geoharvey

Opinion:

¶ The Size of the California Methane Leak Isn’t the Scariest Part of the Story • Though methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and the Aliso Canyon event was huge, we see an even bigger problem. There are hundreds of similar gas storage facilities, and nothing is monitoring them. [Smithsonian.com]

¶ Put A Price On Carbon Or Face Trillions Of Dollars Of Costs & Massive Food Security & Migration Challenges • Don’t call it a carbon tax. Everybody hates the idea of taxes. But unless society addresses the damage done by burning fossil fuels, the world is on a collision course with reality. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ BioMason is a North Carolina startup company that makes bricks without heat or clay. About 8% of global carbon emissions come from making bricks, according to the company’s co-founder, citing information from the EPA. The BioMason process creates no carbon emissions. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ The first electricity has been generated and delivered to the grid from the 600-MW Gemini wind farm in the Dutch North Sea. Two 110-km cables relay power from the wind park to the shore, where electricity is distributed through the TenneT high voltage grid from Eemshaven. [reNews]

¶ Clean Energy Canada’s latest global analysis found that a record $367-billion (US) was invested in renewable power in 2015, a third of a trillion dollars. That’s serious money, nearly 50% more than was invested in power from fossil fuels. The trend is driven by economics. [The Globe and Mail]

¶ GE says it will build the world’s largest biomass-fired power plant in Belgium. Mechelen-based Belgian Eco Energy chose GE Steam Power Systems to provide the overall design, engineering and construction of the greenfield project for 215-MW, 100% biomass-fired, power plant. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Wind energy has reached a milestone in South Africa and is now feeding over 1 GW of power to the country’s electricity grid. South Africa still gets 87.4% of net domestic electricity production comes from coal. The contribution of renewables, wind and solar PV, last year was about 1%. [ITWeb]

¶ The UK’s biggest energy lobbying group has shifted its position on green energy and will start campaigning for low-carbon alternatives for the first time, in what environmental campaigners are describing as a watershed moment. The chief executive of Energy UK said the shift is urgent. [The Guardian]

¶ China’s CO2 emissions fell 1% to 2% in 2015 as the cooling Asian economy used 2% to 4% less coal, according to a Greenpeace analysis of the data. China also confirmed it broke two clean energy world records in 2015 –installing 32.5 GW of wind and 18.3 GW of solar power. [Climate Home]

¶ Australia’s biggest climate polluters increased their emissions in the year to July 2015, according to data from Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator. Even some of those companies have called policy to curb emissions, including shutting down the oldest or dirtiest coal-fired power stations. [The Guardian]

US:

¶ San Francisco’s renewable energy program appears to be off to a strong start. The City began auto-enrolling existing PG&E customers into CleanPowerSF on February 1. Customers who wish to remain with PG&E may opt out, but just eight have done so as thousands were enrolled. [San Francisco Examiner]

¶ As many as 49 wind turbines will be installed in Seymour Township, Wisconsin, in 2017. EDP Renewables project leaders say the effort will create around a dozen full-time jobs and support more than 200 temporary construction jobs. The project will have a capacity of 98 MW. [Dubuque Telegraph Herald]

¶ In the past six years, the federal government has provided $366 million to New Jersey to promote clean energy and energy efficiency, according to a new report issued Friday by the White House. In New Jersey, renewable-energy generation increased by almost 90% since 2008. [NJ Spotlight]

¶ A construction project would expand a natural gas pipeline across property of the Indian Point nuclear plant in New York. Elected officials, residents and environmental activists are criticizing the project, saying that a rupture of the pipeline could unleash a nuclear catastrophe. [New York Times]

Opinion:

¶ Nevada must work to stay ahead of curve • The renewable energy industry has been a particularly bright spot in Nevada’s economy. The state’s $500 million investment in tax incentives has yielded a 10-to-1 return. Action on the Clean Power Plan could have similar results. [Las Vegas Review-Journal]

World:

¶ Industry analysts are now forecasting that Australia may not hit its 2020 renewable energy target. If an annual shortfall occurs major energy players are required to pay penalties to the federal government. The additional costs are to be passed on to consumers. [Sydney Morning Herald]

¶ APA, which owns and operates gas pipelines, wants a seat at the table in the multibillion-dollar investment boom in renewable energy sources as Australia moves to meet the mandated renewable energy target. The company seeks to develop expertise in renewable energy. [Sydney Morning Herald]

¶ The Sembcorp Gayatri Power Complex, sited in Andhra Pradesh, is coming online with a capacity of 2,640 MW. Its two 1,320 MW coal-fired power plants together cost $3 billion. Sembcorp Industries’ income from India will be “quite substantial” in the coming years, its CEO said. [AsiaOne]

¶ Councils in the UK should use bonds to fund infrastructure projects such as renewable energy and flood defences, according to the Lord Mayor of London. Municipalities in the US and Sweden, have raised billions of pounds for green projects by selling bonds to the public. [The Independent]

¶ Investment in forestry over the next five years will have a big impact on the environment, as it will result in the planting of 600,000 hectares (1.5 million acres) in Europe, according to Dermot Ryan, Senior Advisor to European Commissioner Phil Hogan. [Agriland]

¶ Iran is complying so far with the July 2015 landmark nuclear deal with major powers, a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency said. Its first assessment since the accord came into force on January 16 yesterday showed that Iran was meeting its main commitments. [Daily Excelsior]

US:

¶ The Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center may be the recipient of waste heat generated by a new fuel cell energy generator being proposed for downtown Riverhead. Connecticut-based Fuel Cell Energy will build three 1.4-MW fuel cell generators in Suffolk County. [East End Beacon]

¶ Utilities have been grappling with how to integrate wind farms and solar plants into their systems and business models. Cheap power from large-scale renewables and rooftop solar have undercut the profitability of conventional electricity generation from coal and nuclear sources. [Malay Mail Online]

¶ A bid to extend Virginia’s coal tax credit has once again cleared the General Assembly and is on its way to the governor. The tax credits for coal mine owners and coal-buying power companies were created to help slow the industry’s decline. But they may not be working. [Roanoke Times]

Opinion:

¶ Sooner than you think? A prediction that electric cars will cause the next oil crisis • There used to be a cartoon series called Closer than We Think. Now Bloomberg Business has a video series, Sooner Than You Think. The first episode suggests the electric car could cause the next oil crisis. [Treehugger]

Science and Technology:

¶ Carbon dioxide can be tapped and transformed into green energy using innovative approaches, a professor from Qatar University has said. It can be captured and combined with hydrogen to produce methanol. The methanol can be used as a feedstock for transportation fuel. [Gulf Times]

¶ Bees, birds, butterflies and beetles are among a growing list of pollinator species in jeopardy of global extinction, a UN study warns, a trend that could threaten the world’s food supply. About three-fourths of the world’s food crops depend on pollination by insects and other animals. [CNN]

World:

¶ French energy giant Engie launched a three-year strategic transformation plan to become a world leader in the energy transition. The announcement is part of the company’s intentional plan to speed up the implementation of a strategy previously decided upon two years ago. [CleanTechnica]

¶ London has seen more bike riders and fewer car commuters. According to Transport for London, over the last decade and a half car drivers have decreased by almost 50%, from 137,000 in 2000 to 64,000 in 2014, while the number of cyclists has tripled from 12,000 to 36,000. [CleanTechnica]

¶ South Africa has in place a target of generating 42% of its power needs through renewable energy sources by 2030. The Transport Minister says sources include on-shore wind‚ concentrated solar thermal‚ biomass solid‚ biogas‚ landfill gas‚ small hydro‚ and solar photovoltaic. [Sowetan Live]

¶ Kansai Electric Power Co said it started up a nuclear reactor, the fourth to come back online following a nationwide shutdown after the March 2011 tsunami disaster. The accident forced all of Japan’s dozens of reactors offline for about two years as the nation examined safety issues. [Japan Today]

US:

¶ Green Mountain Power announced year-end operational results for Kingdom Community Wind in Lowell, Vermont. In 2015, the 21-turbine project generated enough electricity to power 26,700 homes for a year, an increase of 7%, 1,800 homes, over the previous year. [Vermont Biz]

¶ Corn and soybean fields in Somerset County, Maryland, formerly ticketed for wind turbines may now become home to one of the largest solar power plants in the eastern US. Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp of Canada has plans to collect up to 150 MW of power from the area. [Delmarva Daily Times]

¶ New legislation would require all new construction in San Francisco, both residential and commercial, to have solar panels installed. The renewable energy ordinance would make San Francisco the first and only major city in the country to require solar panels on new buildings. [KRON4.com]

¶ Rural areas have typically weighed against progress on clean energy. But that may be changing. A new story out of Wisconsin illustrates that a slow, tentative shift is underway, as rural electricity consumers and the utilities that serve them take a new look at the benefits of solar power. [Vox]

¶ Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), a California Utility announced hitting a significant milestone for 2015 with 29.5% of retail electricity coming from renewable clean energy. That number actually exceeded the State targets of 23.3% for years 2014 through 2016. [GetSolar.com]

¶ Anyone who sees Vermont’s renewable energy installations may be surprised to learn that the state’s utilities get 0% of their power from wind and solar energy. That is the number cited in a report on allowing renewable energy credits to be sold to utilities in southern New England. [Valley News]

Opinion:

¶ The Myth About Renewable Energy Subsidies • Ever hear the story that renewable energy can’t compete without a subsidy? You hear it all the time from the fossil fuel industry. And the renewables’ response? Take away fossil fuel subsidies; they’d be glad to compete on level terms. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ Greenpeace Japan announced it is conducting an underwater investigation into radiation contamination from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. The survey will be conducted from a Japanese research vessel using a one-of-a-kind Remotely Operated Vehicle. [Dominican Today]

World:

¶ Mainstream Renewable Power has grid-connected and started commissioning turbines at its 80-MW Noupoort wind farm in the Northern Cape of South Africa. This ZAR1.9 billion ($121.6 million) project is expected to start supplying electricity to the national grid by July 2016. [reNews]

¶ Chile passed the 1-GW of solar PV project capacity milestone, with 1.013 GW of projects operating. And another 165 MW is expected to be installed shortly, according to new figures from the country’s National Center for Innovation and Promotion of Sustainable Energy. [Sustainnovate.]

