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Science and Technology:

¶ Researchers at Glasgow University aim to harness photo-synthetic bacteria to create a hydrocarbon similar to petrol. As well as being renewable, the new fuel would be storable, cutting reliance on dwindling reserves of coal, oil and gas. The process would take up carbon dioxide that would otherwise be a greenhouse gas. [Scotsman]

World:

¶ European power sector emissions fell by 8% in 2014, and electricity consumption fell by 2.7%. These are fantastic numbers across the 28 member states of one of the most influential power-blocs in the world. This is according to Sandbag, which is dedicated to shining light on tracking emissions trading in the EU. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The UAE has signed partnership agreements to fund renewable energy projects in four Pacific island countries. The Marshall Islands and the Solomon Islands will get 600 kW each, Nauru will get 500 kW, and Palau will have 434 kW. The solar-powered from are expected to be completed in 2016. [Gulf Business News]

¶ A report from the International Renewable Energy Agency, Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2014, concludes that biomass, hydropower, geothermal and onshore wind are all competitive with or cheaper than coal, oil and gas-fired power stations, even without financial support and despite falling oil prices. [Utilities-ME.com]

¶ China ranks the top in the world in terms of the use of renewable energy with the increasing switch to renewable energy resources. China’s investment in clean energy in 2014 hit a record $89.5 billion , accounting for 29% of the world’s total. Renewable generation provided for 22% of Chinese power consumption in 2014. [AsiaOne]

¶ The Bahamas is planning a major new green push, as the 700-island archipelago is set to launch a wide solar energy project. As part of its participation in the Carbon War Room’s Ten Island Challenge, the Bahamas will advance 20 MW of solar utility-scale farms on several islands this year. [Caribbean Journal]

¶ In British Columbia, the Surrey Biofuels Processing Facility project will be the first closed-loop fully integrated organics waste management system in North America. It will convert household organic waste collected at curbside into renewable natural gas to fuel the collection trucks and also produce compost. [Beacon News]

¶ Solar energy is now cheaper than grid prices and most competing technologies on a utility scale. Electric vehicles pose a real threat to gasoline consumption. One big oil company in France has committed to the future of solar energy and other nascent industries that could interrupt the energy industry’s status quo. [Motley Fool]

¶ The Japanese government is considering setting 20% as the amount of the total domestic electric power output to be generated using nuclear energy in 2030, almost the same level as renewable energy resources. Prior to the Fukushima disaster, nuclear power contributed 28.6% of the country’s power. [The Japan News]

US:

¶ Economic evaluation of US federal climate policies hinges on a social cost of carbon estimate of $37 per metric ton of CO2 in 2013. Unfortunately, each metric ton of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere causes $220 in economic damages, say the Stanford researchers, a staggering economic problem. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Last year, the 550-MW capacity Topaz Solar project became fully operational and claimed the title of largest solar plant on-line in the world. Now Topaz has to share the crown with First Solar’s 550-MW Desert Sunlight project in Riverside, California, which went all-on this month, according to the California ISO. [Energy Collective]

¶ Several of the Montana Legislature’s more conservative Republicans and a Democrat are sponsoring bills to broaden the market for renewable-power systems, by expanding net metering. Without it, most individual solar PV or windpower systems are un-economic for the average homeowner or business. [Ravalli Republic]

Science and Technology:

¶ 2014 was the Earth’s warmest year on record, according to the National Climatic Data Center, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Average temperatures were 0.07 degrees Fahrenheit above the previous high recorded since record-keeping began in 1880, the agency said. [CNN]

World:

¶ Wind power displaced £579 million of coal and gas imports in the UK in 2013, increasing resilience, according to Cambridge Econometrics. Coal imports were reduced by an estimated 4.9 million tonnes and gas by 1.4 billion cubic metres. Some 56% of the nation’s gas supplies and 79% of its coal were imported. [reNews]

¶ South Africa’s Department of Energy has announced two new concentrating solar power plants to be built in the Northern Cape. The Kathu Solar Park and Redstone Solar Thermal Power project, each of which will have 100 MW capacity, are in the third round of the government’s renewable power program. [BusinessTech]

¶ Scotland’s rural electricity network is to receive its most significant upgrade in decades after Perth-based utility SSE accepted a new £1.118 billion funding proposal for the project. An SSE subsidiary agreed to develop the 1.2 gigawatt Caithness to Moray subsea transmission link with energy watchdog Ofgem. [The Courier]

¶ Australian Greens have launched their Queensland election campaign in Brisbane by promising millions to encourage households to start using solar energy. Greens Leader Christine Milne announced the three-point strategy, saying it removed barriers to installing solar for the people who most needed lower power bills. [Full-Time Whistle]

¶ Spending on renewable energy, which surged 16% in 2014, will remain strong this year, largely unaffected by the slumping oil prices that have depressed their shares. That’s the message from Goldman Sachs’ global head of clean technology and renewables, and Deutsche Bank AG’s renewable-energy analyst. [The News Journal]

¶ An additional 78 MW of energy are expected to be supplied to the Jamaican power grid, through two renewable projects to be undertaken along the nation’s south coast. They are a 58 MW wind energy development in Manchester and a solar facility to generate approximately 20 MW of power in Clarendon. [Jamaica Observer]

¶ Renewable energy consumption is set to grow over the next few years, and according to a new report from the Economist Intelligence Unit, said growth will outstrip growth in the fossil fuel industry. Despite this growth, non-fossil fuels are faced with political challenges that may hamper their ability to flourish. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The Cuban government wants to make Granma province 100% renewably powered as a model for the rest of the island. They are well on their way. In 2013, renewables supplied 37% of all the energy consumed in Granma province, and the province currently has 3,664 renewable energy systems in operation. [BillMoyers.com]

US:

¶ The first large-scale wind turbine to be installed in New York City was installed in Brooklyn, built to help power a recycling plant at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. It was installed by Aegis Renewables, of Waitsfield, Vermont. The turbine was made by Northern Power Systems, of Barre, Vermont. [Greentech Lead]

¶ Michigan Governor Rick Snyder says he wants to look into weaning the state off coal-fired generation. Currently, Michigan sources about 50% of its power from coal-fired plants, but Snyder told the Michigan Conservative Energy Forum that now is the time to look at a long-term transition away from coal. [Platts]

¶ The Virginia administration put out the call this week, asking interested companies to suggest solar projects for state facilities. The state’s not planning to sign contracts immediately. It’s looking for ideas to harness the sun’s power “at, around and/or atop state-owned property,” the governor’s office said. [Daily Press]

¶ A subsidiary of New Jersey Natural Gas, NJR Clean Energy Ventures, has installed solar panels on more than 3,200 homes, making it the state’s third-largest residential solar provider. Including 17 commercial solar projects, the company invested almost $400 million in solar energy in New Jersey. [Asbury Park Press]

¶ With the aim of providing US customers with a single contracting group to manage and deliver nuclear decontamination and decommissioning, Bechtel and Westinghouse Electric Company have announced the formation a partnership between the two that brings more than 100 years of industry experience. [KHL Group]

World:

¶ India’s largest wind energy equipment maker is continuing with efforts to take full advantage of the changing regulatory and financial environment in the country. Suzlon announced a plan to invest $3.7 billion to develop 3 GW wind energy capacity in Gujarat at the Vibrant Gujarat Global investors summit. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Hanwha Group has recently completed construction of its 24 MW solar power plant in Japan, cementing its leading position in the Japanese solar power market. The Kitsuki plant is built on mountain slopes. The project has 97,000 modules and can produce enough electricity annually to power 7,190 homes. [The Korea Bizwire]

¶ The green bond market saw incredible growth last year, reaching $36.6 billion issued by 73 different issuers, according to figures released by the Climate Bonds Initiative. The figure for 2014 is more than triple the number recorded in 2013. The growth takes the total amount of green bonds outstanding to $53.2 billion. [Blue & Green Tomorrow]

¶ Boston-Power, a notable players in the lithium-ion battery market, is apparently now looking to “compete with Elon Musk” and will be scaling-up its battery factories to produce much higher quantities of batteries. The scaling-up process will be funded with $290 million from Chinese government agencies. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Ethiopia has signed an agreement with an Israeli solar power company to further its goal of providing environmentally friendly and affordable renewable energy for its population. Ethiopia often suffers from blackouts due to its lack of lack of power and two-thirds of the country’s citizens have no electricity. [Jspace News]

¶ The reputations of companies linked to fossil fuels are at immediate risk from a fast-growing divestment campaign, warned a senior investment analyst at Axa Investment Managers, which manages over $700 billion of assets. She pointed to four Australian banks losing $328 million worth of fossil-fuel business. [The Guardian]

US:

¶ Prices of natural gas prices and electric power are not connected, as a graph from Deutsche Bank comparing them reveals. It shows that while natural gas prices in the US have fallen 88% since 2008, from a peak of $13/mmb to as low as $2/mmb, consumer electricity prices actually rose 20% over the same period. [CleanTechnica]

¶ California is clearly the US leader in energy storage after the state’s 2013 mandate that its largest utilities have 1,325 megawatts of electricity storage operating by 2024 to help fight climate change. Storage will help the state reach its climate goal of having 50% of its electricity supplied by renewables by 2030. [Discovery News]

¶ America’s clean energy economy is celebrating. A new report shows the solar industry’s explosive growth is creating new, highly skilled jobs at a rate nearly 20 times faster than the overall economy. One out of every 78 new jobs created in the US over the past 12 months was created by the solar industry. [Click Green]

¶ The West Virginia Legislature wants to repeal state renewable energy standards that require generating 25% of electricity have renewable or alternative power sources by 2025. A power company official said could be met at no additional cost. (Very efficient coal plants are included as alternative.) [Wetzel Chronicle]

¶ Florida businesses and property owners would be able to sell a limited amount of solar energy under a ballot initiative for a constitutional amendment rolled out Wednesday by a coalition, “Floridians for Solar Choice,” that brings together free-market conservatives, retailers and alternative-energy supporters. [RenewablesBiz]

¶ New York state regulators gave Rochester Gas and Electric and Exelon more time to negotiate the future of the Ginna nuclear power plant. Exelon says Ginna is losing tens of millions of dollars a year and needs to sell power at a higher price. RG&E would have to pass on extra costs to customers. [Rochester Democrat and Chronicle]

Opinion:

¶ “Why the Smart Money is Betting on Renewable Energy – Brewing Solar Power Boom” The price of oil may be down, for a while, but the decline in cost of renewable energy means last year’s investment brought in almost double the clean electricity capacity than what it did only four years earlier. [The Market Oracle]

¶ “Can Moore’s Law Be Applied to Power Electronics for Solar and Storage?” – Antoine Paquin, CEO of Solantro Semiconductor, based  in Ontario, Canada and Silicon Valley, believes Moore’s law can lower the cost of solar power electronics. And interestingly, the reasons for this are much the same. [Greentech Media]

World:

¶ The California-based renewable energy company SolarReserve, along with Saudi Arabian ACWA Power, have been given the go-ahead by the South African Department of Energy to build a 100-MW solar power + thermal energy storage project in the country. The Redstone project is expected to come online in 2018. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Finnish scientists believe that renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, will become the cheapest energy for consumers in Asia in next 10 years. A project has successfully modelled comprehensive energy systems based entirely on renewable energy sources for China, South Korea and Japan. [New Kerala]

¶ A new report shows electricity demand in Australia’s National Electricity Market decreased again in 2014. Following a trend that began in 2009, GreenMarkets says consumption fell last year by 1.1%, down 2098 GWh from 2013. The fact that power from roof-top solar PVs is not considered for the tally is relevant. [Energy Matters]

¶ German offshore windpower had 258 turbines totalling 1049.2 MW as 2014 ended. This is more than double what there was the previous year. A further 268 turbines totalling 1218.1 MW are in place but not fully grid-linked by the end of the year, so they are already set to more than double the capacity again this year. [reNews]

¶ China’s ambitions to be a leader in nuclear technology have been dealt a fresh blow, as construction of its most advanced reactor is facing a new delay. The project, which China is developing with Westinghouse Electric Co, faces new development problems and is not expected to start up until 2016 at the earliest. [Wall Street Journal]

US:

¶ It is now common practice in the US coal industry for companies to sell a significant portion of the coal that they mine back to themselves, through the use of subsidiaries. In this way, the coal companies can both increase the amount of money they get from the Interior Department and dodge tax payments. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Goddard College said it has completed its divestment from fossil fuel company investments, making it the third college in Vermont to divest after Sterling and Green Mountain College. Its president said the college has moved its endowment funds into fossil fuel-free accounts at Trillium Asset Management in Boston. [Boston Globe]

¶ The US can increase its use of renewable energy in power generation by more than triple by 2030, according to a new report, “Renewable Energy Prospects: United States of America,” by the International Renewable Energy Agency. Currently, renewable sources provide 14% of US power. This can grow to 50%. [EcoSeed]

¶ The group Floridians for Solar Choice, which consists of several conservative groups and a couple of not-so-conservtive ones, is teaming up with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy to get a solar energy amendment on the state ballot in 2016. It would allow owners of PVs to sell solar power to consumers. [Creative Loafing Tampa]

