geoharvey

Science and Technology:

¶   In a research paper released by the journal Nature Communications, Dr Patrik Jones of Imperial College London and the University of Turku in Finland and his colleagues have reported, for the first time, a synthetic metabolic pathway for producing renewable propane. [Sci-News.com]

World:

¶   A national study, conducted throughout the month of August, surveyed approximately 1000 Australians and found that 82% of respondents believe the Renewable Energy Target should definitely or probably be kept in place, with only 17% taking the opposing side of the argument. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Change is underway, with distributed energy installations expected to grow from 87.3 GW in 2014 to 165.5 GW in 2023, according to Navigant Research, with worldwide revenue growing from $97 billion in 2014 to more than $182 billion by 2023. [SustainableBusiness.com]

¶   SunEdison has announced that it has signed an agreement with Antofagasta Minerals to set up 69.5 MW solar photovoltaic power project at a copper mine in Chile. Antofagasta plans to use solar power to meet a part of the electricity demand at its Los Pelambres mine. [CleanTechnica]

¶   An annual survey conducted by the Beijing Environmental Publicity Center and Tsinghua University showed that about 50% of the people surveyed favored of an environmental tax to control air pollution in the city. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Japan will push nuclear operators to draft plans to scrap a quarter of the country’s 48 reactors, which are either too old or too costly to upgrade to meet new standards imposed after the Fukushima disaster, the Nikkei reported on Friday. [Scientific American]

US:

¶   Construction has begun on a $1 billion solar power generating station in the Mojave Desert that officials say will produce 250 MW, enough electricity to power about 80,000 California homes, when completed in 2016. [Press Herald]

¶   The military is going green, but not for fun or for positive public relations. They are doing it because it saves lives and money. For every $10 rise in the price of a barrel of oil, it costs the Department of Defense an additional $1.3 billion. [Huffington Post]

¶   After one year afloat off the shore of Castine, Maine the VolturnUS off-shore floating wind turbine project has been deemed a success. The project is a prototype for a larger scale off-shore floating wind turbine. It held strong through the year, even through a brutal winter. [WABI]

¶   The amount of electricity generated by “community solar” power systems, in which individuals or businesses can buy or lease individual solar power panels, has grown rapidly in the last few years in Colorado — and may be poised for even bigger growth. [9NEWS.com]

¶   The Northeast United States’ Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative’s 25^th CO2 allowance auction generated nearly $88 million for clean energy projects. Only last month the California Air Resources Board announced its latest cap-and-trade market auction tallied nearly $332 million. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Customers of Snohomish County Public Utility District In Washington have hit another milestone: their combined solar energy capacity stands at 3 MW, up 50% from just one year ago. About 500 PUD customers now generate part of their electricity with photovoltaic solar units. [My Everett News]

¶   US developers will install 6.5 GW of solar panels this year, 36% more than in 2013 and more than three times the market size three years ago. Total solar-power capacity in the US neared 16 GW, enough to power 3.2 million homes at any given time. [MarketWatch]

World:

¶   The number of Australian houses adding rooftop solar continues to surprise the network operators, with another 2,794 systems of 5 kW or less added during the month of August. The total new capacity is 11.5 MW. [CleanTechnica]

¶   A new research paper from Lux predicts the solar industry should grow 75% by 2019. The Asia Pacific region is expected lead the world, in terms of expansion, throughout this period, and more than 50% of demand will come from this region. [CleanTechnica]

¶   This week the Indian court system handed down three landmark energy rulings. While an ultimate decision still looms, the combined weight of these initial rulings reaffirms one thing — it’s time to diversify away from coal. [Energy Collective]

¶   The South African government’s plan to bring more power into the national grid through procurement from independent power producers has a hit a technical obstacle. The state utility cannot connect projects of all successful bidders until the grid is strengthened. [BDlive]

¶   UK offshore wind farm capacity is set to hit 11 GW and attract £4.6 billion of investment by the end of the decade, according to a new report from GlobalData. This growth means the US would have 36% of global offshore capacity. Current capacity is 3.7 GW. [Business Green]

¶   A report published by Bridge To India in association with Tata Power Solar states that India has the potential to install 145 GW of solar power capacity across various project sizes by 2024. The considers covers plant sizes from 1 kW to 3 GW. [CleanTechnica]

¶   German federal state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern produced enough power from renewable sources last year to satisfy its entire demand, a direct consequence of the country’s ambitious shift toward green power and away from nuclear. [Reuters]

¶   An estimated 600,000 cubic km of water under Glasgow, Scotland is accessible in abandoned mines. A pilot project has been using the water to heat apartments for ten years. The water is drawn, its heat extracted, and it is returned to the mines where it absorbs heat from the earth. [Business Reporter]

¶   Australia’s Senate voted to repeal the 2006 Energy Efficiency Opportunities Act, ending the country’s Energy Efficiency Opportunities Program. This is intended to save industries $16.6 million. The Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association welcomed the vote. [Platts]

US:

¶   A report from the US DOE estimated that the 54 GW of offshore wind could reduce the national annual electricity production costs by approximately $7.68 billion by 2030. This corresponds to approximately $41 per MWh of offshore wind added to the grid. [Power Online]

¶   The city of Burlington, Vermont now owns or has enough contracts with renewable energy facilities to provide 100% of the city’s electric needs, as the city’s municipal electric utility has completed the $16.3 million purchase of the 7.4-MW Winooski One Hydroelectric Facility. [Barre Montpelier Times Argus]

¶   New York Governor Cuomo today announced the rollout of “K-Solar,” a landmark program under the $1 billion “NY-Sun” initiative, to help public school districts throughout New York lower their energy costs with clean, local power. [Niagara Frontier Publications]

¶   OCI Solar Power recently completed the Alamo 4 solar farm in Brackettville, Texas that will generate 39 MW. The project has more than 150,000 solar panels on 600 acres of privately-owned land. Some 550 workers were involved during construction. [San Antonio Business Journal]

¶   Ohio University has launched a solar-powered micro-grid pilot project that will allow a small group of property owners to generate, store, and distribute their own electricity instead of depending on a large utility like American Electric Power. [WOSU]

Opinion:

¶   “Fossil Fuel Divestment: A $5 Trillion Challenge or Opportunity?” Skeptics dismiss divestment as a peripheral threat to fossil fuel’s dominance, but it’s a major opportunity in the fight to decarbonize our society and slow the expanding impacts of climate change. [Energy Collective]

World:

¶   New findings from Navigant Research suggest that cumulative spending on energy-efficient buildings in Europe is expected to total nearly $800 billion through 2014 to 2023. The report analyzed the market in the European Union as well as Norway and Switzerland. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The latest statistics from NPD Solarbuzz predict that by the end of 2018 there will be at least nine countries with installed solar PV capacity levels above 5 GW. But they expect China to surpass the 100 GW capacity mark in the same year. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Renewable energy technologies are getting a boost in Africa, driven by the need to power base stations for mobile phone operators in rural areas that are unconnected to national power grids. Companies are selling phone chargers and enabling customers to light their homes. [AFKInsider]

¶   Carbon emissions from the Australian electricity grid rose after the repeal of the carbon price, with analysts predicting further increases as coal-fired power takes a greater share of Australia’s energy mix. During July and August alone, there was an increase of 0.8% in emissions. [The Guardian]

¶   SolarReserve, a US solar giant in talks with miners in Queensland and Western Australia about its groundbreaking 24-hour-a-day solar power stations, says Australia’s proposed renewable energy reforms are “catastrophic” for the local industry. [Courier Mail]

¶   The Energy Minister of the Australian Capital Territory intends to rally state governments to implement their own renewable energy policies should the Abbott government adopt the “dismal” recommendations of the Warburton review. [RenewEconomy]

¶   In a speech to Australia’s House of Representatives, Clive Palmer took the Government’s attitude to renewable energy to task. It appears Mr. Palmer believes the Renewable Energy Target review was a waste of taxpayer money. [Energy Matters] (Palmer leads a party that has three critical votes in the senate; if they do not vote to alter it, the RET may be retained as it is.)

¶   More than half of the 160 turbines at RWE Innogy UK’s Gwynt y Môr wind farm off the North Wales coast, have been commissioned and are generating electricity. The milestone was reached last week with the 81st turbine connected to the National Grid. [News North Wales]

¶   Wind power provided a record 41.2% of Denmark’s electricity consumption in the first half of 2014, power grid operator Energinet.dk said in its half-year report published Tuesday. Wind energy accounted for 33.2% of the country’s energy consumption in 2013. [Wall Street Journal]

¶   India and Australia are set to seal a deal on Friday that will see Australia sell uranium to Asia’s third largest economy, and put commercial ties on a firmer footing. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott issued a statement on the subject. [Livemint]

US:

¶   Duke Energy’s commercial business unit Duke Energy Renewables is planning to construct, own and operate 110 MW Los Vientos V wind power project in Starr County, Texas. Vestas, based in Denmark, will supply 55 2-MW turbines for the wind farm. [Energy Business Review]

¶   Solar energy is quickly becoming popular with homeowners for saving on their energy bills and decreasing their carbon footprints as they do. In southern Nevada, a new program can provide homeowners with a rebate of 40¢ per watt to approved new installations. [PR.com]

¶   Palo Alto, California, a town of 65,000. boasts that, since last year, it is officially the first city in America whose electricity supply is 100% carbon-neutral. This is partly because the town has its own utility and owns a large interest in a hydroelectric project. [Slate Magazine]

Opinion:

¶   “Dept. of Energy Report Shows How Far U.S. Wind Energy Has Come and the Challenges Ahead” For US wind power, last year was both the best of times and the worst of times. That’s the conclusion from the new Wind Technologies Market Report released last week by the US DOE. [Energy Collective]

Science and Technology:

¶   A new study says that as the world gets warmer with climate change, parts of North America, Europe and Asia could see more frequent and stronger visits of that cold air. Researchers say that’s because of shrinking ice in the seas off Russia. [Huffington Post]

World:

