geoharvey

Finance:

¶   Larger companies from a variety of backgrounds, including ExxonMobil, DuPont, and BP, are seeing the potential in biofuels and are investing in a range of different advanced biofuel technologies. [DailyFinance]

¶   Exposure to companies with extensive fossil fuel reserves and companies with high carbon emissions ranks as the top concern among trends in environmental, social and governance issues, driving pension funds to examine the risks and to craft responses. [Pensions & Investments]

World:

¶   The Abbott government has appointed a self-professed climate sceptic to head an “extensive” review of Australia’s renewable energy target. Abbott has signalled before Christmas the target could be wound back or the scheme scrapped. [The Guardian]

¶   Farmers in the UK are increasingly finding that renewable power production makes their farms financially more viable. Almost 40% of U.K. farmers are investing in renewable energy compared with just 5% in 2010. [Triple Pundit]

¶   The European Investment Bank has offered assistance for development of renewable energy projects in Pakistan. The bank is looking forward to Pakistan’s working on wind power projects to meet its rising energy needs, and is also accessing hydropower. [eco-business.com]

¶   Vietnam considers the development of renewable energy a top priority in its national climate change strategy. Vietnam has begun exploring the potential of its promising bio- gas, wind power, solar power and geothermal electricity resources. [Global Times]

¶   E.ON has submitted a planning application to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit for the Quantans Hill wind farm development. The facility is to be installed with up to 19 turbines that could generate up to 57 MW of electricity. [SmartMeters]

¶   According to a report in Russia’s daily news agency, Kommersant, the Iranian ambassador said that Russia could build a second reactor at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant in exchange for 500,000 barrels of oil per day. [International Business Times UK]

US:

¶   Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) has committed to a $25 million (€18.2 million) equity investment in Rennovia, a privately held company which develops catalysts and processes for the production of renewable feedstock-based chemical products. [BioEnergy News]

¶   A compromise working its way through the Oregon Legislature could end a longstanding fight over renewable energy mandates, which was about to come to a head at the ballot box in November. [The Register-Guard]

¶   U.S. Representative Dave Loebsack (D-IA) introduced legislation that would establish a grant program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture to invest in renewable and alternative fuel infrastructure. [NACS Online]

¶   Duke Energy issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking Solar Farm projects of over 20 MW that can be commissioned by December 31, 2015. Innovative Solar Systems already has twelve projects underway, totaling 620 MW, that meet the criteria. [PR Web]

Opinion:

¶   “Spying on environmentalists – the American Petroleum Institute” The US fossil fuel industry has been caught red-handed spying on green activists. But it has received poor value for money – and is no closer to tackling the ‘existential crisis’ it faces. [The Ecologist]

¶   “Carbon investments may run out of gas” Investors are being urged to recognise the risk of putting money into the fossil fuel industry. About 80% of known fossil fuel reserves are ”unburnable carbon”, risking leaving investors holding stranded assets. [Otago Daily Times]

Science and Technology:

¶   A new analysis published in Science today concludes that more methane is leaking from natural gas wells and pipelines than the federal government has estimated, eroding some of the climate benefits of the cleaner-burning fuel. [Energy Collective]

¶   2013 was more than a rough year for weather. It was a sign of things to come. Drought and storms have always been with us, but climate change is making them more intense—the equivalent of pumping them with steroids. [Energy Collective]

World:

¶   The South Australian government has given approval for the development of a $1.5 billion, 197 turbine wind farm on the Yorke Peninsula in the state’s west. The 600 MW Ceres project would be the largest in the southern hemisphere if built. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Mainstream Renewable Power has announced eight wind and solar projects, spread across four continents. They will have a combined capacity exceeding 1,000 MW when complete, generating enough electricity to power more than half a million homes. [Renewable Energy Focus]

¶   Panama’s government has put into operation the country’s first solar plant. The 2.4 MW plant was built with the support of the Italian government and Rome-based Enel Green Power, which donated $9 million for the project. [Hispanically Speaking News]

¶   New Zealand’s Green Party is introducing a new energy policy. They want the Crown to lend money to households for the cost of installing PV systems at the same rate at which it borrows money – at present 4.1%. [Radio New Zealand]

US:

¶   A new white paper report finds that wind energy is keeping electric bills low for American homes and businesses, thanks to plummeting wind energy costs driven by technological improvements. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Stanford Professor Mark Jacobson and his colleagues have put online a new roadmap to renewable energy for all 50 states. The interactive roadmap is tailored to maximize the resource potential of each state. [Science Codex] (The site is not given in the article, but is at THIS LINK. Scroll down for the roadmap.)

¶   Operators of the Davis-Besse nuclear plant that sits beside Lake Erie say workers there found a gap within the concrete of a protective wall. An NRC spokeswoman told The Blade newspaper in Toledo it’s too early to say whether the gap was a problem. [Michigan Radio]

World:

¶   Leading investment bank Citigroup says Australian utilities will be impacted by the ‘energy Darwinism” that is currently sweeping the global electricity industries. And Australian utilities have a high risk that they will come off second best. [CleanTechnica]

¶   New analysis shows that the additional costs associated with building to the proposed Zero Carbon Standard in the UK have declined significantly since 2011, and are expected to continue to fall as we approach 2020. [CleanTechnica]

¶   In Ireland, the Knocknagoum wind farm has begun operation. Located in County Kerry, Knocknagoum consists of 26 Vestas turbines and is capable of producing 44.35 MW, enough to power over 29,000 homes, saving 72,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. [Renewable Energy Focus]

¶   Canadian Beothuk Energy has selected a site in western Newfoundland for a C$400m 180MW offshore wind demonstration project. Beothuk says the St. George’s Bay location is outside of both major shipping lanes and bird migration routes. [reNews]

¶   TEPCO says that 37,000 becquerels of cesium-134 and 93,000 becquerels of cesium-137 were detected per liter of groundwater sampled from a monitoring well earlier in the day, Russia Today reported on Friday. [Press TV]

US:

¶   In a study by iSeeCars, the Tesla Model S had an averaged used sale price of more than $99,700. That’s about $10,000 more than the top-tier 85 kWh P85+ model sells for new, and doesn’t even factor in the $7,500 Federal tax credit or local incentives. [CleanTechnica]

¶   While biodiesel has its own limitations, it does not face the issue of a limited market based on policy or regulation. Biodiesel production and use reached record levels in 2013 with production nearing 1.7 billion gallons. [Michigan State University Extension]

¶   The president of the American Soybean Association urged the EPA to amend its proposed 2014 and 2015 Renewable Fuel Standard volume requirements for biomass-based diesel. [High Plains Journal]

¶   The Michigan PSC says they are on pace to meet its renewable energy standard of 10% next year. The state reached 5.4% in 2012 and 6.9% in 2013, mostly from wind. And ratepayer surcharges to develop renewable power dropped from $3 to 43¢ per month. [MLive.com]

¶   A ribbon cutting ceremony for a new photovoltaic solar array project on the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona was held on Feb. 13. The 16.4 megawatt solar array is the largest of its kind on any U.S. Department of Defense installation. [DVIDS]

Opinion:

¶   “Wake up, the clean energy ‘revolution’ is here” Despite numbers for last year, America remains in the thick of a far-reaching sustainable energy “revolution” with “major implications. [Business Green]

Science and Technology:

¶   The University of Greenwich has won funding for three pieces of research related to algae. The research on algae gives hope for renewable carbon-negative source for a whole range of essential products including food, medicines and fuel. [Phys.Org]

¶   Avancis has achieved a new world record for efficiency of encapsulated thin-film solar modules. The company’s cadmium free CIS solar module achieved a peak value of 16.6%, as confirmed by the US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. [Compound Semiconductor]

World:

¶   The UK-based Renewable Energy Association has welcomed publication of the Environment Agency’s updated Quality Protocol for digestate from anaerobic digestion, setting standards and increasing market confidence in digestate for fertilizer. [Biomass Magazine]

¶   The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change awarded funds to a partnership of Viridor Waste Management Ltd. and Highview Power Storage to seek to commercialize technology that turns air into liquid as a way to store energy from intermittent sources. [Bloomberg]

¶   The Scottish island of Eigg currently produces 90% to 95% of its electricity from wind, water, and solar. The system provides a limited supply, with a 5 kW per household maximum load, but runs 24-7. The previous diesel system ran five hours per day. [Motherboard]

¶   Despite advances in research and development on renewable energy, Small Island Developing States in the Pacific remain the most energy-poor in the world, with an estimated 70% of the population still without access to reliable energy. [Islands Business]

¶   The Scandinavian-German panel manufacturer Innotech Solar has supplied more than 1,400 photovoltaic modules with a total output of 360 kW peak to schools in England. Nineteen schools have received panels so far, and others will soon. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   Abundance Generation, a crowd-funding platform that allows direct investment in UK renewable energy, is extending its portfolio to bigger budget projects in 2014. The company is launching drive for a £1.5 million single wind turbine in Cornwall. [Greenwise Business]

¶   Feldheim (population 150), in the cash-strapped state of Brandenburg, was a communist collective farm when Germany still was divided. Now it is a model renewable energy village putting into practice Germany’s vision of a renewably powered future. [GreenBiz.com]

US:

¶   The 2014 installment of the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook, produced by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, has found that renewable energy and energy efficiency advancements are leading a transformation of America’s energy. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   BELECTRIC Inc.has announced the completion of four individual solar facilities in San Bernardino County in late December 2013. The projects are 1.95 MW each and have a combined capacity of 7.8 MW. [pv magazine]