¶ The Obama Administration is announcing a series of steps to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40% to 45% from 2012 levels by 2025, encompassing both commonsense standards and cooperative engagement with states, tribes and industry to put us on a path toward the 2025 goal. [Renewable Energy Focus]

World:

¶ The South Australian grid operator is recognizing the value of rooftop solar. It says it has pushed the peak back much later in the day, reduced the breadth of peak demand (much to the chagrin of the conventional generators who relied on the peaks for income), and reduced stress on the grid at peak times. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Investment bank Deutsche Bank is predicting that solar systems will be at grid parity in up to 80% of the global market within 2 years, and says the collapse in the oil price will do little to slow down the solar juggernaut. Grid-based electricity prices are rising across the world, and solar costs are still falling. [CleanTechnica]

¶ GDF Suez is the latest European energy giant announcing plans to focus more on renewable projects. The French utility aims to double its power generation capacity from renewable energy in Europe by 2025, with emphasis on marine energies. It will have a renewables capacity of 21 GW by the end of 2015. [Utilities-ME.com]

¶ In Japan, the Abe administration decided to boost efforts next year to promote renewable energy, after the feed-in tariff system ran into trouble only two years after its introduction. The administration is expected to secure ¥130.7 billion ($1.12 billion) for renewable energy programs in the fiscal 2015 budget. [The Japan Times]

¶ The French energy and environment minister says France should build a new generation of nuclear reactors to replace its ageing power stations that provide a majority of the country’s electricity. The comments give the first signal the government will emphasize nuclear in France’s energy production. [Yahoo News UK]

¶ Based on a poll of E2Energy investors in the UK, wind was the most popular and preferred technology choice for investment at 87%, with solar coming second with 85%. The research also revealed 30% of lenders were female and an impressive 87% said they would consider investing again. [Click Green]

US:

¶ A recently released report from the NC Clean Energy Technology Center suggests that in almost every one of America’s 50 largest cities, a solar PV system of typical size offers a better return than the stock market, and for 42 of them, the cost of solar is already less than from their local utility. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Analysis of the impact US tight oil has on global oil markets shows that only around one quarter of the drop in US imports of 1.7 million barrels per day since 2005 to 2006 can be explained by the tight oil boom. Oil imports dropped by about 1 million barrels per day before the tight oil boom even began. [Resilience]

¶ The Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation recently wrote a piece highlighting the impressive potential for offshore wind development in the US. The figures say the US has a projected 4,223 GW worth of offshore wind generating potential, with 50 GW from the Ohio waters of Lake Erie alone. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Northampton, Massachusetts may soon join dozens of other municipalities in the state that have turned old landfills into solar farms. And, in what appears to be a first in western Massachusetts at least, solar arrays may pop up at some municipal parking lots, according to the city’s energy officer. [WAMC]

¶ Spanish developer Iberdrola Renewables is laying the groundwork for a 100-MW wind farm in Maine. The Fletcher Mountain scheme will feature 30 to 35 turbines, depending on turbine type and final layout. It would interconnect into utility Central Maine Power Company’s Wyman Hydro substation. [reNews]

¶ Ohio’s two-year timeout on its mandate that utilities get more of their power from renewable and advanced technology sources has dampened investment in what were once booming solar and wind industries in the state, according to a study released Tuesday by the nonpartisan Pew Charitable Trust. [Toledo Blade]

World:

¶ Access Power MEA has teamed up with EREN to form Access Infra Africa, an investment vehicle for early stage development of power projects in Africa. The partners say AIA will be the largest privately funded vehicle of its kind and plan for a portfolio of power assets in Africa worth over $500 million. [Ventures Africa]

¶ In India, SunEdison and Omnigrid Micropower Company Pvt Ltd announced that they have signed a framework agreement to develop 5,000 rural projects, representing 250 MW of electricity, throughout India over the next three to five years. They hope the deal will bring electric power to 10 million people. [Power Online]

¶ Market research firm IHS projects growth in the global market for grid-connected residential PV solar installations with energy storage from the current 90 MW to over 900 MW in 2018. Cost reductions for storage, such as lithium-ion batteries, are starting to help drive the installation of solar systems. [SmartMeters]

¶ Samsung Renewable Energy Inc and Pattern Energy Group Inc today announced that the Grand Renewable Wind project has completed construction and reached commercial operation. The 149 MW facility has the capacity to produce clean power for approximately 50,000 Ontario homes each year. [AZoCleantech]

¶ US Secretary of State John Kerry said the US had hopes for talks next month between President Obama and Indian Prime Minister Modi in four areas, one of which is nuclear reactors. The others are agreements on renewable energy and climate change, defence partnership, and the economic partnership. [The Hindu]

¶ From turning the thermostat down one degree to harnessing waste heat from industry to power homes, energy efficiency measures are worth more than £37 billion to the British economy each year, according to analysis that will issue next week from the Combined Heat and Power Association. [Business Green]

¶ Only 96 people live in the Polish village of Zurawlow, but they stopped Chevron! For 400 days, farmers and families from Zurawlow and nearby villages blockaded a proposed Chevron shale drilling site with tractors and agricultural machinery. Eventually, the company abandoned its plans. [The Guardian]

US:

¶ MidAmerican Energy hopes to complete the final wind farm in its five-project, 1050-MW Wind 8 cluster in Iowa by year end. They estimate total investment in the project will be $1.9 billion. Siemens is supplying its 448 turbines. Google will buy up to 407 MW of the output for its Council Bluffs data center. [reNews]

¶ Three hundred professors at Stanford University, including latest Fields medal winner Maryam Mirzakhani and a number of Nobel Laureates, have urged the university’s president and board of trustees to divest away from all fossil fuel companies and fully recognize the urgency of climate change. [pv magazine]

¶ Three Illinois state agencies gave state legislators a list of options for keeping Exelon’s nuclear plants running, including a carbon tax and a cap-and-trade program, all of which will likely result in higher consumer power prices. The Illinois House had requested the agencies to report on the issue. [RTO Insider]

¶ The US could get nearly 50% of its generation from renewable sources by 2030 with existing technologies and the right policies and investments, according to a report released by the International Renewable Energy Agency. The report is one of the first in IRENA’s Remap 2030 series. [POWER magazine]

¶ The owner of the Vermont Yankee, nuclear power plant says the fuel has been removed from the reactor and placed in the spent fuel pool. The information was contained in a letter dated Friday from Entergy Nuclear Operations to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. [Greenfield Daily Reporter]

Opinion:

¶ “Energy firms are waging a price war they might be unable to win” Oil prices have tumbled, dipping to less than $50 a barrel. This reflects efforts of the large established businesses with low production costs, to drive high-cost producers out of a market. But the market’s nature is changing, and the tactic can fail. [RenewEconomy]

Science and Technology:

¶ Every year, botanists in the UK look for flowers in bloom on New Year’s Day. Even given Britain’s mild climate, it seems surprising that they usually find about twenty or thirty species flowering. This year, however, they were stunned. They found flowers of three hundred and sixty-eight species. [BBC News]

¶ Researchers at the College of Engineering at Oregon State University found that large-scale wave energy devices will be able to produce power without putting significant new pressures on the grid to balance out supply and demand. This may make them even less expensive for power than solar and wind. [Business Green]

World:

¶ The latest ultra mega solar power project announced in India is in the state of Gujarat, the state that originated the concept of solar parks. It will also include wind energy installations. The new project announced under India’s ultra mega solar power policy will provide 5 GW of solar and wind power combined. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Uncertainty surrounding the renewable energy target has made the large-scale sector of the industry in Australia “uninvestable”, a clean energy analyst says. A report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance said large-scale energy investment fell 88% to $240 million in 2014 compared to the previous year. [ABC Online]

¶ Pakistan’s Alternative Energy Development Board has issued a Letter of Intent for a $125 million 49.50MW wind power project to M/s Master Wind Energy Limited, a subsidiary of Master Group. The 49.5-MW wind power project will be set up on 1,408 acres of land in Jhampir, district Thatta. [Customs Today Newspaper]

¶ Institutional investors risk missing out on renewables boom, according to new research from indexing firm MSCI. They continue shifting away from carbon-intensive assets but are not moving fast enough to capitalise on the rapid growth of clean tech, and are missing out on potentially attractive returns as a result. [Business Green]

¶ Addressing the 7th Vibrant Gujarat Investors, UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon today termed the year 2015 as ‘the most important year for humanity’ and called for working towards a better and sustainable world with special emphasis on inclusive growth and prevention of climate change. [Day & Night News]

¶ Switzerland-based ABB has commissioned the 500-kV Skagerrak 4 HVDC link between Norway and Denmark. The project sets a new record in transmission voltage using voltage source converters. Two 700MW VSC stations will use semiconductors to convert electricity from high-voltage AC to DC and back. [reNews]

¶ The hacking of South Korea’s nuclear operator means the country’s second-oldest reactor may be shut permanently due to safety concerns, said several nuclear watchdog commissioners, raising the risk that other ageing reactors may also be closed. Nuclear power provides about a third of South Korea’s electricity. [Daily News & Analysis]

US:

¶ Battery startup Aquion Energy made a deal with an off-grid residential estate in Hawaii to supply a 1-MWh Aqueous Hybrid Ion battery. The battery will be combined with the Bakken Hale estate’s 176 kW solar PV system to provide for almost all of its electricity use — allowing for a completely off-grid setup. [CleanTechnica]

¶ It looks as though opposition to the practice of fracking has finally started to coalesce even in the political world, based on recent statements and positions taken in places not known for their environmental boldness and leadership. Recent blunt statements from a Florida state representative stand out. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ Noted campaigning organization Avaaz recently sent a petition with the signatures of 2.2 million people to the UN secretary general. It asked all levels of government worldwide to transition to 100% renewable energy. Avaaz is currently aiming to get at least 100 cities around the world to join its campaign. [CleanTechnica]

¶ A slaughterhouse in Kenya converts its waste to biogas it then uses to generate electricity, powering the meat cold room and processing equipment. It also pipes the gas to local hotels. Now the Maasai hope to take the project a step further by selling the alternative fuel in cylinders for half the price of natural gas. [Yahoo News]

¶ A consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power International won a €1.7 billion contract to build two solar power plants totalling 350 MW in the city of Ouarzazate, Morocco, the Moroccan solar energy agency says. The plants are part of a government plan to produce two GW of solar power by 2020. [Gulf Business News]

¶ Students in rural Kenya have developed a biodigester that turns their school’s sewage into biogas to power the kitchen. They replaced pit toilets, which often backed up and contaminated a nearby stream, with a biodigester. The unit sends gas to the kitchen, reducing the school’s dependence on wood fuel for cooking. [Business Standard]

¶ Five aging Japanese nuclear reactors will be decommissioned in the near future, a move that government officials hope will increase public support for resuming operations at newer reactors. The reactors are all at or near a 40-year age limit at which they must meet stricter safety requirements to operate. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶ Duke Energy and Dominion North Carolina Power sought to lower the evaluation for solar energy being fed to the grid. Though the State Utilities Commission agreed that there may be costs that could be added to the avoided cost calculations, they noted benefits the utilities had failed to account for. [CleanTechnica]

¶ An old golf course in Warren, Massachusetts is now home to 57,000 solar panels that are producing enough electricity to power 2,300 homes. It is owned by First Wind Holdings Inc, which now has two solar projects in the Worcester area, and 17 wind projects across the US, with two more under construction. [Worcester Telegram]

¶ Rochester Gas and Electric Corp has proposed a plan for easing the Ginna nuclear plant into retirement while lessening additional costs to clients. The proposal is part of proceedings to establish whether buyers should pay a premium for electricity from the aging plant, which is losing money. [Macro Insider]

¶ Monroe County, New York may host a solar power farm to deliver reduced-price, renewable electrical energy to a county-owned facility. Officials are reviewing proposals received from a number of energy providers to finance and construct a solar farm. Electrical energy would be sold to the county. [Macro Insider]

¶ California, a national leader in advancing energy storage, envisions this technology as a critical component in reducing global warming, improving air quality and promoting energy independence. The state currently has several pilot projects, and is working toward commercialization of energy storage. [Imperial Valley News]

¶ DE Shaw Renewable Investments has started construction of the Red Horse 2 wind and solar project in Cochise County, Arizona. The 71-MW project is one of the first combined wind and solar projects in the US. It combines Vestas V110 wind turbines with Jinko Solar PV panels and Advanced Energy inverters. [Greentech Lead]

Science and Technology:

¶ Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and DVGW have demonstrated that power from wind and solar power can be stored in the form of methane efficiently made from biomass-based carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The DemoSNG pilot plant constructed by the KIT will operate in Sweden. [Phys.Org]

World:

¶ The first Round-The-World flight powered entirely by solar energy has begun with transportation of Solar Impulse 2 — disassembled, in the belly of a Cargolux Boeing 747 — from the Payerne aerodrome in Switzerland to the departure and final landing city of Abu Dhabi, according to the Solar Impulse team. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Following the relatively recent news that China and the US have agreed to stronger carbon-emissions goals, a Chinese entity by the name of Xiang Yang Institute and a US-based company called Focused Sun have announced that they are partnering to develop solar microgrids in China (and elsewhere). [CleanTechnica]

