policies are a resounding success: the country sparked the modern solar industry; half of all renewables are locally owned; and traditional utilities are divesting themselves of centralized power plants to work with distributed generation. But coal still supplies most of the power. [Energy Collective]

¶   The year of the Horse saw the Philippine renewable energy subsector gallop to many milestones while other subsectors lagged behind or ran in circles. Solar power made the most strides, but wind developers also flexed their muscles, and run-of-river hydro and biomass are taking a steady pace. [Inquirer.net]

¶   A new high-speed train route from Shanghai to Guangzhou opened recently, covering a distance of about 1,100 miles. This distance is roughly the same as traveling from Los Angeles to Seattle. The 1,100 mile trip take  about 7 hours in the new train, which would be much faster than driving and far less stressful. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Indian Finance Minister inaugurated one of the biggest power transmission projects, a 400 KV power sub-station, in the National Capital Region. He said it would make the area a power-cut-free zone, and that policies allocating coal blocks to power generating companies would provide cheap electricity to consumers. [The Hindu]

¶   In Bangkok, the fuel tariff on electric bills from January-April will fall by 10 satang a kilowatt-hour or 2.5%, says the Energy Regulatory Commission. The ERC on Thursday approved the lower tariff for the period in response to the decline in global oil prices. The fuel tariff rate is reviewed every four months. [Bangkok Post]

¶   The Philippine Energy Regulatory Commission has allowed PetroWind Energy Inc. to start operating the first eight wind turbines of the 50-MW Nabas wind power project in Aklan province in January. ERC said the approval is for the first phase of the project for two months from Jan. 17 to March 17, 2015. [Manila Standard Today]

¶   One of the most important events of the recent years in Russia’s nuclear power industry occurred late Friday night: a new, third unit of Rostov Nuclear Power Plant was connected to the Russian power grid and started to produce its first kilowatt-hours of electricity, a source in Rosenergoatom told RIA Novosti. [Sputnik International]

US:

¶   ERCOT, which manages 90% of Texas’ electric grid, took another look at the impact of seven EPA clean air safeguards on the electric grid. They now say that once power companies comply with EPA’s other clean air protections, the proposed Clean Power Plan’s requirements could be met by closing a single coal-fired plant. [Energy Collective]

¶   Superficially, it makes sense for investors to shy away from putting money into renewable energy, as fossil fuels get cheaper. But the impact of the price of oil on the renewables sector is more complex. Falling prices could actually prove helpful to the likes of Tesla Motor and SolarCity by affecting one important variable: the Federal Reserve. [Wall Street Journal]

¶   One misperception in San Francisco is that, due to the fog, the solar power potential for the city is not good, but this is not true. San Francisco’s solar radiation is 93% of San Diego’s, and cooler temperatures make photovoltaics more efficient, because PV systems operate more efficiently at lower temperatures. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Duke Energy is building the Los Vientos III project, a new wind farm in Texas to generate 200 MW for Austin Energy. Cranes and wind turbines are sprouting like weeds in the ranch lands. Dozens of towers have been already been erected, and many more are just waiting on their blades to be completed. [San Antonio Business Journal]

Opinion:

¶   “Developing the future of energy today” The world is striving to develop new ways to take advantage of the benefits of sustainable energy, and the use of solar energy and smart grids can create a more efficient and productive world. However, this goal cannot occur without putting safety, performance, and reliability in the spotlight. [Today’s Energy Solutions]

World:

¶   The 10th edition of the Climate Change Performance Index has good and bad news. The index compares the 58 top carbon-emitting nations. It reveals that global carbon emissions have reached a new peak. However, the index indicates that countries have recently developed a new readiness to take action on climate change. [Triple Pundit]

¶   The Philippines’ Renewable Energy Act signed was into law in 2008 to cut its reliance on fossil fuel. Since that time, the Department of Energy has approved renewable energy contracts totaling 10,040 MW capacity, including 404 hydropower, 68 solar, 54 wind, 43 biomass, 41 geothermal, and 5 ocean energy projects. [Rappler]

¶   A day after the Indian cabinet approved an ordinance for the allocation of coal blocks, the government formally launched the portal for e-auction of 24 coal mines to be held in next February. The Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goyal says the auction process will be transparent, efficient and conducted online only. [SME Times]

¶   The Indian government intends to revive a bill to generate 100,000 MW of renewable energy by 2019. The new legislation aims to ensure that 10% of the county’s power requirement is met by renewable energy sources by 2020, plug loopholes in earlier laws, and promote development of renewable energy technology. [India Today]

¶   Panasonic Corp is considering building a 50 MW power plant in the Northern Corridor Economic Region of Malaysia. This follows a meeting by Panasonic, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority on Monday, in which the parties agreed to an eight-month feasibility study. [Malaysia Chronicle]

¶   RES Canada, one of three companies selected for a 450-MW Hydro-Québec tender, announced it has been selected to provide 147.2 MW of wind power. The wind project will be established about 50 kilometers east of Québec City, in the Chaudière-Appalaches region and will consist of forty-six 3.2-MW Siemens turbines. [Energy Matters]

US:

¶   A recent analysis says the wind energy industry has created more than 10,000 jobs in Kansas and generates $26 million a year in lease payments to landowners. But renewable portfolio standard laws have come under attack in Kansas and other states from conservative groups such as ALEC, which call to repeal the laws. [Lawrence Journal World]

¶   As North Carolina state officials call for more renewable energy, Gaston and Cleveland are among the counties working on answers. Companies in both have plans for solar farms that could be up and running as early as next year. Duke Energy says it would eventually like 12.5% of its retail sales to come from greener sources. [Gaston Gazette]

¶   The US EPA has a formula to evaluate nuclear power in its carbon reduction plan. It says 5.8% of existing nuclear capacity was at risk of being shut for financial reasons, and thus for states with nuclear reactors, keeping them running would earn a credit of 5.8% toward that state’s carbon reduction goal. [New York Times]

Science and Technology:

¶   Bitumen from oil-shale has to be refined by heating it to high temperatures. A byproduct called pet coke contains sulphur, heavy metals, and other impurities, but it is sold to be burned in coal power plants in other countries where pollution regulations are less strict. Its greenhouse gas emissions are worse than coal’s. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   The Indian cabinet has now officially cleared the way for setting up of 25 Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects across India. Each of these projects will have a capacity of 500 MW or more, totaling 20 GW. They are scheduled to be set up by 2019 and will receive a Central Government financial support of $649 million. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Kyocera Corporation recently announced it had established a joint venture to develop and operate a 13.4-MW floating solar power plant on Japan’s Yamakura Dam reservoir, the largest floating solar installation in the world. The facility will generate an estimated 15,635 MWh annually, enough for about 4,700 typical households. [Energy Matters]

¶   Two Canadian pension funds entered an agreement with Spanish banking giant Banco Santander to jointly acquire a portfolio of renewable energy and water infrastructure assets valued at over $2 billion. The transaction is expected to be closed in the first half of 2015, with  more coming in the next five years. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Despite the shrieking drop in oil and natural gas prices, it is still easy to find legacy energy companies forging ahead with renewable energy. The latest example comes from the French nuclear energy company Areva, which is now working on the Wikinger offshore wind farm, a 350-MW project located in the Baltic Sea. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Medicine Hat, Canada’s sunniest city, now has a way to turn its sunshine into renewable energy. The Alberta city now operates a solar thermal power plant, the first of its kind in Canada. Large curved steel panels reflect the sun’s rays to heat oil inside a metal tube. The oil then creates steam for a turbine at a nearby power plant. [CBC.ca]

¶   One year after commissioning, a plant in the UK is converting 200,000 liters per day of feedstock into renewable energy. This feedstock, including wash waters and 1,200 tons of residual bi-products and ingredients per annum, is waste from a factory operated by global food and beverage supplier Nestlé. [Biobased Digest]

¶   A suspect in the hacking attack on South Korean nuclear reactors has used multiple IP addresses based in China. The Korean defence ministry’s cyberwarfare unit has increased its watch level against attacks after the publication last week of a variety of information about the South’s nuclear power plant operator. [Times of India]

US:

¶   Crews are setting foundations, erecting racks and installing solar panels in a wave of activity at the Silt Water Treatment Plant in Colorado. The 234-kW solar array is slated to be in service and powering the plant by December. 31. The new solar array will offset 100% of the plant’s electrical use on an annual basis. [Glenwood Springs Post Independent]

¶   Greenhouse gas emissions in Washington state dropped by about 4.6% in 2010 and 2011, led by reductions in emissions from the electricity sector, a new state report shows. Emissions are still about 4% higher than in 1990, however. The report comes as Governor Jay Inslee is proposing sweeping policies to combat climate change. [Macro Insider]

¶   A new energy report says America should build on the recent growth in solar energy by setting a goal of obtaining at least 10% of its electricity from solar power by 2030. The report, “Star Power: The Growing Role of Solar Energy in America,” was produced by the Environment America Research & Policy Center. [Phys.Org]

¶   America is facing imminent decline in nuclear generation. With a wave of aging plants slated for closure in the coming years and almost no plans to replace them, some worry that the country will increase its  greenhouse gas emissions. A group of scientists and energy analysts this week urged a rethinking of US nuclear policy. [Energy Collective]

Opinion:

¶   “A Dozen Reasons 2014 Was Awesome for Clean Energy & Beyond Coal Victories” 2014 was full of amazing victories by hard-working community activists nationwide. From small towns to big cities, we saw inspiring diverse groups working together to protect communities from coal pollution and ramp up clean energy. [Huffington Post]

World:

¶   Emerging economies in the Middle East and Africa will have installed almost 3 GW of wind power by the end of 2014, with more than 58% of that being installed in the last two years. This is according to new analysis from MAKE Consulting, which follows on from recent and numerous additions to its wind power analyses. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Korean government will invest $18.1 billion into the development of safe and effective clean energy technologies over the next 10 years. Areas of focus include development of efficient clean thermal power, next generation clean fuels, new hybrid renewable energy, and generally a highly efficient, low carbon society. [BusinessKorea]

¶   The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved a $378 million loan for the second power transmission project to improve transmission reliability and support the implementation of a wholesale electricity market in Ukraine. The loan represents increasing support for the country’s energy reforms. [Energy Business Review]

¶   Three renewable energy companies, Solius NGPC, Peoples Home Association, and Solar Force Nigeria Limited, have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Federal Government for the production of 1000 MW solar electricity across the country. Additionally, they will establish a training school in Nigeria for staff. [Daily Sun]

¶   New Zealand wind farm developer Meridian Energy completed handover for of its 131-MW Mt Mercer wind farm in Australia, near Ballarat, Victoria. The project was delivered below budget and on time. The company used the occasion to champion the cause of the Renewable Energy Target, saying it is “clearly achievable.” [RenewEconomy]

¶   GDF Suez and its Moroccan partner Nareva Holding have started operations at the 301-MW Tarfaya wind farm on Morocco’s southern Atlantic coast. The project will have 131 wind turbines of 2.3 MW each in an area of 8,900 hectares. The $560 million project will generate enough power to supply 1.5 million homes. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   Alstom has been awarded a contract by DaeMyoung Energy Corporation in South Korea, to provide wind turbines for Gowon wind farm, located in Gangwon province approximately 170 km east of Seoul. The 18-MW Gowon wind farm will support Korea’s aim to have renewable energy account for 20% of total electricity generated by 2020. [Renewable Energy Focus]

US:

¶   Going solar, according to new research by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, might be a more beneficial economic energy choice in states one does not expect to see at the top of the list. Hawaii and California do top the list, but the number three state is not very sunny at all; it is Connecticut. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Ever since Nest “redeveloped” the thermostat to be “smart,” the consumer technology industry has been well aware of clean technology. This will lead to substantial growth, according to Navigant Research, which released a report predicting the smart thermostat market will reach nearly $2.3 billion in annual revenue by 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶   A series of studies from government research agencies and industry in the last few years have found that anywhere from 5% to 20% of today’s natural gas demand could be met with renewable natural gas, also known as bio-methane. It is produced in bio-digesters, from landfills, and through other carbon-neutral methods. [Energy Collective]

