Opinion:
¶ “People Power Just Defeated Shell in the Arctic. Here’s How You Did It” Years ago, Shell paid billions of dollars for the right to drill for oil in the Arctic. Now, the company is pulling out and has no plans to go back. It is a huge victory for everyone who took action, whether writing a letter or climbing a giant skyscraper in protest. [RYOT]
Protesters hang from bridge in Portland, Oregon, to block oil rig exit. AP Photo/Don Ryan
World:
¶ Deutsche Bank analysts say China may increase its 2020 solar power target to 150 GW from the current target of 100 GW. China also proposes a competitive power dispatch that prioritizes the emissions-free, near-zero marginal dispatch cost of renewables, which would reduce carbon emissions by 200 million tonnes per year. [CleanTechnica]
¶ Mining giant Rio Tinto has switched on a 1.7-MW solar PV plant at its Weipa bauxite mine and processing facilities in north Queensland, making it fully operational. It is the largest solar array to date to support an Australian mining operation. The project could be extended to 6.7 MW and include battery storage in the future. [RenewEconomy]
¶ The nuclear industry will lobby for nuclear energy in Australia, saying Prime Minister Turnbull should embrace the technology as a way to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The move is the latest attempt to overturn legal obstacles to nuclear energy generation in Australia. Federal environmental law bans building nuclear reactors. [The Guardian]
The Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory. Photograph: John Carnemolla/Corbis
¶ RenewableUK and the Solar Trade Association have initiated a campaign urging the UK Government to rethink its decision to reduce financial support for small-scale renewables. Titled ‘People Power’, the campaign has called for members of the public to petition the UK Government to provide steady support to the maturing sectors. [Power Technology]
¶ California-based energy storage firm Imergy Power Systems is partnering with Juno Capital Group to provide large-scale energy storage at telecommunications sites throughout China. Juno will integrate Imergy’s storage platform into off-grid or weakly connected telecommunications installations, replacing diesel generation. [Utility Products]
¶ The Seychelles Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, Didier Dogley, has said that he expects the country to meet its national target of producing 15% of its energy requirements from renewable sources up to a decade before schedule. The country is currently dependent on diesel oil for its electricity. [Seychelles News Agency]
The five wind turbines at Ile de Romainville and three at Ile du Port can each yield 750 kW each, making a total of 6,000 MW. (Patrick Joubert, Seychelles News Agency)
¶ Japan NTT Facilities Inc,a subsidiary of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp, announced last week it is building a 32.6-MW solar power plant at a former golf course in Miyazaki prefecture. The plant is expected to produce 40,000 MWh annually, enough to supply the needs of some 11,000 local households. [SeeNews Renewables]
¶ The UK Labour Party’s new Shadow Energy and Climate Change Secretary has called for an investigation into costs for the Hinkley Point nuclear plant. Lisa Nandy wrote the chairwoman of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, warning the costs may present a risk to UK energy security and increase fuel poverty. [Business Green]
US:
¶ Under an agreement between Principal Solar and Entropy Investment Management, a 100-MW development, launched in August, should be completed by the end of this year. Located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, the project is expected to produce enough electricity to power about 20,000 average American homes. [CleanTechnica]
¶ The Vermont Public Service Department has released the state’s 2015 Comprehensive Energy Plan for public review, and has scheduled five meetings in October to take comment. The plan reaffirms Vermont’s goal of meeting 90% of the state’s energy needs through renewable sources by 2050, with emphasis on microgrids. [Utility Dive]
View from Vermont’s Hogback Mountain. Photo by chensiyuan. CC BY SA 4.0. Wikimedia Commons.
¶ Amazon Web Services, the cloud computing platform of online retail giant Amazon, secured the final permit to build an 80-MW solar farm in Virginia. The farm will be developed and owned by EPC Community Energy, which has partnered with Amazon Web Services to deliver the plant under a long-term power purchase agreement. [pv magazine]
¶ A handful of utilities in Nebraska’s northeast corner have decided to switch from the Nebraska Public Power District to a different supplier to take advantage of flexibility it offers. The utilities expect to save money, but also want shorter contracts and more flexibility to buy renewable energy from other providers on the side. [Norfolk Daily News]
¶ Walmart has taken a big step towards becoming 100% supplied by renewable energy. The discounter entered into a long-term power purchase agreement to buy the majority of the electricity generated by Pattern Energy Group’s new Logan’s Gap Wind facility. The 200-MW facility is in Comanche County, Texas. [Drug Store News]
geoharvey 