¶    A recent study stated EU electricity prices have fallen 35%-40% since 2008, but those savings have not been passed on to consumers. Also, Germany’s grid appears to be getting more stable, and Germany obtained 31% of its energy from green sources July YTD. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Australia’s largest solar farm has officially opened at Royalla, south of Canberra. The 20 MW Royalla Solar Farm, developed by the Spanish company Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, is made up of 83,000 solar panels and has the capacity to power more than 4,500 homes. [Yahoo!7 News]

¶   Power outages hit large parts of Mumbai, India when a power station with a generation capacity of 500 MW tripped, forcing Tata Power to switch off power. This caused a domino effect with rotational load-shedding in its areas in the city’s western suburbs. [Times of India]

¶   Solar power will provide Myanmar with up to 12% of its electricity needs after US officials and private equity fund ACO Investment Group signed an agreement with Myanmar’s Ministry of Electric Power to build two 150 MW solar plants in the nation’s Manderlay region. [Energy Matters]

¶   A solar power plant in Vienna, built in 2013, produces 1,000 MWh annually and supplies around 400 households. It also offers a home to 13 protected species of grasshoppers and crickets, praying mantis, as well as field hamsters, moths, snails, lizards, spiders and beetles. [The Local Austria]

¶   A massive windfarm development in the Outer Moray Firth has won Scottish Government approval. The Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd scheme has been awarded a marine licence for up to 186 turbines to be sited 14 miles offshore. They will produce up to 372 MW. [Aberdeen Press and Journal]

¶   The review’s recommendations, issued last week, to close the large-scale RET to new investment or set targets on an annual basis, would swell power bills and throw a shadow of sovereign risk over the entire Australian economy, according to a statement from GE. [Courier Mail]

¶   RenewableUK, the country’s leading renewable trade association, announced Monday that UK wind had exceeded coal on the 3rd, 9th, 11th, 12th, and 17th of August. Wind also beat out nuclear on the 29th of August. [CleanTechnica]

US:

¶   After decades of very little build-out of new transmission lines, US investor-owned utilities have boosted spending fivefold over the last 15 years. The driving factors have been needs for resiliency initiatives, along with new preparations for managing distributed energy. [Energy Collective]

¶   Executives of Green Mountain Power and NRG Energy announced a partnership Tuesday that will see the companies working together to create a “microgrid” in Vermont and offer an array of products and services intended to help customers be more efficient and save money. [Barre Montpelier Times Argus]

¶   A report from Environmental Entrepreneurs shows that more than 12,500 clean energy and clean transportation jobs were announced in the second quarter of this year. Solar power generation led with more than 5,300 jobs announced. Wind posted more than 2,700 jobs. [Solar Industry]

¶   Solarize Rhode Island, a program aimed at reducing the costs of rooftop solar power systems, has been announced. The program is a partnership between the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, the state Office of Energy Resources and the nonprofit marketing firm Smartpower. [The Providence Journal]

Opinion:

¶   “Fossil fuels win battle, but will they win the war?” In Australia, the fossil fuel industry appears to hold absolute power and is able to bring the Renewable Energy Target to a halt. But while they have won a key battle,  it is by no means certain that they will win the war. [Echonetdaily]

Science and Technology:

¶   According to a team of scientists at Stanford University. The researchers have developed a low-cost, emission-free mechanism that uses a 1.5-volt battery to split water into its constituent elements of oxygen and hydrogen. This could be the basis for inexpensive hydrogen. [Motley Fool]

World:

¶   The Indian government plans to take advantage of clauses in the WTO agreements to subsidise solar power projects by the army, railways, and public sector enterprises. Under the plan, the Indian army and public sector companies will set up 1,000-MW solar PV projects each. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Neyveli Lignite Corporation, an Indian government-owned lignite mining and power generating company, is planning to invest over Rs 500 crore ($82.7 million) in renewable energy projects. The company plans to set up over 80 MW of wind and solar energy projects. [Business Standard]

¶   In the UK, the Liberal Democrats have plans for five new laws to protect the environment. They plan legal targets for clean air and water, an end to dirty coal power stations and an ambitious decarbonisation target for the electricity sector. [Liberal Democrats]

¶   The Japanese government may be considering a significant increase in its renewable energy targets. According to the Kyodo news agency, the Environment Minister said the country should aim to source 30% of its power from renewable sources by 2030. [Business Green]

¶   South Australia’s Sustainability, Environment and Conservation Minister Ian Hunter has condemned the recently released Renewable Energy Target Review report, referring to the move by the Abbott Government to scale back the RET as “anti-science.” [Energy Matters]

¶   UK anti-nuclear campaigners have called on EDF Energy to give up its nuclear ambitions for Somerset and elsewhere following a report from UBS, a multinational investment bank, which says it is time to: “join the solar revolution”. [South West Business]

¶   Europe’s largest nuclear power plant is vulnerable to ‘direct bombardment’ in Ukraine if caught in the conflict, a Greenpeace nuclear energy expert told a German newspaper, claiming that its nuclear reactors are not protected from armor-piercing weapons. [RT]

¶   In China, a State Council meeting Wednesday determined the government’s focus on several major projects, including beefing up development of renewable energy, and starting construction of wind power, hydro power, solar power and coastal nuclear plants. [WantChinaTimes]

US:

¶   Just days after the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection disclosed 243 cases of contamination from oil and gas drilling operations, a major drilling company has voluntarily dropped an attempt to force its operations upon unwilling property owners. [CleanTechnica]

¶   New Mexico’s largest electric utility is underestimating the costs that will be passed on to customers under a proposal to shut down part of an aging coal-fired power plant in northwestern New Mexico, according to a regulatory filing made by advocates of renewable energy. [Peninsula On-line]

¶   The Austin City Council approved a resolution that brings solar to the foreground in Texas. And, perhaps most interestingly, they did so because it made business – and not just environmental – sense in current energy markets. [Scientific American]

¶   The US government is looking for trains to haul radioactive waste from nuclear power plants to disposal sites. Too bad those trains have nowhere to go. The latest government plans call for having an interim test storage site in 2021 and a long-term geologic depository in 2048. [TheDay.com]

¶   With the Islamic State (ISIS) reportedly trying to recruit terror operatives just across our southern border, one terrorism expert — an ex-CIA officer — is warning of an “imminent threat” to the US electric grid. [Western Journalism]

Opinion:

¶   “Climate Scientists Spell Out Stark Danger And Immorality Of Inaction In New Leaked Report” We can still stop the worst — with virtually no impact on growth — but future generations will not be able reverse whatever we are too greedy and shortsighted to prevent. [Energy Collective]

¶   “Reasons for optimism as the US readies for Paris climate negotiations” The project manager for the Powering Forward Plan being produced by the Center for the New Energy Economy of the Colorado State University shares his reasons for being optimistic about climate change. [Mountain Town News]

¶   “Australia sleepwalks toward a dangerous nuclear future” An informed democracy will behave in a responsible fashion, says Dr Helen Caldicott, however as we sleepwalk towards embracing nuclear energy, most Australians are not aware of the dangers and have forgotten the history. [Independent Australia]

World:

¶   One of the most important pieces of news of the summer made virtually no headlines at all, and seemed to only appear on the website of the US Energy Information Administration. It is that 127 of the world’s largest oil and gas companies are running out of cash. [Resilience]

¶   According to Volvo, compared against a conventional diesel bus, the plug-in 7900 Electric Hybrid bus uses up to 75% less fuel, dropping CO2 emissions. Overall energy consumption is reduced by somewhere around 60%. The 7900 Electric Hybrid is about to be released. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Indian State of Piyush Goyal will launch three efficiency initiatives developed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency. They include design guidelines for energy-efficient multi-story residential buildings and star ratings for hospital buildings and diesel generators. [indiablooms]

¶   The Indian textile industry, in collaboration with German International Cooperation, has achieved its target of saving over 10 MW of electricity through implementation of Energy Management Systems in several mills. [The Nation]

¶   When the Seychellois head of state visited the University of Auckland, discussions with the Dean of the Faculty and other faculty staff centred on the university’s research into renewable energy such solar energy, geothermal energy, wind power, and bio-fuel. [Seychelles News Agency]

¶   Nicaragua’s latest revolution is a switch to green energy. The country is drawing a parade of distinguished admirers coming to examine how the nation is radically changing its energy footprint with an aggressive goal of becoming a green-energy powerhouse. [The Seattle Times]

US:

¶   Electric operators in New England have been both generating more electricity from natural gas and importing more hydroelectric generation from Quebec over the past decade. These two sources of electricity are displacing the use of coal and oil as generation fuels in the region. [Energy Collective]

¶   Kit Carson Electric buys its electricity from Tri-State Generation and Transmission. Under a contract that does not expire until 2040, Kit Carson is only allowed to generate 5% of its total energy use through renewable sources, but it may get the chance to renegotiate the contract. [taosnews]

¶   The City of Anaheim, California announced the completion of a 2.4-MW solar panel system on the Anaheim Convention Center. The $5.7 million project has 7,908 installed solar panels, making it the largest city-owned, convention center, roof-mounted system in North America. [Orange County Breeze]

¶   Georgia Power said its $6.7 billion budget to build a new nuclear plant at Plant Vogtle is holding steady, but it reported that builders face “challenges” sticking to the construction schedule and costs could change in the future. There may be further construction delays. [Valdosta Daily Times]

Science and Technology:

¶   Water is an ancient power source, one usually exploited by harnessing its flow. For decades, though, scientists have been working on another kind of water power — one relying on salt. This technique exploits the natural process of osmosis. [Wall Street Journal]

World:

¶   Solar panel canopies are to be placed above leisure center parking lots in the UK city of Nottingham. In all, the canopies will cost the council £2 million. They should generate £200,000 worth of energy a year, so in ten years they will be generating that free as income. [Nottingham Post]

¶   The Samoa government has officially opened the country’s first wind energy project at Vailoa Aleipata on the southern coast of Upolu island. The Aleipata wind farm includes two 55 meter high wind turbines, each with a capacity of 275 kW. [Radio New Zealand]

¶   The Russian government has accepted the Energy Ministry’s proposal for Russia to join the International Renewable Energy Agency. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed a corresponding document, the cabinet website said on Friday. [ITAR-TASS]