¶   The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released its monthly “Energy Infrastructure Update.” The big winners for November are wind and solar, which combined added up to over 70% of all new electrical generating capacity placed into service during the month (estimated to be 77%, if you include non-utility solar). [CleanTechnica]

¶   Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc announced completion of the Tucannon River Wind Farm in Washington State. Located on 20,000 acres in Washington’s Columbia County, the 267-MW project consists of 116 2.3-MW Siemens turbines. The project was on time and within its $500 million budget. [PennEnergy]

¶   Reactor operators at Vermont Yankee are getting ready for the nuclear plant’s final shutdown next Monday. Their preparation includes training on a control room simulator at the company’s corporate offices in Brattleboro. The simulator is an exact replica of the control room at the Vernon plant. [Vermont Public Radio]

World:

¶   A Norfolk solar farm, which at 49.9 MW would be one of the UK’s largest, has been given the go ahead. The plant would be built on the site of the former RAF Coltishall airfield, now an economic development area owned by Norfolk County Council. The first of its two phases should be completed before April. [Solar Power Portal]

¶   The Ontario Power Authority is offering 332 new Feed-in-Tariff renewable energy contracts, of which 330 are for solar PVs and 2 for bio-energy projects. They total 100 MW, enough to power almost 13,000 homes. They include 121 First Nation and Métis community projects, 60 community projects, and 151 municipal or public. [solarserver.com]

¶   Enel Green Power turned on the 40-MW Bagnore 4 geothermal power plant in Tuscany, Italy. The Santa Fiora and Arcidosso power station features two 20-MW turbines, adding to Bagnore 3’s 20 MW, costing €120 million. Enel has a target of investing around €600 million in Tuscan geothermal in 2014-2018. [reNews]

¶   With the South African utility, Eskom, struggling to keep the lights on, many people are looking to renewable sources of energy to meet their needs. Currently, the pay-back time for off-grid power is under ten years, and the cost of systems is declining, as more and more people buy and install systems. [East Coast Radio]

¶   Following the financial close of Lake Turkana Wind Power Project, the first disbursement of funds has been received. The $775 million project is the largest single wind power project to be constructed in Africa. It is the largest private investment in Kenyan history, as the country is working to have 5000 MW of capacity. [Capital FM]

¶   Energix Renewable Energies Ltd announced today that Israel’s biggest solar energy project, at Neot Hovav in the Negev, has received a permanent license for producing electricity. According to the company’s estimates, capacity is 37.5 MW and power production will be yield annual revenue of about $11 million for twenty years. [Globes]

¶   South Korea is investigating the online leak of partial blueprints and operating manuals for some of its nuclear reactors. The perpetrator threatens continued leaks unless three facilities are shut by Christmas. The leaks began last week on a blog and were later posted to a Twitter account. [Charleston Daily Mail]

US:

¶   The current 45% drop in oil prices will only have a modest impact on renewables in many key markets, although the implications will vary significantly by geography and technology, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. They point out that a decline in fracking will likely make renewables even more competitive. [Business Green]

¶   The US DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office recently released an updated multi-year program plan, which sets for goals and structure for the office over the next five years. The plan is intended for use as an operational guide to help the Biotechnologies Office manage and coordinate its activities. [Ethanol Producer Magazine]

¶   A new growth industry is emerging in Utah , where residential solar installations in Q3 alone were equal to the amount installed in all last year. In addition, added solar capacity in Q3 was more than six times the capacity installed over Q3 2013, according to GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   US corporates are stepping up to do their part on climate change. As the costs of wind and solar energy continue to fall, corporate purchasing of clean energy is reaching new heights in 2014, creating a virtuous cycle where demand drives scale, which lowers prices, which then spurs more demand. And there are other improvements. [The Guardian]

¶   Utility regulators have approved construction of the first major solar-powered generating facility in Kentucky. The Public Service Commission authorized Kentucky Utilities and Louisville Gas & Electric to build a 10-MW solar array at the E.W. Brown Generating Station, where the utilities now burn coal and natural gas for power. [Lexington Herald Leader]

World:

¶   According to the new study from Navigant Research, total distributed generation capacity is set to roughly double over the next decade, from 87.3 GW in 2014 to 165.5 GW by 2023. Revenue from distributed generation is expected to surge in tandem with this increase, rising from $97 billion to $182 billion. [Sourceable]

¶   The Indian Ministry of New & Renewable Energy has issued guidelines to set up 100 MW of solar capacity over and along the canals. The program will see solar photovoltaic power projects of capacity 1 to 10 MW installed over canals and on the banks of the canals in India. The total cost of the program will be around $160 million. [CleanTechnica]

¶   An IBM data center in India plans to cut is greenhouse gas emissions by 40% using solar power and water cooling for air conditioning. The data center uses a 50 kW solar PV system that provides electricity to the data servers. Increasingly, companies are looking to set up their own solar power plants to meet their demands. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Danish utility, DONG, announced over the weekend that it will construct 32 turbines eight kilometres off the coast in Liverpool Bay, which are expected to be commissioned in 2017. The extension to an existing 90-MW wind farm is expected to produce enough electricity to power around 180,000 UK households. [Business Green]

¶   The US Trade and Development Agency awarded grants to three electricity sector entities in support of their efforts to deploy clean energy solutions in the Dominican Republic. The agency is focusing on helping the Dominican Republic meet its energy demands in an environmentally responsible way. [Your Renewable News]

¶   Atlantis Resources Limited’s Canadian subsidiary has been awarded a Developmental Feed-in Tariff for up to 4.5 megawatts of tidal generation to be deployed at the Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy in Nova Scotia, Canada. The award of $530 per MWh provides support for up to three turbines at the facility. [Your Renewable News]

¶   The Australian Climate Change Authority has recommended that the government change the deadline for the large-scale Renewable Energy Target from 2020 to 2023, rather than risk jeopardising investment by reducing the target itself. This contrasts with the Warburton review of the RET, which called for cutting target. [The Conversation AU]

¶   On India’s southern coast, which was ravaged by tsunami waves 10 years ago when 228,000 people died on the rim of the Indian Ocean, the country’s newest nuclear plant towers over the shoreline. It is one of India’s biggest nuclear plants, and in the coming weeks it is expected to officially start selling power into the Indian grid. [Wall Street Journal]

¶   Computer systems at South Korea’s nuclear plant operator have been hacked, sharply raising concerns about safeguards around nuclear facilities in a country that remains technically at war with NorthKorea. The Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co Ltd and the government said there was no risk to nuclear installations. [Reuters]

US:

¶   Solar and wind power projects are much less financially risky than other power projects, since cost overruns tend to be way lower, especially when compared to nuclear or hydropower plants, which have rather insane cost overruns. Aside from these, there are many economic reasons to favor power from the sun or wind. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The US Department of Commerce announced its final findings in the 3-year long trade war between the US and China. Additional tariffs will be imposed on modules from China and Taiwan. Although this is good news for SolarWorld and other American solar PV manufacturers, some in the US solar industry are not celebrating. [AltEnergy Stocks]

¶   Southern California Edison retired its San Onofre nuclear reactors and will retire natural gas units with environmentally troublesome cooling systems, so it invited proposals for power storage and new gas-fired power plants. Storage won in a surprising number of cases. Demand response proposals also did well. [New York Times]

Opinion:

¶   “US energy policy review reveals US doesn’t have an energy policy” As oil prices plummet, some question whether the US – with its piecemeal, disjointed federal energy policy – is ready for a new era of fossil-fuel abundance and renewable-energy innovation. [Christian Science Monitor]

Vocabulary and Buzzwords:

¶   “The Top Cleantech Buzzwords and Phrases From 2014” Last year, “utility death spiral” was on our list of the top buzzphrases. A few months later, the Oxford English Dictionary included “death spiral” in its list of new words for 2014. Here is a collection of other new terms that might puzzle some readers, but nevertheless have use. [Energy Collective]

World:

¶   Global funds for India’s aggressive plan to install “ultra mega solar power plants” have begun to flow with the World Bank ready to support a 750-MW power plant. This is 200 MW more than the capacity of the largest PV plant in the world. The project would require a total investment of about $1.3 billion. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The power management solutions company Eaton will supply power distribution equipment and electrical engineering services for a 5-MW solar microgrid on an island off the coast of Equatorial Guinea, home to 20,000 residents. Diesel generators have been used to supply electricity for about five hours a day. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy said on Sunday it is in the process of preparing an energy legislation to expand power generation capacity through a judicious mix of conventional and non-conventional sources. It is also preparing a plan to scale up development of solar power in the next five years. [Vancouver Desi]

¶   The latest insights on groundbreaking desalination projects in the Middle East/North Africa region will be part of the International Water Summit taking place next month in Abu Dhabi. The summit  will examine the water-energy nexus and its long-term implications on regional and global food security. [Trade Arabia]

¶   Aiming at turning Delhi into a smart city, the Union Ministry of Power here today launched a pilot project on conversion of street-lighting from conventional system to an energy-efficient and environment-friendly LED type. The government hopes to reduce power consumption enough to save about  Rs 700 crore ($110.5 million) in costs. [indiatvnews.com]

¶   UK water utility Severn Trent has come under fire because two controversial wind turbines in Spondon (a ward in the city of Derby) are still not operational despite being erected a year ago. They were installed last December, but when they run, they appear as unidentified objects on the air traffic control display. [Derby Telegraph];

¶   TEPCO finished on Saturday removing all nuclear fuel assemblies from the cooling pool at the No. 4 reactor building at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. TEPCO started the fuel removal work at the No. 4 reactor building in November 2013. Last month, it finished transferring spent fuel assemblies. [The Japan News]

¶   Britain’s nuclear power stations are under threat from attacks by drones, it has been claimed. A London-based nuclear expert investigated the issue after a spate of mysterious and illegal flights by small unmanned vehicles over more than a dozen power stations in France. He warned that British nuclear plants were equally vulnerable. [Daily Mail]

US:

¶   Ameren Missouri, which serves 64 counties across the state, has a plan for future power generation that is close to what the EPA envisions. The plan calls for expansion of renewable energy, adding 400 MW of wind power, 45 MW of solar, and 33 MW of other renewables. Use of coal would be reduced, but it and nuclear continued. [Southeast Missourian]

¶   Hobbs Brook Management LLC, a developer of office space in the Boston suburbs, announced the completion of its $4 million, 724-kilowatt solar canopy system that is situated atop the north and south garages at 404 Wyman St. in the Hobbs Brook Office Park in Waltham, Massachusetts. [Wicked Local Waltham]

World:

¶   The Reventazón hydroelectric project in Costa Rica is nearly complete and will be ready to supply 305.5 MW of electricity for Costa Rica’s dry season in 2016, enough for about 525,000 homes. It is the largest dam in Central America and the second largest infrastructure project in the region, after the Panama Canal. [The Tico Times]

¶   The Government of Germany has committed funds amounting to €500 million for Green Energy Corridors project this year. With this, the total commitment from Government of Germany for GEC project stands at €750 million. In the year 2013, Government of Germany had committed €250 million. [Business Standard]

¶   Morocco has raised more than $2 billion for the next phase of a huge solar energy project. The funds are being provided by international organisations including the World Bank and the European Investment Bank. The first phase, Noor 1, will be the North African country’s first solar energy plant, with a capacity to generate 160 MW. [NewsHub.org]

¶   In Scotland, developers have announced that construction work on the world’s largest tidal energy project is set to begin next month. The MeyGen project, a 269-turbine installation, is expected to power 175,000 homes. Atlantis has secured more than £51 million in funding for the first phase of the project. [stv.tv]