¶   Citing corporate rights under the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, a St. Louis, Missouri circuit court judge has temporarily blocked a citizen-led municipal ballot initiative that could end city tax breaks to “unsustainable” fossil fuel companies. [RT]

¶   Federal authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the massive coal ash spill into North Carolina’s Dan River, targeting both the energy company responsible for the ash pond that leaked and the state’s environmental regulator. [Al Jazeera America]

¶   The State Department softened some of its sunniest growth predictions for Canadian oil sands by rail in its final environmental review of Keystone XL — but greens still warn that only analysts in rose-colored glasses could see trains as a viable substitute for the pipeline. [Energy Collective]

¶   Even before TVA finishes building its new nuclear unit, the utility is preparing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to replace faulty steam generators in the new reactor within the first decade of its operation. [Chattanooga Times Free Press]

Finance:

¶   Legendary hedge fund investor Jeremy Grantham says there is no doubt that solar and wind energy will completely replace coal and gas across the globe, it is just a matter of when. He says, “The question is only whether it takes 30 years or 70 years.” [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶   For the first time, scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California say they produced more energy from their fuel source in a nuclear fusion reaction than they put into the fuel. [CNN]

World:

¶   The Australian solar industry is preparing for what it calls a “David and Goliath” battle against the country’s biggest generators and network operators. It is a contest that pitches households and their solar modules against the centralized utilities. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The European Commission has delivered what Greenpeace UK says can only be called a scathing initial verdict on the UK Government’s deal with French state-owned EDF to build the first new nuclear reactors in the UK for a generation. [CleanTechnica]

¶   In a meeting with the EC Representatives of six large companies pointed out that the EC’s own figures show their 30% green energy goal would create 570,000 jobs and save €260 billion in fossil fuel imports, compared with a single carbon-cutting target. [Budapest Business Journal]

¶   Renewable energy plants constructed in the last 10 years will save Turkey $5.5 billion in natural gas imports each year for the next 49 years, according to Turkey’s Energy Minister. [www.worldbulletin.net]

¶   New Delhi: India will add nearly 30,000 MW of power generation capacity from renewable energy sources – doubling it from the current size – in the next 4 years, according to a senior official. Of that, 20,000 MW would be wind, and 10,000 solar. [INDOlink]

¶   A biogas liquefaction plant supplied by Wärtsilä will produce biofuel for buses in Norway by converting household food waste into liquid biofuel. The new liquefaction plant is able to produce enough fuel to run 135 buses. [Your Renewable News]

US:

¶   The California Public Utilities Commission has proposed a plan for power sources to replace the San Onofre nuclear power plant, largely by relying a lot more on renewable energy, though environmental activists say the plan could be a lot better. [KCET]

¶   Citing levelized cost of energy data from the National Renewable Energy Lab, the Department of Energy says that the average price for a utility-scale PV project has dropped from about $0.21/kWh in 2010 to $0.11/kWh at the end of 2013. [Fierce Energy]

¶   The Solar Foundation says Vermont is ranked first for solar jobs per capita. There are approximately 1,300 solar jobs total in installation, manufacturing and project development. Vermont added about 990 solar jobs from 2012 to 2013. [Bennington Banner]

¶   The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System is now operational and delivering solar electricity to California customers. At full capacity, the facility produces a gross total of 392 MW of solar power. [Your Renewable News]

Opinion:

¶   “A 10-Year Oil Supply Retrospective Shows Unwarranted Optimism” Ten years ago the Oil & Gas Journal published a story from CERAWeek, an annual oil industry conference put on by Cambridge Energy Research Associates, that bears revisiting. [Resilience]

¶   “Renewables’ Disruption Of The Utility Business Model Is A Good Thing” Renewables were 69% of new capacity added in 2012 in Europe and 49% in the United States. Not surprisingly, this threatens outmoded business models and fossil-fuel generation. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶   The UN has issued its climate change report, which concludes that global warming is unequivocal, human influence on the system is clear, and limiting climate change will require substantial and sustained reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. [Energy Collective]

¶   HyperSolar, Inc., a developer of technology to produce renewable hydrogen using sunlight and any source of water, today announced that its artificial photosynthesis technology is now capable of producing 1.2 volts for use in hydrogen production. [RenewablesBiz]

World:

¶   An imposing concrete flak tower in Hamburg that has sat dormant for decades is now used to generate enough heat for 3,000 homes and enough electricity for another 1,000 via several renewable energy technologies. [Mother Nature Network]

¶   UK air traffic provider NATS has signed a radar mitigation deal with SSE and Vattenfall that could if widely adopted unlock up to 2.2 GW of new wind energy across Scotland and England. [reNews]

¶   Eddie O’Connor’s Mainstream Renewable Power has announced plans for €3.1 billion of new green energy projects in four countries. The planned projects in Canada, Chile, Scotland and South Africa will have a combined output of more than 1,000 MW. [Irish Independent]

¶   Lockheed Martin has signed a $230 million agreement with a unit of US-based Ocean Power Technologies to harness the motion of ocean waves to generate electricity off the coast of Australia. [Business Spectator]

¶   In his latest action to prevent a windfarm from being built off the coast of Aberdeen, within sight of his Scottish golf resort, Donald Trump has been once more rebuffed by a Scottish court. He claimed his human rights were being violated. It did not work. [EarthTechling]

¶   As always, big money is attempting to have its say in renewable energy, and such is happening in Australia, where coal and gas power producers are blaming solar power for their financial woes. [The Green Optimistic]

¶   The Indian government is aiming to swap out 26 million fossil-fuel-powered groundwater pumps for solar-powered ones, Bloomberg reports. The pumps are used by farmers and currently rely on diesel generators or electric power from the grid. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Two cracks were discovered in a concrete floor near radioactive water storage tanks on the grounds of the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the plant operator said Feb. 11. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   Washington Gas Energy Systems, Inc. today announced the completion of two solar projects that will generate renewable energy for Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California. and Corcoran Unified School District in Corcoran, California. [AZoCleantech]

¶   Connecticut’s electric utilities are kicking off the second round of the state’s small Zero-emissions Renewable Energy Credit program on February 14. Installations of less than 100 KW get a chance to receive 15-year contracts for their renewable credits. [Hartford Business]

¶   New York has officially launched its Green Bank, confirming plans to boost investment in environmental technologies and renewable energy, such as wind farms and solar panels. [Business Green]

¶   FirstEnergy Corp. is beginning a $600 million construction project to replace the two steam generators at its Davis-Besse reactor in Ottawa County, about 25 miles east of Toledo on Lake Erie. [The Plain Dealer]

Finance:

¶   Clean Reach, the world’s first crowdfunding platform for the ocean energy industry launched today, debuting with five projects. One university professor estimates that just 0.1% of the ocean’s energy could support the needs of 15 billion people. [Crowdfund Insider]

Science and Technology:

¶   There is a growing body of research supporting the idea that bicycling can be an effective means of managing one’s health (“preventive healthcare”).  It is an idea makes perfect sense to may who bike regularly, but others are often unaware. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   Australia’s energy utilities have added a new element to their push for solar incentive schemes to be removed. Now they say rooftop solar threatens the gas networks as consumers consider other technologies. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Borusan EnBW Enerji, an Istanbul-based renewable energy company, has signed a $346 million deal with the Danish company Vestas Wind Systems to supply turbines to power 5 separate new and existing wind farms in Turkey. [Balkans.com Business News]

¶   Fukushima Prefecture has signed an agreement with the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia to work together to promote the use of renewable energy. The prefecture aims to realize a society not dependent on nuclear power. [GlobalPost]

¶   BNRG Northern Power has announced it has received planning permission for the first utility-scale solar farm in Ireland. The 5.1 MW facility will be constructed on the outskirts of Downpatrick in Northern Ireland. [Energy Matters]

¶   Decommissioning Sellafield nuclear power station in the UK will cost taxpayers at least £70 billion as costs hit “astonishing levels,” senior MPs said yesterday. “What’s worse is that the cost is likely to continue to rise.” [Morning Star Online]

¶   EDF will have to carry out maintenance to fix excess corrosion on fuel rods in 25 of its 58 French nuclear reactors, a spokeswoman for ASN, the nuclear watchdog, said Monday. Tests have shown that “unacceptable” levels of corrosion. [Platts]

US:

¶   Alstom signed a contract to supply 5 offshore wind turbines for Deepwater Wind’s 30-MW Block Island pilot Wind Farm located off the coast of Rhode Island. The 6 MW turbines are the largest available today. They will supply power for 17,000 homes. [Your Renewable News]

¶   More than 20,000 Dominion Virginia Power customers now are signed up for the Dominion Green Power program. These residential and business customers are supporting renewable energy to match some or all of their energy needs. [CIOL]

¶   Strata Solar has 300 MW of solar panels scheduled for completion in 2014 across more than 40 projects in North Carolina, Tennessee and Missouri. Its pipeline currently stands at more than 1 GW in seven states. [reNews]

¶   Apple’s desire to have its Arizona sapphire plant run entirely on renewable energy from day one has spurred the construction of new solar and geothermal power projects in the region, a new report says. [Apple Insider]