¶   Greenpeace volunteers have launched a “peaceful campaign” in front of a solar station in south Amman, Jordan, demanding that the government switch its energy plans from nuclear to renewable. [Bakken.com]

¶   Two innovative renewable energy projects are moving forward in Scotland: Britain’s first tidal power array, and the world’s first deployment of two-bladed wind offshore turbines. The experimental technologies are hoped to achieve significant cost savings. [The Ecologist]

¶   Ecodrive and Wattstor teamed up with the University of Exeter to monitor and manage the monetary value of the most expensive element of an electric vehicle – its battery. The result could produce a change in the way EVs are marketed. [Western Morning News]

¶   A 400 kg (882 pound) machine part fell into a nuclear fuel pool at Japan’s crippled Fukushima plant Friday, the operator said. TEPCO said it had not detected any significant changes in radiation readings or in the level of pool water at the No. 3 reactor. [The Straits Times]

US:

¶   SolarCity plans a 1 GW integrated PV manufacturing plant to use technology developed by recently acquired Silevo. According to recent reports, the plant is expected to cost somewhere between $400–$450 million. [CleanTechnica]

¶   After more than a year of study, United Water has decided to develop a small hydroelectric power plant at the Dundee Dam to produce enough power to supply 1,000 homes. The dam is on New Jersey’s Passaic River, where it runs between Garfield and Clifton. [NorthJersey.com]

¶   Utah solar advocates and customers are hailing a decision Friday by the Utah Public Service Commission to reject Rocky Mountain Power’s request of a monthly fee for rooftop solar homes. The commission, in its order, said it could not rule that the fee was justified. [Deseret News]

¶   Austin Energy could be a greenhouse-gas-free utility eventually, as the Austin City Council passed a measure requiring the utility to make larger investments in renewable energy. The goal is for the utility to be completely green by 2030. [Austin Business Journal]

¶   As utilities across the US grapple with stagnant electricity sales, many see opportunity in the fledgling need for electric-car charging stations. But some companies’ tactics are spurring complaints from consumer advocates. [Wall Street Journal]

Science and Technology:

¶    GE’s Energy Consulting business has presented an extensive study that modeled the Eastern Interconnection in the US. It determined that when equipped with the appropriate modern plant controls, wind applications can substantially enhance grid resiliency. [EarthTechling]

¶   The two major forecasting agencies, Washington’s EIA and Paris’ IEA, are both more pessimistic about growth in shale oil production than is generally known for they both foresee US shale oil production leveling off as soon as 2016. [Resilience]

World:

¶   The Australian federal government has released its review of the Renewable Energy Target. It concludes the costs of the scheme “outweigh its benefits” and has recommended the scheme either be shelved or changed. [Business Insider Australia]

¶   Germany, which has come to rely heavily on wind and solar power in recent years, is launching more than 20 demonstration projects that involve storing energy by splitting water into hydrogen gas and oxygen. [MIT Technology Review]

¶   According to the EIA’s annual Medium-term Renewable Energy Market report, power generation from renewable sources including wind, solar and hydro reached almost 22% of global production. But they project that growth will slow after 2014. [Recharge]

¶   In 2013 world geothermal electricity-generating capacity grew 3% to top 11700 MW across 24 countries. Though wind power has expanded 21% per year since 2008 and solar power has grown at a blistering 53% annual rate, this was geothermal’s best year in the time. [MENAFN.COM]

¶   A new poll in Brazil shows that an unexpected challenger in the 2014 presidential election would defeat the incumbent president in a hypothetical run-off. Marina Silva, an ardent environmentalist, has vaulted to the front of the pack. [OilPrice.com]

¶   GE announced today it has achieved a total installed capacity of 1 GW of wind energy in Brazil. During the first half of 2014, GE connected 381 wind turbines to the grid in Brazil, providing 600 MW of capacity to the country. [AltEnergyMag]

¶   Belgian power prices are soaring on concern that two nuclear reactors will remain shut into next year, potentially threatening supplies to factories. The premium for Belgian wholesale costs for the fourth quarter over those in the Netherlands closed at a record Tuesday. [Chicago Tribune]

US:

¶   Renewable energy sources accounted for 14.3% of net US electrical generation in the first half of the year, according to a new report by the EIA. Last year, the EIA forecast that the US would reach the 14% renewable mark in 2040. [pv magazine]
… From June 2013 to June 2014, the US produced more than 12,000 GWh of solar power, compared to around 5,600 GWh from June 2012 to June 2013. This is an increase of over 210%, year-on-year. [Smithsonian]

¶   Hawaiian Electric Company released details of its plan for the state’s energy future. It calls for 65% of all electricity generated on Oahu, the Big Island and Maui County to come from renewables. However, environmental groups say the plan relies too heavily on natural gas. [KITV Honolulu]

¶   Minnesota Power and the Minnesota National Guard are expected to sign a partnership today to build a $25 million solar farm that will supply Camp Ripley with much of its electrical needs. The 10 MW solar farm on 100 acres and will be the largest contiguous solar farm in Minnesota. [Brainerd Daily Dispatch]

¶   Michigan’s Thumb area is well known for the diversity of crop production, from carrots to strawberries to wheat, hay, corn, soybeans, sugar beets and some of the finest dairy herds in Michigan. Now, this rich agricultural area is producing a new “crop” of windpower. [Farmers Advance]

Opinion:

¶   “Renewable Energy Momentum Has Passed The Tipping Point” Here in the ides of August, 2014, there exists clear, overwhelmingly convincing evidence that we have passed the tipping point for change into the renewable energy era. [CleanTechnica]

¶   “Retail vs Wholesale Energy Pricing: 1 Reason It’s Easy For Rooftop Solar To Be Cost Effective” When residential folks put up solar PVs, we only have to beat the price on our energy bills, which is retail. That makes it easier for rooftop solar to beat utility price rates. [CleanTechnica]

¶   “Why wind wreckers are often left snatching at air” Each year, Ryan Wiser and Mark Bolinger from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory put out a superb report documenting developments in the US wind power market. [Business Spectator]

World:

¶   Indian wind turbine manufacturers and project developers have been advised by the government to make efforts to increase annual capacity addition to five times its current level, a leading Indian newspaper has reported. That means 10,000 MW is to be added each year. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The Mayor of Warsaw has complained to the Polish government that 2030 clean energy goals which Poland believed too radical were in fact unambitious, undemocratically decided, and risk spiking EU decarbonisation moves, in a letter seen by EurActiv. [EurActiv]

¶   SunWize Technologies has announced completion of the installation of a 546 kW solar electric system for the Independent State of Samoa. The project with Samoa’s power utility, Electric Power Corporation, is the country’s largest, reducing Samoa’s reliance on imported fossil fuels. [Your Renewable News]

¶   Nearly one in four homes in South Australia now has rooftop solar, as the share of renewable energy in the state neared 33% in 2013/14 – delivering the state’s ambitious 2020 target six years ahead of schedule. [RenewEconomy]

¶   Carbon Recycling International was founded in 2006 in Reykjavik, Iceland. The company is now recycling CO2 from flue gas into liquid transport fuel by reacting it with H2 at the first production plant using the process. [World Fishing]

¶   Provincial regulators have approved Suncor Energy’s 100-MW Cedar Point wind project near Lake Huron in south-western Ontario. The project will have 46 Siemens SWT 2.3-MW 113 turbines. [reNews]

¶   The number of young people in Fukushima Prefecture who have been diagnosed with definitive or suspected thyroid gland cancer, a disease often caused by radiation exposure, now totals 104, according to prefectural officials. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶   In its latest rate request to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, We Energies seeks to charge its customers more and also add new penalties to those who use renewable energy, making solar panels and other green systems less affordable for the average property owner. [Express Milwaukee]

¶   US News and World Report took it upon themselves to actually look at the numbers of birds killed each year by electricity sources in the United States. And while all numbers reported are going to be open to interpretation and discussion, the final figures look bad for coal. [RenewEconomy]

¶   A pending Austin City Council resolution may help create more solar energy supply for Austin Energy consumers, the city announced August 26. The resolution would create enough solar energy to power 100,000 homes. The proposal will be heard on August 28. [Community Impact Newspaper]

¶   US Nuclear Regulatory Commission members approved Tuesday a final rule on the continued storage of utility spent fuel and then lifted, when the new rule goes into effect, a suspension they imposed in 2012 on several categories of reactor licensing activities. [Platts]

A Quote for the Day:

¶   “It’s time to join the revolution,” Swiss investment bank UBS is advising clients. The bank says the payback time for unsubsidised investment in electric vehicles plus rooftop solar plus battery storage will be as low as 6-8 years by 2020. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   A handful of US-based energy firms have met with the government of Cambodia over the past week to discuss plans for two large-scale energy projects worth a total of $900 million. One is a 200-MW solar plant. The other is an oil refinery. [The Phnom Penh Post]

¶   First Solar Inc of Tempe, AZ, USA has signed an agreement to provide engineering, procurement and construction services for the 52.5 MW Shams Ma’an PV power plant in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. [Semiconductor Today]

¶   According to NRDC-CEEW analysis, India’s solar and wind programs have catalysed rapid growth providing much-needed energy access, creating employment opportunities for India’s workforce. The analysis also stresses need for innovative financing solutions. [AltEnergyMag]

¶   Pattern Energy Group LP, the developer of Chile’s biggest wind farm, plans to proceed with a solar plant in the top copper-producing nation’s Atacama Desert. Chile’s government seeks to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels to supply cheaper power to the mining industry. [Businessweek]

US:

¶   A study of abandoned oil and gas wells in Pennsylvania finds that the hundreds of thousands of such wells may be leaking methane, suggesting that abandoned wells across the country could be a bigger source of climate changing greenhouse gases than previously thought. [Climate Central]

¶   The Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently reopened a year-old petition from anti-nuclear groups concerned about the financial ability of Entergy Corp. to safely operate its nuclear plants, including Vermont Yankee. [GazetteNET]

¶   Massachusetts has reached a milestone: The number of solar installations statewide has surpassed 15,000. The state now has 15,762 solar installations that produce 615 MW of electricity, enough to power about 94,000 homes. [Boston Globe]