¶   On the 6th December, the 1-MW tidal stream turbine installed and connected by Alstom at the European Marine Energy Center off the Orkney Islands produced 1 GWh for the grid. This marks a crucial step in the development of the company’s tidal power technology, demonstrating its performance and endurance. [Your Renewable News]

¶   India has offered to set up an insurance pool to indemnify global nuclear suppliers against liability in case of a nuclear accident in a bid to unblock billions of dollars held up by US investors over concerns of exposure to risk. Currently, nuclear equipment suppliers are liable for damages from an accident. [domain-B]

US:

¶   Lincoln Electric System says it has agreed to buy additional supplies of wind energy. The customer-owned electric utility says it plans to buy 73 MW by 2016 from the Prairie Breeze II Wind Energy Center in northeastern Nebraska and 100 MW from the Buckeye Wind Energy Center in Kansas. It plans to add 5 MW of solar power by 2016. [Omaha World-Herald]

¶   A ray of sunshine came out of the Colorado Springs Utilities Board meeting this week as the panel approved two projects that will add 20 MW of solar power and credits to the area’s energy portfolio. The added solar capacity will help keep the utility in compliance with state renewable energy standards until 2030. [Colorado Springs Gazette]

¶   Construction of a 120-turbine wind farm is underway in Carbon County, Montana as developers scramble to benefit from a last-minute federal tax credit passed last week. The $550 million Mud Springs Wind Ranch is located 12 miles southeast of Bridger, and is one of the biggest wind projects in Montana. [The Missoulian]

¶    A coalition of advocates, including the Archbishop of Baltimore, the League of Women Voters, some of the fastest-growing companies in the US, and others, will ask the Maryland General Assembly to double the state’s commitment to clean electricity and require 40% of the state’s power to be from renewables by 2025. [Washington Post]

¶   A new analysis lays out several detailed “pathways” to a low-carbon future for the US, and offers practical guidance for policy makers. There are multiple ways we can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with known technologies and with an incremental cost equivalent of less than 1% of gross domestic product. [Natural Resources Defense Council]

¶   Tucson Electric Power Co plans to install rooftop solar panels at customers’ homes in exchange for a fixed electric rate for 25 years. TEP’s Residential Solar Program, approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission as part of the utility’s 2015 renewable energy plan, will be available next spring to 500 to 600 customers. [Arizona Daily Star]

¶   The electric power generation sector lost more than 5,800 jobs over the last three years, according to an Energy Department stat shop. The losses hit all energy sources across electric power except for renewables, including solar and windpower, which showed gains, the Energy Information Administration said on Friday. [The Hill]

¶   The National Hockey League will significantly reduce its carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions through energy conservation and the purchase of renewable energy certificates under a newly signed agreement with Constellation Energy Group, the league announced. [Environment & Energy Publishing]

Science and Technology:

¶   Two recent studies disproved the ideas that wind farms affect health and property values, and now a review by the British Trust for Ornithology and the University of Highlands and Islands’ Environmental Research Institute found that 99% of seabirds are likely to alter their flight paths to avoid collision with offshore wind turbines. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   Senator Nick Xenophon has brought back a carbon trading scheme to Australia and nobody seems to have noticed. Quietly tucked behind the headlines from the Palmer United Party and the government was the mention of Senator Xenophon inserting a ‘Safeguard Mechanism’ into the Direct Action legislation. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Bloomberg reported that European coal dropped to the lowest in more than 5 years amid weaker demand for the power-plant fuel. Preliminary electricity consumption in Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, dropped about 4% this year on weak economic growth of energy-intensive industries and milder weather. [SteelGuru]

¶   Japan’s trade ministry said on Thursday it plans to change a feed-in-tariff scheme by making it possible for utilities to limit renewable power output more flexibly while trying to lower guaranteed payments to providers of such power. The changes follow a rush of applications for solar projects since the Fukushima Disaster. [Reuters]

¶   Energy demand in Germany is set to fall by nearly 5% over the course of this year, new figures this week predict, providing further evidence the government’s Energiewende transition to a low carbon energy system is starting to build momentum. German energy use fell to 445.5 million tonnes of coal equivalent this year. [Business Green]

¶   The amount of clean power made in Scotland has matched that produced from fossil fuels for the first time, in a record year for renewables, ­according to the latest figures. Renewable sources accounted for 32% of all Scottish electricity  – equal to the output from oil, coal and gas. Nuclear power stations provided 34.9 per cent. [Scotsman]

¶   In a budget forecast punctuated by fiscal belt tightening, Australia’s fossil fuel sector is set to receive a whopping $47 billion in federal government subsidies over the next four years, a new report has found. The analysis, released on Thursday by the Australian Conservation Foundation, is based on federal budget data. [RenewEconomy]

¶   GE today announced that it will supply Lewandpol Company with 27 GE 2.5-MW wind turbines for the Galicja Wind Farm in Poland. Once operational, the 120 MW Galicja Wind Farm will generate the equivalent energy needed to power approximately 52,000 Polish homes. The wind farm is expected to be completed in 2015. [Windpower Engineering]

¶   A group of EU-funded researchers are investigating the development of a “super grid” specifically designed to transfer wind-generated electricity across EU Member States. Such a project would “help reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and enable Europe to move closer towards achieving energy independence.” [CleanTechnica]

US:

¶   Utility San Diego Gas and Electric announced it has passed the 1 GW milestone for renewable power supplied to the city. The addition of 150 MW from the Solar Gen 2 solar project in Imperial Valley means that the utility’s power portfolio has more than 30% of SDG&E’s power generated from renewables such as solar and wind. [pv magazine]

¶   SunPower and Sunverge just announced a big solar+storage partnership, which follows a partnership between SolarCity and Tesla as well as the announcement of several energy storage companies beginning to hit the market. If you think solar power was disruptive, wait until solar+storage beats the price of grid electricity. [CleanTechnica]

¶   A coalition of utilities and clean energy advocates, including Xcel Energy, Minnesota Power, the Great Plains Institute, and the Center for Energy and the Environment, will recommend to the state’s legislature ways to give electricity customers more options for power sources while keeping energy reliable and affordable. [Minnesota Public Radio News]

¶   In largely positive review of US energy policy, the International Energy Agency scolded the federal government for failing on consistent long-term policy support for energy with low carbon emissions, such as nuclear power and renewables. The IEA recommends a 5-year extension of the wind tax credit, gradually reduced to zero. [Forbes]

¶   The Green Party of New York and its recent gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins join the chorus of New Yorkers celebrating what appears to be an imminent fracking ban, arising from today’s reports from Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens and Acting Health Commissioner Howard Zucker. [Green Party Watch]

¶   About to lose their biggest employer and taxpayer, local leaders in Vernon, Vermont are hoping a gas-fired power plant will be built to replace the soon-to-close Vermont Yankee nuclear plant. But any such project would face big questions — including whether enough gas would be available to fuel it. [Rutland Herald]

Opinion:

¶   “Decoupling and Distributed Energy” To have a chance of stabilizing the climate, the utility business model can’t just be tinkered with. It needs radical transformation. The good news is this is probably on the table regardless of what the utilities want. Our task is to make it happen as quickly and smoothly as possible. [Energy Collective]

Sci-tech Follies:

¶   The Australian Coalition government’s latest witch-hunt against wind energy has not produced a lot of fertile fodder for the anti-renewables brigade. In fact, after a month it has elicited a single contribution, from a pro-nuclear dooms-dayer who says nuclear energy will be helpful to keep us warm in the impending ice age. [RenewEconomy]

World:

¶   An analysis of government figures by the Energy Saving Trust for the BBC indicated people in the UK used 10% less electricity in 2013 than five years previously – dropping from 1,951 kWh a year per person to 1,766. DECC figures said gas use was down 10% from a year ago and electricity use 17% less because of measures supporting clean power. [The Courier]

¶   Off Grid Electric, a solar electric service company in Africa, says it delivers 50 times more light for less money. Its customers are using the service to replace kerosene lamps to light their homes. Customers pay an initial $6 installation fee for a self-sustaining solar system, then prepay for power. With new investment, it is growing. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Renewable energy company Acciona Energia will construct 255 MW worth of solar and wind projects in Chile over the next few years, with a total investment of $500 million. Power generated by the plants will provide for part of a 15-year deal reached between Acciona and Chilean power distributors for 600 GWh per year. [PV-Tech]

¶   Initial industry estimates pegged India’s coal imports for 2014-15 to be around 180 million tonnes to 185 million tonnes, about 10% higher than last year. The import bill for November increased sharply by 42% despite coal prices in major exporting countries being nearly 20% to 25% lower than the same month last year. [SteelGuru]

¶   As flagship nuclear projects run into long delays and huge cost overruns, solar and wind power are falling in price. Renewables already supply twice as much power as nuclear, and are winning out just about everywhere. They now supply over 19% of global primary energy and 22% of global electricity. Nuclear is at 11% and falling. [The Ecologist]

US:

¶   Over the next two years, America will build roughly 13 GW of utility-scale solar PV plants, more the country’s cumulative solar capacity across all sectors reached at the end of 2013. Why? Utilities are now able to consistently buy solar electricity from large plants for between 4.5 cents and 7.5 cents per kilowatt-hour. [Energy Collective]

¶   New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Dec. 17 that hydraulic fracturing will be banned in New York, following the release of a long-anticipated study that concluded fracking could pose “significant public health risks.” 96% of all papers published on health impacts of fracking indicate potential risks or adverse health outcomes. [Wisconsin Gazette]

¶   With the commissioning of two renewables projects E.ON is strengthening its position in the US market for green energy. Both the start of commercial operation of the 211-MW onshore wind farm Grandview I in the Texas Panhandle and of the 18-MW Fort Huachuca Solar Plant in Arizona occurred in a single week. [Your Renewable News]

¶   Washington Gas Energy Systems, Inc announced the completion of 20 solar projects, totaling more than 15 MW, that will produce renewable energy for Georgia Power. The company held ribbon cutting ceremonies at their sites in Donalsonville, Richland, and Greenville, Georgia on December 11 and 12. [AZoCleantech]

¶   The Senate voted 76-16 to extend the biodiesel and renewable energy production tax credits – as well as dozens of other tax breaks – in one of its final acts before adjourning Tuesday. The measure extends the tax breaks for a year – but retroactive to their expiration last January, so the clock runs out again on December 31. [Houston Chronicle]

¶   A long-term plan that will allow Nevada Power to permanently end its reliance on coal-generated electricity by 2019 was approved Wednesday by the Nevada Public Utilities Commission. According to Paul Caudill, the CEO of NV Energy, the utility involved, the decision will be accepted by the utility. [Las Vegas Review-Journal]

¶   The value of solar power credits will go down if rate adjustments sought by Vermont utilities are approved by regulators. The small reduction is the solar credit is not expected to stifle the growing solar industry in Vermont, according to Andrew Savage, a strategist with the solar manufacturer AllEarth Renewables. [vtdigger.org]

¶   New York utility Long Island Power Authority has rejected Deepwater Wind’s 210-MW project proposed offshore Rhode Island. The utility followed staff recommendations and approved 11 solar projects totaling 122 MW. Deepwater is disappointed by the decision but continues to advance the $1 billion 35-turbine project. [reNews]

Opinion:

¶   “Use Drop In Oil Prices To Put A Price On Carbon, Says IEA Director” With the drop in oil prices “delivering a shot of economic stimulus to consumers around the world”, policymakers have an important chance to cut our reliance on fossil fuels, writes the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency. [CleanTechnica]

¶   “Green Energy Industry Has Power in Statehouses” Green energy industries have become mainstream, with the political clout to match the fossil fuel industry and big electric utilities in many statehouses. They are using that influence to defend renewable energy standards in 31 states and the District of Columbia. [Governing]

World:

¶   The head of one of Australia’s biggest electricity networks says he sees a long-term future for neither large, centralized electricity generators, nor big electricity retailers. He says the generators will be made redundant by the increased use of localized, mostly renewable generation, and the retailers won’t be needed any more. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Australian Christian group Common Grace launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to put solar panels on Kirribilli House; the official residence of Australian Prime Ministers. Within days of launching the initiative, enough money was raised for a 12 panel system; helped along by the Australian Solar Council. [Energy Matters]

¶   Japan’s nuclear regulator gave safety clearance to two more reactors Wednesday, raising the prospect that Japan could have four units back online next year to help power the nation’s economy. The approval comes three days after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ’s pronuclear party won decisively in a general election. [Wall Street Journal]

US:

¶   The city of Austin raised its solar power goal from 200 MW by 2020 to 950 MW by 2025. 200 MW of this solar power will be operating within Austin’s city limits and 750 MW will be utility-scale solar. For the 200 MW within city limits, half has to be from customers, meaning residents or building owners with their own solar power PV systems. [CleanTechnica]

¶   First Solar (one of the biggest solar module manufacturers and solar developers) has just partnered with Clean Energy Collective, a leading developer of community solar solutions, to advance community solar power. They will together develop and market community solar offerings to customers directly on behalf of client utilities. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Boeing said Tuesday it plans to buy renewable energy credits to replace fossil-fuel power at the factory in Washington where it assembles its 737 commercial airplanes. About half of the plant’s electricity had been produced by coal and natural gas. With the change, it will be entirely powered by hydro and windpower. [The Spokesman Review]

¶   Power company NRG energy recently announced a major foray into California’s residential solar market, with a goal to have 35,000 to 40,000 home solar installations by the end of 2015. The development exemplifies changes underway in the utility industry. Utilities are slowly beginning to warm up to rooftop solar. [Energy Collective]

¶   Vermont’s reliance on solar power is continuing to increase as producers take advantage of federal tax credits and the state’s growing affection for cleaner energy sources. The amount of power to be produced by small renewable energy projects that have been built or permitted is up 58% over last year. Most of that  is solar. [Valley News]

¶   A watchdog group has filed a federal complaint against Duke Energy. NC Warn says the company is keeping rates artificially high by building power plants it doesn’t need. Duke Energy is required to keep production capacity at 15% above the peak day of the year. NC Warn says the company regularly has double that amount. [WUNC]

¶   With its 116 turbines and maximum installed capacity of 267 MW, Portland General Electric’s newest wind farm, Tucannon River, is officially complete, functional, and ahead of schedule. The wind farm, on 20,000 acres near Dayton, Washington, is expected to produce enough to power about 84,000 homes. [Farms.com]

¶   Vermont Governor Shumlin’s administration is considering replacing the SPEED program with a plan that would require the state’s electric utilities to sell a certain amount of renewable power to Vermont customers, an official said Monday. This would mean that Vermont would have a mandatory renewable energy standard. [Brattleboro Reformer]

Opinion:

¶   “A $48 Billion Opportunity For US Electric Customers” Electricity customers in the US got good news last week. A new report from Accenture highlighted a potential revenue loss for US utilities of $48 billion per year by 2025 due to distributed solar and energy efficiency. That money  goes right into the pockets of utility customers. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶   A study has found that switching to driving EVs that use electricity made from renewable energy can actually push down death rates due to air pollution by as much as 70%. The study also shows that EVs powered by coal-based electricity could increase the number of resulting deaths due to air pollution by 80% or more. [Zee News]

World:

¶   China-based JA Solar Holdings delivered 100 MW of solar PV modules for the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park, which will be Pakistan’s largest. The power plant is envisaged to have an installed capacity of 1,000 MW by the end of 2016, while its first leg (of 100 MW) is expected to the commissioned soon. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Solar farms help “deliver secure income to farmers”, according to Guy Smith, vice president of the National Farmers’ Union. Smith said that solar farms help farmers insure against “volatile weather and commodity markets” whilst simultaneously providing “good environments for wildlife and pollinators.” [Solar Power Portal]

¶   Researchers at Cardiff University are working on technology which will contribute to the development of a ‘super- grid’ for sharing renewable power across Europe. The aim of the MEDOW project (Multi-terminal DC Grid for Offshore Wind) is to bring renewable energy to homes and businesses while cutting fossil fuels. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   SunEdison, Inc announced that the National Energy Commission in Chile has awarded SunEdison a contract to supply 570 GWh of clean energy a year. To meet the demand, SunEdison will be investing more than $700 million to develop 350 MW of utility scale solar PV power plants throughout the country. [AZoCleantech]

¶   Europe’s largest battery storage project, the 10 MWh Smarter Network Storage at Leighton Buzzard substation in the UK, is operational. The fully automated 6-MW/10-MWh Smarter Network Storage has been installed at the Leighton Buzzard primary substation north-west of London. [solarserver.com]

¶   The Sustainable Melbourne Fund is offering businesses solar finance packages to cover 100% of the capital cost of a solar power installation with flexible repayments through council rates and support to gain landlord agreement. The first two businesses to access the financing report substantial reductions in energy costs. [The Fifth Estate]

US:

¶   While the EPA sorts through the more than 1.6 million comments received on its proposed Clean Power Plan, one group is stepping out to pledge its support of the proposal. 53 Illinois legislators signed a letter urging the EPA to finalize the plan, which is the first to set limits on carbon pollution from existing power plants. [Energy Collective]

¶   The American Public Transportation Association has just released its December Transit Savings Report, which shows that “individuals who ride public transportation instead of driving can also save, on average, more than $797 per month. This month the average annual savings for public transit riders is $9,569.” [CleanTechnica]

¶   In Massachusetts, Greenfield Community Light and Power will begin to offer 100% renewable power to its customers beginning January 1, through an agreement with ConEdison, which will provide renewable energy at a reduced price. Residents could expect to save $72 per year, and and businesses $144 per year. [EIN News]

¶   Portland General Electric Company announced its Tucannon River Wind Farm is in service and available to generate power for PGE customers. It is PGE’s second large-scale wind project, with 116 turbines and a total installed capacity of 267 MW, enough to power the homes of about 84,000 average residential customers. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   US farmers are harnessing alternative energy sources, including wind, sun, water, energy crops, and resources for renewable energy through ethanol and biodiesel. These technologies not only benefit the environment, they also allow farmers to realize cost savings that can be passed down to customers. [North American Press Syndicate]

¶   The ceremonial installation of the 10,000th solar PV system on Long Island took place today at a private residence in Huntington as part of the State’s partnership with PSEG Long Island under the PowerUp Long Island and NY-Sun initiatives. Approximately, 41% of all solar systems in New York State have been installed on Long Island. [LongIsland.com]

¶   The nuclear expansion project at Plant Vogtle near Augusta appears headed for further delay, which could result in higher electric bills for ratepayers. The state’s independent construction monitor, William Jacobs, said last month he expects the two new reactors to take longer to build than Georgia Power’s current projections. [WABE 90.1 FM]

Science and Technology:

¶   In Australia, Reposit Power says new technology will allow households and businesses to “buy low and sell high,” giving power customers who have solar and storage new possibilities by allowing them to maximize their earnings on the market. Equipment is being installed in six homes in Canberra to test the system. [RenewEconomy]

¶   Innovations already at work in some modern buildings provide a networked ecosystem of “intelligent” building equipment and devices. Beyond the “Wow!” factor and the large-scale benefits to our planet, green and smart building technologies are changing the way we live and work, creating business in the process. [TechCrunch]

World:

¶   United Nations climate talks in Lima concluded last night with an agreement that plots a path towards next year’s global negotiations in Paris, but without mentioning energy or renewable power. The agreement was widely criticised by campaigners for failing to commit to action on climate change. [reNews]

¶   UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei says OPEC will not cut its output or hold an emergency meeting even if oil prices fall as low as $40 a barrel. Some oil ministers have said that the organization has no fear of oil prices falling to that level amid a price war with Russia and high-cost US shale producers. [Press TV]

¶   Spanish developer Abengoa has clinched a power purchase agreement and project financing for the 100-MW Xina concentrated solar project in South Africa. State utility Eskom will take the $1 billion plant’s output under a 20-year deal. Construction has already begun. It will feature parabolic trough technology. [reNews]

¶   Capital Dynamics has clinched a £60 million loan facility from a Macquarie Group fund to finance seven onshore wind farms totalling 55 MW in the UK. The 18-year amortizing loan structure is a combination of retail prince index-linked and nominal debt. UK energy businesses show growing demand for long-dated inflation-linked funding. [reNews]

¶   Iran’s Energy Ministry is to increase power plant capacity by 33,000 MW in the next five years. An official said the power industry plays an important role in enabling the government to achieve the targets set by the “Resistance Economy” policies, helps boost employment, and improves security as well as people’s lives. [Zawya]

¶   With the Liberal Democratic Party’s sweeping election victory, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to increase his efforts to revive nuclear power despite persistent public opposition. Abe hopes to restart two reactors at Kyushu Electric Power Co.’s nuclear plant in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture, early next year. [The Japan Times]

¶   The government of Taiwan has launched the second phase of a solar power system on Taiping Island, as part of efforts to make it a low-carbon island. The second-phase 40-kilowatt-peak (kWp) solar power system, built with a 612-kWp solar power storage facility, will generate an estimated 50,527 kWh of electricity per year. [WantChinaTimes]

US:

¶   Iberdrola Engineering and Construction has been hired to build a combined-cycle gas turbine electric generating plant in Salem, Massachusetts. Iberdrola Engineering will build the new 674-MW facility on a small portion of a 65-acre waterfront site now occupied by a decommissioned coal-and-oil-fired generating plant. [PennEnergy]

¶   Wind developer First Wind Energy of Boston  has sold investment giant JP Morgan Asset Management majority interest in two wind farms in the Texas Panhandle. The 150-MW Route 66 Wind project should cost about $300 million to develop, industry experts say, putting the transaction at over $150 million. [Amarillo.com]

¶   Illinois lawmakers may consider new policies to support nuclear power during the next General Assembly session. State Senator Sue Rezin says Exelon’s nuclear power plants have been good to her district, but legislation giving the power stations more footing to operate profitably will have to “make sense” to win approval. [The Times]

World:

¶   A new experimental “smart town” based especially around the technologies of solar energy and battery storage is being developed in Japan by Panasonic Corporation and others. The new 1000-household-strong town recently had its grand opening, with the first residents moving in earlier this year in the spring. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The well-regarded CEO of Renault-Nissan, Carlos Ghosn, recently made the rather notable comment that one of the main reasons his company was pursuing the adoption of electric vehicles aggressively was because of climate change. Ghosn called to climate change an “unprecedented humanitarian challenge.” [CleanTechnica]

¶   Daimler AG will be expanding its lithium-ion battery production capacity significantly over the coming years via expected investments of over €100 million. The company is currently developing a new building/facility that’s currently expected to be completed the middle of 2015 in the city of Kamenz. [CleanTechnica]

¶   South Africa will announce a series of renewable energy projects on Monday that will add 1,000 MW of power into the country’s constrained electricity grid. The country’s economy is in the midst of a severe power crisis because the government has failed to build any major new power stations since 1994. [Moneyweb.co.za]

¶   Several power companies have evinced interest to set up solar farms with a total capacity to generate 2,500 MW of power in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu after Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission fixed the tariff for solar power purchase by the power utility at 7.01 per unit on September 12. [Times of India]

¶   The Philippine Department of Energy has teamed up with local solar companies to promote the use of solar energy in the country on the back of growing energy demand and a looming power supply shortage in the summer of 2015. The DOE is committed to find renewable energy solutions, particularly solar energy. [Philippine Star]

¶   GDF Suez and its Moroccan partner Nareva Holding have started operations at the 301-MW Tarfaya wind farm on Morocco’s southern coast. With 131 wind turbines of 2.3 MW each, spread over 8,900 hectares, the €450 million ($560 million) project will generate enough power to supply 1.5 million homes. [Utilities-ME.com]

US:

¶   Thanks especially to the plummeting costs of solar and wind power, states can cost-effectively cut much more carbon than the EPA originally proposed this June. Wind and solar costs are now a mind-blowing 46% lower than the EPA estimated last summer. As a result, an additional 14 million-plus homes could be given clean power. [Energy Collective]

¶   The Western Governors’ Association has joined a growing chorus of groups recognizing the importance of action to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. Methane is a potent heat-trapping pollutant that is believed to be responsible for about 25% of current warming patterns. [Energy Collective]

¶   Thanks to an agreement between utilities and environmental groups announced Thursday, South Carolina residents and businesses can sell excess solar energy back to power companies at full retail value. This is the result of a net metering law passed in June that made solar power more accessible in the state. [Charleston Post Courier]

¶   Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signed an executive order this week authorizing the creation of Virginia’s first Green Community Program to provide localities and the private sector with a low cost financing tool for energy conservation, alternative fuel, and renewable energy projects. [Kingsport Times News]

¶   Two of Florida’s top utility companies want customers to pay $750 million each year to cover risky exploratory fracking. Environmentalists are comparing the plan to a 2006 law allowing utilities to charge hundreds of millions of dollars for nuclear-power plants that may never be built. [Naples Daily News]

World:

¶   A consortium led by a unit of Spain’s Acciona and South Africa’s Aveng has plugged 94 MW of renewable electricity capacity into South Africa’s power grid, providing some relief to the ailing system. The Sishen solar plant, Africa’s largest, has enough capacity to power up to 100,000 households. [Reuters Africa]

¶   A Chilean joint venture between investment group Actis and Ireland-based developer Mainstream Renewable Power secured power purchase agreements for supply from five wind farms in Chile with a combined capacity of 343 MW. Four of the facilities are expected to reach financial close during 2015 and commence construction shortly after. [Recharge]

¶   One of Scotland’s largest solar energy farms has been given planning permission, in a move that will bring power to more than 5,000 homes. Some 90,000 PV modules will be placed on a 153-acre greenfield site at East Ballochy, between Brechin and Montrose, which will continue to be used to graze sheep. [Scotsman]

¶   Oil markets slid to new lows after the International Energy Agency lowered its forecast for demand growth in 2015, the latest sign of continuing oversupply. Falling oil prices may boost economic growth, but they could threaten the economic health of oil producers and lead to lower investment in expensive drilling projects. [Wall Street Journal]

US:

¶   On Monday National Grid plans to announce it will install solar panels at 19 sites across Massachusetts that can produce enough electricity to power 3,200 homes, in one of the largest solar buildouts in the state’s history. The new installations, located on both public and private land, will have a capacity of over 16 MW. [Boston Globe]

¶   Nebraska’s wind energy industry has immediate potential for even short-term expansion. An official report released by the Nebraska Power Review Board found that Nebraska’s existing transmission infrastructure has room for at least 2,000 MW of additional renewable generating resources. [McCook Daily Gazette]

¶   Xcel Energy is launching a new program that it hopes will be a big boost in solar electricity for the Minneapolis-based utility. Instead of installing panels on their rooftops, customers can subscribe to a community solar garden. Xcel currently has about 14 MW of solar capacity. The program could add 100 MW next year. [CBS Local]

¶   The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved a construction agreement for Minnesota Power’s proposed Great Northern transmission line from Manitoba to Grand Rapids. Minnesota Power wants to build the 220-mile line to carry electricity from a dam being built in northern Manitoba. [Duluth News Tribune]

¶   Salt River Project, an Arizona utility, is proposing higher charges for customers who have their own solar PVs. The company suggests changing the rate structure so such customers pay about $50 more a month, which SRP officials say is necessary to cover their use of the power grid when the sun is not shining. [azcentral.com]

¶   The Platte River Power Authority Board of Directors unanimously authorized the acquisition of up to 30 MW of solar energy resources from a facility to be built north of Wellington, Colorado. The facility would occupy about 185 acres, include roughly 100,000 photo-voltaic panels, and supply 8000 homes. [Estes Park Trail-Gazette]

¶   Relicensing of the Indian Point nuclear power plants should not await approval of their compatibility with a coastal-protection program, an appeals court has ruled. The court ruled Indian Point was exempt from the terms of New York’s Coastal Zone Management Program because the original license pre-dated the program. [Courthouse News Service]

World:

¶   If India proceeds to build all proposed coal-fired power plants, the country may face a quarter million deaths every single year, according to the latest report from India-based Conservation Action Trust and Urban Emissions. A year ago, they found the death toll from coal emissions had already reached 80,000-115,000 per year. [Energy Collective]

¶   No one, not even the world’s largest coal-mining company, will escape the impending solar energy revolution in India. Indian government-owned Coal India Limited announced that it will set up 1 GW of solar power capacity across two states in southern India under an agreement with the Solar Energy Corporation of India. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Vestas has received an order for 365 V52-850 kW turbines for the 310-MW Lake Turkana Wind Power project in Kenya. The order was placed by Lake Turkana Wind Power Ltd and is expected to be Africa’s largest wind power plant when complete. It will save Kenya around €150 million in fuel imports every year. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   The UK’s renewable power produced by wind farms, solar panels, biomass plants and other green technologies prevented the release of nearly 38 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions last year, an additional 10 million tonne saving from 2012. Nearly a third of the amount was saved in Scotland. [Business Green]

¶   The energy arm of Spanish infrastructure company Acciona has connected a 94.3-MW solar farm to the grid in South Africa – the single-largest project in the company’s history. Located in the municipality of Dibeng in the Northern Cape province, this 250 hectare solar park boasts 319,600 modules and features 470 solar trackers. [pv magazine]

US:

¶   The wind resource in the Great Plains states is so extraordinary that some wind energy professionals call the region the “Saudi Arabia of wind.”  Texas alone could provide sufficient electric power for the needs of the entire country, but the largest loads are on the East Coast, and transmission system upgrades are needed to move the power. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Two GE groups have teamed with a number of others on a research project to improve the reliability and resiliency of electricity delivery in northern New York. The focus area will be on a microgrid for the Village of Potsdam, which is prone to ice storms that damage above-ground power infrastructure. [PennEnergy]

¶   Waste from local pine tree logging is now a power source in East Texas, and a co-op biomass plant is using the fuel to produce enough electricity to meet the needs of 35,000 homes. Officials from East Texas Electric Cooperative say the new Woodville Renewable Power Project is generating about 50 MW. [Electric Co-op Today]

¶   California’s booming clean energy industry currently employs nearly 450,000 people and is tipped to reach the half million mark within a year, according to a first-of-its-kind survey of America’s advanced energy sector. The current number is more than the film, TV, radio, semiconductors and aerospace industries. [Energy Matters]

¶   The US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory is providing critical support to two new microgrid projects coordinated by the Electric Power Research Institute and GE. NREL will test microgrid controllers developed by EPRI and GE using its megawatt-scale power hardware-in-the-loop capability. [Solar Novus Today]

¶   Exelon says the EPA was “well within” its legal authority to require existing plants to reduce carbon dioxide emissions 30% from 2005 levels by 2030. An Exelon senior vice president said the Clean Power Plan was “legally and scientifically required.” She also called for more credit for nuclear plants. [Environment & Energy Publishing]

Opinion:

¶   “No, cheap oil will not kill solar power” Solar energy investors seem to fear that cheap oil will erase demand for alternative energy. But it won’t, say industry analysts. Oil dominates energy demand in transportation fuels, but solar power customers are primarily of two types: public electric utilities and large corporations, neither of which use oil to generate electricity. [CNBC]

Science and Technology:

¶   Comments on EVs from Renault-Nissan’s Chairman & CEO Carlos Ghosn indicated that Nissan will “very soon take the issue of range off of the table.” Jeff Cobb of Hybrid Cars says: “The company is otherwise still being vague, not ready to show what it has, but Ghosn suggested a near-ready battery to enable affordable electric cars good for as many 250 miles…” [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Jellyfish Barge, if you have not heard word about it, is one potential worldwide food and water solution, which deserves high praise. It is a holistic platform improving water and food security of coastal communities. It is a module for crop cultivation that doesn’t rely on soil, fresh water, and chemical energy consumption, according to Pnat. [CleanTechnica]

¶   A team at Rice University made a new graphene microsupercapacitor (same thing as a supercapacitor but smaller) using a process they call LIG, for laser induced graphene. They created their graphene battery on a base of plastic film. That took some doing, as it turned out that not all plastic film is equal when it comes to graphene batteries. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   The launch of a new coalition spearheaded by the United Nations Environment Program and focused on boosting renewable energy usage around the world was announced today as Member States head into the final three-day stretch of a major UN climate conference in Lima, Peru aimed at tackling the imminent threat of climate change. [AllAfrica.com]

¶   The region of Latin America and the Caribbean is already a global low-carbon leader in terms of power generation from hydrological and biomass resources. Declining costs, maturing technologies, and vast untapped potentials including geothermal, solar PVs, and wind offer an additional unprecedented opportunity in the region. [solarserver.com]

¶   The UK Government has approved the 1.2 GW Hornsea Project One, 64 miles off the coast of Yorkshire. Hornsea Project One will generate enough energy for over 800,000 homes.The project is expected to feature between 150 and 332 offshore wind turbines based on the size of the units selected. [CleanTechnology News, Industry Analysis, Market Research Reports – Clean Technology Business Review]

US:

¶   The U.S. is producing the most oil in 31 years, economic growth is picking up and crude prices are plunging. Nevertheless, American use of petroleum is waning. Greater efficiency is part of the cause. Another part is greater use of renewable resources. Another part is increased urbanization, particularly among younger people. [Bloomberg]

¶   Vermont will not meet its renewable energy goals unless policy changes are made, according to a report by the Shumlin administration.The Total Energy Study, prepared by the Department of Public Service, makes it clear that new policies are needed if the state wants to meet its goal of 90% renewable energy consumption by 2050. [vtdigger.org]

¶   The US Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has announced it will work with GE and the Electric Power Research Institute on a new $8 million microgrid program. The program, which has been funded by the Energy Department, will focus on the development of seven microgrid projects. [pv magazine]

¶   As more solar and wind electric generating capacity is added in California, CAISO, the electric grid operator for most of the state, is facing an increasingly different net load shape. Net load, the total electric demand in the system minus wind and solar generation, represents the demand that CAISO must meet with other, dispatchable sources. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Three new utility-scale solar power arrays are a step closer to construction just north of the Las Vegas Valley under a new federal initiative aimed at fast-tracking renewable energy development on public land. Federal authorities have fast-tracked the three projects, which could receive final approval by spring 2015 and begin delivering power by 2016. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   The US DOE has issued the Advanced Nuclear Energy Projects loan guarantee solicitation of $12.5 billion to support innovative nuclear energy projects. The DOE’s Loan Programs Office also includes the $8 billion Advanced Fossil Energy Projects Solicitation, the $4 billion Renewable Energy and Efficient Energy Projects Solicitation, and the $16 billion Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing loan program. [PennEnergy]

Science and Technology:

¶   Vitruvian Energy has a waste-to-energy project, converting sewage treatment biosolids and other organic waste into ethyl-3-ethoxybutyrate (EEB). EEB can be blended at rates up to 20% in gas and diesel engines without any modification to the engine. In some cases it can be used straight as a fuel for generating electricity. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Yet another scientific study has undermined one of the shoutiest claims of the anti-wind movement – that inaudible sound waves (or infrasound) emitted by wind turbines causes people living close by to wind farms to get sick, with a litany of symptoms ranging from anxiety and migraine to heart disease. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Proponents of carbon capture and storage (CCS) say it is the only feasible way to mitigate climate change because coal and natural gas are cheap. A study has now revealed how much it CCS would cost. It would be $17.6 trillion for the initial investment, and CCS power plants will use 10% to 40% more energy than non-CCS ones. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   Danish turbine manufacturer Vestas has signed a memorandum of understanding with Vietnam’s Phu Cuong Group to develop a 170-MW wind farm. The project will be sited in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang and is Phu Cuong Group’s first venture in a pipeline of 800 MW. [reNews]