¶ More than 12 GW of wind turbine contracts were awarded to nearly 140 wind projects worldwide, new research from Navigant Research says. It shows that Siemens and Vestas led turbine orders in the second half of 2015, with 2,852 MW and 2,810 MW of capacity respectively. [CleanTechnica]

¶ After news that EDF reported a 68% fall in profits and its lack of decision on the Hinkley C nuclear power plant, Dr Scott Cato, believing the UK should invest in renewables, commissioned a report on the viability of their producing 100% of the region’s energy. [Somerset County Gazette]

¶ ScottishPower Renewables made its final investment decision for East Anglia ONE. When built, it will be the best value offshore windfarm in the world, and one of the largest. East Anglia ONE will generate 714 MW, enough to power the equivalent of 500,000 UK homes. [Blue & Green Tomorrow]

¶ Nowhere in Asia, is the solar growth story more evident than in the Philippines, where a combination of factors fuels a burgeoning solar industry. The government once expected 285 MW from solar by 2030. The target was raised in 2014 to 500 MW. And that goal was met last year. [eco-business.com]

¶ The UK’s CO2 emissions fell by 4.3% in 2015 on the back of the largest recorded annual drop in coal use, outside of a miners’ strike, Carbon Brief analysis shows. This leaves UK CO2 emissions 31.5% below 1990 levels and at its lowest level since the start of the industrial revolution. [Carbon Brief]

¶ Lawyers are expected to indict three former executives of TEPCO on charges of negligence resulting in death and injury, in relation to the 2011 nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi. The indictment will be filed at the Tokyo District Court by lawyers serving as prosecutors. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶ Up to 175,000 annual pollution-related deaths, and $250 billion in health costs, could be prevented by 2030 by implementing “low carbon” policies in the US to prevent a 2° C rise in temperature, according to analysis from Duke University and the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Four months after natural gas began leaking from a storage facility, residents of Porter Ranch, California, are returning home. Natural gas began leaking from the well at Southern California Gas’ Aliso Canyon storage facility on October 23 of last year. The leak lasted 112 days. [CNN]

¶ Owners of the last coal-fired power plant in Connecticut, Public Service Enterprise Group, have announced plans to replace the Bridgeport Harbor Station power plant with a natural gas-fired facility by the end of the decade. It has provided electricity for over 50 years. [Westfair Online]

¶ After Republicans in the Oregon Senate blocked a clean energy bill, the House Committee on Rules voted 7-2 to pass a separate piece of legislation already passed by the Senate in which supporters had inserted the renewable energy bill. That bill now goes to the full House for a vote. [Portland Tribune]

 

Opinion:

¶ Five years on and the Fukushima crisis is far from over • Five years ago the Rainbow Warrior sailed along the Fukushima coast conducting radiation sampling. Now, as we approach the fifth anniversary of the Fukushima Disaster, it’s back, and has Japan’s ex-Prime Minister on board. [Greenpeace International]

World:

¶ The reactor meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in 2011 should have been announced much sooner, the operator has admitted. In a statement, TEPCO said that a public declaration of the meltdown should have been done within days of the disaster, but took almost two months. [CNN]

¶ The World Trade Organization dispute settlement panel has struck a blow to India’s solar power program, ruling that New Delhi violated global trade rules by imposing domestic content restrictions on the production of solar cells and modules as part of its National Solar Mission. [Livemint]

¶ Sri Lanka has given indications it intends to increase its goal for renewable energy generation significantly by the end of the next decade. The government is considering a goal for renewable energy in electricity generation of 100% by 2030, a significant increase over the current plans. [CleanTechnica]

¶ One of the largest solar power parks under India’s National Solar Mission will have provisions for storage as well. The Solar Energy Corporation of India is expected to release a tender for a 750 MW solar park in Andhra Pradesh that will include provisions for storage up to 100 MW. [CleanTechnica]

US:

¶ SunPower has signed with the Escondido Union High School District in California to offset 75% of its electricity demand. The agreement will see SunPower build 2 MW worth of solar power systems at four schools in the district, saving the district $13.4 million over a 20 year period. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Methane emissions from the oil and gas industry are much higher than previous official estimates, according to draft revisions of the US greenhouse gas emissions inventory from the EPA. Revised estimates of 2013 emissions are 27% percent higher than the previous tally. [CleanTechnica]

¶ EDF Renewable Energy, a major developer in North America, has brought online its first battery storage project, a 20-MW nameplate capacity system in McHenry County, Illinois. The installation adds 40 MW of flexible capacity to the PJM regional transmission organization. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Dairyland Power Cooperative has finalized agreements with two developers to purchase over 15 MW of renewable energy from multiple new PV solar facilities in Wisconsin. The installations will range from 0.5 MW to 2.5 MW in scale. They will power over 2,500 homes. [Leader-Telegram]

¶ NV Energy Inc wants to acquire 35 MW of renewable energy capacity and to award long-term power purchase agreements for at least a further 100 MW of renewables in Nevada. The company issued a request for proposals, with a bidding deadline for March 18, 2016. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ From tougher environmental regulations to more competition from renewable energy and electric cars, top US officials warned world energy leaders gathered in Houston that change is coming. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said, “The clean energy train has left the station, folks.” [Houston Chronicle]

¶ Legislation intended to increase the share of renewable power in Oregon and stop use of coal for the state’s power has stalled. Republicans in the state Senate were absent from the Senate floor on Wednesday, leaving Democrats without a quorum and unable to proceed on the vote. [OregonLive.com]

¶ The American Wind Energy Association’s Q4 2015 market report contained a surprise. “Approximately 75 percent of the megawatts contracted through PPAs during the fourth quarter were through companies including Procter & Gamble, General Motors, and Google Energy.” [GreenBiz]

¶ Developers are proposing the second-largest solar array in Windham County, Vermont, and the Vermont Army National Guard appears to be an enthusiastic partner in the project. An application has been submitted for a 1.8-MW net-metered project in Westminster. [vtdigger.org]

Science and Technology:

¶ A study examined the persistence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and concluded that some sea level rise is effectively locked in. The study’s authors found that the carbon pollution we have emitted so far will cause an eventual sea level rise of 1.7 meters (5.5 feet). [The Guardian]

¶ Scientists have modeled a history of the planet’s sea levels spanning back 3,000 years, and concluded that the rate of increase last century “was extremely likely faster than during any of the 27 previous centuries.” The study found human activity probably caused part of the rise. [CNN]

World:

¶ OpenHydro has completed a £1.8 million project to design, build and test a power conversion unit for its open-center turbine at the European Marine Energy Center in Orkney. The project is part of an initiative to assist in the development of wave and tidal energy technology in Scottish seas. [reNews]

¶ DONG Energy has announced that it will invest in and build the world’s first bio plant for handling unsorted household waste without prior treatment. The technology allows unsorted household waste to be digested into biogas” as well as other things like recyclable plastics and metals. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The world’s top coal producer, and the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, will shut down 1,000 coal-fired power plants this year. It’s a move that will simultaneously cool off China’s over-supply of dirty coal and help tackle the country’s air pollution crisis. Deeper cuts are to come. [Mother Jones]

¶ Chile’s solar industry has seen strong development as the country’s green energy boom has kept down both carbon emissions and the high electricity costs of other Latin American countries. Solar bids are coming in as low as $65 per MWh, while Coal’s have been $85 per MWh. [Manufacturer.com]

¶ A Statkraft-led consortium unveiled plans for giant €1.1 billion, 1-GW network of wind farms in central Norway. Work is already poised to get underway on the wind farms. Construction is scheduled to start in the second quarter of this year with commissioning in 2020. [Business Green]

US:

¶ The US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently verified during testing that a SunPower X-Series solar panel achieved a conversion efficiency of 22.8%, thus marking the official achievement of a new world record for its class. Now, the X-22 panel is coming to market. [CleanTechnica]

¶ New York’s Public Service Commission said it is speeding up a “rescue plan” to keep the FitzPatrick nuclear complex in upstate New York running, after the power generator said a proposal made last month wouldn’t come in time to save it. The agency said it would offer “expedited financial support.” [Daily News]

¶ The DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory released analysis of the impacts of the extension of federal tax credits on renewable energy deployment. The report explores how the extension might change both renewable energy deployment and carbon dioxide emissions. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ Cash-strapped coal companies are reaching the conclusion that energy policy is a matter for the courts rather than Congress. As dwindling demand puts pressure on mining companies to cut costs and climate rules threaten their very survival, many are shifting tactics. [Bloomberg Big Law Business]

¶ SolarReserve’s Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project, which began testing operations last fall, has reached full production. The complex is the first utility-scale project with an integrated energy storage system allowing it to continue generating 24 hours a day. [CanadianManufacturing.com]

¶ The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians signed an agreement to provide solar energy projects for the three Red Lake casinos and various other tribal buildings. Red Lake will install 15 MW of solar panels across the rooftops of the band’s largest buildings. [Indian Country Today Media Network]

¶ New York state regulators decided that the average RG&E electric customer must pay an extra $2.20 a month to subsidize the Ginna nuclear power plant. The new fee replaces a temporary $1.79 monthly surcharge RG&E customers have been paying since September. [Rochester Democrat and Chronicle]

World:

¶ The International Energy Agency is warning consumers not to let cheap oil lull them into a false sense of security. In a report, the IEA said it expects prices to start recovering in 2017. But it forecasts a subsequent sharp jump in price as supply shrinks following under-investment by struggling producers. [BBC]

¶ The operator of South Australia’s vast network says it has no concern about the growing penetration of renewable energy on its grid, and is encouraging remote towns to look at renewable micro-grids to cut costs. South Australia is likely to get over 50% of its electricity needs from wind and solar power this year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ At the recently concluded Invest Karnataka summit, two different entities pledged to add a total of 3 GW of solar power capacity in the southern Indian state. Karnataka Solar Power Development Corporation stated its plans to set up 2 GW, while Adani Group announced plans to set up 1 GW solar capacity. [CleanTechnica]

¶ A newly published decree will help bring down by six to eight months delays in the French green tenders system, Ecology Minister Segolene Royal announced. The decree modifies the procedure for holding tenders for electricity from renewable sources. It issued on February 21 and applies immediately. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Chinese manufacturer, Goldwind, became the world’s largest supplier of wind turbines in 2015 for the first time, displacing long-term number one supplier Vestas, according to preliminary findings from FTI Intelligence. According to the findings, Vestas is placed second, while US supplier GE is in third place. [GlobeNewswire]

¶ The capacity of wind power generation worldwide reached 432.42 GW at the end of 2015, up 17% from a year earlier and surpassing nuclear energy for the first time, according to data released by global industry bodies. The generation capacity of wind farms newly built in 2015 was a record 63.01 GW. [The Japan Times]

¶ UK-based Renewable Energy Systems Ltd last week announced the start of operations of two green power plants in France, lifting its portfolio in the country to 538 MW. Both installations, a 22-MW wind farm, with 11 Senvion wind turbines, and a 12-MWp solar park, are located in the Aude department. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ German onshore wind power generation capacity is likely to increase by around 3 GW to 4 GW this year driven by subsidy reform, the country’s wind industry association BWE said on Monday. The German economic affairs ministry plans to shift many renewable power subsidies to tenders, for which projects compete. [ICIS]

US:

¶ By summer’s end, sunny forecasts will translate into brightly lit rooms on the Ithaca College campus when a planned 2.9-MW solar electric project is completed, accounting for 10% of the campus’ electric needs. The Town of Seneca plans to sell the college, an estimated 3.55 million kWh electricity per year. [Ithaca Journal]

¶ New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo Friday announced that 900 solar projects are underway through 26 community “Solarize” campaigns across New York state. Thirty-two of these come from the Solarize Canton effort. The solar systems in Canton total 228 kW, exceeding campaign expectations. [WatertownDailyTimes.com]

¶ A new Pennsylvania state regulatory decision will allow farmers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to continue selling electricity from manure-based digesters to utilities at retail rates. The digesters have been pushed as one way for agriculture to reduce nutrients that pollute the Chesapeake Bay. [LancasterOnline]