¶   The municipal utility in Palo Alto, CA, set an ambitious target of 33% renewable energy by 2015 and to ultimately deliver a carbon neutral electricity supply. They will reach 48% renewable power in 2017 and met the carbon neutral goal starting last year. [CleanTechnica]

¶   US developer Innovative Solar Systems has obtained construction financing for just over 200 MW of approved and construction-ready solar farms in North Carolina, each of 20 MW or more. Construction will start almost immediately. [reNews]

¶   Verizon is set to become the number one solar producer among U.S. communication companies. They have announced an investment of nearly $40 million to expand their onsite green energy program. [Domestic Fuel]

¶   A senior federal nuclear expert is urging regulators to shut down California’s last operating nuclear plant until they can determine whether the facility’s twin reactors can withstand powerful shaking from nearby earthquake faults. [The Japan Times]

A Quote for the Day:

¶   The commander of the US Defense Logistics Agency Energy dismisses the denialism rampant in American politics and society with: “Call it climate change, call it the big blue rabbit, I don’t give a hoot what you call it — the military has to respond to those kinds of things.” [Japan Focus]

Opinion:

¶   “As chair of Arctic Council, US could help the North replace costly, unhealthy diesel” Many Arctic villages diesel fuel in inefficient generators at costs approaching $10 per gallon. Some have been able to secure financing to construct wind projects and use micro grid technology. [Anchorage Daily News]

World:

¶   In Australia, the Clean Energy Council has launched a last-ditched media campaign to try to protect the 41,000 GWh renewable energy target, as the Abbott government prepares to deliver what will inevitably be a fatal blow to the industry. [RenewEconomy]

¶   Construction of a new hydro plant at the Old Lock on the River Trent, next to Holme Lock and the weir at Holme Pierrepont, is about to begin. It will provide 3000 MWh per year, enough for 700 average homes. Because it will be in an existing lock, it will be largely invisible. [Nottingham Post]

¶   In 2012-2013, the Australian Capital Territory government slashed green energy use from the mandatory 37.5% to just 5%. Last week, the ACT government shared in a report that green energy purchases will continue to be 5% of total power use through 2018 and 2019. [Business Review Australia]

US:

¶   Dropbox, which provides a free internet document sharing service, has a new San Francisco office. The office is to be powered by a solar PV energy system designed by UGE and is also LEED Platinum certified. [Triple Pundit]

¶   To help chill the 9.5 million cases of mass-market and craft beers that Great Bay Distributors delivers each year, the family-owned company is installing an array of 5,000 solar panels as part of the roof. It will become the largest private solar power system in Florida. [TBO.com]

¶   A proposal to build one of the world’s largest solar farms in a rural area south of Silicon Valley has cleared one of its final hurdles after five years of planning and environmental debate. The 247-MW facility still awaits a final environmental permit. [Contra Costa Times]

¶   Some farmers in the Susquehanna Valley are generating solar electricity while growing crops on the same farmland. They are making money by selling Solar Renewable Energy Credits or using the power produced to save on their own energy bills. [Sunbury Daily Item]

¶   The Palisades nuclear power plant is one of the oldest in the country and it is also one of the most “embrittled,” putting it at risk of cracking. However, company and government officials insist the 43-year-old plant on the shore of Lake Michigan remains safe to operate. [Mlive Kalamazoo]

World:

¶   China’s natural gas demand has been growing as the government seeks to move away from coal in favor of cleaner fuels. According to EIA’s International Energy Outlook 2013 Reference case, demand will more than triple from 5.2 Tcf in 2012 to 17.5 Tcf by 2040. [Energy Collective]

¶   Soon after Navigant Research predicted investment in microgrids to reach $31 billion in the Asia Pacific region by 2023, it released another report investigating smart grid technologies, and predict that market spending will total $600 billion from 2014 through 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Sri Lanka now has a diversified power generating capacity of 4,100 MW, up from 2,014 MW largely dependent on oil in 2005. Renewable energy is being added, including hydro and solar. Almost 100% of households in the country will enjoy access to electricity by the end of this year. [Sunday Leader]

¶   The Indian government is expected to invest $15 billion in cold-storage facilities over the next five years, powering much of it with renewable resources. Waste, partly through poor cold-storage infrastructure, currently may double vegetable and fruit prices. [The National]

¶   In Australia, the Greens will today announce a policy to reinstate a Victorian Renewable Energy Target in a move that could pave the way for $5 billion of investment in already approved but not yet constructed wind energy projects. [Weekly Times Now]

¶   Naoto Kan was prime minister of Japan during the Fukushima nuclear crisis. On Saturday he travelled to Australia to share his experiences with the Mirarr, traditional owners of the land partly occupied by the Ranger uranium mine. [Yahoo!7 News]
… Former Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has urged Australia to help wean the world off uranium instead of trying to boost its uranium exports, local media reported Saturday amid a weeklong visit by the avowed opponent of nuclear energy. [GlobalPost]

US:

¶   There seems to be some hysteria online about bird deaths associated with the Ivanpah solar project in California. For example, one news article calls the solar power plant a “death ray,” as if it is a weapon, and that hundreds of thousands of birds might be dying, or 28,000 or 1,000. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Summers in the U.S. have been warming since 1970. But on average across the country cities are even hotter, and have been getting hotter faster than adjacent rural areas. In some metro areas in the past 10 years they have spiked as much as 27° higher. [Scientific American]

¶   Solar energy is helping Nevada homeowners save thousands on their energy bills and decrease their carbon footprints. NV Energy opened its SolarGenerations program that can provide homeowners with a rebate of 40 cents per watt on approved new installations. [Las Vegas Review-Journal]

¶   Energy security is a priority for the US Army, as many of its installations are at the end of the power line. The Army is enacting a three-step program of on-site renewable generation, microgrids, and energy storage to help ensure its bases never go dark again. [NASDAQ]

Opinion:

¶   “Opening the Multi-Trillion Dollar Market for Energy Management” Energy management is one of the most important parts of our changing energy landscape. It is a market made up of part energy efficiency, part Big Data solution and part Internet of Things. [Energy Collective]

World:

¶   Greenland and Antarctica are home to the two largest ice sheets in the world, and a new report released Wednesday says that they are contributing to sea level rise twice as much as they were just five years ago. [Huffington Post]

¶   Construction on one of the world’s largest tidal power projects will begin in the Pentland Firth later this year, Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has announced. Once completed, the 269-turbine project could power almost 175,000 homes and support over 100 jobs in the north of Scotland. [Herald Scotland]

¶   The first utility-scale solar PV project in Rwanda will have a generation capacity of 8.5 MW, and will boost the country’s installed power generation capacity by more than 7%. That is a big achievement for a country in which fewer than one in five homes have access to electricity. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Bloomberg reports that Africa is expected to add about 1.8 gigawatts of wind, solar, biomass, or geothermal power. Sub-Saharan Africa will add more renewable energy projects in 2014 than it has in the last 14 years. [ThinkProgress]

¶   The Norwegian energy companies Statoil and Statkraft have awarded Siemens Energy an order for 67 D6 wind turbines for the Dudgeon offshore wind power plant in the UK. Each turbine is rated at 6 MW and is equipped with a 154-meter rotor. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   The organized opposition to the federal government’s moves to abolish or reduce Australia’s Renewable Energy Target (RET) has begun. More than 500 people attended a rally in Brisbane to protest against changes to the RET. [pv magazine]

¶   TEPCO officials told Japanese nuclear regulators that the section of ice wall between the unit #2 turbine building and the cable tunnel – estimated to hold 5000-6,000 tons of highly radioactive water – was not working. [CleanTechnica]

US:

¶   The TVA will shut down the Allen coal plant in Memphis, Tennessee and build a new natural gas-fired power plant on the same site in the next four years. TVA directors unanimously approved construction of a $975 million, combined-cycle gas plant as a replacement. [Chattanooga Times Free Press]

¶   PSEG, a utility based in New Jersey, recommended that the Long Island Power Authority delay a series of new or pending projects. Nevertheless, LIPA is moving ahead with its plans for a big, new green energy source, including a proposed $1 billion wind farm. [Newsday]

¶   A Massachusetts court has reinstated the building permit for a controversial wood-burning power plant in Springfield, overturning a vote by the city’s zoning board of appeals to invalidate the building permit for the 35-MW power plant proposed by Palmer Renewable Energy. [WAMC]

¶   Microsoft Corp. has left the American Legislative Exchange Council because of concerns about the lobbying group’s opposition to renewable energy, according to the Sustainability Group and Walden Asset Management, sustainable investing asset management companies. [Bloomberg]

¶   In results from a new poll by Public Policy Partners released today by Public Citizen and the Sierra Club, a strong percentage of Ohio electricity customers favor clean, renewable energy sources to power the state – and do not support subsidizing aging coal plants to keep them going. [eNews Park Forest]

¶   California officials have been urged to halt the operations of the Ivanpah solar plant, which was built by BrightSource Energy in the Mojave Desert, as some environment groups have raised concerns about its impact on birds and other wildlife of the desert. [Energy Business Review]

Science and Technology:

¶   Under the right scenario, exporting US coal to power plants in South Korea could lead to a 21% drop in greenhouse gas emissions compared to burning it at less energy-efficient US plants. This depends on which fuel is used to replace the coal in the US. [ScienceDaily]

¶   The study from the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory demonstrates a concept that provides opportunities for the successful conversion of lignin into a variety of renewable fuels, chemicals, and materials for a sustainable energy economy. [EIN News]

World:

¶   India’s plans for setting up the world’s largest solar power station has been hit by political wrangling. A newly-elected local state government says the area is only to be used for salt-making. The salt lake is home to migratory birds. [Wall Street Journal]

¶   The European Commission now expects final power demand in 2020 to be 11% lower than it did in 2009. The commission has prepared three growth scenarios for wind power, with growth projections ranging from 41% to 85.9% by 2020. [Maritime Journal]

¶   World energy markets will soon enter a period of “extreme flux,” according to a new report out from Citigroup. The report paints a bleak picture for the future of the oil industry, while predicting massive growth in the renewable sector. [OilPrice.com]

