geoharvey

World:

¶ French lawmakers will adopt a long-delayed energy law on Wednesday to reduce the country’s reliance on nuclear reactors and lower carbon emissions by cutting the use of fossil fuels. The sweeping energy transition law reflects a campaign pledge more than three years ago by President Francois Hollande to cut nuclear energy in favor of renewables. [Bloomberg]

Four solaire Félix Trombe Solar power engine in Font Romeu France. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license. Wikimedia Commons.

¶ Spanish wind turbine maker Gamesa will equip 250 MW of wind farms in Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, India, under a contract from independent power producer Orange. The three orders include 125 pieces of its G97-2.0 MW Class S wind turbines, tailor-designed for Indian conditions. The deals also include operation and maintenance. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Renewable Obligation support for solar farms under 5 MW will be scrapped after 1 April 2016, under UK Department of Energy and Climate Change plans outlined today. The government seeks to remove all renewable obligation support for solar as a reaction to an “over-allocation of renewable subsidies” which is outspending the Levy Control Framework budget. [Solar Power Portal]

¶ Mayors from around the world declared Tuesday that climate change is real, man-made and must be stopped as a matter of moral imperative, gathering at the Vatican to announce new measures to fight global warming and bask in Pope Francis’ ecological star power. The Vatican had invited the 60 mayors to conference ahead of UN climate negotiations. [LubbockOnline.com]

¶ Australian Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is set to unveil a bold climate policy goal requiring half of the country’s large-scale energy to be generated using renewable sources within 15 years. He will use this weekend’s ALP national conference in Melbourne to announce the ambitious goal, dramatically beefing up Labor’s renewable energy target. [Sydney Morning Herald]

¶ Ongoing expansion of solar energy capacity in India has prompted Deutsche Bank, the international lender based in Frankfurt, Germany, to revise its growth forecast for the segment in India to 34 GW by 2020. The forecast in the report, “India 2020: Utilities & renewables,” is a 240% increase on the previous projection of 14 GW for the period. [Greentech Lead]

¶ The Industrial Development Corporation of Zambia signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Finance Corporation to develop an initial two 50-MW solar power projects in the country. These projects will likely be the first of many. Zambia’s President has directed the IDC to develop at least 600 MW of solar power capacity as soon as possible. [Energy Matters]

US:

¶ Coastal Risk Consulting, LLC, a new venture in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has unveiled a first-of-its-kind flood forecast service for more than 50 million coastal properties in the US. CRC’s proprietary models promote property resilience by identifying climate change threats, assessing coastal flood risk and potential consequences, and evaluating adaptation solutions. [CleanTechnica]

¶ A plan to run a 1,000-MW power line down Lake Champlain and across Vermont to bring Canadian power to southern New England is getting key support in the Green Mountain State. Vermont officials and the CEO of TDI New England said the company has reached agreements with four state agencies, three towns and the state’s largest power company. [Barre Montpelier Times Argus]

Lake Champlain and mountains in Vermont at sunrise. Photo by Ammunation1. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Wikimedia Commons.

¶ Hewlett-Packard officials announced that the company has signed a 12-year power purchase agreement with SunEdison, which will supply 112 MW of wind power. That will meet the electricity demands of all five of HP’s Texas data centers. It is the equivalent of powering 42,600 homes and will keep over 340,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually from being emitted into the air. [eWeek]

¶ NRG says it wants to be more than the ordinary electric utility, powering lights and appliances. The company is trying to serve electric vehicle owners with its EVgo in-home charging units. NRG has also set up a network of stations for away-from-home charging. The company claims hundreds of stations and says that it continues to expand nationally. [Alternative Energy Stocks]

¶ New York Mayor Bill de Blasio set another aggressive environmental target to reduce the city’s carbon emissions within the next 15 years. At a Vatican conference on climate change, de Blasio said the city would reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030. That benchmark would be on target for the city’s larger goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050. [Capital New York]

¶ The American wind energy industry praised senators for overwhelming bipartisan support in the US Senate Finance Committee. The committee voted to extend over 50 tax policies through 2016, including incentives for US wind farms. The 23-3 preserved language that allows wind farms to qualify so long as they start construction while the tax credits are in place. [Windpower Engineering]

¶ Georgia Power announced an on-base 46-MW AC solar facility planned at the Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany. The project was approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission and will be the fifth large-scale solar project developed by Georgia Power in coordination with the military. The company is working with the Navy to finalize project details. [Satellite PR News]

¶ Pacific Gas and Electric Company celebrated connecting 10,000 solar customers each in three of California’s largest cities, Bakersfield, Fresno and San Jose, as part of PG&E’s milestone of connecting the 175,000th solar customer to its electric grid. Also, a survey found that 25% of Californians are considering solar panels, showing their interest in clean energy. [MarketWatch]

Opinion:

¶ “Utility Solar May Cost Less, But It’s Also Worth Less” A report released this week asserts that utility-scale solar is much more economical than small-scale solar. The clear implication is that we should let incumbent utilities build or buy solar from large-scale arrays instead of allowing customers to generate their own power. There are several reasons to question this. [ilsr.org]

World:

¶ Offshore UK wind projects going into construction in 2020 could deliver clean power at a cost that is lower than that delivered by new gas-fired power plants, according to a study by consultancy BVG Associated. The report was commissioned by renewable energy developer Statkraft and details how the offshore wind sector could comfortably beat the £100/MWh goal. [Business Green]

Offshore wind turbines.

¶ During most of the past ten years the upwards trend of China’s energy imports was supported by strong advances in all the main elements, oil, gas and coal. In the past eighteen months, this pattern has showed signs of a fundamental shift, with coal imports falling steeply and much greater uncertainty about future volumes arising. [Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide]

¶ Sweden’s state-owned energy group Vattenfall announced a massive 36.3 billion krona ($4.2 billion) write-down Tuesday tied to looming closures of two nuclear reactors and slumping lignite activity in Germany, with competion from renewables. Vattenfall said second quarter losses jumped to 25 billion krona, while revenue fell 1.3% to 36.1 billion krona. [Yahoo! Maktoob News]

US:

¶ Only last month the California Farm Bureau Federation reported that local officials were still a bit iffy over prospects for scaling up a demo-scale solar desalination plant for the water-starved San Joaquin Valley. But now the plant’s developer announced plans upscaling it to a commercial-scale facility capable of producing 1.6 billion gallons of fresh water per year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Cornell Tech is building an applied sciences campus on Roosevelt Island in New York City. It will feature environmentally friendly classrooms and lots of green space, but its most noteworthy feature will be a 250 foot tall dormitory. Designed to house 520 people when it’s completed in 2017, the dormitory will be the tallest Passive House building in the world. [CleanTechnica]

Image Credit: Handel Architects

¶ Renewable Edge® installed its 1000th Integrated Wireless Solar Payphone Power Supply System Kit to New York City payphones. Renewable Edge system replaces the utility grid power connection needed to operate New York City payphones with a solar powered battery system powering wireless routers that communicate with existing cell towers. [PR Newswire India]

¶ A new solar farm is powering Vermont’s correctional facility in St. Albans and has helped fund the wish for a local Make-A-Wish child. The 500-kW solar project next to the prison is part of a broader solar initiative for state facilities, spearheaded by Governor Peter Shumlin, to supply solar energy for state buildings and provides taxpayer savings from reduced electric bills. [vtdigger.org]

¶ After decades of providing the punch line in jokes about snowstorms, also-ran sports teams and urban decline, Buffalo, New York, Queen City of the Lakes is suddenly experiencing something new: an economic turnaround, helped by renewable energy. Parents who once told their children to seek their fortunes elsewhere are now telling them to come back. [New York Times]

¶ Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has ensured that a laundry-list of tax incentives, including a two-year extension of the wind energy production tax credit, are included in a bill the Senate Finance Committee will consider on July 21. Allies of non-renewable energy sources have worked hard against the inclusion of the wind energy provision. [North American Windpower]

¶ Regional power grid administrator ISO New England is planning $4.8 billion in transmission infrastructure upgrades that will be underway or complete by 2023, bringing the total investment in the reliability of the system to $12 billion since 2002. New England has 210 reliability projects proposed, planned or under construction, and 25 projects in service. [Hartford Business]

 Opinion:

¶ “The Fossil Fuel Energy Industry Is Now Entering Terminal Decline” The detail is interesting and important, but unless we recognise the central proposition, that the fossil fuel age is coming to an end, and within 15 to 30 years, not 50 to 100, we risk making serious and damaging mistakes in climate and economic policy, in investment strategy and in geopolitics and defence. [CleanTechnica]

Lignite mine, “Turów”, Poland. Author Anna Uciechowska. GNU Free Documentation License. Wikimedia Commons.

Science and Technology:

¶ A study just published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces,”Efficient Electrochemical CO2 Conversion Powered by Renewable Energy,” demonstrates that current, state-of-the-art renewable energy sources can efficiently power large-scale CO2 conversion systems. A US DOE scientist says the data “shows that large-scale CO2 conversion technologies are practical.” [Nanowerk]

¶ IBM has shared details on its program to harness powerful computers to forecast weather and other factors that determine the output of solar and wind installations. Using machine learning and advanced data analytics, IBM is aggressively pushing to give utilities, plant managers, and grid operators clearer guidance on what their arrays will produce. [MIT Technology Review]

World:

¶ Electricity retailing giant AGL Energy has taken the industry by surprise by offering 7.2-kWh battery storage systems at less than $10,000 in four Australian states. The price includes an inverter, control system, and installation, including connection to a rooftop solar system. The price is less than one third of that offered for the same battery storage system to wholesalers. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The Australian Government’s insistence that the Clean Energy Finance Corporation cease investing in small-scale solar power could mean many pensioners and low-to-middle income households miss out on significant electricity bill savings. Councils have used CEFC funding to enabled pensioners to install solar power systems at zero up front cost and low payments. [Energy Matters]

Photo by SteKrueBe. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Wikimedia Commons.

¶ Germany added more than three times the amount of offshore wind capacity in the first six months of this year than in the same period of 2014 and the country looks set to reach half of its 2020 offshore target of 6,500 MW later this year. Some 1,765 MW of new offshore capacity were installed in the first six months of 2015, compared with 492 MW in January-June 2014. [Reuters UK]

¶ The Australian Capital Territory government says it has been swamped by thirty submissions representing 967 MW of potential solar plus storage capacity in response to its call for interest on its next generation solar program. The ACT government intends to commission around 50 MW of capacity, in what will likely be Australia’s first large scale solar plus storage project. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Negev Energy, a consortium of Israel’s Shikun & Binui and Spain’s Abengoa, has signed an agreement with the Israeli Government to construct a 121-MW thermo-solar power plant in the Negev desert. The project is expected to cost around $1.05 billion, and will be financed by the European Investment Bank and the US Overseas Private Investment. [Energy Business Review]

¶ Concerned about running out of nuclear fuel, India is creating a strategic uranium reserve to ensure that its reactors can keep producing electricity without interruption. The reserve could be sufficient for five to ten years’ supply of nuclear fuel. Nuclear represents a about 2% of the baseload power for densely populated India, with 20 reactors having a total capacity of 4,780 MW. [MINING.com]

US:

¶ Drilling is scheduled to start next month at three sites in American Samoa identified as potential locations for a geothermal power plant. Geothermal power is one of the renewable energy projects the American Samoa Power Authority is undertaking as it attempts to reduce the territory’s reliance on imported fossil fuels. Scientists say the chance of positive results is high. [Radio New Zealand]

Pago Pago, American Samoa. Photo: AFP

¶ Nevada Power is seeking approval to build two 100-MW solar energy projects as part of a three-year plan to help replace the utility‘s coal-fired capacity. The prices in the proposed 20-year agreements with Boulder Solar and Playa Solar 2 are under $50 per MWh. The average cost of solar renewable energy delivered to Nevada Power in 2014 was $137.65 per MWh. [Las Vegas Review-Journal]

World:

¶ Wouldn’t it be ironic if the biggest oil exporters in the world became the biggest solar energy investors with plans to export solar energy? That may seem like a far-fetched idea but it’s exactly what Saudi Arabia has in mind. What’s driving the world’s largest oil exporter to solar may tell us a lot about the future of energy. Saudi Arabia could be a net importer of oil by 2038. [Motley Fool]

First Solar’s thin-film panels in a hot, desert climate. Image: First Solar.

¶ With relentless construction, a booming aviation sector and nearly permanent air conditioning, Dubai is not an obvious contender for the title of one of the world’s most sustainable cities. Nevertheless, this is the goal the emirate has set for itself. The worst effects of the recession gone, building has again taken off, but this time, the emphasis is on being ‘green’. [ArabianBusiness.com]

¶ Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology are collaborating to test and refine a model of hydrogen-supply infrastructure based on chemically bonding the hydrogen rather than attempting to store it as a gas or liquid. A functioning hydrogen supply center will be opened in the prefecture in 2016. [The Japan Times]

¶ A quarter-century after the fall of communism, Central Europe sees irreconcilable visions of nuclear power that pit nations from opposite sides of the Iron Curtain against one another. Germany and Austria have long decided to go strictly nuclear free, while eastern EU members avidly look to increase reliance on nuclear power so they can grow their economies. [Northwest Georgia News]

US:

¶ Hydrogen-powered vehicles are beginning to roll onto the scene in Hawaii. Hydrogen-powered buses soon will be shuttling tourists at Volcanoes National Park, and hydrogen will possibly soon fuel the Wiki-Wiki shuttles at Honolulu Airport. Oahu has two hydrogen fueling stations, though they are not available to the public. [Longview News-Journal]

¶ Otter Tail Power Co, based in Fergus Falls, South Dakota, announced last week that it is nearly finished and under budget with its $384 million pollution-control upgrade of the coal-burning Big Stone power plant, which it co-owns with two other utilities. The plant, which supplies 36% of Otter Tail customers’ power, is expected back online in August. [Minneapolis Star Tribune]

Workers at the Big Stone power plant, as the pollution-control project at the coal-fired generator winds down. Security camera photo, courtesy of Otter Tail Power Co.

