geoharvey

Opinion:

¶ “Wisconsin Wind Industry Finally Shakes Off Koch Brothers” • Wisconsin has been a wind energy wallflower despite its prime location for wind. But now it seems cracks are beginning to appear in the state’s anti-wind armor. The state hasn’t seen a new wind farm in five years, but at least two are now in development. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tesla Poised To Deliver Knockout Punch To Fossil Fuels In The Next Decade” • Tesla Motors has a stated mission that flies directly in the face of carbon-emitting fossil fuels. It is bringing about sustainable energy. Electric cars, battery storage, and solar power could be a potent combination in the fight to replace fossil fuels. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ A prolonged electricity blackout affecting two of the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland has given renewed impetus to making the islands carbon-neutral and independent, according to a local renewable-energy project. The outage began when a submarine cable was broken on Friday and lasted until Monday night. [Irish Times]

¶ The Scottish Government and two key players in the bid to develop huge windfarms in the North Sea have lodged appeals against the Court of Session’s controversial refusal of the projects. The Inch Cape, Seagreen and Neart na Gaoithe arrays would generate enough electricity to power several cities the size of Edinburgh. [The Courier]

¶ ReNew Power Ventures Private Limited announced that it signed a Power Purchase agreement with the Chandigarh International Airport for solar PV installations. The 5-MW PV plant will use single axis solar tracker technology. The power generated is expected to reduce the cost of energy for the airport by 20%. [solarserver.com]

¶ The Chinese ambassador in London said the Hinkley Point nuclear power plant represents a “crucial historical junction” for relations between the UK and China, which has a minority stake in the £18 billion ($24 billion) project. In an opinion piece, he said the cancellation of the plant could have an effect on trade. [Bloomberg]

¶ A Climate Council report warns that Australia’s rural communities are on the front line in the battle against climate change, with worsening extreme weather events including as bushfires and drought. It called for a rollout of renewable energy to generate cheaper and cleaner power, and as a major driver of economic growth. [RenewEconomy]

¶ EDF’s decision to invest in the £18 billion Hinkley Point nuclear plant should be declared invalid, French trade unions have said. The unions at the French firm said senior board members knew that the UK government was considering delaying its final decision, but did not disclose this before last month’s vote. [The Guardian]

US:

¶ Solar energy is gaining traction among business owners in Westchester County, New York, and momentum has been building. From some of the county’s most recognizable destinations to smaller, unassuming shops, scores of forward-thinking merchants and property owners are embracing solar energy. [Westchester Magazine]

¶ A festive feeling took hold as Governor Charlie Baker signed an energy bill that could launch an offshore wind industry in Massachusetts. New Bedford is poised to benefit from offshore wind development, potentially at the $113 million, state-funded Marine Commerce Terminal just inside the hurricane barrier. [SouthCoastToday.com]

¶ The US Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division’s self defence test ship completed sea trials using ReadiDiesel, a 100% drop-in renewable diesel fuel. It features the same molecular composition as petroleum fuels, but it is claimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% compared to petroleum. [Naval Technology]

¶ Donald Trump claimed that Michigan lost 50,000 jobs due to President Obama’s “war on coal.” The claim was clearly untrue. The state has no coal mines and its power industry employs less than half that number of employees. Trump’s press release cites the National Mining Association as its source of information. [Washington Examiner]

¶ US electricity consumers could end up paying more than $2.5 billion for nuclear plants that never get built. Utilities Duke Energy, Dominion Resources, and NextEra Energy are being allowed by regulators to charge $1.7 billion for reactors that exist only on paper, company disclosures and regulatory filings show. [Bloomberg]

 

Opinion:

¶ “Winds of spare change” • UK Prime Minister Theresa May should look to Denmark instead of France for Britain’s future energy needs. Gallic nuclear knowhow would be one way to satisfy the country’s demand for carbon-neutral electricity, but May should be heeding the message coming out of Scandinavia too. [Breakingviews]

¶ “South Australia signalling the death of base-load generation” • Tuesday marks the three-month anniversary of the closure of the last coal-fired generator in South Australia, and despite the best efforts of many in the Coalition Government and the Murdoch media, other states may eventually follow suit. [RenewEconomy]

Science and Technology:

¶ Climate change is becoming more pronounced across our planet. In the Great Lakes region, effects include more toxic algae and faster evaporation of Great Lakes water. Other documented Great Lakes impacts include higher shipping costs, more pollen, more Lyme disease, and changes in wintering habits of migratory birds. [Toledo Blade]

World:

¶ India is pressing ahead with coal burning. Government-owned NTPC has two new 800-MW units of a Super Thermal Power Project in Medak in the state of Telangana, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated them on Sunday. NTPC is proceeding with Phase II of the project, which will have three more 800-MW units. [The Hans India]

¶ Anglesey County Council has granted consent to Eon and Eurus Energy’s 11-turbine Rhyd y Groes repowering near Rhosgoch in North Wales. The 9.9-MW scheme will be situated within the same area as the existing Rhyd y Groes wind farm, which will be decommissioned as part of the consent for the repowering. [reNews]

¶ Zimbabwe produces only around 60% of the electricity it needs, and drought reduces available hydropower. Solar panels and other clean energy sources not connected to the African nation’s power grid are likely the cheapest and fastest way to bring electricity to those without it, sustainable energy experts say. [Thomson Reuters Foundation]

¶ Delhi Metro will install a 3 MW solar power plant atop an elevated stabling line of Kalindi Kunj depot, the first-ever such shed being built in the DMRC network. Delhi Metro has so far installed solar power facilities at three of its depots, and work is in progress towards installing more such plants in the other depots. [ETEnergyworld.com]

¶ GE Energy Financial Services announced it will invest $31 million in a wind energy project of Mytrah Energy under development in Andhra Pradesh in India. Mytrah Energy has raised approximately $350 million for the project. The new wind energy project has a maximum capacity of 200 MW. [Hydrogen Fuel News]

US:

¶ Electric co-ops across Minnesota have instituted fees on new residential solar arrays based on a 2015 law, and renewable energy advocates are angry. Lyon-Lincoln Electric charges a customer $49 per month for a rooftop solar connection. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is investigating the fees. [Duluth News Tribune]

¶ Energy independence is growing in the US passenger car market, led by Tesla Motors but also by ZEV mandates in 9 states, and EV efforts from auto companies. In July, electric car sales surged 48%, mostly on the back of Tesla, but sales jumped for the Chevy Volt, BMW i3, Ford Fusion Energi, and Chevy Spark EV. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Work is expected to proceed quickly on a new solar array in Wisconsin that will serve more than two dozen electric cooperatives in the Midwest. St Croix Electric Cooperative is putting in the first installation. Power will be distributed through Dairyland Power. Other co-ops are putting up 15 MW through 12 solar arrays. [Electric Co-op Today]

¶ Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin and Public Service Department Commissioner Chris Recchia announced today that the PSD has reached an agreement with Green Mountain Power that, pending Public Service Board approval, will result in a 0.93% rate increase for GMP customers in the coming year. [vtdigger.org]

Opinion:

¶ “Why are people worried about a nuclear power plant being built 250 km from Ireland?” • Ireland has a history with UK nuclear power plants and projects. The government and anti-nuclear activists were long-engaged in a battle with the UK over the Sellafield nuclear site, which has fueled Irish opposition to nuclear power. [thejournal.ie]

¶ “SMEs Are Energiewende’s Backbone” • A number of companies come to mind when you mention Germany’s energy transition. Names like E.ON, Volkswagen, and Siemens are recognized worldwide. But Germany has 3.67 million small and medium-sized business enterprises, and they are Energiewende’s backbone. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Lagoons: the new technology better than Hinkley Point” • A tidal lagoon is one alternative to the Hinkley Point nuclear plant. It is a £1 billion project, awaiting ministerial approval, to build a walled lagoon in Swansea Bay that would generate (through largely British-built turbines) electricity on the ebb and flood of every tide. [Spectator.co.uk]

Science and Technology:

¶ Old smartphones can give us new opportunities. “There are around one billion idle smartphones in America,” the head of a startup business says. “They’re just sitting in drawers at the moment destined for landfill. Yet they’ve got a GPS, two cameras, a microphone, a processor and five or six other useful sensors.” [The Guardian]

¶ Leading climate scientists have warned that the Earth is perilously close to breaking through a 1.5° C upper limit for global warming, only eight months after the target was set. The decision to try to limit warming to 1.5° C, compared to pre-industrial temperatures, was made at the Paris climate negotiations last December. [The Guardian]

World:

¶ A 1.2-GW offshore wind farm has been approved for the water off Yorkshire coast, England. Offshore wind developer Dong Energy said a final decision had been made to construct the 1.2-GW Hornsea Project One scheme off the coast of Yorkshire in northern England. The project will create 300 permanent jobs. [Seeker]

¶ When Egypt announced plans to develop renewable power in 2014, investors piled in, drawn by sunshine and high demand. Two years on, many projects have stalled, hitting confidence among much-needed foreign investors. Developers say they face currency risks, while wrangling over contract terms delays work. [Al-Arabiya]

US:

¶ On the anniversary of finalizing the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, a report said implementing that plan could save businesses billions of dollars a year. Commercial customers are responsible for nearly a third of all electricity-related carbon pollution nationwide, and they could see significant savings under the plan. [Orange Leader]

¶ A California project would have 100 turbines on platforms tethered to ocean floor floating 33 miles off the coast. Trident Winds, a Seattle-based company, plans to place the turbines off the coast of Morro Bay. The turbines would be affixed to floating platforms, which would be tethered to the sea floor using cables. [Seeker]

¶ A majority of the Willingboro, New Jersey, Township Council voted to rescind an agreement with the Willingboro Municipal Utilities Authority to put together a renewable-energy project on township-owned property. Now, the council, with the help of the municipal engineer, will lead the initiative. [Burlington County Times]

¶ A public report is expected this fall from Milwaukee’s Water Council and its energy-focused counterpart, M-WERC, but companies in the water and energy sectors have been given a glimpse. The bottom line: The global market for the sectors is projected to double by 2025, and Wisconsin companies can benefit. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

 

World:

¶ Kenya and Ethiopia have started construction of a power line to run between the two countries. The 1,045 kilometer line will have a transmitting capacity of 2,000 MW and is expected to be completed by December 2018. Chinese construction firm, China Electric Power Equipment Technology, will erect the power line. [Geeska Afrika]

¶ DP Energy has development approval from the South Australia government for its 375-MW Port Augusta wind/solar hybrid facility. Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park will have 59 wind turbines and almost 400 hectares of PV panels. It is expected to cost about A$680 million and create 250 jobs during construction. [reNews]

¶ The Apas Kiri geothermal project in Malaysia is expected to be operational by June 2018. The project is set to have an installed capacity of 30 MW and will be feeding its electricity into the grid of Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd under a feed-in-tariff scheme. It will be Malaysia’s first geothermal power plant. [ThinkGeoEnergy]

¶ Nestled in a deep pocket of forest, off Thailand’s electrical grid, villagers in Pa Deng have become early adopters and evangelists for an unusual alternative energy source: poop. After successfully lighting up their homes with solar panels and stoves fueled by cow dung, the villagers are now clean energy crusaders. [Deccan Chronicle]

¶ The rapidly warming climate will melt Greenland’s ice cap to such an extent that thousands of tons of hazardous waste left in the 1960s by a secret US military base will be unearthed by the end of the century, new research finds. The waste includes chemicals, sewage, and radioactive coolant water from a nuclear power plant. [eNews Park Forest]

US:

¶ US grid operator ISO-New England is mulling a request from DONG Energy, which is seeking an 800-MW of grid capacity for its planned 1-GW Bay State wind farm off the Massachusetts coast. DONG wants the link at Brayton Point power station, where an existing 1-GW coal plant is scheduled to close next year. [reNews]

¶ The White House Council on Environmental Quality directed Federal agencies to consider the impacts of their actions on climate change in all decision-making. According to the White House, “Federal agencies are required to consider and disclose the potential effects of their actions and decisions on the environment.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ Hampshire College is constructing the largest campus solar power array in New England. The project will put 15,000 solar panels on 19 acres of campus land to generate 4.7 MW of electricity and includes a battery storage system. Hampshire College will be able to boast that 100% of its electricity will come from renewable energy. [WAMC]

¶ After only around 3 months of service, Kansas City’s new downtown streetcar has achieved more than 550,000 passenger rides, far more than had been projected. Current average daily ridership for the streetcar now totals 6,612. The predicted average daily ridership before the May 6 launch was only 2,700. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Tradewind Energy, based in Kansas, is in the preliminary stages of developing two new wind farms in Iowa, both partly in Dickinson County. North Star will encompass 70 turbines, and Red Rock will house 180 turbines. Combined capacity of the two farms is 500 MW. They should be completed by 2019. [Spencer Daily Reporter]

Opinion:

¶ “Nuclear Power Is Losing Money At An Astonishing Rate” • Half of the existing nuclear power plants are no longer profitable. The New York Times and others have tried to blame renewable energy, but the admittedly astounding price drops of renewables aren’t the primary cause of the industry’s woes. [ThinkProgress]

Science and Technology:

¶ In a new research study from Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Illinois at Chicago, scientists developed an artificial leaf that uses solar power to transform CO2 into a fuel source. The leaf mimics the process of photosynthesis that occurs naturally in plants, but converts CO2 into syngas, a fuel. [Treehugger]

¶ North Sea hydrocarbon reserves are being depleted, and many hundreds of oil and gas rigs are approaching the end of their productive lives. At the current low oil price, one-third of oil fields operating at a loss. But there is a problem: rigs cannot just be shut down. They have to be decommissioned, and that has to happen at sea. [BBC]

World:

¶ Natural Energy Wyre Ltd wants to build a 120-MW tidal energy project that could dramatically lower the cost of energy generated by the sea. The company’s £250 million ($329 million) proposed project would capture power from tides as they rise and fall, four times each day, ten meters or more, each way they flow. [Bloomberg]