¶   In India, 306 million people don’t have access to electricity. An Australian company is helping to address this issue via solar power. One of the products they offer is the Sunking light, which comes with a small detachable solar panel. [Energy Matters]

¶   The British government is currently lobbying the European Commission for a legal exemption to keep a south-Wales power station open, despite the fact its nitrogen oxide emissions exceed EU legal limits by 500%. [RT]

¶   A public poll conducted by ComRes quizzed all three major UK political parties over their support for various renewables. More than four out of five MPs said that they supported the deployment of renewables in order to decrease dependence on oil and gas. [Solar Power Portal]

¶   With an eye on the upcoming deregulation of electricity, the Japanese government will study whether to set a basic price, to prevent any problems if electric power companies shy away from capital investment in nuclear power plants out of fear of a price war. [The Japan News]

US:

¶   Researchers have developed a new type of solar concentrator that when placed over a window creates solar energy while allowing people to actually see through the window. It is a transparent luminescent solar concentrator and can be used on anything that has a flat, clear surface. [ScienceDaily]

¶   Greenhouse gas regulations recently proposed by the EPA could make it virtually impossible to build a 895-MW coal-fired facility next to an existing plant outside Holcomb, Kansas. Carbon emissions from the new unit may exceed the limits by about 50%. [hays Post]

¶   During July, 100% of US utility-scale power installations were renewables. So far this year, 25.8% of installations were utility scale solar, 25.1% wind, combined with biomass, geothermal and hydropower, the total is 53.8%. The rest was nearly all natural gas. [CleanTechnica]

¶   In many places, anti-wind activists fight wind turbines. In Iowa, the state which produces the greatest portion of its power from wind, it’s more that people are fighting to get wind turbines on their land, according to Iowa Wind Energy Association Executive Director Mike Prior. [Breaking Energy]

¶   In just three years, new numbers tell us, more than half of the states in the US may have rooftop solar available at the same price as the local grid’s electric rates. And that’s even without considering state and local incentives! [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶   Algae Systems LLC demonstrated a process that combines wastewater with algae to produce the world’s first energy-generating wastewater treatment process, using carbon-negative technologies. This process will yield both bio-fuel and drinking water. [Your Renewable News]

World:

¶   According to analysis produced by Lauri Myllyvirta and Greenpeace International in the first half of this year, China’s coal use dropped for the first time this century – while the country’s gross domestic product actually grew. [Energy Collective]

¶   In Australia, Queensland businesses with their own renewable resources are being hit with service charges of up to $500 a day on their electricity bills, in a move the solar industry says is designed to kill the roll-out of commercial-scale rooftop solar across the state. [CleanTechnica]

¶   JinkoSolar, a solar cells and photovoltaic manufacturer, has announced that is has signed an agreement with the administration of Lishui, Zhejiang province, to set up 500 MW of solar power capacity over the next five years. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Demand for renewable electricity and power generation capacity is growing at an unprecedented rate in the Asia Pacific region. Cumulative investment in microgrids across the region will total $30.8 billion from 2014 to 2023, according to a Navigant Research report. [PennEnergy]

¶   South Korea is running out of space to store its spent nuclear fuel, with some of its storage facilities set to reach capacity by 2016, according to an independent body that advises the government on nuclear issues. [Radio Australia]

US:

¶   Last month, twelve major corporations announced a combined goal of buying 8.4 million MWh of renewable energy each year, and called for market changes to make these large-scale purchases possible. Demand for renewables has reached the big time. [Energy Collective]

¶   US Wind Inc bid a record $8.7 million to win the 1.45 GW Maryland offshore wind lease auction in the third competitive sale off the US east coast. Following a 19-round auction process, the developer claimed both the 670 MW, 32,737-acre north lease area and the 760 MW, 46,970-acre south area. [reNews]

¶   Plains and Eastern Clean Line LLC has obtained approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for its up to 3.5 GW transmission project that will deliver wind power from the Oklahoma Panhandle region to communities in Arkansas, Tennessee, and other states. [reNews]

¶   A 10-year energy strategy for New Hampshire is due to be completed. The draft report envisions that by 2025 consumers will be empowered statewide to make choices that will help lower energy bills through self-reliance. This will make the state cleaner and more sustainable. [WMUR Manchester]

Science and Technology:

¶   A new battery electrode that combines liquid-state sodium and cesium to significantly improve the safety, efficiency and life span of sodium-beta batteries has been developed by researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington. [Chinatopix]

World:

¶   The Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century says the world now gets 22% of its energy from renewable sources. And renewables accounted for more than 56% of last year’s investments for additions to global power capacity, beating fossil fuels for the fourth year in a row. [reNews]

¶   Saudi Arabia is gearing up to generate approximately 30% of its power needs from solar power within the next 20 years. The kingdom hopes to install as much as 41 GW of PV solar energy capacity by 2032, and has enlisted the help of solar world-leader China to reach that goal. [pv magazine]

¶   Tony Abbott’s attacks on the renewable energy industry have effectively killed the wind energy and large-scale solar market in Australia – at least for the next few years. But it could spark another rush to solar for households and small businesses before remaining incentives are closed. [RenewEconomy]

¶   Clean Energy Finance Corporation says it still plans to build Australia’s largest solar power station in Alice Springs, despite similar projects losing momentum. In July, they announced a $13 million loan to triple the project’s capacity. [ABC Online]

¶   The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region plans to use electricity created by offshore wind farms by 2017. Huadian Heavy Industries will introduce ocean-energy technologies to build an industrial base for ocean wind power in Hebei province. [China.org.cn]

¶   Eco Energy World Ltd has connected five solar-energy farms totalling 70 MW to the grid in the UK in the past few weeks. The renewable energy developer’s new solar projects are located in Essex, Devon and Wiltshire. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶   A new record 22% of UK electricity was generated by wind power on August 17, according to industry body RenewableUK. The 22% meant wind outshone coal’s 13% share and nudged close to nuclear (24%) and gas (26%). [Recharge]

¶   A new report released by the Alberta government reveals a concerning trend with declining air quality as a result of tar sands operations. The data the report is based on are two years old, and there is no indication what the government’s management actions will be. [Energy Collective]

US:

¶   Minnesota’s solar power industry is in a growth spurt that’s about to accelerate. The industry, once focused largely on installing solar photovoltaic panels for homes, businesses and government, now is seeing a surge in investment by electric utilities. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   Solar power, apparently, is working out just fine in Frederick County, Maryland. Vivint Solar has installed solar panels on more than 160 Frederick County homes since the company opened its Frederick office in April, and they say they have enough jobs to keep them busy for a long time. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   A just-released Department of Energy and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report pegs utility-scale wind power-purchase agreement pricing as averaging $25 per MWh for projects that negotiated contracts in 2013. That’s cheap power. [Greentech Media]

¶   The US ranks second in installed wind power capacity in the world with 61 GW of total capacity following modest growth in 2013, according to a Department of Energy report. Wind power additions stalled last year with only 1,087 MW of new capacity added. [reNews]

¶   Apel Steel Corporation, based in Cullman, Alabama is having a 340 kWh PV system designed to generate 470,213 kWh of AC solar power a year – meeting 98% of the firm’s energy needs in the process and all but taking the company off the state grid. [pv magazine]

¶   Two 1,117-MW nuclear power plants being constructed at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Powersite in Fairfield County for South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. (55%) and state-owned Santee Power (45%) have fallen behind schedule, causing a drop in SCE&G’s credit rating to negative. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   Leading investment bank Citigroup has painted an incredibly bright future for solar energy across the globe, arguing that its rapid expansion will be driven by “pure economics” and the growing need for diversity. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Tropikwood Industries Limited and a Korean company Gimco have formed a joint venture to launch a $35 million Biomass plant in Fiji. Renewable energy developments like the Biomass plant help towards Fiji’s electricity target of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2030. [Fiji Broadcasting Corporation]

¶   Australian coal and gas generators will reap $10 billion in extra profits over the next 15 years if the Abbott government pares back the renewable energy target, and the nation’s electricity bills will not fall, according to new research. [The Guardian]

¶   A group from Cornwall is visiting to Germany to learn about a technology that could supply 150,000 Cornish homes with renewable electricity from deep in the earth. They toured the plant and met with BESTEC GmbH to discuss the deep geothermal plants planned for Cornwall. [Cornishman]

¶   The big three energy retailers and other large companies are being targeted by a shame campaign from a combination of environmental advocacy groups because of their attempts to have the Renewable Energy Target reduced in Australia. [Business Spectator]

¶   Solar Systems Pty Ltd. suspended plans for a 100-MW plant in the Australian state of Victoria amid growing uncertainty about the government’s commitment to develop clean-energy sources. The government is considering doing away with Australia’s clean-energy targets. [Businessweek]

¶   The global aviation industry, led by The Boeing Company and major airlines such as American Airlines Group , has set ambitious goals to reduce its environmental footprint and increase its use of drop-in fuels such as renewable jet and renewable diesel. [NASDAQ]

¶   Europe’s ageing nuclear fleet will undergo more prolonged outages over the next few years, reducing the reliability of power supply and costing plant operators many millions of dollars. The 28-nation bloc’s 131 reactors are well past their prime, with an average age of 30 years. [EurActiv]

US:

¶   The 1,000-turbine Chokecherry and Sierra Madre wind farm will have no significant impact on the human environment, according to a preliminary assessment released this week by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The facility got a state permit just last week. [Casper Star-Tribune Online]

¶   The largest proposed onshore wind project in the United States does not need a recently expired federal tax credit to be commercially viable, the head of the company planning to build 1,000 turbines in Carbon County said this week. [Casper Star-Tribune Online]

¶   The Michigan International Speedway  made a high-profile pitch for renewable energy in partnership with the utility Consumers Energy, using its Pure Michigan 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup event as the springboard for announcing a raft of new green energy programs. [Triple Pundit]

Opinion:

¶   “EPA’s State-by-State Carbon Limits Indicate Smart Policy, Not Arbitrary Rulemaking” Since this announcement, the usual suspects have attacked the CPP, calling its proposed state-by-state reduction standards arbitrary. Their claims couldn’t be further from reality. [Energy Collective]