¶ Ireland will soon see its first anaerobic digester driven by agricultural produce, in the townland of Dromkeen. The plant will provide enough electricity to the grid to power all the 1,700 plus homes in the village and parish. In addition to producing electricity, the plant will provide its waste heat to local buildings. [The Kerryman]

¶ The UK Green Party has welcomed plans to turn South Cheshire into a potential hub for geothermal energy, as government funding has been secured for the project. Although the Greens welcomed the news, they are also called for other forms of power to create energy for homes and businesses. [Nantwich News]

¶ A proposed £30 million anaerobic digester for Bucks County, UK, would provide enough electricity to power the Arla megadairy next door. Arla and waste firm Olleco want the digester to process 50,000 tonnes of biomass consisting of waste food from nearby shops, depots, restaurants and canteens. [Bucks Herald]

¶ London Mayor Boris Johnson confirmed yesterday the disused, 108-year-old Greenwich power plant in South London will be fitted with a new combined heat and power unit, with new and cleaner turbines, providing electricity to help run the London Underground and heat to homes and businesses in the area. [Business Green]

US:

¶ In April we reported that seismologists were hot on the trail of a “smoking gun” that would link fracking to earthquakes on Ohio. At the time the experts were a bit cautious, but earlier this week the Seismological Society of America came out with a definitive statement: yes, fracking earthquakes are real. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the Keystone XL’s proposed route through the state can go forward. A supermajority of five judges is needed to strike down a law in Nebraska, but only a simple majority of four judges agreed the state law allowing the pipeline to be built was unconstitutional. [Huffington Post]

¶ The natural gas industry is sparring with environmentalists over whether demand for gas is being exaggerated to boost support for a controversial pipeline project in New England. A lack of pipeline capacity has led to higher energy bills even as wholesale natural gas prices have dropped nationally. [The Daily News of Newburyport]

¶ SunEdison, Inc and TerraForm Power, Inc announced that SunEdison had purchased new turbines that will enable development of up to 1.6 GW of incremental wind energy projects and qualifying for the US federal production tax credit. TerraForm will purchase the projects as they are finished. [AZoCleantech]

¶ Massachusetts awarded more than $18 million to thirteen projects across the state to enhance energy resiliency. The money will go to critical facilities for combined heat and power, battery storage and microgrids. Northampton received $3 million for a microgrid for three key emergency facilities. [Greentech Media]

¶ The company dismantling the closed Zion nuclear plant on Lake Michigan is running out of money to finish the job, according to the site’s owner, Exelon. The project was paid for with $800 million collected from state electric ratepayers over decades, and third-party decomission is a matter of scrutiny. [Chicago Tribune]

Opinion:

¶ “2014: A Positive Sign of What’s to come in Clean Energy” – A quick scan of the US climate and energy news in 2014 will tell you it was a very big year. Many factors are working for positive change. Now, the US is on the verge of a revolution in the way we make, move, and use energy. [Environmental Defense Fund]

¶ “IHS: Top 10 predictions for global PV market in 2015” – Among the market research firm’s forecasts for the coming year: By the end of 2015, California, already the largest renewable power market in the United States, will attain worldwide leadership in market share of annual PV power generation. [pv magazine]

Science and Technology:

¶ The Bureau of Meteorology in Australia released its annual climate statement, for 2014. As expected, it was once again a hot year across the continent. There is a lot of year-to-year variation driven by natural climate variability, but the 10-year running mean plots a relatively steady rise over the last 60+ years. [Energy Collective]

World:

¶ Clean energy investment rose in 2014 for the first time in three years, as China’s support for solar power and record spending on wind farms overcame a slump in oil prices that unsettled the industry’s outlook. New funds for wind, solar, biofuels and other low-carbon technologies gained 16% to $310 billion. [Businessweek]

¶ Mercom Capital Group tallied $26.5 billion in solar project investment from corporate funding sources during 2014. That’s an astounding 175% increase over 2013, when Mercom counted just $9.6 billion. The reason is that perception of the solar sector has moved from one of high risk to one with low-risk yields. [CleanTechnica]

¶ In the face of growing pressures from many quarters to slow down on global warming and decrease pollution, major companies have gone on the offensive, extolling their contributions to human progress and minimizing the potential for renewables to replace fossil fuels in just about any imaginable future. [OilPrice.com]

US:

¶ The Koch brothers and large corporations such as Walmart have been focusing their efforts on preventing consumers from installing their own forms of clean energy, or at the very least charging them a hefty usage fee. Five states took anti-solar actions in 2014, each discouraging independent installations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ With gas pump prices near their lowest levels in five years, greener, cleaner alternative fuels are taking a hit. Makers of biodiesel, a fuel made from vegetable oil or animal fats, are slashing prices and margins in a bid to stay competitive with the price of diesel fuel, which is down more than 20% from a year ago. [GlobalPost]

¶ With greater numbers of Republicans in the Colorado Legislature this year, along with falling energy prices, party leaders are feeling more confident about their chances of rolling back the state’s renewable energy mandates. They want to cut the mandate for large utilities in half, from 30% by 2020 to 15%. [CBS Local]

¶ In New Jersey, Raritan Valley Community College has been commended by the US EPA’s Green Power Partnership for using wind power to meet all of the Branchburg campus’ electricity needs. The College is now using 9000 MWh of wind power, enough to meet 100% of the electricity needs for the main campus. [NJ.com]

¶ Just minutes before Charlie Baker became governor of Massachusetts, the Patrick administration released a $250,000 study suggesting winter electricity prices are likely to remain very high and experience sharp spikes for the next four years because of a lack of natural gas pipeline capacity. [CommonWealth magazine]

¶ So-called grid batteries could lower the cost of renewable energy by eliminating intermittency problems. Aquion Energy, a Pittsburgh-based startup that makes one such battery, announced that the technology will allow a small electricity grid in Hawaii to run around the clock on solar power. [MIT Technology Review]

¶ Even as the Tennessee Valley Authority completes the nation’s first new nuclear plant in a generation, Fitch Ratings, a major rating service, says premature plant retirements threaten the industry. Eight merchant nuclear units with a total capacity of 8,000 MW are at risk of early retirement. [Electric Co-op Today]

Opinion:

¶ “Energiewende Will Succeed” American critics of the Energiewende have regularly announced its approaching demise for years. They have also recorded what they claimed were its clear failures. But their cost calculations fail to compare it with alternatives, and their criticisms fail to acknowledge the programs successes. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Where in the World Are the Fossil Fuels That Cannot Be Burned to Restrain Global Warming?” Canada, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the US cannot burn much of the coal, oil and gas located within their national territories if the world wants to restrain global warming, according to new analysis published in Nature. [Scientific American]

¶ Energy engineering group Alstom, and Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University will collaborate to design, develop and deploy a MicroGrid Power Mix Management solution in the context of the Renewable Energy Integration Demonstrator – Singapore initiative. [Cogeneration & On-Site Power Production Magazine]

World:

¶ Germany’s green energy transition project, Energiewende, is boasting significant progress compared to one year ago. For the first time, in 2014, renewable energy sources were the most important source in the country’s power mix. With a share of 27.3%, renewables replaced lignite for first place. [EurActiv]

¶ German power sector greenhouse gas emissions fell in 2014, hitting their second-lowest level since 1990, according to German think-tank Agora Energiewende. The sector emitted 301 million tonnes of CO2 last year, down from 317 million in 2013. The previous low was 294 million in 2009 [Argus Media]

¶ Renewable energy will play an increasingly important role in the Middle East and North Africa in the coming decades. By 2020, up to 37 GW of renewable energy are expected to come on line in the region and investments in renewables may reach $50 billion. Area governments support the growth. [The National Law Review]

¶ The Indian urban development ministry aims to generate 100 MW of solar power with PVs on rooftops of 629 buildings it owns in 18 states. The ministry has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Central Public Works Department and the Solar Energy Corporation of India for the purpose. [Siliconindia.com]

¶ The Victorian government wants to join forces with New South Wales and South Australia to press the federal government for more action on climate change after record or near-record temperatures in the three states in 2014. Victoria’s environment minister is seeking “urgent” talks on climate change. [The Guardian]

¶ Fuel subsidies have been a constant issue for the Indonesian government for more than a decade. The growing consumption and the volatility of global oil prices have taken a toll on the state finances, reaching $19.6 billion in 2014, roughly 15% of the state budget. Now, the state is ending the subsidies. [Jakarta Post]

¶ Irish wind generation hit a new peak on January 7 with favourable weather conditions helping wind farms pump some 1942 MW into the grid. At 9.30 am, the sector was supplying enough power to supply 1.26 million homes with electricity. The combination of Ireland with Northern Ireland was also a record. [reNews]

US:

¶ For the first time ever, the American Petroleum Institute is including solar among the energy sources that should be taken seriously in the next couple of years. The API’s State of American Energy Report projects the capacity of US solar installations to double, from 20.2 GW in 2015 to 40 GW in 2016. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Illinois governmental agencies Wednesday issued reports proposing ways to prop up Exelon’s ailing nuclear power plants. The company says that at least three of its nuclear plants in the state could be closed for economic reasons and hopes to have nuclear plants included under a clean portfolio standard. [Morris Daily Herald]

¶ California broke ground on its long-sought high-speed rail system, promising to combat global warming while whisking travelers between Los Angeles and San Francisco in under three hours. The $68 billion project faces challenges from Republican cost-cutters in Congress and Central Valley farmers. [TriValley Central]

¶ EDP Renewables has clinched a deal to help deliver vital transmission infrastructure for its 250-MW Number Nine wind farm in Maine. Central Maine Power and Emera have given EDPR an option to buy part of the Bridal Path corridor in Aroostook County to develop a new transmission line. [reNews]

¶ The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a public meeting next month in Brattleboro to hear from the public about the impending decommission of Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, which shut down permanently last month. The February 19 meeting will be at the Brattleboro Quality Inn. [Rutland Herald]

Opinion:

¶ “The Guardian view on cheaper oil and the environment: an invitation for business as usual” For both good and ill, cheap oil disincentivises investment in change and weakens market forces that might otherwise rein in energy use. But if the free market is doing less to ration carbon, then government must do more. [The Guardian]

Science and Technology:

¶ A recent report from Navigant Research analyzes the global market for utility-scale energy storage for both bulk an ancillary service applications. It says worldwide revenue from energy storage for the grid and ancillary services is expected to total $68.5 billion from 2014 through 2024. [Transmission and Distribution World]

World:

¶ Prices for German solar power storage systems have reportedly fallen 25% since the spring. According to the German Solar Industry Association, about 15,000 German households now use battery storage combined with solar power, a number has been growing faster and faster as the costs have come down. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Denmark set new wind power records last year as wind energy’s share of the electricity mix rose to 39%. This is somewhat lower than the 41.2% share wind had in the first half of the year, which saw particularly windy weather. It is, nevertheless, much greater than the 33% share windpower had in 2013. [Business Green]

¶ Governor Hirohiko Izumida, the influential governor of Niigata prefecture rebuffed on Tuesday pleas by Tokyo Electric Power to restart the world’s largest nuclear plant, saying the utility had not been proactive in investigating the cause of the Fukushima accident in 2011. The governor has veto power on restart. [Reuters]

US:

¶ Solar power is growing in New York at 63% per year. The figure is not for a single year, but the average for the period of 2010 to 2013, according to a new report titled, Star Power: The Growing Role of Solar Energy in New York. At this rate of growth, the state could be 20% powered by solar by 2025. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Google is investing in Utah Red Hills Renewable Energy Park, which is touted as the largest solar power plant in Utah. The $188 million project is being developed by Norwegian solar energy project developer Scatec Solar. It will have a capacity to generate 210 million kWh of solar power annually. [Greentech Lead]

¶ Bi-partizan backers of broader use of solar energy in Florida have quietly launched a petition for the 2016 ballot that would allow those who generate electricity from the sun to sell the power directly to other consumers. Current Florida law says only utilities can sell power directly to consumers. [Tampabay.com]

¶ The years-long push to create a government-owned electric utility in Santa Fe has run into a complication. The city apparently cannot force Public Service Company of New Mexico to sell its existing system for distributing electricity to homes and businesses, and Public Service Company will not sell. [Santa Fe New Mexican.com]

¶ A report by the Maine Center for Business & Economic Research at the University of Southern Maine says the wind industry will produce 4,200 jobs in 2015 and is poised to double over the next four years to 1,300 MW of power output. The investment is in rural parts of Maine that needed it most. [WCSH-TV]

¶ The Cape Wind project planned for Nantucket Sound was dealt a significant setback as Massachusetts’ two biggest utilities, Northeast Utilities and National Grid , announced that they are terminating contracts to purchase power from the wind farm because of the project’s failure to meet contractual deadlines. [MassLive.com]

¶ California Governor Jerry Brown has announced a goal of cutting California’s oil use in half. This may sound like an impossible task in a state famous for freeways and sprawl. But many experts consider the ambitious climate and energy goals Brown spelled out in his inauguration speech difficult but doable. [SFGate]

¶ Ice Palace Hawaii, the state’s only ice rink, has announced it is now using the sun to freeze water, with completion of a 162-kW PV system. The 500-panel system covers roughly 9,000 square feet on the facility’s roof. The system is expected to save the Ice Palace approximately $70,000 per year. [Honolulu Star-Advertiser]

