Opinion:
¶ “Energy innovation for Vermont” by Peter Shumlin – Pursuing clean energy policies in Vermont isn’t just about doing what is right for our environment and protecting our unrivaled quality of life. A thriving clean energy sector is also integral to our economy, keeping young people in Vermont … [BurlingtonFreePress.com]
Science and Technology:
¶ Tesla’s crusade against fossil fuels could soon hit home with a battery-powered energy pack. The company plans to start producing a home battery within six months, Bloomberg reports, and will reveal more details in the next month or two. Backup power is one application, but there are a number of others. [TechHive]
World:
¶ South Africa’s government is forging ahead with plans to spend as much as 1 trillion rand ($85 billion) on new nuclear plants, ignoring objections from environmental activists, opposition parties, unions and even its own advisers. Bids will be sought to add 9,600 MW of atomic power to the national grid. [Bloomberg]
…Greenpeace anti-nuclear activists unfurled a banner saying “nuclear investments cost the Earth,” at the 2nd Nuclear Industry Congress Africa 2015 in Sea Point on Thursday. “Not only is nuclear power controversial, but it would never be ready to alleviate this crisis,” Melita Steele of Greenpeace pointed out. [Independent Online]
¶ Belectric UK is collaborating in a project led by National Grid to show how solar PV and other renewable energy operators can help stabilize the frequency and voltage of distribution networks, protecting the UK from power blackouts and instability, and thus reduce grid reliance on spinning reserve. [solarserver.com]
¶ China boosted its installed wind energy capacity last year to a record 19.81 million kW as the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter pushes its power grid to cleaner energy sources. The National Energy Administration says that wind farms produced 153.4 billion kWh in 2014, 2.8% of total generated electricity. [The Denver Post]
¶ In an initiative of New Zealand company solarcity, customers have panels installed on their roofs but, rather than buying those panels, they instead buy the power produced from them at a rate lower than they can buy it from power companies. Furthermore, that rate is locked down for 20 years. [New Zealand Herald]
¶ An Irish renewable energy company has raised $760 million to build three wind farms in South Africa. Mainstream Renewable Power was awarded contracts for the wind farms totaling 360 MW by the Department of Energy under the third round of its Renewable Energy Procurement Programme. [Energy Live News]
¶ Lucky Electric Power Company Limited has finally got a green signal from the federal government for the setting up of $1 billion coal-based power plant in energy-scarce Pakistan. The LEPCL would be setting up the 660 MW power generation facility here at Port Qasim within the next five years. [Business Recorder]
¶ European utilities shut more coal and natural gas power plants in 2014 than in any year since at least 2009 amid falling demand for electricity and tougher pollution curbs. European Union power companies turned off 63% more coal- and gas-fed generation than they started; net decommissioning was 5 GW. [Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide]
¶ In Belgium, GDF Suez subsidiary Electrabel announced that the operation to shut down the 433 MW Doel 1 nuclear reactor will begin on 14 February, with the unit scheduled to cease operating on the following day. The 121 fuel assemblies in its core will then be removed and transferred to storage pools. [World Nuclear News]
US:
¶ An analysis of concerns raised by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation about the impact on grid reliability of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan for reducing carbon emissions from the electric power sector finds that reliability is unlikely to be materially affected. [IT Business Net]
¶ State utility regulators on Thursday unanimously directed Xcel Energy to go ahead with three large solar projects that will mean a tenfold increase in the amount of electricity generated from the sun in Minnesota. The projects are expected to be completed in 2016 to qualify for solar power tax credit. [Duluth News Tribune]
¶ The first utility-scale solar farm will be built to power the Tennessee Valley Authority in Alabama. TVA directors Thursday approved a 20-year lease with Next Era Energy Resources to buy the power generated by an 80-MW solar farm planned on nearly 600 acres in Northern Alabama. [Chattanooga Times Free Press]
¶ Google is partnering with NextEra Energy to power its Googleplex headquarters in Mountain View at California. Beginning from 2016, Google will receive approximately 43 MW of wind energy from plants at Altamont Pass. As part of the deal, 370 old turbines will be replaced with 24 advanced ones. [Greentech Lead]
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