¶   Canada’s carbon pollution target for 2020 could have been nearly met if the country had widely implemented some successful regional policies six years ago, a report suggests. The report comes on the heels of a warning from Environment Canada that the country will only get halfway to its 17% reduction goal. [CBC.ca]

¶   A tire-fueled plant at Avonmouth, near the English city of Bristol, looks set to be given the green light. It would grind tires into crumb form, with the solid waste then converted into liquid petroleum gas, synthetic diesel oil and carbon black. Electricity also produced from the waste tires would supply power to more than 10,000 homes. [Insider Media]

¶   Oil prices have plummeted in recent months, from $115 a barrel in June to less than $70. That dramatic shift could increase greenhouse gas emissions in the short term, as consumers take advantage of cheap fuel. It also gives policymakers a “golden opportunity” to scrap fossil fuel subsidies and bring in carbon pricing. [RTCC]

¶   Official National Grid figures showed that on Sunday 7 December an average of 7.315 GW of power was produced by wind farms, beating the previous record of 7.234 GW set on 3 January this year. This means around 43% of all homes were powered by wind that day, trade body RenewableUK said. [Business Green]

¶   The German government aims to shut down the country’s nuclear power plants by 2022. The expansion of the renewable energy sector is proceeding at full speed as wholesale electricity prices slump. Conventional power is unprofitable. Operators of conventional plants are making losses amounting to billions of euros. [Deutsche Welle]

US:

¶   The US installed 1,354 MW of solar PV in the third quarter of 2014, up 41% over the same period last year. The country’s cumulative solar PV capacity is now 16.1 GW. The US residential segment exceeded 300 MW for the first time for the quarter, with more than half coming online without any state incentives to help it along. [CleanTechnica]

¶   In the first major congressional call on the EPA to further strengthen the proposed Clean Power Plan from its existing targets, a group of eleven Senators emphasized that it is essential for the plan to hit the target levels of emissions reductions necessary to avoid the most harmful effects of climate change. [Eurasia Review]

¶   While coal-powered mines are still the number 1 source for electricity in North Dakota, wind energy is closing the gap. Basin Electric Cooperative co-op members decided to produce 10% of their power with renewables, and within a few years went past that threshold to 19%. Now, 13% of their power is from wind and close to 6% from hydro. [Tribune-Review]

¶   A large farm in western Michigan plans to start producing electricity from manure produced by its 3,000-plus dairy cows. MLive.com reports that Sustainable Partners LLC says it has been selected to build a 1.4 MW anaerobic digester at Beaver Creek Farm in Coopersville at a cost of over $8 million. [Greenfield Daily Reporter]

¶   E.ON is spinning off its fossil fuel plants. In the US, costs of solar and wind energy are dropping fast, and customers are getting control of their electricity usage, putting utilities on the defensive. Some US power companies might embrace change as E.ON has. Although not a regulated utility, NRG Energy may be closest. [Greentech Media]

¶  Mary Powell, President & CEO of Green Mountain Power, Vermont’s largest utility, was just named Power-Gen 2014 Woman of the Year. Judges selected Powell because of how she has advanced the power generation industry, the positive impact she has made on her community, and her leadership. [Marketwired]

Science and Technology:

¶   A new report, issued the same day the latest round of global climate negotiations opened in Peru, highlights the fracking industry’s slow expansion into nearly every continent, drawing attention not only to the potential harm from toxic pollution, dried-up water supplies and earthquakes, but also to the threat the shale industry poses to the world’s climate. [Resilience]

¶   Renewable energy company Acciona has unveiled what will be the first zero emissions electric vehicle to participate in the grueling Dakar Rally. The vehicle features a 220 kW (300 HP) synchronous electric motor that weighs only 80 kg. It has four removable (quick release sliding) lithium-ion battery packs provide energy storage of 140 kWh. [Energy Matters]

World:

¶   The latest update on the Australian PV Institute solar map shows that Australia now has 4 GW of installed PV. Installed capacity has quadrupled since 2011, generating an estimated 5250 GWh per year from the sun. In many suburbs, especially in South Australia and Queensland, more than 40% of households have solar panels. [Climate Control News]

¶   Swedish state-owned Vattenfall wants to continue as a major player in Germany’s energy market even though it intends to sell lignite power plants and mines there, Chief Executive Magnus Hall said on Monday. He added that there will be no changes to the decision to sell the lignite operations in Germany. [Reuters]

US:

¶    Ceres, a nonprofit promoting investor support for efforts on climate change, has sent a letter endorsed by 223 companies to President Obama, in support of EPA’s controversial proposed standard for existing power plants to limit carbon dioxide emissions. Combined assets of the companies is $10 trillion. [National Legal and Policy Center]

¶   Right now only a couple of stations in Oklahoma and Texas are selling $2 gas. But the price of both oil and wholesale gas declined again Monday. Oil is already at a 5-year low, at less than $65 a barrel, and analysts think it could bottom out at $35 next year. Next year’s full-year average could be as low as $53, said Morgan Stanley analysts. [CNN]

¶   Revenues from renewables for electric power generators jumped by 49% to $9.8 billion from 2007 to 2012, while revenues  from the fossil fuel sector fell by 6.7% according to the Census Bureau. But wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass and solar accounted for just 8.2% of all industry revenues in 2012. [Electric Co-op Today]

¶   Massachusetts’ governor is just 30 days from leaving office, but his administration is making one last push to bring more Canadian hydropower to the state. His top environmental aides are working feverishly on new rules that could compel electric utilities to buy a certain amount of energy from Canada’s big hydro plants. [Boston Globe]

¶   Washington Gas Energy Systems, announced an agreement with Southern Company and the Electric Power Research Institute to evaluate battery storage at a 1-MW solar array in Cedartown, Georgia. The project will analyze a 1-MW/2-MWh lithium-ion battery with a specific focus on renewable integration. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   A Maine citizen board has rejected an appeal of Patriot Renewables’ 22.8 MW Canton Mountain wind project, unanimously dismissing complaints about noise impacts and potential effects on property values. The developer proposes to install eight GE 2.85-103 turbines along a ridgeline in Oxford County. [reNews]

¶   Wind power is on track to cut as much carbon pollution in Pennsylvania as four coal-fired power plants, or 3,689,000 cars produce by 2030, according to analysis by the PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center. Growing at its current rate, wind would be able to supply 30% of our electricity needs by 2030. [NorthcentralPa.com]

¶   Duke Energy has received regulatory approval from the North Carolina Utilities Commission to acquire and construct three solar PV facilities totaling 128 MW (ac) capacity in the state. Duke will own the three solar farms, whose output will help North Carolina comply with the state’s renewable energy portfolio standard. [Recharge]

¶   Two trends in the power sector, the expansion of distributed generation and advances in energy efficiency, could cost US utilities up to $48 billion annually by 2025, according to a new report . The study used models that examined improvements in solar panels, electricity storage and other trends impacting bottom lines of US utilities. [FuelFix]

¶   The Georgia Public Service Commission has warned for at least two years that Southern Co subsidiary Georgia Power is relying on an outdated project schedule for two new reactors at Plant Vogtle in eastern Georgia that contains almost no detail after December 2015, even though construction will continue for several more years. [Access North Georgia]

Science and Technology:

¶   2014 is currently on track to be hottest year on record, according to new reports from both the World Meteorological Organization and the UK’s Met Office Wednesday. Similarly, NOAA reported two weeks ago that 2014 is all but certain to be the hottest year on record. The last time a record was set was 2010. The time before that was 2005. [Energy Collective]

¶   Researchers at the University of New South Wales are the first in the world to convert more than 40% of the sunlight hitting a solar PV system into electricity. The record was first achieved in outdoor tests in Sydney, before being independently confirmed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory at their outdoor test facility in the United States. [solarserver.com]

World:

¶   The European Environment Agency published a report recently stating that air pollution cost the EU up to $235 billion for the year 2012. Most of this air pollution is generated by coal-fired power plants. (In the US, the cost of coal-based pollution has been estimated to be $500 billion, but that goes beyond air pollution.) [CleanTechnica]

¶   JA Solar Holdings Co, Ltd, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of high-performance solar power products, announced that it shipped 100 MW of modules to the first large-scale solar farm in Pakistan. Energy demand in Pakistan has grown approximately 8% annually, creating a production deficit of 6 GW. [Your Renewable News]

¶   A delegation headed by Egypt’s deputy minister of electricity and renewable energy visited Jordan to discuss a memorandum of understanding on nuclear power it plans to conclude at the end of a three-day visit. Jordan’s nuclear program has come a long way in its energy project, according to Egypt’s state news agency. [Ahram Online]

¶   A wind farm will power a Honda car manufacturing facility in Brazil. Honda has a car assembly plant in Sumare, Sao Paulo. The wind farm that will soon power this facility is located in the most southern part in Xangri-la, hundreds of miles away, and has nine 3-MW turbines. Honda wants to achieve a reduction of 30% in CO2 emissions by 2020. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Researchers at Cardiff University in Wales are working on ways of developing a ‘super grid’ for sharing wind power across Europe, cutting down on fossil fuels. Working with Leuven University in Belgium, the Multi-terminal DC Grid for Offshore Wind project is investigating ways of sharing power generated by offshore wind farms. [WalesOnline]

¶   November was a “big month” for Scottish wind power, according to new figures. Scottish wind turbines produced enough electricity to power 2.6 million homes for the month, equivalent to 107% of households, while eleven days in November saw wind power generate enough electricity to supply every home in the country. [Deadline News]

US:

¶   A paper published in Reviews on Environmental Health suggests that even tiny doses of benzene, toluene and other chemicals released during the various phases of oil and natural gas production, including fracking, could pose serious health risks, especially to developing fetuses, babies and young children. [Huffington Post]

¶   A Wal-Mart spokesman said the company is about a third of the way toward its goal in global renewable energy production. The company has its sights set on using 100% renewable energy and generating 7 billion kWh of power by 2020, which the retailer hopes to transform into real savings. This has had effects on the solar PV market. [Arkansas Business Online]

¶   Sen. Howard Walker, R-Traverse City, sponsored two new bills in the Michigan State Senate, seeking to protect utilities and wind farm developers from “nuisance” lawsuits. Walker was unsure if the legislation would get far enough for a vote before the end of the year. But if not, he felt it was likely to come up in some form in 2015. [The Detroit News]

Opinion:

¶   “Energy coming out of the woodwork” Biomass power plants pay taxes and provide jobs all across Maine. So the folk in Maine should understand EPA analysis, that biomass is “likely to have minimal or no net atmospheric contributions of biogenic CO2 emissions, or even reduce such impacts, when compared with an alternate fate of disposal.” [Press Herald]

¶   “Clear the dark clouds over solar energy production in Florida” It seems only natural that solar power will play a meaningful role in providing for Florida’s future energy needs. Yet when it comes to encouraging the use of solar power, Florida is well behind other states such as New Jersey, where programs are in place to advance its development and use. [TBO.com]

Science and Technology:

¶   While such technologies as batteries, pumped-hydro, and flywheels have their merits, none is able to offer seasonal deep storage at the terawatt scale. Power-to-Gas is an elegant innovation that simply takes excess renewable electricity to create renewable hydrogen and methane for injection into natural gas pipelines or use in transportation. [Energy Collective]

World:

¶   The fossil fuel divestment movement is gathering steam. Climate advocates 350.org are organizing the first-ever Global Divestment Day on February 13-14, 2015, when thousands of people on five continents will take collective action by demanding their respective institutions stop investing in dirty energy for economic and environmental reasons. [CleanTechnica]

¶   India is planning to create a buzz around its renewable energy program during the climate talks in Lima. A booklet specially prepared for the occasion sets out its achievements. India today has one of the most active renewable energy program in the world, meeting needs in ways that are environmentally benign. [The Hindu]