¶ Scotian Wind and project partners have completed a three-turbine wind farm in East Hants, Nova Scotia. The 6-MW project is the final of four Community Feed-In Tariff projects that were installed by Scotian Wind this year. This installation brings their fleet of community-scale projects to 39.63 MW in Nova Scotia. [Windpower Engineering]

¶ The Australian Renewable Energy Agency announced that it committed, with conditions, up to A$5 million (US$3.83) in funding for a A$20-million Australian energy group AGL to install 1,000 centrally controlled batteries in South Australian homes and businesses with a combined storage capacity of 5 MW/7 MWh. [pv magazine]

¶ AGL said the batteries it plans to install in and around Adelaide will be linked with solar panel arrays in a system that would be the “world’s largest virtual power plant.” The company hopes the system will help meet demand peaks and avoid the need to source electricity from local power stations. [The Sydney Morning Herald]

US:

¶ The Nevada Supreme Court ruled against a referendum proposed for the November statewide ballot that would have given voters the right to decide whether to return to Nevada’s previous, more favorable net metering rules. Justices said the measure’s ballot description is inaccurate, misleading, and argumentative. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ SiliconBeat reports that Apple received approval to begin selling off its excess renewable energy. The approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission means Apple will be able to start selling excess energy generated from its solar farms and other renewable energy facilities it has located in Nevada, Arizona, and California. [9 to 5 Mac]

¶ A hospital in Westchester County has finished work on a solar power array that state officials say will save $96,000 per year. Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office announced the completion of the project on Thursday. The state contributed $358,000 toward the work at the Montrose VA Medical Center. [Colorado Springs Gazette]

¶ Sonoma Clean Power has signed a power purchase agreement for 20 years of wind power from Golden Hills North Wind Energy Center. The project is getting new turbines in a re-power program, with each new turbine replacing 21 of the older ones. The result will be more energy and reduced avian mortality. [Windpower Engineering]

¶ When the Oregon Legislature debated a landmark bill to phase out coal power and require more renewable energy, Republican lawmakers, business groups, and some Public Utility Commission officials predicted it would jack up power costs and harm industry. But those fears appear to have been overblown. [Portland Tribune]

¶ El Paso Electric celebrated a milestone as the only utility in Texas and New Mexico to generate electricity that is 100% coal-free. By eliminating the coal generation from the company’s portfolio and increasing its use of utility-scale solar, EPE is reducing carbon dioxide emissions by than two billion pounds per year. [solarserver.com]

¶ The US Department of Energy estimates that the nation could increase its hydroelectric capacity 50% by 2050 without building new dams. The new capacity would come from upgrading existing hydropower facilities with more efficient technology and by constructing pumped storage facilities. [TakePart]

Opinion:

¶ “What I Saw in China Will Help Change the World” • Air pollution is blamed for 1 million premature deaths a year in China and for reducing life expectancy by nearly 25 months. China alone accounts for 27% of the global carbon footprint. But the country is doing a lot to fight climate change . [Natural Resources Defense Council]

¶ “Institutional investors are heeding climate warnings. Should you, too?” Most people recognize that climate change is a risk for life on Earth. But a warming planet is likely to be dangerous to investment portfolios, too. Institutional money managers are coming to realize it, and retail investors should pay heed as well. [The Globe and Mail]

Science and Technology:

¶ The report, State of the Climate in 2015, showed 2015 set a record as hottest year, with most of the planet’s surface warmer than average. Further, long-term warming and a strong El Niño contributed to the highest annual combined temperature for ocean and land since reliable record-keeping began in the 1800s. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ Two developers announced wind farm projects in Victoria. New Zealand’s Trustpower announced a A$650 million investment to develop the Dundonnell Wind Farm in South West Victoria. Spain’s Acciona announced it will commence construction of a 44-turbine Mt Gellibrand Wind Farm in Victoria’s Colac region. [Invest in Australia]

¶ The global wind market is expected to total 705.5 GW of installed capacity by the end of 2020, according to Navigant Research. Navigant Research Leaderboard Report: Global Wind Turbine Vendors said wind capacity grew by 63.1 GW or 23.2% last year, making it one of the fastest growing energy sectors. [reNews]

¶ EDF’s CEO said that he learned late on the evening before the vote on the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant that British Prime Minister Theresa May “was asking for a little more time, without re-assessing the project, without giving the date when it could be signed,” and “that she would not discuss the matter”. [Yahoo News]

US:

¶ Two deep-water berths have been opened at the US Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site at Oahu island in Hawaii. The two berths will support wave energy converter testing at 60-metre and 80-metre water depths. The new facilities add to the existing shallow-water berth that allows testing at a depth of 30 metres. [reNews]

¶ UPS announced that it has successfully completed one billion miles in its ‘rolling laboratory’ fleet of electric, hybrid, natural gas, and biofuel-powered delivery vehicles. It will make additional investments of over $750 million for its alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles by the end of 2016. [Biofuels International Magazine]

¶ First Solar Inc said it has sales bookings of 121 MW DC of thin-film modules for US utility-based community projects. Several of the projects, 41 MW DC to be more specific, are already under construction with M+W Energy in charge. Other projects and the names of their developers are yet to be announced. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ California is the first in the country to publish a draft blueprint for fulfilling the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, for cutting existing power plant emissions. The state’s landmark cap-and-trade program for carbon emissions and proposed amendments to extend that system will be used for compliance. [Environment & Energy Publishing]

¶ The 426th turbine of the Los Vientos wind power projects is now spinning and serving customers near the Rio Grande in Starr County, Texas. It marks Duke Energy Renewables’ completion of Los Vientos IV, the last of the five wind projects in the area to begin operation. Austin Energy is buying the power. [North American Windpower]

Opinion:

¶ “Proof That Trump Cares More About Coal Money Than Coal Miners” • In a speech in Pennsylvania, Donald Trump suggested that he would bar government regulators from inspecting coal mines. The coal industry has been so battered by environmental protections, he said, that his mine-owning buddies “can’t eat.” [Huffington Post]

¶ “The Shift To Solar, Wind, & Electric Vehicles Is Too Monumental To Overstate” • Once upon a time, humans discovered fire. Since the discovery of fire, we have burned this and that, and we dug always deeper for more stuff to burn. All of a sudden, phase 2 of civilization is beginning. We are going beyond fire. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Wind Is Winning – Delivering America’s Clean Energy Future, Today” Growth in wind power is picking up speed. Wind, which accounts for 77% of US growth in non-polluting power generation in the past decade. Today, wind powers approximately 5% of America’s electricity and is on track to grow to 20% by 2030. [Huffington Post]

Science and Technology:

¶ In the UK, a flywheel-based device invented by a student at Lancaster University could offer a better alternative to battery technology. The Flywheel Energy Store, designed by 21-year-old Abigail Carson, is about the size of a football, and does not require any additional controls, inputs or maintenance. [E&T magazine]

¶ A new windmill design is being tested in Vietnam. It is intended for mounting directly on boats in which poor people live. A windmill is made from a plastic bowl, connected to a motor of a broken printer. The energy is stored in an old motorcycle battery, which can power a lamp equivalent to a 45-Watt light bulb. [Inquirer.net]

World:

¶ The Ukrainian Government is exploring options to construct a 4-GW solar power plant in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Once completed, the plant would be the largest solar project in the world. Aside from guards and workers who manage roadblocks and barriers, the zone has been barren and uninhabited for 30 years. [Power Technology]

¶ Lightsource Renewable Energy said it has connected the UK’s first Contracts for Difference solar farm, the 11.94-MW Charity Farm installation in Shropshire. The Royal Bank of Scotland invested £8.7 million ($11.4 million), and the system was grid connected on June 30. It should power over 4,000 homes. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ The University of the West of England has plans to increase the capacity of its roof-mounted solar array to 450-kW, which it says would make it the largest rooftop array in the UK’s University market. The existing system is to be quadrupled in size and is expected to generate more than 400 MWh of electricity each year. [Solar Power Portal]

¶ Vestas has confirmed an order to supply turbines to the 120-MW Khalladi wind farm in northern Morocco. The Danish manufacturer will install 40 of its 3-MW V90 units at the project near Tangiers developed by Acwa Power. Turbines will be delivered in the second quarter of next year and will start operating in the fourth. [reNews]

¶ The Polish government is reviving plans to build a nuclear power plant in a bid to diversify its power mix away from coal, which the country uses for most of its electricity. The project was first launched in 2009 but it hit numerous delays due to falling power prices and Japan’s 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident. [Power Engineering International]

¶ Nordex has produced a pair of 3.6-MW turbines designed to gather a 12% higher yield from low and moderate wind-speed sites. The German manufacturer will take the wraps off the two new models at the Windenergy Hamburg trade fair in September. Prototypes will be installed before the end of this year. [reNews]

¶ The US Energy Information Administration said renewables’ share of North America’s electricity mix will grow to 29% by 2025, while nuclear’s declines to 16%, so a total of 45% of the electricity supply will be carbon free. In 2015, 38% of the electricity was carbon free, 20% from renewables and 18% from nuclear. [SeeNews Renewables]

US:

¶ Turbine installation has started at the 30-MW Block Island project off the coast of Rhode Island, the US’ first offshore wind farm. The developer, Deepwater Wind, said on Twitter that the first tower section has been put atop one of the foundations. The components for the rest of the turbines are all on hand. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Matt Dunne, Democratic candidate for Governor of Vermont, unveiled a plan to tackle climate change and secure the state’s clean energy future. “Climate change is the most significant threat to our planet and even in the short-term will fundamentally harm our economy. … Collectively, we can solve this problem.” [Vermont Biz]

¶ At a press conference at the Vermont Statehouse, Sue Minter was surrounded by environmental advocates to receive the endorsement of the Vermont Conservation Voters in her race for Governor. Minter reiterated her commitment to Vermont’s bold goal to reach 90% renewable energy by 2050 and deal with climate change. [Vermont Biz]

Opinion:

¶ “What World Climate Can Expect From US Presidential Choices” • “This year, every vote is a vote for or against climate change,” says Nick Stockton on Wired.com. Citizens of the United States have to make a real choice about climate this year. Our votes may determine how the country addresses the world climate for decades. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ Argentina announced details of its first renewable energy tender, scheduled to take place next October. Rules for the renewable energy auction came with the government announcement. The auction will allocate 1 GW of capacity, including 300 MW of solar capacity. Project sizes will vary between 1 to 100 MW. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Renewable power provides 19% of England’s electricity, but the outlook for the year ahead is “poor”, according to a report by Regen SW. Slow progress in renewable heat means only 5% of total energy consumption in England is met by renewables, and recent government policy changes have led to slower progress. [reNews]

¶ The British Photovoltaic Association recently signed an agreement with the Renewable Energy Organization of Iran for the development of 1 GW of solar PV capacity in the Middle Eastern country. The agreement will also see the development of a 500 MW solar module manufacturing facility in Iran. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Farmers in Australia are being hit by electricity cost increases. In New South Wales, prices rose 300% from 2009 to 2013. But farmers may benefit from partnering with renewables companies. There are clear opportunities for farmers to diversify their income by working with firms looking to build wind or solar farms. [PV-Tech]

¶ Energy giant Shell has published a report “A Better Life with a Healthy Planet: Pathways to Net-Zero Emissions.” It states that Shell’s drive to achieve net-zero emissions is likely to accelerate due to the “global reality” of limiting global rise in temperatures to well below 2°C, a target set at the Paris Agreement. [eco-business.com]

¶ Energy research and consulting firm GTM Research has predicted that the German energy storage market will attain an annual value of US $1 billion by 2021. The firm forecast an elevenfold increase in megawatts of storage between 2015 and 2021. At the end of last year, Germany had 67 MW of energy storage installed. [Energy Digital]

¶ By mid-2016, the total capacity of renewable energy plants in Ukraine reached 1,028 MW. A report released by the International Forum of Sustainable Energy in Ukraine, said that as of July 1, the country had 453 MW of solar plants, 426 MW of wind farms, 31 MW of biomass power and 118 MW of small hydro power plants. [pv magazine]

¶ Renewable energy sources produced 48.6% of Spain’s power in January-July 2016, according to provisional data as of July 29. Nuclear power plants were the number-one source of electricity with a 22.8% share, closely followed by wind parks with 22.5% and hydro power at 19%. Solar power provided 5.4%. [SeeNews Renewables]

US:

¶ The Clean Energy Standard, part of an initiative to double the New York’s renewable energy providers and cut carbon emissions 40% by 2030, was approved unanimously at a meeting in Albany Monday. The four nuclear power plants were added to the CES because they produce a third of the state’s carbon dioxide-free energy. [WSKG News]

¶ Florida voters are asked to extend to commercial and industrial properties a renewable-energy tax break that residential property owners already enjoy. The broadly supported measure would exempt for 20 years the assessed value of solar and renewable-energy devices installed on businesses and industrial properties. [Orlando Weekly]

¶ Vermont gubernatorial candidate Matt Dunne’s renewable energy position proposing to leave wind and solar siting questions up to the local community lost him a powerful endorsement. Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org is no longer endorsing him, and has given his endorsement to Sue Minter instead. [WCAX]

¶ Entering into a 37-year agreement with Dominion Virginia Power, the Navy announced plans for a 21 MW DC solar facility in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Following on the heels of a 10-year contract for 25 MW DC for Naval Station Norfolk, the new solar facility will be constructed on Naval Air Station Oceana. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Georgia Power has been granted permission from the state’s pubic service commission to spend as much as $99 million on preliminary site work and licensing for a nuclear power plant in the southwest corner of the state. The spending was approved for a 7,000-acre site in rural Stewart County on the Chattahoochee River. [Nuclear Street]

 

Opinion:

¶ “How the campaign against South Australian windfarms backfired” • A concerted media campaign to blame renewable power for high energy prices in South Australia went bust. The Environment and Energy Minister, who had once argued there was a “strong moral case for coal,” said such blame is not accurate. [The Guardian]