World:

¶   Renewable electricity sources generated 38% of the electricity consumed in Spain last month. Almost 30% of the total electricity consumed last month was generated by wind energy projects, while about 4% each was generated by solar photovoltaic and concentrated solar power projects. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Samsung SDI, the battery-making affiliate of Samsung, said Sunday that it has agreed with China’s Sungrow Power Supply to establish a joint venture to produce energy storage systems in China. Sungrow is China’s biggest manufacturer in energy equipment. [Korea Times]

¶   It could soon be mandatory in Gurgaon, India to install rooftop solar panels in all new homes, housing societies and commercial buildings. A new proposal would require all new houses and office buildings in the city to include a solar system as part of the permitting process. [Times of India]

¶   Kuwait is embarking a number of ambitious projects to expand use of alternative energy sources to meet the growing demand for electricity and secure sustainable development. The efforts are spearheaded by Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research. [MENAFN.COM]

¶   A tender for the generation of 496 MW of electricity by solar power was recently issued by the Russian government. Russia’s allocation for power generation by alternative energy sources is still small, but growing. [RIA Novosti]

¶   The current Japanese central government considers nuclear power an important baseload power source and pins hopes on it. Nevertheless, at the local level things look very different. Many communities have begun adding renewable power to their energy supplies. [The Japan Times]

US:

¶   The US Department of Agriculture’s road map details the benefits installing 11,000 new anaerobic digestion plants across the US. They could be used to produce energy or transport fuels and also have major positive effects in the fight to reduce carbon emissions. [Energy Digital]

¶   The EPA has now formally proposed to limit certain super-potent greenhouse gases from use in air conditioners, refrigerators, aerosols and foams in favor of safer, more climate-friendly alternatives. [Energy Collective]

¶   Tesla has announced what they call the “Infinite Mile Warranty.” The infinite mile warranty is for the drive units of 85 kWh Model S’s, and it isn’t just for the first owner, but for anyone a Model S might be sold to. It also applies retroactively. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Good solar policies in California helped triple solar energy nationwide between 2011 and 2013. Last year, solar capacity in California grew an impressive 48%, bringing total installed capacity in the state to 5661 MW. [Energy Collective]

Science and Technology:

¶   It is now generally recognised that rooftop solar is comparable or cheaper than grid prices in many countries over the last few years. The big question now is about the combination of solar and battery storage. Some large organizations say it could arrive in four to six years, or even sooner. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶   Sharp has launched an energy storage system aimed at large individual consumers that could “dramatically cut utility demand charges.” The SmartStorage energy solution stores a large amount of electricity stored in reserve and releases it selectively. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Chile has made available $796,480 to finance small-scale renewable energy projects in rural, isolated and vulnerable regions of the country. Individuals and cooperatives can apply for up to $51,000 to help finance power projects, research and development, and training workshops. [Recharge]

¶   Swedish wave power developer Seabased has installed 10 linear point generators at its Sotenas project off the country’s south-west coast. The company said this week that the 30 kW wave energy converters were lifted into place earlier this summer outside Smogen/Kungshamn. [reNews]

¶   Prime Minister Abe’s plans to quickly restart Japan’s atomic energy program remain stalled. While Japanese businesses have continued to press politicians and bureaucrats to bring plants across the country back online, exactly when any of Japan’s reactors will restart is uncertain. [Washington Post]

US:

¶   The US IRS has finally clarified rules regarding how wind projects qualify for federal tax incentives, leading analysts to believe that the industry can finally extract itself from the uncertain log-jam it has been in since the end of 2013. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The best chance for ending the brutal California drought, a big El Niño, seems to be disappearing. Earlier this week NOAA said that the chance of El Niño has decreased to about 65% during fall and early winter.” And if we do see one, it’s likely to be either weak or moderate. [Energy Collective]

¶   The California Public Utilities Commission plans to open a new proceeding to decide how to create a process for maintaining and growing the distribution grid that takes all the distributed energy resources coming onto the grid into account. [Energy Collective]

¶   In Maine, the Skowhegan State Fair, which wraps up its 196th year Saturday with truck pulls and a country rock performance by the band Bad Penny, is being powered solely on wind energy this year after a donation by two wind advocacy groups. [Press Herald]

¶   A proposal calls for a 280-MW photovoltaic solar power facility on about 3,000 acres of the 72,000-acre Jack Ranch owned by the Hearst Corp. in the Chalome Valley near the borders of Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Fresno and Kings counties, California. [Monterey County Herald]

¶   Empower Energies, Inc., a leading Clean Energy Portfolio Solutions company, announced the completion and commissioning of a 3.7 MW solar array in the Town of Shirley, MA. The ground-mounted installation features 13,047 PV solar panels on 27 acres of Shirley Water District land. [Power Engineering International]

¶   A federal appeals court ruled that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission was within its rights to require electric utilities to make regional transmission plans. The plans mandate that regional planning for new transmission infrastructure account for renewable energy integration. [The Hill]

¶   DVO announced the first anaerobic digester installation in California. Each day, the digester will receive 55,000 gallons of solid and liquid waste from a nearby dairy farm with approximately 2,000 head of cattle. It will reduce the farm’s greenhouse gas emissions by 90% and provide power. [Renewable Energy Focus]

¶   The US Energy Information Administration projects that natural gas-fired electric power generation in the contiguous US will increase to 1600 million MWh by 2040, a 1.3% average annual increase. [Energy Global]

World:

¶   The price of thermal coal has dropped 51% since July 2011, according to Australian Ethical Investment – and the company’s international equities trust portfolio manager Nathan Lim thinks the trend is likely to continue. Nine important reasons for this are provided. [Property Observer]

¶   Anaerobic digestion specialist Biogen has successfully completed construction and begun operations at the largest food waste anaerobic digestion plant in Wales. The plant will recycle 22,500 metric tons of food waste every year, generating 1 MW of renewable electricity. [Biomass Magazine]

¶   A project called Melanesia’s Million Miracle Programme is now under way to bring electricity to one million people in the Melanesian countries of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu by 2020. The project will use mostly solar energy to reduce reliance and spending on kerosene. [SciDev.Net]

¶   The Ikea store in the Sydney suburb of Tempe will be the largest single-roof PV project in Australia, at about 1.2-MW. Worldwide, Ikea gets 70% of its electricity from renewable power, with more than 550,000 solar panels at its 300-plus locations. [Sourceable]

¶   In Germany, wind generation of electricity rose by 66% in the first six months of the year, as capacity was added before incentives were scaled back on August 1. Schleswig-Holstein, which profiting from its northern sea winds has constructed 159 wind turbines this year. [The Local.de]

¶   North West Bicester is set to be the UK’s first true zero carbon eco town and will feature the country’s largest domestic photovoltaic solar panel array as part of its composition. The solar aspect entails 17,500 m² of panels mounted across the rooftops of all homes and the energy centre. [Cogeneration & On-Site Power Production Magazine]

¶   In a set of papers published Thursday in the Journal of Heredity, a US publication, Japanese and US scientists warned that radioactive materials released from by the core meltdowns at Fukushima Daiichi could have caused abnormalities in the genes of nearby birds and insects. [The Japan Times]

US:

¶   Many states recognize how clean energy can be a positive driver for competitiveness and economic development. And 53 of the Fortune 100 companies have specific clean energy goals, with clean energy becoming an increasingly important factor in business decisions. [The Providence Journal]

¶   Experts in renewable and sustainable energy say Arkansas could meet 40% of its greenhouse gas reduction requirements under a proposed EPA rule by increased energy efficiency. Further, the proposed rule from the EPA presents opportunities for Arkansas. [KARK]

¶   In Iowa, ground was broken for a $380 million Red Rock Hydroelectric Project, which will retrofit the dam currently in place at Lake Red Rock with the ability to produce energy for up 18,000 homes in four states. [RenewablesBiz]

¶   The Guam Power Authority is anticipating a mid-July 2015 completion date for its wind turbine pilot project. The $1.65 million project is being funded largely by US Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs grants amounting to $1.5 million. [Marianas Variety]

¶   A poll of US utility customers shows 81% expect their utility provider to use higher levels of renewable energy such as wind, solar and geothermal biogas in the future to meet their energy needs, GE’s Digital Energy business reported. [North American Windpower]

¶   Delaware is again among the states leading the nation in solar energy – ranked seventh per capita for cumulative solar installations – according to a report released by Environment America Research & Policy Center. [Cape Gazette]

World:

¶   Opponents of wind and solar power decry their intermittent nature. In the U.K. this week the tables have temporarily turned as wind power is replacing power lost when four nuclear plants unexpectedly had to be taken offline. [ThinkProgress]

¶   Germany’s renewables did it again, a new record! Renewable energy produced about 81 TWh, or 31% of the nation’s electricity for the first half of 2014. Solar, wind, and biomass all increased from the first half of last year, while Coal, gas, and nuclear all declined. [CleanTechnica]

¶   According to figures from the Council of European Energy Regulators, Germany has one of the most secure grids in Europe. It is also more secure than it was before the country’s move to renewables began. Customers experienced an average of under 16 minutes of outage per year. [CleanTechnica]

¶   The river Avon could provide clean and reliable heating for hundreds of homes and businesses across Bristol. The Avon could accommodate heat pumps with the capacity to generate more than 1 MW of power – enough to provide heating and hot water for up to 500 homes. [Bristol Post]

¶   Privatisation of  the Australian Broadcasting Corp could be an ultimate blow to Australia’s clean energy policies if it pushes through. The county’s fossil fuels think tank highly recommends the public broadcaster to be silenced by transferring its management to the private sector. [Asian Correspondent]

¶   The International Union of Architects has unanimously adopted a declaration committing to the phasing out of carbon dioxide emissions in the built environment by 2050, presented to it by Australian Institute of Architects chief executive David Parken. [eco-business.com]

¶   Iberdrola has begun construction work on the Pier II wind farm, with an installed capacity of 66 MW, in Mexico. Located in the municipality of Esperanza, the Pier II wind farm will feature 33 Gamesa G97 wind turbines, each with 2 MW capacity. [Energy Business Review]

