World:
¶ “EU backs Norway and Germany power link” • A power grid link between Norway and Germany is being backed by the European Investment Bank. It signed a €100-million financing agreement with TenneT, one of Europe’s major electricity transmission system operators. The the 624-km, 1.4-GW interconnector will go under the North Sea. [Energy Reporters]
Sysen Dam in Norway
¶ “Wind power generation greatly increases in Azerbaijan” • Wind farms in Azerbaijan produced 14.1 million kWh of electricity in January to July 2018, which is 63.9% more than they did in the same period of last year. Also, solar power plants generated 23.4 million kWh hours of electricity, according to the State Statistics Committee, Trend reported. [AzerNews]
¶ “Solar irrigation leads move to low-carbon energy sourcing” • A World Bank report estimated in 2015 that there were 1.34 million diesel-fired irrigation pumps in Bangladesh. The government plans to replace at least 10,000 diesel-fired pumps with solar-powered ones by 2020 to reduce the use of fossil fuel to check against carbon emissions. [newagebd.net]
Solar power for irrigation (Sony Ramany)
¶ “Canada’s WindRiver gets green light for 75-MW pumped storage project” • The Alberta Utilities Commission has given the thumbs-up to a 75-MW pumped storage project by a WindRiver Power Corp subsidiary, it was announced. The Canyon Creek project will use existing infrastructure from a decommissioned open-pit coal mine. [Renewables Now]
¶ “UNSW wind power test lab will be an Australian first” • World-leading UNSW Sydney researcher Professor Joe Dong has secured more than $2 million in funding from Chinese wind power giant Goldwind for research projects including an Australian-first lab to test wind technology. Goldwind is the largest wind technology company in China. [UNSW Newsroom]
Wind turbines (iStock image)
¶ “‘No need for new coal:’ Sun Metals formally opens solar farm in ‘George’ town” • A 125-MW solar farm in north Queensland is the first large-scale solar farm to be built directly by a major energy user in Australia. It signalled the start of the shift of Australian heavy industry away from “baseload” coal power and to renewable energy. [RenewEconomy]
¶ “‘Tens of thousands’ of workers exposed to radiation risks in Fukushima cleanup, UN rights experts say” • Three UN human rights experts criticized the Japanese government for allegedly exploiting and putting at risk the lives of “tens of thousands” of people engaged in cleanup operations at and around the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. [The Japan Times]
Decommissioning work (Kyodo image)
¶ “US firm pulls out of building Hitachi nuclear plant in Britain” • Bechtel Corp is to withdraw from its key role in building a UK nuclear power plant due to concerns over the profitability of the project, sources said. Costs estimated by Bechtel are higher than those of Hitachi, which is leading the project’, so they cannot agree on the price tag. [Asahi Shimbun]
US:
¶ “New 9.8-MW Solar Farm In Gallup, New Mexico, Will Save City $785,000 In First 8 Years” • By taking advantage of otherwise unusable land in a floodplain, and with financing provided by the solar company itself, Gallup, New Mexico, will benefit from a new 9.8-MW solar farm, saving an estimated $785,000 in energy costs in the first 8 years. [CleanTechnica]
Gallup’s solar array (Standard Solar image)
¶ “New Jersey Plans Path Toward 100% Clean Energy By 2050” • The New Jersey Energy Master Plan Committee will host a series of public meetings in September, launching a process to shape converting the state’s energy production profile to 100% clean energy sources by 2050, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities announced. [North American Windpower]
¶ “Arizona renewable energy referendum meets signature requirement” • Clean Energy for a Healthy Arizona’s initiative to impose a 50% by 2030 renewable energy mandate passed another one of the hurdles standing between it and its place on the ballot in November. A review of petition signatures showed the number was sufficient to move on. [pv magazine USA]
Window Rock (Ben FrantzDale, Wikipedia Commons)
¶ “Engie flush for Texas wind” • Engie North America has secured a $320 million (€281 million) financing package and a power price hedge for the 200-MW Live Oak wind project in Texas. The utility raised the construction and tax equity funding through Bank of America Merrill Lynch, with BofAML Global Commodities providing the power hedge. [reNews]
¶ “Plan To Build 75 Wind Turbines Along Colorado-Wyoming Border Takes Shape” • A regional energy project entering final planning stages is set to become one of northern Colorado’s largest sources of wind power. When finished the Roundhouse Renewable Energy Project will deliver roughly 150 MW of energy to Colorado communities. [KUNC]
Turbines in a wind farm (Courtesy of NCAR/UCAR)
¶ “Offshore Wind Energy Market in the United States to hit $5 billion by 2024” • The US offshore wind power market is set to have annual installations of more than 1 GW by 2024, propelled by discovery of new potential sites and significant investment to scale up the supply chain. Investment valued at $60 billion by 2024 is predicted by a report. [REVE]
¶ “Tribal Communities Across The US Get Federal Funding For Wind, Solar” • The DOE announced nearly $9 million in funding for 15 tribal energy projects, including wind and solar facilities. The funding is designed to help Native American and Alaska Native communities harness their vast undeveloped energy resources. [North American Windpower]
Have a delightfully worthwhile day.
geoharvey 