¶ A recent federal decision may allow Colorado’s Kit Carson Electric Cooperative to get past a current cap on the amount of renewable energy it can generate on its own. In June, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ruled that Delta-Montrose Electric Association is compelled to buy energy from small energy facilities, including renewable plants. [taosnews]

¶ Three new reports look at Wisconsin’s hits and misses on renewable energy. The reports, from consulting firm Clean Edge, the state Public Service Commission and the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council, say Wisconsin utilities are meeting the state’s renewable energy goals, but many other states are moving more aggressively on clean energy. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

¶ Iowa could meet 40% of its energy needs from wind power within five years, according to an industry report on the state’s wind potential. The state could push its wind-energy mix to 41% in 2020 and supply enough power to more than match its energy usage by 2030, with excess energy to export to other states, the American Wind Energy Association says. [DesMoinesRegister.com]

¶ California Governor Jerry Brown will visit the Vatican this week for an international conference carrying a resolution from state lawmakers supporting the Pope’s recent encyclical on climate change. He hopes the Legislature will send an even stronger message later this year by passing new environmental rules aimed at cutting greenhouse-gas emissions. [Los Angeles Times]

¶ Vermont’s Green Mountain Power and its CEO, Mary Powell, have been getting increasing national notice for moving from traditional one-way generation and transmission of power to an “energy services company,” providing customers with a new wide range of products and services. Tom Kuhn, head of the Edison Electric Institute, calls GMP “a real leader.” [Daily Journal]

World:

¶ The number of Scots companies, communities, farms and landowners making their own electricity has risen by more than 50% in the last year, generating more than £271 million worth of energy, new research has found. The number generating their own power has risen from 509 in 2013 to 775. [Aberdeen Press and Journal]

Remote station in Scotland.

¶ Solar lights are being used more often in Africa, where off-grid areas have poor access to safe and reliable nighttime lighting. Supporting this trend, The VELUX Group and Little Sun are partnering with NGO Plan International to distribute a new solar lamp, the Natural Light solar lamp, in three African countries. [CleanTechnica]

¶ A new report commissioned by the Energy Supply Association of Australia has confirmed that, not only is “off-grid” distributed energy supply a viable option for some regional and remote customers, it is also an option that could lead to significant cost savings and other benefits for network operators. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The Galapagos islands are known for those lumbering, giant tortoises and as the inspiration for Darwin’s theory of evolution. Now they boast another distinction: an airport, built during the Second World War, is believed to be the only one in the world working 100% on wind and solar energy. [New Straits Times Online]

¶ Significant numbers of Australians can install rooftop solar and battery storage cheaper than buying grid electricity, so uptake of solar likely to be “unstoppable,” according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The forecast is for 33 GWh of battery storage and 37 GW of solar PVs in Australia by 2040. [CleanTechnica]

¶ African countries, driven by the need to power base stations for mobile phone operators in the face of serious power shortages, are increasingly turning to renewable energy. Power shortages are increasing in many areas of Africa, and many are using renewables to run IT equipment. [Network World]

¶ An expert panel with the Japan’s nuclear watchdog remains unswerving in its assessment that fault lines running under the Shika nuclear power plant in Ishikawa Prefecture may well be active. The position, stated in a July 17 draft report, throws the prospect of restarting the facility’s reactors into doubt. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶ Since the 1970s, tops of over 500 mountains have been removed and more than 2,000 miles of headwater streams destroyed by mountaintop removal coal mining. Now, the US Interior Department has issued proposed water protection rules that would effectively end the common practice. [CleanTechnica]

Mountaintop removal coal mining filled the valley behind this home. Photo by Flashdark. Released to the Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

¶ The Sierra Club says that an Iowa utility has agreed to phase out seven coal plants in a settlement with the US Justice Department and EPA, the state, and the environmental group. The settlement requires Alliant to phase out coal use or install pollution controls at all eight of its coal-fired power plants. [Sentinel Republic]

¶ This week the Sierra Club is celebrating a new milestone: The 200th U.S. coal plant retirement announcement since 2010. This is a huge deal, because in 2010 there were 535 coal plants in the country, so this is almost 40% of the fleet that is going away, with the oldest and dirtiest plants going first. [Treehugger]

¶ A tax incentive that benefits wind power and other renewable energy would be revived and extended through next year under a draft tax package released by the Senate Finance Committee. The 2.3¢ per kWh production tax credit has been targeted for several years by conservatives. [Washington Examiner]

¶ Duke Energy Corp is breaking ground on a solar farm on the East Coast’s largest Marine Corps base as the military moves away from oil. Duke Energy is starting construction at Camp Lejeune on a 13-MW solar array on 100 acres. The Navy plans to get 50% of its energy from renewables by 2020. [Jacksonville Daily News]

Science and Technology:

¶ Polar bears are unable to adapt their behaviour to cope with the food losses associated with warmer summers in the Arctic. The bears survive mainly on a diet of seals that they hunt on the sea ice, but increased melting in the summer reduces seal numbers and as a result the bears struggle to find a meal. [BBC News]

Polar bear. Photo by Ansgar Walk. GNU Free Documentation License. Wikimedia Commons.

World:

¶ The Japanese government says the country will cut 26% of their greenhouse gas emissions from 2013 levels by 2030. They will submit the plan to the UN for the global summit on climate change in Paris in November. The plan calls for relying slightly less on nuclear power than on renewable energy. [The Japan Times]

¶ The Canadian unit of EDF Energies Nouvelles officially dedicated the 150-MW first phase of the 350-MW Riviere-du-Moulin wind project in the province of Quebec. The wind park will be completed in December of 2015, when the second phase, adding 200 MW, is also commissioned. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ As part of the National Democratic Alliance government’s green energy push, India will award contracts for the supply of 15,000 MW this year. According to the plan, Solar Energy Corp of India will shortly call for bids from developers for buying 2,000 MW. India plans to install 100,000 MW of solar PVs by 2022. [Livemint]

¶ Global investment in new nuclear is an order of magnitude less than renewable energy investment. That is just one finding of a new independent report on the state of the worldwide nuclear industry that issued on Thursday. No matter how you look at the nuclear industry, the picture isn’t pretty. [Greentech Media]

¶ A Japanese delegation from Fukushima, site of a nuclear disaster in March 2011, visited Switzerland to discuss energy policies, technologies and the development of renewable forms of energy. Almost five years after the Fukushima Disaster, many inhabitants of the prefecture can’t lead normal lives. [swissinfo.ch]

Piles of radiated soil lay along the side of a road in a deserted town near the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on June 22, 2015 (Keystone)

¶ The first house in the UK that produces more energy than it consumes has been built in Wales by Cardiff University researchers. The prototype house combines renewable energy with multiple approaches to energy efficiency, including layers insulation, and energy-efficient windows and doors. [E&T magazine]

US:

¶ An Analysis Group report claims the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative involving 9 New England and Mid-Atlantic states has added $1.3 billion in economic activity to the region since 2011 and reduced carbon emissions by 15%. The program has also saved people in the area $460 on electricity. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus, a municipal bus operator in the Westside region of Los Angeles, is one of the first municipal transit authorities in the US to convert its fleet to biomethane, which is rated 90% cleaner than diesel. Fuel supplier Clean Energy Fuels call the product “renewable natural gas.” [NGV Global]

Big Blue Bus. Photo by George Lumbreras. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Wikimedia Commons.

¶ The New York Public Service Commission established an innovative Shared Renewables program to expand consumer access to local solar, wind and other clean energy resources, particularly among low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. The program aids those who cannot put solar PVs on their homes. [Business Wire]

¶ The NY Prize Microgrid Competition is a first-in-the nation $40 million competition to help communities in New York State create their own microgrids. More than 130 proposals were submitted statewide. The town of Ossining is one winner, and will receive $100,000 to complete a feasibility assessment. [Patch.com]

¶ Renewable energy supporters say a proposed fee for Montana-Dakota Utilities customers who use their own wind or solar power is an attempt to stifle small-scale generating. The fee is built into a 21% rate increase proposed for about 26,000 eastern Montana customers of the North Dakota-based utility. [NBC Montana]

¶ In a deal expected to save residents $45 million over the next two decades, Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser said the city has signed a power purchase agreement with Iberdrola for the entire output of a wind farm in Pennsylvania. The total purchased will be about 125,000 MWh each year. [Utility Dive]

Opinion:

¶ “Solar program: it doesn’t make sense not to participate” Solar isn’t just for wealthy homeowners anymore. As a renter with a modest income, I can’t install solar panels on my building. Community solar and available low-interest loans mean I can cut my electric bill, saving over $10,000 in 25 years. [Commons]

SunGen Sharon Solar Farm in Sharon, Vermont. Photo by SayCheeeeeese.  Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Wikipedia Commons.

¶ “A new business model for the electricity sector” Critics of the EPA’s Clean Power Plan fail to acknowledge a basic reality: The electricity sector is already in the midst of profound change, with new technological and market forces challenging utilities’ business models with a lower costs and increased reliability. [The Hill]

Science and Technology:

¶ Irreversible damage to overheated batteries in Solar Impulse 2 has pushed the second half of its round-the-world flight to early spring 2016. Despite the hard work of the team to repair the batteries that overheated in the record-breaking flight from Nagoya to Hawaii, Si2 will stay in Hawaii for further repairs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ It turns out the climate change deniers had one thing right: There isn’t 97% agreement among climate scientists. But the real figure is higher, not lower. The scientific “consensus” on climate change has gotten stronger, surging past 97% to more than 99.9%, according to a new study reviewed by MSNBC. [MSNBC]

¶ Climate change deniers’ new hero is Valentina Zharkova, a professor at Northumbria University in England. Her research seems to suggest a looming “ice age,” which is making your conspiracy-minded uncle cartwheel with glee. But hold on a minute, is the research legit climate science? Not even close. [MSNBC]

World:

¶ Reuters reports, based on figures from the Federation of Thai Industries renewable energy division, that Thai solar power investment is set to exceed $2 billion in 2015, installing at least 1,200 MW of new solar capacity by the end of the year. This will outperform all neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia. [CleanTechnica]

Image by Asian Development Bank (some rights reserved)

¶ The UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change has overspent its budget to support renewable energy projects over the next five years by £1.5 billion. Unless ministers increase the budget, the UK could struggle to meet legally binding commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. [The Guardian]

¶ The UK’s first compressed air energy storage project is to be awarded almost €6.5 million by the European Union. It will hold air in specially engineered salt caverns under high pressure on Northern Ireland’s east coast, to be used as needed to generate up to 330 MW of electricity for up to six hours. [Belfast Telegraph]

US:

¶ The US Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an important decision that supports clean electricity. It the upheld the constitutionality of Colorado’s renewable portfolio standard. It says the Colorado RPS does not impose unlawful regulations on out-of-state companies that supply electricity to the state. [CleanTechnica]

Solar wind turbines at sunset via Shutterstock.

¶ In Amesbury, Massachusetts, efforts to pursue sustainable energy continued, as a contract for one solar field within the city was followed by the City Council approving development of a second, larger solar field down the road. The $10 million, 6.5-MW solar farm is on the site of a former landfill. [The Daily News of Newburyport]

¶ The Newberry Volcano, located 20 miles south of Bend, Oregon, is one of five sites that have been awarded $2 million by the DOE to conduct research on production of geothermal energy. Backers of the project see it as a potential competitor of nuclear power for production of carbon-free power. [The Corvallis Advocate]

¶ Advanced Microgrid Solutions and SunEdison announced a joint venture to finance and deliver 50 MW of energy storage for Southern California Edison, which will purchase capacity from the storage systems under a 10-year capacity contract. SCE plans to add 2.2 GW of cleaner resources by 2022. [Energy Matters]

¶ For nearly two decades, federal and state authorities allowed the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station to operate with an expired Clean Water Act permit. Two dozen public-health and environmental groups formed a coalition that is now asking the agencies to suspend Entergy Corp.’s water pollution permit. [ecoRI news]

Science and Technology:

¶ Though Tesla’s Gigafactory seems now set to end up far larger than was originally reported, there is competition. Bosch and its partner GS Yuasa are moving toward producing a lithium-ion battery with two-times the energy density for half the cost, with the aim being for production to begin by 2020. [CleanTechnica]

¶ While nuclear stations on average produce about twice as much electricity as renewables annually for every kilowatt installed, the high growth of solar, wind and other renewables means atomic power is fast being eclipsed as nations are turning away from the energy source after the Fukushima Disaster in Japan. [eNCA]

¶ National energy efficiency solutions company, Anesco, is working with the award-winning battery technology company, OXIS Energy, on lithium-sulfur technology. The new battery storage units will be available starting in 2016. Lithium-sulfur batteries are the lightest available, among other advantages. [PennEnergy]

World:

¶ More than £400 million was invested in independent UK renewable energy generation projects by businesses, farmers, landowners and communities last year according to a new report. The continued strong growth for independent projects comes despite changes to renewable subsidies and other uncertainties. [reNews]

Low Spinney wind farm in England under construction (Broadview)

¶ All twelve IKEA stores in Canada will soon have Sun Country Highway electric vehicle chargers in their parking lots, providing shoppers (and others) with free charging. Each of the 12 locations will install two 60-amp chargers, according to IKEA, with the installations taking place by the end of this August. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Australia’s growing solar energy industry might not have much support from Prime Minister Tony Abbott, but parts of the nation’s influential resources sector are conspicuously backing new off-grid solar battery storage deployments as a means to reduce their operating costs and keep remote mines viable. [Government News]

¶ German solar developer Juwi AG said a 10.6-MW solar park with storage capacity is under construction at an Australian mine, to be commissioned in early 2016. The facility will have 34,080 solar panels on single-axis trackers and a 6-MW battery. The site has a 19-MW diesel-fired generator. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ The premier of the Australian state of Victoria, Daniel Andrews, says his government is close to announcing plans to boost investment and jobs in the renewable energy sector by bypassing the Abbott government’s policies. In an attack on the Abbot government, he noted that windpower creates many jobs. [The Age]

¶ UK firm Renewable Energy Generation Ltd said Wednesday it has extended its short term operating reserve contracts with National Grid for 26 MW of bio-power plants. The power plants run on bioliquid recovered from recycled waste cooking oil. The power plant in Whitemoor has a capacity of 18-MW. [SeeNews Renewables]

Biodiesel sample. Photo by Shizhao. GNU Free Documentation License. Wikimedia Commons.