¶ All signs are pointing toward the arrival of a solar energy farm in Kokomo, Indiana by the end of the year. Solar integration company Inovateus Solar has submitted a lease proposal for a solar energy farm, and, if all goes well, the solar farm will be producing 9 million kWh per year by the end of 2015. [Kokomo Tribune]

Science and Technology:

¶ Last year was the UK’s warmest and fourth wettest year since Met Office records began in 1910. The average temperature of 9.9° C, which was 1.1C° above the long-term average (from 1981 to 2000). The year was the warmest on record in the central England temperature series, which dates back to 1659. [FarmersWeekly]

World:

¶ A consortium led by French-based global solar independent power producer Sonnedix closed a deal for a solar PV power project in the Northern Cape of South Africa with a capacity of 86 MW. Juwi Renewable Energies is handling EPC services and South African utility Eskom is on board with a PPA. [pv magazine]

¶ Australia’s peak solar industry body has launched a campaign to put pressure on the state of Queensland’s conservative government that it claims, “has been determined to shove solar where the sun doesn’t shine.” Queensland voters will head to the polls to elect a state government on January 31. [pv magazine]

¶ Iran and Azerbaijan have agreed to jointly construct wind and solar power stations as part of their efforts to promote mutual cooperation between the two neighbors in the area of renewable energy resources. An Iranian energy official said projects might be in either country or even elsewhere. [Tasnim News Agency]

¶ EDF Renewable Services, the US subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles, expanded its portfolio of renewable energy projects in Canada by 52% in 2014. Over the course of the year, the company signed contracts for 27 projects in Quebec and Ontario, representing 454 MW of wind and 134 MW of solar power. [EcoSeed]

¶ Australia’s small-scale solar energy industry held steady in 2014 although uncertainty is casting a cloud over the sector. Aside from lack of government support for renewable energy, costs for imported PVs are rising as the Australian dollar wilts. The industry added about 800 MW during the year. [Sydney Morning Herald]

US:

¶ Northern Power Systems Corp, located in Barre, Vermont, has publicly filed a registration statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, relating to a proposed initial US public offering of its common shares. The company has applied for the listing of its common shares on the NASDAQ. [Stockhouse]

¶ Exelon Corp, the biggest US owner of nuclear reactors, estimates it will need to charge 83% above wholesale prices to keep the Ginna nuclear plant running. The plant, near Rochester, New York, recorded losses exceeding $100 million from 2011 to 2013. Ginna is one of ten nuclear plants considered uncompetitive. [Tulsa World]

¶ First Wind confirmed that the Idaho Public Utilities Commission has approved Energy Sale Agreements with five proposed First Wind solar projects and the Idaho Power Company. The contracts are for 20 years and for projects that total 100 MW. The five 20 MW projects are spread across southern Idaho. [Power Online]

¶ In his Monday inaugural address, California Governor Jerry Brown proposed an ambitious expansion of California’s renewable energy goals, from one-third by 2020 to 50% by 2030. The goal also includes big increases in alternative fuels, building efficiency, and smart grid investments to put them to use. [Greentech Media]

¶ Less than half the electricity generated by Indiana Michigan Power is now coming from coal. With the recent completion of Randolph County’s Headwaters Wind Farm and the retirement of the coal-fueled Tanners Creek generating unit in Lawrenceburg, I&M’s energy sources include only 49.7% coal. [Muncie Star Press]

¶ As Public Service Company of New Mexico begins making its case for a new power-replacement plan, one that would reduce the amount of coal it uses to produce electricity, some of the company’s customers are urging a more aggressive push toward cleaner, renewable energy sources. [Albuquerque Business First]

¶ Following a 12-year survey, Stephen Ansolabehere, a Harvard government professor, has concluded that the majority of Americans prefer renewable energy sources over coal, oil and nuclear energy, and see natural gas as a bridge fuel that falls between the two stools of renewables and dirtier fossil fuels. [pv magazine]

World:

¶ Given issues over subsidies and falling prices for solar, the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has decided to limit consumers who can avail subsidy benefits for rooftop solar. The Ministry has also indicated that it might be readying itself to reduce the quantum of available subsidy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The UK’s grid operator confirmed wind power generation rose 15% during 2014 from 24.5 TWh to 28.1TWh, enough to supply the needs of more than 6.7 million households. Overall, grid-connected windpower met 9.3% of the UK’s electricity demand during 2014, up from 7.8% in 2013. [Business Green]

¶ Planned renewable energy projects combined with energy savings could decarbonise the Scotland’s power sector by 2030, claims WWF-back study. Scotland has a separate goal of providing 100% of electricity demand from renewables by 2020, but with coal and gas still on the grid. [The Guardian]

¶ India has set a target for a renewable energy installed capacity of 41,400 MW by 2017 and 72,400 MW by 2022. To achieve the 2022 target, India will have to add over 40,130 MW of renewable capacity, costing about $46.22 billion. The new transmission lines needed will bring the total cost to $83.35. [AZoCleantech]

¶ Norway is close to agreeing on a €2 billion investment to construct a 700 km underwater power line that would allow the UK to import hydroelectric power as Britain attempts to solve its power crisis. A firm decision to build the line between the two countries would be made early this year. [Financial Times]

¶ Only about 20% of 160 prefectural and municipal governments that host or are near nuclear plants support how Kyushu Electric Power Co went about getting the go-ahead for restarting its reactors. Kyushu Electric won consent in November for the restart of two reactors at its Sendai plant. [The Japan Times]

¶ Fukushima rice has passed Japan’s radiation checks for the first time since the 2011 Fukushima Disaster. A Fukushima official said about 360,000 tonnes of rice, nearly all of last year’s harvest, had been checked and none had tested above the government’s 100 becquerels per kilogram limit. [Radio Australia]

US:

¶ For January through October, renewables accounted for 13% of US electric generation, up from 12% for 2013 according to the US Energy Information Administration. Only solar installations of 5 MW or more were counted. With smaller installations, the figure would be about 13.7%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ A $1.46 million energy resiliency grant from the state of Massachusetts will enable the Sterling Police Department and dispatch center to have a battery system to keep operating during an extended power outage, providing critical emergency services to the town and its residents. [Worcester Telegram]

¶ North Carolina ranked No 3 in the United States for solar power capacity installed in 2013. That strong growth is likely to continue, according to Duke Energy, as the company is developing its solar energy network. It plans to spend $500 million on solar farms in coming years. [Greensboro News & Record]

¶ The Massachusetts Audubon Society and the nonprofit Massachusetts Energy Consumers Alliance have a target to get 1000 households to buy power from local green providers of wind, solar, biomass, and cow power. Households can switch without changing their regular utility company. [Wicked Local Sharon]

Opinion:

¶ “Nuclear power is the greenest option, say top scientists” – In an open letter, more than 65 biologists, including a former UK government chief scientist, support a call to build more nuclear power plants as a central part of a global strategy to protect wildlife and the environment. [The Independent] (Rude remark)

World:

¶ The city of La Paz, Mexico, is to be powered 100% by solar energy. It already has 39 MW of solar PVs, and another solar plant is being built. It will have 97,000 solar panels on 44 acres, with a 30 MW capacity. It will also have an 11 MW storage battery. The system’s cost is expected to be $80 million. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The UK’s wind turbines have to be shut down at certain times because the electricity network is unable to cope with the power they produce. The wind farm owners then receive compensation payments for not producing electricity. They are paid more than £1 million a week, on average. [Telegraph.co.uk]

¶ The Awami-led coalition government of Pakistan has achieved a number of successes in the power sector during the past six years. Power generation capacity more than doubled from 4,942 MW in 2009 to 11,265 MW currently, with 68% of the population having access to electricity. [DhakaTribune]

¶ The Philippine DOE noted in a year-end report it has sent to the media, that power generation across the nation remains robust with 319 MW of committed projects being recorded for the year alone, adding that nearly 5200 MW of additional projects were expected in 2014 through 2020. [Manila Bulletin]

¶ A hybrid generating plant, with both solar with combined cycle turbines, will be built in Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea coast. The turbines will have a capacity of 550 MW, and the solar will provide 50 MW. Between the two systems, the power produced will be enough to supply about 600,000 homes. [Zawya]

¶ A renewables firm has defied critics of wind turbines by revealing its farms have produced far more clean power than expected. Lincolnshire’s officials say Bambers wind farm near Mablethorpe now powers almost 3,000 homes across the region each year, [about 116% of what was expected]. [Lincolnshire Echo]

¶ As the Indian government prepares to overhaul of the coal mining sector, an advisory group for integrated development of power, coal, and renewable energy has dismissed the idea of restructuring the sector’s monopoly Coal India, instead recommending empowerment of its subsidiaries. [Business Standard]

¶ Japanese power companies have resisted government calls to construct safer storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel and are instead waiting for a fuel reprocessing plant to finally start running after nearly two decades of delays. The utilities do not want to spend money on dry cask storage. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶ New figures from the US Energy Information Administration suggest that for the fastest-growing parts of the country, electricity is gaining share as the heating fuel choice. In the future, that electricity for heating could increasingly come from renewable sources, such as wind or solar. [Energy Collective]

¶ Solar energy had a banner year in 2014. As more and more US households turn to solar PVs for power, they’re paying less to electric utilities. That’s making the utilities a little nervous. In some states, those companies are fighting back. Two reporters discuss trends in California and Colorado. [Iowa Public Radio]

World:

¶ Construction of the world’s largest tidal stream turbine power plant looks set to begin next month in Scotland. The project’s majority owners, Australian-founded Atlantis Resources, say they had met all requirements for funding through the UK’s Renewable Energy Investment Fund. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Analysis by WWF Scotland found that last year wind turbines provided enough energy to supply the electrical needs of 98% of Scottish households, or 2.36 million homes. Wind turbines generated enough power to supply over 100% of Scottish households on 25 out of the 31 days of December. [SNP]

¶ Walmart is making progress on three environmental goals outlined by Lee Scott in 2005, the company said. Nearly a quarter of Walmart’s electricity across the globe comes from renewable resources, and the company diverts almost 82% of US stores’ waste from landfills. [Northwest Arkansas News]

¶ Near the largest oil spill in Israeli history, which poured millions of liters of crude oil into the desert, an ambitious effort is underway to help reduce global dependency on petroleum for energy. Known as the Eilot Belt, the area is the site of Israel’s largest solar energy field. [Heritage Florida Jewish News]

US:

¶ Xcel Energy Inc says it wants to far more than double the amount of electricity it gets from wind and solar in the Upper Midwest. The business, which serves 1.2 million ratepayers in Minnesota, has the most wind power of any US utility, and plans for a 40% reduction in emissions by 2030. [Macro Insider]

¶ Despite years of successful experience, dozens of studies, and increasing utility support for clean energy, urban myth holds that electricity from renewable energy is unreliable. Yet over 75,000 MW of wind and solar power have been integrated reliably, enough to supply 17.9 million homes. [Energy Collective]

¶ In Wisconsin, the public is frustrated with the coordinated, special-interest efforts to slow public and private investments in clean energy. Currently there is an especially alarming trend: the alignment of the manufacturing lobby behind the monopoly utilities’ rate “fairness” campaign. [Stevenspointjournal]

¶ The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission is preparing for what some energy experts have called a watershed utility case. It will have a two-week hearing on a proposal calling for closing part of the San Juan Generating Station, a coal-fired power plant serving more than 2 million customers. [Daily Journal]

¶ Solar and wind power are our least expensive options in many places. Solar power costs as little as 5.6¢ per kWh, and wind power can cost only 1.4¢ per kWh. Without subsidies, solar costs about 7.2¢ at the low end, with wind at 3.7¢. These compare with prices of natural gas and coal upwards of 6.1¢. [Inhabitat]

¶ A coalition of US governors is calling on President Obama to implement a series of crucial changes to the country’s wind power policies. Among their goals are a multi-year extension of the renewable energy production and investment tax credits and expansion of transmission line development. [reNews]

¶ Kansas City Power & Light Co filed for a 12.5% rate increase for its Kansas customers. The utility attributed much of the request to governmental mandates to upgrade infrastructure at the Wolf Creek nuclear power plant and to install emission scrubbers at its La Cygne coal-fired plant. [Kansas City Star]

Opinion:

¶ “Another Reactor Closes, Punctuating New Reality for US Nuclear Power” The United States faces a dwindling fleet of aging reactors, few new projects, and the challenge of safely mothballing radioactive fuel for decades. So far, nuclear isn’t winning. The math just doesn’t work. [National Geographic]

Science and Technology:

¶ The Kulan is an electric-powered farmer’s utility vehicle named after a Central Asian type of donkey. It has two 2-kilowatt motors in the back two wheels. There’s a lithium-ion battery sitting there between them. Its range is 186 miles, the top speed is 31 mph, and it can carry 1 ton of cargo. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ The Ontario Power Authority has just extended its solar feed-in tariff program and selected another 99 MW of solar PV projects to receive payments from it. This comes from 330 new contracts. Feed-in tariffs guarantee a specific rate for the renewably produced power for a stated number of years. [CleanTechnica]

