Discussion:
¶ “Running on renewable energy, Burlington, Vermont powers green movement forward” Burlington, the state’s largest city, recently became the first of its size to use 100% renewable energy for its residents’ electricity needs. In a state known for socially conscious policies, the feat represents a milestone. [PBS NewsHour]
World:
¶ Israeli startup EnStorage is making news. The concept of a flow battery – which uses separate electrolyte components – is hardly new. Neither is the idea of using the common chemical hydrogen bromide for energy storage. EnStorage is putting the two concepts together in a low-cost commercial-sized unit. [TheTower.org]
¶ A new expert body has been formed to advise governments and organisations around the world on how best to ditch fossil-fuel and nuclear-energy systems and make the switch to 100% renewables. The group will focus on adopting a combination of energy efficiency and decentralized renewable energy systems. [CleanTechnica]
¶ The report, “RE100: the journey to 100%,” lists some achievements of RE100: H&M’s operations in the UK and Netherlands are already at 100%. Philips is getting half its power from renewable electricity. Mars is building a 200-MW wind farm in Texas that is expected to supply 100% of its US energy. [The Nation]
US:
¶ The state of Florida has been something of a solar power laggard, despite abundant sunshine. Politics has been the main barrier. Now, however, Florida Power & Light has announced plans to add at least 220 MW of new solar power capacity by the end of 2016, and plans to retire some of their fossil-fuel plants. [Solar Love]
¶ Plans to build Arkansas’ first wind farm have sparked interest and excitement in town and across the state. Dragonfly Industries International, a Texas wind company, hopes to install dozens of turbines, with a total capacity of 80 MW, costing $100 million, on more than 300 acres of rural land near Elm Springs. [Arkansas Online]
¶ Solar power has become the poster child of renewable-energy champions, leaving power sources such as biomass, hydro and wind in the shade. Small hydro isn’t dead, however, and small hydro projects can supply both energy and income through net metering, where the circumstances are right. [The Durango Herald]
¶ On Friday, 62 Senators approved Keystone XL. Fourteen of the 62 had voted for an amendment acknowledging that humans contribute significantly to climate change (the vote was 50-49). And nearly all of them had voted to acknowledge that climate change is no hoax and is happening now (98 to 1). [Scientific American]
¶ In 2009, after California passed a landmark law to source one third of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020, Southern California Edison formed a new lab. Engineers there are hatching plans to ensure its survival – and maybe even the survival of the other big utilities, which are watching closely. [ABS CBN News]
¶ In its first year of operation, the Colleton Solar Farm near Walterboro, South Carolina produced slightly more solar power than expected and demonstrated the benefits of tracking panels, even though they cost more. The 15-acre site generated 4,687 MWh, which was 5% more than expected in year one. [The Tand D.com]
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