¶ “China-UK ‘Golden Era’ cannot afford to be delayed” • Britain’s decision to delay the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant program over security concerns not only draws questions from the international community about its openness towards foreign investment, but also adds uncertainties to the “Golden Era” of China-UK ties. [Xinhua]

World:

¶ The global battle against climate change passed a historic turning point, according to senior economists. China, the world’s biggest polluter, more than tripled its coal use from 2000 to 2013, emitting billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide. But its coal consumption peaked in 2014, much earlier than expected, and began falling. [Climate Central]

¶ In recent months, there have been a number of inaccurate media stories linking high electricity prices in South Australia with the state’s high proportion of wind and solar generation. However, a Climate Council report reveals that electricity price spikes in South Australia have reduced as renewable energy grows. [RenewEconomy]

¶ KCI The Engineers has completed the basic design of an offshore switchyard for Belgian transmission system operator Elia to combine and bring onshore electricity from several wind farms off Belgium’s coast. Currently North Sea wind farms are connected individually to onshore grids, but the new design changes this. [reNews]

¶ A 10-MW community solar farm planned for the regional Victoria’s city of Wangaratta could soon double in size, after a strong show of interest in the council supported project from both businesses and investors. The larger the solar farm is thought likely to attract from potential investors and power off-take partners. [One Step off the Grid]

¶ Poland, a country where hard coal and lignite power plants currently generate about 85% of the power, has passed a law that stymies a wind power expansion and is now mulling draft legislation that will help boost investments in new coal capacity. The eastern European country cited energy security reasons. [POWER magazine]

¶ As much as 728 MW of solar energy has been synchronised with the grid in India’s Telangana state, surpassing the 5% target given by the central government. This is more than 10% of the 7,000 MW peak demand recorded in the state this fiscal so far. Telangana expects another 1,500 MW power by March next. [Deccan Chronicle]

¶ Global renewable energy production increased by 2.6% between 2013 and 2014, and reached a share of 13.8% in total primary energy supply, the International Energy Agency said last week. Annual growth rates in 1990 to 2014 have been especially strong for PV and wind power, at 46.2% and 24.3% respectively. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ British Prime Minister Theresa May was concerned about the security implications of a planned Chinese investment in the new Hinkley Point nuclear plant, and intervened personally to delay the project, according to sources. China General Nuclear Power Corp was set to hold a 33% stake in the Hinkley Point project. [The Japan News]

US:

¶ A desalination project proposed for California’s coast would draw water from one of the world’s deepest submarine canyons, making it potentially less harmful to ocean life. The Deep Water Desal facility would require substantially less energy to operate than typical desalination plants and use renewable energy sources. [Gizmag]

¶ The Massachusetts legislature has passed a compromise energy bill and sent it to the governor. The bill would require utilities to solicit long-term contracts with offshore wind farm developers for at least 1,600 MW in the next 10 years and encourage delivery of larger supplies of Canadian hydropower and other renewables. [Odessa American]

¶ New Mexico’s solar energy developers say their industry is finally hitting its stride as thousands of new residential and commercial customers opt to go solar, and more utilities nationwide turn to the sun for electric generation. Plunging prices are driving the market for solar systems bringing waves customers. [Albuquerque Journal]

¶ The fate of upstate New York’s nuclear power plants could be decided today. The state’s Public Service Commission will vote on a massive nuclear power subsidy program that several plant owners say they need to survive and what anti-nuclear forces call a wasteful investment in a dangerous power source. [WRVO Public Media]

¶ Karenna Gore, daughter of former Vice President Al Gore, rejected a plea deal and now faces charges after being arrested for trespassing during a protest in June at Spectra Energy’s West Roxbury natural gas pipeline. Gore and seven others protested by lying down in a trench, disrupting the work. [People Magazine]

Science and Technology:

¶ The American Psychological Association links air pollution to brain disorders and diminished cognitive abilities in a report that links air pollution to increased depression, educational troubles for children, and degenerative problems. “Now, the evidence is mounting that dirty air is bad for your brain as well,” it says. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Scientists may underestimate how quickly plants can change location in response to climate change, a study from the University of British Columbia says. The comfort zones of many plants and trees are easing north or into higher elevations, but the speed with which they move is being driven by evolutionary responses. [Windsor Star]

World:

¶ A study suggests that households in Pakistan waste 25% of their electricity due to inefficient appliances, contributing to the energy-crisis in Pakistan. It criticizes the dominant narrative on the energy crisis, that nothing can be done about electricity shortages unless the government installs more capacity. [Daily Times]

¶ Growing numbers of companies in the UAE are now starting to cater to businesses of all shapes and sizes who are looking to become a little greener. Switching to solar power can do more than helping businesses cut expenses and carbon footprints. It can also boost their reputation and earn the trust of the people around them. [Emirates 24|7]

¶ Taipei is building its first solar power plant using ground mounted solar panels at site that used to be a landfill. The project is part of the capital’s efforts to expand the use of renewable energy. The solar plant is expected to be completed by the end of this year and is to be able to generate up to 2 million kWh per year. [Taipei Times]

¶ In Ghana, mining companies will soon be using renewable energy sources to meet their energy needs as part a move to reduce burden on the national grid and reduce their cost of operation. The Energy Commission has impressed on mining companies to adopt renewable energy and reduce the pressure on the national grid. [GhanaWeb]

¶ Progress continues on the $500 million Coopers Gap wind farm near Kingaroy, Queensland, with the release of terms of reference for its environmental impact statement. AGL Energy Ltd proposes to build and operate a 115-turbine wind farm of 350 MW total capacity, enough to power about 180,000 households. [Toowoomba Chronicle]

¶ Eleven operators of Japanese nuclear power plants expect to spend more than ¥3 trillion ($32 billion) to safeguard their facilities, revealing the continuing skyrocketing costs. The overall costs will likely grow even further as many companies have not yet accounted for expenses to build centers to deal with a terrorist attack. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶ Wind power is growing fast in Iowa. Just as Alliant Energy announced a $1 billion, 500-MW expansion of its 200-MW Whispering Willow Wind Farm in north-central Iowa, MidAmerican Energy announced that it had settled a rate agreement that would allow its Wind XI project, a $3.6 billion, 2,000-MW wind farm, to proceed. [TakePart]

¶ Sonoma Clean Power, which provides electricity for 88% of homes and businesses in Sonoma County, California, signed its first long-term in-state contract for wind power. The 20-year deal with Golden Hills North Wind Energy Center will buy power generated by wind turbines in the Altamont Pass area of Alameda County. [Sonoma Valley Sun]

¶ Indiana clean energy advocates launched a statewide ad campaign to compel Indiana-Michigan Power to close the coal-fired Rockport plant, the largest in the state, unveiling a new ad campaign to compel I&M to shut the plant down. The power company says it is already on track to convert to cleaner energy. [Indiana Public Media]

 

Opinion:

¶ “Michael Liebreich Slams Extremely Expensive Hinkley Point C” • The £18 billion Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant would be guaranteed payments equal to twice the current wholesale price of electricity (i.e., what it would get without subsidy) for 35 years! And why? For nonsensical political reasons. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Climate change video directed by James Cameron heats up the
DNC” • At the convention, Sigourney Weaver introduced a video directed by James Cameron that contrasts opposing views of on climate change. Titled “Not Reality TV,” the video shows how climate change affects everything from hurricanes to drought. [Inhabitat]

Science and Technology:

¶ Wood buildings sequester carbon, instead of burning it up in production, as steel and concrete do. A video from the Oregon Forest Resources Institute makes the case for increased use of wood in building construction, even in multi-level highrises. The use of wood is increasing in many types of commercial projects. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ Plastic bag use has plummeted in England since the introduction of a 5p charge last year. In the six months after the levy was brought in last October, 640 million plastic bags were used in seven major supermarkets in England, it says. In 2014, the waste reduction charity Wrap estimated the same supermarkets had used 7.64 billion bags. [BBC]

¶ Portugal authorized processing licenses for solar projects totaling more than 2,000 MW. Solar projects totaling 180 MW have been authorized under the existing market system in the nation’s southern region, and an additional 68 licenses for solar projects are being processed, which total more than 2 GW of potential. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Indian downstream oil companies are the latest to express interest in developing large-scale solar power projects to meet electricity demand. Two of the leading oil refining companies in India, Indian Oil Corp and Oil India, are planning to set up 1 GW of solar capacity in state of Madhya Pradesh to power their operations. [CleanTechies]

¶ Some of the world’s biggest car makers including Vauxhall, BMW, VW and Audi are investigating their paint supply chains after the Guardian linked their suppliers to illegal mines in India where child labor and debt bondage are widespread. Children as young as 10 work at mines for mica, a mineral for shimmery car paint. [The Guardian]

¶ Six power plants in the Indian state of Maharashtra have shut down because they produced no power for at least a year. Operations were not viable at one. A couple of power producers had to close because of lack of supplies of coal and gas. The biggest among them all, at 1,380 MW capacity, lacked sufficient water. [The Indian Express]

¶ In 2015 renewable energy provided 25% of the UK’s electricity, up from 20% the previous year. Once considered the lifeblood of this country, coal is now marginally behind gas as the dominant source of electric energy in the UK, with renewable energy sources filling the gap it leaves behind. [Kensington Chelsea & Westminster Today]

US:

¶ A group of 67 scientists, including James Hansen, Ken Calderia, Mark Jacobson, Michael Oppenheimer, Susan Solomon, and Stuart Pimm, have penned an open letter to the US Department of the Interior calling on the government to end coal leasing on public lands in an effort to protect the climate, public health, and biodiversity. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Democratic gubernatorial candidate Matt Dunne on Friday put out a new wind-turbine siting policy statement. “If a town says no to a large industrial wind project I would use all the power of the governor’s office to ensure that is the end of the project,” Dunne said in his statement. “I will ensure that no means no.” [Seven Days]

¶ Profits at two of the biggest oil firms have been hit by the falling price of crude. Exxon Mobil saw its profit fall 59% to $1.7 billion from $4 billion in the second quarter last year. Meanwhile Chevron posted its largest quarterly loss since 2001, $1.5 billion in the second quarter, compared with a $571 million profit last year. [BBC]

¶ Since moving to its new location in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2015, Duke Energy’s Renewable Control Center has seen the number of wind and solar plants it monitors grow to over 3,500 MW. The center monitors and optimizes wind and solar power plants, as well as providing operations and maintenance services. [CleanTechnica]

¶ A key New York state board is set to consider a pricey subsidy for nuclear power plants that could amount to several billion dollars over the next 12 years. The Public Service Commission is scheduled to take up a clean-energy plan on Monday. It would require utilities to buy power from the nuclear plants at a premium. [Poughkeepsie Journal]

Opinion:

¶ “Port Augusta is at centre of our renewable transition – now isn’t the time to turn back” • Much of the recent commentary around renewable energy in South Australia has suggested we need to slam the brakes on new renewable projects, especially wind farms. For many reasons, this is the wrong response. [RenewEconomy]

¶ “Nuclear Power Advocates Claim Cheap Renewable Energy Is A Bad Thing” • In the real world, the unexpectedly rapid drop in the price of renewable power and batteries is a doubly miraculous game-changer that is already cutting greenhouse gas emissions globally. But nuclear power advocates say it is too cheap. [ThinkProgress]

¶ “NY’s historic bailout of nuke plants explained: Why ratepayers could pony up $7 billion” • New York energy regulators are poised to approve the nation’s first clean-air subsidies for nuclear plants, a controversial move that would guarantee about $7 billion in new revenue to three Upstate nukes threatening to close. [Syracuse.com]

World:

¶ Plans to build the first new UK nuclear plant in 20 years were unexpectedly delayed when the UK’s government put a final decision off until the early autumn. EDF, which is financing most of the £18-billion Hinkley Point project, approved the funding. But the UK’s government said it needed to review the project. [BBC]

¶ The International Energy Agency estimates that 625-million sub-Saharan Africans are without power. The World Bank says 25 of their countries are in energy crisis with poor reliability and high costs. But in just five years, 92 independent power producers got contracts with a combined nameplate capacity of 6,327 MW in South Africa. [BDlive]

¶ The world’s 47 largest investor-owned fossil fuel and cement producers have been formally accused of human rights abuses. This week, the fossil fuel and cement producers named in the complaint were sent their copies of it by the Philippines Commission on Human Rights. They have 45 days to respond. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Australian renewables advocates spent much of the last week defending wind and solar from the attacks of power industry bodies and media reports blaming intermittent renewables on South Australian electricity prices. Now, however, now federal government’s minister agrees that the problems were not caused by wind and solar. [PV-Tech]

¶ According to the latest figures from a new report published by information and analysis company IHS Markit, the global energy storage market is expected to double in 2016, growing from 1.4 GWh to 2.9 GWh by the end of the year. After that, the storage market will continue its rapid growth, reaching 21 GWh by 2025. [CleanTechnica]

¶ US independent power producer Sonnedix has reached commercial operation on an 86-MW solar PV plant in South Africa, after only 17 months of construction. The plant was developed in collaboration with Mulilo Renewable Energy and Ixowave Women in Power. Construction was assumed by juwi Renewable Energies. [PV-Tech]

¶ Most of the nuclear fuel inside the No 2 reactor at Fukushima Daiichi apparently did not melt through the pressure vessel as previously believed, research using muon tomography has revealed. The assessment was made based on a study that used muons, elementary particles that travel from outer space, for imaging. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶ NV Energy yesterday is asking for the blessing of the Nevada Public Utilities Commission’s to grandfather net metering for solar customers in the state for 20 years. The Nevada Supreme Court will decide soon on placing a referendum to return to the far more favorable net metering on the ballot in November. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ The Vermont Clean Energy Development Fund, drawing from cash paid to the state by Yankee owner Entergy, has given $400,000 to the Windham Regional Commission to develop the program over the next several months. Officials say grants will be geared toward small-scale renewable projects in the county. [vtdigger.org]