¶ A 10 kW floating solar thermal power plant of local design and construction will be inaugurated next week at Rajarhat, near Kolkata, India. The experimental pilot project was originally conceived at Arka Renewable Energy College and has been promoted by the Union Ministry of Renewable Energy. [The Hindu]

¶ Householders and other consumers on the islands of Hoy and Rousay will be hooked to a sophisticated computer system that tells storage heating systems to turn on when wind turbines are generating too much power for the grid and would have to shut if there is no outlet for their electricity. [Herald Scotland]

¶ Enel Green Power has connected its 80-MW Fontes dos Ventos wind farm in Brazil to the grid. The facility is owned by an Enel subsidiary and features 34 Siemens turbines. The total building cost was €130 million, which was partly covered by the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation. [reNews]

¶ Indian Prime Minister Modi wants companies from China, Japan, Germany and the United States to lead investments of $100 billion over seven years to boost the country’s solar energy capacity by 33 times to 100,000 MW, a top official in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy said. [Economic Times]

US:

¶ About 60 giant turbines erected on a remote mesa in western New Mexico began churning out power for the state’s largest electric provider on New Year’s Day. The Red Mesa Wind Energy Center marks the latest effort by utility PNM to add more renewable energy resources to its portfolio. [Boston Globe]

¶ In comments filed in December, leaders of Mississippi utilities, state agencies and business groups called the US EPA’s Clean Power Plan illegal, infeasible and economically unbearable. The proposal calls for Mississippi’s power plants to emit 38% less carbon dioxide in 2030 than in 2005. [Jackson Clarion Ledger]

¶ In 2000, wind farms composed just 116 MW of capacity on Texas’ main electric grid. That number has since soared to more than 11,000 MW, while wind fuels about 10% of all generation. (On average, one MWh of wind energy can power 260 typical Texas homes for an hour.) [Midland Reporter-Telegram]

¶ A group of Senators urged the US DOE to continue funding programs for the distributed wind energy industry. The bipartisan group sent a letter highlighting the clear potential for distributed wind power to “contribute many gigawatts of electricity similar to other renewable technologies.” [Energy Collective]

¶ Basin Electric has signed power purchase agreements for two North Dakota wind farms totalling 300 MW. NextEra Energy should complete the 150-MW Dickinson wind farm near Richardton by the end of 2015. Tradewind is expected to finish the 150-MW Lindahl project near Tiogathe in late 2016. [reNews]

Opinion:

¶ “Why Closing Vermont Yankee Won’t Raise New England’s Power Bills” – Contrary to the claims of some nuclear advocates, closing Vermont Yankee is an important step in the right direction, and it teaches an important lesson for the bigger picture of electricity sector policy making. [Forbes]

¶ “2014 – A Record Breaking Year For Renewables” Perhaps inspired by clear messages from the world’s scientific community, 2014 brought the sight of politicians across the globe speaking of the need to transition away from fossil fuels, and acknowledging the scale of that challenge. [Green Building Press]

Science and Technology:

¶ An “affordable” flow battery based on high-capacity organic electrolytes is currently under development by researchers at Ann Arbor–based Vinazene Inc, in partnership with Grand Valley State University’s Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center and its Chemistry Department. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ The biggest solar farm in the UK, Landmead, is now connected to the UK’s National Grid in East Hanney. The 46-MW project can power 14,000 average British homes. The site was previously used for grazing sheep, and will continue to be used for that, with the addition of some wildflowers. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Oil took another hit Wednesday, sinking below $53 to a level last seen during the Great Recession. It’s hard to recall that crude oil traded for over $100 a barrel as recently as July. Few saw the energy meltdown coming. Now that it’s here, industry analysts warn another move lower is possible. [CNN Money]

¶ On the back of a disappointing year for investors, financial losses, skepticism about the technology’s supposed environmental benefits, and increasing water scarcity issues, Chinese officials have reportedly begun questioning the intelligence of ongoing support for conversion from coal to gas. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The government of the Indian state of Haryana has decided to usher in the New Year with one of the biggest pushes for solar power in the country. The state has made it mandatory for all buildings on plot size of 500 square yards or more to install rooftop solar power systems by September 2015. [NYOOOZ]

US:

¶ Cheshire, Connecticut is going solar. Just since August, building permits have been issued for the installation of solar panels on all over the town. The projects range in value from $1,410 to $50,000. And now the town is looking at a big expansion of solar energy to power public buildings. [Meriden Record-Journal]

¶ New York’s residential kitchens and yards, supermarkets and restaurants (24,000 in New York City), 600 wastewater treatment plants, $3 billion food processing industry, farms, and many landfills make millions of tons of waste every year. It can all produce renewable natural gas. [Albany Times Union]

¶ Technological advances are making areas like southeastern North Carolina more suitable for wind farms. Changes over the past five to 10 years have allowed wind turbines to create more energy with less resources, according to US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. [Fayetteville Observer]

¶ The Reid Gardner Power Plant, which is near Moapa, Nevada, has closed three of its four coal-generated units, a symbolic victory for Nevada’s environmental advocates and the Moapa Band of Paiutes. NV Energy, the plant’s operator, says it retired the three 100-MW generators on December 20. [Las Vegas Sun]

Opinion:

¶ “2015 will see nuclear dream fade as wind and solar soar” – With nuclear power falling further behind renewables globally, and as the price of oil and gas falls, the future of the industry in 2015 and beyond looks bleak. Numbers of old nuclear plants are closing as fewer new ones are commissioned. [The Ecologist]

¶ “Top 5 Clean Energy Revolution Stories of 2014” – The steady march of renewable energy, primarily wind and solar, toward mainstream usage continued apace in 2014. Here’s to hoping 2015 moves us closer, rather than farther, from Edison’s dream that we get our power from the sun. [De Smog Blog]

¶ “6 Reasons 2014 Was a Good Year for Climate Action” – We couldn’t help but think of the potential disaster when climate-denying forces really take power next year. Good news makes ringing in the New Year more pleasant, so here are six reasons to be optimistic, even with a climate-denying Congress. [Huffington Post]

World:

¶ In Papua New Guinea, solar systems are often measured in watts – in part due to the remoteness of the locations where they are installed. But even a tiny solar system can make a massive positive change in lives, providing light and the ability to maintain communications – it can quite literally save lives. [Energy Matters]

¶ With aptitudes that may match Elon Musk’s, an equally young and motivated Chinese technology billionaire plans to surpass Tesla Motors by venturing into the production of electric cars in China, via his tech company, Leshi. His goals include protecting the environment for human livability for human livability. [CleanTechnica]

¶ A new report from the consulting company Accenture, the Digitally Enabled Grid, clearly states that if the utilities wish to keep market share similar comparable to today’s, they need to “fundamentally transform their business models.” Revenues could otherwise decline by $123 billion a year by 2025. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Two Indian companies are planning a hybrid renewable energy park in the Indian state of Gujarat. The proposed park would have both solar capacity of 3500 to 4000 MW and wind capacity of 600 to 800 MW. The park will be developed on the surplus salt pan land of Hindustan Salt, one of the companies. [Livemint]

¶ Danish wind energy giant Vestas Wind announced Tuesday two new orders to cap off an impressive year that saw the company take in orders up to 5,703 MW. The orders amount to 210 MW of wind turbines between them, one for 60 MW for SunEdison, and one for 150 MW for EDF Renewable Energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Britain is dicing with darkness. The electricity system is ageing and the mix of generating technology, including solar and wind power, is changing. Both factors increase the danger of power cuts at peak times. This winter, the available capacity will be only 6% higher than expected peak demand. [Reuters Blogs]

¶ India’s largest nuclear reactor, located in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, started generating electricity on a commercial basis early Wednesday, local media reported. The 1,000-MW reactor, which was constructed with assistance from Russia, is located in the town of Kudankulam. [International Business Times]

US:

¶ A spade of big solar power plants has risen from the ground in the Big Open West, where utilities have state mandates to increase the amount of renewable energy they buy. These power plants are a sight to behold. They often cover hundreds or thousands of acres, out in remote corners of the states. [Forbes]

¶ Advocates of small hydropower projects worked up a pair of bills for Congress, and a project in Silverton, Colorado was a poster child. For lawmakers on the right, the legislation shrinks federal bureaucracy. And on the left, it is a win for renewable energy, without new dams. The bills passed unanimously. [MTPR]

¶ Northern Power Systems, of Barre, Vermont, and BTI Energy will partner to install wind turbines across the US. Northern Power Systems manufactures a wind turbine with a newly optimized rotor configuration for customers at sites with lower wind speeds and historically lower electricity rates. [Broadway World]

¶ Solar energy farms, once considered too expensive to install despite their environmental appeal, soon may sprout in Sugar Creek and Independence, Missouri. One would be run by a private company, the other by a public city utility. Both would create clean energy in cities with fossil fuel legacies. [Kansas City Star]

¶ An agreement covering five solar power plants was approved by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission. The five 20-MW plants are owned by Boston-based First Wind and were already approved in an agreement with Idaho Power, which would pay $322.5 million over 20 years for their power. [The Idaho Statesman]

Opinion:

¶ “Five energy surprises for 2015: The possible and the improbable” Predictions: Oil and gas production both going into decline, oil going below $30 per barrel, a breakthrough in solar thermal, an international agreement calling for binding GHG emissions limits, and oil at over $100 per barrel by the end of the year. [Resilience]

¶ “Some rural co-ops cling to past on energy” Unfortunately, too many of Iowa’s rural electric co-ops put out-of-state coal interests ahead of the economic interests of their own co-op members. The Clean Power Plan is expected to generate $235 million in savings for Iowa’s households and businesses by 2020. But those co-ops oppose it. [DesMoinesRegister.com]

¶ “Pennsylvania should embrace the new-energy economy” As an investor, first in the private sector and now in the public sector, I believe the EPA’s Clean Power Plan would reduce unacceptable risks from carbon emissions, but also would create tremendous new economic opportunities. It could prove tough to embrace. Tough, but right. [Pittsburgh Post Gazette]

World:

¶ One of India’s biggest integrated power companies, Tata Power, is partnering with the state-run Russian Direct Investment Fund to invest a total of $1 billion in various solar/renewable energy projects to be developed across Russia, according to recent reports. Tata Power will be responsible for around $500 million. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Renewable energy company Masdar yesterday announced the start of construction of four solar power projects in the Pacific island nations of Kiribati, Fiji, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. The solar projects will collectively provide 1.8 MW of clean energy and contribute to fuel savings worth $2 million per year in countries where energy is a common concern. [The National]

¶ 2014 saw new records for German renewables, which produced 25.8% of the year’s power. Wind power hit a new record peak of 29.7 GW on December 12. Coal-fired power in Germany during 2014 was 10% less than in 2013. Gas-fired power plants dropped to 9.7% while nuclear energy’s share increased by half a percent to 15.9%. [Energy Matters]

¶ Scotland’s solar power capacity has increased by about a third in the past year, according to new figures. More than 35,000 homes and 600 business premises now have solar PV systems, December figures from regulator Ofgem show. The capacity of these systems has reached 140 megawatts, a rise of 32% from 106 megawatts last year. [RenewablesBiz]

¶ Norway’s state owned electricity company Statkraft has revealed plans to invest $8.1 billion in renewable energy projects, after the Norwegian government decided to give the company a $1.3 billion cash injection. The company will invest in wind and hydro projects both in Norway and further afield, and will explore solar and biomass potential. [RTCC]

US:

¶ The Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant stopped sending electricity to the grid Monday after producing total of 171 billion kWh over its 42-year lifetime. The shutdown came just after noon as the plant completed its 30th operating cycle when workers inserted control rods into the reactor core and stopped the nuclear reaction process. [Washington Times]

¶ Oslo-based Scatec Solar has clinched financing of $157 million for construction of the 104-MW Red Hills solar plant in Parowan, Utah. It will have 325,000 modules on a single-axis tracking system. Red Hills will generate around 210 million kWh of electricity per year, under a 20-year power purchase agreement with PacifiCorp’s Rocky Mountain Power. [reNews]

¶ Two major power line projects that have progressed by fits and starts over the past six years would lay the groundwork for a next-generation power grid throughout the West. Once completed, the new transmission lines would carry 1,500 megawatts of electricity across the West – from the Pacific Coast and the edge of the Great Plains. [The Idaho Statesman]

Opinion:

¶ “The Grid Reliability Myth” On August 1, 2011, a heat wave had Texas over 100 degrees for 40 days. Traditional power plants failed in ways that illustrated their vulnerability. Power prices went to unreal levels. Solar and wind may be intermittent, but a grid powered by coal, gas, and nuclear is not reliable. [Huffington Post]

World:

¶ Toshiba and its perhaps not as well known co-patriate IHI have been tapped to pilot a new ocean energy project that will deploy a phalanx of underwater turbines that float like kites. The project demonstrates once again how legacy companies are transitioning to new clean tech. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Financial analysts warn that the fossil fuel industry faces “a perfect storm.” Oil prices have crashed. Demand is dropping. New regulations aim at cutting GHG emissions, and renewable forms of energy are growing worldwide. Now investors, large and small, are increasingly heeding the warnings. [RTCC]