¶   The Louisiana Democratic Party is supporting lawsuits demanding that 97 oil and gas companies pay for damages to the state’s marshes that led to coastal wetlands loss and contributed to higher storm surges during hurricanes. [The INDsider]

Opinion:

¶   “Beyond Keystone XL: Eight Reasons for Optimism on Climate Change” Even considering signs that Barack Obama may approve the Keystone XL pipeline, huge and positive changes are quietly taking place. [Truth-Out]

¶   “Nationwide Wind & Solar Misinformation Scheme Making The Rounds, AWEA Responds” The fossil fuel dark side doesn’t rest in its efforts to delay a healthy, economically beneficial transition to clean energy. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   France has launched a “call for expressions of interest” for innovative solar PV, solar thermal, wind and renewable cooling projects. The call includes hybrid solutions, renewable-conventional hybrids, and technologies incorporating energy storage. [solarserver.com]

¶   India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has initiated the process to ask the World Bank, in Washington DC, for a $500 million loan to support the first 750 MW of a massive solar PV project in the state of Rajasthan. [solarserver.com]

¶   In Taiwan, the recent approval of the Feed-In-Tariff Disbursement and Collection Guidelines has ushered in more investments in the renewable energy plants powered by solar, wind, biomass and run-of-river hydro. [eco-business.com]

¶   As Australia’s south-eastern states continue to swelter and burn, the Australian Youth Climate Coalition has embarked on a nationwide campaign for the establishment of more ambitious national climate and renewable energy policies. [RenewEconomy]

¶   Political delegations from several small Caribbean islands who gathered on Richard Branson’s private isle have committed to working with his renewable energy non-profit organisation and move at a faster pace to cut their dependence on fossil fuels. [Yahoo!7 News]

¶   According to Fairfax Media, doubt over government policies has all but frozen new investment in clean energy in Australia. Infigen Energy managing director government review and unsettling rhetoric on policy had put the industry in paralysis. [Business Spectator]

¶   Turkey’s first nuclear power plant has hit further delays that will push back the start of production by almost a year after Turkish authorities requested resubmission of an environmental report, industry sources and experts said. [Balkans.com Business News]

US:

¶   The US DOE will fund up to $12 million for technologies to produce cost-competitive renewable carbon fiber from agricultural residues and woody biomass. Carbon fiber produced from biomass offers environmental benefits over that from fossil fuels. [Energy Business Review]

¶   The first wind farm project planned for Stutsman County, North Dakota will seek approval under the county’s zoning ordinance Wednesday. Plans include 100 turbines, each with a 2-MW capacity. The project’s estimated cost is $350 million. [In-Forum]

¶   Hoping to revive a sluggish solar sector, the state of New Jersey approved 19 relatively large projects to provide electricity from solar panels to the power grid over the next few years. The projects could end up supplying 140 MW of electrical capacity. [NJ Spotlight]

Financial:

¶   “Biofuels Companies Rev Up While Oilcos Sputter” What’s going on – aren’t biofuels supposed to be dead, and fracking changing everything forever in oil & gas? Yet, public oil companies languish, while bellwether renewable fuel equities are on the rise. [Alternative Energy Stocks]

World:

¶   A company in New Zealand is selling turnkey solar systems. The homeowner pays $2000 installation costs for the 3 kW system, which includes batteries, and then a $70 monthly lease payment. Installation takes just a few hours. [Stuff.co.nz]

¶   Support of the US Agency for International Development will bring a remote neighborhood in the Philippine province of Palawan a biomass gasifier, solar panels and wind turbines. It will also get an ice machine to help keep fish catches fresh. [Business Mirror]

¶   Indonesia will open three geothermal power plants with a total capacity of 62 megawatts this year, as the country is seeking to better tap its renewable energy sources to promote a green economy. [Bernama]

¶    MAN Diesel & Turbo’s recent market introduction of its new generation of waste heat recovery systems is already notching up important milestones, with installations supporting both power production and maritime traffic. [The International News Magazine]

¶   According to exit polls, Yoichi Masuzoe, who is backed by Japan’s ruling party, won Tokyo’s gubernatorial election on Sunday with 30% of the vote, defeating two candidates who had promised to end nuclear power, who each got about 20%. [Hilton Head Island Packet]

US:

¶   Mosaic is making progress with crowdfinanced a rooftop revolution. Working with the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority and Sungage Financial, Mosaic is enabling up to $5 million of crowdsourced solar loans. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The US EPA has separated hype from fact and awarded gold, silver, and bronze to the three Fortune 500 companies using the most renewable energy. Intel Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, and Kohl’s Corp. topped the list. [DailyFinance]

¶   At a cost of $8 billion, a 3000 MW windfarm is being developed on a cattle ranch in Wyoming owned by Anschutz. Transmission lines will carry the power to southern California. Construction is expected to start in 2015. [Los Angeles Times]

¶   Americans generated about 250 million tons of trash in 2011, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Organic materials like yard trimmings and food waste accounted for 28% of it. Instead of going to landfills, it could be made into fuel. [Crain’s Cleveland Business]

Science and Technology:

¶   A new process for the creation of gasoline-like fuels from cellulosic plant waste materials has been developed by researchers from UC Davis. Cellulosic plant waste is in very plentiful supply. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Sumitomo Corp. has developed and installed the world’s first large-scale power storage system which utilizes used batteries collected from electric vehicles. The prototype for a grid-scale storage system will begin operating in February 2014. [Today’s Energy Solutions]

World:

¶   India has pledged to build the world’s most powerful solar plant, with a nominal capacity of 4,000 MW. The ‘ultra mega’ project will be more than ten times larger than any other solar project built so far. [Scientific American]

¶   2014 looks like it will be an even better year for electric vehicles than 2013. IHS Automotive predicts that global electric vehicle production will increase by 67% in 2014, while global production for vehicles overall is forecast to increase by only 3.6%. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The oil sands of Athabasca are responsible for much higher levels of hazardous pollution and emissions than previously thought, according to a new report from University of Toronto Scarborough. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Mainstream Renewable Power has landed environmental approval for a 94-turbine wind farm named Sarco in northern Chile. The scheme features 2.5MW turbine hardware with 110-metre towers, and could generate around 740 GWh per annum. [reNews]

¶   Solar power has been given lift-off at the Bombardier wing-assembly plant in Belfast after the company was granted planning permission to install a 3.8 MW PV array on the factory roof. [pv magazine]

¶   Carpet tile giant Interface has further boosted its green credentials this week, confirming that it is now operating a factory in the Netherlands using solely renewable energy. [Business Green]

¶   With wind power technology gaining increased popularity and institutional support from across the world, the wind turbine towers market is expected to increase from $12.1 billion in 2013 to $19.3 billion by 2020, according to GlobalData. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   TEPCO has revised the readings on the radioactivity levels at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant well to 5 million becquerels of strontium per liter – both a record, and nearly five times higher than the original reading of 900,000 becquerels per liter. [RT]

¶   Tokyo, one of the largest and most energy-guzzling cities in the world, is set to hold elections for a new governor Feb. 9. Analysts say it could prove crucial in stopping the Japanese government from restarting some nuclear reactors this year. [Independent European Daily Express]

US:

¶   A Seattle wind company has gotten the go-ahead to develop plans for a 30-megawatt offshore wind pilot project off of Oregon’s Coos Bay, officials announced this week. The project, developed by Principle Power, would be about 15 miles off the coast of Oregon. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Solar farming, putting solar power onto an electric grid for a profit, is a relatively new practice in North Carolina. It is driven in part by large tax incentives, the availability of low-cost land and small municipalities hungry for a boost in tax revenue. [Laurinburg Exchange]

¶   A new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says the renewable energy industry is responsible for 615,000 jobs in the United States. Many Americans, from all political stripes, want to see more of it. [Natural Resources Defense Council]

Opinion:

¶   “Reality Check: Society Pays for Carbon Pollution and That’s no Benefit” Every ton of coal, and every barrel of oil, causes more in external damages than it adds value to GDP. Those who profit from producing these fuels should not get a free ride on the taxpayer. [Energy Collective]

Science and Technology:

¶   Trials by UK consumer advice group What Car claimed that carbon dioxide tailpipe emissions increased in every vehicle tested, when the vehicle was powered by 10% ethanol. The research also said cars get lower mileage, costing drivers more. [CITY A.M.]