¶ The Georgia Public Service Commission okayed Georgia Power’s long-range Integrated Resource Plan, under which it would add 1,600 MW of renewable energy capacity by 2021. As part of the plan, the Atlanta-based utility will procure 1,200 MW of renewables, with a limit for wind power to be procured is set at 300 MW. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ A report published by the DOE found that with continued technological advances, innovative market mechanisms, and a focus on environmental stability, the country’s hydropower capacity could grow from its current 101 GW to nearly 150 GW of combined electricity generation and storage capacity by 2050. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The Vermont Public Service Board issued interim noise standards for commercial and small-scale wind projects, in accord with legislation that directed the Public Service Board to issue interim rules. For commercial wind projects the board set a limit of 45 decibels outside of a building and 30 decibels on the inside. [Vermont Public Radio]

 

Science and Technology:

¶ The European summer heat wave of 2003 has been a focal point for scientists studying whether and how human-caused climate change influences extreme weather events. It was the first weather event to be the subject of an attribution study. A new study examines the numbers of fatalities attributable to climate change. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ China has installed 22 GW of grid-connected solar PV in the first half of 2016. According to PV-Tech, China’s National Energy Administration announced at an industry event in Beijing that the country had logged 22 GW of grid-connected solar PV in the first half of the year, with 11.3 GW in June alone. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Over the past few days, three separate announcements have been made about Australian wind projects moving forward with development. This is welcome news for a country which has for so long seen renewable energy be the primary focus of disinformation and propaganda at the highest political levels. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Chinese company TBEA SunOasis Co is to build a two-stage 1-GW solar power plant in Egypt under a memorandum of understanding. The deal also envisages the establishment of PV cell manufacturing capacity in Egypt. The Ministry of International Cooperation will back the feasibility study and construction stages. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ The European Commission said it considers France’s decision to support a pilot tidal energy plant in the English Channel with state aid to be in line with the bloc’s rules. France plans to support the construction of the Normandie Energie PiloTe HYDrolien tidal energy pilot farm in a current called the Raz Blanchard. [Sputnik International]

¶ Energy giant EDF will make its long-awaited final investment decision on the planned nuclear power station at Hinkley Point, ending doubts over the £18 billion project. The French firm’s board is meeting in Paris and is expected to give the go-ahead for the first nuclear power station to be built in the UK for a generation. [The Guardian]

¶ A general trend has been observed in energy markets, and this is especially noteworthy in the UK and US. It is the downslide of coal energy and the rise of renewables. Of particular note, solar PV electricity generation surpassed coal-based electricity production for the first time in the UK during May 2016. [CleanTechnica]

¶ TEPCO, operator of the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, said first-quarter operating profit plummeted 37% as sales declined amid faltering demand and new entrants into Japan’s power market. Japan liberalized its retail power market in April, allowing consumers to choose their electricity providers for the first time. [Bloomberg]

¶ The Rockefeller Brothers fund has emerged as an investor in an African project of Eddie O’Connor’s Mainstream Renewable Power. The fund, set up by the sons of John D Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil, was part of a $117.5 million investment in a Mainstream joint venture with private equity firm Actis in Africa. [Irish Independent]

US:

¶ The Democrats adopted their party platform at their national convention. The energy and environment section is titled “Combat Climate Change, Build a Clean Energy Economy, and Secure Environmental Justice.” It begins with this statement: “Climate change is an urgent threat and the defining challenge of our time.” [Global Warming]

¶ The team that evaluates responses to New England’s Clean Energy Request for Proposals, targeting 5,000 GWh, will need more time to conclude the process due to the complexity of the analysis and the volume of bids. The evaluation phase was issued in November, 2015, and was initially scheduled to end on July 26. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Amid a blistering heat wave and some strong weather, electricity prices in New York soared this past week. According to Platts, New York ISO real-time prices went above $800/MWh (80¢/kWh) on Monday afternoon, and Zone A West real-time prices soared in to more than $1,500/MWh ($1.50/kWh). [Utility Dive]

¶ The Energy Information Administration now provides hourly electricity operating data, including actual and forecast demand, net generation, and the power flowing between electric systems. EIA’s US Electric System Operating Data tool provides nearly real-time demand data, plus analysis and visualizations for the US electric grid. [US EIA]

¶ Minnesota Power, a division of US energy company Allete Inc, intends to add roughly 600 MW of wind and solar power capacity to its fleet following a request by state regulators. The company has released a Request for Proposals targeting up to 300 MW of new wind power capacity. Proposals are due by September 7, 2016. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Alliant Energy Corp, based in Madison, Wisconsin, says it will invest $1 billion into building more wind power in Iowa over the next five years. Alliant is seeking approval to expand its Whispering Willow Wind Farm in Franklin County, in north-central Iowa, and it may develop wind farms in other parts of Iowa, as well. [Madison.com]

 

Opinion:

¶ “An industrial strategy for energy” • Even the UK’s National Audit Office acknowledges that the only remaining argument in favor of the ‘cathedral within a cathedral’ at Hinkley is that nuclear power gives the UK what is known as baseload power. Britain should abandon Hinkley Point and invest in storage. [Open Democracy]

¶ “South Australia’s ‘absurd’ electricity prices: renewables are not to
blame” • Reading many newspapers over the past few weeks you’d think South Australia had become a horrible case study in the dangers of too much renewable energy. Those articles missed the fact that SA power prices doubled as gas prices doubled. [The Guardian]

Science and Technology:

¶ A new study suggests that the increasing acidification of the oceans is likely to interfere with the ability of fish to reproduce. Researchers found that elevated levels of CO2, which make the waters more acidic, saw significantly lower levels of spawning. The scientists say the changes are “subtle but ecologically important.” [BBC]

¶ If anthropogenic global warming is to be limited to under 2° Celsius (3.6° Fahrenheit) then technology will need to be developed to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, in addition to completely ceasing greenhouse gas emissions by 2085, according to a study from the National Center for Atmospheric Research. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ Stadtwerke Muenchen, Germany’s biggest municipal utility, plans to expand its presence in the booming offshore wind sector, its CEO said, in a bid to replace loss-making gas and power plants it says will cease to exist at some point. Despite its small size, SWM has already spent about €3 billion ($3.3 billion) on renewables. [Reuters]

¶ The City of Cape Town is blasting Eskom’s move to stop signing power purchase agreements with private producers after the current round is finalized. The mayor of Cape Town says the city demands that the energy minister allow the city to procure renewable energy from independent power producers. [ITWeb]

¶ Senvion has signed a deal to supply two MM92 turbines to developer EDL for an offgrid project in the Australian outback. The German outfit said the Coober Pedy hybrid micro-grid project in the south of the country will feature 2-MW turbines, along with a combination of solar and battery storage to reduce reliance on diesel fuel. [reNews]

¶ According to the UN’s 2016 New and Renewable Energy Investment Trend Report on July 25, the installed capacity of new and renewable energy-powered power plants newly built in the world last year grew 25.5% to 118 GW from the previous year. This volume accounted for 53.6% of all new power generation. [BusinessKorea]

¶ Ukraine’s looking toward the sun to put a radioactive wasteland back into business. Thirty years after atomic fallout from the Chernobyl meltdown rendered an area the size of Luxembourg uninhabitable for centuries, Ukraine is seeking investors to develop solar power near the defunct Soviet reactors. [Livemint]

¶ South Australia’s state government has announced plans for a new clean energy auction, saying it intends to target “dispatchable” renewable energy sources, including battery storage, for around 25% of the government’s electricity needs. There is still no word on how the government will source the other 75%. [RenewEconomy]

¶ Southeast Asia’s leading wind energy developer, The Blue Circle, has received an Investment Certificate from the Vietnamese authorities for its 40-MW Dam Nai project, in Ninh Thuan province, South Vietnam. The site of 933 hectares has a potential for a total capacity installed of 70 to 100 MW. [Blue & Green Tomorrow]

¶ Electricite de France SA approved plans for a €4 billion ($4.4 billion) share sale, two days before its board meets to make a final investment decision on its British nuclear-power plant project. The decision may hinge on the votes of independent board members as three of the EDF’s labor unions call to delay development. [Bloomberg]

US:

¶ Nearly 15,000 solar panels soaking up the sun in Osceola County are now providing clean, renewable energy to Duke Energy customers in Florida. The new Duke Energy owned and operated Osceola Solar Facility is about the size of 13 football fields and produces nearly 4 MW of carbon-free energy. [Florida Trend]

¶ A new lawsuit filed against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by a coalition of four environmental groups alleges that the new rules for capacity resources approved last year are going to raise utility costs for consumers and are “unduly” burdensome to renewable energy, according to recent reports. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The US reached 74,821 MW installed wind power capacity by mid-2016 and there are now more than 18,200 MW of wind farms under construction or in advanced stages of development. The American Wind Energy Association said activity approached record levels in the second quarter with record low wind costs. [SeeNews Renewables]

 

Opinion:

¶ “Could Giant Suction Cups Turn Lake Erie Into a Regional Energy
Hub?” • When a 87-year-old Norwegian billionaire chatted in the Canary Islands with a 65-year-old nuclear engineer whose attention had turned to renewables, the conversation turned to a goal of getting a small offshore wind farm running in Lake Erie. [Pacific Standard]

¶ “A hefty nuclear subsidy” • In coming weeks, New York’s Public Service Commission will consider a clean energy plan that envisions a laudable goal: to derive half of the state’s electricity from clean, renewable sources. It also includes what can be fairly described as a massive subsidy for nuclear power plants. [Albany Times Union]

¶ “Clean Energy Is Booming in Historically Red States – and It’s Splitting Conservatives Apart” • Policy fights pitt right-wing grassroots activists against well-funded conservative advocacy groups aligned with fossil fuel producers and power utilities. Fossil fuels have the upper hand for now, but the situation may be shifting. [AlterNet]

Science and Technology:

¶ Climate change is leaving migratory birds with nowhere to go. A study showed that the Arctic region is rapidly becoming unsuitable for shorebird breeding as global warming heightens. Published in the journal Global Change Biology, it said migratory bird breeding in the Arctic could be wiped out by the year 2070. [Nature World News]

¶ Sri Lanka’s prime minister has said mangroves’ ability to absorb carbon swiftly make the forests vital for fighting climate change. As well as storing carbon, the forests provide habitat for fish and protect communities from tsunamis and cyclones. His comments come on the first anniversary of a project to protect all of nation’s mangroves. [BBC]

World:

¶ The Mayor of London has announced that the city is moving to secure a license to provide clean electricity to power underground stations and other facilities. London would be UK’s first local authority to buy energy from small, low and zero carbon energy generators and sell it to help meet electricity needs. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ More than a year after it first took to the skies, Solar Impulse 2 has completed an epic around-the-world journey without burning a single drop of fuel. The revolutionary single-seat solar-powered plane touched down Tuesday morning in Abu Dhabi, at the same airport from which it took off back in March 2015. [Huffington Post]

¶ Almost one-third of jobs in the UK solar power sector have been lost in the past year and a further 30% of businesses expect to cut staff in the next 12 months, according to a survey by the Solar Trade Association and PwC. The drop follows a year in which deployment in domestic solar has fallen 80% under the feed-in tariff. [reNews]

¶ The Australian Renewable Energy Agency will help finance deployment of a 10-MW solar park that will be co-located with an existing wind park in New South Wales. ARENA is contributing AUS $9.9 million for a $26 million solar plant to be built close to the 165.5-MW Gullen Range wind park south of Crookwell town. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ A contract worth €40 million was inked with Italian and Swiss investors for building Iran’s biggest solar power plant. The solar power house with a production capacity of 30 MW will be designed, built and implemented in North Khorasan Province. This follows other agreements with Germany for solar power plants. [Mehr News Agency]

¶ The Celtic Interconnector, a roughly 700-MW link between France and Ireland to increase competition and support the growth of renewables, is entering the Initial Design and Pre-Consultation phase. EirGrid Plc and RTE completed feasibility studies for the €1-billion project, and they agreed to move to the next phase. [SeeNews Renewables]

US:

¶ Six weeks after Trump appeared before petroleum producers in North Dakota and gave a speech tailor-made to win their support, the fossil fuel industry seems unexcited about responding. Of the $63.5 million Trump and the Super PACS raised in June, about $580,000 came from people connected to the fossil fuel industry. [InsideClimate News‎]

¶ In search of low-cost, fixed-rate electricity, great deals are swaying Fortune 500 companies and other major players to commit to wind power. Signing contracts for over 2,000 MW of electricity, big brands, high-tech companies, and other non-utility customers took up 52% of new wind energy generating capacity in 2015. [Planetsave.com]

¶ The nation’s capital now has the fifth-most-aggressive RPS policy in the nation. As part of the new program the city plans to install solar PV on 100,000 homes where low-income families live. The city’s mayor signed legislation to require the utility to get 50% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2032. [pv magazine]

¶ In Ohio, Cuyahoga County’s executive officer will propose a plan for the county to purchase wind and solar power. In 2018, the Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation, or LEED-CO, will have completed Ohio’s first offshore wind farm, 6 turbines off the coast of Cleveland. The county will take a 9% share of the power. [ideastream]

Opinion:

¶ “Why fossil fuel industry needs South Australia ‘experiment’ to fail” • Price spikes, such as what recently happened in South Australia, used to be an important part of the business model for coal and gas generators. With the advent of renewable power, the spikes have all but gone away, so when one comes, they blame renewables. [RenewEconomy]

World:

¶ Profits at Bord na Móna, a company originally formed to harvest Irish peat for fuel, were dented as the group took a €23.6 million impairment charge against the carrying value of its two thermal power stations at Edenderry. The company will become an alternative energy provider, centered on biomass, wind and solar power. [Irish Times]

