World:
¶ Wind is now the cheapest way to bring new electricity generation to the grid in many countries, including the US. Solar PV costs are rapidly dropping and solar is expected to join wind over the next few years. Low-cost utility-scale solar already beats out all other sources of electricity in some bidding processes. [CleanTechnica]
Indiana wind farm. Photo by Patrick Finnegan from Lafayette, IN, USA. Wikimedia Commons.
¶ In 2014, the World Health Organization measured air quality levels in 1,600 cities around the world, and the Indian capital city of New Delhi was found to have the highest concentration of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers. It was ten times as bad as New York’s level and three times Beijing’s. [CNN]
¶ Martifer, a Portugal-based PV producer and developer has revealed that it successfully connected five solar farms ahead of the UK’s March 31 renewable obligation deadline. The five solar farms represent 57.8 MW of new solar capacity connected to the grid and range in size from 7.7 MW to 18.7 MW. [Solar Power Portal]
¶ Italy’s Enel Green Power has won power supply contracts with South African utility Eskom for 425 MW of wind projects. The projects will be constructed in the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape provinces. The 142-MW Oyster Bay and 141-MW Nxuba projects will be finished in 2017 and 142-MW Karusa in 2018. [reNews]
¶ Wind power output in Estonia on Sunday reached 3,797 MWh. According to recently released data by the EU’s statistics office, Estonia is one of three member states that have surpassed their renewable energy target for 2020. The country reached a 25.6% renewables share in 2013; the goal for 2020 is 25%. [SeeNews Renewables]
¶ Construction has begun for the Þeistareykir Geothermal Power Station in the North East of Iceland. Initially, the station will be built to supply 45 MW of electrical power. Further expansion of the station is under consideration, and the geothermal station is licensed for eventual production of 100 MW. [Power Online]
¶ Australia’s large-scale renewable energy industry has entered an investment freeze, with just one project securing finance in the past six months amid political uncertainty, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The lone venture in the first three months of 2015 was worth just $6.6 million. [Sydney Morning Herald]
¶ The long-term costs of renewables have declined so rapidly that they rival oil-fueled generation even after the cost of crude fell more than 50%, according to the CEO of Masdar, which develops clean energy plants in the United Arab Emirates. Assessments by Citigroup and Goldman Sachs are in agreement. [Bloomberg]
¶ A serious flaw was found in the steel reactor vessel of a nuclear plant under construction in France, raising questions about its design. The reactor vessel has too much carbon in some steel, weakening it. It weighs 410 tonnes and cannot be removed, and it is hard to see how it could be repaired or modified. [The Ecologist]
The Flamanville nuclear plant in Normandy was already years late and billions of budget – before news emerged that its steel reactor vessel contains serious metallurgical faults. Photo by schoella. Wikimedia Commons
¶ A court in Japan has dealt a blow to plans to relaunch nuclear power generation four years after the Fukushima meltdowns by halting the restart of two reactors over safety concerns. Area residents had argued that nuclear officials had underestimated the plant’s vulnerability to powerful earthquakes. [The Guardian]
… Japan’s government spokesman said on Tuesday it would continue to restart nuclear reactors that meet an independent regulator’s standards after a court issued an injunction to prevent the restart of two reactors in western Japan. He said there was “no change” to its position to restart idled plants. [The Straits Times]
US:
¶ While many hail the California Solar Incentive as an overwhelming success, a new study finds that using the same amount of money in a carefully optimized program to provide systems to low-income households at little or no cost would have done more to stimulate the adoption of rooftop solar systems. [CleanTechnica]
¶ Al Gore is blasting Big Power for “using the atmosphere as their sewage infrastructure” and trying to shut down competition. The industry is waging a “war on solar,” he told investors Monday at the Bloomberg New Energy Finance conference in New York City. Some in the Tea Party agree with him. [Bloomberg]
¶ A few years back, large-scale wind projects dominated the renewable energy discussion in Vermont, producing vocal opposition. The focus has turned to solar, as all of Vermont’s new electrical capacity last year came from solar energy. Nevertheless, there are those who expect construction of more wind farms. [PennEnergy]
¶ Maryland lawmakers took a key step to increase statewide access to clean energy by passing two bills, HB 1087 and SB 398, that allow for the creation of community solar projects. If signed by Governor Larry Hogan, Maryland will join 10 other states that allow some form of community solar. [eNews Park Forest]
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