¶ A new analysis of a recent 12-vehicle Proterra electric bus demonstration (put on by Foothill Transit in California) by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has found that these buses possess an average fuel economy roughly 4 times higher than that of baseline compressed natural gas buses. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Oregon lawmakers changed a controversial proposal aimed at scrubbing coal from the state’s electricity supply, sending the plan to the Senate floor after approving a measure to give state regulators more oversight. The bill would see ratepayers stop paying for power produced at out-of-state coal-fired power plants by 2030. [OregonLive.com]

¶ A study published in Nature Climate Change suggests that if the United States reduces emissions from the transportation and electricity sectors in order to meet those targets, 295,000 American lives could be saved by 2030. The study also estimated the near-term economic benefits could be over three times the cost. [IEEE Spectrum]

Science and Technology:

¶ Welsh startup Riversimple unveiled its prototype car. Four in-hub motors use recovery braking to charge supercapacitors that then release electricity back for acceleration. The hydrogen fuel cells don’t power acceleration; they just maintain the car’s speed. As a result, its 1.5-kg tank of hydrogen can carry it 300 miles. [BBC]

World:

¶ The Indian government said the installed capacity of solar power crossed 5,000 MW in January and expressed confidence that the target of 18,000 MW would be achieved by 2017-end. India has initiated world’s largest renewable energy program by increasing its target from 35 GW to 175 GW capacity by 2022. [Daily Excelsior]

¶ The global oil-price bust has devastated economies across the Middle East and North Africa. There have been severe price declines in the past, but this collapse is different. Morocco’s drive to become a regional renewable-energy powerhouse offers a real option for economic development. [Daily News]

¶ The Japanese government has decided to offer a loan of about ¥10 billion ($89 million) to build a solar power plant with a battery system in Egypt. The plan is to build a 20-MW solar power plant with a 30-MW capacity storage facility. The plant would supply electricity to about 7,000 households. [The Japan Times]

¶ The UAE’s Ministry of Infrastructure Development has launched an initiative to establish charging stations for electric vehicles as part of its efforts to support the green economy and sustainable development. The UAE aims to become a global leader in this area, and center for green products and technologies. [Emirates 24|7]

¶ Dozens of new onshore wind turbines could be built on Scottish islands at bill-payer expense, after ministers confirmed the islands may be excluded from their manifesto pledge to end subsidies for the technology. Projects on Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles could yet qualify for even higher subsidies. [Telegraph.co.uk]

¶ Kansai Electric Power Co has found a puddle of radioactive water inside an auxiliary building at the Takahama nuclear plant’s No 4 reactor – an announcement that could throw a wrench into plans to reboot the unit later this month. The prefecture’s nuclear safety division said the leak did not affect the environment. [The Japan Times]

US:

¶ Thinley Lhondup Lama, a village elder from Nepal, stopped by a school in Hartford, Connecticut, to offer his personal thanks for the renewable energy systems given to three villages. One arrived in 2013, after a group of eight city students built a 24-foot-tall wind turbine that was helicoptered to Thinley’s village. [Hartford Courant]

¶ At an event in Colchester, Vermont, Republican presidential candidate John Kasich was asked about climate change. He said, “I know that human beings affect the climate. I know it’s an apostasy in the Republican Party to say that. I guess that’s what I’ve always been – being able to challenge some of the status quo.” [BurlingtonFreePress.com]

¶ Ford Motor Co dropped its membership in the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). In leaving ALEC, Ford joins companies such as Google, Microsoft and others that have concerns about the group’s position denying climate change and other stances they deem to be anti-environmental. [Bloomberg BNA]

Opinion:

¶ 6 Reasons Al Gore Believes ‘We Will Prevail’ in Climate Fight • Al Gore admitted to the TED2016 audience in Vancouver on Wednesday, “every night on the news is like a nature hike through the Book of Revelation.” But he maintained, “I am extremely optimistic. We are going to win this. We will prevail.” [EcoWatch]

Science and Technology:

¶ Smart microgrids provide higher reliability and more efficient operation of distributed generation assets than conventional systems. Siemens is participating in a community energy resiliency grant program in New York State and optimizing electrical generation at a Native American reservation in California. [Justmeans]

¶ Researchers at Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have found an energy storage solution that could use of waste from processing apples. They discovered that leftover apple waste has “excellent” electrochemical properties for use in sodium-ion batteries, when reduced to a carbon material. [CleanTechnica]

¶ After record heat in 2015, January 2016 is continuing the trend. It was the hottest January on record and Arctic sea ice extent was at a record low level for the third time this year. El Niño has certainly played a role in this latest record, but scientists have concluded that this effect was fairly minor overall. [The Weather Network]

World:

¶ Last year, 6 million tons of wood pellets harvested from forests in the southern US were shipped across the Atlantic. Half of those pellets were for Britain’s Drax power station, which is converting from coal to biomass to reduce carbon emissions and claim valuable Renewable Obligation certificates. [Science 2.0]

¶ A 3-MWp sun2live solar installation including more than 12,000 PV panels was developed and constructed by the UK-based clean energy provider PV Energy Limited. The plant was recently completed at the VC Bird International Airport of Antigua and represents a pioneer project for the whole Caribbean. [PennEnergy]

¶ Despite earlier moves towards the large-scale use of wood-fired (biomass) power plants, it looks as though lawmakers in the Netherlands are beginning to have doubts about the approach. Dutch parliamentarians have recently moved to suspend plans for wood energy subsidies over environmental concerns. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Tasmania’s Minister for Resources said that due to recent unprecedented events, including the failure of the world’s second longest undersea electricity cable and low rainfall, the government is now considering the use of biomass residues from value-added forest operations to generate energy. [Bioenergy Insight Magazine]

¶ Sweden’s Unit 1 at the Oskarhamn nuclear power plant will be closed in June 2017, the plant’s operator OKG AB said. The closure date is on the early side of the parameters of last year’s announcement. In October 2015, OKG said the plant would close between 2017 and 2019 due a negative market environment. [Nuclear Street]

¶ A study projects green building around the globe to double by 2018. According to the results of the study, the percentage of companies expected to have more than 60% of their building projects certified as “green” is anticipated to more than double by 2018, growing from 18% to approximately 37%. [CleanTechnica]

US:

¶ Kansas is one of the states suing the EPA to stop the Clean Power Plan. Some lawmakers are even moving to freeze work on compliance planning. Meanwhile, utility companies and electric power grid operators serving the state continue to expand wind power, regardless of what happens to the rules. [Kansas City Star]

¶ A media report says Tesla Energy batteries will be used for a SolarCity solar farm and energy storage system for Kauai Island Utility Cooperative in Hawaiʻi. The Tesla Energy batteries will supply a 52 MWh utility-scale energy storage system for evening peak demand, typically between 5:00 pm and 10:00 pm. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The Massachusetts Solar Carve-Out II Program may have been reached full capacity for projects larger than 25 kW DC. Applications have been received for over 854 MW DC, exceeding the limit of 660.6 MW. New commercial solar projects in the state are already suffering under a net metering cap. [Digital Journal]

¶ Wind power in the Texas grid set a new record on Thursday evening when it generated 14,023 MW. The previous record was 13,883 MW. Wind turbines accounted for more than 45% of the grid’s overall load at certain points late on Thursday as Texas increasingly relies more on renewable power. [mySanAntonio.com]

Science and Technology:

¶ It’s official: 2015 was the hottest year on record, beating out 2014 by the widest margin in 136 years of record keeping, US government agencies announced Wednesday. The last globally record cold year was 1911, while 15 of the 16 hottest years on record have occurred since 2001, according to NASA. [Climate Central]

Opinion:

¶ Climate protection through nuclear power plants? Hardly. • In 2013 nuclear provided 10.6% of global electricity, and just 1.7% of global final energy consumption. Even if generation in nuclear power plants could be increased significantly, nuclear power will remain a marginal energy source. [Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]

World:

¶ The world is moving more quickly towards renewable energy than people thought even a year ago, and Australia can expect an imminent boom in large-scale solar investment, according to the CEO of Australian energy utility Origin Energy. He expects solar to be cheaper than most gas-fired generation. [CleanTechnica]

¶ A national poll, conducted by Essential, found that a majority of Australians were more likely to vote for a party with ambitious goals for renewables technology. It found that 63% would prefer a party with a policy to ensure solar is installed on every suitable home and commercial or public building. [RenewEconomy]

¶ RattanIndia Power is reportedly planning to use 324 hectares of land in the northern state of Punhjab originally earmarked for a coal-based power plant to set up a 200 MW solar power plant. The company has dropped plans for the coal-based power plant after it failed to receive assurance of domestic coal supply. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Austria’s biggest utility is seeking to expand a network of “virtual power plants” where energy flows from customers with their own generators. Purchases from solar, wind, biomass and hydro plants, often located at the premises of existing power customers, rose to 100 MW last year from 4 MW in 2014. [Bloomberg]

¶ China’s environment minister said the government needs more power to go after polluters and local government officials that impede compliance with environmental regulations. China’s pollution crisis has become increasingly severe, bringing about school closures and limited factory production. [VICE News]

¶ Japan’s wind-power capacity is expected to grow threefold as two developers invest tens of billions of yen. The total would be equivalent of 10 nuclear reactors. Eurus Energy Holdings and Electric Power Development each plan to invest around ¥60 billion ($528 million) in new facilities by 2020. [Nikkei Asian Review]

US:

¶ New satellite data and surface observations analyzed by Harvard researchers confirm previous data and observations: US methane emissions are considerably higher than the official numbers from the EPA. Significantly, the EPA numbers are mostly based on industry-provided estimates, not actual measurements. [ThinkProgress]

¶ Palo Alto’s outlook for expanding its supply of cheap, green energy brightened this week. A City Council committee has enthusiastically approved a new 25-year contract with Hecate Energy that would allow the city to buy solar power at a price of less than 3.7¢/kWh. The price may set a record. [Palo Alto Online]

¶ At the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners Winter Meeting this week, it was announced that the addition of wind resources surpassed both solar and natural gas in 2015. Wind resources accounted for 8.6 GW of capacity while solar and natural gas came in at 7.3 GW and 6.0 GW, respectively. [JD Supra]

¶ Four elementary schools serving low-income communities in northern Nevada will blossom with greener classrooms. A press release says Nevada-based non-profit Black Rock Solar is working with Open Energy, a commercial solar debt finance provider, for solar projects on the four elementary schools. [CleanTechnica]

¶ A leaking gas well near the US city of Los Angeles which has been polluting the air for four months has been “permanently sealed,” officials say. The Southern California Gas Company had been pumping in heavy fluids and cement to seal the well. The natural gas leak has caused thousands to relocate. [BBC]

Opinion:

¶ Why the U.S. is cutting carbon emissions no matter what happens with the Supreme Court • The power sector in the US is transforming to a much less carbon-intensive future, the precise thing that the Clean Power Plan aims for. This is neither a legal development, nor political. It is largely a business decision. [Washington Post]

World:

¶ Venezuela is raising petrol prices for the first time in 20 years, although the president claims it will still be the world’s cheapest. President Nicolas Maduro said pump prices of premium fuel would rise from the equivalent of $0.01 a litre to about $0.60. The cost of lower grade petrol would rise to about $0.10 a litre. [BBC]