¶ The UK will miss its renewable energy targets in all except one scenario analyzed by the country’s grid operator. The findings undercut Prime Minister David Cameron’s positions. Since the last election in May, his government cut incentives for onshore wind farms and capped other incentives for clean energy. [Bloomberg]

¶ Turbine manufacturer Vestas is to supply 45 of its V126-3.3MW turbines to German utility developer EnBW. The units will be installed at onshore wind projects in the German states of Baden-Wurttemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Brandenburg in 2016 and 2017. Vestas will train EnBW maintenance staff. [reNews]

US:

¶ A report from the nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy says energy intensity relative to the GDP has fallen from 12,100 BTUs per dollar, in 1980, to 6,100 BTUs per dollar, in 2014. Roughly 60% of the cut came from better energy efficiency. The savings were estimated as $800 billion. [CleanTechnica]

¶ After over eight months of debate, Las Vegas data center company Switch and NV Energy have reached a compromise that will keep the tech firm as a power company customer. Under the deal, the utility will build a 100-MW solar array in North Las Vegas to generate power for Switch by the end of 2016. [Las Vegas Sun]

¶ Alabama Power petitioned the Alabama Public Service Commission last month to install up to 500 MW of renewable energy projects, including solar power, a company spokesman confirmed. The company is seeking a way to provide renewable energy for corporate customers who want it in their energy portfolios. [AL.com]

Science and Technology:

¶ ExxonMobil, the world’s biggest oil company, knew as early as 1981 of climate change, seven years before it became a public issue, according to a newly discovered email from one of the firm’s own scientists. Despite this the firm spent millions over the next 27 years on climate denying research. [The Guardian] (I missed this last week, for which I apologize.)

World:

¶ Italian-based Enel Green Power says it has started construction of the 100-MW Vientos del Altiplano wind park in Mexico. Enel Green Power will invest $220 million in the project. The facility will have 50 turbines of 2 MW each, and is expected to be completed in the second half of 2016. [SeeNews Renewables]

Author: .Martin. License: Creative Commons, Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic.

¶ Installed solar PV capacity in Australia totaled 4 GW at the end of 2014, and provided 2.5% of the nation’s electricity generation, according to the latest annual update from the Australian PV Institute. The report, said the nation’s market grew only slightly in 2014 – to a total installed capacity of 7.2%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Irish energy firm Mainstream Renewable Power has started construction on an 80-MW windfarm in South Africa.The windfarm, which is expected to be operational by the middle of next year, will cost about €137 million to develop. It is being built in Noupoort, in South Africa’s Northern Cape province. [Irish Independent]

¶ A world-leading 1,200-MW wind and solar project proposed for north Queensland is competing head to head with a new coal station proposal favored by Tony Abbott. Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimates the price of electricity from coal at about $130/MWh, so it would require hefty subsidies. [RenewEconomy]

¶ The Clean Energy Finance Corporation could have an avenue to fight the Australian government’s ban on investing in wind power and rooftop solar, a senior lawyer says. The Abbott Government already tried to abolish the taxpayer-funded $10 billion CEFC twice and now is trying to redirect its efforts. [ABC Online]

¶ Australia’s solar power industry has vowed to expand its marginal-seats campaign against the Coalition, which dominates the Senate, and aims “to remove this government from office” after ministers directed the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to avoid wind and small-scale solar investments. [The Guardian]

¶ Despite the continued increase in carbon emissions in China, the rate of growth of carbon emissions has been “in a steady decrease” since 2005, and was near zero in 2014, according to a new climate report. Factors include better energy efficiency, development of renewable energy, and air pollution concerns. [eco-business.com]

Sunset on more than 200 Windturbines at Guazhou wind farm. Photo by Popolon. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Wikimedia Commons.

¶ International nuclear inspectors told TEPCO to update its emergency manual to reflect new safety measures imposed after Fukushima Disaster. The order came after a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency completed two weeks of inspections of the company’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant. [The Japan Times]

US:

¶ A report released at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners conference says states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative have found that economic benefits accompany regulating carbon emissions from power plants through market-based mechanisms. [Today’s Energy Solutions]

¶ The California Department of Food and Agriculture will award nearly $11.1 million to help pay to build five anaerobic digesters in the Central Valley. AgPower Visalia, LLC, a partnership that includes the Moonlight Dairy near Visalia, will receive $3 million to put toward a digester at the dairy. [Visalia Times-Delta]

Schematic of the Biogas Reactor. By E. Tilley, L. Ulrich, C. Lüthi, P. Reymond, C. Zurbrügg. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Wikimedia Commons.

¶ Coal companies turn to bonds to raise money for such things as new mines and environmental cleanups, but investors are increasingly turning away. Coal bond prices tumbled 17% in the second quarter, according to analysis by Bloomberg Intelligence. It’s the fourth consecutive quarter of price declines. [Mineweb]

¶ A new energy plan for the next 20 years released by TVA projects electricity demand in the Tennessee Valley to grow at the slowest rate in TVA’s 82-year history. This negates any need for the federal utility to build new nuclear, coal or other major baseload power facilities during that time. [Chattanooga Times Free Press]

¶ sPower, a leading renewable energy provider, announced that construction has begun on its 45-MW Sandstone Solar project in Florence, Arizona. The facility is scheduled to start delivering clean, renewable energy by the end of the year under a 21-year power purchase agreement between sPower and SRP. [PennEnergy]

¶ US Senators Tom Carper and Susan Collins have introduced an act that aims to provide financial incentives for investment in offshore wind. The act would create an investment tax credit that is redeemable for the first 3000 MW of offshore wind facilities placed into service, which is about 600 wind turbines. [reNews]

Opinion:

¶ “The transition from fossil to renewable energy” The current diabolical position taken by Australian political leaders on matters of energy and sustainability is of great concern in how we deal with the future challenges and opportunities. Our leaders must apply rational thinking in the face of facts. [The Fifth Estate]

The PS20 concentrated solar thermal plant in Spain.

World:

¶ Oil prices dropped today as Iran and global powers appear close to a historic deal to loosen sanctions in exchange for curbs on Tehran’s nuclear program. Sanctions have long reined in Iran’s oil exports. Crude prices dropped by 1.6% to around $52 a barrel as investors reacted to the potential new supply. [CNN]

¶ Scottish communities from inner city Glasgow to western Harris are set to benefit from £500,000 in funding for demo projects designed to encourage the use and local ownership of renewable energy. There is a trend for community ownership of renewable energy sources, especially in rural areas. [Click Green]

¶ Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has come under fire from the opposition and investors after ordering the government’s $10 billion ($7.45 billion, US) Clean Energy Finance Corporation to stop investing in wind and solar power. Abbott has made no secret of his desire to axe the CEFC. [Day & Night News]

¶ Cuba plans to build 13 wind farms, including seven facilities financed with foreign direct investment. The move is part of a plan for Cuba to source some 24% of its power from renewable energy sources by 2030. For the purpose, Cuba will need to attract about $600 million in foreign capital. [SeeNews Renewables]

Onshore wind farm. Featured Image: TuTheLens / Shutterstock.com

¶ All Wales’ electricity will come from renewable sources within 20 years if Plaid Cymru wins the 2016 assembly election, the party says. Plaid backs community-owned power schemes and energy efficiency. Wales generates twice as much electricity as it uses but only 10% comes from renewable sources like wind. [BBC News]

¶ Beijing is setting its eye on resolving its problem with air pollution. China’s capital city is working hand in hand with the northern Chinese city of Zhangjiakou in an attempt to contain this predicament. Beijing and Zhangjiakou already have a joint project that will use of wind power for generating heat. [Chinatopix]

US:

¶ In the year since the Clean Power Plan was proposed, naysayers have been spinning doomsday stories that say cutting carbon pollution would be difficult and costly for Virginia. Multiple studies, such as one from a consumer watchdog, show this is simply not true. [Natural Resources Defense Council]

Who does the smoke make wealthy?

¶ Solar Impulse will be grounded in Hawaii for at least two weeks because of battery damage. The solar-powered airplane overheated its batteries during the historic, five-day crossing from Japan. Engineers working on it are not sure yet if new parts will be needed to get it back up into the air again. [BBC News]

¶ A $600 million project by Iberdrola Renewables will put 102 turbines on 22,000 acres near the coastal community of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, with plans for about 50 more. It will be the South’s first wind farm. It will generate about 204 MW, or enough electricity to power about 60,000 homes. [The Denver Post]

Opinion:

¶ “Renewable Energy Is Looking for This Game Changer” Time of use rates will increase the value renewable energy and energy storage can provide to the grid. Rates and policies are also how utilities (driven by Koch funding) are attempting to fight off solar. There are good and bad signs in California. [Motley Fool]

A solar installation on the roof of the Mascone Center in San Fransisco, built by Sunpower. Image source: Sunpower.

World:

¶ The global solar industry has seen exponential growth in recent years, and that’s expected to continue. After hitting about 178 GW of capacity by the end of 2014, global solar PV capacity is expected to hit 200 GW shortly. BSW-Solar expects the global solar PV capacity to reach 400 GW within four years. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The Australian government has ordered the Clean Energy Finance Corporation not to make any future investments in wind power, instead focussing on emerging technologies, the trade minister confirmed. The finance minister and treasurer bypassed the environment minister in issuing the directive. [The Guardian]

¶ It has emerged that the Abbott government is puting a stop to solar investments other than the largest industrial-scale projects. It opened up another front in its war on renewable energy by pulling the plug on investments in the most common form of alternative energy, rooftop and small-scale solar. [The Guardian]

¶ The solar energy industry accused the Australian government of hypocrisy over a decision to ban the $10 billion (Aus) Clean Energy Finance Corporation from investing in wind power or roof-top solar. The government ordered the corporation to avoid projects the private sector can handle. [The Australian Financial Review]

¶ SunEdison has been showing great interest in the Indian market. In recent times, the company announced several deals helping the Indian government reach its target of 175 GW of renewable capacity by 2022. The company has significantly expanded its footprint in the Indian wind energy market. [Greentech Lead]

Field and wind turbines in India. Courtesy of Vestas. Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Wikimedia Commons.

¶ Germany and the United Nations have expressed willingness to help Pakistan address challenges of climate change. Talking to Radio Pakistan, the German Ambassador and the Director of the UN Information Center in Pakistan said Pakistan can mitigate problems by focusing on renewable sources of energy. [Business Recorder]

¶ While South Africans bemoan regular electricity load shedding‚ a new report points out that the current power crisis in sub-Saharan Africa offers a huge investment opportunity. The report from McKinsey and Company points out that the region is incredibly rich in potential power-generation capacity. [Times LIVE]

¶ Kenya is a model investment destination and a model for the rest of Africa, Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, declared on Saturday. The comments came after he led a group of investors in talks with President Uhuru Kenyatta. They explored how to make the most of Kenya’s abundant potential. [Capital FM Kenya]

¶ Barring last-minute glitches, nuclear power will again become a part of Japan’s energy mix after two years off. Technicians at the Sendai-1 reactor on the south-western coast of Kyushu completed refueling operations on July 10. After final “pre-use” inspections, the reactor is expected to go online in September. [Anadolu Agency]

¶ Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller on Thursday broke ground for the construction of the first utility-scale solar energy power plant in Jamaica, which, upon completion, will be the largest such facility in the Caribbean. The 20-MW photovoltaic facility should be connected to the national grid by June 2016.[Stabroek News]

US:

¶ A Stratham-based alternative energy company hopes to change New Hampshire’s status as a solar energy laggard. NHSolarGarden.com is working on building solar arrays all over the state that would create more solar energy in the state than all thecurrent solar energy projects combined. [Foster’s Daily Democrat]

¶ Wisconsin regulators have given a go-ahead to resume work on part of a high-voltage power line connecting Minnesota and Wisconsin put on hold over concerns about protected bird species. Work can resume outside the habitat area, but the utilities need to submit a new plan for where they live. [The Courier Life News]

Science and Technology:

¶ World seabird populations have suffered a staggering 70% drop over the last 60 years, according to new international research. This means around 230 million seabirds have disappeared across the globe since the 1950s. Climate change, overfishing, and pollution from plastics and oil have been blamed. [Scotsman]

Numbers of black-legged kittiwakes have plunged by 77 per cent since the 1980s. Factors including climate change are blamed. Picture: RSPB.

World:

¶ A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Oriel Windfarm and Gaelectric Holdings to begin developing a large-scale offshore wind farm in the north Irish Sea. The project will start with a 15-MW demonstration project, at a cost of €80 million. The developers hope to end with a 870-MW wind farm. [CleanTechnica]

¶ An agreement between Chile’s state-owned energy company Enap and Italy’s Enel Green Power, will see the development and building of a geothermal energy plant in the northern region of Chile’s port city, Antofagasta. This project is not only the first of its kind for Chile, but also for South America. [Hydrogen Fuel News]

¶ In a long-term study of more than 300,000 workers in France, the US, and the UK, those with many years of exposure to low doses of radiation had an increased risk of dying from leukemia. The study authors say, however, that it is not clear what amount of low-level exposure raises the risk of cancer. [Fox News]

¶ A solar microgrid company is poised to enter the Kenyan energy market, aiming to end the five-decade monopoly of the state-owned electricity supplier. Powerhive East Africa was granted a permit to supply electricity to rural homes earlier this year and hopes to start commercial operations in September. [E&T magazine]

¶ On an unusually windy day, Denmark found 116% of its electric power needs were met by wind turbines. When electricity demand dropped for the night, it rose to 140%. Interconnectors allowed 80% of the power surplus to go to pumped storage plants in Germany and Norway, and the rest to Sweden. [The Guardian]

The Conservative UK government has announced a withdrawal of support for onshore windfarms. Denmark’s windfarms have strong government backing. Photograph: Max Mudie/Alamy

US:

¶ The 300 MW Beltran solar PV power project currently under development in Stanislaus County, California, is now one step closer to completion. Reports are that the developer Centauri Energy has secured a grid connection agreement for the project. The project is expected go online in 2016 or 2017. [CleanTechnica]

¶ After skyrocketing prices drove thousands of Massachusetts households to switch their electricity suppliers, the state is planning a website where consumers can comparison shop for electricity plans. The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities says it will soon solicit ideas for such a website. [Boston Globe]

¶ Conservation groups have reached an agreement with First Solar to provide additional conservation protections to wild lands and wildlife as part of construction of the California Flats Solar Project, a proposed 280-MW solar energy project in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties. [Center for Biological Diversity]

¶ New York Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to power all city government operations with renewable energy. De Blasio said that the city is seeking creative solutions identifying potential renewable sources, such as developers, power providers, financial institutions, energy brokerages, or trade groups. [PennEnergy]

Solar PVs in New York.