World:

¶   Ikea’s energy program dedicates over $2 billion–three times as much as originally planned–to clean energy investment through 2015. It is designed to protect the company from energy price shocks and to tap into customers’ green wishes. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Madhya Pradesh government has approved an ambitious plan to provide electricity in 44 Naxal-hit villages of the State using solar energy. Each of 4437 households will be given with an 11 or 18 watt CFL and access to other equipment. [The Hindu]

¶   Several Caribbean nations committed on Thursday to start replacing diesel generators, the most common means of producing electricity on islands, with renewable sources like wind, solar or the earth’s heat. [New York Times]

¶   A&P Falmouth has been awarded a landmark contract by wave energy firm Seatricity to build a wave energy device to be deployed at Wave Hub, an offshore renewable energy test facility at Hayle, Cornwall. [Maritime Journal]

¶   SITA UK has signed a 30-year public-private partnership contract worth around £1.8 billion in total revenue over its duration, with the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority to convert household waste into energy. [H&V News]

¶   The Irish Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources has launched the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan to provide a framework for the sustainable development of Ireland’s offshore renewable energy resources. [Afloat]

US:

¶   Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association announced that it has entered into a 25-year agreement with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources for a 150 megawatt wind power generating facility to be constructed in eastern Colorado. [Your Industry News]

¶   Newly released reports on an attack on an electric substation in California last April raise questions about the vulnerabilities of the U.S. power grid. The Wall St. Journal speculated that the attack could have been a test ground for a larger attack. [IEEE Spectrum]

¶   Recurrent Energy, a leading North American solar project developer, announced the commercial operation of six solar PV projects totaling 106 MW peak/88 MW AC in Southern California and Arizona. [CIOL]

¶   Advances in turbine technology could transform wind development in the Southeast, adding another renewable fuel option to an area once dominated by coal. But emerging lawsuits and legislation could drive them away. [Environment & Energy Publishing]

¶   Chicago-based Exelon Corp. said Thursday on a conference call following its quarterly earnings results that it will shut down nuclear plants to save money if it doesn’t see a path to steady profits this year. [Chicago Tribune]

World:

¶   In a decisive vote, 341 to 263, the European Parliament called for three binding targets for 2030: a 40% cut in greenhouse gases from 1990 levels; at least 30% of energy to come from renewable sources; and a 40% improvement in energy efficiency. [The Guardian]

¶   Construction planning for mid-sized geothermal plants is becoming a boom energy concern across Japan in the wake of the 2011 “Great East Japan Earthquake” that effectively destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi six-nuclear-reactor complex. [OilPrice.com]

¶   According to the Bank of Scotland, banks are keen to help farmers looking to invest in small-scale renewables because it makes their businesses more resilient. Renewables provide another income source and give greater control over energy costs. [The Southern Reporter]

¶   A report from the European Commission says the deal between the UK and France to build the Hinkley C nuclear plant could constitute illegal state aid and  is raising doubt over whether the reactors will be built as planned. [PennEnergy]

US:

¶   Climate change makes Western droughts longer, stronger, and more frequent. California is now in the death-grip of a brutal, record-breaking drought, driven by the very change in the jet stream that scientists had anticipated.  [Energy Collective]

¶   “Victory for the Arctic Ocean: No Drilling Next Summer or Maybe Ever” The wild Arctic Ocean just got a blast of good news. Shell Oil bowed to the inevitable and announced it will not be drilling for oil off the coast of Alaska this summer. [Energy Collective]

¶   Azle Texas has suffered a swarm of earthquakes — more than 30 — that has cracked the foundations of the houses, frightened local residents, created sinkholes and raised concerns about property values. Increasingly, science blames fracking. [Resilience]

¶   Principle Power intends to deploy a five-turbine 30 MW Windfloat demonstration project 16 miles off the Oregon coast at Coos Bay, at depths of around 1200 feet. It will be at least a couple of years before the site can be developed. [reNews]

¶   EDP Renewables will use GE’s Wind PowerUp software to increase the power output of 402 GE 1.5-77 wind turbines located at five U.S. wind farms. The result is expected to be an additional 420,000 MWh each year, enough for 33,000 average US homes. [PennEnergy]

¶   While sky-high propane prices are causing hardships for many businesses and homeowners, they’re also helping generate interest in renewable alternatives such as wood, solar and geothermal. [Midwest Energy News]

¶   Smithfield Foods commitment to renewable energy is starting to show tangible results according to the company. Anaerobic digesters in Missouri and Utah will soon deliver electricity to neighboring communities. [Hoosier Ag Today]

World:

¶   Public support for clean energy has remained strong, according to a government survey that says 77% of Britains support renewable energy. The poll also reveals only 5% of households actively object to renewables. [Blue & Green Tomorrow]

¶   Electricity has been generated for the first time from the West of Duddon Sands Offshore Windfarm, a major renewable energy project being developed by ScottishPower Renewables and DONG Energy in the Irish Sea. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   Necker Island, the Caribbean Island owned by Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson, will shift to 75 percent renewable energy by the end of 2015. Branson said shifting to solar and wind energy will cut his energy costs by 40 percent. [Washington Post]

¶   General contractor AMEC Black & McDonald is assembling a team to build the 270 MW K2 feed-in tariff project near the southeastern shore of Lake Huron in Ontario. The 140-turbine wind farm is owned by Samsung, Pattern Energy and Capital Power. [reNews]

US:

¶   The Windthorst-2 wind power project in Windthorst, Texas, is expected to commence commercial operation in fall 2014. With 28 Siemens 2.3-MW wind turbines, the project will provide clean power to nearly 20,000 American households. [Your Renewable News]

¶   The Energy Department today announced up to $12 million in funding to advance the production of cost-competitive, high-performance carbon fiber material from renewable non-food-based feedstocks such as agricultural residues and woody biomass. [Automotive World]

¶   Renewable Energy Group Inc. has broken ground on a $13.2 million improvement project at its Newton biodiesel refinery that will increase the plant’s ability to produce higher-purity biodiesel from a wider array of raw materials. [Today’s Energy Solutions]

¶   The Ivanpah Solar Power Plant, the world’s largest solar thermal electric plant has begun operating its three generating units, which will soon deliver enough clean energy to power more than 140,000 homes in Northern and Southern California. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   Burlington Electric has settled with current owners of the Winooski One Dam for a purchase price of $16 million. This will allow Burlington Electric to provide a 100% renewable power supply and provide greater energy security. [WCAX]

¶   New wind farms in Kansas will sell wind energy to power companies as far away as Alabama. Recently completed projects included a roughly 250-megawatt farm, known as Buffalo Dunes, that will supply power to Alabama Power Company. [Topeka Capital Journal]

¶   The ENE EnergyVision report, covering New England, New York, and New Jersey, says simply switching things like building heat and transportation over to electric power, using currently available technology could cut emissions in half. [ThinkProgress]

¶   Saying Entergy Corp. “is under no legal obligation” to shut down the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, the NRC has asked Entergy for additional information before granting its request to be exempted from costly studies and safety improvements. [Barre Montpelier Times Argus]

Science and Technology:

¶   Audi has just completed a series of tests that take it a step closer to its goal of developing synthetic e-fuels as an alternative to gasoline and diesel. The company says e-fuels burn more efficiently than fossil fuels and produce fewer emissions. [Autonet.ca]

World:

¶   One of the most senior Liberal Democrats in the UK cabinet says that shale gas will not be a reality in the UK for at least a decade, and that energy policies should focus on renewable energy. [Business Green]

¶   Neste Oil produced enough renewable fuel from waste and residues last year to power over 1 million cars. Neste Oil used more waste and residues than vegetable oil to produce renewable fuel for the first time in 2013. [MarketWatch]

¶   Faced with a plunge in profits, Germany’s power utilities are having to bend to the will of the government and join the renewable energy revolution, while smartening up on the retail front with new customer-friendly energy saving products. [Business Recorder]

¶   Hutton’s Group – the UK’s leading ship supplier – is expanding its Renewables Division to better service the growing offshore oil and gas and renewable energy sectors. [BYM News]

¶   Israel’s Ministerial Committee for Renewable Energy approved the transfer of a sizable chunk of renewable energy quotas to the photovoltaic industry, as well as provisions for the state to underwrite solar facilities in the West Bank. [Jerusalem Post]

¶   Vestas has notched revenue, EBIT and free cash flow figures “above expectations” for 2013 as it reaches the end of its ‘two-year turnaround’. Figures reveal revenue for the Danish wind turbine manufacturer stood at €6084 million. [reNews]

¶   The Isle of Man Government has gone further towards exploring the opportunities for generation of offshore wind and tidal energy and is now seeking parties seeking to develop offshore energy production in Isle of Man territorial seas. [Click Green]

US:

¶   The military historically has been at the forefront of developing new power sources, and now the U.S. military is at the tip of the spear for clean energy, too, according to a new report by the Pew Charitable Trusts. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   Arkansas utilities are increasing their reliance on wind energy as the states surrounding Arkansas produce more electricity from wind. Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp and Southwest Power Pool are two examples. [THV 11]

¶   Constellation has signed a deal to build a biogas cogeneration plant in Los Angeles. The 27 MW renewable energy power plant will fuel Hyperion Treatment sewage facility with both steam and electricity. [Renewable Energy Focus]

¶   The EPA is looking to modernize radiation standards for nuclear power plants dating to the 1970s. The new standards would establish new limits on how much radiation nuclear plants can emit during normal operation without endangering public health. [The Hill]

Opinion:

¶   “Consultation is the key to curing wind turbine syndrome” Wind turbine syndrome is a symptom of a community that feels it has lost control. It has very little to do with wind farms and ‘infrasound’. [ABC Online]

¶   “No Matter How You Count Them, Fossil Fuel Subsidies Are As High As Ever” New analysis by the Worldwatch Institute says estimates range from $523 billion to over $1.9 trillion, depending on what is considered a “subsidy” and how they are tallied. [De Smog Blog]

Science and Technology:

¶   The MiniSun12H, developed by the NGO SunLife, is an affordable, durable, solar-powered light capable of providing 12 hours of light from 8 hours of charging. At just $5, it is cost-competitive with a kerosene lantern, and it never needs fuel. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   Nearly 500 MW worth of new renewable energy feed-in tariff project applications were received by Ontario’s energy regulator in the five-and-a-half week time period when the FiT window of opportunity was last open. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Spain’s National Association of Photovoltaic Energy Producers is demanding that central authorities in Madrid hold a consultative national referendum about the chosen energy model for the country. [pv magazine]