¶ Telstra Corporation, an Australian telecommunications concern, plans to speed up the roll-out of solar and battery storage options to customers, according to RenewEconomy. The plan to offer home energy services indicates it will compete with electricity utilities, a growing international trend. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Dong Energy has exported first power from its 252-MW Gode Wind 2 offshore wind farm in the German North Sea. Sea Challenger, owned by A2SEA, has erected all 42 Siemens turbines at the project. The remaining machines at the 97-turbine 582-MW Gode Wind 1 & 2 complex are to be up this summer. [reNews]

¶ According to Solar Power Portal, the UK solar industry has reached a cumulative capacity of more than 10 GW. The news comes just weeks after the European solar industry trade body, SolarPower Europe, released a projection that the UK would remain the region’s largest solar market in 2016. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Chile’s renewable power generation rose 18.7% year-on-year to 671 GWh last month, representing a bit over 10.85% of total electric output, a government report shows. Solar power produced 26.6% of the total green power, biomass had a 26.25% share, wind power had 23.93%, mini hydro plants had 20.63% [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Gamesa got an order from a German renewable energy company to replace 11 1-MW wind turbines at a wind farm with three G128-4.5 MW turbines. Operational since 1998, the Debstedt wind farm in Lower Saxony will be upgraded with new technology, and its annual output will be doubled. [Windpower Engineering]

¶ Peru awarded 185 MW of solar PV projects at an average price of $48/MWh in a renewable energy solicitation. Bloomberg New Energy Finance Head of Solar Analysis Jenny Chase says that she has never seen a contract for power from solar PV this cheap in any nation that does not offer tax breaks. [pv magazine]

¶ About a third of the world’s publicly traded oil companies are at high risk of going bankrupt this year, according to a report from consulting and audit firm Deloitte. The firm put out its findings after closely examining 500 publicly traded oil and natural gas exploration and production companies worldwide. [Greentech Media]

US:

¶ The effort by San Francisco to launch a community choice aggregation renewable energy program was politically stymied for over a decade. But city leaders have now come together around CleanPowerSF. Notices were sent out to the first batch of customers San Francisco will automatically sign up. [San Francisco Examiner]

¶ The future of the Prairie Island Nuclear Power Plant could be shorter than expected. In a recent filing, Xcel Energy told the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission it would like to do an economic study about the possibility of shutting down the nuclear facility prior to its official 2034 expiration date. [Post-Bulletin]

¶ Deepwater Wind’s 30-MW Block Island offshore wind project was selected in a 34-GW New England capacity auction. The wind farm committed to supply 6.8 MW. The auction was to cover projected demand starting in 2019-20. It closed at $7.03/kW after four rounds of competitive bidding. [reNews]

¶ The Tennessee Valley Authority said Wednesday that it is considering whether to sell its unfinished Bellefonte Nuclear Plant, started in 1974 in northeast Alabama and mothballed for the past 28 years without ever producing any electricity. No potential price was mentioned, but TVA said it has spent about $5 billion at Bellefonte. [FederalNewsRadio.com]

Opinion:

¶ Clean Power Doesn’t Need a Federal Plan • Last week, the Supreme Court put a stopper on the US Clean Power Plan. From the get-go, the CPP was criticized for being unconstitutional and unnecessary. Well, barring the legal applications of the plan, at least one of those accusations may turn out to be true… [Energy and Capital]

World:

¶ In Germany and Portugal, a new drop-in biofuels process has emerged which is cost competitive with $30 oil, according to the inventors. The process breaks even with crude oil, on an 10-year amortized basis for capex, at roughly $20.30 per barrel of crude oil (assuming refining costs of $8.66 per barrel). [biofuelsdigest.com]

¶ Irish renewable energy firm, Solar 21 has acquired the project rights to build a 22-MW biomass power plant in England. The plant will be built on a 64-acre site near Hull. The firm is looking to secure €60 million through a fundraising round for the project, which has been under construction since October. [Irish Independent]

¶ Oil prices fell on Tuesday despite Saudi Arabia and Russia agreeing to freeze oil output at January levels if other producers follow suit. The announcement came after ministers from the two nations met in Doha along with their counterparts from Venezuela and Qatar. Brent crude fell 2% to $32.77 a barrel. [BBC]

¶ Bangladesh, regarded by many as the nation most vulnerable to the impacts of global climate change, is on track to construct two coal-fired power plants that critics say are dangerously close to the world’s largest single tract of mangrove forest called the Sundarbans. A backlash against the plants is brewing. [Mongabay.com]

¶ Woodside Petroleum, Australia’s largest independent oil and gas company, posted a 99% fall in profits for the 12 months to December. The firm put the decline in profits down to the global fall of over 45% in oil prices. Woodside’s net income came to $26 million (£18.18 million) from $2.41 billion a year earlier. [BBC]

¶ A new $30 million hydroelectric generating station on the Otonabee River in Peterborough, Ontario, is expected to come online by the end of June 2016. It will generate 6 MW of renewable energy in addition to the 4 MW already generated by the existing station. The total will power around 4,000 homes. [kawarthaNOW.com]

¶ Statoil ASA, Norway’s biggest oil and gas producer, will invest as much as $200 million in renewable energy over four to seven years. A new fund will take a minority stake in startups developing technologies including wind power, energy storage and smart grids, according to a company statement Tuesday. [Bloomberg]

¶ The UK’s Met Office has signed weather forecast service contracts for the 332-MW Nordsee One and 402-MW Veja Mate offshore wind farms in the south-west of the German Bight area of the North Sea. Nordsee One will also use Port forecasts and SafeVoyage for planning vessels’ routes in open water. [reNews]

US:

¶ A bipartisan group of 17 governors announced a new initiative by their states to advance clean energy, encourage clean transportation, and modernize energy infrastructure. The Governors Accord for a New Energy Future follows a Supreme Court ruling last week to temporarily block the Clean Power Plan. [Environment America]

¶ Michigan joined the list of states that have suspended Clean Power Plan compliance strategies after the Supreme Court ruling of last week. However Governor Rick Snyder also announced today that he has joined 16 other governors in signing the bipartisan Governors’ Accord for a New Energy Future. [Midwest Energy News]

¶ A Los Angeles county transportation agency, the Antelope Valley Transit Agency, made the pledge to convert from diesel to 100% electric buses, according to recent reports. As the county’s bus fleet currently totals around 85, the pledge to go all-electric is a big one – one of the biggest in the US to date. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Trucking and transportation provider Estes Express Lines recently completed the installation of a $1.6 million rooftop solar power system at its Greensboro terminal. The system is designed to power the entire Estes Greensboro facility, which is made up of an approximately 80,000-square-foot dock. [Triad Business Journal]

¶ Wisconsin’s state Senate has passed a bill that would lift the state’s moratorium on new nuclear plants. Currently, state regulators cannot approve new nuclear plants unless a federal facility for storing waste exists and such a plant does not burden ratepayers. No such federal facility exists, however. [Journal Times]

¶ The mayor of Cohoes, New York, announced that the city is going green. The city has a 2.6-MW solar PV and LED lighting project underway, which is expected to save the taxpayers millions of dollars. The power from the solar energy will mainly be allocated to city hall, the fire station and the library. [NEWS10 ABC]

World:

¶ British demand response specialist Flexitricity Ltd said National Grid has adopted its Footroom service, which can make use of excess wind power. The service will have industrial, commercial and public-sector sites paid to adjust generation or consumption on request, so wind farms need not be shut down. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Lekela Power, a pan-African renewable power company, signed a deal with the Egyptian government to build a 250-MW wind power station in the Gulf of Suez area at an investment of $350 million. Lekela Power has over 1,100 MW of wind and solar projects under development in South Africa, Egypt and Ghana. [Trade Arabia]

¶ Construction work has begun on Europe’s largest floating solar farm at the Queen Elizabeth II reservoir near London. More than 23,000 panels will be floated on the reservoir, providing enough electricity each year to power the equivalent of around 1,800 homes. The array is due for completion at the end of March. [Business Green]

¶ Indian wind turbine maker Inox Wind Ltd said it will deliver 100 MW of its machines for a project in Gujarat state under a repeat order from Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd. The project is TPREL’s fourth with Inox Wind. Before it, the company had ordered over 300 MW of wind turbines from the firm. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ French energy giant EDF is to extend generation from four of its UK nuclear power stations. Two stations due to be shut down in 2019 will continue for an extra five years. Another two will have extensions of seven years to 2030. EDF has still not made a final decision on building the Hinckley C plant. [BQ Live]

¶ Declaring renewable energy to be the future of India, Power and Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goyal said 25 new solar parks will be added in the country. The minister said India’s target of generating 175 GW power by 2022 from renewable sources, includes 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind. [Odisha News Insight]

US:

¶ Increasing awareness of the grid vulnerability is causing many to doubt the wisdom of relying solely on the prevailing grid model. Government agencies and private companies are increasingly looking to the remote electrical microgrids that power rural Alaska, where there are no transmission lines. [Alaska Dispatch News]

¶ GTM Research has released its latest solar report, which found that 20 US states are at grid parity today, with 42 expected to reach that milestone by 2020. With a decline in costs of solar PVs and increases in retail electricity rates, the economics of home solar systems have become increasingly attractive. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The Oregon House approved a bill that would eliminate the use of coal power in Oregon by 2030 and double the state’s renewable energy standard goal for 2040. The bill was passed, with utility support, under pressure as they are trying to head off ballot measures in the general election in November. [KLCC FM Public Radio]

¶ Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker issued an executive order that prohibits state agencies or departments from developing plans to comply with the Clean Power Plan. Walker argued that the effects of the EPA’s plan would fall heavily on coal-dependent manufacturing states like Wisconsin. [The Daily Cardinal]

¶ Rocky Mountain Power will soon be offering its customers the chance to use solar energy, even if they don’t plan to install panels on the roof. The company announced that it has contracted construction of a 20-MW solar farm in Holden, Utah. Customers may subscribe to some or all of their electricity from solar power. [RadioWest]

Opinion:

¶ Have we reached the tipping point for investing in renewable energy? • Between 2014 and 2015, New York City’s biggest pension fund lost $135 million on fossil fuel holdings. Fossil fuel investments have cost 15 of Australia’s top funds an estimated $5.6 billion. Profitable sustainability is coming of age. [The Guardian]

World:

¶ The first international agreement to cut commercial airline carbon emissions was signed by 23 countries, including the US. It entails a 4% reduction in the fuel consumption of commercial aircraft by dates depending on type. It aims to reduce emissions by over 650 million tons between 2020 and 2040. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has warned officials of the Ceylon Electricity Board that he will be forced to take measures on his own to implement proposals related to the power sector if they fail to do what is needed. They have proposed nine new coal plants. He will only allow two. [Sunday Leader]

¶ The Brigg Renewable Energy Plant in North Lincolnshire was completed within its £162 million budget and three months ahead of schedule. It is capable of generating enough electricity to power 75,000 homes, and as it uses renewable energy, it is expected to save more than 250,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. [Scunthorpe Telegraph]

¶ According to IEEE experts, newer and more efficient ways to consume energy using renewables with energy efficiency will be a main focus of the dominant energy trend this year. This includes extensive use of smart-grids and technologies that improve resilience and reliability, with clean energy resources. [Equity Bulls]

¶ Philippine Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile yesterday disclosed that arming the Philippines with a nuclear weapon was among the objectives of the construction of the now mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. This was planned during the administration of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos. [Tempo]