¶   Brazilian project developers have offered for auction electricity from 1,034 projects with a total capacity of almost 26,300 MW. These include 626 wind energy projects with total capacity of about 15,350 MW, 400 solar power projects with total capacity of 10,790 MW, and others. [CleanTechnica]

US:

¶   Green Mountain Power broke ground in Rutland Tuesday on a new $10 million solar project that the utility says will not only generate clean energy, but also provide emergency back up power to parts of the city when needed. [Vermont Public Radio]

¶   Ecotech Institute’s Clean Jobs Index found more than two million job postings in the green energy sector in quarters one and two of 2014 alone. This is almost an 88% increase from the first and second quarters in 2013. [Utility Products]

¶   Many retiring nuclear and coal power plants may not need to be replaced on a megawatt-to-megawatt basis, according to a new report. This results from new technologies and distributed generation that improve energy efficiency, along with soft demand growth. [Renew Grid]

¶   Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has defined three Wind Energy Areas offshore North Carolina, which total approximately 307,590 acres, for potential commercial wind energy development. [The Maritime Executive]

¶   The Tennessee Valley Authority said work on its newest reactor — the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Unit 2 — is more than 90 % complete and the unit could begin generating power by the end of next year. [Chattanooga Times Free Press]

Opinion:

¶   “Fracking: Energy Abundance or Crisis?” As the boom in fracking wells in the northern Appalachian Marcellus shale region now produces seven times more natural gas than in 2010, the implications for policy and impacts on the energy market are starting to show. [The Equation: Blog of the Union of Concerned Scientists]

World:

¶   Three million Kenyans will benefit from increased wind power on their national grid. The country’s director renewable energy and petroleum said independent power producers will reduce the cost of power by up to 40% by use of cheaper, reliable technologies such as wind. [The Star]

¶   The UK’s wind energy industry set a new hourly output record for August late on Sunday, as strong winds led to a surge in renewable energy generation. Wind power delivered an average of 5.0 GW of power over a period of an  hour, meeting 17% of national demand. [Business Green]

¶   The Indian government plans to rapidly accelerate wind energy generation, adding an ambitious 10,000 MW every year, or five times the total new capacity that came up in the last fiscal, as the Modi government takes steps to reduce dependence on costly energy imports. [Economic Times]

¶   A report issued by Hanergy Holdings Group and China New Energy Chamber of Commerce says China became the world’s biggest market for solar power in 2013, with the country’s newly installed photovoltaic generating capacity jumping 232% on-year to 12 GW. [Your Renewable News]

¶   Plentiful resources of wind, solar, geothermal, and hydro-electric energy, combined with a need for new, more economical power capacity, are fuelling strong momentum in clean energy investment in Mexico and Central America, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. [Business Spectator]

¶   EDF Energy is taking three of its nuclear reactors in Britain offline for inspection this week after finding a defect in a reactor of a similar design, the company said on Monday. The three reactors will be offline for an estimated eight-week period. [Yahoo!7 News]

¶   According to the latest weekly analysis by NPD Solarbuzz on UK PV market deployment, the UK’s cumulative capacity has now reached 5 GW. This makes the UK only the sixth country to have more than 5 GW capacity. [Solar Power Portal]

US:

¶   Environmentalists want TVA to slow down before building another major gas plant just because natural gas prices are now very favorable. One alternative is to bring in high-voltage DC power from windfarms in Oklahoma and Texas. Another is local solar and wind. [Chattanooga Times Free Press]

¶   The Northeastern United States’ largest garage mounted solar canopy has gone online at Boston Properties’ Bay Colony.  The solar canopy covers 60,000 square feet atop a parking garage, producing 840 kW, or over a million kWh annually. [EarthTechling]

Science and Technology:

¶   UK-based Cenex has just completed a two-year project to reduce both the weight and cost of EV batteries, succeeding by shaving 99 pounds, or about 41% of the weight off a standard EV battery, reports Green Car Congress. [CleanTechnica]

¶   A new study investigates various models of how bicycle infrastructure influences cities. It reasons that policies and projects supportive of bike lanes are deserving of the change; deserving of the money spent which becomes money saved. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Vattenfall and Stadtwerke München have decided to jointly invest about 11 billion Swedish kronor ($1.97 billion) in a second joint offshore wind farm off the German North Sea coast. With a capacity of 288 MW and is expected to power for about 400,000 households. [Business Wire]

World:

¶   Uganda’s government has started paying power connection fees for rural households to encourage use of electricity by the rural folks, energy minister, Irene Muloni, has disclosed. She says all households near the power lines (within 15 metres range) are being connected. [New Vision]

¶   The Indian Railways are working on a project which would replace, to a major extent, the traditionally used diesel and conventionally produced thermal electricity, by eco-friendly and cheaper resources in the form of solar and wind power. [The Indian Republic]

¶   A mapping study has revealed the energy and environment sector is one of the fastest growing in both Wales and the rest of the UK, employing 58,000 people in more than 2,000 companies with a combined turnover of £4.8 billion. [WalesOnline]

US:

¶   Ocean acidification hurts infant oyster populations that cannot develop thick enough shells to survive. Washington state oyster farmers deal with this by adding alkaline chemicals into controlled environments, but as acidification worsens it will hurt adult populations as well. [Energy Collective]

¶   California has lagged behind other states on demand response. This week, a group of utilities, environmental groups, consumer advocates and demand response and smart grid companies filed a settlement agreement meant to help unlock the potential of demand response in the state. [Energy Collective]

¶   More than 650 US organizations now rely wholly on “green” power resources – such as solar, wind and geothermal – to meet their electricity needs, according to the US EPA’s Green Power Partnership’s latest quarterly report. [Triple Pundit]

¶   According to the Electric Power Research Institute, the total recoverable wave power along the US continental shelf is 1,170 TWh/yr, or enough to power about 110 million homes in the US. That would be about 70% of all US homes. [The Market Oracle]

¶   Three of Ohio’s four largest utilities — American Electric Power, Duke Energy and FirstEnergy — are asking state regulators to guarantee profits on a select number of power plants that might otherwise be decommissioned. [Columbus Dispatch]

Opinion:

¶   “RMI Blows The Lid Off The ‘Baseload Power’ Myth (Video)” Amory Lovins has very effectively debunked the myth that a reliable electricity supply from renewable resources needs either giant baseload coal, gas, or nuclear power stations or some yet untested cheap storage solution. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶   First Solar, the world’s largest manufacturer of thin-film solar photovoltaic cells and modules, announced that a cell made at its Ohio R&D center achieved an efficiency of 21%, the highest on record by a non-concentrating cadmium-telluride (CdTe) cell. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Scientists in South Korea say they have found a way of converting used cigarette butts into a material capable of storing energy that could help power everything from mobile phones to electric cars. [Reuters]

World:

¶   Australian Prim Minister Tony Abbott is under fresh pressure to put climate change on the agenda at the upcoming G20 gathering, with a group of medical scientists led by a Nobel laureate warning Australians face “serious health risks” if the issue isn’t urgently tackled. [The Guardian]

¶   Like other developing countries, Vietnam has been powered by hydropower dams and fossil fuels, while other sources are underdeveloped. The government has taken to saying that if it doesn’t build dams, the only other feasible options are coal and natural gas. [Thanh Nien Daily]

US:

¶   Leading US solar company SunPower has flagged the introduction of battery storage into the commercial market in 2015 in Australia, as it looks to rapidly expand its suite of home energy service offerings. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Aside from hosting a majority of the nation’s wind farms, the Midwestern U.S. is not known for aggressively pushing the agenda on clean energy issues. But that may be changing as Minnesota joins other leading states in the effort to remake the electricity sector. [Energy Collective]

¶   A new energy conservation effort from the non-profit Efficiency Vermont is expected to shave a significant percentage off the electric bills of 19 large companies. The Industrial Peak Initiative aims to reduce consumption at peak times that bring extra charges. [Comcast SportsNet New England]

¶   There was good news for renewable energy companies on Friday, as the IRS lowered qualification threshold for qualifying for tax credits. The new threshold has been lowered from 5% to 3% of total energy project costs incurred before the start of this year. [Bidness Etc]

¶   While Florida advertises itself as the Sunshine State, power company executives and regulators have worked successfully to keep most Floridians from using that sunshine to generate their own power. [Los Angeles Times]

Opinion:

¶   “Flaw and Order: How Brookings Got Its Analysis of Wind and Solar Costs So Wrong” A paper from the Brookings Institution, claiming that wind and solar were our most expensive electric resources was wrong. Why? It was based on badly obsolete data. [Greentech Media]

World:

¶   Germany already boasts over 7,000 home solar plus energy storage systems, and some analysts suggest the US could see similar growth once Tesla’s much-touted battery “Gigafactory” starts producing at scale. [Scientific American]

¶   A day after Chinese state media reported that Beijing is set to ban the use and trade of coal in its inner districts, Xinhua has now reported that the head of the National Energy Administration has said that China is aiming to install 13 GW worth of solar PV power in 2014. [CleanTechnica]

¶   Gamesa, one of the world’s largest wind energy companies, has announced that it has installed a total of 30 GW worth of wind power with the completion of one of the eight turbines being installed at the Tornio wind farm in Finland. [CleanTechnica]

¶   South Australia’s wind farms produced enough electricity to meet a record 43 per cent of the state’s power needs during July, and on occasions during the month provided all the state’s electricity needs. [RenewEconomy]

¶   Vice-President Namadi Sambo has said that Nigeria would fully utilise its abundant renewable energy resources to enhance electricity supply across the country. He particularly mentioned solar energy, which Nigeria has in abundance. [Nigerian Tribune]

US:

¶   Massive algae blooms on Lake Erie have robbed Toledo of clean drinking water, and boiling water with blue-green algae toxins just concentrates the poison. The causes include loss of wetlands, crumbling infrastructure, invasive species, and climate change. [Energy Collective]

¶   Residential solar provider Sungevity, Inc, headquartered in Oakland, CA, has announced that it has expanded its solar services into New Mexico and Vermont. Sungevity was ranked the third most productive residential solar installer in America, by a GTM Research report. [CleanTechnica]