¶ The UK’s Marine Management Organisation granted approval for deployment and operation of a 30-MW tidal project off the Isle of Wight. The team believes that tidal power is set to surge and this project could set a precedent for the future. But can it compete with other more common renewable energy generation methods? [Power Technology]

¶ Pakistan received a major boost in its endeavor to expand renewable energy infrastructure as Canada agreed to set up large-scale solar power projects in one of the country’s provinces. The Canadian government reportedly signed an agreement with the government of Balochistan to set up 1 GW solar power capacity in the province. [PlanetSave.com]

¶ A sharp fall in solar module prices will help renewable energy producers, who have won solar projects at aggressive tariffs but are yet to procure equipment or start construction, leading to higher margins, according to company executives and analysts. Module prices have already declined by as much as 10% in the first half of 2016. [Livemint]

¶ A committee of MPs has called on the UK government to clarify support for the Scottish renewables industry following a “disproportionate” impact of cuts on the sector. The Scottish Affairs Committee warned that recent changes in government policy have created uncertainty that may threaten the industry’s growth prospects. [Scottish Housing News]

¶ According to The National, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority is requesting proposals for an early-stage feasibility study on producing electricity from geothermal energy and in particular for its use in potential desalination. The move fits with Dubai’s aim to produce 75% of electricity from clean sources by 2050. [PlanetSave.com]

US:

¶ State officials say Minnesota should look at strengthening its renewable energy law. Minnesota is on track to meet a requirement of 25% renewable electricity generation by 2025. But that has not been enough to help reach another state goal, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change. [Fergus Falls Daily Journal]

¶ Solana Beach could become the first city in San Diego County to create its own power company, with the goal of moving to 100% renewable energy. The city is searching for a company to provide a power system based completely on solar, wind, geothermal, or other renewable sources of electricity. [The San Diego Union-Tribune]

¶ With four days of convention activities, energy consumption and emissions will rise around Philadelphia. To help offset this increased energy usage, WGL Energy Services, Inc has donated enough carbon offsets to cover the hotel stays of all 28,000 convention attendees for all four days of the Democratic event. [Stockhouse]

¶ Members of Ozarks Electric Cooperative in Arkansas can now buy solar power without installing a panel. Ozarks Electric started the area’s first utility-owned solar farm on 5 acres just outside Springdale. The 4,080-panel array has a capacity of 1 MW. Most of Arkansas’ electricity comes from gas, nuclear, and hydropower. [Northwest Arkansas News]

Opinion:

¶ “The Switch: soon solar will be the cheapest power everywhere” • Solar is already the cheapest available power across large swathes of the tropics, writes Chris Goodall – its cost down 99.7% since the early 70s. Soon it will be the cheapest electricity everywhere, providing clean, secure, affordable energy for all. [The Ecologist]

¶ “Are General Electric’s Nuclear Ambitions Doomed?” • Once heralded as a reliable and clean power source capable of expediting the shift away from fossil fuels, nuclear power faces an uncertain future. Several nations in the EU have announced plans to rid their grids of nuclear power entirely, and plants are closing in the US. [Motley Fool]

Science and Technology:

¶ According to the United Nations weather agency, global temperatures for the first six months of 2016 have been high enough to set this year up as the hottest year in recorded human history. Considering the heat waves we are in, the idea that we are currently in the midst of the hottest year in history isn’t too hard to believe. [The Inquisitr]

World:

¶ Negotiators in Vienna are working on a deal to ban hydrofluorocarbons, chemicals used in air conditioners and refrigerators. Although only small amounts are released, they can trap heat in the atmosphere at levels a thousand times higher than carbon dioxide can, according to published scientific studies. [Northwest Arkansas News]

¶ An aircraft powered by solar energy has left Egypt on the last leg of the first ever fuel-free flight around the world. Solar Impulse 2 climbed out of Cairo on Sunday in darkness, bound for Abu Dhabi. The journey should take between 48 and 72 hours. The carbon fibre plane set off on its epic challenge in March last year. [euronews]

¶ In the Philippines, Energy Development Co signed its first solar rooftop Power Purchase Agreement with Gaisano Capital. The 3400 solar panels to be installed on Gaisano Mall in Iloilo City will provide up to 50% of the mall’s daytime electric needs, offsetting 750 metric tons of Gaisano Capital’s CO2 emissions each year. [Manila Bulletin]

¶ Metrolinx and Toronto Hydro are seeking alternatives to a natural gas-powered backup facility for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. It would only be used occasionally, when Crosstown train cars are stalled in a tunnel. The initial proposal was for an 18-MW natural gas plant, but residents object to the pollution. [insideTORONTO.com]

US:

¶ Wind farm developer Greycliff Wind Prime said a proposed 25-MW wind project east of Big Timber, Montana, was likely dead following a rate action by the Public Service Commission. The PSC set the price Greycliff could charge the utility at $45.49/MWh, about 16% lower than the threshold for profitability. [Casper Star-Tribune Online]

¶ Enough new hydroelectricity to power up to 320,000 homes will come online this year, with four new power plants are under construction at dams along the Ohio River in West Virginia and Kentucky. When the projects are complete, the generating capacity along the Ohio River will grow from 313 MW to 554 MW. [Wheeling Intelligencer]

¶ Beginning next month, the manure of northern Missouri pigs will provide energy to far-flung power users connected to a national pipeline system for natural gas. The gas production facility poised to come online is only the start of what is intended to be a much broader marriage of renewable energy and agribusiness. [STLtoday.com]

¶ This spring, there has been a dramatic decline in the health of Eastern white pines across New England and Northeast Pennsylvania. Needles on trees have turned color and fallen from the trees. The severely affected trees decline further and die. The cause is not entirely known, but climate change may be part of the problem. [Scranton Times-Tribune]

 

Science and Technology:

¶ What if rather than using fuels that add carbon dioxide, we could create fuels that recycle carbon dioxide from the atmosphere? Researchers at Arizona State University are exploring the idea of creating fuels that do just that. They are synthesizing carbon-neutral liquid fuels. Think of them as fuels created out of thin air. [AZoCleantech]

World:

¶ India has invited its first-ever bids for solar energy projects that include storage as a requirement as part of a trial program aimed at making the renewable resource more reliable. Solar Energy Corp of India sought bids for 300-MW of solar power to be built in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. [Bloomberg]

¶ Japan’s nuclear power is unlikely to meet a government target of nearly returning to former levels, and the world’s No-3 economy needs to get serious about renewables, a senior executive at a top business lobby said. The Japan Association of Corporate Executives is urging Tokyo to remove hurdles for renewable power. [StreetInsider.com]

¶ The United States and Mexico are set to begin negotiating a new nuclear power cooperation agreement, the White House said. Officials for the two countries will look to craft a “123” nuclear agreement before the end of the year. The deal would allow American nuclear companies to export their products and technologies to Mexico. [The Hill]

US:

¶ Ambitious pro-coal plans were put on full display at the Republican National Convention. But the same day that US Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) spoke to the convention in support of the coal industry, a federal court issued a ruling that upheld the EPA’s veto of the notorious Spruce No 1 mine in her home state. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Lawyers for Entergy say the company will support a proposal to provide $1 billion in subsidies to nuclear power plants struggling to remain profitable. This comes after the Public Service Commission changed the proposal’s language, removing requirements that the plant be licensed and be struggling financially. [The Journal News | LoHud.com]

¶ North Dakota’s elected leaders and utilities have been vocal in opposing the EPA’s Clean Power Plan. Some predicted it would require facilities to close, given the 45% carbon dioxide emissions reduction target the plan required by 2030. But the Stanton Station coal-burning power plant is closing for economic reasons. [Grand Forks Herald]

¶ Illinois’ 25 largest wind farms generate $30.4 million in annual property taxes and $13.86 million in extra income annually for landowners who lease their land to their developers, according to a study released at Illinois State University. The study said the total economic benefit for the life of the projects is $6.4 billion. [Bloomington Pantagraph]

¶ An E.ON subsidiary and Digital Realty, a global provider of data centers, announced a long-term agreement to procure energy from the 200-MW Colbeck’s Corner Wind Farm near Amarillo, Texas. The agreement allows Digital Realty to offset 100% its US co-location and interconnection energy footprint. [PennEnergy]

¶ The New York State Energy and Research Development Authority will soon release its offshore wind blueprint. The Long Island Power Authority postponed its board of trustees meeting until after the release. The 90-MW Deepwater ONE project awaits their vote, and environmentalists are disappointed at the delay. [North American Windpower]

¶ The US Coast Guard may endorse opening wider swaths of the Atlantic for offshore wind farms by shrinking the buffer zones around shipping channels and ports along the coast. Currently, wind projects must be at least two nautical miles away from shipping lanes and five nautical miles from port access areas. [Windpower Engineering]

 

Science and Technology:

¶ A recent drought shut down the Amazon Basin’s carbon sink, the ability of a natural zone to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, by killing trees and slowing trees’ growth rates, a study has shown. In the first basin-wide study of the impacts of the 2010 drought, data showed trees’ mortality rate went up while growth rates declined. [BBC]

World:

¶ The European Commission presented proposals on binding greenhouse gas emissions intended to “set clear and fair guiding principles to Member States to prepare for the future and keep Europe competitive.” The plan would ensure that all Member States reduce the emissions by at least 40% from 1990 levels by 2030. [CleanTechnica]

¶ South African utility Eskom may refuse to enter into new deals with independent power producers beyond those currently in progress, local media reported. Eskom’s chairman said the utility’s board had concerns about the IPP programme, and it wanted the government to analyse the implications for Eskom. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Donald Trump claims that planning conditions have been breached on Vattenfall AB’s 92.4-MW Aberdeen offshore wind farm. The Scotsman reported that Trump’s company plans to file formal written objections, and the paper cited a spokeswoman as accusing Aberdeen City Council officials of “gross incompetence.” [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Residents in Orkney are to benefit from a new smart-control energy system linking the renewable energy generated from wind turbines to the heating systems in their homes. The project will use the excess electricity that cannot feed into the grid and divert it to newly-installed heating devices in domestic properties. [Blue & Green Tomorrow]

¶ Energy giant EDF will make its long-awaited final decision on the planned nuclear power station at Hinkley Point next week. The company has called a meeting of its board of directors on July 28. The agenda includes the final investment decision on the construction of two reactors at Hinkley Point C in Somerset. [Energy Voice]

¶ Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unabashed ambition to transform the country’s energy sector into a world-leader for renewables looks to have won over a series of the industry’s typically more curmudgeonly opponents, big oil and the fossil fuel industry. A number of the biggest companies are investing in solar power. [pv magazine]

US:

¶ Elon Musk, Tesla Motors chief executive, has unveiled a ‘master plan’ for his company to broaden its product portfolio into electric trucks and buses, car sharing and solar energy systems. The strategy additionally includes plans to go into more competitive markets to develop car and ride-sharing programs. [E&T magazine]

¶ The Obama administration announced that it will make $4.5 billion in DOE loan guarantees available for the support of a commercial-scale electric vehicle charging station buildout. The DOE will partner with car makers, in the move, which is to support the faster and easier adoption of electric vehicles over the coming years. [CleanTechnica]

¶ East Kentucky Power Cooperative filed the request with the Kentucky Public Service Commission according to a news release issued by Farmers RECC. If approved, the installation would be one of Kentucky’s largest solar farms, covering 60 acres of land and providing power from more than 32,000 PV panels. [Glasgow Daily Times]

¶ Phoenix-based Republic Services Inc and Ponte Vedra, Florida-based Mas Energy LLC have unveiled a series of landfill-gas-to-energy projects in the Atlanta area. The three systems are located at landfills in the cities of Buford, Griffin and Winder, Georgia. Together, the facilities are capable of generating 24.1 MW. [Recycling Today]

¶ A coalition of over 150 local businesses and institutions ranging from farms and credit unions, to hotels, main street shops, manufacturers and solar companies has sent a joint letter to the Vermont Public Service Board urging the regulators to support renewable energy and protect the state’s net energy metering program. [Solar Industry]

¶ Target Corp has expanded its commitment to renewable energy. The discounter kicked off its first wind power partnership, buying a portion of the energy produced by Starwood Energy Group’s 211-MW Stephens Ranch Wood Project, to offset 100% of the energy used at all 60 Target stores in the state of Texas. [Chain Store Age]

Science and Technology:

¶ Lark Energy has secured a UK patent for a new renewable solar thermal technology that uses a Fresnel lens to concentrate solar irradiation, which in turn heats tubes containing water to make steam. The angle of the lens can also be adjusted using a vertical axis to track the sun’s rays, maximizing the levels of irradiation. [Solar Power Portal]

¶ It’s no news that Greenland is in serious trouble, but now, research has helped quantify just how bad its problems are. A satellite study, published last week in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, suggests that the Greenland ice sheet lost a whopping 1 trillion tonnes of ice between the years 2011 and 2014 alone. [The Independent]

World:

¶ Energy consumed at data centers could account for as much as 2% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Google is using artificial intelligence to reduce the amount of energy it uses to cool its immense data centers. The company said it managed to reduce the energy used to cool them by as much as 40%. [Telegraph.co.uk]

¶ Europe could risk losing its place as a global investment hub for renewables unless the EU delivers a mechanism to meet post-2020 goals, according to industry associations. To reach a 2030 target, ten European renewables associations said, the EU has to hold member states to account if they fail to meet goals. [reNews]

¶ Vattenfall has committed to the construction of the 92.4-MW Aberdeen offshore wind farm off northeast Scotland for £300 million. The Swedish utility acquired the 25% stake in the project previously controlled by Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group ahead of the final investment decision. [reNews]

¶ Latin America is on target to install 2.7 GW of new solar PV capacity in 2016, according to new figures from IHS Markit. However, IHS Markit, a leading critical information, analytics, and solutions broker, is quick to warn that challenges, such as administrative delays, still remain for the Latin American solar PV market. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Greenpeace Japan said it has discovered radioactive contamination in Fukushima’s riverbanks, estuaries and coastal waters at a scale hundreds of times higher than pre-2011 levels. One sample taken along the Niida River showed cesium-134 and cesium-137 at levels of 29,800 becquerels per kilogram. [The Japan Times]