¶ At a time when the governing British Columbia’s Liberal Party boasts about turning the province into a clean energy leader, the Canadian Wind Energy Association, country’s largest wind energy organization, has announced it is pulling out of the province to chase better opportunities in Alberta and Saskatchewan. [Alaska Highway News]

US:

¶ A solar boom is on in Minnesota. By the end of this year, Blue Earth County alone may have more solar capacity than the entire state does now. Xcel Energy predicts construction of these “solar gardens” to ramp up massively in 2016, generating more than 10 times the state’s current solar load. [Mankato Free Press]

¶ A new international quality standard for manufacturing solar PV modules has been created following on 5 years of work by researchers at the US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and elsewhere, according to a press release. The new standard is intended to supplement the existing one. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Approximately 85 state, local and county officials and business people gathered Thursday for a VIP dedication of Sandstone Solar, one of Arizona’s largest photovoltaic power plants. The 45-MW plant covers more than 300 acres of former farmland and uses more than 182,000 solar panels. [TriValley Central]

¶ Dominion Virginia Power will soon add more solar power to its generation portfolio. The company is partnering with SunEnergy1 to install 91,803 solar panels at a new solar farm in Chesapeake, Virginia, a press release says. The site will generate enough energy to power 5,000 homes. [Proud Green Building]

¶ National Grid customers paid more than $110 million in surcharges to keep a nuclear plant in western New York open since 2012. Governor Cuomo has ordered the state Public Service Commission to investigate NRG Energy’s decision to close the Dunkirk Power Plant and whether consumers have been defrauded. [Syracuse.com]

Opinion:

¶ Is This The Best Solar Chart Yet? • Solar energy has been in a boom of late (one that will arguably continue for a long while). One might ask why the technology has found increasing footholds in the global marketplace? Well, the graph below puts it more succinctly than I could, so have a gander. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The CEO of the largest Russian bank said the age of oil was over. He is sort of right. • The CEO of the Russia’s largest Russian bank made a strong critical statement about the Russian economy. He said the oil age is over and Russia has lost the global competition because it has not adjusted to the clean energy race. [Huffington Post]

World:

¶ Oil prices surged as much as 12% on Friday after new suggestions that OPEC nations were set to cut oil production. The United Arab Emirates’ energy minister said OPEC members were ready to reduce output, the Wall Street Journal reported. But traders said sharp falls on Thursday may have triggered bargain-hunting. [BBC]

¶ In what could reflect a paradigm shift in power generation in India, officials of the state-owned utility NTPC said one reason for low plant load factor at their thermal power stations is due to increased share of clean energy. The plant load factor has declined to 77.8% in 2015 from 79.3% in 2014 and 85% in 2012-13. [Business Standard]

¶ BP chief executive Bob Dudley this week called on governments to adopt carbon pricing mechanisms to address climate change. Dudley noted BP’s latest Energy Outlook 2035, also released during the oil and gas executives’ conference, projects global emissions to rise about 1% per year. [Environmental Leader]

US:

¶ Concerned about legislative moves, Maine solar installers, local and national businesses, environmental organizations, and the newly formed Solar Energy Association of Maine delivered a petition with nearly 4,000 signatures to the state legislature, urging regulators and lawmakers to preserve net-metering. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Major utilities have hit New Hampshire’s arbitrary cap on net energy metering but have shown virtually no interest in a stable transition for solar companies. Legislators are considering bills to address this, but the bills, SB 333 and HB 1116, would only lead to job losses in a few months, as currently written. [CleanTechnica]

¶ US scientists have modelled how a 1930s-like dustbowl drought might impact agriculture today, and found it to be just as damaging. But the research shows the effects to be very sensitive to temperature, meaning the potential losses would be far worse later this century if Earth’s climate heats up as expected. [BBC]

¶ Infrared video taken Friday confirmed that the Southern California Gas Company has stopped the flow of natural gas leaking from a well at a facility near Los Angeles. SoCalGas said a relief well had “intercepted the base of the leaking well” and operators were pumping fluids to temporarily keep the gas from leaking. [CNN]

¶ After five years and millions of dollars of investments, Michigan’s utilities have exceeded the 10% renewable energy production goal under the state’s 2008 landmark energy law, the Michigan Public Service Commission said in its annual report. All 75 producers met the targets by December 31. [Crain’s Detroit Business]

¶ By 2020 solar, wind, biomass and hydro will account for 10% of Georgia Power’s fuel mix, according to a new long-term plan the company recently filed with state regulators. That’s up from about 7% this year, or just 2% not counting hydro. In 2005, non-hydro renewables were not even counted in the mix. [MyAJC]

¶ The Tennessee Valley Authority is giving up on a nearly decade-old plan to pursue the next generation of major nuclear reactors at the Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant in Alabama. TVA is facing a deadline today to tell its future plans to the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board of the US NRC. [Chattanooga Times Free Press]

Opinion:

¶ Why Colorado Requested A Pause On The Clean Power Plan, But Isn’t Taking It • Colorado regulators say they will press forward on President Barack Obama’s plan to curtail emissions from coal-fired power plants, despite a temporary pause issued by the U.S. Supreme Court for the Clean Power Plan this week. [Colorado Public Radio]

Science and Technology:

¶ The Brattle Group study says that the America’s 50 million residential electric water heaters can address bigger challenges such as storing energy from wind farms and solar arrays. The study examined smart technologies focused on water heaters, which use 9% of US household electricity. [Minneapolis Star Tribune]

World:

¶ Solar power project developers in India are expanding the rent-a-roof concept for developing solar systems to sell electricity to large-scale consumers. Under the rent-a-roof concept, the project developers set up solar power systems atop roofs of industrial or commercial electricity consumers. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The European Union said it nearly doubled its share of renewable energy from a 2004 benchmark and was already close to meeting its target obligations for 2020. The share of energy from renewable resources was 16%, about 89% above 2004 levels, the first year it started keeping records on renewables. [UPI.com]

¶ A leading source of solar analysis, IHS, published the latest edition of its Solar Deal Tracker this week, in which it finds that the global solar PV pipeline has now exceeded 200 GW, thanks in large part to the extension of the US Investment Tax Credit. Of the PV projects 110 GW are in the US, China, or Brazil. [CleanTechnica]

¶ BP says it sees a bright future for the oil and gas industry with crude prices spiking at $100 a barrel again, huge increases in shale output and new production from Canadian tar sands. BP believes fossil fuels will still be providing 80% of total energy supply in 2035 and admits this implies high carbon emissions. [HITC]

¶ More than 110 groups from across the globe joined a declaration today demanding that bioenergy be excluded from the European Union’s next Renewable Energy Directive. The EU is considering today the directive’s renewal for 2020 onwards. A decision is expected by the end of the year. [Center for Biological Diversity]

¶ GE Power Conversion built the first serial Permanent Magnet Generator in its Saint-Nazaire offshore wind factory, which was inaugurated in late 2014. The factory has a capacity of manufacturing 100 generators per year. The generator has a 6-MW capacity and will supply power for 5,000 households. [AltEnergyMag]

¶ TEPCO says the situation at Fukushima Daiichi is much improved over the past five years. Nevertheless, seen from the road below, the nuclear power station looks much as it may have right after the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that caused a triple meltdown here almost five years ago. [Washington Post]

¶ Salvadoran electricity company Delsur published the timetable and preliminary rules for a solicitation to supply 150 MW of renewable energy plants. Of this, 100 MW will correspond to solar PV and the remainder wind projects. It is El Salvador’s second solicitation for renewable energy projects. [pv magazine]

US:

¶ Georgia will stop its work toward implementing the Clean Power Plan, a key piece of the EPA’s efforts to tackle climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Georgia is one of 27 states that had asked the US Supreme Court to delay implementation of the plan.
[WABE 90.1 FM]

¶ The White House promised that the US would be able to uphold its international commitments on climate change after the Clean Power Plan was delayed by the Supreme Court. Share pricess of coal companies jumped on the court’s news, but after the initial rise have resumed their long decline. [Sky News Australia]

¶ US outfit Apex Clean Energy is developing a 450-MW wind farm in western Ohio that it acquired from BP Wind Energy. Apex took over the Long Prairie project in 2014 and has leased all land needed for a first phase, the developer said in a presentation to Van Wert County officials this month. [reNews]

¶ The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is showing us that the algae biofuel field is still making progress despite low oil prices. Researchers at the lab are reporting a breakthrough system that ramps up the efficiency of the algae-to-ethanol process to a significant degree. The process combines two species of algae. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The unprecedented drought in California cost consumers an extra $2 billion in power bills because it dried up hundreds of hydroelectric stations in the state, curbing a key source of renewable energy, a new report found. Since it started in 2011, the drought has also undermined efforts to tackle climate change. [Bloomberg]

Opinion:

¶ SCOTUS Clean Power Decision NOT Just “A Blow To Obama” • The headline on the Los Angeles Times reads “Supreme Court deals blow to Obama by putting his climate change rules on hold.” This is not “Obama’s plan.” It has been drawn up and legalized for the entire country. It is OUR plan. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Obama’s clean power plan may be on hold, Coal’s fate is not • The US Supreme Court may have put President Barack Obama’s most aggressive plan to curb power-plant emissions on hold, but that’s not going to save coal from a shrinking market, or stop some states and utilities from moving on their own. [Energy Voice]

Science and Technology:

¶ A new study suggests we don’t actually need to store power from the wind and sun. Because the wind is always blowing somewhere in the US, and a cloudy day in one city will be sunny elsewhere, researchers suggest we just need a bigger grid, and better power lines that could send energy wherever it’s needed. [Co.Exist]

¶ Burning wood to produce electricity has growing in Europe, where it is heavily subsidized by national governments because it counts as renewable energy. It can be environmentally friendly at local scales, but used on large industrial levels it can accelerate global warming and worsen deforestation. [Climate Central]

World:

¶ Offshore wind energy giant DONG Energy unveiled a Renewable Balancing Reserve service. DONG is entering the demand management market and will invite large business customers to adjust their energy consumption when wind strength varies from forecast, simplifying grid operation. [Business Green]

¶ AGL Energy Ltd, Australia’s largest electricity producer, plans to use its renewable energy fund unveiled Wednesday to kick-start as much as A$3 billion ($2.1 billion) in new projects, focusing on large wind farms. AGL expects the fund to help finance two stalled projects in New South Wales and Queensland. [Bloomberg]

¶ Danish wind turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems posted a full-year profit for 2015 that beat forecasts. Despite low global oil prices, Vestas expects revenues to continue rising this year. Net profit for the year rose to €685 million ($766 million) from €392 million last year, beating a forecast €637 million. [IndustryWeek]

¶ Japan’s nuclear watchdog has put the kibosh on TEPCO’s plans to freeze underground soil at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, a stunningly expensive project intended to solve the crisis of accumulating radioactive groundwater at the site. Freezing the ground was intended to hold ground water in place. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶ Reacting to a lawsuit from 29 states, as well as the energy industry, The US Supreme Court blocked the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan from going forward while the rule is challenged in court. This was not expected. The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit will hold oral arguments in June. [CNN]