¶   Renewable energy looks set to benefit greatly from the European Union’s new €315 billion investment plan, according to recent reports. That plan will see that mountain of cash spread out across a number of different areas, including renewable energy, power network repairs/upgrades, and transportation infrastructure. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Japanese government intends to store soil contaminated with radioactive substances on some land plots even before the land is purchased for construction of a temporary storage facility, according to sources. The substances were released in the 2011 crisis at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. [The Japan News]

US:

¶   Things are really cooking up in congress over the war on wind energy’s production tax credit. In the latest twist, a coalition of US Governors has waded into the fray with a letter to House leadership, citing a drop — yes, a drop — in electricity prices over the past five years, in states that have been producing more wind energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Bill Ritter, Colorado’s governor from 2007 to 2011,now directs the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University. The center works directly with state governments to promote development of energy that provide environmental and economic benefits, because states can move more quickly on new energy initiatives. [Omaha World-Herald]

¶   For the first time in company history, solar energy is part of the energy mix being delivered to Ameren Missouri’s 1.2 million electric customers. Following more than a month of successful testing, the O’Fallon Renewable Energy Center, Ameren’s first solar center and the largest investor-owned utility scale solar facility in Missouri, is online. [Lakenewsonline.com]

¶   Home furnishing retailer IKEA has announced that they are increasing the size and energy generation capacity of a solar array, which was once the largest solar rooftop array in Michigan, in one of their Detroit-area stores. Now, a 240.9-kilowatt system, consisting of 765 panels, will be built on the addition’s rooftop. [EcoSeed]

Opinion:

¶   “‘Stranded assets’: Will efforts to counter warming render energy reserves worthless?” by Alex Morales. Former vice president Al Gore likens today’s fossil fuels to the subprime mortgages that triggered the global credit crisis. Their value “is based on an assumption every bit as absurd,” specifically the notion that all known oil, gas and coal will be consumed. [Washington Post]

Science and Technology:

¶   An efficient method to harvest low-grade waste heat as electricity may be possible using reversible ammonia batteries. Low-grade waste heat is an artifact of many energy-generating methods. In the winter, waste heat in cars is diverted to run the vehicle heating system, but in the summer, that same waste heat is lost. [Science Daily]

¶   SheerWind recently announced new technology that integrates three turbines in a row or series and increases the electrical power output for a single tower. SheerWind’s Invelox system is a large funnel that captures, concentrates, and accelerates wind before delivering it to turbines safely and efficiently located at ground level. [Windpower Engineering]

¶   Conventional natural gas is still a fossil fuel with significant carbon emissions that need to be contained. However, there is renewable natural gas, which can be blended into the natural gas supply. There is a wide variety of technologies and feedstocks that can be used to produce renewable natural gas at competitive costs. [Breaking Energy]

World:

¶   China had set itself a target to install 14 GW solar PV this year. However, due to delays and postponements in projects, the country does not seem to have enough time at hand to pursue it. Japan, on the other hand, has poured over $30 billion to tap solar power in a single year, despite having a lack of large amounts of available land. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The South African utility has announced stage three loadshedding. Doug Kuni, a former managing director of the South African Independent Power Producers Association, said that all South Africans can do about the current electricity situation is to buy candles and a generator, as the country’s power system had never been in such a bad state. [MyBroadband]

¶   In an astonishing, virtually unpublicized, reversal, China, which burns more coal than the rest of the world put together, has announced it will cap its use within six years. Even more surprisingly there are signs that it is already declining, way ahead of schedule, as the country undergoes a largely unrecognised green revolution. [Telegraph.co.uk]

¶   In a recent development, the Church of England has urged BP plc and Royal Dutch Shell plc to cut carbon emission levels and invest more in renewable energy. Two church funds, with a combined value of nearly $12 billion plan to file shareholder resolutions on climatic change in the next four weeks. [Royal Dutch Shell plc .com]

¶   At the UN climate talks, Friends of the Earth International activists urged the participating nations to start building clean, sustainable, community-based energy solutions. The benefits of community-owned renewable energy solutions include reduced CO2 emissions, reduced consumption, stronger communities, and jobs. [eNews Park Forest]

¶   On Friday the Finnish parliament voted for a nuclear power project with 115 in favour, compared to 74 against. The location for the plant is in Pyhäjoki, just 150 kilometres from Swedish municipalities such as Luleå, Piteå and Skellefteå. A group of Swedish anti-nuclear activists has told The Local they will continue to fight against it. [The Local.se]

US:

¶   Volvo Trucks North America’s New River Valley assembly plant in Dublin, Va., is now carbon neutral thanks to a switch to renewable fuels to produce power. The assembly plant uses landfill gas to generate electric power and replaces fossil fuels that produced over 40,000 tons of carbon dioxide last year. [Truckinginfo]

¶   For the longest time in Tallahassee, criticism regarding Florida’s Public Service Commission had been relegated to Democrats, environmental activist groups and editorial writers at Florida dailies, but its membership is growing larger by the day. Conservatives for Energy Freedom is becoming active in the state. [SaintPetersBlog]

¶   Few challenges facing California’s policymakers are more complex than dramatically reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. But regulators will soon consider one of the more straightforward solutions: increasing the state’s renewable energy mandate, which is is already one of the highest in the nation. [The Desert Sun]

¶   The carbon pollution from five coal plants could be eliminated in North Carolina if wind power is developed off the North Carolina coast, according to a new analysis by Environment North Carolina Research and Policy Center. The report comes right as Congress considers whether to renew tax credits critical to wind development. [The Maritime Executive]

¶   Elon Musk’s so-called gigafactory may soon become an existential threat to the 100-year-old utility business model. The facility will also churn out stationary battery packs that can be paired with rooftop solar panels to store power. Already, a second company led by Musk, SolarCity Corp, is packaging solar panels and batteries. [Businessweek]

Science and Technology:

¶   With a global focus on reducing energy consumption continuing to grow, many methods of “going green” are getting increased attention. A new analysis from Frost & Sullivan finds that one of these concepts gaining prominence is the net zero–energy building. A net zero–energy building can generate more energy it needs. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶    Shanghai Electric Power said late on Thursday it was in preliminary contact with E.ON over the possible purchase of the German utility’s Italian coal assets, which the Chinese firm said were worth €150 million ($186 million). E.ON is spinning off its nuclear and fossil fuel assets to focus on renewable power. [Reuters]

¶   PV arrays coupled with battery storage systems are becoming the “new normal” in Australia’s wide-open spaces. The number of installations continue to increase as governments and businesses begin to realize the new reality of off or edge-of-grid solar plus storage affordability. A key to change is increasing familiarity with the technology. [RenewEconomy]

¶   China State Grid Corp will spend about 400 billion yuan ($65 billion) this year on its electricity networks as the nation, which last month reached a deal with the US to curtail fossil fuels, copes with an unprecedented influx of clean energy and higher demand. Spending will need to be maintained at current levels for the next five years. [Businessweek]

¶   Start-up company Tempus Energy has gone to the European General Court to challenge the UK Government’s Capacity Market as an unlawful subsidy. The Capacity Market was set up to offer subsidies to reliable forms of power capacity. Tempus Energy says that it prioritizes fossil fuel electricity generation. [Click Green]

¶   Subsidy-free solar in the UK could thrive by the end of the decade, according to a report published by Berlin-based think tank Thema1. The report predicts that all three sectors of the UK solar market (ground-mount, commercial and domestic) will be able to compete without subsidy with traditional forms of energy within the next 10 years. [PV-Tech]

US:

¶   A new report by utility and finance experts contains positive news for the environment, our air and our pocketbooks. The economics of electric power resources have made zero-emissions energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies the most financially attractive options to meet the nation’s future energy demands. [Energy Collective]

¶   Iberdrola, through its subsidiary Iberdrola Ingeniería, has received a contract by Footprint Power for the construction of a 674-MW combined cycle power plant in Salem, Massachusetts. The facility is to replace the existing 63-year old Salem Harbor coal-fired station, which is being decommissioned. [Energy Business Review]

¶   The USDA’s Rural Utility Service’s Energy Efficiency & Conservation Loan Program allows rural utilities to borrow money at low rates – 30 years at 3.3% – for energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements at their facilities or properties owned by the customers it serves. Utilities may re-loan the money at a slightly higher rate. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Badger Coulee Transmission Line, planned to run between La Crosse and Madison, Wisconsin, is one of 17 planned in the Midwest to move wind power through the region better. Without a path to move available wind power, some has to be curtailed, essentially turned off, when it is windy and there is an over-abundant supply. [Madison.com]

¶   The carbon pollution from approximately nine coal plants could be eliminated in New York if wind power supplied 30% of our electricity needs, according to a new analysis by Environment New York. The analysis comes just as Congress considers whether to renew tax credits critical to wind development. [Long Island Exchange]

¶   Ameren’s solar energy center in O’Fallon, Missouri is now in service. The 19-acre operation includes 19,000 solar panels and is currently generating 6 MW of power for the company’s electrical grid. According to papers the company filed with the Public Service Commission, it intends to build a second, larger solar energy center in 2016. [St. Louis Public Radio]

¶   UIL Holdings Corp will install a 3.4-MW fuel cell plant at a Connecticut Natural Gas Corp pressure-reduction facility. The plant includes a 2.8-MW fuel cell and a “turbo expander,” which will produce another 600 kW of renewable power by harnessing energy that isn’t used during the process of reducing natural gas pressure. [Hartford Business]

Science and Technology:

¶   This year is on track to be one of the hottest, if not the hottest, year on record, a UN agency reported Wednesday. The head of the World Meteorological Organization pointed out that provisional information for 2014 means that 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all occurred in the 21st century, adding “There is no standstill in global warming.” [CNN]

¶   Toshiba Corporation announced the development of a new technology that uses solar energy to generate carbon compounds from CO₂ and water, and to deliver a viable chemical feedstock or fuel with potential for use in industry. Toshiba introduced the technology at the 2014 International Conference on Artificial Photosynthesis. [PressReleaseNetwork.com]

World:

¶   The European wind market is expected to stabilise this year, after a decline in 2013, with a 2.5% year-over-year growth. And while short-term outlooks for Europe’s wind energy industry show declining wind demand, consulting firm MAKE believe that, in the long term, the European wind market will grow 2.1% per year between 2014 to 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶   A recent Pembina Institute fact sheet discusses how wind energy is subsidizing Albertan ratepayers. During 2013, the average price for wind energy was 5.5¢ in Alberta, lower than hydro (9.8¢), natural gas (8.3¢), coal (7.7¢), and peaker (21.4¢). Generators usually prefer natural gas to wind because the profit margin is bigger and revenues are more certain. [CleanTechnica]

¶   A short-circuit has impaired part of a nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine, causing power shortages in parts of the country but putting no one in danger of radiation, the country’s newly appointed energy minister said Wednesday. Emergency repairs should be finished by Friday, according to the Energy Ministry. [CNN]

¶   Environmental groups are demanding tighter rules on climate finance for poor nations after an Associated Press investigation showed Japan bankrolled coal-fired power plants with money earmarked for fighting global warming. Japan included $1 billion in loans for new coal plants in the climate finance it reported to the UN in 2010-12. [Daily Journal]

¶   Solar power will prosper without subsidies in Britain as early as 2020, says a report which used the experience of Germany to project the outlook for solar costs in Britain and impacts on utilities. In 2015, solar PVs will overtake both gas and coal to become the number one generating technology in annual installations. [AltEnergyMag]

¶   Irish energy emissions decreased significantly last year, resulting in a slight overall reduction in the country’s production of greenhouse gases. Energy sector emissions decreased by 11.1% due to greater use of power from renewable resources like wind and biomass. This was mostly offset by emissions increases in other sectors. [Irish Examiner]

¶   The German government adopted a broad catalog of energy measures, ranging from new subsidies for homeowners who insulate their houses to mandatory emissions cuts for energy producers. Berlin said the steps would ensure Germany meets its target of cutting CO₂ emissions by 40% from their 1990 level by 2020. [Wall Street Journal]

US:

¶   A major new petroleum industry campaign is afoot to shoot down clean energy regulations in all three West Coast states, which is no surprise because that’s what the US petroleum industry should be doing in the face of a shrinking domestic market. While the “oil conspiracy” may meet with some short term success, it’s not going to hold up for long. [CleanTechnica]

¶   As opposition grows against the coal plant bailout cases before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, Sierra Club is blanketing the state again with ads slamming state utilities for trying to prop up their outdated plants by increasing customers’ bills. Three utilities are requesting bailouts for all of Ohio’s remaining coal plants. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   US lawmakers today voted to reinstate renewable energy tax credits through the end of 2014, rather than a multi-year extension as the wind power sector and others had urged. The production tax credit expired in 2013. The House voted 378-46 in favor of the one-year extenders package and sent the legislation to the US Senate. [reNews]

World:

¶   Citigroup says the impact of the China-US climate deal signed earlier this month could total $3.9 trillion. That’s the loss in revenue for Big Oil and Big Coal over the next 15 years from the joint undertaking on greenhouse gas emissions by the world’s two biggest economies. Citigroup analysts suggest thermal coal is on a permanent decline. [CleanTechnica]

¶   All but one of Britain’s ageing fleet of nuclear reactors will have to be closed down within 15 years, according to a panel of experts. Only Sizewell B power station will still be operating beyond 2030, which would leave a shortfall of about 20% in the UK’s power demands unless replacement nuclear reactors come on-stream in the 2020s. [Belfast Telegraph]  (Why does the replacement have to be nuclear?)