¶   The Japanese region of Fukushima, left devastated by the 2011 nuclear disaster, has said it will aim to be 100% dependent on renewable energy by 2040. The region already has an offshore wind farm, which was developed following the disaster. [Blue & Green Tomorrow]

US:

¶    A study from UC Boulder Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research says the global warming we are seeing is outside any kind of known natural variability, and it has to be due to increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. [Energy Collective]

¶   Minnesotans interested in saving money and the planet can look to an incentive program administered by the Minnesota Department of Commerce that will offer rebates to Minnesota residents and businesses who install solar thermal or PV systems. [Morris Sun Tribune]

¶   Admirals Bank, a leading national provider of residential renewable energy financing, recently agreed to participate in the Solarize Durham [NC] initiative to offer interested homeowners loan products to subsidize residential solar systems and installations. [Virtual-Strategy Magazine]

Opinion:

¶   “Why traditional utilities are like frogs in warming water” Jim Rogers, the recently retired head of Duke Energy, the biggest utility in the US, says regulations and business models will not change quick enough to save traditional utilities in face of solar. [RenewEconomy]

Science and Technology:

¶   A new, relatively low-temperature means of creating liquid fuels from common plastic waste has been developed by researchers from the Centurion University of Technology and Management, and the National Institute of Technology, both in India. [CleanTechnica]

¶   This year has seen the start of a testing program in Japan for fiber-reinforced plastic sails 20 meters high and eight meters wide. The testing is part of the Wind Challenger project to develop a next-generation cargo ship using sails to cut fuel costs by 30%. [The Maritime Executive]

World:

¶   Bloomberg New Energy Finance has revealed that China “outstripped even the most optimistic forecasts” to install a record 12 GW of photovoltaic projects in 2013. In fact, a boom at the end of the year could have pushed the total up to 14 GW. [EnergyCollective]

¶   South Africa plans to cut its reliance on the fossil fuel to about 50% 2050, down from more than 80% now. The 50%goal set by the continent’s biggest coal producer is part of an integrated energy plan currently under development. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   Indian state-run National Aluminium Company Limited has set up its second wind power plant at Ludarva in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, with a capacity of 47.6 MW. The project will have 56 wind turbines, each of 850 KW rating. [SteelGuru]

US:

¶   A new law allows the Guam DOE to work directly with leased schools to install solar panels. The public school system will not be completely off the Guam Power Authority grid, but the intent is to incorporate more green energy into the school system. [Pacific Daily News]

¶   A $160 million wind farm project — a first for Campbell County, South Dakota — has cleared most major hurdles, and construction is ready to begin. The farm will produce 98 MW of power. South Dakota’s windpower capacity might be over 100,000 MW. [AberdeenNews.com]

¶   When a wave of cheap Chinese-made solar panels flooded the market a few years ago, it nearly laid waste to America’s solar manufacturing industry. But recently, one California firm, Solaria Corp., started rolling out its technology across China. [Merced Sun-Star]

¶   In Gypsum, Colorado, 140 miles west of Denver, a biomass mill began operations in December, burning wood to create 10 megawatts of round-the-clock electricity. It will burn wood taken from forests that would otherwise very likely burn in forest fires. [Denver Post]

¶   Indiana state Sen. James Merritt introduced a bill that would allow utilities to build a nuclear power plant, such as a small modular reactor, and pass along the engineering and construction costs to customers. It is a good deal for utilities. [Indianapolis Star]

World:

¶   The European Parliament put out a press release to explain the European Commission proposal to cut emissions by 40% compared to the level in 1990 and increase the share for renewable energy to 27% by 2030. [European Parliament]

¶   Developers have dropped plans for wind farms in Cornwall and Lancashire, accusing the government of “constantly shifting its position” on renewable energy. The firm said the turbines would have put £100 million into local economies. [BBC News]

¶   The Northern Ireland Renewables Industry Group are proclaiming 2013 a banner year at their conference, pointing out that Northern Ireland’s output reached a record output of 506 MW on the 17th of December. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Areva is celebrating the successful delivery of the Bio Golden Raand biomass power plant in Delfzijl in the north of the Netherlands. The plant has an installed capacity of 49.9 MW and is fuelled by waste wood from domestic and industry activities. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   The Nigerian Federal Government on Friday signed a $350 million investment agreement on renewable energy in the power sector with General Electric. The purchase will provide electricity consumers who were not on the national power grid. [The Punch]

¶   The world’s first magma-based geothermal energy system has been built in Iceland, taking advantage of the Earth’s heat to generate electricity. Iceland’s new system is the first to produce that steam in a region of molten, rather than solid, rock. [Wired.co.uk]

¶   Britain’s Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing plant ordered all non-essential staff to stay at home on Friday while it investigated an elevated radiation reading onsite. It later concluded radiation was caused by naturally occurring radon gas. [Reuters]

¶   In a scathing 68-page assessment published on Friday, the European Commission raises concerns about the UK contract with French utility EDF, for Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. It says £17.6 billion of taxpayer support is being wasted. [Financial Times]

US:

¶   Shell’s incoming CEO announced that a court ruling has placed “significant obstacles” in the way of oil exploitation in Alaska. The company also announced it will cut capital spending by around $10 billion this year and sell many of its assets. [inhabitat]

¶   The Clean Energy States Alliance released a new report that provides information on where a renewable energy generator in a particular state or province can sell its renewable energy certificates. [Virtual-Strategy Magazine]

¶   The Connecticut state energy department locked in long-term contracts Friday with two of the largest wood-burning biomass plants in New England, a move it says will save ratepayers $15 million and diversify the region’s sources of renewable power. [Hartford Courant]

¶   The U.S. wind power industry didn’t put a whole lot of new generating capacity into operation in 2013, but it laid the groundwork, beginning construction on a whopping 10,900 megawatts in the fourth quarter. [EarthTechling]

¶   US-based renewables developer First Wind is planning to deploy 750 MW of solar and wind generation capacity over the coming two years – equivalent to a 75% expansion. The increase includes 600 MW of wind power and 150 MW of solar. [NewNet]

Opinion:

¶   “Year of cracking ice: 10 reasons why clean energy will turn corner” Bloomberg New Energy Finance CEO Michael Liebreich makes ten predictions about the renewable energy sector in 2014, a year he says will be transformational. [RenewEconomy]

World:

¶   The investment bank Goldman Sachs is supporting renewable energy projects with around $40 billion of investment between now and 2021, with bosses expecting large profits as a direct result. [Blue & Green Tomorrow]

¶   Honeywell and power management company Stor Generation Ltd. have launched a new, first-of-its-kind smart grid program in the UK. The companies provide ways to stabilize the electrical grid, and manage carbon and renewable energy commitments. [PennEnergy]

¶   One outstanding source of green energy for Latin America is the biogas potential found in the region’s highly diverse food, beverage and agribusiness industries, which produce biologically rich wastewater streams. [Impeller.net]

¶   A dozen American and international foundations, with assets of more than $1.8 billion, announced Thursday that they will divest from Big Oil and Big Coal stocks, and put their money into the clean energy economy. [eco-business.com]

¶   About 1,400 people have filed a joint lawsuit against three companies, Hitachi, Toshiba, and GE, that manufactured Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, saying they should be financially liable for damage caused by its 2011 meltdowns. [The Province]

¶   The suppression pool of the Fukushima Daiichi Unit No. 2 reactor may have a 3-centimeter hole in it, through which the highly radioactive water might be leaking out, the plant operator said. [RT]

¶   The Sellafield nuclear site in the UK is being operated with a reduced number of staff following the detection overnight of elevated levels of radioactivity. Non-essential staff are being told not to come to work, as a precautionary measure. [The Guardian]

US:

¶   The results of an environmental impact study into the Keystone XL pipeline project will be announced Friday afternoon, two senior administration officials and another source familiar with the timing told CNN. [CNN]

¶   New wind power installations in the United States suffered a dramatic decline in 2013 however record-setting construction starts point to a rebound in 2014, according to an American Wind Energy Association report. [reNews]

¶   Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today urged the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to provide a stronger role for states in the process of decommissioning nuclear power plants like Vermont Yankee. [Bennington Banner]

¶   The Vermont House voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to sharply expand the net metering program nearly four-fold. Current law requires utilities to accept customer-generated electricity up to 4% of their peak capacity that cap is being increased to 15%. [Product Design & Development]

¶   Energy companies were installing a record level of wind turbines as 2013 came to a close, with most of the new capacity coming in Texas, according to new figures released Thursday. [FuelFix]

¶   Bill Gates, along with a number of other venture capitalists, is investing in Aquion battery, invented by Jay Whitacre of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. The Aquion battery costs the same as a lead-acid battery, but lasts twice as long. [OilPrice.com]

¶   For the second time in two days, a Republican-led effort in the Colorado Legislature has failed to modify the state’s controversial law requiring that rural cooperatives get 20 percent of their power from renewable resources by 2020. [Denver Business Journal]

¶   The Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 – popularly known as the farm bill – passed in the House, paving the way for $881 million in renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. [Solar Industry]

¶   Denton, Texas (pop. 113,000) is a leader in clean energy, boasting more wind power per capita than any other city in the nation. The result is low carbon emissions, high reliability, and a rock-bottom electric rate of 6¢/kWh. [EarthTechling]

World:

¶   Steve Waygood, chief responsible investment officer at UK insurance giant Aviva, acknowledged that there were widespread concerns among the institutional investor community about the fossil fuel industry’s appetite for costly new projects. [Business Green]

¶   Three Indian central ministries and six public sector undertakings signed a memorandum of understanding to develop the world’s largest solar power project, at 4,000 MW, in Rajasthan. [NDTV]

¶   Taiwan’s solar PV  makers shipped 8.3 GW of PV cells in 2013, according to TrendForce’s EnergyTrend division in Taipei. This is a 42% growth on 2012, and a new record for the nation. [solarserver.com]

¶   Poland’s top utility PGE is looking for technology and financial partners for a long-term project to build Poland’s first nuclear power plant, expected to be worth up to 60 billion zlotys ($19.5 billion), it said on Wednesday. [Reuters UK]

¶   The South Korean government approved a $7 billion project to build two nuclear plants, the first approval since a policy review sparked by a safety scandal at Korean reactors. New policy reduces the country’s goal to be 29% reliant on nuclear in 2035. [South China Morning Post]

US:

¶   Tesla Model S owner John Glenney and his daughter Jill became the first people to cross the country using the Tesla Supercharger network. The trip took a week and 1,366 kWh of electricity to complete, but cost $0 thanks to the free Supercharger refills. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Butanol, the gasoline substitute promoted by billionaire Richard Branson, is headed for its debut at US pumps as soon as next year in a challenge to ethanol’s domination of the $26 billion renewable fuels market. [San Francisco Chronicle]

¶   In his State of the Union address, President Obama was adamant that climate change was real. He wants to use natural gas as a fuel to move us off coal, but called for congress to stop giving $4 billion a year to fossil fuel industries.” [EarthTechling]

¶   At the start of 2013, First Wind announced that it planned to increase its operating portfolio of 1000 MW of wind projects by 50%. In the course of the year, it added nearly 600 MW, exceeding expectations greatly. [PennEnergy]

¶   The EPA says tech giants Apple, Google, Intel and Microsoft, retailers Kohl’s, Whole Foods and Wal-Mart, the US Energy and Veteran Affairs Departments, and the cities of Houston and Washington, DC are the most prolific users of renewable energy in the US. [Business Green]

¶   New Hampshire’s House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected a temporary ban on new wind turbine and electric transmission projects such as the 187-mile power line proposed by Northern Pass. [Seacoastonline.com]

Opinion:

¶   “A Critique of an Upbeat Assessment of Nuclear Power’s Prospects” The Union of Concerned Scientists has posted a critique of the pro-nuclear letter from four longtime analysts. [New York Times]

World:

¶   Home furnishings retailer IKEA is on track to spend about $2 billion on wind and solar programs up to 2015. The company also recently announced plans to buy its first North American wind energy project, currently under construction in Alberta. [North American Windpower]

¶   Subsidies for renewable energy are partly to blame for Europe’s electricity market “crisis,” according to a French study. It says the system of feed-in tariffs paying above-market rates for renewables should be changed to one based more on market prices. [Businessweek]

¶   An Australian industry body representing dealers in renewable energy certificates released analysis suggesting that if the Renewable Energy Target were abolished by the federal government, the solar sector would lose more than 5000 jobs 2018. [Business Spectator]

¶   Affinity Renewables Inc., a non-for-profit controlled by the Nova Scotia SPCA,  is developing a small wind system, with operating conditions including that the province be able to request noise and shadow flicker monitoring at any time. [TheChronicleHerald.ca]

¶   The provisions in the EU renewable energy directive allowing national governments to restrict their national support schemes to domestic producers break EU rules, an advocate-general of the EU Court of Justice said in a formal opinion Tuesday. [Platts]

¶   The operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant is erecting an underground wall of frozen soil, which would hopefully stop radioactive water from running into the sea. However, doubts remain over whether it will fix the leak problem.[RT]

¶   A bipartisan group of antinuclear Japanese lawmakers on Wednesday urged the government to revise its draft energy policy that supports atomic power, saying it should respect prevailing public opinion against nuclear power generation. [GlobalPost]

US:

¶   The Maryland Public Service Commission is conducting stakeholder consultation as it develops regulations to implement the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013. The legislation is designed to spur wind energy development. [reNews]

¶   Since 2007, electricity generation from coal has fallen 24.9% from 2.02 billion MWh to 1.51 billion MWh in 2012. Meanwhile, over the same time frame wind grew 309% to 140.8 million MWh and solar grew 607% to 4.3 million MWh. [DailyFinance]

¶   The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has released its final 2013 Energy Infrastructure Update for the United States. The new FERC report shows that solar power was the second-largest source of new US power capacity last year. [Treehugger]

¶   About 4% of Iowa’s GDP is from renewable fuels. If the US EPA lowers blending requirements in the Renewable Fuels Standard, industry observers predict that 25% to 45% of US biodiesel production will shut down, costing thousands of jobs. [Business Record]

Science and Technology:

¶   Dong Energy is to collaborate with the UK Carbon Trust to produce a full-scale demonstration of a suction bucket jacket foundation for offshore wind turbines. If the demo is successful it could feature in commercial projects from 2017. [reNews]

World:

¶   The UK’s Community Energy Strategy outlines an intention to encourage non-conventional forms of finance to fund a huge expansion in community energy projects, ranging from green electricity and heating schemes to energy-efficiency initiatives. [Business Green]

¶   First Solar has commenced construction of a 102 MW solar plant on a 250 hectare property in Nyngan, New South Wales. The cadmium telluride AGL project in NSW will be Australia’s largest utility-scale solar power plant. [Compound Semiconductor]

¶   German utility RWE AG said Tuesday its 2013 earnings would be hit by a €3.3 billion ($4.5 billion) impairment charge, reflecting the pressure that subsidized renewable energies continue to put on the company’s fleet of coal- and gas-fired power plants. [Wall Street Journal]

¶   Vestas has achieved first power from its prototype V164 8-MW offshore wind turbine. The turbine was installed at the Danish National Test Centre for Large Wind Turbines in Østerild, and will be monitored over the coming months for testing. [reNews]

¶   A group of Indian parliamentarians Monday submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to implement a slew of environment-friendly measures for the development of renewable energy in the country. [Authint Mail]

¶   Renewable energy investment is set to grow this year with sales of green bonds rising to a record, according to the head of Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Spending on onshore wind and solar power may drive investment to about $300 billion. [eco-business.com]

¶   Kazakhstan plans to commission more than 30 renewable energy facilities with a total capacity of 1,850 MW by 2020. Several hydro, wind, solar and biogas power plants with total capacity of 16.5 MW have already been commissioned since 2011. [AzerNews]

¶   Nova Scotia’s Minister of Energy says the province is on track to exceed its renewable energy goal, passed in 2010, requiring 25% of the province’s power to come from renewables — like wind and hydro — by 2015. [Globalnews.ca]

¶   Russia aims to build 28 new nuclear power units with high safety standards before 2030. Disclosing this, Russia’s President Putin told university students at a meeting in Moscow that “in Russia’s energy mix, the share of nuclear power is not big, just 16%”. [Jagran Post]

US:

¶   Installed solar power capacity in the U.S. grew by 42.8% in 2013, with the country adding 2.9 GW of large-scale solar energy to the grid, according to the latest Energy Infrastructure Update report from FERC’s Office of Energy Projects. [pv magazine]

¶   In North Carolina, Duke Energy is attempting to reduce the amount it pays homeowners almost in half, from 10 – 11 cents (the amount households currently pay for electricity) to 5 to 7 cents per kilowatt-hour. [Natural Resources Defense Council]

¶   A new analysis explores the technical, environmental, and economic implications of raising California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard from 33% by 2020 to 50% by 2030. Although the study shows challenges, it says it is technically possible. [The Equation: Blog of the Union of Concerned Scientists]

¶   The number of jobs in the US solar sector grew by 19.9% to 142,698 in 2013, according to a study by The Solar Foundation.  Solar employment grew 10 times faster than the national average employment growth rate of 1.9% in the same period. [reNews]

Opinion:

¶   “Community Energy Strategy: the reaction” The UK government has boosted local renewable energy projects with a fund to help communities generate their own power, saving money and cutting carbon. Here is the pick of the reaction to the news … [Blue & Green Tomorrow]

World:

¶   The UK Government has plan to kick-start a community energy revolution. It includes a £10 million scheme to provide neighbourhoods with up to £150,000 each to generate their own renewable energy from wind, solar, or hydro-electric. [Click Green]

¶   Large scale wind and solar farm developers will have to offer a “meaningful share” of their projects to UK communities, as part of a major new government strategy designed to boost public ownership of renewable energy. [Business Green]

¶   Almost half of Irish electricity demand has been met by wind and other renewables in the past 24 hours. The sector notched a 48.79% share with wind leading the charge on the back of Ireland’s sky-high levels of non-synchronous grid penetration. [reNews]

¶   Chinese PV manufacturer ReneSola is supplying 57 MW of modules to Isolux Corsan for installation at three commercial solar projects in the UK. ReneSola said deliveries began in December 2013 and the projects are expected to connect to the grid in March. [reNews]

¶   Figures released by Bloomberg New Energy Finance indicate that China installed 12 GW of solar panels in 2013, which sets a new world record for one country in one year and is the equivalent to the total number of panels throughout the entire United States. [Sourceable]