¶ Mainstream Renewable Power said it remains committed to building a £2 billion wind farm off the Scottish coast despite losing a legal battle brought by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. It will now wait on the Scottish government’s decision on whether or not to appeal before it decides its next move. [Irish Examiner]

¶ The latest data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance for the second quarter in 2016 shows investment in large scale wind in Australia at its highest levels since 2013, just before the Abbott government was elected and brought investment in large scale renewable energy to a halt. Solar power investment is off, however. [RenewEconomy]

US:

¶ New York, Massachusetts, and Maryland have filed lawsuits in their respective state courts seeking millions of dollars in damages from VW for emissions from diesel engines. The attorneys general say they will name people who lied, who destroyed evidence, and who in upper management knew and failed to act. [gas2]

¶ Los Angeles has its first apartment building that was designed, built, and permitted so tenants could use solar power and achieve net-zero energy usage. The 20 eco-apartments are sited downtown. The Development Design Manager at Hanover Company, which was responsible for them, described them. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Switch has two massive data centers in Nevada, and has been active in using solar power to lower its energy costs and reduce its carbon footprint. It says it started trying to buy solar power from NV Energy in 2011. Now Switch has filed a lawsuit, alleging that solar power in the state, from NV Energy, is overpriced. [Solar Love]

¶ Hawaiian Electric Industries, parent company of the state’s dominant electric utility Hawaiian Electric Co, announced Tuesday that it is not for sale following regulatory rejection of its acquisition by Florida-based NextEra Energy. HEI also has withdrawn an application to import liquefied natural gas from Canada. [Utility Dive]

¶ Glacier Ridge Wind Farm LLC filed an application last week asking the North Dakota Public Service Commission for permission to build a 300.15-MW wind farm with up to 87 turbines north-east of Valley City. It is the largest individual wind farm permit in state history, and utility regulators had warnings relating to grid reliability. [INFORUM]

¶ Alterra Power Corp has reached agreement with Inovateus Solar to acquire an 80% stake in two solar farms totalling 20 MW in the Midwest. Alterra is developing and arranging financing for a 7-MW facility in Indiana, expected to be complete by the end of 2016. A 13-MW project in Michigan is planned for development in 2017. [reNews]

Science and Technology:

¶ The co-pilots and founders of Solar Impulse, the remarkable solar powered plane that is making a ground-breaking flight around the world, have made a stunning prediction: There will be short-haul electric planes for up to 50 people operating within 10 years. Charging the planes would be on the ground, however. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Scientists have found yet another issue with fracking. Asthma patients are 1.5 to four times more likely to have asthma attacks if they live near bigger or a larger number of unconventional natural gas development wells, according to a study published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine. [CNN]

¶ Trials of wind assisted propulsion are going on, but there is not enough information on the real-life performance of different systems and hull variations. All of today’s experiments still see squared cross section hulls for optimal holding capacity. As experiments continue, data collection is key to develop reliable models. [The Motorship]

World:

¶ The Indian minister for civil aviation recently announced that as many as 143 airports around the country will install a total of 148 MW of solar capacity over the next few months. According to the Airports Authority of India, 16 airports already have 5.4 MW, in addition to Kochi International Airport’s 12 MW. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Australian infrastructure investor Lyon Group says it plans to build the world’s biggest solar plus storage project in South Australia in the next two years, and sees a huge future for combined solar and battery storage plants. The first project for South Australia includes 100 MW of solar PVs and 40 MW of storage. [RenewEconomy]

¶ The European Commission is considering proposing 2030 targets for alternative transport fuels such as renewable electricity, natural gas and biofuels, according to an unofficial draft strategy paper seen by S&P Global Platts. The targets could involve obliging fuel suppliers to provide a certain share of alternative energy sources. [Platts]

¶ Senvion has erected the first of 46 3.2M114 turbines at the 150-MW Mesgi’g Ugju’s’n wind farm in Quebec, the company’s first 3-MW unit in North America. The project, a 50-50 joint venture between Innergex and three Mi’gmaq Nations of Quebec, is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2016. [reNews]

¶ The European country leading the charge on incorporating renewable energy into its power grid, is testing a specialized algorithm that could help with predicting levels of solar and wind power. The machine-learning program could assist grid operators in calculating renewable-energy output over the next 48 hours. [R & D Magazine]

¶ A building boom is underway offshore in Europe with hundreds of turbines being installed. With low oil prices, all this building work might seem to make little economic sense. But with falling prices for offshore wind power, the cost of electricity from new offshore wind is almost 30% cheaper than new nuclear. [The Ecologist]

¶ The Indian government will double the target for energy to be generated from solar parks by 2020, a top official said, as roof-top installations have failed to take off and US company SunEdison’s projects are threatened by its bankruptcy. A new generation target of 40,000 MW for solar parks is said to be likely to be approved. [domain-B]

¶ Victoria has approved a $650 million, 96-turbine windfarm that will be the largest in the state as it bids to become Australia’s renewable energy leader. The Dundonnell project will create 300 direct and indirect jobs during construction, and the turbines will generate enough power for 140,000 homes. [The Guardian]

¶ Up to 6% of Britain’s peak electricity requirement, or 9.8 GW, could be met by businesses better managing their electricity demand and onsite generation, according to a new report from the Association for Decentralised Energy. Demand-side responses have the potential to save UK consumers £600 million by 2020. [City A.M.]

US:

¶ The US DOE just awarded a new round of $15 million in funding for three projects focusing on lowering the cost of algae biofuel production. The new effort follows upon an $18 million round last year. Some researchers say algae could be 10 or even 100 times more productive than traditional bioenergy feedstocks. [CleanTechnica]

¶ With a $5.9 million grant from the California Energy Commission, the San Diego Port Tenants Association announced Monday that seven of its partner tenants will receive all-electric forklifts and heavy-duty trucks. The vehicles emit zero greenhouse gas emissions and run almost as quietly as golf carts. [The San Diego Union-Tribune]

¶ Diablo Canyon Power Plant set to shut down in nine years, so Pacific Gas and Electric is studying just how to go about decommissioning the plant, including how to fund the shutdown. A taxpayer trust fund is currently at about $3 billion, but shutting down the plant is expected to cost of nearly $4 billion. [KSBY San Luis Obispo News]

Opinion:

¶ “The future of hydro in a warming world” • Ironically, although hydro power is seen as an energy source that helps slow global warming, in many areas its viability is threatened by climate change. A new approach to dams and hydro would take climate change into account, along with environmental effects. [Cowichan Valley Citizen]

¶ “The Truth About Australia’s Soaring Electricity Prices” • Wind and solar has again been blamed for South Australia’s high power prices. Just because this is often repeated, it doesn’t’ make it true. The spikes in electric costs have been around since before the first solar panel or wind turbine was installed. [Energy Matters]

World:

¶ Siemens has signed a cooperation agreement with Cuban utility Union Electrica to modernize the country’s energy infrastructure and boost renewables. The German company and the state-owned utility will pursue projects and services for power generation, transmission and distribution, renewable energy, and automation. [reNews]

¶ The energy intelligence software and demand response solutions firm EnerNOC has announced that the London Underground has agreed to join the firm’s demand response network. The London Underground will be paid for doing its part to participating in efforts to stabilize the grid during periods of peak and unstable demand. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The Solar Energy Corporation of India got a healthy response to the largest-ever rooftop solar power tender in the world, which it launched earlier this year. The 500 MW tender for grid-connected rooftop solar power projects received applications from prospective developers willing to set up a cumulative of 602 MW of capacity. [CleanTechnica]

¶ With several countries across the globe moving towards fuel free transportation, South Korean auto giant, Hyundai has now announced ambitious plans for 2020. The company, along with its sister firm Kia and Genesis luxury brand aspires to unveil ten new hybrids, eight plug-in hybrids, and two fuel cell cars. [Big News Network.com]

¶ The government of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh is preparing to set up 51,000 solar powered irrigation pumps in a span of two-and-half-years in the State. The government has set the target of setting up 11,000 solar pumps in the current financial year, until March 2017, and the rest during the next two years. [Daily Pioneer]

¶ Licenses will be issued to small and medium-sized enterprises for the first time to set up mini solar power plants in Sri Lanka. The chairman of the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority said the power generated from these plants, each of less than 5 MW capacity, will be purchased by the government at attractive prices. [Ceylon Daily News]

US:

¶ Soon after the Department of Navy begin implementing renewable energy projects, North Carolina was ranked third in the nation for solar power capacity by the Solar Energy Industries Association. The Camp Lejeune Solar Facility, operated by Duke Energy Progress, is one of four large solar projects in the state. [Jacksonville Daily News]

¶ Most congressional Republicans with even a hint of moderation on climate change are distancing themselves from Donald Trump and won’t be present for his nomination in Cleveland this week. Four of the five Republican senators with a record of supporting climate action are skipping the convention, which begins on Monday. [Grist]

¶ The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce is stepping up its fight against South Carolina Electric & Gas’ annual rate increases to help pay for new reactors at the VC Summer Nuclear Station near Jenkinsville. If approved, it will be the ninth rate increase related to the nuclear plant since 2009. [Charleston Post Courier]

World:

¶ In 2011, South Korea’s Gapa Island was selected for an energy self-sufficiency trial project. A total of 14.3 billion won ($12.49 million) was invested in the project. Two 250-kW wind turbines were installed, along with 174 kW of solar panels, and storage. The project saves a lot of money, but there is need for more storage. [The Hankyoreh]

¶ Japanese utility TEPCO, whose nuclear plant in Fukushima suffered a meltdown after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, has proposed the installation of a 1-MW power plant using a solar-diesel mix in Virac, the capital of the Philippine province of Catanduanes. Funding is sourced through a grant-in-aid program. [Catanduanes Tribune]

¶ By 2050, China hopes to lead efforts to build a $50 trillion global wind and solar power grid that would completely change how the world is powered. China hopes to connect wind farms in the Arctic Circle with solar farms on the Equator, in a system that will transcend national boundaries and provide clean energy everywhere. [Shanghaiist]

¶ China may build mobile nuclear power plants in the South China Sea, state media reported, days after an international tribunal dismissed Beijing’s vast claims in the strategically vital waters. China has rapidly built up reefs in the sea into artificial islands in recent months, installing civilian and military facilities on them. [Times of India]

¶ The owners of a home in northern Scotland built their house to suit, on land with no mains electricity. The couple included solar-powered hot water and electricity, a wind turbine, and a biomass boiler. They are having an open house, on July 24, as part of a series of events across the UK aiming to showcase green homes. [Press and Journal]

¶ Germany’s RWE has solid funding until the end of the decade, its chief executive said, brushing aside concerns over its financial health. German utilities have had to rethink their strategies after the country decided to shut the country’s nuclear reactors by 2022. Instead, they are developing renewable power capacity. [Reuters Africa]

US:

¶ Taking cues from Trump’s tirades, Republicans are ramping up the rhetoric against the EPA. A House Energy and Commerce Committee meeting was the latest venue for Republican ranting that climaxed in a condemnation of the Clean Power Plan as “un-American” and “overly burdensome on the American economy.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ Coal is looking at taking a starring role during the Republican national convention, as it gains greater support. The fossil fuel was included in the draft political platform ahead of this week’s convention in Cleveland. The draft platform includes a sentence in support of “clean coal,” an edit offered by a Texas delegate. [Washington Examiner]

¶ Birds and reptiles in fragmented habitat in the Southwest will be hit hardest by global warming in the decades ahead, according to a study by scientists with the US Geological Survey and the Northern Arizona University. The researchers did studies of approximately 30 animals. [Summit County Citizens Voice]

¶ “Smart grid” technologies significantly reduce greenhouse gases and emissions from power production and usage. Together, smart grid and intelligent buildings mechanisms could reduce national carbon emissions by 12% by 2030, according to one estimate. But, surprisingly, the opposite can be true for an individual project. [domain-B]

¶ The first turbine of the largest wind farm in the southeastern US now stands above a North Carolina corn field. The other 103 to be erected in the roughly $400 million project will be built before the end of the year, according to a spokesman for Avangrid Renewables, formerly Iberdrola Renewables. [Virginian-Pilot]

World:

¶ EDF EN Canada has selected general contractor Borea Construction to build the 224.4-MW Nicolas Riou wind project in Quebec, according to an EDF spokesperson. Vestas is slated to start delivery in spring 2017 of 65 V117 3.45MW turbines with 116.5m hub heights. The contract includes a 10-year service agreement. [reNews]

¶ France hasn’t historically been a major player in the solar market, but it is going to be shutting down a lot of old nuclear reactors in the coming years, and solar is on the way. A big sign of change in both of these respects is that France has announced solar tenders to have 20 GW of solar power capacity installed by 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Rural electrification work in the Indian state of Odisha has provided power to around 96% of the villages. Work is underway get electricity to 275 more villages by November, 2016. Out of these, 198 villages would be connected through micro-grids and 76 would be covered through stand-alone solar projects. [Odisha News Insight]

¶ Engie has entered into a power purchase agreement with UK finance company Equitix to buy the electricity generated by a £25-million combined heat and power plant to be built in North Wales. Expected to be completed in early 2018, the new plant will have a capacity of 4.8 MW and generate about 32 GWh per year. [Power Technology]

¶ Long-standing problems transmitting power generated in the north of Germany to the power-hungry south informed the debate on Germany’s energy transition, as did concerns about costs. The good news is that the commitment to 15 GW of offshore wind in the next 15 years remains. But installation may be erratic. [Offshore Wind Journal]

US:

¶ Donald Trump’s choice for vice president, the conservative governor of Indiana, Mike Pence, denies climate change and is an outspoken coal advocate. His record has made him a favorite in the very conservative wing of the Republican Party and earned him large contributions from the fossil fuel industry. [InsideClimate News]