¶   One in five Australian households has installed domestic solar energy systems, data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows. Solar Citizens national director Claire O’Rourke said most of the households were on lower and middle incomes, and that they were using solar as a way to reduce power costs. [eco-business.com]

¶   Nearly 90% of Australians support the current Renewable Energy Target, according to a WWF-commissioned poll. The current federal government, headed by Prime Minister Tony Abbott, is planning to backtrack on the target, but the poll found that 88% of swing voters think the Renewable Energy Target should be increased, not decreased. [The9Billion]

¶   The number of people working for Canadian green energy organizations outnumbers those work on tar sands, according to a status report on the country’s shift to renewable power. The energy-generating capacity of Canada’s wind, solar, run-of-river hydropower and biomass plants has expanded by 93% since 2009. [eNews Park Forest]

US:

¶   Salem, Massachusetts is hoping to cut electricity costs for residents and businesses by combining the purchasing power of the entire city. The City Council recently approved program for combining purchasing power. The expectation is a reduction in both costs and carbon footprint through use of renewable power. [The Salem News]

¶   Massachusetts Audubon and Massachusetts Energy Consumers Alliance have partnered to help people reduce their carbon footprints. People who sign up will be matched with local green providers, bringing renewable power from wind, solar, biomass, and “cow power” to them through their regular utility companies. [Wicked Local Sharon]

¶   SunCommon, a 2012 spinoff of the advocacy group VPIRG, has made its 1000th solar installation in Vermont. SunCommon regularly works with 100 other Vermont companies and says it has created 100 jobs in the state. It also says that the solar installations it has done have saved customers $14 million. [vtdigger.org]

¶   Republicans in the US House of Representatives are championing a short-term, $44.7 billion package that would extend tax breaks for wind power, biofuels and mine safety equipment that expired at the end of 2013 or earlier this year, through the end of this month. A vote is expected on 4 December. [Argus Media]

¶   Americans filed more than 8 million comments in favor of the EPA’s plans to limit carbon pollution from new and existing power plants, the most ever received by the agency. According to a recent survey, 7 in 10 Americans view climate change as a serious problem and support federal action to reduce greenhouse gases. [EcoWatch]

¶   Before the US EPA released its Clean Power Plan earlier this year, with goals for each state to slash carbon dioxide emissions, Texas was already preparing for a changing energy mix. The state’s grid operator has been evaluating its grid-balancing and energy storage needs as it takes on more wind power and retires more coal. [Greentech Media]

World:

¶   EON SE’s plan to spin off its fossil-fuel plants may bolster Germany’s already leading position in green energy. EON’s announcement is the culmination of a push to wind, solar and other alternative energy forms that the German government began 14 years ago with subsidies to reduce the country’s reliance on fossil fuels. [Bloomberg]

¶   As Germany’s largest utility is exiting conventional generation, unwanted conventional fossil fuel burning power plants, now considered risky assets, are being bundled into a new company to be spun off. While both management teams will benefit from focus, this “bad power” spinoff will struggle to offer a tempting investment case. [The Globe and Mail]

¶   About $1 billion in loans, under a UN initiative for poor countries to tackle global warming, is going toward the construction of power plants fired by coal. Japan gave the money to help its companies build three such plants in Indonesia, saying they burn coal more efficiently and are therefore cleaner than old coal plants. [The Philadelphia Tribune]

¶   Falling oil prices show the “high risk” of fossil fuel investments compared with renewable energies, the UN’s climate chief said at the start of 190-nation talks to slow global warming. She said oil price volatility “is exactly one of the main reasons why we must move to renewable energy which has a completely predictable cost of zero for fuel.” [Stabroek News]

¶   France and Spain have agreed to boost the capacity of electric power lines across their border, which is well behind European targets for interconnection. They want Spanish interconnection capacity to be at least 10% of its generation capacity. Currently, it is at just 3%, and Spanish windpower being wasted while France needs power. [EurActiv]

¶   Emissions from the Australian power sector began rebounding as soon as the Abbott government scrapped the carbon tax. The increase has come even though electricity demand remains subdued and generators have stepped up use of gas-fired plants to exploit cheap supplies of the lower-emission fossil fuel before big export contracts kick in. [The Canberra Times]

¶   While OPEC is helping drive down global oil prices, it’s having less success squeezing the $250 billion green energy industry. Clean power will receive almost 60% of the $5 trillion expected to be invested in new power plants over the next decade, because the US, China, Japan and the EU are all pushing for global limits on greenhouse gases. [Moneynews]

US:

¶   Ohio state regulators told the US EPA that new federal goals for reducing mercury and other hazardous air pollutants from power plants are unachievable, costly and based on flawed assumptions. Roughly a third of tall smokestacks of coal-fired plants are concentrated in five states along the Ohio River Valley, including Ohio. [Ashland Times Gazette]

¶   The three largest electricity providers in Ohio, FirstEnergy, AEP, and Duke, are hoping the state will approve individual plans to keep their older power plants operating. For FirstEnergy, the proposal would guarantee a market for energy produced at the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant and the coal-fired WH Sammis power plant. [Cleveland Scene Weekly]

¶    Green Mountain Power is the world’s first utility to become a certified B Corp, or benefit corporation. The state’s largest electric utility has joined nearly two dozen other Vermont companies that have met a high standard for social and environmental consciousness, joining the ranks of such companies as Ben & Jerry’s. [vtdigger.org]

¶   Under intense lobbying from Duke Energy, Florida Power and Light, and Tampa Electric, Florida regulators voted 3-2 to cut the state’s energy conservation goals by more than 90% and eliminate rebates for installing solar panels. Complete abandoning energy efficiency standards represents a drastic shift in environmental policy for the Sunshine State. [allvoices]

¶   In a letter to the EPA, fifty-three members of the Illinois General Assembly joined together to signal their support for the Clean Power Plan. As the legislators make clear in their letter, Illinois stands to gain significantly with the move to a clean energy future that will mean more jobs for the state. [Natural Resources Defense Council]

¶   The amount of electricity generated by US utility-scale solar PV power plants is up more than 100% in 2014 over the same period in 2013, thanks to big projects, many of them highly productive, that have been coming online. A number of major factors made this possible, including the steep decline in the price of PVs. [Breaking Energy]

¶   On the public comment deadline for the EPA proposed power plant rules, Americans Against Fracking, a national coalition to ban fracking, delivered a letter from over 250 environmental, health, labor and consumer protection groups, along with over 200,000 comments criticizing the rules for incentivizing fracked natural gas. [YubaNet]

¶   Imergy Power Systems announced that Foresight Renewable Solutions has selected Imergy’s ESP30 series vanadium-based flow batteries for a Smart Microgrid project sponsored by the California Energy Commission, to be deployed at the Navy’s Mobile Utilities Support Equipment Facility in Port Hueneme, California. [pv magazine]

Opinion:

¶   “Oil price slump to trigger new US debt default crisis as OPEC waits” By encouraging ever more drilling in pursuit of lower oil prices, the US DOE has unleashed a potential economic monster and pitched heavily debt-laden shale oil drilling companies into an impossible battle for market share against some of the world’s most powerful low-cost producers. [The Telegraph]

Science and Technology:

¶   Climate change will be the cause of roughly 250,000 “extra” deaths a year by 2030, according to a recent report from the World Health Organization on climate change and human health. Of this figure, about 48,000 will be from diarrhea; 60,000 from malaria; 95,000 from under-nutrition during childhood; and 38,000 from heat exposure. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   EON SE, Germany’s largest utility, will break itself up, spinning off fossil fuel power plants into a separate company so it can focus on renewable energy. EON also announced it will write down the value of assets by €4.5 billion, leading to a substantial full-year loss. Even so, the shares had the largest jump in more than two years on the plan. [Businessweek]

¶   West Australian Energy Minister Mike Nahan has instructed the state-owned utility Horizon Power to investigate renewables-based micro-grids as a means of providing cheaper and more reliable power to regional areas. Nahan had been a fierce critic of renewables, but says the stretched-out grid is too expensive and unreliable. [RenewEconomy]

¶   Scientists using a comprehensive computer model that simulates German energy supply and demand say they have demonstrated that there are several economically viable ways to achieve a low-carbon future, using existing technologies. They used real data from 2011 and 2012 and ran millions of simulations to optimize the model. [New York Times]

¶   After Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the country should consider nuclear power, Prime Minister Tony Abbott declared he had no objection. “If we are to dramatically reduce emissions, we have to remember that the one absolutely proven way of generating emissions-free baseload power is through nuclear,” he said. [Perth Now]

US:

¶   New utility-scale solar projects in the US are being installed much more slowly than in 2013, with new capacity down 31% year on year, according to the Federal Electricity Regulatory Commission. In the first ten months of 2014, just 1,801 MW of utility-scale solar projects were installed, compared to 2,628 MW in the first ten months of 2013. [CleanTechnica]

¶   National Grid has filed comments on the EPA’s Clean Energy Power Plan and issued a statement supporting the proposed regulations, which aim to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from existing power plants. National Grid US president Tom King. says expanding access to energy efficiency was an especially exciting aspect of the plan. [PennEnergy]

¶   The East Texas Electric Cooperative and Northeast Texas Electric Cooperative joined forces to bring renewable wind energy to power up to 56,000 homes. The member-owned electric cooperatives signed Renewable Energy Purchase Agreements for wind generation from Apex Clean Energy subsidiary Grant Wind LLC. [Tyler Morning Telegraph]

¶   A competitive lease sale of 742,000 acres off the coast of Massachusetts will be offered for commercial wind energy development on January 29, 2015. According to the US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the area could provide up to 5 GW, enough electricity to power over 1.4 million homes, or half the homes in Massachusetts. [Oliver Reports]

¶   Michigan’s two largest utilities are mounting a major public relations effort to make legislators and electric customers aware that a shortage of power generation reserve could occur starting in 2016. The utilities blame the planned retirement of nine coal-fired power plants in Michigan over the next two years. [Crain’s Detroit Business]

¶   A new report found that better energy storage could significantly increase the use of renewable energy in the United States. The study also urges the development of hybrid systems in which one form of renewable energy, such as solar, is available while the other, such as wind, is minimal. Such systems are already in use in a number of places around the world. [SmartMeters]