¶ There’s enough untapped wind howling across the vast plains of Oklahoma and Kansas to generate more electricity than a dozen nuclear power plants. What’s missing are transmission lines to ship it from spinning turbines to faraway homes and businesses. But they need permits from every state they cross. [Daily News]

¶ The Union of Concerned Scientists released a report giving the history of an Eastern Interconnect working group in 2010 to 2012, which developed research showing the eastern US could cut carbon by 42% and reach 30% renewable energy by 2030. The numbers exceed those required under the Clean Power Plan. [Utility Dive]

¶ A generous incentive for the Massachusetts solar industry has quietly evaporated, as subsidies that helped finance solar power projects reached a limit set by the state. Also, the Legislature has yet to lift the cap that had been hit earlier on the amount of power utilities must buy from net-metered sources at retail rates. [The Boston Globe]

¶ On January 20th, the missile destroyer USS Stockdale officially became the first US Navy ship to use a biofuel mixture for regular military operations. It is part of the “Great Green Fleet,” a Carrier Strike Group that will serve as a test for the tactical viability and cost-effectiveness of biofuels. [EarthTechling]

¶ Invenergy has signed a 120-MW wind power purchase agreement with 3M to provide the global science-based company with renewable energy to help support its operations across North America. The agreement with 3M includes the sale of wind energy from the Gunsight Wind Energy Center in Texas. [North American Windpower]

¶ By growing wind energy, Coloradans could save $2.7 billion on their electricity through 2050 and attract over $18 million in annual property tax revenue by 2030, according to new calculations made by the American Wind Energy Association and Wind Energy Foundation through DOE data. [North American Windpower]

Opinion:

¶ Why natural gas investments could spell trouble for electric utilities • Natural gas has been called a fuel to gently transition the US to a clean energy future. The Union of Concerned Scientists claims that while the fuel’s role may grow, it could result in many states becoming over-reliant on natural gas. [Utility Dive]

¶ A renewable energy-powered Canada could be closer than we think • University of Colorado researchers released a study saying the US could get most of its energy from wind and solar power by 2030, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75%. Could the same be done in Canada? (Spoiler: yes) [Yahoo News Canada]

Science and Technology:

¶ Green power is cheap enough to compete with fossil fuels and will buck the trend of falling investment in oil and gas as it can offer long-term returns sheltered from political risk, industry analysts say. Oil prices have dropped 75% since mid-2014, leading to predictions of falling petro-chemical investment. [Reuters UK]

¶ With support from the US National Science Foundation, Oscilla Power is developing a utility-scale wave energy harvester called Triton. The technology shows promise for delivering utility-scale electric power to the grid at a price competitive with current fossil or renewable technologies. [National Science Foundation]

World:

¶ As part of its principled shift away from diesel vehicles towards electrics following the diesel emissions cheating scandal (or, more likely, as part of its image rehabilitation strategy), Volkswagen recently revealed that it is now intending to release the world’s first high-volume, mass market electric car. [EV Obsession]

¶ Solar Frontier is partnering with the Japan Renewable Energy to develop 300 MW of new solar photovoltaic projects in Japan within the next 5 years, according to recent reports. But roughly 57 GW of solar PV projects in the country that have yet to go forward despite having won feed-in-tariff contracts. [CleanTechnica]

¶ About 8 GW of solar power systems were connected to European electric grids in 2015, according to estimates by SolarPower Europe. Demand for solar power systems in European countries increased by around 15% year-on-year, compared to 6.95 GW of new grid-connected solar power capacity in 2014. [reNews]

¶ The wind industry has surpassed the hydro industry as the third largest player in the European electricity grid in terms of capacity, and is fast closing the gap on the coal and gas sectors that continue to dominate the continent’s power mix. Wind energy now provides a total of 142 GW of capacity in Europe. [Business Green]

¶ A dispute among Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, centered on a pair of 40-year-old Belgian nuclear reactors roughly an hour’s drive from large cities across the border, is laying bare a growing European rift over nuclear energy. Nuclear power has fallen out of favor in some countries, but not others. [Washington Times]

US:

¶ The fourth annual Sustainable Energy in America Factbook highlights the record year for utility-scale and distributed low-carbon electric generation. One of the most significant pieces of the report is the data on prices and decarbonization, which shows that decarbonizing has not led to higher prices. [Greentech Media]

¶ Solar rooftops could go a long way to strengthening California’s aging power grid, and save its residents more than $1.4 billion annually, according to a white paper published by SolarCity’s Grid Engineering team. “A Pathway to the Distributed Grid” evaluated the economics of distributed energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Connecticut may be getting more renewable energy. The first joint procurement by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island garnered 24 bids from developers and companies for solar, wind, fuel cell and hydro projects, including five offering power that would be generated in Connecticut. [Hartford Business]

¶ Vermont energy regulators completed an update of the state’s key energy and electricity plans. The updated Comprehensive Energy Plan reaffirms Vermont’s overall goal of achieving 90% of its total energy needs from renewable sources by 2050, adds interim goals, and provides greater detail on achieving goals. [JD Supra]

¶ Solar power increases for businesses and utilities in Wisconsin led to three times more solar power installations for 2015 than any other before, according to Renew Wisconsin. Enough solar to power 1,000 average sized homes, 7.5 MW, was installed in 2015, the organization’s director said. [UW Badger Herald]

¶ President Obama said the US would tax each barrel of oil imported or exported, with some of that revenue can be used for transportation. He said, “Some of that revenue can be used for the investments in basic research and technology that’s going to be needed for the energy sources of the future.” [CNSNews.com]

World:

¶ Wind power provided almost half of Scotland’s entire energy needs last month, According to WWF Scotland. January had 22 days when the wind generated sufficient power for every home in the country. Wind turbines supplied a total of 1,125,544 MWh to the national grid. [Scotsman]

¶ Labour’s London Mayor candidate Sadiq Khan outlined his ambition to ignite a clean energy revolution in the capital, as the “greenest mayor ever.” Khan’s plans were headlined by Energy for Londoners, a not-for-profit company working to bring the city clean and green energy. [edie.net]

¶ Under a new plan from the African Development Bank to scale up power in the 54 African states by 2030, the continent needs to boost investment in energy from 0.4% of GDP to 3.4% and consider scaling down subsidies for petroleum products such as diesel and kerosene. [Southern Times Africa]

¶ The New Joneses is a fully-functional, sustainable, off-grid pop-up home that is launching to the public in Melbourne. The project is a collaboration between more than 10 companies providing eco-friendly home solutions, one of which is Enphase Energy, with its own modular home battery. [Gizmodo Australia]

¶ A solar power plant will be built in the northern Argentine province of Jujuy, bringing it renewable energy, according to President Mauricio Macri. A solar power plant is also planned in the western province of Mendoza. Projects like these will reduce the outages that now occur. [Latin American Herald Tribune]

¶ The combination of hydropower, wind, solar and other forms of renewable energy will generate more electricity than coal by 2030, according to the Paris-based International Energy Agency. Of the renewables the agency predicts will grow, wind power is the largest segment. [Wheeling Intelligencer]

US:

¶ With two reports commissioned by the Repower Our Schools Coalition, the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center says Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools & Durham Public Schools would save millions of dollars with solar power, while improving basic education for students. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The US had over 20 GW of solar capacity as November ended, with nearly half of that located in California, the US Energy Information Administration said. Of California’s total solar capacity of 9,976 MW, 55% is utility-scale PV, and 13% is utility-scale solar thermal. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Tapping into Canadian hydropower is hardly a new concept in energy-starved New England. But Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s proposal to authorize long-term contracts between utilities and hydropower producers is being viewed in some quarters as a potential game-changer. [Valley News]

¶ An upstate New York town that repeatedly found itself without power for days during a string of storms is planning the dramatic step by pulling its municipal buildings entirely off the electric grid. Nassau will rely on solar, wind, landfill gas and battery storage to power a microgrid by 2020. [Press Herald]

¶ While many states are just beginning to work out plans to meet the goals of the Clean Power Plan, Colorado is already most of the way there, thanks in part to Xcel Energy’s move away from coal-fired plants. Western Resources Advocates says Colorado is up to 70% of the way there. [energybiz]

Science and Technology:

¶ Does shrinking ice in the Arctic lead to worse snow storms along the East Coast? It’s very possible says leading Arctic researcher Judah Cohen. In Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston, at least five of the top 10 snow storms on record have occurred since 1990. [Washington Post]

¶ The ice cover across the Arctic hit a new low throughout January. The Colorado-based National Snow and Ice Data Center tracked the lowest ice extent ever for January. The record-low ice extent was driven by unusually high air temperatures over the Arctic Ocean – more than 6° C (10.8° F) above average. [Nunatsiaq News]

World:

¶ The Ugandan company Kiira Motors recently showed off what it claims to be the first solar-powered bus in Africa – the Kayoola prototype solar-electric bus – in the capital city of Kampala, according to recent reports. The company is currently looking for backers in order to mass manufacture the prototype. [CleanTechnica]

¶ India is eyeing Australia’s clout in Liquefied Natural Gas, renewable energy expertise, and clean coal technology to grow its economy. The third India-Australia Energy Security Dialogue seeks to build a stronger relationship as well as strengthen the institutional framework between the two countries. [PrameyaNews7]

¶ Tasmanian Resources Minister Paul Harriss is pushing investment in biomass energy generation, as low hydro dam levels combine with the Bass Strait power cable cut to put pressure on state industries. He said burning forestry and agricultural waste for electricity should be a central renewable energy strategy. [ABC Online]

¶ The Indian government has transformed the country’s coal situation over a short time span, and not a single thermal power plant is now facing shortage of the fuel, according to Union minister Piyush Goyal. He said this while addressing the annual convention of Indore Management Association. [Times of India]

¶ Croatia is unlikely to go ahead with plans to build a new coal-fired thermal plant in the northern Adriatic. The environment minister said, “We need a new energy strategy in line with the European Union plans on boosting renewable energy and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. Such plants don’t fit in.” [Reuters]

¶ Cuba’s electricity supply is still highly dependent on oil imports from neighboring Venezuela. But, like most Caribbean nations, Cuba has immense potential for energy generation from renewable alternatives, including solar energy, which can be utilized to meet domestic and small business needs. [Havana Times]

¶ Laos will soon have the region’s biggest and most advanced wind farm. It will be located on 8,000 rai (3,163 acres, 1,280 hectares) and supplying 600 MW of non-subsidised electricity. Valued at about Bt54 billion ($1.5 billion), it will use the latest wind turbine technology from General Electric and Vestas. [The Nation]

¶ In line with India’s Solar Energy Policy unveiled in 2012, the State government has now included buildings housing industries, government and quasi-government offices, including urban local bodies, in the list of institutions where an auxiliary solar-assisted water heating system must be installed. [The Hindu]

US:

¶ The US now has nearly 503 million barrels of commercial crude oil stockpiled, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday. It’s the highest level of supply for this time of the year in at least 80 years. Certain key storage locations are now “bumping up against storage and logistical constraints.” [CNN]

¶ President Barack Obama said he will ask the Republican-led Congress to double spending on research and development into clean energy by 2020. But the request is unlikely to be fulfilled. GOP lawmakers scoff at the science behind climate change and dismiss Obama’s pleas to be dealt with the issue urgently. [The Denver Post]