¶ Minnesota regulators have given EDF Renewable Energy a two-year extension to build the 105-MW Stoneray wind farm. The state Public Utilities Commission has approved EDF’s request for a mid-2018 deadline to obtain a power purchase agreement and start construction of the up to 62-turbine scheme. [reNews]

¶ Hawaii regulators rejected NextEra Energy Inc’s $2.63 billion bid to purchase Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc, dealing a possibly fatal blow to a deal the state governor had opposed. The regulatory panel raised concerns about the benefits to ratepayers, the loss of local control, and the commitment to rooftop solar systems. [Bloomberg]

¶ Separate town-owned 1-MW solar farms in Hyde Park and Stowe, Vermont, have been completed and are almost ready to start putting electric power on the grid. Residents in the two towns voted in January to authorize their local utilities to take out loans for the projects. They are expected to go online in about a month. [Stowe Today]

¶ The Long Island Power Authority has formally recommended to its board of directors a proposal from Deepwater Wind, a Rhode Island company, to construct a 90-MW, 15-turbine wind farm in federally leased waters approximately 30 miles east of Montauk, New York, the utility’s chief executive officer has confirmed. [East Hampton Star]

¶ Four Florida counties are in a state of emergency because of toxic blue-green algae blooms. Environmental scientists point to climate change and agricultural pollution from sugar fields as major contributors to the algae epidemic. But incredibly, Florida’s political leaders just have not figured it out. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The asking price for the 13 TransCanada hydro dams on the Connecticut and Deerfield Rivers has passed $1 billion. The dams, totaling about 560 MW of power, were bought by TransCanada in 2005 for about $500 million. The high price tag means Vermont alone will not make an offer, but is still a potential partner for a proposed deal. [Vermont Biz]

¶ In the first study of its kind to calculate costs and benefits by subregion, a Harvard report shows that by implementing a highly flexible and only moderately stringent policy like the Clean Power Plan, the US would save some $38 billion a year in lower healthcare costs. It would also save about 17,000 lives each year. [CleanTechnica]

Opinion:

¶ “From Global Temps to Clean Energy, Broken Records Define the Climate Crisis” • We’re living in a time of records. More renewable energy came on stream in 2015 than ever, 147 GW, equal to Africa’s entire generating capacity. Other records were broken. But are the good records enough to help us deal with the bad? [AlterNet]

World:

¶ The UK’s government has axed the Department of Energy and Climate Change in a major departmental shake-up. The brief will be folded into an expanded Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy under Greg Clark. Ed Miliband, the former energy and climate secretary under Labor, called the move “plain stupid.” [BBC]

¶ New figures from the US Energy Information Administration show that energy intensity continued its twenty-five year decline in 2015 in nearly every world region. According to the EIA, global energy intensity, measured as energy consumption per unit of GDP, has decreased by nearly one-third between 1990 and 2015. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Acciona Energia signed a contract to sell electricity generated from the 168-MW El Cortijo wind farm in Mexico’s Tamaulipas state to the country’s Federal Electricity Commission. Under the 15-year contract, the company will annually supply 585.7 GWh. It also covers the clean energy certificates generated by the project. [CleanTechnology News]

¶ Charles Hendry, a former UK minister, said he is examining every possible way the £1.3 billion ($1.7 billion) Swansea Tidal Lagoon can get the funds it needs to be built. His six-month review commissioned by the government is due to end in November. A loan guarantee used for a “super sewer” could be used as a model. [Bloomberg]

US:

¶ A newly published investigation reveals systematic failures and retaliation against contractor employees who speak up about health and safety concerns throughout the DOE. In a news conference Thursday, three senators released the results of a two-year investigation from the Government Accountability Office. [Aiken Standard]

¶ Salt Lake City announced Wednesday its commitment to transition to 100% renewable energy sources by 2032. The city also plans to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2040. In the resolution, city officials stated that changes in water systems and extreme-weather events are increasingly having effects locally. [EcoWatch]

¶ The announcement that the Long Island Power Authority plans to approve a proposed 90-MW, 15-turbine wind farm next week was greeted enthusiastically by energy experts, elected officials and environmentalists. The US has no active wind farms and one of 30 MW capacity due to be online this summer. [The Japan Times]

¶ Nebraska ethanol producers are exploring ways to meet out-of-state carbon emission standards. Fuels sold in California, for instance, are taxed on the amount of carbon produced in their creation. The director of the Nebraska Energy Office says ethanol producers are looking to stay ahead of those regulations. [Nebraska Radio Network]

¶ The DOE announced up to $15 million for three projects aimed to reduce the production costs of algae-based biofuels and bioproducts through improvements in biomass yields. The projects are to develop highly productive algal cultivation coupled with effective, energy-efficient, and low-cost processing technologies. [Power Online]

¶ Kansas City Power and Light has announced the opening of its first solar power facility. The facility is located on 12 acres at KCP&L’s Greenwood Energy Center, a natural-gas power plant that is used at peak demand times. Its 11,500 solar panels will produce 4,700 MWh per year, enough to power nearly 440 homes. [Lee’s Summit Journal]

¶ A new report counts 66,000 clean-energy related jobs in Pennsylvania, up 15% from the last study, two years ago. “Clean Jobs Pennsylvania” said the employment at 5,900 businesses statewide was about 1% of the state’s total non-farm jobs. Most of the jobs, about 80%, were in the energy efficiency sector. [Pittsburgh Business Times]

¶ California has hit a new record for solar production of electric power, continuing its leadership in clean energy. According to officials, the new record of 8,030 MW was reached on Tuesday at 1:06 pm. They said this is nearly twice the amount of solar energy produced in mid-2014 and nearly 2,000 MW higher than in May of 2015. [KESQ]

¶ In November, Entergy announced that it would shutter the 41-year-old James A. FitzPatrick nuclear power plant in January, amid economic pressures linked to low prices for natural gas. Now, Entergy confirmed it is in eleventh-hour discussions with Exelon for the sale of the plant, which is in New York state. [The Journal News | LoHud.com]

¶ The Florida Realtors joined business owners and others in support of Amendment 4, which would exempt solar panels on commercial properties from real property taxes. It will be on the August 30 primary election ballot. Amendment 4 would also exempt solar panels and equipment from the tangible personal property tax. [Builder Magazine]

World:

¶ Work on a hydroelectric turbine at Otley Weir in Yorkshire began last November but was seriously hampered by high river levels and the Boxing Day floods. Now, the project is back on track, as two Archimedes screw turbines, each the length of a single-decker bus and nearly twice as wide, have been lifted into place. [Wharfedale Observer]

¶ Beothuk Energy Inc is proposing six offshore wind farms in Atlantic Canada with a combined 4,000 MW of clean, green, renewable power. It has signed a memorandum of understanding with Iron and Earth, a worker-led group with a mandate to provide oil and gas workers with the training for jobs in the clean energy sector. [Western Star]

¶ Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration approved an assessment for developing offshore wind energy. The government has pledged to have 20% of the nation’s electric power generated renewably by 2025 to replace nuclear power. Wind power is expected to make up about 40% of that. [The Maritime Executive]

¶ Italy has 22 old fossil-fuel power plants to sell, and Amazon.com may be interested. Enel SpA, Italy’s biggest utility, plans to close 13 GW of power stations fired by coal, natural gas, and oil. Rather than razing them, Enel looking for developers to turn the sites into shopping malls, medical facilities, or high-tech business sites. [Bloomberg]

¶ The South Australian Government has been forced to ask a power station to produce more energy because some of the state’s biggest businesses faced temporary shut downs in the face of wild fluctuations in electricity prices. The issues contributing to the problem include delays to an upgrade of an interconnector with Victoria. [ABC Online]

¶ Ontario regulators have given the green light to a 100-MW wind project by Samsung Renewable Energy and Pattern Development. The North Kent 1 project will have 36 Siemens SWT-3.2MW-113 turbines with a 99.5m hub height. It is the fifth and final wind farm in Samsung’s 1069-MW wind power portfolio in Ontario. [reNews]

¶ Climate change campaigners around the world, including in Liberia, are urging a global shift away from fossil fuel to renewable energy, which is generated from the sun, wind, water, and even garbage, just to name a few potential sources. Liberian homes and businesses are beginning to turn away from diesel fuel for power. [Front Page Africa]

¶ Leading battery companies LG Chem, Panasonic, and Tesla were successful in the initial pilot round of the Australian Capital Territory’s program to install 36 MW of battery storage. The next round is pending, and there are 17 bids competing for 5 places to deliver 2 MW across 600 homes and businesses. [Seeking Alpha]

¶ Vancouver-based Portable Electric is working on replacing diesel generators with PVs and batteries. The 2-kWh VoltStack Mini can power a small sound system or portable kiosk for up to 20 hours. The 55-kWh VoltStack Boss has enough juice to light up a festival stage or movie set. And they can be recharged by PVs. [The Province]

¶ A Japanese court has turned down a class action lawsuit seeking damages from nuclear plant makers Toshiba, Hitachi, and GE over the Fukushima meltdown disaster, the plaintiffs, one of the companies, and a report said. Under Japanese liability law, nuclear plant providers are usually exempt from damage claims. [The Sun Daily]

US:

¶ State leaders hope Kansas will be known for more than just its wheat crop. The state is one step closer to that goal with the construction of the new Kingman Wind Energy Center. Governor Sam Brownback joined others in a ceremony to sign a 150-foot wind turbine blade that will soon be spinning over the Kansas plains. [WIBW]

¶ A bipartisan senate bill aims to establish investment tax credits for various types of energy storage in commercial applications and for residential battery storage. For commercial energy storage applications of at least 5 kWh, the bill proposes the same tax incentive as is currently available for solar. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Utah lawmakers began drafting legislation to allow them to block the state’s participation in California’s proposed regional electrical grid. A unified grid, the latest studies say, would be a big boon for the environment and for California’s economy. But Utah could see increased carbon emissions in the early years. [Salt Lake Tribune]

¶ A report from GTM Research analyzed rate structures of 51 US utilities to assess economics of commercial electric storage management. Its data show commercial energy storage economics are currently attractive in seven US states, and are expected to increase in attractiveness over the next five years to 19 states. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Wyoming Governor Matt Mead visited a former coal mine that now produces green energy. Mead met Rocky Mountain Power officials at the former Dave Johnston Coal Mine near Glenrock, which now hosts the first wind project in the US to have been built on a reclaimed coal mine. [KCWY 13 Where News Comes First]

World:

¶ The Solar Impulse 2 landed in Cairo on Wednesday for its penultimate stop as the solar-powered plane nears the end of its marathon tour around the world. After the two-day flight from Spain, just one final leg lies between it and its final destination, Abu Dhabi, where it started its odyssey in March last year. [Muscat Daily]

¶ Ireland has beaten Germany in terms of renewable energy generation in the first half of 2016 as its wind power output met 22% of the country’s electricity demand during that period. Wind energy also saved Ireland some €70 million ($77 million) in foreign energy imports. Ireland imports 85% of its overall energy. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ The Chilean Congress passed a major law on electricity transmission, helping development of both renewable and non-renewable energy projects. Under the policy, a new national interconnected power system will be established alongside a new independent operator. Chile has seen a boom in renewable energy of late. [PV-Tech]

¶ Victoria has become the latest Australian state to announce ambitious new energy targets, aiming to have 25% of its electricity to come from renewable energy by 2020, and 40% by 2025. Currently around 14% of Victoria’s power grid is serviced by renewable energy. The move is anticipated to create thousands of jobs. [Invest in Australia]

¶ Dutch developer Tocardo is to install a 1-MW tidal device next year at Canada’s Bay of Fundy in partnership with Nova Scotia outfit Minas Energy. Four 250-kW turbines will be attached to Tocardo’s patented semi-submersible Universal Floating Platform Structure and held in place by catenary mooring systems. [reNews]

¶ Construction starts for new nuclear reactors fell to zero globally in the first half of 2016 as the atomic industry struggles against falling costs for renewables and a slowdown in Chinese building, a report on the industry showed. The number of reactors under construction is in decline for a third consecutive year. [Reuters]

¶ SolarAfrica and battery maker Aquion Energy announced a newly installed off-grid microgrid at the Loisaba Conservancy, a wildlife research hub and ecotourism destination in Kenya. The microgrid has 106 kWh of Aquion batteries paired with a 37 kW solar array. It has replaced diesel generators. [Power Engineering Magazine]

US:

¶ Indianapolis Power & Light Company, a subsidiary of The AES Corporation, announced the opening of the new IPL Advancion® Energy Storage Array Facility. The Advancion Array is the first grid-scale, battery-based energy storage system in the 15-state Midcontinent Independent System Operation region. [Digital Journal]

¶ Enel Green Power North America has started building a 65-MW extension to the 235-MW Chisholm View wind farm in the US. The Chisholm View II project in Oklahoma will cost about $90 million and be online by the end of the year. It is the company’s second wind farm to start construction in Oklahoma this year. [reNews]

¶ DE Shaw Renewable Investments announced it acquired the 100-MW North Star Solar Project from Community Energy and began construction on the project, which is located in Chisago County, Minnesota. Upon completion in late 2016, North Star will be the single largest solar energy project in the Midwest. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ Washington’s power grid may have come one step closer to being carbon-free. In a settlement with the Sierra Club, Puget Sound Energy and co-owner Talen Energy finally agreed to shut down the two oldest, dirtiest units of a coal-fired power plant in Montana. PSE still gets 20% of its electricity from Colstrip. [Seattle Weekly]

¶ When the Polar vortex forced 20% of generation offline two years ago, PJM moved quickly to institute new rules to ensure keeping generation online. But several groups say the rules disadvantage renewable and clean energy sources, which could be key to keeping the lights on if the situation were to occur again. [Utility Dive]

¶ Dominion Virginia Power should abandon its plans for a third reactor at its North Anna nuclear generating station because the expense is “unnecessary, unreasonable and uneconomic,” according to Vermont Law School energy economist Mark Cooper. He said the reactor would be the most expensive ever built in the United States. [Richmond.com]

Science and Technology:

¶ A 2,000-page report from the UK Climate Change Committee foresees a domino effect on key infrastructure. Bridges lost to flooding means loss of electricity, gas and IT connections. Poor farming means the fertile soils become badly degraded by mid-century. And that is if Paris climate change goals are met, a pledge that is in doubt. [BBC]

World:

¶ China will ban the construction of new coal-based chemical facilities and coal-fired power plants until 2018 and continue to shed overcapacity in coal mining and oil refining, according to the state news agency, Xinhua. The ban on projects should cut coal’s share of the overall mix to 58% from the 64% it currently has. [Web India 123]

¶ Ireland’s Mainstream Renewable Power said today the 80-MW Noupoort wind farm in South Africa has achieved commercial operation. The wind plant satisfied all the requirements of power utility Eskom on July 11, thus achieving its commercial operations date on schedule and on budget. The site has 35 turbines. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Wind farms supplied more than two thirds of South Australia’s electricity over the weekend, with an even bigger contribution on Monday, when it provided 83% of the state’s power needs for 24 hours, Australia’s Clean Energy Council said. The state got more than 40% of its electricity from renewable energy last year. [Bloomberg]

¶ Shortly after taking off from Seville, Spain en route to Cairo, Egypt, Solar Impulse 2 flew directly over the Gemasolar Thermosolar Plant. The 20-MW plant is the world’s first utility-scale solar power plant to combine a central tower receiver system and molten salt storage for a reliable solar energy supply 24 hours a day. [Gulf Today]

¶ Britain has generated more electricity from the sun than coal-fired power plants for the first time on a monthly basis, new research has shown. Solar panels in homes and businesses across the UK produced 1.38 TWh in May. The Times reported that was much more than coal-fired power stations, which added 0.89 TWh. [City A.M.]