¶ A statewide call for power conservation in California underscores the state’s continued reliance on natural gas even as it works to increase use of renewable energy to 50% by 2030. The California Independent System Operator issued the first Flex Alert in two years as the western US baked in triple-digit heat. [Argus Media]

¶ President Obama and presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) have announced separate initiatives to help low-income and middle-income Americans afford solar power. Sanders introduced the Low Income Solar Act, to establish a $200 million loan and grant program throughout the US. [Computerworld]

¶ Pacific Gas and Electric faces legal challenges opposing its bid to keep operating the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant for the next 30 years. San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace and Friends of the Earth claim the recently discovered Shoreline Fault poses more risk to the nuclear plant than PG&E admits. [Cal Coast News]

¶ Crestmark announced it is providing sale-leaseback financing for three 500-kW (AC) solar projects to deliver energy to the State of Vermont on a Power Purchase Agreement basis. The funding will go to Alternative Energy Development Group LLC and SolarSense LLC, headquartered in Berwyn, Pa. [ABL Advisor]

Science and Technology:

¶ Climate change is threatening the survival of bumblebees, significantly reducing the habitats in which they can survive, researchers say. Natural ranges are being compressed in Europe and North America. The analysis indicates that warming is having a greater impact than pesticides or land use change. [BBC News]

Across Europe and North America bumblebees are losing to climate change.

World:

¶ EV sales are up in the UK. With over 14,000 electric cars sold in the UK in the first half of the year, the increase over the same period in 2014 is a whopping 350%. Brits registered a little more than 35,000 electric and hybrid cars in the first 6 months of 2015, representing approximately 3% of all new car sales. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The Caribbean nation of Belize is now aiming to go to 100% renewables, reports say. All of its electricity needs are to be met via renewable energy, and it’s transportation sector to fully embrace electric vehicles.The new goal is to get 89% of its electricity via renewables by 2033, with longer term goal of 100%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ France’s nuclear safety regulator told the BBC the flaw in the steel housing the reactor core at the nuclear plant being built in Normandy is “serious,” and he could stop the project unless he is satisfied with the plans to put it right. The collapse of the design would be a major blow to the so-called nuclear renaissance. [BBC]

¶ Total onshore wind installed capacity in Serbia will soar from just 20 MW in 2014 to an estimated 542 MW by 2025, according to research and consulting firm Global Data. Serbia is looking to wind as it aims to produce 27% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, Global Data said in a statement. [SeeNews Renewables]

Author: MK Group. License: All rights reserved.

¶ Norwegian company Scatec Solar has signed an agreement with the Malian Ministry of Energy and Water and Electricité du Mali to build, own and operate West Africa’s first utility-scale solar power plant. The 33-MW solar power plant will be located near the ancient city of Segou in South-East Mali. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ ABB Ltd has made a deal worth $25 with electrical transmission system operator RTE France, under which it will provide nine 400-megavolt ampere booster transformers to aid the regulation of power transmission voltage from four large-scale offshore wind projects across France’s Atlantic coast. [Zacks.com]

US:

¶ SolarCity has completed two commercial solar systems totalling 644 kW at the rooftops of Walmart stores in El Paso, Texas. The installation was completed at no upfront cost for Walmart, which will pay only for the renewable electricity generated at the two sites through an off-take contract. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Minnesota Power, the state’s most coal-dependent electric utility, says it is idling and eventually retiring the Taconite Harbor power plant, a large power plant in Schroeder, Minnesota, on Lake Superior’s North Shore. The move will save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. [Minneapolis Star Tribune]

Photo by Dennis O’Hara, Minnesota Power

¶ Tucson Electric Power is seeking to expand a popular new solar power program that provides fixed-price electric service using solar arrays installed on customers’ homes. The renewable energy plan includes a proposal to add up to 1000 new participants in the Residential Solar Program, tripling its size. [AZoCleantech]

¶ Hydroelectric power would become more important to Massachusetts under a proposal filed by the state’s governor. The bill submitted to the state Senate requires the state utilities to work with the Department of Energy Resources to pursue long-term contracts for bringing hydropower into the state. [GazetteNET]

¶ Duke Energy claims a pair of power plants burning natural gas in North Carolina’s Salisbury and Rockingham counties should get credit for burning biogas from swine waste in Missouri and Oklahoma. The NC Pork Council is upset that it will not use the contributions of a single hog in North Carolina. [News & Observer]

World:

¶ Four engineering students from Taiwan are heading to Iceland, Sweden and Norway to research on renewable energy this summer. The team plans to head to Iceland first, to study geothermal power, since 90% of Iceland’s energy is produced via geothermal generation. Financial help came from alumni. [China Post]

Krafla geothermal power plant in Iceland. Photo by Ásgeir Eggertsson. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Wikimedia Commons.

¶ RenewableUK, the trade association representing the wind, wave and tidal energy industries, strongly criticised the Chancellor’s budget announcement that he is retrospectively changing the rules governing the Climate Change Levy. The green-tax break was designed to promote generating clean energy. [Energy Voice]

¶ India and Kazakhstan, the world’s largest producer of uranium, reached an agreement on uranium. Kazakhstan will supply India with 5,000 metric tons of nuclear fuel in the 2015-2019 period. In 2010 through 2014, Kazakhstan supplied India with 2,100 metric tons, but India its increasing it use. [The Diplomat]

¶ Norwegian company Scatec Solar entered an agreement with the government of Pakistan to set up large-scale solar power projects with 150 MW of combined capacity. Pakistan has been facing acute power shortage for several years now, and is developing large-scale renewable projects to boost power generation. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Workers at the Sendai nuclear power plant here have loaded nearly half of the nuclear fuel into a reactor that is expected to resume operations in mid-August. About 50 workers are engaged in the round-the-clock operation. It takes workers about 20 minutes to install each of the 157 bundles of fuel rods. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶ Hundreds of wildfires are burning in Alaska and Canada, fed by record high temperatures and drought. They mark a new milestone in the history of climate change. The fires may speed up the melting of permafrost, releasing methane into the air, as the permafrost’s natural insulation becomes fuel for the fires. [Wired]

An Alaska Army National Guard helicopter drops water on a fire near Cooper Landing, Alaska. Photo by Sgt. Balinda O’Neal, US Army National Guard.

¶ New York’s Governor Cuomo announced awards of about $100,000 each to be given to 83 communities across the state to support microgrid projects. These awards were granted as part of the NY Prize microgrid competition to support a new generation of community-based power. [Hudson Valley News Network]

¶ A group of scientists at Stanford has published a plan for the United States to have all of its energy come from renewable sources by 2050, an ambitious goal that carries a $15 trillion dollar price tag. Mark Jacobson and his co-authors drew up the plan based on the capability of existing technology. [The Epoch Times]

¶ The Sierra Club says it will air a radio ad in the Albuquerque radio market urging the Public Regulation Commission to reject plans for the San Juan power plant. The plans call for closing two coal-fired units and replacing the lost power with more coal, natural gas, nuclear power, and other sources. [Santa Fe New Mexican]

¶ In Florida, municipal governments are divided over a decision by the Florida League of Cities to file a legal brief urging the Florida Supreme Court to reject the proposed Solar Choice amendment to the November 2016 ballot. The amendment would allow homeowners and businesses to sell solar power. [Bradenton Herald]

¶ Governor Charlie Baker plans to file legislation to help bring up to 2,400 MW of hydropower to Massachusetts from Canada. Baker’s energy and environmental affairs secretary says the state needs more renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as required by the EPA Clean Power Plan. [Boston Globe]

¶ 8minutenergy Renewables LLC and DE Shaw Renewable Investments LLC have announced the completion of permitting and start of construction of the 137-MW Springbok 1 solar farm, located in Kern County, California, 70 miles north of Los Angeles. The project is expected to be operational in June, 2016. [solarserver.com]

World:

¶ Market Research Store says the wind turbine market is poised to grow to $96.7 billion as countries impose stricter environment controls on the use for fossil fuels and coal to generate electricity. The fact that wind energy has reached parity for the long term comparative cost of energy, bodes well for growth. [CMO]

Tauernwindpark Oberzeiring, Styria, Austria. Photo by Kwerdenker. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Wikimedia Commons.

¶ Panasonic Eco Solutions Canada Inc announced that it has signed a contract with Petawawa Renewable Power Corporation to build three 600-kW ground-mount solar PV projects in Ontario under the Ontario Power Authority / IESO Feed-in Tariff programs. Construction should start this summer. [solarserver.com]

¶ France’s Wind Energy Association said Tuesday the country has hooked 523 MW of wind parks to the grid in the first half of 2015, thus boosting its total installed wind capacity to 9,713 MW. The additions in the first six months show that the country is on track to meet its 1.2-GW target for the year. [SeeNews Renewables]

US:

¶ As US coal production has seen gradual decline in the last few years, mountaintop removal mines have taken the hardest hit, according to a report from the US Energy Information Administration. Total US coal production decreased about 15%, but mountaintop removal mining saw a 62% drop. [State Journal]

Mountaintop removal mining in Kentucky. Photo by iLoveMountains.org. Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

¶ In Nevada, NV Energy has lined up what may be the cheapest electricity in the US, and it comes from a solar farm. The Berkshire Hathaway company agreed to pay 3.87¢/kWh for power from a 100-MW First Solar project. Include subsidies, and it is close to a record of 5.85¢/kWh set in January in Dubai. [Daily Democrat]

¶ States are pressing ahead with their plans to comply with the Obama administration’s forthcoming rule to limit carbon emissions from power plants despite a recent setback dealt to the Environmental Protection Agency by the Supreme Court. The court ruling applied to the cost of controls on mercury. [Washington Examiner]

¶ According to a recent announcement made by Facebook, the computer servers at the company’s massive new $500 million data center in Fort Worth, Texas, will run solely on wind power. The company is partnering with Alterra Energy for the construction of a 202-MW wind farm on 17,000 acres. [Northern Californian]

Ice Energy’s Ice Bear.

¶ NRG and Ice Energy will meet recently awarded 20 year contracts to provide 25.6 MW of behind-the-meter energy storage using Ice Energy’s proprietary Ice Bear technology for Southern California Edison. NRG and Ice Energy will deliver the peak energy reductions associated with these contracts. [PennEnergy]

¶ The White House has taken steps to boost installation of solar power and other renewable energy for federally subsidised housing. The new goal is to install 300 MW of solar and other renewable energy in affordable housing by 2020, tripling a goal set in 2013 which has already been surpassed. [Business Recorder]

¶ The waves of Hawaii are a big draw for tourists and surfers, but now they’re also a source of electricity. For the first time in the US, energy from waves is being turned into electricity that is heading onto the grid, and powering homes in Hawaii. Half the people in the US live within 50 miles of the coast. [Popular Science]

Science and Technology:

¶ Driverless cars running on electric power can cut greenhouse gas emissions up to 90%, a study from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory says. The reduction in GHG emissions from 5% of 2030 vehicles being autonomous electric taxis would be greater than from 1,000 two-MW wind turbines. [International Business Times UK]

World:

¶ Austria formally filed a legal challenge at the European court of justice against EU-granted state subsidies for a new nuclear power plant in Britain. The announcement came only days after an alliance of 10 German and Austrian energy companies filed a separate legal challenge against Hinkley Point. [The Guardian]

Opponents see Hinkley Point C as an unnecessary show of support for nuclear energy. Photograph: EDF/PA.

¶ ReNew Power announced an agreement with Hareon Solar to develop a 72-MW solar power project in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Hareon Solar will supply 234,161 crystalline silicon solar modules with delivery beginning in August 2015. The plant would be commissioned in March 2016. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ New Zealand significantly raised its greenhouse gas emissions reduction target, but said it still wants a climate change policy that was affordable. The plan to cut emissions to 30% below 2005 levels by 2030 will be submitted as part of negotiations on a comprehensive agreement in Paris at the end of the year. [Reuters]

¶ Clearfleau Ltd, a leading UK-based provider of onsite anaerobic digestion systems for the food and beverage sector, has finished the first stage in a major sustainability project at one of the UK’s largest cheese creameries. It will be the first dairy in Europe to feed bio-methane into the gas grid. [Biomass Magazine]

¶ A licence for Oman’s first solar power plant was issued to Bahwan Astonfield Solar Energy Company by the Authority for Electricity Regulation. The 303-kW solar plant is located in the wilayat of Al Mazyounnah in Dhofar Governorate. The power produced will be sold to the Rural Areas Electricity Company. [Times of Oman]

US:

¶ New York Governor Cuomo announced the state’s solar power increased more than 300% from 2011 to 2014, double the US growth rate. Over 310 MW of solar panels had been installed by the end of last year, enough to power more than 51,000 homes. Over 304 MW more is under contract as of May 2015. [Energy Matters]

Omega Center for Sustainable Living at Rhinebeck, New York. Photo by Andy Milford from Dahlonega, GA. Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Wikimedia Commons.

¶ The biggest highlight of the US electricity generation capacity market is that 74% of new US capacity added in January through May of 2015 came from wind and solar power. Renewables overall accounted for 75% of new electricity generation capacity. Wind and solar now make up 7.6% of the US capacity. [CleanTechnica]

¶ A bipartisan group of mayors from over 250 cities is taking an important stand against “climate change denialism,” calling for the “swift implementation” of climate education in high schools nationwide. This happend at a conference of the United States Conference of Mayors, for cities over 30,000 in population. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Ohio University, located in southeastern Ohio’s coal-mining country, still uses coal-fired boilers to generate steam to heat and cool campus buildings, but officials anticipate changing that by year’s end. A $5.5 million project is underway to build a pipeline to carry natural gas to the university’s power plant. [Columbus Dispatch]

¶ A wind and solar farm in northern Cochise County, Arizona, is expected to start generating power by the end of this month. The farm, belonging to Red Horse 2 LLC, will produce up to 71 MW of wind and solar power combined by the end of July, enough to provide power to more than 13,500 homes. [Eastern Arizona Courier]

Opinion:

¶ “SA’s proposed $100bn Nuclear Fleet – driven by arrogance or ignorance?” – Russia is seen as the frontrunner to win the right to build 9600 MW of South African nuclear power plants that may be worth as much as $100 billion. But who is going to pay for the country’s biggest project yet remains a mystery. [BizNews]

World:

¶ The National Trust is to invest £30 million in solar panels, woodchip boilers and innovative technology that can extract heat from a lake, in a bid to supply half of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2020. The investment is an eightfold increase on what the trust has made in five pilot projects. [The Guardian]

A biomass boiler will heat the entire property at Ickworth House, a Georgian mansion, 680 feet long, in Suffolk, UK. Photograph: David J. Green/Alamy.