¶ Radioactive material has leaked into the groundwater below the Indian Point nuclear plant north of New York City, prompting a state investigation and condemnation from governor Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo ordered an investigation into “alarming levels of radioactivity” found at three monitoring wells. [The Guardian]

¶ With an expansion of solar incentives in Massachusetts bottled up in committee and a battle over a comprehensive new state energy policy looming, the Environmental League of Massachusetts Action Fund plans to launch a $25,000 ad campaign targeting the influence of the utilities in shaping the energy debate. [Lowell Sun]

¶ Illinois state regulators allow Peabody Energy to pledge it has adequate assets to pay for the estimated $92 million needed to reclaim three southern Illinois mines when they close. The Environmental Law and Policy Center says that arrangement puts Illinois taxpayers at risk should Peabody go bankrupt. [Peoria Public Radio]

World:

¶ Aviva stadium, home of the Ireland rugby team, will be fully powered by renewable energy for the upcoming 2016 Six Nations tournament. The move is expected to save almost 2,500 tonnes of carbon emissions in 2016 alone. The stadium has teamed up with SSE Airtricity, who will supply green electricity and gas. [edie.net]

¶ Global energy efficiency investment will reach $5.8 trillion by the year 2030, according to a report from the International Renewable Energy Authority. By 2030, yearly energy efficiency investment will total around $385 billion, the report says. The focus will be buildings, manufacturing, and transportation. [Sustainnovate]

¶ Danish energy giant DONG Energy released its 2015 financial results, reporting a 13% increase in operating profit over 2014 figures. DONG said the the increase was thanks primarily to “higher production from offshore wind.” The company’s Oil & Gas division had an impairment from low oil and gas prices. [CleanTechnica]

¶ What will be the first geothermal power plant in Canada is under construction in Saskatchewan. The pilot plant for the project is set to total just 5 MW in capacity, but the potential is there for much more power, as the resource is a 40,000 square kilometer aquifer with a temperature of about 120° Celsius. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Tetsuji Imanaka spent his professional life, since 1976, as a nucear scientist who opposed nuclear power. He says he never experienced harassment, but then again he never got promoted beyond the post of research associate. Now, the last of the so-called Kumatori Group of Six, is about to retire. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶ A study from Oklahoma State University found that wind projects in the western part of the state are bringing revenues of hundreds of millions of dollars into local county coffers and school districts, while increasing the state’s energy independence. Some counties with small populations have had impressive windfalls. [Sustainnovate]

¶ Sleek new lithium-ion battery systems are poised to connect with Texas’ electric grid for the first time this year as more companies seek to revolutionize the power market. For example, Duke Energy is updating a 36-MW battery system at its wind farm in West Texas from outdated lead-acid batteries. [Houston Chronicle]

¶ About 579 kW of low-income solar projects have been announced by the Colorado Energy Office and GRID Alternatives. Five projects will be built to help provide electricity to those most in need – people who spend more than 4% of their income on utility bills in rural areas, who could save about 50% on their energy bills. [CleanTechnica]

¶ US utility Georgia Power plans to add 525 MW of renewable generation by 2019. The proposal includes up to 425 MW of utility-scale solar, wind and biomass, according to the utility’s integrated resource plan filed with state regulators. The strategy also includes a carve-out for distributed solar resources. [reNews]

¶ ISO New England’s chief operating officer reported that total capacity is projected to decrease by 396 MW in 2016, but then increase by almost 9.8 GW in the following three years. About 4.1 GW of that total is wind and other renewables. ISO New England’s peak load in January was 19,412 MW. [Platts]

¶ In recent months, local officials from many Massachusetts communities have been considering ways to save money on innovative ways to fund upkeep projects and improvements to the town’s energy infrastructure. These range from efficient lighting to power-purchasing or net metering agreements. [Woburn Daily Times]

¶ The Army will lease land and grant easements to Hawaiian Electric for the company to construct, own, operate, and maintain a 50-MW biofuel-capable generating station. The decision was based on the project’s final environmental impact statement, which explored potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts. [KHON2]

¶ Vermont Electric Cooperative is working on increasing its renewable energy portfolio. It’s currently proposing solar projects in Alburg and Grand Isle. And this week the co-op presented plans for a new project in Hinesburg. But some residents feel the project isn’t a good fit for their neighborhood. [Vermont Public Radio]

Opinion:

¶ Has the U.S. Really Reached an Epic Turning Point in Energy? • The amount of electricity from coal-fired power plants hit a record low while that from natural gas generators hit a record high. Renewable energy added the most new power in 2015, and annual carbon emissions reached a 20-year low. [National Geographic]

¶ Sharing Clean Energy With Our Neighbors Is Saving Us Millions • One key challenge for grid operators is upgrading so we don’t have to throw away clean energy. Production of clean renewable energy sometimes gets shut down because the grid cannot absorb all the clean energy we produce. [Natural Resources Defense Council]

World:

¶ An article in the journal Nature Energy discusses the fact that renewable electricity investment has now outstripped spending on fossil fuels and that policies are focusing on improving energy efficiency and energy systems flexibility. It says these point to a global momentum toward sustainable energy systems. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Renewable energy developer SunEdison has commissioned 146 MW of Solar PV plants in the southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Energy from the solar power plants will be sold via 25-year power purchase agreements to local distribution companies and private corporations. [PV-Tech]

¶ The UK’s Department of Energy & Climate Change published its latest update on the country’s greenhouse gas emissions levels. According to the figures, UK’s greenhouse gas emissions were estimated to be at 514.4 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent in 2014, or around 35% lower than 1990 levels. [CleanTechnica]

¶ A Greenpeace Southeast Asia report revealed the health impacts of coal-fired power plant in the Philippines. It says 960 people die there each year due to stroke, ischemic heart disease, other cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory diseases. With proposed new plants, that figure could more than double. [eco-business.com]

¶ King Mohammed VI of Morocco inaugurated his country’s first solar power plant, a massive project that the country sees as part of its goal of boosting its clean energy output. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane and French Environment Minister Segolene Royal were among those who attended. [The Express Tribune]

¶ As of last month, three school divisions in Peace Country, an area of western Canadian, are powered by wind energy. The school divisions announced that their schools and administration offices now get power from a wind facility near Provost, about three hours southeast of Edmonton. [Alberta Daily Herald Tribune]

¶ India has decided to join a global treaty on nuclear accident liability. The country ratified the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage. This is the latest effort the government has taken to ease suppliers’ concerns that they would be open to liability claims in case of a nuclear accident. [Bloomberg]

US:

¶ In a stunning trend with broad implications, the economy has grown significantly since 2007, while electricity consumption has been flat, and total energy demand dropped. The economy has grown 10% since 2007, while primary energy consumption has fallen by 2.4%, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. [ThinkProgress]

¶ Natural gas-fired power projects continue to be developed in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas footprint, but low prices and the prospect of more renewable capacity has some wondering how many new gas-fired units will actually come online over the next few years. [Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide]

¶ The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has published a report with some fascinating points about renewable energy in the Salton Sea area. It covers potentials for developing solar, geothermal, and algal energy sources. There is also a great potential for extracting lithium from brine. [CleanTechnica]

¶ County prosecutors filed a criminal misdemeanor charge against Southern California Gas Co. According to the District Attorney’s Office, SoCalGas is being charged because they allegedly failed to report the leak at Porter Ranch immediately. Meanwhile, the company now also faces a wrongful death lawsuit. [Lawyer Herald]

¶ The world’s largest manufacturer of office furniture will soon offset 70% of its total US electricity usage from wind power with a long-term virtual power purchase agreement. Steelcase, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, just announced an agreement with Apex Clean Energy for 25 MW of wind power. [RMI]

¶ According to data just released in the 2016 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook – a project of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, produced for the Business Council for Sustainable Energy – the shift to renewables may be happening a lot faster than the EPA thought that it would less than a year ago. [HeraldNet]

World:

¶ According to a statement released by the government-run Costa Rican Institute of Electricity, the country used renewable sources for 99% of its energy in 2015. The small Central American nation used a mix of geothermal, hydroelectric, wind, solar, and biomass energy. That’s fantastic news! [Unicorn Booty]

¶ The global wind energy industry had a record year in 2015, with 62 GW installed. According to new figures released by Bloomberg, global wind energy installs for 2015 reached 62 GW, led by China, which surpassed its own previous onshore wind record by close to 40%, installing just under 29 GW. [CleanTechnica]

¶ British Energy company SSE has said it expects to close three out of four units at a power plant in Cheshire by 1 April. The 45-year old plant has been loss-making for two years and was forecast to continue losing money until 2020. Renewable energy and cheap gas prices have made coal-fired power plants uncompetitive. [BBC]

¶ Royal Dutch Shell has confirmed it is cutting 10,000 jobs amid its steepest fall in annual profits for 13 years. It made $1.8 billion for the fourth quarter of the year, compared with a $4.2 billion profit for the same period the year before. Full-year 2015 earnings were $3.8 billion, compared with $19 billion in 2014. [BBC]

¶ Seemingly unrelated events in the last few weeks suggest that coal’s role in India’s future may be far more tenuous than widely portrayed. Courts ruled on pollution, private power companies are dumping coal projects in favour of solar, and Coal India doesn’t know what to do about huge stockpiles of unwanted coal. [End Coal]

¶ Denmark’s Dong Energy is going ahead with the world’s largest offshore wind farm, the Hornsea project off the coast of northeast England, making it the first of its kind to have the capacity to produce more than 1 GW of electricity. The 1,200-MW will power more than a million British homes. [Daily News]

¶ An ambitious plan to build a nuclear power plant in Cambodia with technical assistance from Russia announced in November is unrealistic at this time, a senior official from state-run energy supplier Electricite du Cambodge said. He said Cambodia is not ready for construction of nuclear power plant. [Khmer Times]

US:

¶ Analytics firm IHS has released new figures which predict US solar PV installations to grow 60% year-over-year, with an expected 15 GW installed in 2016. A strong demand for utility-scale solar PV will drive growth in 2016, and will be boosted by the multi-year extension to the Investment Tax Credit. [CleanTechnica]

¶ MidAmerican Energy Co said on Wednesday it has reached 3,500 MW of installed wind power generation capacity after recently completing two wind parks in its home state of Iowa. The vice president for renewable energy said wind now makes up the largest share of the company’s generation portfolio. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City wants to increase the solar power capacity of city-owned buildings five-fold from what it is now, according to his aides, who spoke yesterday. The push comes as part of an ambitious plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the country’s most populous city by 80% by 2050. [The Rakyat Post]

¶ The $2 billion, 515-mile-long SunZia power line project got a big boost Wednesday from the Arizona Corporation Commission, which voted 3-2 to approve its construction in this state. The project involves two power lines that would go from central New Mexico into Southern Arizona. [Arizona Daily Star]

¶ NJR Clean Energy Ventures, a subsidiary of New Jersey Resources, announced the completion of its third onshore wind project, the Alexander Wind Farm, in Rush County, Kansas, approximately 120 miles northwest of Wichita. The $83 million project consists of 21 turbines with a total capacity of 48.3 MW. [Windpower Engineering]

¶ The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative has utilized renewable resources to generate 90% of the Garden Isle’s power during several days last month. KIUC said it used a combination of solar, biomass and hydroelectricity on its way to hitting that 90% mark for brief periods on four days in January. [Pacific Business News (Honolulu)]