¶   Activists, some linked to climate change sceptic groups, say people living near wind farms suffer effects they call ‘wind turbine syndrome’. Though studies have cast doubt on the issue, the anti-renewable Australian prime minister wants to revisit it. [Farm Weekly]

¶   Clean energy facility DP Cleantech is to partner with Addis Ababa-based Cambridge Industries to facilitate the rollout of biomass and waste-to-energy projects in Africa. The first project will be a waste-to-energy plant in Ethiopia. [BioEnergy News]

¶   Supplies of natural gas were cut off early Saturday when a TransCanada pipeline caught fire and blew up near Otterburne, about 55 km south of Winnipeg. There were no injuries and RCMP said the incident was non-criminal. [Globalnews.ca]

US:

¶   Bonds backing clean-energy and environmental ventures may account for 10% to 20% of the $7 trillion-a-year market for the securities within a decade, according to Citigroup’s head of environmental finance. [Bloomberg]

¶   In an effort to meet environmental standards, Ford searched three years to find a lighter replacement for fiberglass. Working with Weyerhaeuser  and Johnson Controls, it has found a solution using  “cellulose reinforced polypropylene.” [DailyFinance]

¶   The Tennessee Valley Authority says it’s moving toward a testing phase at its Watts Bar nuclear power plant, where the new reactor could be up and running within two years. Unit 2 of the Watts Bar Nuclear Generating Station is about 82% complete. [Electric Co-op Today] (Watts Bar Unit 2 was 80% complete in 1988, when construction was temporarily halted. Construction resumed in 2007.  In 2012, the project was over budget and behind schedule, so projections were revised. When the article says the project is at budget and on schedule, it is referring to the revised figures.)

Opinion:

¶   “How Smart Grid Technology Can Build a Better Utility Industry Future: Part 1” Each year analysts at IDC offer their predictions for utility industry trends. Here are their first five predictions, and how they related to smart grids and smart grid technology. [Energy Collective]

¶   “Telling Sugarcane Ethanol’s Full Sustainability Story” The focus on volume targets for all biofuels loses sight of two key benefits of advanced biofuel: the potential for non-corn ethanol to cut life-cycle emissions, and the sustainability of non-corn biofuel feedstocks. [Energy Collective]

Science and Technology:

¶   Researchers at North Carolina State University have shown that a one-atom thick film of molybdenum sulfide may work as an effective catalyst for creating hydrogen. The work opens a new door for the production of cheap hydrogen. [Science Daily]

World:

¶   The Blackfriars solar bridge across the River Thames is finally complete. Its 4,400 photovoltaic panels will divert 511 tonnes of carbon emissions each year, drastically reducing the station’s carbon footprint. [Inhabitat]

¶   Renewable energy and energy storage group, Gaelectric, has started construction of a 42 MW wind farm site at County Derry. Dunbeg will generate sufficient renewable power for 24,000 homes. The total investment will amount to €70 million. [Today’s Energy Solutions]

¶   More than four years after the Ontario Power Authority launched North America’s first comprehensive Feed-In Tariff Program, the energy industry, municipalities, Aboriginal communities and community organizations continue to show strong interest. [EIN News]

¶   The Scottish government approved two large renewable energy projects. One is a biomass-fueled CHP plant producing 120 MW of electricity and 30 MW of heat, costing $537 million. The second is a 50 MW wind farm of 20 turbines, at $107 million. [PennEnergy]

¶   Authorities of the Cuban province of Matanzas revealed a renewable energy strategy. The program plans two biofuel plants. Gasifiers will process waste in rice drying facilities to generate 60 kW total of power. And 140 water-pumping windmills will be built. [Prensa Latina]

¶   Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, former US Vice President Al Gore said that the “cost down-curve” for photovoltaics and, to a lesser extent, wind, is a “game-changer” in addressing climate change challenges. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   Germany could be the first European country to penalize the self-consumption of solar energy, something only Arizona has done so far. Spain is also working on a similar plan to ensure small solar power generators help pay for network costs. [Bloomberg]

¶   Former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, said he has been energized by his life’s mission. His grand dream is “Japan without nuclear power, using various natural energies, such as that of the sun, wind and terrestrial heat.” [The Japan Times]

US:

¶   A preliminary report suggests Wyoming wind power could save California ratepayers $750 million annually. The findings were announced by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory at a meeting of the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority. [Casper Star-Tribune Online]

¶   M+W US has begun construction of their second, 6 MW project in the State of Massachusetts on 26 acres of privately owned land 50 miles northwest of Boston. The power generated will be delivered under contract to the town of Billerica. [Virtual-Strategy Magazine]

¶   First Wind has celebrated the fifth anniversary of operations at its 57 MW Stetson I Wind project.  The Stetson Wind project has produced enough energy to power an average of 18,300 Maine homes. [Windpower Engineering]

Science and Technology:

¶   Ottawa-based Iogen Corp. announced it has developed and patented a new method to make drop-in cellulosic biofuels from biogas using existing refinery assets and production operations. [Biomass Magazine]

World:

¶   The Scottish Minister for Energy, Enterprise, and Tourism officially opened Scotland’s first HETAS-accredited renewables training academy. Falkirk Renewables Centre will train installers to work with heat pumps, biomass boilers and solar thermal. [H&V News]

¶   Energy initiatives created by the European Union for 2030 will permit Britain to reach its emissions goals by making even more nuclear power plants instead of investing in wind farms, and are to increase the amount of fracking. [The Voice of Russia]

¶   Worldwide, about 5.7 million people worked in the renewable energy sector in 2012 directly or indirectly, the International Renewable Energy Agency estimates. Of those, nearly one in three is based in China. Another 14 percent are in Brazil. [FuelFix]

¶   Foundations have begun to be laid at a site in New South Wales in what will become the Australian state’s biggest wind project. Two foundations for the 67 wind turbines have been poured this week at Boco Rock, between Nimmitabel and Bombala. [ABC Online]

¶   Data from Mercom Capital Group showed that venture capital financing for companies in the wind energy sector went up 44.4 % to $455 million worldwide in 2013, the Business Standard reported. [Venture Capital Post]

¶   Local renewable energy practitioners believe the best solution now for electric power shortages in the Malaysian state of Sabah is to look at mini hydro, biomass and solar as renewable energy sources.[Free Malaysia Today]

¶   Global subsidies for fossil fuels have returned to levels not seen since before the financial crisis in 2008, estimated at $523 billion to $1.9 trillion, according to a new report. This is about five times what all renewable resources get, combined. [FuelFix]

US:

¶   Kansans overwhelmingly support renewable energy and the state’s law that mandates utilities to buy it, according to a poll released by wind energy proponents. The mandate is currently under attack by some lawmakers and business groups. [Kansas.com]

¶   NV Energy and Great Basin Transmission South today dedicated the 231-mile 500 kV One Nevada Transmission Line. The 800 MW cable enables renewable energy development in remote areas with 11 projects now being served by the new line. [reNews]

¶   A proposal to build a $150 million biomass wood-burning plant in East Springfield, Massachusetts remains under litigation in two courts, with one hearing scheduled in March on a developer’s fight to obtain two building permits. [MassLive.com]

Science and Technology:

¶   A team of researchers at the University of Texas at Austin developed a new biofuel from genetically engineered yeast cells and table sugar. The group’s leader calls the fuel “a renewable version of sweet crude.” [BioNews Texas]

World:

¶   The European Commission’s decision to propose a binding target to reduce carbon emissions 40% by 2030 was welcomed by the UN’s and EU’s climate chiefs, but it was far lower than many in the Least Developed Countries community had hoped for. [Responding to Climate Change]

¶   Environmentalists have reacted with dismay to the European Commission’s latest proposals on climate and energy targets for 2030, saying they represent a “significant roll-back” on climate change. [Irish Times]

¶   The European Union will abandon national mandates for renewable-energy use after 2020. In the new framework, which extends the effort through 2030, the EC raises the legally binding target for greenhouse gas emission cuts to 40%. [PennEnergy]

¶   The new cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives and center-left Social Democrats (SPD) has endorsed key points of a planned revision of renewable energy law in a bid to limit subsidies and price hikes. [Deutsche Welle]

¶   Eolus Vind AB and Google have signed a ten-year agreement in which Google will buy all electricity generated by 29 wind turbines that Eolus establishes in four wind farms in southern Sweden. [Baltic Review]

¶   The global shift from coal and nuclear power to renewable energy in order to lower carbon dioxide emission and ensure energy security is giving a boost to the waste to energy (WTE) plant market, as WTE plants are not intermittent. [Consultant News]

¶   Volvo Construction Equipment’s site in Braås, Sweden, completed its journey towards becoming carbon dioxide neutral. It is the first construction equipment production facility in the world to be powered entirely by renewable energy. [AZoCleantech]

¶   The Middle East, spearheaded by the oil-rich Persian Gulf monarchies, could spend up to $50 billion on developing solar power over the next seven years, says the Middle East Solar Industry Association. [UPI.com]

¶   In Taiwan, former vice president Annette Lu plans to file a provisional injunction over the government’s rejection of her proposed nuclear referendum in New Taipei City in a bid to stop the fuel rods from being installed at the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant. [Taipei Times]

US:

¶   Late yesterday, environmental groups filed a brief asking the US Supreme Court to let carbon pollution cleanup go forward. At issue are Clean Air Act safeguards requiring major stationary source polluters to use available control technology. [InvestorIdeas.com]