¶   In Springfield, Missouri, City Utilities held a dedication ceremony for a 40-acre solar farm northeast of the city that officials say can power approximately 900 homes each year. The site will produce 4.95 MW, making it the largest solar farm in the state. [KSMU Radio]

¶   Some utilities say they are discouraged by the way the EPA’s carbon reduction proposal treats new nuclear projects that are coming online or attempts to help existing facilities overcome the economic factors that threaten them with retirement. [Environment & Energy Publishing]

¶   Wyoming’s Industrial Siting Council voted 7-0 to approve a proposal for a 1,000-turbine wind farm. During the two-day public hearing, no one spoke against the project. The nearly $5 billion project could produce up to 3,000 MW, or 10 million MWh annually, with 114 permanent jobs. [Casper Star-Tribune Online]

Opinion:

¶   “Solar Power on the Rise: Rooftop Solar, Large-Scale PV, CSP, and the Solar Revolution” Shining. Soaring. Skyrocketing. Solar is so exciting, we’re running out of adjectives. America’s solar power revolution is the subject of a new UCS report. It’s a story worth celebrating. [The Equation: Blog of the Union of Concerned Scientists]

Science and Technology:

¶   A group of chemical and mechanical engineers wants to harness the power of the sun to fuel cars, airplanes and semi-trucks. If the energy from sunlight can be harnessed and boosted in a single spot, it can be used to break chemical bonds and create chemical feedstocks for fuel. [PBS NewsHour]

World:

¶   A full-scale tidal power generator aimed at showing the potential for renewable energy has been unveiled in Wales. Power generated by the 400 kW demonstration device – to be installed within a matter of weeks – will be fed into the National Grid and used to power nearby homes. [BBC News]

¶   An Australian Energy Market Operator report says Australia is facing an energy glut. It raises serious questions about the viability of existing coal-fired power stations, but might also result in more pressure on the Federal Government to reduce the Renewable Energy Target. [Yahoo Singapore News]

¶   Iranian officials have announced the country’s investment in solar and wind renewable energy will result in 500 MW of electricity generated by the wind farms and solar plants sent into the country’s national grid by March 2015. [SmartMeters]

¶   A set of community councils is launching a major community consultation exercise on the regeneration proposals for the Scottish North Carrick region over the next three months, which includes a community wind farm. [allmediascotland.com]

¶   UK renewable power producer Infinis said it will wait for the outcome of the referendum on independence before building two wind farms, the 43 MW A’Chruach and 55 MW Galawhistle projects in Scotland. The vote is on September 18. [Recharge]

¶   The Japanese government and TEPCO are considering pumping up contaminated groundwater from 42 wells around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant’s Nos. 1 to 4 reactors and releasing it into the Pacific Ocean after removing almost all radioactive substances. [The Japan News]

US:

¶   Governor Peter Shumlin marked the completion this week of the South Ridge Solar facility, the first 500-kilowatt solar net-metering project in Vermont. The solar farm provides power to Middlebury College as part of the school’s commitment to become carbon neutral. [Rutland Herald]

¶   Customers of Vermont Gas Systems are now burning renewable natural gas as a small mix of their overall natural gas consumption, the company announced Thursday. Biomethane is coming from a landfill operator in Quebec and piped into the transmission system. [Barre Montpelier Times Argus]

¶   Currently, Milwaukee utility We Energies pays about 9.2¢ per kWh for electricity generated from biogas digestors. In a pending rate filing is a proposal, they plan to cut the buyback rate for new customer-sited bioenergy projects down to 4.24¢ per kWh in 2016. [Biomass Magazine]

¶   Distributed wind is the use of smaller, on-site wind turbines for a home or business power supply. Established wind companies are now bringing distributed wind to the masses by providing a turbine leasing solution to farmers. [RenewablesBiz]

World:

¶   SunPower’s Fab 4 facility to produce 350 MW of solar panels annually in the Philippines, will start up in 2015 and reach full capacity until 2016. After that, Fab 5 may be ready for solar panel production by 2017, and will have a solar panel production capacity of 700 MW or more. [CleanTechnica]

¶   India may emulate a solar pricing model that made Germany and Spain the biggest markets for the technology, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to spur renewable energy. Germany has installed 35 GW of solar compared to India’s 2.4 GW, according to data from Bloomberg. [Livemint]

¶   Wircon, a German renewable energy company, has teamed up with Sino-American solar power specialist SPI to target the UK solar photovoltaic market. They plan to set up a joint venture company to develop solar energy projects in the UK, with an initial target of 55 MW. [The Construction Index]

¶   The World Bank Group has committed $5 billion for energy projects in six African countries as part of US President Barack Obama’s Power Africa initiative. The six beneficiary countries – Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, and Tanzania – will receive support. [Energy Matters]

¶   As coalition forces leave the old Afghan Taliban stronghold of Kandahar, they plan to take diesel generators with them, according to the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. The generators provide much of the province’s electricity. [Motherboard]

¶   Greece’s Blue Star Ferries, a subsidiary of Attica Group, and Eco Marine Power (EMP) of Japan, will deploy and evaluate renewable energy technology on board the passenger and car ferry Blue Star Delos. [Ship & Bunker]

¶   In sub-Saharan Africa, only 8% of the population in rural areas has access to mains electricity, but mini-grids – localised generation, transmission and distribution of power – could change all that. [The Guardian]

¶   Almost all of the nuclear fuel in the No. 3 reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant melted within days of the March 11, 2011, disaster, according to a new estimate by Tokyo Electric Power Co. [Asahi Shimbun]

¶   The long-awaited restart of Japan’s nuclear power plants is facing yet another setback and may be delayed until 2015, Japanese media said on Wednesday, piling pressure on struggling utilities to push for fresh price hikes. [Japan Today]

US:

¶   The State of Indiana last week joined 10 other states and the Commonwealth of Kentucky in a lawsuit challenging the legality of the US EPA’s new Clean Power Plan, which aims to achieve targeted reductions in carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. [NUVO Newsweekly]

¶   New England States Committee on Energy, a group of the governors’ utility regulators, decided to delay discussions about the tariff with the New England Power Pool, an industry group, for a month or so, to consider defeat of a “clean energy bill” in Massachusetts. [Boston Business Journal]

¶   Tesla Motors, the manufacturer and proponent of electric vehicles, might deal a crippling blow to utility companies with its plan to make renewable energy and the storage of that energy more accessible to the public. [Bakken.com]

¶   America’s wind power market continues to boom on the back of government renewable energy incentives, but the industry’s peak body says Congress must provide assurance it will continue to support tax breaks for private investors. [Energy Matters]

¶   Northern Power Systems, based in Barre, Vermont, a next generation renewable energy technology company and maker of wind turbines, has announced financial results for its three and six month periods ended June 30, 2014. Revenues have tripled while the net loss has fallen. [Vermont Biz]

¶   Conservative groups failed Tuesday in a coordinated effort to unseat several moderate House Republicans. Despite a flood of negative mail in the final weeks of the campaign, all of the targeted members appear to have survived their primary challenges, several by wide margins. [KCUR]

Opinion:

¶   “Sowing Confusion About Renewable Energy” Readers of The Economist may be surprised to read that solar and wind power are “the most expen­sive way of reducing green­house-gas emissions,” while “nuclear plants…are cheaper.” But not everything you read is true. [Forbes]

World:

¶   The University of Queensland and First Solar have begun construction on a 3.275 MW solar PV research facility at UQ’s Gatton campus. It will be the largest solar PV research facility in the southern hemisphere. [UQ News]

¶   A sugar mill in Queensland has fuelled one its boilers solely on macadamia nut shells. The boiler is normally run on bagasse, a cane by-product, but that was swapped for 3,000 tonnes of shell during a three-week system maintenance, the equivalent of 1,800 tonnes of coal. [ABC Online]

¶   The end of the price on carbon triggered a drop in output from Snowy Hydro last month, while high levels of wind and solar energy helped drive the share of coal-fired power stations in Australia’s main electricity grid to a record low, consultants Pitt & Sherry say. [Sydney Morning Herald]

¶   Jordan is carrying out a project to use wind power in Tafila province in the south of the country. The project’s energy production is around 117 MW, generating 400 GWh yearly. The project will be built in mid-2015, with an estimated cost of around $285 million. [Al-Monitor]

¶   The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change has said it was examining the benefits of providing support to wind, solar, and other low carbon projects located outside the UK through the new Contract for Difference regime, as it looks to meeting its renewable goals for 2020. [Business Green]

¶   Europe’s energy dilemma – burning the dirtiest coal while meeting pollution targets – is crystallizing in opposition to a plan that would uproot 700-year-old villages on the German-Polish border and dig two pits the size of Manhattan. [Businessweek]

¶   The message from energy ministers as part of the US-Africa Leaders Summit was that coal and natural gas will have to dominate the continent’s near future, even as officials also emphasized how deeply threatened the region is by climate change. [Environment & Energy Publishing]

¶   At best, nuclear power accounted for only 10.8% of the world’s electricity last year – down from a peak of 17.6% in 1996 – and faces a difficult future in at least the short term because the world’s reactor fleet is aging, while new projects are hit by high costs and construction delays. [MinnPost.com]

US:

¶   Investment bank Morgan Stanley says the global electricity utility industry is still underestimating the potential of EV maker Tesla to achieve a dramatic reduction in battery storage costs, luring more and more consumers to go “off-grid.” [RenewEconomy]

¶   The Long Island Power Authority and the state of New York are reviewing recommendations from PSEG Long Island that conclude that the region has plenty of power to get it up to 2022, including a finding that projects such as the proposed Caithness II plant will not be needed. [Newsday]

¶   Environment New York Research & Policy Center released a report showing strong solar growth across the nation including a 30% increase in New York in 2013. The report says effective state and local public policy is more important than the quality of sunlight. [Long Island Exchange]

¶   Pacific Energy Solutions signed a contract with the US Navy to supply 30,400 MWh annually in Hawaii. They will install 68,645 photovoltaic modules at 14 project sites at military installations, offsetting 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. [Your Renewable News]