¶ The Georgia Mountain Community Wind farm announced that its annual energy production exceeded expectations by more than 22%, producing more than 33,000,000 kWh of Vermont-made renewable energy in 2015. This represents enough renewable energy to power more than 5,500 Vermont households. [vtdigger.org]

¶ A report from research and consulting firm Synapse Energy Economics examines state-by-state impacts of Clean Power Plan options and found that using strong energy efficiency policies in state plans can produce significant electricity bill savings for consumers while reducing carbon pollution. [Biomass Magazine]

World:

¶ The government of Indonesia is banking on renewable energy to boost power supply in the six darkest provinces. All are located in eastern Indonesia. It aims to increase the national electrification ratio to 99% by 2019, up from 87% at present. Currently, 12,669 villages are not connected to the electricity grid. [Jakarta Post]

¶ First Solar has announced the opening of two utility-scale solar plants located in New South Wales. Today’s opening of the 155-MW Nyngan and Broken Hill solar plants reflects the positive future of utility-scale solar in Australia. There is now a total of 245 MW of utility-scale solar operating in Australia. [RenewablesBiz]

¶ The more people know about fracking, the more likely they are to oppose it, a survey for the Government shows. Of those who said they knew a lot about fracking, 53% were against it. This compares to 33% who said they were in favour of it, the poll tracking attitudes to energy policies has revealed. [The Guardian]

¶ Swedish utility Vattenfall said low electricity prices and costs related to early closures of two nuclear reactors weighed on fourth-quarter net profits and full-year results. The state-owned company said net profit in the fourth quarter was 2.46 billion kronor ($287 million), down from 3.9 billion kronor a year ago. [Europe Online Magazine]

¶ China solidified its standing as the world’s wind energy behemoth in 2015, adding almost as much wind power capacity in one year as the total installed capacity of the three largest US wind-producing states. Data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance show China installed just under 29 GW in 2015. [Scientific American]

US:

¶ Non-hydro renewable energy sources accounted for 63% of all new power generation capacity installed in the USA in 2015, the latest report by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) shows. There were 7,977 MW of wind turbines installed in the country, which is 48.39% of the year’s total. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Ameresco, based in Massachusetts, has its eye on 300 acres in New Milford, Connecticut, to establish a solar array and a fuel cell facility. It would sell power both to the grid and directly to the town. Connecticut aims to have the state obtain 20% of its electricity renewably by 2020. [The Greater New Milford Spectrum]

¶ An analysis conducted by investment adviser Advisor Partners has found that New York City’s biggest pension fund, the Teacher’s Retirement System of the City of New York, lost approximately $135 million from investments in oil and gas companies during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015. [CleanTechnica]

¶ California’s Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against the company responsible for a huge gas leak that began on 23 October, has forced over 13,000 people from their homes, and still goes on. She said the Southern California Gas Company violated health and safety laws by failing to report and contain leaking methane. [BBC]

¶ The National Renewable Energy Laboratory brings good news on the wind. In a report of May, 2015, significantly more wind power potential was found in nearly every state thanks to advancing turbine technology. Over two-thirds of states could produce 100% or more of their annual consumption from wind energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ One form of renewable energy manages to create two useful products at the same time, and it is making a growing contribution to combatting climate change. The medieval alchemists who sought to turn base metal into gold would have thrilled at chemistry that let them dispose of waste by turning it into fuel and fertiliser. [eco-business.com]

¶ More than 10,000 local jobs have been created in California as a result of the HERO Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program, according to a new press release. The jobs are the result of the more than 50,000 home improvement projects completed via the HERO PACE program since 2011. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ Collaborating with Ecotricity, the Royal Society For Protection Of Birds installed a new wind turbine at RSPB Headquarters at the Lodge. A 100-meter wind turbine will deliver 1.85 million kWh per annum. The Director of Conservation says research shows the turbine is not in an area where birds will be endangered. [CleanTechnica]

¶ It was a good year for renewable energy in China, global research and consulting firm GlobalData said. China helped push global renewable installed capacity to an estimated 913.48 GW in 2015, leading the way in annual capacity additions for solar, biopower, small hydropower, and onshore wind. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Collapsing oil prices, Japan’s return to nuclear power, and market uncertainty in China are among the short-term challenges for liquefied natural gas. But longer-term competition from renewable energy in Europe and Asia might pose the biggest challenge, according to a new Brattle Group analysis. [Business in Vancouver]

¶ The UK’s government has made it a “top priority” to ensure protections for national parks and sites of special scientific interest do not obstruct fracking across the country, according to a leaked letter from ministers. It appears they are trying to see that what limited protections exist do not get in the way of fracking. [The Guardian]

¶ Banco Santander SA is considering investing in the UK’s rooftop solar market, despite deep cuts to feed-in tariff subsidies coming into effect next week. The UK government will cut solar feed-in tariffs for new projects by as much as 64% and cap new installations in a bid to keep a lid on renewable energy subsidies. [Bloomberg]

¶ According to its annual report NATO plans to increase its investment in renewables and energy efficiency as they “reduce the risk” to troops involved in conflict. Between 2003 and 2007, an estimated 3,000 soldiers were killed or wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, transporting fuels to power military bases. [EcoWatch]

¶ Not far from the shores of Lake Huron, 91 wind turbines have begun pumping 180 MW of clean energy into the Ontario’s power grid. Samsung Renewable Energy Inc and Pattern Energy Group announced the Armow Wind power facility is now producing enough power for about 70,000 homes. [CanadianManufacturing.com]

¶ Dutch Transmission System Operator TenneT and its Danish counterpart Energinet.dk have signed contracts with Siemens and Prysmian for the construction of the COBRAcable between the Netherlands and Denmark. Siemens will supply two converter stations. Prysmian will supply the DC cables. [Marine Technology News]

US:

¶ The US Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, deciding that demand response should be regulated at the federal level and ensuring that the demand response industry can continue its impressive progress. Demand response was a $1.4 billion market in the US in 2015. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Lockheed Martin has entered into a 17-year power purchase agreement for solar-generated electricity produced by Duke Energy Renewables. The renewable power purchase is expected to produce 30 MW (about 72,000 MWh per year). It will provide clean energy for all Lockheed Martin domestic business segments. [Power Online]

¶ California’s participation in a growing network of power utilities and operators in the western US called the Energy Imbalance Market has yielded savings of $12 million in the fourth quarter of 2015, state power officials said Monday. Those savings are expected to be passed onto customers. [Sacramento Bee]

¶ The US House of Representatives passed the Electrify Africa Act, after nearly two years of trying to get the measure through both chambers of Congress. It now goes to the president for his signature. The bill will help millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa gain access to reliable electricity. [Big News Network.com]

¶ Maine has New England’s biggest pipeline of wind projects in the works, and developers of nine projects have asked for long-term contracts with utilities in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. The projects altogether would add another 2,140 MW, about 3.5 times Maine’s current capacity. [Bangor Daily News]

¶ Wind power has hit an important milestone in America, with 980 working wind installations generating 70 GW of renewable electricity. According to the American Wind Energy Association, that’s enough to power 19 million typical American homes or drive 26 million electric cars all the way around the world. [EarthTechling]

¶ New York lawmakers are proposing policies that they hope can save struggling upstate nuclear power facilities from closing. Two senate bills would use state money to keep the plant open. One would the owner Entergy a $60-million corporate tax credit to cover its losses at the FitzPatrick plant. [WRVO Public Media]

Opinion:

¶ 3 homes that will give you green energy envy • Renewable energy reduces your environmental impact and dependency on conventional energy technology, while increasing self-sufficiency. Some architects created impressively stunning designs that are energy efficient. Here are three of our favorites. [Memeburn]

¶ Green electricity without batteries • A paper in the journal Research Policy suggests solar PV modules will continue to drop in cost at a roughly 10% rate. A paper in Nature indicates that extensive renewable electricity provision is possible without the need for storing large amounts of energy in batteries. [News24]

Science and Technology:

¶ Microsoft is planning to dive underwater in the future with its prototype data centre that it tested hundreds of feet below the surface of the ocean off California. Under Project Natick, data centres will live under the sea in order to tackle high energy costs and control the carbon footprint. [International Business Times UK]

World:

¶ A deal to take a £10 million stake in the company behind the proposed £1 billion Swansea Bay tidal lagoon has been signed. The Gupta family, who own Liberty Steel and the Simec energy company, has made the investment into Tidal Lagoon Power’s proposed projects in Cardiff and Newport. [BBC News]

¶ Kim Jong Un’s New Year’s Address emphasized resolving North Korea’s power supply problems, so trading companies are importing large quantities of equipment for power stations and power transmission from China, including a marked increase in the number of solar panels entering North Korea. [Daily NK]

¶ The Australian government’s newest science adviser says Australia needs to accelerate its switch from coal to renewable energy. On his first day as Chief Scientist, engineer and neuroscientist Dr Alan Finkel said he wants to put sustainable energy on the agenda so Australians can weigh up different options. [Sydney Morning Herald]

¶ Norwegian power producer Scatec Solar has acquired a majority stake in two Brazil PV projects from Spanish company Grupo Gransolar. The two plants total 72 MW and are expected to generate around 164,000 MWh annually. The power will be sold under 20-year power purchase agreements to ANEEL. [PV-Tech]

¶ A Gopalakrishnan, former chairman of India’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, believes the Kudankulam nuclear reactor has fundamental problems because its erection and commissioning was carried out by Indian contractors and engineers whose expertise is with Canadian designs. (interview) [Times of India]

¶ Exxon predicts our energy mix won’t change a whole lot over the next 25 years. In fact, Exxon Mobil projects that oil and gas will actually increase by 2040. This unfortunate vision of the future stems from the age-old conundrum of trying not to eat sugar when your pockets are full of candy. [Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide]

US:

¶ Apex Clean Energy announced it intents to invest $100 million in a wind farm on private land in Crab Orchard, Tennessee. The site is mostly forested with small quarrying operations. Turbines will be visible from Interstate 40, which local leaders praised as it shows off the county’s clean energy. [Knoxville News Sentinel]

¶ Wind energy production throughout the state of New York has reached a new peak, which both points to encouraging progress and indicates just how far we have to go in integrating renewables into New York’s energy infrastructure. The current output record for wind power in New York is 1,571 MW. [Albany Times Union]

¶ In Goshen, Indiana, the Green Cow Power Energy Center has two anaerobic digesters that turn waste from the 1,500 cows on a nearby dairy farm into electricity. Its three engines produce 3 MW of electricity, and it transfers enough energy to power 1,900 homes for a year to NIPSCO’s substation in Wakarusa. [South Bend Tribune]

¶ Annette Smith has been fighting the power for more than 15 years, tenaciously opposing energy projects she believes harm the environment or quality of life in Vermont. Now she is the target of a criminal probe into whether her efforts constitute unlawful legal work. She has no comment on specifics of allegations. [GazetteNET]

¶ Competing hydroelectric companies united to form the Massachusetts Clean Electricity Partnership, a group that will formally launch its marketing efforts this week. Their focus: making sure Governor Charlie Baker’s pro-hydro bill, or some version of it, makes it through the Legislature this year. [The Boston Globe]