¶   A group of Vermont college students wants the state to pass legislation that would divest the state pension fund of stocks in fossil fuel companies. They are holding a press conference on Thursday afternoon at the Statehouse. [Houston Chronicle]

Opinion:

¶   “Backsliding on the Climate” Pay now to reduce carbon emissions or pay much more dearly later. That’s the message from a draft United Nations report on climate change, and it’s a message the European Commission would do well to heed. [New York Times]

Science and Technology:

¶   A experts in a conference in Washington DC and London warning that continued dependence on fossil fuels puts the world at risk of an unprecedented energy crunch that could inflame financial crisis and exacerbate dangerous climate change. [Resilience]

¶   A study from the US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory says wind energy technology can support and enhance reliability of the US power grid by controlling the active power output being placed onto the system. [North American Windpower]

World:

¶   The European Union will propose to cut the region’s greenhouse-gas emissions by 40% in 2030 to accelerate efforts to reduce global warming, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said. [Bloomberg]
… According to an earlier report, EU countries are expected to disagree on mandatory national targets for renewable energy production. The European parliament would like to see a 30% goal for renewables but the figure could be lower and might not be binding. [Blue & Green Tomorrow]

¶   Retail energy prices are rising dramatically across Europe even as wholesale prices and consumption are coming down. According to the European Commission, taxes and levies, set by national governments are the main culprit. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Israeli company NewCO2Fuels has developed a solar-powered carbon capture process that converts carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide and oxygen, which are reclaimed and processed into fuels. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Although some reports said the wind power sector in China showed minimal growth in 2013, the actual situation was not so grim. Recently released statistics pointed to a recovery in the industry, with newly installed capacity rising 24% year on year. [eco-business.com]

¶   India added just over 1 GW of solar energy to its electrical grid last year, a major milestone that nearly doubles the country’s cumulative solar energy capacity to 2.18 GW. India hopes to install 10 GW of solar by 2017 and 20 GW by 2022. [RenewEconomy]

US:

¶   Wednesday, the NH House will take up a bill proposing a moratorium on wind turbines, though the Science, Technology, and Energy Committee voted 13 to 6 to recommend killing it. The politics of the issue have become volatile. [New Hampshire Public Radio]

¶   Existing wind energy production in New Hampshire is providing significant environmental benefits for the state, according to a new report released by Environment New Hampshire. [North American Windpower]

¶   Nuclear power plants won’t be coming to Indiana anytime soon. A key state senator has pulled his bill that would have provided financial incentives to utilities to build nuclear plants. He said construction of a nuclear plant is probably over a decade away. [Indianapolis Star]

Opinion:

¶   “Xcel Fiction: Four Lies My Utility Told Me” In December, Xcel Energy’s Frank Prager appeared on CPR’s Colorado Matters and spread blatant untruths about rooftop solar in Colorado. Here are four Prager fictions… [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   The International Renewable Energy Agency has released a report which maps out pathways for renewable energy to meet more than 30% of global energy demand by 2030 at no additional cost, with currently available technologies. [solarserver.com]

¶   The UK Government faces criticism for failing to make people aware renewable heating systems could trim their bills by 45%. A new report released yesterday shows “widespread” lack of awareness from the public about switching to renewable heating. [Energy Live News]

¶   In Australia, a new report suggests that the improving economics of solar and battery technology mean that by 2020 it would be cost-effective for new housing projects and regional towns to employ stand-alone power systems and go off-grid. [Business Spectator]

¶   The Mexican Government goal for 2024 is that 35% of electrical power comes from renewable sources. Installed wind capacity is currently about 2 GW. Forecasts predict that installed wind capacity will grow to around 12 GW in the next six years. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   A single stretch of water off the north coast of Scotland could provide sufficient renewable tidal energy to power about half the country, engineers say. Tidal turbines placed in the Pentland Firth could generate 1.9 gigawatts of power. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   Market research firm IHS estimates that only 340 MW of commercial grid-connected energy storage systems were installed across 2012 and 2013. However, the firm forecasts annual installations will reach over 6 GW in 2017, 43% of that in the US. [Renew Grid]

¶   The possibility of a binding renewable energy target for the EU is back on the table at negotiations in Brussels. PV Tech understands that the current draft of the new 2030 climate and energy plan calls for a target of either 27% or 30%. [PV-Tech]

¶   European Greens are considering a challenge to the UK’s tax breaks and incentives for shale gas under state aid rules, as the government holds out against a new renewable energy target for the EU. [The Guardian]

¶   Silvan Shalom, Israel’s National Infrastructure, Energy, and Water Minister, gave a speech at the 2014 World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi. During Shalom’s speech, all Arab ministerial delegations remained in their seats. [Israel Hayom]

¶   A record high level of beta rays released from radioactive strontium-90 has been detected at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant beneath the No. 2 reactor’s well facing the ocean, according to the facility’s operator. [The Market Oracle]

US:

¶   The US Defense Department expects to source at least 25% of its energy from renewable sources by 2025. Between 2010 and 2012, the number of renewable energy projects embraced by the U.S. military branches increased from 454 to 700. [GreenBiz.com]

¶   Akron, Ohio will have 100% of its biosolids processed anaerobically by the Akron Renewable Energy Facility. Anaerobic digesters will generate roughly 12,192 MWh of electricity from it in 2014, enough to provide electricity to 1,600 homes. [Water World]

Opinion:

¶   “Five Ways to Play the End of the Natural Gas Renaissance: Interview with Bill Powers” Bill Powers is an independent analyst, private investor and author of the book “Cold, Hungry and in the Dark: Exploding the Natural Gas Supply Myth.” [Energy Collective]

World:

¶   Iran halted its most sensitive uranium enrichment work as part of a landmark deal struck with world powers, easing concerns over the country’s nuclear program and clearing the way for a partial lifting of sanctions, the UN said. [Ct Post]

¶   Sweden has just ordered electrical systems for 36 “next-generation” high-speed trains from ABB. “The first retrofitted train will be delivered in 2015. After successful testing and evaluation, the remainder of the trains will be built through 2019. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Kenya’s burgeoning solar power industry could potentially power more than half of the country’s energy needs by 2016, according to local experts. Nine sites have been identified, and a pot of $1.2 billion has been made available. [pv magazine]

¶   The MENA region could see more than $50 billion worth investments made in its solar power sector by 2020 as regional governments increasingly push for the adoption of clean energy, new research has found.[Gulf Business News]

¶   European Greens are considering a challenge to the UK’s tax breaks and incentives for shale gas under state aid rules, as the government holds out against a new renewable energy target for the EU. [The Guardian]

¶   Maria Damanaki and Günther Oettinger, the European commissioners for maritime affairs and energy respectively, today (20 January) presented an action plan to spur faster development of renewable Ocean Energy. [European Voice]

US:

¶   Booming levels of shale oil production will not affect the country’s commitment to cutting its carbon footprint, US energy secretary Ernest Moniz has said. Efficiency, alternative fuel use and electrification were the “three prongs” the USA would use to get off oil. [Responding to Climate Change]

¶   The owner of SenecaMountain is vowing to build a wind project on the NortheastKingdom ridgeline over the objections of area property owners who rejected a proposal to build 20 industrial turbines. The site is to have 20 large turbines. [Valley News]

¶   An environmental group, two wind power company representatives and a state legislator will conduct a conference call with New Hampshire reporters on Tuesday, as the state House considers a bill for a moratorium on new wind projects. [The Union Leader]

¶   Bear Republic, a brewery, can expect to get an annual return on investment of more than 25% by switching from conventional wastewater treatment to the EcoVolt system, which will turn brewery waste into power and heat. [CleanTechnica]

Opinion:

¶   “Here’s What The New Omnibus Budget Means For Climate And Energy Policy” For environmental and climate concerns, the omnibus budget brings a variety of changes for both good and ill, starting with funding for the relevant agencies and departments. [ThinkProgress]

¶   “Clean Energy Continues to Be a Smart Investment” When frigid temperatures last week caused the unexpected shutdown of two power plants in Texas, wind energy stepped in to help keep residents warm. [Energy Collective]

World:

¶   The UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change wants ‘established’ renewables to compete for funding under the upcoming contracts for difference regime. Large onshore wind, solar PV, and hydro are effected, along with some biogas. [Solar Power Portal]

¶   Ontario has reached an agreement through the Ontario Power Authority with Elementa Group Inc that will see the company build a news 9.5 MW renewable energy generating facility in Sault Ste. Marie. [LOCAL2 Sault Ste. Marie]

¶   Solar power production in Switzerland increased dramatically in 2013. During 2013, 300 MW of solar PV was installed, resulting in an overall capacity of 730 MW by the end of the year. This is enough to power 200,000 typical households. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

US:

¶   Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of Connecticut analyzed more than 122,000 home sales near 26 wind facilities in densely populated Massachusetts, yet was unable to find any impacts to nearby home property values. [Windpower Engineering]

¶   Vermont lawmakers have a plan to open up the state’s so-called “net metering” program to match the growing demand. A new bill offers a fast-track solution to take advantage of federal solar tax credits before their possible expiration in 2017. [vtdigger.org]

¶   More than 50 million pounds of toxic pollutants are being pumped each year into the nation’s waterways from fossil fuel power plants, most of them coal, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. [Newser]

¶   Concentrations of tritium found in late December during groundwater monitoring at Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station were the highest detected since testing began at the plant in 2007, at 69,000 picocuries per liter. [Capecodonline]