¶ The Turkish government is planning to build its first nuclear power plant in cooperation with Russian company Rosatom. A controversial environmental impact report was recently accepted by the Turkish environment ministry. Construction is set to start from mid-2015, despite opposition. [Deutsche Welle]

¶ The government of Pakistan is taking measures to speed up development of alternative and renewable energy to diversify its energy mix and ensure energy security and sustainable development. The Alternative Energy Development Board has been mandated to act as a central agency. [Business Recorder]

¶ The traditionally conservative and closed African mining industry is beginning to discover the advantages of renewable energy. Some experts see a boom in joining the two industries for 2015. Renewable investment by African mines expected to be between $600 million and $1.1 billion by 2016. [AFKInsider]

¶ The Indian government has a goal of providing electricity to all in the next three years. To do that, it plans to doubling electric generation by 2019, with a focus on renewables, whose output will be multiplied by five. Even so, the plan requires for doubling production of coal from India’s mines. [SME Times]

¶ Nanyang Technological University signed an agreement with Alstom to develop a system for microgrid management. The system will manage and integrate power from multiple sources, including solar, wind, tidal, diesel, and various energy storage and power-to-gas solutions. [Asian Scientist Magazine]

US:

¶ The New York Public Service Commission approved Con Ed’s Brooklyn-Queens Demand Management Program. The plan calls for replacing about $1 billion to upgrade two substations, which the utility says it would need to do by 2018, with less expensive distributed alternatives. [Energy Collective]

¶ Workers at Vermont Yankee are beginning the process of powering down the four-plus-decades-old, single-reactor nuclear power plant — a routine procedure by and large. But this time, the plant will not be brought back online. Not tomorrow, not next week. Never. Let that sink in. [The Keene Sentinel]

World:

¶  The German manufacturer Daimler AG will be increasing its production capacity for lithium-ion batteries with €100 million in new investments via the Deutsche ACCUmotive subsidiary. As part of this new push, the company is currently building a new facility that’s set to be completed by the middle of 2015. [CleanTechnica]

¶  Nigeria has adopted an approach to directly engage with prospective project developers to set up renewable energy projects. The government has recently finalized a new agreement for a lot more solar power. Three companies will construct total of 1 GW of distributed solar power capacity. [CleanTechnica]

¶  When bosses at Cars Taxi first saw fuel-efficient hybrid cars in Europe and the US they wondered whether the concept would work in the UAE, where petrol prices are significantly lower. But after a year of operating more than 20 Toyota Camry hybrid vehicles in Dubai, the outcome has been resoundingly positive. [The National]

¶  South Korea’s nuclear power operator said on Sunday that cyberattacks on non-critical operations at the company’s headquarters are continuing but the country’s nuclear power plants are operating safely and are secure from attack. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co Ltd has been intensifying its cyber security. [Reuters Africa]

US:

¶  Why do some US states have higher rooftop solar installation rates than others? NREL researchers used statistical analysis and detailed case studies to better understand why solar market policies in certain states are more successful and lead to higher distributed solar PV installations. [CleanTechnica]

¶  Blattner Energy is building the Mesquite Creek Wind Farm near Lamesa, Texas, with 118 1.79-MW GE turbines. Each turbine stands 287 feet tall with 140-foot long blades. The wind project is expected to be completed by the end of March. Annual output of 800,000 MWh will power Mars, Inc’s US operations. [Pressreporter]

¶  The wind and solar contracts recently announced mean that the Lincoln Electric System will have a 2016 energy portfolio with 48% of the electricity from renewable sources. There are few power companies that can make that claim. But investing in renewable capacity also means lower bills for ratepayers. [Lincoln Journal Star]

¶  Elon Musk announced that Tesla will relaunch its Roadster model. The new model will have a new battery pack, increasing the distance the car can travel. According to the company, the new battery pack will allow the car to travel about 400 miles with a single charge compared to 245 miles with the current model. [Uncover Michigan]

¶  The Windham Solid Waste Management District says it has 11 proposals to build a solar array on a closed landfill in Brattleboro, Vermont. Four of the proposals are from Vermont companies. The system being considered will have a capacity of 5 MW. It will provide revenue for the district and its 19 member towns. [Press Herald]

¶  Workers recently finished adding 86 acres of solar panels at the Indianapolis International Airport, bringing the size of its solar farm to 151 acres, solidifying its status as the home of the nation’s largest airport-based solar farm. The airport now has 76,000 solar PV panels feeding power into the local electrical grid. [Skift]

¶  The annual University of Idaho Snake River Sugar Beet Conference saw much discussion on dealing with pests. Rather than thinking solely about eliminating them with chemicals, growers are increasingly looking for more sustainable alternatives for control of weeds and bugs that are increasingly resistant. [Idaho Press-Tribune]

World:

¶   In many ways, the German energy policies are a resounding success: the country sparked the modern solar industry; half of all renewables are locally owned; and traditional utilities are divesting themselves of centralized power plants to work with distributed generation. But coal still supplies most of the power. [Energy Collective]

¶   The year of the Horse saw the Philippine renewable energy subsector gallop to many milestones while other subsectors lagged behind or ran in circles. Solar power made the most strides, but wind developers also flexed their muscles, and run-of-river hydro and biomass are taking a steady pace. [Inquirer.net]

¶   A new high-speed train route from Shanghai to Guangzhou opened recently, covering a distance of about 1,100 miles. This distance is roughly the same as traveling from Los Angeles to Seattle. The 1,100 mile trip take  about 7 hours in the new train, which would be much faster than driving and far less stressful. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Indian Finance Minister inaugurated one of the biggest power transmission projects, a 400 KV power sub-station, in the National Capital Region. He said it would make the area a power-cut-free zone, and that policies allocating coal blocks to power generating companies would provide cheap electricity to consumers. [The Hindu]

¶   In Bangkok, the fuel tariff on electric bills from January-April will fall by 10 satang a kilowatt-hour or 2.5%, says the Energy Regulatory Commission. The ERC on Thursday approved the lower tariff for the period in response to the decline in global oil prices. The fuel tariff rate is reviewed every four months. [Bangkok Post]

¶   The Philippine Energy Regulatory Commission has allowed PetroWind Energy Inc. to start operating the first eight wind turbines of the 50-MW Nabas wind power project in Aklan province in January. ERC said the approval is for the first phase of the project for two months from Jan. 17 to March 17, 2015. [Manila Standard Today]

¶   One of the most important events of the recent years in Russia’s nuclear power industry occurred late Friday night: a new, third unit of Rostov Nuclear Power Plant was connected to the Russian power grid and started to produce its first kilowatt-hours of electricity, a source in Rosenergoatom told RIA Novosti. [Sputnik International]

US:

¶   ERCOT, which manages 90% of Texas’ electric grid, took another look at the impact of seven EPA clean air safeguards on the electric grid. They now say that once power companies comply with EPA’s other clean air protections, the proposed Clean Power Plan’s requirements could be met by closing a single coal-fired plant. [Energy Collective]

¶   Superficially, it makes sense for investors to shy away from putting money into renewable energy, as fossil fuels get cheaper. But the impact of the price of oil on the renewables sector is more complex. Falling prices could actually prove helpful to the likes of Tesla Motor and SolarCity by affecting one important variable: the Federal Reserve. [Wall Street Journal]

¶   One misperception in San Francisco is that, due to the fog, the solar power potential for the city is not good, but this is not true. San Francisco’s solar radiation is 93% of San Diego’s, and cooler temperatures make photovoltaics more efficient, because PV systems operate more efficiently at lower temperatures. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Duke Energy is building the Los Vientos III project, a new wind farm in Texas to generate 200 MW for Austin Energy. Cranes and wind turbines are sprouting like weeds in the ranch lands. Dozens of towers have been already been erected, and many more are just waiting on their blades to be completed. [San Antonio Business Journal]

Opinion:

¶   “Developing the future of energy today” The world is striving to develop new ways to take advantage of the benefits of sustainable energy, and the use of solar energy and smart grids can create a more efficient and productive world. However, this goal cannot occur without putting safety, performance, and reliability in the spotlight. [Today’s Energy Solutions]

World:

¶   The 10th edition of the Climate Change Performance Index has good and bad news. The index compares the 58 top carbon-emitting nations. It reveals that global carbon emissions have reached a new peak. However, the index indicates that countries have recently developed a new readiness to take action on climate change. [Triple Pundit]

¶   The Philippines’ Renewable Energy Act signed was into law in 2008 to cut its reliance on fossil fuel. Since that time, the Department of Energy has approved renewable energy contracts totaling 10,040 MW capacity, including 404 hydropower, 68 solar, 54 wind, 43 biomass, 41 geothermal, and 5 ocean energy projects. [Rappler]

¶   A day after the Indian cabinet approved an ordinance for the allocation of coal blocks, the government formally launched the portal for e-auction of 24 coal mines to be held in next February. The Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goyal says the auction process will be transparent, efficient and conducted online only. [SME Times]

¶   The Indian government intends to revive a bill to generate 100,000 MW of renewable energy by 2019. The new legislation aims to ensure that 10% of the county’s power requirement is met by renewable energy sources by 2020, plug loopholes in earlier laws, and promote development of renewable energy technology. [India Today]

¶   Panasonic Corp is considering building a 50 MW power plant in the Northern Corridor Economic Region of Malaysia. This follows a meeting by Panasonic, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority on Monday, in which the parties agreed to an eight-month feasibility study. [Malaysia Chronicle]

¶   RES Canada, one of three companies selected for a 450-MW Hydro-Québec tender, announced it has been selected to provide 147.2 MW of wind power. The wind project will be established about 50 kilometers east of Québec City, in the Chaudière-Appalaches region and will consist of forty-six 3.2-MW Siemens turbines. [Energy Matters]

US:

¶   A recent analysis says the wind energy industry has created more than 10,000 jobs in Kansas and generates $26 million a year in lease payments to landowners. But renewable portfolio standard laws have come under attack in Kansas and other states from conservative groups such as ALEC, which call to repeal the laws. [Lawrence Journal World]

¶   As North Carolina state officials call for more renewable energy, Gaston and Cleveland are among the counties working on answers. Companies in both have plans for solar farms that could be up and running as early as next year. Duke Energy says it would eventually like 12.5% of its retail sales to come from greener sources. [Gaston Gazette]

¶   The US EPA has a formula to evaluate nuclear power in its carbon reduction plan. It says 5.8% of existing nuclear capacity was at risk of being shut for financial reasons, and thus for states with nuclear reactors, keeping them running would earn a credit of 5.8% toward that state’s carbon reduction goal. [New York Times]

Science and Technology:

¶   Bitumen from oil-shale has to be refined by heating it to high temperatures. A byproduct called pet coke contains sulphur, heavy metals, and other impurities, but it is sold to be burned in coal power plants in other countries where pollution regulations are less strict. Its greenhouse gas emissions are worse than coal’s. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   The Indian cabinet has now officially cleared the way for setting up of 25 Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects across India. Each of these projects will have a capacity of 500 MW or more, totaling 20 GW. They are scheduled to be set up by 2019 and will receive a Central Government financial support of $649 million. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Kyocera Corporation recently announced it had established a joint venture to develop and operate a 13.4-MW floating solar power plant on Japan’s Yamakura Dam reservoir, the largest floating solar installation in the world. The facility will generate an estimated 15,635 MWh annually, enough for about 4,700 typical households. [Energy Matters]

¶   Two Canadian pension funds entered an agreement with Spanish banking giant Banco Santander to jointly acquire a portfolio of renewable energy and water infrastructure assets valued at over $2 billion. The transaction is expected to be closed in the first half of 2015, with  more coming in the next five years. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Despite the shrieking drop in oil and natural gas prices, it is still easy to find legacy energy companies forging ahead with renewable energy. The latest example comes from the French nuclear energy company Areva, which is now working on the Wikinger offshore wind farm, a 350-MW project located in the Baltic Sea. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Medicine Hat, Canada’s sunniest city, now has a way to turn its sunshine into renewable energy. The Alberta city now operates a solar thermal power plant, the first of its kind in Canada. Large curved steel panels reflect the sun’s rays to heat oil inside a metal tube. The oil then creates steam for a turbine at a nearby power plant. [CBC.ca]

¶   One year after commissioning, a plant in the UK is converting 200,000 liters per day of feedstock into renewable energy. This feedstock, including wash waters and 1,200 tons of residual bi-products and ingredients per annum, is waste from a factory operated by global food and beverage supplier Nestlé. [Biobased Digest]

¶   A suspect in the hacking attack on South Korean nuclear reactors has used multiple IP addresses based in China. The Korean defence ministry’s cyberwarfare unit has increased its watch level against attacks after the publication last week of a variety of information about the South’s nuclear power plant operator. [Times of India]

US:

¶   Crews are setting foundations, erecting racks and installing solar panels in a wave of activity at the Silt Water Treatment Plant in Colorado. The 234-kW solar array is slated to be in service and powering the plant by December. 31. The new solar array will offset 100% of the plant’s electrical use on an annual basis. [Glenwood Springs Post Independent]

¶   Greenhouse gas emissions in Washington state dropped by about 4.6% in 2010 and 2011, led by reductions in emissions from the electricity sector, a new state report shows. Emissions are still about 4% higher than in 1990, however. The report comes as Governor Jay Inslee is proposing sweeping policies to combat climate change. [Macro Insider]