¶ Twenty subnational governments, with over 220 million people and $8.3 trillion in GDP, have now committed to targeted reductions in carbon emissions through the Compact of States and Regions, a partnership of The Climate Group, CDP, R20, and nrg4SD supported by the United Nations and others. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Brazil’s wind power output reached 2,261 MW average (MWa), in the month of June, which is by 75.1% more than was recorded a year ago, according to InfoMercado, the weekly newsletter of the Power Trading Chamber. The electricity consumption also fell 1.1% year on year to 56,818 MWa. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Emissions from Australia’s main power sector are rising at an increasing rate one year after the end of the carbon price, with plants in Victoria fired by brown coal the biggest contributors. In the year to June, emissions jumped by about 6.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, or about 4.3%. [Sydney Morning Herald]

¶ Ratch Australia is planning to build a $100 million (Aus) solar plant in Collinsville. Ratch general manager of business management, Anil Nangia, said the recent Federal Government deadlock on the Renewable Energy Target had kept the project on hold. The project is in north Queensland. It begin next year. [ABC Online]

¶ Wind power generated 33% of Scotland’s electricity needs in June, according to analysis by WWF Scotland. This represents an increase of 120% compared with June 2014. WWF also found that homes fitted with solar PV panels typically produced sufficient energy to supply themselves in much of the country. [reNews]

Hill of Towie wind farm in Scotland (reNEWS)

¶ The Czech Republic, biggest electricity exporter in Europe, plans to build two additional nuclear reactors in the country, a senior official said. The government aims to make nuclear energy account for 58% of the nation’s total supply, up from 30%. It also plans to increase renewable energy to 25%. [Korea JoongAng Daily]

US:

¶ Special utility company–provided electric vehicle tariff rates are becoming more and more common in the US, according to a new study from Northeast Group. As it stands now, according to the study, there are 28 different utility companies in 15 different states providing EV charging specific rates. [CleanTechnica]

¶ SunEdison is partnering with Green Charge Networks, which specializes in commercial energy storage, to provide a solar plus energy storage system to utility company Silicon Valley Power. Combining energy from solar PVs with energy allows customers to cut down on utility bills rather substantially. [CleanTechnica]

¶ When Vermont became the first state to ban hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in 2012, Governor Peter Shumlin said the ban was “in keeping with our environmental ethic and our protection of our natural resources.” But now the state seems likely to increase the use of fracked gas from Canada. [Barre Montpelier Times Argus]

Opinion:

¶ “Restore Ohio wind-energy provisions that benefit local students” – By turning to wind power, the Lincolnview Local Schools added a revenue stream of $400,000 annually. But the Ohio legislature added onerous restrictions on wind-energy development, making similar projects difficult. This may be changed. [cleveland.com]

World:

¶ The world’s longest underwater electricity cable will soon enable sharing of renewable energy between the UK and Norway. Starting in 2021 power will be able to move as needed, balancing grid loads, thanks to a 730-km (453-mi) underwater cable between Blyth, Northumberland, and Kvilldal in Norway. [Geographical]

A picturesque fjord in Kvilldal, where the Norwegian end of the cable will be situated. Credit: Geoffrey Kopp.

¶ Indonesian President Joko Widodo has asserted that the government will prioritize the development of environmentally friendly power plants to meet its target of generating 35,000 MW more electricity by 2019. The country has a geothermal energy potential of 28,000 MW and this is being studied. [Jakarta Post]

¶ Jordan will construct four 50-MW solar power plants through the country. About 20 companies have been approved to bid on the projects, and the bids are about to be examined. Jordan imports 97% of its energy needs, and its grid is being studied to find ways to integrate more renewable power. [Construction Week Online]

¶ The London Array, the world’s largest offshore wind farm, had its second anniversary of operation. The 630-MW wind project has produced more than 5 TWh of affordable electricity, while mitigating more than two million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. Its power is enough for 2% of all homes in the UK. [Khaleej Times]

US:

¶ After two decades of trying to buy the defunct Eagle Mountain iron mine, in California, the Eagle Crest Energy Company has finally succeeded. The plan is to build a 1,300-MW hydro-power plant, using billions of gallons of water that would be drawn from an aquifer. The plan has a lot of opposition. [The Desert Sun]

The foothills of Eagle Mountain can be seen from the edge of Joshua Tree National Park on Nov. 18, 2014. (Photo: Jay Calderon, The Desert Sun)

¶ The EPA’s Clean Power Plan is poised to change the way electricity is made across the country, moving the nation further away from coal and toward cleaner energy sources. In Virginia, a debate is beginning over whether the state’s largest utility should build another nuclear reactor at North Anna. [Richmond.com]

¶ While the energy history of the US is one of significant change, the three fossil fuel sources have made up at least 80% of total US energy consumption for more than 100 years. The mix is changing among fossil fuels, with natural gas becoming dominant. Renewables are growing, but still small. [The Maritime Executive]

¶ Environmental groups along New York state’s Southern Tier and Hudson Valley are launching campaigns to help home owners and small businesses add solar systems with price discounts. The campaigns are supported with funding from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. [Oneida Dispatch]

¶ In West Virginia, Appalachian Power Co expects to develop the means to generate more than a fifth of its energy from the sun and wind in 15 years, according to a plan filed with the state this week. At the same time, it foresees reducing reliance on coal for electric power from 72% to just over half. [Bristol Herald Courier]

Science and Technology:

¶ Solar Impulse, powered only by the sun, has landed in Hawaii after making a historic 7,200km flight across the Pacific from Japan. The distance covered and the time spent in the air, 118 hours, are records for manned, solar-powered flight. The duration is also an absolute record for a solo, un-refuelled journey. [BBC News]

Solar Impulse. AP.

Opinion:

¶ “China’s climate pledge for green growth spells doom for coal exporters” – Renewable energy is all go in China, as set out in its climate pledge this week, with huge growth planned for wind and solar. The one big loser is coal exporters who can expect falling sales volumes in coming years. Wake up Australia! [The Ecologist]

¶ “Propelling Pennsylvania wind projects forward through grassroots support” – Despite the environmental benefits, there is still a need for public support for new wind projects. Environmental concerns of residents of Black Creek Township, Pennsylvania, were successfully addressed. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

World:

¶ Djibouti, one of the poorest countries, needs cheap power to fund expansion of its harbors. Ethiopia, Africa’s fastest growing economy, relies on the nation’s ports for most of its exports and imports. Geothermal power is part of Djibouti’s plan to become 100% reliant on renewable energy by the end of the decade. [Onislam.net]

¶ The downturn in the oil and gas industry has prompted fears over 2,000 jobs at three oil rig fabrication yards in Fife and in the Outer Hebrides. These are to be discussed between First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and trade unions that missed out on contracts supported by the Scottish Government. [The National]

¶ A study published in online journal PLOS ONE from the University of East Anglia has revealed the drastic effects of the Balbina Dam on Amazonian tropical rainforest biodiversity. It reveals a loss of mammals, birds and tortoises from most of the islands formed by the creation of the vast Balbina Lake. [Bird Watch]

¶ Solar power supplied 16% of the UK’s electricity demand on one afternoon, as the country basked in sunshine, according to industry estimates. The news comes as solar-powered homes, commercial rooftop schemes and solar farms open to the public on Friday and Saturday as part of “solar independence day.” [The Guardian]

Children inspect panels at a UK solar farm. Photograph: Primrose Solar/PA.

¶ The German Economy Minister says that if the funds by utilities for shutting down nuclear power plants are insufficient, they should be asked to make further payments. Germany’s four nuclear operators have set aside nearly $40 billion (US) for decommissioning and creating a safe waste disposal facility. [Yahoo! Maktoob News]

¶ German utility RWE is considering a restructuring as it battles an industry-wide crisis, a German newspaper reported on Saturday. German utilities are struggling in the face of weak energy demand and a boom in renewable energy sources that have priority over conventional power plants for grid access. [Reuters Africa]

¶ Governments must rethink plans for new coal-fired power plants around the world, which are now the “most urgent” threat to the future of the planet, the head of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development warns. The warning from a “club of the world’s richest countries” is strongly worded. [The Guardian]

¶ The International Renewable Energy Agency released reports for Fiji, the Marshall Islands and Vanuatu, concluding that a combination of solar, wind, geothermal, marine, biomass and biofuel could meet energy needs, decrease electricity costs, increase energy access, and boost energy independence. [Biobased Digest]

¶ Having regulatory approval, Kyushu Electric Power Co will begin loading nuclear fuel into a reactor at the Sendai nuclear plant in Kagoshima Prefecture on July 7 for planned restart in August. The reactor is planned to be restarted in mid-month after Kyushu Electric undergoes a month-long preparation. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶ US developer TradeWind Energy plans to build a 108-MW wind farm in southwest Oklahoma. The Drift Sands scheme will be located in Grady County, about 60 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. The project area encompasses about 10,000 acres of private land under lease from around 25 landowners. [reNews]

Tradewind Energy’s Smoky Hills wind farm in Kansas (Tradewind Energy)

¶ When Tesla announced the Powerwall, its home energy storage product, it was stated that SolarCity would be offering the Powerwall to its customers in Hawaii and California, but details were slim. Now, SolarCity has announced its energy storage for new homes California homebuilders and their buyers.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ Fort Hood is a leader in energy efficiency with the Army’s largest hybrid renewable energy project and vehicle-to-grid initiative, saving the installation money and resources while leveraging green technologies. The electric vehicle buys power from the grid, stores it and sells back what power it doesn’t use. [DVIDS]

Science and Technology:

¶ Solar Impulse 2 has broken all distance and duration world records for solar aviation (80 hours and 5,663 km, or 3,519 miles). Pilot André Borschberg has also broken the record for the longest solo flight ever. Solar Impulse 2 has proven the vision of reaching unlimited endurance without fuel was not a crazy dream. [CleanTechnica]

Credit: Solar Impulse.

World:

¶ The Philippines is set to be the home to South-East Asia’s largest solar photovoltaic power plant. Real estate developer Gregorio Araneta recently announced that it will set up a 100-MW solar PV power plant in Cadiz City after the successful implementation of a 30-MW project in the Philippines. [CleanTechnica]

¶ In Germany, Siemens has started operations at a plant at Energiepark Mainz, where hydrogen will be produced from excess wind power to be re-used as a general fuel or in natural gas pipelines. The €17 million energy storage project will provide sufficient hydrogen to power about 2000 fuel-cell cars. [Power Technology]

¶ Van Oord has installed the first monopile at the 600-MW Gemini offshore wind farm in the Dutch North Sea. The Aeolus installation vessel placed the first of 150 foundations at the project site, located 85 km off the coast of Groningen. The monopiles range in length from 59 m to 73 m depending on water depth. [CleanTechnology News]

¶ Dong has selected Siemens to supply 7-MW turbines for the 1.2-GW Hornsea 1 offshore wind farm in England. The company will use up to 171 of the next-generation machines at what will be the world’s largest wind farm project. The contract has yet to be signed, and work may begin in 2017 for completion in 2018. [reNews]

¶ DEME, a Belgian company, has awarded Alstom a contract to supply 66 Haliade 6-MW turbines to the Merkur offshore wind farm in the German North Sea. Work on the water some 45 km off Borkum will kick off in 2016 and will be carried out by DEME unit Geosea. Alstom, is in the midst of an acquisition by GE. [reNews]

Image: Alstom.

¶ Wind energy company Windlab has started construction of the wind farm at Coonooer Bridge, 80 km northwest of Bendigo, Victoria. The $50 million (Aus) wind farm will be built in northwest Victoria with six of the largest turbines in Australia. Each will generate about 13,000 MWh of electricity each year. [Business Spectator]

¶ Costa Rica produced 98.55% of its electricity through renewable energy sources in the first half of 2015, according to data of state-run utility Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad. The mix includes hydro, geothermal, wind, biomass and solar power. The goal for thermal generation for the year is 2.9%. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Toshiba developed a small robot in co-ordination with the International Research Institute for Nuclear Decommissioning to explore interiors of the primary containment vessel at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Deployment of the robot will be carried out at the facility’s Unit 2. [Power Technology]

US:

¶ Iberdrola Renewables announced filing a potential 25-year contract to supply Vermont’s largest utility, Green Mountain Power, with wind energy from the permitted Deerfield Wind Farm. GMP would purchase 30 MW from the wind farm, under the contract submitted to the Vermont Public Service Board for review. [AZoCleantech]

¶ Fifteen years ago, California led the way to cleaner transit buses with strict tailpipe emissions standards that effectively ushered out diesel as the primary fuel for buses in the state and replaced it with natural gas. Now, California is taking the lead again by mandating a switch to “zero-emission” buses by 2040. [The Hans India]

Goodbye, natural gas.

