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]
geoharvey 
Leave a comment