¶   A new energy report says America should build on the recent growth in solar energy by setting a goal of obtaining at least 10% of its electricity from solar power by 2030. The report, “Star Power: The Growing Role of Solar Energy in America,” was produced by the Environment America Research & Policy Center. [Phys.Org]

¶   America is facing imminent decline in nuclear generation. With a wave of aging plants slated for closure in the coming years and almost no plans to replace them, some worry that the country will increase its  greenhouse gas emissions. A group of scientists and energy analysts this week urged a rethinking of US nuclear policy. [Energy Collective]

Opinion:

¶   “A Dozen Reasons 2014 Was Awesome for Clean Energy & Beyond Coal Victories” 2014 was full of amazing victories by hard-working community activists nationwide. From small towns to big cities, we saw inspiring diverse groups working together to protect communities from coal pollution and ramp up clean energy. [Huffington Post]

World:

¶   Emerging economies in the Middle East and Africa will have installed almost 3 GW of wind power by the end of 2014, with more than 58% of that being installed in the last two years. This is according to new analysis from MAKE Consulting, which follows on from recent and numerous additions to its wind power analyses. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Korean government will invest $18.1 billion into the development of safe and effective clean energy technologies over the next 10 years. Areas of focus include development of efficient clean thermal power, next generation clean fuels, new hybrid renewable energy, and generally a highly efficient, low carbon society. [BusinessKorea]

¶   The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved a $378 million loan for the second power transmission project to improve transmission reliability and support the implementation of a wholesale electricity market in Ukraine. The loan represents increasing support for the country’s energy reforms. [Energy Business Review]

¶   Three renewable energy companies, Solius NGPC, Peoples Home Association, and Solar Force Nigeria Limited, have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Federal Government for the production of 1000 MW solar electricity across the country. Additionally, they will establish a training school in Nigeria for staff. [Daily Sun]

¶   New Zealand wind farm developer Meridian Energy completed handover for of its 131-MW Mt Mercer wind farm in Australia, near Ballarat, Victoria. The project was delivered below budget and on time. The company used the occasion to champion the cause of the Renewable Energy Target, saying it is “clearly achievable.” [RenewEconomy]

¶   GDF Suez and its Moroccan partner Nareva Holding have started operations at the 301-MW Tarfaya wind farm on Morocco’s southern Atlantic coast. The project will have 131 wind turbines of 2.3 MW each in an area of 8,900 hectares. The $560 million project will generate enough power to supply 1.5 million homes. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   Alstom has been awarded a contract by DaeMyoung Energy Corporation in South Korea, to provide wind turbines for Gowon wind farm, located in Gangwon province approximately 170 km east of Seoul. The 18-MW Gowon wind farm will support Korea’s aim to have renewable energy account for 20% of total electricity generated by 2020. [Renewable Energy Focus]

US:

¶   Going solar, according to new research by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, might be a more beneficial economic energy choice in states one does not expect to see at the top of the list. Hawaii and California do top the list, but the number three state is not very sunny at all; it is Connecticut. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Ever since Nest “redeveloped” the thermostat to be “smart,” the consumer technology industry has been well aware of clean technology. This will lead to substantial growth, according to Navigant Research, which released a report predicting the smart thermostat market will reach nearly $2.3 billion in annual revenue by 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶   A series of studies from government research agencies and industry in the last few years have found that anywhere from 5% to 20% of today’s natural gas demand could be met with renewable natural gas, also known as bio-methane. It is produced in bio-digesters, from landfills, and through other carbon-neutral methods. [Energy Collective]

¶   The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released its monthly “Energy Infrastructure Update.” The big winners for November are wind and solar, which combined added up to over 70% of all new electrical generating capacity placed into service during the month (estimated to be 77%, if you include non-utility solar). [CleanTechnica]

¶   Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc announced completion of the Tucannon River Wind Farm in Washington State. Located on 20,000 acres in Washington’s Columbia County, the 267-MW project consists of 116 2.3-MW Siemens turbines. The project was on time and within its $500 million budget. [PennEnergy]

¶   Reactor operators at Vermont Yankee are getting ready for the nuclear plant’s final shutdown next Monday. Their preparation includes training on a control room simulator at the company’s corporate offices in Brattleboro. The simulator is an exact replica of the control room at the Vernon plant. [Vermont Public Radio]

World:

¶   A Norfolk solar farm, which at 49.9 MW would be one of the UK’s largest, has been given the go ahead. The plant would be built on the site of the former RAF Coltishall airfield, now an economic development area owned by Norfolk County Council. The first of its two phases should be completed before April. [Solar Power Portal]

¶   The Ontario Power Authority is offering 332 new Feed-in-Tariff renewable energy contracts, of which 330 are for solar PVs and 2 for bio-energy projects. They total 100 MW, enough to power almost 13,000 homes. They include 121 First Nation and Métis community projects, 60 community projects, and 151 municipal or public. [solarserver.com]

¶   Enel Green Power turned on the 40-MW Bagnore 4 geothermal power plant in Tuscany, Italy. The Santa Fiora and Arcidosso power station features two 20-MW turbines, adding to Bagnore 3’s 20 MW, costing €120 million. Enel has a target of investing around €600 million in Tuscan geothermal in 2014-2018. [reNews]

¶   With the South African utility, Eskom, struggling to keep the lights on, many people are looking to renewable sources of energy to meet their needs. Currently, the pay-back time for off-grid power is under ten years, and the cost of systems is declining, as more and more people buy and install systems. [East Coast Radio]

¶   Following the financial close of Lake Turkana Wind Power Project, the first disbursement of funds has been received. The $775 million project is the largest single wind power project to be constructed in Africa. It is the largest private investment in Kenyan history, as the country is working to have 5000 MW of capacity. [Capital FM]

¶   Energix Renewable Energies Ltd announced today that Israel’s biggest solar energy project, at Neot Hovav in the Negev, has received a permanent license for producing electricity. According to the company’s estimates, capacity is 37.5 MW and power production will be yield annual revenue of about $11 million for twenty years. [Globes]

¶   South Korea is investigating the online leak of partial blueprints and operating manuals for some of its nuclear reactors. The perpetrator threatens continued leaks unless three facilities are shut by Christmas. The leaks began last week on a blog and were later posted to a Twitter account. [Charleston Daily Mail]

US:

¶   The current 45% drop in oil prices will only have a modest impact on renewables in many key markets, although the implications will vary significantly by geography and technology, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. They point out that a decline in fracking will likely make renewables even more competitive. [Business Green]

¶   The US DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office recently released an updated multi-year program plan, which sets for goals and structure for the office over the next five years. The plan is intended for use as an operational guide to help the Biotechnologies Office manage and coordinate its activities. [Ethanol Producer Magazine]

¶   A new growth industry is emerging in Utah , where residential solar installations in Q3 alone were equal to the amount installed in all last year. In addition, added solar capacity in Q3 was more than six times the capacity installed over Q3 2013, according to GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   US corporates are stepping up to do their part on climate change. As the costs of wind and solar energy continue to fall, corporate purchasing of clean energy is reaching new heights in 2014, creating a virtuous cycle where demand drives scale, which lowers prices, which then spurs more demand. And there are other improvements. [The Guardian]

¶   Utility regulators have approved construction of the first major solar-powered generating facility in Kentucky. The Public Service Commission authorized Kentucky Utilities and Louisville Gas & Electric to build a 10-MW solar array at the E.W. Brown Generating Station, where the utilities now burn coal and natural gas for power. [Lexington Herald Leader]

World:

¶   According to the new study from Navigant Research, total distributed generation capacity is set to roughly double over the next decade, from 87.3 GW in 2014 to 165.5 GW by 2023. Revenue from distributed generation is expected to surge in tandem with this increase, rising from $97 billion to $182 billion. [Sourceable]

¶   The Indian Ministry of New & Renewable Energy has issued guidelines to set up 100 MW of solar capacity over and along the canals. The program will see solar photovoltaic power projects of capacity 1 to 10 MW installed over canals and on the banks of the canals in India. The total cost of the program will be around $160 million. [CleanTechnica]

¶   An IBM data center in India plans to cut is greenhouse gas emissions by 40% using solar power and water cooling for air conditioning. The data center uses a 50 kW solar PV system that provides electricity to the data servers. Increasingly, companies are looking to set up their own solar power plants to meet their demands. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Danish utility, DONG, announced over the weekend that it will construct 32 turbines eight kilometres off the coast in Liverpool Bay, which are expected to be commissioned in 2017. The extension to an existing 90-MW wind farm is expected to produce enough electricity to power around 180,000 UK households. [Business Green]

¶   The US Trade and Development Agency awarded grants to three electricity sector entities in support of their efforts to deploy clean energy solutions in the Dominican Republic. The agency is focusing on helping the Dominican Republic meet its energy demands in an environmentally responsible way. [Your Renewable News]

¶   Atlantis Resources Limited’s Canadian subsidiary has been awarded a Developmental Feed-in Tariff for up to 4.5 megawatts of tidal generation to be deployed at the Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy in Nova Scotia, Canada. The award of $530 per MWh provides support for up to three turbines at the facility. [Your Renewable News]

¶   The Australian Climate Change Authority has recommended that the government change the deadline for the large-scale Renewable Energy Target from 2020 to 2023, rather than risk jeopardising investment by reducing the target itself. This contrasts with the Warburton review of the RET, which called for cutting target. [The Conversation AU]

¶   On India’s southern coast, which was ravaged by tsunami waves 10 years ago when 228,000 people died on the rim of the Indian Ocean, the country’s newest nuclear plant towers over the shoreline. It is one of India’s biggest nuclear plants, and in the coming weeks it is expected to officially start selling power into the Indian grid. [Wall Street Journal]

¶   Computer systems at South Korea’s nuclear plant operator have been hacked, sharply raising concerns about safeguards around nuclear facilities in a country that remains technically at war with NorthKorea. The Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co Ltd and the government said there was no risk to nuclear installations. [Reuters]

US:

¶   Solar and wind power projects are much less financially risky than other power projects, since cost overruns tend to be way lower, especially when compared to nuclear or hydropower plants, which have rather insane cost overruns. Aside from these, there are many economic reasons to favor power from the sun or wind. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The US Department of Commerce announced its final findings in the 3-year long trade war between the US and China. Additional tariffs will be imposed on modules from China and Taiwan. Although this is good news for SolarWorld and other American solar PV manufacturers, some in the US solar industry are not celebrating. [AltEnergy Stocks]

¶   Southern California Edison retired its San Onofre nuclear reactors and will retire natural gas units with environmentally troublesome cooling systems, so it invited proposals for power storage and new gas-fired power plants. Storage won in a surprising number of cases. Demand response proposals also did well. [New York Times]

Opinion:

¶   “US energy policy review reveals US doesn’t have an energy policy” As oil prices plummet, some question whether the US – with its piecemeal, disjointed federal energy policy – is ready for a new era of fossil-fuel abundance and renewable-energy innovation. [Christian Science Monitor]

Vocabulary and Buzzwords:

¶   “The Top Cleantech Buzzwords and Phrases From 2014” Last year, “utility death spiral” was on our list of the top buzzphrases. A few months later, the Oxford English Dictionary included “death spiral” in its list of new words for 2014. Here is a collection of other new terms that might puzzle some readers, but nevertheless have use. [Energy Collective]

World:

¶   Global funds for India’s aggressive plan to install “ultra mega solar power plants” have begun to flow with the World Bank ready to support a 750-MW power plant. This is 200 MW more than the capacity of the largest PV plant in the world. The project would require a total investment of about $1.3 billion. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The power management solutions company Eaton will supply power distribution equipment and electrical engineering services for a 5-MW solar microgrid on an island off the coast of Equatorial Guinea, home to 20,000 residents. Diesel generators have been used to supply electricity for about five hours a day. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy said on Sunday it is in the process of preparing an energy legislation to expand power generation capacity through a judicious mix of conventional and non-conventional sources. It is also preparing a plan to scale up development of solar power in the next five years. [Vancouver Desi]

¶   The latest insights on groundbreaking desalination projects in the Middle East/North Africa region will be part of the International Water Summit taking place next month in Abu Dhabi. The summit  will examine the water-energy nexus and its long-term implications on regional and global food security. [Trade Arabia]

¶   Aiming at turning Delhi into a smart city, the Union Ministry of Power here today launched a pilot project on conversion of street-lighting from conventional system to an energy-efficient and environment-friendly LED type. The government hopes to reduce power consumption enough to save about  Rs 700 crore ($110.5 million) in costs. [indiatvnews.com]

¶   UK water utility Severn Trent has come under fire because two controversial wind turbines in Spondon (a ward in the city of Derby) are still not operational despite being erected a year ago. They were installed last December, but when they run, they appear as unidentified objects on the air traffic control display. [Derby Telegraph];

¶   TEPCO finished on Saturday removing all nuclear fuel assemblies from the cooling pool at the No. 4 reactor building at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. TEPCO started the fuel removal work at the No. 4 reactor building in November 2013. Last month, it finished transferring spent fuel assemblies. [The Japan News]