¶ The Pennsylvania Utility Commission had proposed limits on anaerobic digesters. After receiving largely negative feedback from farmers and state agencies, it reversed course, excluding some digesters from being regulated. Now, state legislators are pushing a law to prevent limits in the future. [York Dispatch]

¶ Ameren Missouri has hopes for a large new solar array along the north side of Interstate 70. The 70-acre project will be visible from the highway for more than half a mile. The 15-MW solar plant that would produce an estimated 20,655 MWh per year, enough to power roughly 1,500 households annually. [Lake Expo]

¶ Coal is no longer king in America. That’s the latest findings from the US Energy Information Administration, which provides independent statistics and analysis of the energy sector. Coal lost its number one spot as the nation’s top electricity source for the first time on record this April, when it produced less than natural gas. [EcoWatch]

¶ The White House has categorically rejected biomass fuels as carbon neutral, saying the idea flies in the face of sound science. The administration issued a policy statement declaring its strong opposition to a House measure it believes would undermine President Obama’s ability to put environmental reforms in place. [Utility Dive]

Science and Technology:

¶ Solar Impulse 2 has been in the air, nonstop, for 2 days, 20 hours, and 21 minutes at the time that I write this. André Borschberg, cofounder, CEO, and pilot, is at the controls of the first solar-powered airplane to make this historical oceanic flight, which will last at least 5 days and 5 nights nonstop. [CleanTechnica]

Photo Credit: Solar Impulse

¶ Researchers from the University of Cambridge have developed a coating that can be applied to turbine blades to reduce the amount of sound they make. The material, which is made of 3-D printed plastic, can reduce the noise generated by a blade up to 10 decibels without affecting aerodynamic performance. [Buildings]

¶ German utility RWE is a victim of the so-called “utility death spiral,” with its business based on central power plants losing billions of dollars in Germany’s renewables-rich market. But one RWE vice president says distributed energy technologies and business models could help turn its fortunes around. [Greentech Media]

World:

¶ Vestas Wind Systems has announced orders totalling 860 MW over the space of five days, covering seven orders in five countries. An announcement that Vestas had a 150-MW order from a Texas wind farm being developed by EDF Renewable Energy was followed by seven more orders, totalling 860 MW. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners has established a new €2 billion infrastructure fund targeted at renewables. The fund, described as a 20-year ‘buy-and-hold’ fund, has 19 financial investors. It will focus on investments in energy infrastructure in Northern and Western Europe as well as North America. [reNews]

¶ Dong Energy’s 210-MW Westermost Rough offshore wind plant was officially inaugurated off the east coast of England. The project is the first to use Siemens 6-MW wind turbines on a large scale in a commercial project. Each turbine will have an integrated helicopter-hoisting platform at the rear of the nacelle. [reNews]

The Siemens SWT-6.0-154 at Westermost Rough offshore wind power plant (Siemens)

¶ The Indian state of Tamil Nadu will sign power purchase agreements for 2,000 MW of solar power by the end of this year. Tamil Nadu is expected to buy 1,000 MW of solar power by the end of July, according to the minister of electricity, non-conventional energy development, prohibition and excise. [Business Standard]

¶ SunEdison, Inc, the world’s largest renewable energy development company, and Gamesa, a global technology leader in wind energy, today announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a joint venture to develop up to 1 GW of wind energy power plants globally by 2018. [Jakarta Post]

¶ Germany has agreed to mothball about five of the country’s largest brown coal power plants to meet its climate goals by 2020, retaining them as a “capacity reserve” system for power shortages. The decision means Germany could meet its goal of reducing German CO2 emissions by 40% by 2020 compared to 1990. [The Guardian]

¶ Morocco’s Platinum Power, a subsidiary of US private equity firm Brookstone Partners, plans to invest $845 million to build a hydroelectric project in Cameroon, the company said. Platinum Power signed an agreement with the country’s government to build a 400-MW complex in the country’s Center Region. [Reuters Africa]

¶ Greenpeace and nine German and Austrian utilities selling renewable energy say they are launching legal action against state aid for the Hinkley Point C project in southwest England. The aid was approved by the European Commission, but they will argue that the aid would distort prices in mainland European. [Reuters]

US:

¶ Two states recently passed legislation significantly increasing renewable electricity goals. On June 8, Hawaii updated legislation setting a 100% renewable portfolio standard by 2045. On June 11, Vermont passed a bill creating a 75% RPS by 2032. Both targets are higher than any others in the United States. [CleanTechnica]

Source: US Energy Information Administration Note: The figure includes primary renewable targets and does not adjust for additional sub-targets.

¶ US renewables developer SunEdison Inc says it has obtained the $360 million of financing needed for the 185-MW Bingham Wind project in Maine, and construction is under way. The wind farm will bring the company’s wind portfolio in Main to 552 MW. It will provide power for over 65,000 households. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ The Missouri Public Service Commission voted Wednesday to deny a Texas company’s plan for a controversial $2.2 billion, 780-mile transmission line to carry power from Kansas high plains wind farms across Missouri to eastern power grids. Backers pushed the project as important in the fight for clean power. [Kansas City Star]

Science and Technology:

¶ Samsung researchers developed a technology that enables coating silicon battery cathodes with high crystal graphene. They can now virtually double the capacity of lithium-ion batteries! This energy density increase could almost double the range of electric vehicles without adding a single pound of weight. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ China has submitted a United Nations climate Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC). The Chinese greenhouse gas emitter’s contribution means plans from the 193 UN nations now cover over half the world’s GHG emissions. China’s plan is to cut the emissions relative to its GDP by 60% by 2030. [CleanTechnica]

Yangtze River, China (cc via travelojos.com)

¶ Kyocera TCL Solar LLC, a joint venture of Kyocera Corp and Century Tokyo Leasing Corp, has commenced construction of a 23-MW solar power plant on an abandoned golf course in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The plant will generate an estimated 26,312 MWh per year, enough for about 8,100 local households. [KSL.com]

¶ Brazil and the United States announced a joint effort to address climate change and boost renewable energy during a visit by Brazilian President Rousseff. Both countries pledged to increase renewable energy targets to 20% by 2030. Brazil will also restore 12 million hectares of forest, roughly the size of Pennsylvania. [ThinkProgress]

¶ Wholesale electricity prices in Ireland will continue to fall over the coming years as the onshore wind building boom gathers pace ahead of the 2017 refit deadline. A Moody’s Investors Service report says wholesale power is likely to fall by between €53 and €58 per MWh over the next three years due to windpower. [reNews]

US:

¶ A transformer fire that shut down Indian Point nuclear power plant on May 9 was caused by a failure of insulation, according to an internal investigation. Entergy Corp, which runs the plant, said the failure lead to the transformer in Unit 3 to short-circuit and catch fire. The fire was put out with water and foam. [CBS Local]

Black smoke billows from the Indian Point nuclear power plant on May 9, 2015. (Credit: @RocklandFires/Twitter)

¶ An Oklahoma woman who was injured by an earthquake can sue oil companies for damages, the state’s highest court has ruled. This opens the door to other potential lawsuits against the state’s energy companies. Researchers have blamed fracking for a dramatic spike in earthquakes in the state. [Columbus Dispatch]

¶ Vestas has confirmed that it will be supplying 150 MW worth of wind turbines to the Salt Fork wind power plant in Texas. EDF Renewable Energy placed the order for 75 of Vestas’ V100-2.0 MW turbines to go towards the Salt Fork wind power plant, located in the Donley and Gray Counties of Texas. [CleanTechnica]

¶ A statewide ban on fracking is now official in New York State, nearly a year after communities won the right to ban oil and gas development locally. This action concluded New York Department of Environmental Conservation’s comprehensive, seven-year review and completely prohibits fracking. [Environment News Service]

¶ Texas-based community-owned utility Austin Energy has received record-low, firm solar power bids of under $40 per MWh in a recent 600-MW request for proposals. Austin Energy has a goal to source from renewables 55% of its power by 2025, and it is retiring coal-fired and gas-fired power capacity. [SeeNews Renewables]

Solar Farm. Author: Michael Mees meesphotography.com License: Creative Commons, Attribution 2.0 Generic.

¶ Bill Gates has announced that he will be investing $2 billion in renewable energy initiatives, especially focussing on those that make use of innovative technologies. Gates has become known as a supporter of clean energy and sustainability, investing aggressively in solar power and similar types of energy. [Hydrogen Fuel News]

¶ Annapolis could leap to the front of the green-energy movement if plans for a 16.8-MW solar facility are approved. Annapolis Renewable Energy Park would house the nation’s largest solar energy project installed on a closed landfill. The city’s landfill is 80 acres, and its lease would earn the city $260,000 per year. [CapitalGazette.com]

¶ The US DOE and some state governments have launched funding and other programs to encourage microgrid development. Microgrids can increase renewable and distributed power generation and improve the resiliency of grid systems vulnerable to severe weather events and cyber-attacks. [energybiz]

¶ Duke Energy, Samsung SDI and Younicos are teaming up to upgrade a 36-MW energy storage and power management system at the 153-MW Notrees wind farm in west Texas. The system has been operating since 2012. Its lead-acid batteries which will be replaced during 2016 with lithium-ion technology. [reNews]

Science and Technology:

¶ This morning, June 29th, 2015, at 3:03 am local time in Nagoya, Japan (6:03 pm GMT on June 28th), Swiss pilot André Borschberg took off in the single-seater aircraft from Nagoya endeavoring to reach Hawaii, in what will be the longest exploration leg of the Solar Impulse’s “Round-The-World” mission. [CleanTechnica]

Photo Credit: Solar Impulse

World:

¶ South Korea vowed Tuesday to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 37% from the estimated business-as-usual level by 2030, raising the aim from previous proposals, but still facing opposition from the involved sectors with criticism that the target is insufficient. One issue is planned use of carbon credits. [The Korea Herald]

¶ A giant solar farm near the English village of Laceby that could power almost 6,500 homes won council approval. The successful application affects 36.66 hectares (90.6 acres) of land and will generate up to 27.14 MW of power. A solar farm of similar size is proposed for the nearby town of Grimsby. [Grimsby Telegraph]

¶ The UK Parliament’s Climate Change Committee published its first report under the new government on the UK’s progress towards meeting emissions reduction targets. It calls for long term investment in renewables, but also reiterates its support for carbon capture and storage and for nuclear energy. [edie.net]

¶ Power prices in Great Britain will remain low through 2020, driven by ongoing demand reduction and growth in interconnectors and renewables, according to analysts at Moody’s Investor Service. The company expects year-average wholesale electricity prices of £42-46/MWh if gas prices remain stable. [EconoTimes]

¶ Moody’s Investors Service expects that German power prices will remain in the range of €30-35 per MWh to 2020. This compares with around €31-32/MWh today, and reflects expectations of continuing trends on coal, the growth of renewable power generation, and efficiency reducing demand. [EconoTimes]

¶ With electricity prices going through the roof and awareness around environmental sustainability intensifying, more and more households are searching for alternative energy sources. The application of solar power is spreading like wild-fire all around the world, and this is especially true in Australia. [Bangalorean]

US:

¶ Philip Anschutz, a conservative billionaire and the son of an oil man, wants to turn his 500-square-mile cattle ranch into the world’s largest wind farm. The project would generate four times more electricity than the Hoover Dam. It would also make him the nation’s most unlikely environmental hero. [Pacific Standard]

¶ A new report from the Hawaiʻi Natural Energy Institute at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa identifies various scenarios that would allow Oʻahu and Maui to surpass the 2020 goal of 30% renewable energy while lowering electricity costs. Utility scale solar and wind and rooftop solar were considered. [UH System Current News]

Solar energy, including photovoltaics, will contribute to Hawaiʻi’s goals for renewable. (photo credit: John Cole, HNEI)

¶ In Georgia, the Solar Power Free-Market Financing Act will go into effect on July 1, opening up solar panel options for Georgia residents and businesses. On the same day, Georgia Power is planning to announce that one of its unregulated subsidiaries is going to get into the solar panel installation business. [RenewablesBiz]

¶ Neste, the world largest producer of renewable diesel, CLP Motorsports, and X-Games and Rallycross champion Tanner Foust made history, when CLP Motorsports’ Superlite Coupe crossed the finish line in Santa Monica, California, after driving across the USA on one tank (37.6 gallons) of renewable diesel oil. [AZoCleantech]

¶ Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who has recently called for the United States to be using 100% clean energy by 2050, said over the weekend in Iowa that climate change is actually a business opportunity that can spur job growth. In fact, he says it is the biggest opportunity in a hundred years. [Washington Times]

¶ Community leaders of Winchester, Indiana, joined EDP Renewables and Indiana Michigan Power officials to dedicate the Headwaters Wind Farm in Randolph County. The wind farm’s 100 turbines are expected to generate more than 600,000 MWh per year, enough to power more than 50,000 homes. [WANE]

¶ Electricity industry representatives and consultants were divided Monday on how much impact the US Supreme Court’s remand of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards to a lower court is likely to have on power markets and investments. The court did not vacate the standard, but sent it back to the lower court. [Platts]

¶ A new, peer-reviewed article published in the scientific journal Science estimates that 30,000 km² of land have been lost due to oil and gas well pads and associated operations in North America since the year 2000. The DOE says we could get 35% of our energy by using 3,400 km² for wind farms. [Clean Energy News]

World:

¶ The first prototype wave power unit in the Australian state of Victoria is ready to be installed off its south-west coast later this year, with its builders saying it could be the start of a “new era” for renewable energy. The $21-million project is expected to provide 250 kWh of renewable energy annually. [ABC Online]

Victoria’s first prototype wave power unit will be deployed in November. (BioPower Systems Pty Ltd)

¶ Australian economist and climate change advisor Professor Ross Garnaut pointed out that the costs associated with stranded assets are already greater than the costs associated with action on climate change. This was part of a rather direct attack on the economic policy that Australia has taken in recent years. [CleanTechnica]

¶ BMW is still pursuing its plan to convert all of its various model platforms to electric drivetrains (this includes range-extending engines and plug-in hybrids, of course) over the next decade or so, according to recent reports. Even the company’s top-selling 3 Series sport sedans will be plug-in hybrids. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Genesis Energy Corporation, based in London, and SHP Malthe Winje, based in Norway, have signed a memorandum of understanding for Modular Mini Hydro Power that could efficiently and effectively meet Nigerian and other African energy needs quickly and with no negative environmental impact. [THISDAY Live]

¶ In Ethiopia, the 153-MW Adama wind farm has opened its doors, making it the largest wind farm in sub-Saharan Africa to date, reports the AFP. The 102 70-metre high Chinese-built turbines are situated in a range of rocky hills in the Ethiopian highlands 100 kilometres southeast of the capital Addis Ababa. [ESI Africa]

Over 75% of Ethiopia’s 94 million people, mainly those living in rural areas, are not connected to the national grid. Photo credit: Adama Wind Farm. AFP

¶ Vestas has been awarded a firm contract to provide 56 turbines at Latin America Power’s 185-MW San Juan project in Chile. The Danish manufacturer will supply and install V117 3.3-MW machines at the project in the region of Atacama. Deliveries will begin in 2016, and commissioning is due the same year. [reNews]

¶ Westinghouse Electric Company and eight European consortium partners today announced that they have received €2 million in funding from the EU to establish the security of supply of nuclear fuel for Russian-designed reactors in the EU. Five EU member states are operating a total of 18 such reactors. [Digital Journal]

¶ France is soliciting bids from private companies to provide up to 50 MWh of battery storage for its islands and offshore territories in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and for Corsica. More than 3,000,000 live on these islands. The projects will have 500 kWh of storage for every MW of solar power installed. [PlanetSave.com]

US:

¶ Thirteen miles off the coast of Rhode Island, Block Island boasts 17 miles of beaches, 365 freshwater ponds, 250-foot bluffs and 150 bird species. It also has electricity costing 50¢/kWh. Now the island is about to become well known for another reason. It will host the first offshore wind farm in the United States. [GreenBiz]

Old Harbor on Block Island, Rhode Island. Photo by Swampyank at English Wikipedia. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Wikipedia Commons.

