World:
¶ More than 800 MW of small-scale solar energy capacity was installed in Australia in 2014, according to recent figures released by Green Energy Markets. This 800 MW of new small-scale capacity was split amongst 185,950 different systems, with the average size of these systems being about 4.4 kW. [CleanTechnica]
¶ A new report investigating the importance of public opinion and policy priority on renewable energy development was published in the UK by the Fabian Society. It concluded, “winning community consent is the only sustainable way to deliver affordable, green energy to the UK in the long term.” [CleanTechnica]
¶ In a letter, more than a dozen organisations, businesses and clean energy venture capitalists outlined the goals of a proposed initiative to help the Indian government increase the scale of clean energy deployment for its ambitious clean energy and energy access goals – including solar power for all by 2019. [mydigitalfc.com]
¶ Dairy farming requires cropland not only to produce feed for the herd, but also as a way to get rid of manure. Manure management is a hot-button issue in Metro Vancouver, where air quality and odour problems are significant issues. A biodigester can supply natural gas customers and eliminate problems. [The Province]
¶ Havana Energy signed a £500 million deal to build five renewable power plants with more than 300 MW capacity. During harvest time for sugar cane the plants will run on bagasse, the waste pulp from sugar cane production. The rest of the year they will be fuelled by marabu, a problematical invasive weed. [Scotsman]
¶ Left over cooking oil from full English breakfasts or fried fish and chips could be used to power homes across the country following the opening of a new power station in North Yorkshire. Whitemoor Power Station has the capacity to provide 18 MW of electrical power during periods of high grid demand. [The Press, York]
¶ The government of Sindh, Pakistan, has allotted 1408 acres of land in the Wind Corridor of Thatta District for development of a 49.5-MW wind energy project by Master Wind Energy Limited. The project will start its commercial operations in July 2016, and is expected to produce about 140 GWh of electricity per year. [The Nation]
¶ TEPCO, owner and operator of the crisis-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, says it will be unable to process all the highly radioactive water still stored at the plant before the end of March, as it had promised, due to ongoing problems with faulty and untested equipment. The new deadline is in May. [Live Trading News]
US:
¶ President Obama and the new GOP-controlled Congress face showdowns over climate change, health, and environmental safeguards. But new public opinion research shows a strong majority of Americans, including Republicans, in five key states support existing protections and tougher environmental enforcement. [Investor Ideas]
¶ Milford, Delaware is first in the nation in terms of cumulative solar watts per customer. With the 10-MW Dover Sun Park and the 15-MW Milford Solar Park, Kent County produces 27.7 MW of solar energy, according to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. [Smyrna-Clayton Sun Times]
¶ The SunZia project, a proposed $2 billion transmission line that would carry renewable electrical energy generated by solar and wind resources in New Mexico and Arizona to markets across the West, is a single step closer to being in service following final federal approval. The line is to be 515 miles long. [National Review]
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