¶   Britain’s nuclear power stations are under threat from attacks by drones, it has been claimed. A London-based nuclear expert investigated the issue after a spate of mysterious and illegal flights by small unmanned vehicles over more than a dozen power stations in France. He warned that British nuclear plants were equally vulnerable. [Daily Mail]

US:

¶   Ameren Missouri, which serves 64 counties across the state, has a plan for future power generation that is close to what the EPA envisions. The plan calls for expansion of renewable energy, adding 400 MW of wind power, 45 MW of solar, and 33 MW of other renewables. Use of coal would be reduced, but it and nuclear continued. [Southeast Missourian]

¶   Hobbs Brook Management LLC, a developer of office space in the Boston suburbs, announced the completion of its $4 million, 724-kilowatt solar canopy system that is situated atop the north and south garages at 404 Wyman St. in the Hobbs Brook Office Park in Waltham, Massachusetts. [Wicked Local Waltham]

World:

¶   The Reventazón hydroelectric project in Costa Rica is nearly complete and will be ready to supply 305.5 MW of electricity for Costa Rica’s dry season in 2016, enough for about 525,000 homes. It is the largest dam in Central America and the second largest infrastructure project in the region, after the Panama Canal. [The Tico Times]

¶   The Government of Germany has committed funds amounting to €500 million for Green Energy Corridors project this year. With this, the total commitment from Government of Germany for GEC project stands at €750 million. In the year 2013, Government of Germany had committed €250 million. [Business Standard]

¶   Morocco has raised more than $2 billion for the next phase of a huge solar energy project. The funds are being provided by international organisations including the World Bank and the European Investment Bank. The first phase, Noor 1, will be the North African country’s first solar energy plant, with a capacity to generate 160 MW. [NewsHub.org]

¶   In Scotland, developers have announced that construction work on the world’s largest tidal energy project is set to begin next month. The MeyGen project, a 269-turbine installation, is expected to power 175,000 homes. Atlantis has secured more than £51 million in funding for the first phase of the project. [stv.tv]

¶   On the 6th December, the 1-MW tidal stream turbine installed and connected by Alstom at the European Marine Energy Center off the Orkney Islands produced 1 GWh for the grid. This marks a crucial step in the development of the company’s tidal power technology, demonstrating its performance and endurance. [Your Renewable News]

¶   India has offered to set up an insurance pool to indemnify global nuclear suppliers against liability in case of a nuclear accident in a bid to unblock billions of dollars held up by US investors over concerns of exposure to risk. Currently, nuclear equipment suppliers are liable for damages from an accident. [domain-B]

US:

¶   Lincoln Electric System says it has agreed to buy additional supplies of wind energy. The customer-owned electric utility says it plans to buy 73 MW by 2016 from the Prairie Breeze II Wind Energy Center in northeastern Nebraska and 100 MW from the Buckeye Wind Energy Center in Kansas. It plans to add 5 MW of solar power by 2016. [Omaha World-Herald]

¶   A ray of sunshine came out of the Colorado Springs Utilities Board meeting this week as the panel approved two projects that will add 20 MW of solar power and credits to the area’s energy portfolio. The added solar capacity will help keep the utility in compliance with state renewable energy standards until 2030. [Colorado Springs Gazette]

¶   Construction of a 120-turbine wind farm is underway in Carbon County, Montana as developers scramble to benefit from a last-minute federal tax credit passed last week. The $550 million Mud Springs Wind Ranch is located 12 miles southeast of Bridger, and is one of the biggest wind projects in Montana. [The Missoulian]

¶    A coalition of advocates, including the Archbishop of Baltimore, the League of Women Voters, some of the fastest-growing companies in the US, and others, will ask the Maryland General Assembly to double the state’s commitment to clean electricity and require 40% of the state’s power to be from renewables by 2025. [Washington Post]

¶   A new analysis lays out several detailed “pathways” to a low-carbon future for the US, and offers practical guidance for policy makers. There are multiple ways we can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with known technologies and with an incremental cost equivalent of less than 1% of gross domestic product. [Natural Resources Defense Council]

¶   Tucson Electric Power Co plans to install rooftop solar panels at customers’ homes in exchange for a fixed electric rate for 25 years. TEP’s Residential Solar Program, approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission as part of the utility’s 2015 renewable energy plan, will be available next spring to 500 to 600 customers. [Arizona Daily Star]

¶   The electric power generation sector lost more than 5,800 jobs over the last three years, according to an Energy Department stat shop. The losses hit all energy sources across electric power except for renewables, including solar and windpower, which showed gains, the Energy Information Administration said on Friday. [The Hill]

¶   The National Hockey League will significantly reduce its carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions through energy conservation and the purchase of renewable energy certificates under a newly signed agreement with Constellation Energy Group, the league announced. [Environment & Energy Publishing]

Science and Technology:

¶   Two recent studies disproved the ideas that wind farms affect health and property values, and now a review by the British Trust for Ornithology and the University of Highlands and Islands’ Environmental Research Institute found that 99% of seabirds are likely to alter their flight paths to avoid collision with offshore wind turbines. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   Senator Nick Xenophon has brought back a carbon trading scheme to Australia and nobody seems to have noticed. Quietly tucked behind the headlines from the Palmer United Party and the government was the mention of Senator Xenophon inserting a ‘Safeguard Mechanism’ into the Direct Action legislation. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Bloomberg reported that European coal dropped to the lowest in more than 5 years amid weaker demand for the power-plant fuel. Preliminary electricity consumption in Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, dropped about 4% this year on weak economic growth of energy-intensive industries and milder weather. [SteelGuru]

¶   Japan’s trade ministry said on Thursday it plans to change a feed-in-tariff scheme by making it possible for utilities to limit renewable power output more flexibly while trying to lower guaranteed payments to providers of such power. The changes follow a rush of applications for solar projects since the Fukushima Disaster. [Reuters]

¶   Energy demand in Germany is set to fall by nearly 5% over the course of this year, new figures this week predict, providing further evidence the government’s Energiewende transition to a low carbon energy system is starting to build momentum. German energy use fell to 445.5 million tonnes of coal equivalent this year. [Business Green]

¶   The amount of clean power made in Scotland has matched that produced from fossil fuels for the first time, in a record year for renewables, ­according to the latest figures. Renewable sources accounted for 32% of all Scottish electricity  – equal to the output from oil, coal and gas. Nuclear power stations provided 34.9 per cent. [Scotsman]

¶   In a budget forecast punctuated by fiscal belt tightening, Australia’s fossil fuel sector is set to receive a whopping $47 billion in federal government subsidies over the next four years, a new report has found. The analysis, released on Thursday by the Australian Conservation Foundation, is based on federal budget data. [RenewEconomy]

¶   GE today announced that it will supply Lewandpol Company with 27 GE 2.5-MW wind turbines for the Galicja Wind Farm in Poland. Once operational, the 120 MW Galicja Wind Farm will generate the equivalent energy needed to power approximately 52,000 Polish homes. The wind farm is expected to be completed in 2015. [Windpower Engineering]

¶   A group of EU-funded researchers are investigating the development of a “super grid” specifically designed to transfer wind-generated electricity across EU Member States. Such a project would “help reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and enable Europe to move closer towards achieving energy independence.” [CleanTechnica]

US:

¶   Utility San Diego Gas and Electric announced it has passed the 1 GW milestone for renewable power supplied to the city. The addition of 150 MW from the Solar Gen 2 solar project in Imperial Valley means that the utility’s power portfolio has more than 30% of SDG&E’s power generated from renewables such as solar and wind. [pv magazine]

¶   SunPower and Sunverge just announced a big solar+storage partnership, which follows a partnership between SolarCity and Tesla as well as the announcement of several energy storage companies beginning to hit the market. If you think solar power was disruptive, wait until solar+storage beats the price of grid electricity. [CleanTechnica]

¶   A coalition of utilities and clean energy advocates, including Xcel Energy, Minnesota Power, the Great Plains Institute, and the Center for Energy and the Environment, will recommend to the state’s legislature ways to give electricity customers more options for power sources while keeping energy reliable and affordable. [Minnesota Public Radio News]

¶   In largely positive review of US energy policy, the International Energy Agency scolded the federal government for failing on consistent long-term policy support for energy with low carbon emissions, such as nuclear power and renewables. The IEA recommends a 5-year extension of the wind tax credit, gradually reduced to zero. [Forbes]

¶   The Green Party of New York and its recent gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins join the chorus of New Yorkers celebrating what appears to be an imminent fracking ban, arising from today’s reports from Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens and Acting Health Commissioner Howard Zucker. [Green Party Watch]

¶   About to lose their biggest employer and taxpayer, local leaders in Vernon, Vermont are hoping a gas-fired power plant will be built to replace the soon-to-close Vermont Yankee nuclear plant. But any such project would face big questions — including whether enough gas would be available to fuel it. [Rutland Herald]

Opinion:

¶   “Decoupling and Distributed Energy” To have a chance of stabilizing the climate, the utility business model can’t just be tinkered with. It needs radical transformation. The good news is this is probably on the table regardless of what the utilities want. Our task is to make it happen as quickly and smoothly as possible. [Energy Collective]

Sci-tech Follies:

¶   The Australian Coalition government’s latest witch-hunt against wind energy has not produced a lot of fertile fodder for the anti-renewables brigade. In fact, after a month it has elicited a single contribution, from a pro-nuclear dooms-dayer who says nuclear energy will be helpful to keep us warm in the impending ice age. [RenewEconomy]

World:

¶   An analysis of government figures by the Energy Saving Trust for the BBC indicated people in the UK used 10% less electricity in 2013 than five years previously – dropping from 1,951 kWh a year per person to 1,766. DECC figures said gas use was down 10% from a year ago and electricity use 17% less because of measures supporting clean power. [The Courier]

¶   Off Grid Electric, a solar electric service company in Africa, says it delivers 50 times more light for less money. Its customers are using the service to replace kerosene lamps to light their homes. Customers pay an initial $6 installation fee for a self-sustaining solar system, then prepay for power. With new investment, it is growing. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Renewable energy company Acciona Energia will construct 255 MW worth of solar and wind projects in Chile over the next few years, with a total investment of $500 million. Power generated by the plants will provide for part of a 15-year deal reached between Acciona and Chilean power distributors for 600 GWh per year. [PV-Tech]

¶   Initial industry estimates pegged India’s coal imports for 2014-15 to be around 180 million tonnes to 185 million tonnes, about 10% higher than last year. The import bill for November increased sharply by 42% despite coal prices in major exporting countries being nearly 20% to 25% lower than the same month last year. [SteelGuru]

¶   As flagship nuclear projects run into long delays and huge cost overruns, solar and wind power are falling in price. Renewables already supply twice as much power as nuclear, and are winning out just about everywhere. They now supply over 19% of global primary energy and 22% of global electricity. Nuclear is at 11% and falling. [The Ecologist]

US:

¶   Over the next two years, America will build roughly 13 GW of utility-scale solar PV plants, more the country’s cumulative solar capacity across all sectors reached at the end of 2013. Why? Utilities are now able to consistently buy solar electricity from large plants for between 4.5 cents and 7.5 cents per kilowatt-hour. [Energy Collective]

¶   New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Dec. 17 that hydraulic fracturing will be banned in New York, following the release of a long-anticipated study that concluded fracking could pose “significant public health risks.” 96% of all papers published on health impacts of fracking indicate potential risks or adverse health outcomes. [Wisconsin Gazette]

¶   With the commissioning of two renewables projects E.ON is strengthening its position in the US market for green energy. Both the start of commercial operation of the 211-MW onshore wind farm Grandview I in the Texas Panhandle and of the 18-MW Fort Huachuca Solar Plant in Arizona occurred in a single week. [Your Renewable News]

¶   Washington Gas Energy Systems, Inc announced the completion of 20 solar projects, totaling more than 15 MW, that will produce renewable energy for Georgia Power. The company held ribbon cutting ceremonies at their sites in Donalsonville, Richland, and Greenville, Georgia on December 11 and 12. [AZoCleantech]

¶   The Senate voted 76-16 to extend the biodiesel and renewable energy production tax credits – as well as dozens of other tax breaks – in one of its final acts before adjourning Tuesday. The measure extends the tax breaks for a year – but retroactive to their expiration last January, so the clock runs out again on December 31. [Houston Chronicle]

¶   A long-term plan that will allow Nevada Power to permanently end its reliance on coal-generated electricity by 2019 was approved Wednesday by the Nevada Public Utilities Commission. According to Paul Caudill, the CEO of NV Energy, the utility involved, the decision will be accepted by the utility. [Las Vegas Review-Journal]

¶   The value of solar power credits will go down if rate adjustments sought by Vermont utilities are approved by regulators. The small reduction is the solar credit is not expected to stifle the growing solar industry in Vermont, according to Andrew Savage, a strategist with the solar manufacturer AllEarth Renewables. [vtdigger.org]

¶   New York utility Long Island Power Authority has rejected Deepwater Wind’s 210-MW project proposed offshore Rhode Island. The utility followed staff recommendations and approved 11 solar projects totaling 122 MW. Deepwater is disappointed by the decision but continues to advance the $1 billion 35-turbine project. [reNews]