¶ If the EPA’s greenhouse gas regulations take effect as proposed, utilities will move quickly from coal to natural gas, with renewable energy picking up in a few years. The EIA analysis forecasts a decrease of more than 600 billion kilowatt-hours in coal generation by 2025 as a result of EPA’s Clean Power Plan. [Electric Co-op Today]

¶ The EPA’s Regional Haze Rule targets visibility in national parks and wilderness areas and would require retrofitting several Arkansas coal plants with scrubbers reducing sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. Though the rule is only addresses visibility, proponents of the plan have lauded its health benefits. [Arkansas Online]

Opinion:

¶ “Solar Power Pros And Cons: Is Solar Power Worth It?” – If it were a disease, we’d have a full-blown epidemic. From $0-down leases to $0-down solar loans, there are easy ways to go solar these days. Even your grandmother can do it. But what are the actual pros and cons of solar power these days? [PlanetSave.com]

¶ “Activism fomented by Koch brothers turns against them” – The Koch brothers’ political machine, Freedom Partners, says it will raise and spend $889 million pushing conservative causes in the 2016 presidential election. An emerging champion against the Koch brothers is Tea Party activist Debbie Dooley. [Sydney Morning Herald]

World:

¶ Japan’s SoftBank Corp, together with Bharti Enterprises and Taiwan’s Foxconn, will invest about $20 billion over the next 10 years to generate 20,000 MW of solar power and manufacture solar power equipment in India. The new company intends to participate in the 2015-16 round of solar tenders. [South Asian Link]

¶ Scottish ministers will hold an emergency summit with the green energy sector next month, after the UK Government announced it was to axe a subsidy scheme for onshore wind farms. Industry leader Scottish Renewables has warned the move could put up to £3 billion of investment in Scotland at risk. [stv.tv]

¶ In Ontario, Orillia Power is looking to construct at least three new generating stations. One of them is a hydro-electric project nearby. The other two are projects in other parts of Ontario, and for these it would enter into a joint venture with Shaman Power to form a new company, Bawitik Power. [Orillia Packet & Times]

¶ Wind energy in Mexico is expected to see annual investment of $2 billion during the next 25 years, becoming the most important sector in the country’s energy industry by 2033. Mexican power sector investments are projected to total $159 billion by 2040, and almost a third of it will be spent on wind power. [Mexico News Daily]

Turbinas eólicas en el Parque Eólico La Venta. Photo by Laloixx. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Wikimedia Commons.

¶ The single largest rooftop solar power plant in the world is being set up at Amritsar in Punjab to generate 7.2 MW of power, the Punjab Energy Development Agency Director said. At a meeting of the Association of Renewable Energy Agencies States, he said the plant is spread over in an area of 30 acres. [Times of India]

¶ Europe is likely to get over half of its electricity from renewable sources by the end of the next decade if EU countries meet their climate pledges, a draft commission paper leaked to The Guardian says. Currently, renewable power sources supply about a quarter of the electricity in Europe. [domain-B]

¶ Proposals for a 30-acre solar power farm in Little Dunmow, Essex, are being studied by Uttlesford District Council. If approved, it could generate 5 MW, enough to power 1,450 typical family homes and save 2,640 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year. (Little Dunmow has about 950 homes.) [Herts and Essex Observer]

¶ Germany’s oldest remaining nuclear reactor has been shut down, part of a move initiated four years ago to switch off all its nuclear plants by 2022. Bavaria’s environment ministry said Sunday that the Grafenrheinfeld reactor in the southern German state was taken offline as scheduled overnight. [Chicago Daily Herald]

US:

¶ In its second year, the Waste to Wisdom project, in northern California, seeks the best methods to process and transport leftover wood material from timber cuts for use in renewable energy plants. Combining timber operations and biomass would be more efficient and less disruptive to the land. [Eureka Times Standard]

¶ Raciel Juarez founded Texas Green Solar and Wind Solutions, one of the first renewable energy companies in the Rio Grande Valley, nearly a decade ago. He says the first challenge he faced was not the lack of sun, but few local incentives. Now he worries that in 2016, the federal incentives for solar may disappear. [Valley morning Star]

World:

¶ A post-2020 climate-control action plan, to be submitted by China to the United Nations by the end of this month, will be a powerful driving force on energy research and innovation, according to the head of the International Renewable Energy Agency. It will see investments estimated to total $6.6 trillion. [ecns]

¶ In her first major policy announcement since taking office five weeks ago, Alberta’s Environment and Parks Minister announced that Alberta’s primary greenhouse gas regulation will be renewed and updated. The Specified Gas Emitters Regulation will be increased in a phased-in manner to 20% in 2017. [JD Supra]

Wildcat Hills Gas Plant. Photo by RAF-YYC from Calgary, Canada. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic. Wikimedia Commons.

¶ French renewable power plants operator Voltalia SA has completed a 108-MW wind park in Sao Miguel do Gostoso, Rio Grande do Norte state. The plant was originally scheduled to be finished next month, but the substation tying it to the grid is unfinished, so it is expected to go online in February 2016. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ PT Asian Agri plans to develop 20 biogas-fired power plants within the next five years to produce electricity for its own needs and for the people around the company’s plantations. The power plants are to be fired by biogas produced from palm oil mill effluent, which in the past has been an environmental pollutant. [Jakarta Post]

¶ Nova Scotia Power says a new record has been set for wind power generation in the province. For one hour early Wednesday morning, the utility says 50% of the province’s electricity came from wind. The new record was achieved during a period when demand for electricity is low and winds were high. [Cape Breton Post]

¶ Wind turbine manufacturer Vestas has received an order for 22 wind turbines meant for the Galawhistle project in Scotland. The order was placed by Infinis Energy. Delivery of the V90-3MW turbines is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2016 and the project will be commissioned in 2017. [Greentech Lead]

¶ Shareholders of nine major power firms voted down proposals by fellow owners that the companies withdraw from nuclear plant business or impose strict conditions for restarting nuclear reactors. There were fifteen shareholder proposals to end use of nuclear power at the TEPCO meeting alone. [The Japan News]

¶ Germany’s nuclear power phase out begins its final phase with the closing of the 1.3 GW Grafenrheinfeld nuclear power plant. The plant is the first of the final nine plants scheduled for decommissioning. E.ON is closing it earlier than scheduled for economic reasons. [Nuclear Street – Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers]

US:

¶ Governor Andrew Cuomo announced an ambitious plan to curb New York state’s carbon emissions by 40% by doubling the amount of power it gets from renewable energy to 50%, by 2030. The pollution reduction and clean energy targets would be the nation’s most ambitious, matched only by California. [Long Island Exchange]

The NRG Power Plant, upper left, in Dunkirk. Photo by Ken Winters, US Army Corps of Engineers. Public Domain.

¶ A last-minute addition to the final deal between the New York’s legislature and governor would speed the closure of aging plants that are significant polluters. The money could be used to ease the impact of the closures of coal-burning plants that contribute significant tax money to their municipalities. [Capital New York]

¶ A report released by Environment America considers an ongoing battle between electric companies and customers over the value of solar energy. It shows that utilities’ assertions that net metering costs them more than it is worth are false; such systems actually provide benefits exceeding their costs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ A draft Environmental Impact Statement has been released for the Great Northern Transmission Line, a 220-mile-long, 500-kilovolt line Minnesota Power proposes to build and use, and is available for public review. The line would be built to import electricity from Manitoba Hydro, at a cost of up to $710 million. [Duluth News Tribune]

¶ A law that could significantly expand access to renewable energy generation in Hawai’i through a new community-based renewable energy program was approved by Governor David Ing on June 8, 2015. The law permits utilities and third parties to own or operate a community-based renewable energy projects. [JD Supra]

¶ Owners of the Salem/Hope Creek Nuclear complex have won a key approval for a site where one or more new reactors could go up in the future along the Delaware River southeast of Augustine Beach. The NRC’s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards said a site permit “should be issued” for the site. [The News Journal]

Science and Technology:

¶ An energy storage technology company, BioSolar, has claimed a breakthrough in the field of lithium-ion batteries. In a press release, the company said a technology that it is developing can significantly expand the life, increase the energy capacity, and lower the costs associated with lithium-ion batteries. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Scientific models supported by the UK’s Foreign Office show that if we don’t change course, in less than three decades industrial civilization will collapse due to catastrophic food shortages, triggered by climate change, water scarcity, energy crisis, and political instability. NOTE: “…if we don’t change course, …” [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ RES and GE are to build the 240-MW Ararat wind farm in south-west Victoria. The project, worth $450 million, will use 75 GE 3.2-103 wind turbines and will be the third largest wind farm in Australia, supplying annual needs of 123,000 homes. It will be financed by Partners Group, RES, OPTrust and GE. [reNews]

GE will provide turbines for Ararat wind farm (GE)

¶ Japanese billionaire Masayoshi Son is indicating that he wants to invest $20 billion over the next 10 years, working with Bharti Enterprises Pvt and Foxconn Technology Group, to build about 20 GW of new solar capacity in the country in India. This investment alone could build 20% of India’s 100-GW solar target. [Treehugger]

¶ Bill Gates, co-founder of computing giant Microsoft, has called on governments to step up investment in clean tech research and development in order to deliver a green Manhattan Project or Apollo Project. His comments represent a boost to the recently launched campaign for a new global Apollo Project. [Business Green]

US:

¶ US senators Chris Coons (D-Delaware) and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), and representatives Ted Poe (R-Texas) and Mike Thompson (D-California) reintroduced their MLP Parity Act. It would allow renewable energy developers to form master limited partnerships, now only available to fossil fuel projects. [Argus Media]

¶ In Manchester, Connecticut, Allied Printing Services Inc, unveiled a massive 4,591 solar panel system on the roof of its 275,000 square foot manufacturing facility. The 1.4-MW system is comprised of 4,591 panels. It will provide about 17% of Allied’s total annual electricity usage, equivalent to 145 homes’ use. [FOX CT]

¶ Google is planning its newest data center, and not only will Google be using renewable energy to power it, but it will do it reusing a retired coal power plant. Google announced the development on its Official Blog. The data center will be reusing the soon-to-be retired Widows Creek coal power plant, in Alabama. [CleanTechnica]

The Widows Creek coal power plant, Jackson County, Alabama, will become a renewably-powered Google data center.

¶ Powered by growth across all solar sectors, the state of Texas recorded its best-ever first quarter results for newly installed solar capacity coming online at with 49 MW, according to the recently released US Solar Market Insight Report compiled by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association. [AltEnergyMag]

¶ The US wind and solar power generation capacity grew by 1,649 MW and 447 MW, respectively, in January-May 2015. At the same time, the country saw 1,158 MW of natural gas-fired power plants go live. In May, 480 MW of wind farms went online, though only 19 MW of solar parks were commissioned. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ EDF Renewable Energy has placed a firm order with Vestas Wind Systems A/S to supply the 150-MW Salt Fork Wind Project in Texas. The order marks the first draw on the 1,000 MW Master Supply Agreement announced in December 2014. Delivery of 75 2-MW turbines is set for third quarter 2016. [Yahoo Finance UK]

¶ An analysis prepared by Advanced Energy Economy Institute using the models of ICF International, a leading authority on natural gas markets, finds that existing and planned natural gas infrastructure will be able to handle the bulk of future natural gas needs under EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan. [Your Oil and Gas News]

¶ Microgrid capacity in the United States is set to double, exceeding 2,800 MW by 2020, Greentech Media reported in the kick off to its Grid Edge Live conference. The move toward microgrids is driven partly by the declining price of battery storage and renewable power, and partly by a need for energy security. [Utility Dive]

¶ The US DOE has issued the last of three conditional loan guarantees, $1.8 billion for Vogtle units 3 and 4, meaning that the construction of the first AP1000 nuclear power plant in the USA is now fully financed. The DOE says the units’ output should avoid 10 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. [World Nuclear News]

Opinion:

¶ “Why are the government’s energy forecasts so bad?” In 2009, the US DOE’s Energy Information Administration forecast that US wind power would grow modestly, reaching 44 GWof generating capacity in 2030. Just six years later, US wind capacity is already up to 66 GW. So what’s up with this? [Politico]

World:

¶ Data released by the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change show that Scotland’s wind farms generated record amounts of power in the first quarter of 2015. Statistics confirmed that Scotland hit record levels of green energy generation in 2014, with 49.8% of all electricity used coming from renewables. [reNews]

Wind projects such as the Farr wind farm in Scotland have contributed to generating record amounts of power (Siemens).

¶ It’s illegal to knowingly ignore the dangers of global warming, according to a Dutch court. The court ordered the government to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25% compared to 1990 levels by 2020 in order to preserve the low-lying Netherlands and protect its people from the dangers of global warming. [ThinkProgress]

¶ Bullish on a changed economic and regulatory environment, the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association expects a 52% jump in capacity addition this year. The association expects that 3.5 GW worth of wind energy capacity will be added in the 12 months between April 2015 and March 2016, a new record. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Germany’s transition to renewable energy is being undermined by its continuing dependency on coal-fired power, according to a report from GlobalData. An expected increase in renewable capacity from 86 GW in 2014 to 147 GW by 2025 will be undermined by simultaneous coal-based power additions. [PennEnergy]

¶ Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said the country has put into operation 18,757 MW of renewable energy capacity since it launched a feed-in-tariff program three years ago. By far, the top renewable energy source in the country is solar, which accounted 94% of additions approved. [SeeNews Renewables]

Solar panel installation in Yokohama, Japan. Author: CoCreatr. License: Creative Commons, Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

¶ A study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology says about half of European electricity should come from renewable sources by 2030. Greater integration of power systems can help balance out electricity fluctuations, while reducing demands on other parts of the system. [solarserver.com]

¶ Under a new scheme of Ministry of Urban Development, India’s Central government is likely to make it mandatory for buildings to install solar roof-top systems. The proposal is among the initiatives planned by the Government of India to support the massive solar capacity addition target (100 GW by 2022). [The Hindu]

¶ In Germany, average day-ahead electricity prices for May were €25.30/MWh, the lowest monthly average in 12 years, the result of output from wind, solar and hydro. Solar and wind outstripped the energy production of the country’s nine remaining nuclear reactors, showing a 22% increase from last year. [pv magazine]

¶ As part of its plan to focus on renewable energy generation, Swedish state-owned utility Vattenfall AB is disposing of its last fossil fuel asset in Denmark, namely the Nordjylland coal-fired power plant. District heating company Aalborg Forsyning will take over the combined heat and power station. [SeeNews Renewables]

Wind turbines on the coast, Denmark. Author: Tambako The Jaguar. License: Creative Commons, Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic

US:

¶ New research from GTM Research forecasts that the US community solar sector is to reach a tipping point soon, growing five-fold in 2015 and regularly reaching 500 GW by 2020. The report forecasts community solar to reach 115 MW installed in 2015, and predicts 500 MW annually by 2020. [CleanTechnica]

¶ SunEdison is set to launch a power purchase agreement product across seven US states. And the initiative is to be financed by Morgan Stanley in a partnership fund with TerraForm Power, owned by SunEdison. Morgan Stanley is to make tax equity financing available for the initiative immediately. [Greentech Lead]

¶ The Ivanpah concentrating solar plant projections have always assumed a four-year ramp rate to 100% capacity. That being said, the plant has seen operating days when it is meeting, and in some instances exceeding, projections for this stage of operations, and the expectation is that it will meet its goals. [Wall Street Journal]

Science and Technology:

¶ Citing a commitment to the issue of sustainability in product design, SunPower has announced that its E-Series and X-Series solar panels, manufactured at the company’s facilities in France, are Cradle to Cradle Certified Silver (C2C). This is good news for buyers of these solar electricity products for several reasons. [CleanTechnica]

Image credit: SunPower.