¶ The Otsu District Court ruled against Kansai Electric Power Co for the third time in five months, in a decision that will keep its Takahama No 3 and 4 reactors in Fukui Prefecture shut down indefinitely. Both sides are now gearing up for an appeal by Kepco to the Osaka High Court, where a decision could come next year. [The Japan Times]

US:

¶ Hawaii is a national leader in rooftop solar power, but despite the state’s ambitious goal of using only renewable energy by 2045, people are being shut out of solar incentive programs because of limits set by the state. On Maui, a program that reimburses customers who supply energy to the grid reached its maximum in June. [Fairfield Citizen]

¶ The US Department of Agriculture is providing nearly $55 million in grants and loan guarantees to help 821 small businesses in rural areas save on energy costs. The latest round of grants awarded under the Rural Energy for America Program total about $11.6 million; loan guarantees add up to approximately $43.2 million. [Agri-Pulse]

¶ GE Renewable Energy on Monday said its offshore wind turbine plant in Saint-Nazaire, France, will ship its first commercial series Haliade offshore wind turbine nacelle to the US within days. Installation of five 370-tonne turbines at the Block Island wind project off the coast of Rhode Island will start in August. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ The installation of Gamesa G114 turbines at the 208-MW Amazon US East wind farm in North Carolina has kicked off. The project features 104 2-MW turbines, each with a 93 meter tower and 114 meter rotor diameter. It will be the first wind farm in North Carolina. It is sited on about 22,000 acres leased from over 60 landowners. [reNews]

¶ The US unit of Solar Frontier KK, a Japanese module manufacturer, started construction on two projects it has been developing, totalling 107 MW. The 67-MW Midway I and 40-MW Midway II solar parks are located in California’s Imperial County. Both will sell power to utilities through power purchase agreements. [SeeNews Renewables]

Science and Technology:

¶ Scientists are investigating biofuels as alternatives to fossil fuels. Corn, soybean and sugarcane produce a range of biofuels; however, they add to water scarcity, deforestation, and increased land use. An alternative is microalgae, which can be grown in façade panels on buildings, having little negative environmental impact. [The Fifth Estate]

¶ Enginuity Worldwide, of Mexico, Missouri, wants to turn agricultural waste into BioCoal, which it says looks and burns just like regular coal and could help reduce emissions from coal plants.The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality has awarded the a $250,525 grant to research the subject. [Columbus Telegram]

World:

¶ As part of the Carbon Trust’s Offshore Wind Accelerator program, developers Dong Energy, EnBW, E.ON, Iberdrola, RWE, SSE, Statkraft, Statoil and Vattenfall have signed up to the initiative to help reduce the cost of offshore wind to below £100 per MWh by 2020. The developers will invest £6.4 million over the next four years. [edie.net]

¶ Renewable energy will get priority over fossil fuel in Philippine approvals for new plants. That means coal power will be low on the list, Bloomberg reports, citing Gina Lopez, the new energy minister. She said the country should build wind, solar and geothermal projects for both economic and environmental reasons. [EJ Insight]

¶ Russia’s concern about water rights is holding up a $1 billion loan package Mongolia is seeking from China. Mongolia wants to build a hydroelectric dam that would help it ensure independent supplies of energy. The Kremlin said the project could threaten Lake Baikal, 580 kilometers downstream. [The Japan Times]

¶ Observers have commented that given the wide-spread corruption in the German auto industry, it seemed unlikely that Volkswagen would face any real repercussions from its diesel emissions scandal within Germany. Now, the Ministry of Transport has revealed that it will not fine VW (at all) for its many years of fraud. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Kangaroo Island has long been one of the great icons of Australian tourism. And now the third-biggest island in Australia, which lies just 120 km from Adelaide, wants to make its mark in a different way: by supplying 100% of its electricity needs and much of its transport fuels through locally sourced renewable energy. [The Guardian]

¶ ACWA Power Khalladi has confirmed final orders to suppliers and contractors for the construction of its 120-MW Wind Power Project in Jbel Sendouq, in the North of Morocco. The Moroccan National Renewable Energy Strategy / Wind Power plan aims for 2,000 MW Wind Power to be on the country’s grid by 2020. [Zawya]

¶ ABB has refurbished three high voltage direct current converter stations on the power transmission link between Québec and New England. The project was carried out for Hydro-Québec and National Grid. The 1,500 km linkage connects will benefit areas such as Boston with alternative sources of electricity. [CleanTechnology News]

¶ The Airports Authority of India aims to have 146 MW of solar capacity, in line with a plan to make airports energy and water self-sufficient. India’s Civil Aviation Minister said 5.4 MW of solar systems are already producing power at airports in the country, with a further 24.1 MW to go online by December 2016. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Germany’s new renewable energy law is not as ambitious as other EU states and lacks stability in volumes for offshore wind, according to WindEurope. The law sets a variable offshore cap to ensure the country reaches its 15 GW wind energy target in the next 15 years, and it replaces feed-in tariffs with auctions. [Financial Times]

¶ Panasonic Corporation of Japan, Tesla’s partner for the lithium-ion battery Gigafactory in Nevada, has revealed that it expects its annual sales of auto-related lithium-ion batteries to more than double within 3 years owing to expected strong and growing demand for Tesla’s products, according to recent reports. [CleanTechnica]

US:

¶ The days when close to 70% of California’s residential solar installations were leased may be over. Tara Kelly, chair of the San Diego chapter of CALSEIA, said most residential customers now prefer owning solar panels. She said about 96% of Sullivan Solar Power’s customers use cash or loans, and only 4% use leases. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Consumer Reports says, “There has probably never been a better time to switch to solar.” That’s because the cost of a residential solar system today is about the same as purchasing an economy car. Just as that car can help “pay for itself” with lower operating costs, a solar system can also “pay for itself” with lower bills. [Solar Love]

¶ Estimated subsidies for nuclear plants in New York have soared to $965 million over the first two years of the Clean Energy Standard program, the Department of Public Service said in a new proposal. Initial estimates of the subsidies for nuclear facilities were in the range of $59 million to $658 million through 2023. [Albany Times Union]

Science and Technology:

¶ Rising sea levels and increased pollution linked to global warming are posing a huge threat to the future of the world’s peatland areas, new research shows. Peat bogs cover 3% of the Earth’s surface and play a crucial role in absorbing and storing carbon from the atmosphere, but climate change can alter their chemistry. [Scotsman]

World:

¶ The forward to a new report quotes National Grid’s head of energy insights as saying, “We are in the midst of an energy revolution.” Two years ago, National Grid expected solar capacity in the UK to be 8 to 17 GW by 2030. Today, they see 15 GW as a minimum, and believe capacity could be as much as 39 GW. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Asserting that the Indian state of Tamil Nadu has already met its Renewable Purchase Obligation and was in a position to sell 1000 MW of wind power to other States, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speed up the process of establishing the inter-State Green Energy Corridor. [News Today]

¶ A subsidiary of Sorgent.e Hydro Canada signed a 40-year electricity purchase agreement for the Serpentine Creek Hydro project, which is 35 km north of Blue River, British Columbia. “When you bring the generation of electricity closer to the load it improves reliability,” says Lucas De Haro, CEO of Sorgent.e. [The Rocky Mountain Goat]

¶ Average Alberta electricity prices tumbled in the second quarter to their lowest point since 1996. Overall demand for electricity is down 2.1%, putting the province on pace for its first drop in consumption since 1992. Several factors are battering the market, but two are the coal phase-out, and getting renewables online. [Calgary Herald]

US:

¶ Bernie Sanders’ still-impassioned campaign electrified debate over the Democratic Party’s platform, winning concessions on climate change. Sanders supporters cheered when they won environmental amendments that included support for pricing greenhouse gases, prioritizing renewable energy, and limiting fracking. [SFGate]

¶ America’s warm, wild and costly weather broke another record with the hottest June, federal meteorologists say. They also say 2016 is flirting with the US record for most billion-dollar weather disasters. In the first half of the year, there have been eight of them; eight used to be average for a whole year. [Las Vegas Review-Journal]

¶ When big corporate customers demand renewable energy and threaten to take their business elsewhere if they don’t get it, the impact can be huge. In Nevada, when MGM Resorts recently said it would leave the grid, despite an exit fee of $87 million, it was saying it would take 4.9% of NV Energy’s demand with it. [Fox Business]

¶ The US Department of Defense is the second-largest buyer of renewable electricity, through deals meant to lock in long-term supply and provide incentives for wind and solar projects. This is according to a database of over 600 corporate power-purchase agreements tracked by Bloomberg. Google is the largest. [Stars and Stripes]

¶ The Santee Cooper Board of Directors voted to proceed with securing an option to fix costs to complete two new units at VC Summer nuclear plant in South Carolina. The option increases the utility’s budget for the project by about $1.1 billion, but provides cost certainty that could save customers hundreds of millions of dollars. [Berkeley Independent]

Opinion:

¶ “Will US Taxpayers Foot The Bill For Cleaning Up After Bankrupt Coal Companies?” • Fifty US coal companies have filed for bankruptcy since 2012. But before the collapse, speculating top producers ran up billions in debt to finance unwise acquisitions. Now we have a question. Who will clean up the mess they made? [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Clean energy gets warm welcome from First Nations” • At the opening ceremony for the Box Canyon Hydro Project near Port Mellon, British Columbia, Squamish women elders cleansed the project of any ill spirits and sentiments, blessing it for a long and prosperous operation, providing power for 4,500 homes. [Vancouver Sun]

Photos:

¶ GE Renewable Energy is assembling the parts for five of their Haliade wind turbines for America’s first offshore wind farm, which is being built by Deepwater Wind near Block Island. The nacelles weigh 400 tons each. The blades are 240 feet long. The towers are 330 feet tall. The activity is quite a show. [Product Design & Development]

World:

¶ The International Energy Agency has painted a grim picture of the global oil market, with oil prices dropping, investment dropping, and supply increasing, all of which are hurting energy efficiency trends.The oil industry has cut more than $300 billion in spending in two years, or around 42% of the overall total. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Singapore-based tidal energy developer Atlantis Resources has reached an agreement between its MeyGen project and Lochend Wind Energy’s nearby four-turbine wind farm for access to the grid. The wind farm will use the grid access whenever the tidal project is not making full use of the available export capacity. [Energy Digital]

¶ Data from the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change shows that 5 GW of conventional, fossil fuel-powered generation have missed their targets for delivering the projects. The Renewable Energy Association points out that renewables are the only technologies that have been delivering new capacity reliably. [Biomass Magazine]

US:

¶ Southern Company’s Kemper plant, a 582 MW power plant was expected to cost $2.2 Billion and open in May 2014. It hasn’t opened yet, and is now projected to open later this year, at a cost of $6.6 Billion, $11.34 per watt. Factoring in the energy costs of sequestering the carbon, could cost up to $15.12 to $17.45 per watt. [Seeking Alpha]

¶ Siemens has contracted with Pattern Energy Group LP to install and service a total of 141 wind turbines for the Broadview Wind project. The project combines two adjacent developments in New Mexico and Texas with a combined capacity of 324 MW, enough to meet the energy needs of about 180,000 homes. [Renewable Energy Focus]

¶ Las Vegas enterprises, particularly the casinos and hotels, are vast operations with glitzy lights, air conditioning to make the desert livable, and other massive uses of electricity. Now, they also host a growing oasis of solar panels as Las Vegas and Nevada show they think moving to clean energy is a sure bet. [Guardian Liberty Voice]

¶ New York State utility regulators today released a proposal to subsidize Upstate nuclear plants with annual payments totaling an estimated $482 million a year. The public has until July 18 to comment. Exelon, the owner of the oldest two plants, said it will close them unless subsidies were approved by September. [Syracuse.com]

¶ Exelon Generation announced it had formally notified grid operator PJM Interconnection of plans to retire the Quad-Cities nuclear plant in Cordova, Illinois, on June 1, 2018. The step is the latest of several procedural notifications that Exelon has to make prior to closing the Quad-Cities and Clinton plants. [Bloomington Pantagraph]