¶ The impact of climate change is so great that it could undermine the last 50 years of gains in global health. That is the assessment of a new report from the Lancet Commission on Health and Climate, an independent, international and multi-disciplinary research group. Similar findings come from the US EPA. [Voice of America]

¶ A new technology to store excess energy generated by green energy sources could save Ontario up to $8 billion over a 20-year period, according to a study commissioned by NRStor and General Compression. NRStor is developing a 2-MW pilot project to allow Ontario decision-makers to see its benefit. [North American Windpower]

World:

¶ The renewable-energy boom is here. Trillions of dollars will be invested over the next 25 years, driving some of the most profound changes yet in how humans get their electricity. That view is according to a new forecast by Bloomberg New Energy Finance that plots out global power markets to 2040. [Livemint]

¶ The UK government plans to finance the Hinkley nuclear plant through subsidies amounting to €130 for each MWh of power generated for 35 years. Austria plans to file a suit to prevent this in EU court, in what chancellor Werner Faymann said “is also of symbolic value against nuclear power”. [TheParliamentMagazine.eu]

¶ Toy company Lego announced that it plans to invest about $150 million over the next 15 years in a program to develop new “sustainable” materials which will eventually replace the plastic currently used to make its iconic building blocks. Lego also plans to make its packaging more environmentally-friendly. [Huffington Post]

A Lego City. Photo by Michael Monahan. Put into the public domain by the author.

¶ According to a new report published by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, wind and solar will supply the bulk of Australia’s electricity in 2040. Bloomberg New Energy Finance conducted a country-by-country, technology-by-technology analysis covering structural changes in the global electricity system. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Legislation to slash the renewable energy target has passed Australia’s federal parliament. A bipartisan deal, agreed to last month after a lengthy political stalemate that hamstrung the clean energy sector, will slash the target from 41,000 GWh to 33,000. Nevertheless, the new target offers investors some certainty. [SBS]

¶ Australia’s new renewable energy target will unlock more than A$10 billion ($7.8 billion) of investment, General Electric Co said. The new target of 33,000 GWh of electricity from large-scale renewable energy projects by 2020 will create thousands of new jobs and increase orders for hundreds of companies. [Bloomberg]

¶ Last year, 59% of capacity addition in the global power industry came from renewable energy. And 164 countries now have renewable energy targets, an increase by 20, in the year. The sector received an overall investment of $301 billion, according to the annual Renewables Global Status Report. [Greentech Lead]

¶ First Solar is to supply its photovoltaic modules for the 200-MW second phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park in Dubai. The facility will be the largest of its kind in the Middle East and will be powered by over 2.36 million First Solar modules. The plant is expected to be completed in early 2017. [reNews]

US:

¶ This month, Lake Mead, the 112-mile reservoir created by the Hoover Dam, is projected to hit 1,074.73 feet above sea level, the lowest it has been since 1937. Thanks to a 16-year drought and serious over-allocation, Lake Mead is now just 37% full. This means higher electricity costs for 29 million people. [High Country News]

Lake Mead. in 2014, showing its low-water bathtub ring. Photo by Tony Webster from Portland, Oregon, United States. Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Wikimedia Commons.

¶ SunPower began construction of the 102 MWac Henrietta solar power plant in California. The electricity will be sold to Pacific Gas and Electric under a long-term power purchase agreement. The plant is expected to be finished in 2016. It will create about 350 jobs and provide $3.8 million in local tax revenue. [CleanTechnica]

¶ NRG Renew LLC will develop a 20-MW solar system for Cisco’s San Jose headquarters. NRG Solar Blythe II, a 153-acre parcel that has been under development by NRG since 2010, will become a solar installation to help Cisco reach its goal of getting at least 25% of its electricity from renewables by 2017. [pv magazine]

¶ Greenfield is the first community in Massachusetts to adopt strict regulations of biomass plants. An ordinance passed last week prohibits industrial-scale wood-burning plants as well as trash-to-energy plants. It still allows anaerobic digesters, residential wood stoves, and small, clean-burning commercial plants. [MassLive.com]

Opinion:

¶ “Nine myths about new energy” – Starting with a myth about renewables put forward by the ‘pro-nuclear, pro-coal, anti-renewable’ advocates circa 2005: 1) “We could never integrate more than 5% intermittent renewables (they meant wind and solar) into an electricity grid.” (Just a little off the mark.) [Business Spectator]

World:

¶ A new facility has been designed to handle up to three million tonnes of wood pellets a year that will be shipped from North America to fuel the Drax power station in North Yorkshire. Graham Construction will work on a new rail loading facility and storage capacity for 100,000 tonnes at the Port of Liverpool. [The Construction Index]

Cooling towers at the Drax power station. Photo by StaraBlazkova. GNU Free Documentation License. Wikimedia Commons.

¶ In less than a week after the Indian central government broadened the canvas for solar power play, the Tokyo-based telecommunications major, SoftBank, with a market capitalization of about $100 billion, committed to invest $20 billion in India’s solar energy projects with 20,000 MW capacities. [mydigitalfc.com]

¶ The rapidly dropping cost of producing solar power, which is expected to be on par in 2017 with conventional energy, has ignited interest in its potential across India, as the country increases its efforts to encourage renewable energy investment. The target for solar power in India was recently raised to 100 GW. [Rapid News Network]

¶ A British solar startup, Powervault, has decided to take on the Powerwall of the electric vehicle giant, Tesla Motors Inc, in the home batteries market, according to an article in the Financial Times. The news comes as the competition in home batteries market, especially in Europe, gets fiercer. [Business Finance News]

¶ Pan-African firm Eranove Group is to finance, develop, build, and operate a 42-MW hydroelectric project in Mali, 35 km east of Bamako, on the Niger River, after signing a 30-year concession agreement with the country’s government through its subsidiary Kenié Energie Renouvelable. [International Water Power and Dam Construction]

¶ Expecting opposition from the agri-food sector, the European Union is dropping its plan to put a limit on methane emissions, Irish Times reported. Methane is much worse than carbon dioxide, but the EU is scrapping it from the set of air pollutants to be limited as greenhouse gasses. [International Business Times AU]

¶ About 250 planned onshore wind farms in the UK are set to be cancelled because of an earlier than expected end to Government subsidies. The Government has revealed that new onshore wind farms will now be excluded from its subsidy scheme from 1 April 2016, a year earlier than expected. [Construction Enquirer]

¶ The head of France’s nuclear watchdog has upset the industry by taking an increasingly assertive approach that critics say could jeopardise efforts to win more business overseas. Speaking of weak spots found in the steel of a new reactor, he characterized the problem as “serious, even very serious.” [Economic Times]

US:

¶ The mayor of Los Angeles announced that the city will sell its shares in the Navajo Generating Station, a coal-fired power plant, based in Arizona. The sale is part of Garcetti’s pledge to make LA coal-free by 2025. Instead of relying on coal-fired power, the city is turning to renewable geothermal power. [LA Magazine]

The Navajo Generating station emitting flue gas. Photo by Myrabella. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Wikimedia Commons.

¶ A survey by the financial services firm Wiser Capital indicates roughly two-thirds of large US investment firms plan to prioritize solar energy over the next 5 years. Roughly 80% of the firms queried stated interest in solar energy that was based at least partly on desire “to support a cleaner energy future.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ New York utility providers NYSEG and RG&E bought the 64 million kWh of wind energy, enough to power more than 4,000 typical homes for a year, through the companies’ Catch the Wind program, according to a release. At the close of 2014, more than 18,400 in the two company’s programs. [Henrietta Post]

¶ Presidential hopeful Martin O’Malley, the former governor of Maryland, has proposed an ambitious clean energy plan that would call for the United States to use all renewable sources by 2050. O’Malley tied his proposal to Pope Francis’ recent call to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. [Utility Dive]

Science and Technology:

¶ A little-known startup energy storage company called UET just announced a major milestone for its latest flow battery project. The company’s CEO says, “The Uni.System’s levelized cost ($/total GWh delivered over 20 year life) is multiple times lower than the cost of lithium-ion systems such as Tesla.” [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ A 34-turbine wind farm in Nova Scotia is now fully operational, making it the largest in the province. The South Canoe Wind Farm in the Municipality of the District Chester was several months behind the original schedule, but is expected to provide enough energy for about 32,000 homes. [TheChronicleHerald.ca]

Wind farm in Nova Scotia. Photo by Dennis Jarvis from Halifax, Canada.  Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Wikimedia Commons.

¶ Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric Corp has received an order from Kyushu Electric Power Co Inc to supply a 50-MW energy storage system for installation at a power plant in Fukuoka prefecture. Consisting of sodium sulfur batteries, the system is expected to be deployed at the site by the end of March 2016. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ Australian start-up RayGen Resources may tap into China’s solar power market through a small deal with renewable energy giant China Three Gorges. A deputy director of China Three Gorges’ solar energy division said RayGen’s technology could prove to be 10% to 20% less costly than normal PVs. [Sydney Morning Herald]

¶ An electric light rail project linking Canberra’s Civic to Gungahlin in the north will be powered by 100% renewable energy. The Australian Capital Territory will provide 90% renewable electricity by 2020, and the rail project’s developer will source the rest the service’s electricity requirements from renewables. [Energy Matters]

¶ In the Philippines, the Mindanao Development Authority’s one stop facilitation and monitoring center, which fast-tracks pending renewable energy projects in Mindanao, has received 290 project applications. Together, the projects could possibly produce almost 3,000 MW of electric generating capacity for the region. [Malaya]

¶ Scotland may not be able to meet ambitious climate change targets following cuts to windfarm subsidies, energy minister Fergus Ewing has warned. He said the target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions was “extremely challenging” under the UK’s plans to axe the main subsidy for onshore wind power. [Herald Scotland]

¶ A group of researchers has found tsunami traces believed to date back to between the 14th to 16th centuries near the Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture. The plant’s operator, Kansai Electric Power Co, said the finding does not affect its tsunami risk evaluation of the plant. [The Japan Times]

US:

¶ A report from the National Institute for Science, Law and Public Policy says the proposed Hudson Valley power line project only serves utility companies and their suppliers. It says New York consumers gain more with locally generated renewable energy sources, and better reliability without the lines. [Public News Service]

Power lines in the Northeastern US. Photo by Famartin.  Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Wikimedia Commons.

¶ The sixth annual US Clean Tech Leadership Index has been released. The index, prepared by Clean Edge, a research and indexing firm founded in 2000, tracks and ranks clean-tech activities in all 50 states and the largest 50 metro areas in the US. This year, four states in the Northeast are in the top ten. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Developer Silicon Ranch Corporation and clean energy provider Green Power EMC are set to begin work on a 20-MW PV power plant in south-east Georgia. On completion, the project is set to become one of the state’s largest solar projects, according to the companies, generating around 43 million kWh a year. [PV-Tech]

Opinion:

¶ “African Utility Companies Struggle to Stay On the Grid” – In South Africa, major cities, including Cape Town and Johannesburg, are subject to regular power outages as electric utility Eskom periodically shuts down parts of its distribution system to take the pressure off the aging national grid. [Climate Central]

Cape Town, subject to regular power outages. Photo by Iwoelbern. Released into the public domain.

¶ “Abbott lets Australia slip behind as renewable energy advances” – In the stage-managed, focus-grouped, world of politics, Tony Abbott’s description of wind power as “visually awful” provided a starkly clear picture of the thoughts of Australia’s leader. It is a dangerous position, both economically and ecologically. [The Age]

¶ New Hope For Avoiding Catastrophic Climate Change” – New hope we can avoid a catastrophe for human civilization and the biosphere comes from two recently-released documents: The Encyclical “Laudatum Si’ ” by Pope Francis, and the data on growth of renewable energy from the Earth Policy Institute. [CounterCurrents.org]

World:

¶ Pledges by institutions and individuals to purchase green power from state-owned Taiwan Power Co far exceeded a goal set by the government for 2015, after several business heavyweights said they would participate. The goal was pledges for 10 million kWh, but 16.53 million kWh of pledges were received. [China Post]

¶ The government of the Australian Capital Territory is on track to reach its 90% renewable energy target by 2020 despite needing to quadruple its current supply in just 4½ years. The current figure of 18.6% is set to dramatically increase over the next two years, with wind playing a dominant role. [Brisbane Times]

Blayney Wind Farm, in New South Wales. Photo by Bren Barnes. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license. Wikimedia Commons.

¶ Nigeria has selected two sites for the construction of its planned nuclear power plants, as Africa’s biggest economy tries to end decades of electricity blackouts that have blighted its growth. Russia’s state-owned Rosatom confirmed the two sites had been selected and said they would have a total of four reactors. [Reuters Africa]

US:

¶ A new report from the Energy Information Administration has projected that the new carbon emissions rules from the Environmental Protection Agency’s will result in coal-fired power plant shutdowns potentially more than doubling, with a projected 90 GW of coal-fired plants being retired by the year 2040. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy announced $55 million in funding for 18 projects as part of its two newest programs. They are aimed at developing generator technologies for residential Combined Heat and Power, and at developing renewable transportation fuels from biomass. [Yumanewsnow]

¶ Georgia Power announced the latest major international shipment to reach the Vogtle expansion site near Waynesboro. It is the Unit 3 Steam Generator A. The steam generator, which was assembled in South Korea and shipped to the Port of Savannah, reached the site via train earlier this week. [Today’s Energy Solutions]

Source: Georgia Power

¶ Morgan Stanley has closed on its $500 million green bond issuance , its inaugural green bond and the latest step in its strategy to advance market, based solutions to social and environmental challenges. The bond proceeds will be allocated to various renewable energy and energy-efficiency projects. [The Nation]

¶ Less than 2% of the electrical power for Ellensburg, Washington, comes from carbon-generating sources. Almost 90% of the electricity comes from hydro facilities, but they are maxed out. The city is discussing restructuring the city solar project’s contribution, and one question is why not go the whole way? [Daily Record]