China’s Rapid Renewable Transition – Too Fast and Furious?

China renewables

Ethan Forauer, ERS, for Zondits Over the last 2 years, China has proven to be a respectable player in the global renewable energy arena, smashing solar and wind installation targets by several orders of magnitude. In fact, in 2015, China set a world record for the most solar capacity installed in a single year. In … Read more

New York Proposes to a Develop 2,400 MW Offshore Wind Farm

offshore wind offshore wind farm

New York seeks to develop U.S.’s biggest offshore wind projects Reuters, January 12, 2017 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo this week proposed to develop up to 2,400 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind power by 2030 capable of powering 1.25 million homes as the state seeks to lead the nation in renewable energy production. The offshore … Read more

Arizona Regulators Vote to Replace Net Metering with a Wholesale Rate

utilities-chp-charges net metering

Arizona solar industry hinges on imminent grandfathering decision PV Tech, January 10, 2017 The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) will decide either Tuesday or Wednesday whether to amend its recent decision on grandfathering, to alter the timing when consumers will be grandfathered under pre-existing rules. The decision will have a significant impact on the future of … Read more

The Transition to a Low-Carbon Future Post-Election

States, Power Companies Lead in Cutting Carbon; Election Not Slowing Expected 2017 Progress EDF, January 10, 2017 2016 was a big year for progress in the U.S. power sector. Renewable energy sources provided 16.9 percent of the country’s electricity in the first half of 2016, up from 13.7 percent for all of 2015. The country’s first offshore wind farm opened … Read more

Modernizing Iowa’s Electric Power Grid

Iowa’s new energy plan: More renewable energy, stronger power grid The Des Moines Register, December 21, 2016 Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds released the broad energy report Wednesday that looks at Iowa’s energy needs over the next decade. It provided 45 recommendations ranging from modernizing the state’s electric power grid to improving state tax credits for … Read more

New England’s Largest Battery Project Aids Grid Stabilization

electrification

Lisa Markowski, ERS, for Zondits New England’s largest state is also home to its largest battery storage project, which began operation in December 2016 at the Wyman Energy Center in Yarmouth, Maine. This supersized battery, which consists of eight individual battery units (each the size of a freight container), holds a total of 1,300 lithium … Read more

Energy Investments Get Results

investment

Clean Energy Investments Pay Off Big Time, New Study Shows NRDC, November 15, 2016 Some have contended that driving down climate-altering carbon pollution inevitably means hefty cost penalties for utility customers, as renewable energy and energy efficiency replace fossil-fueled power plants (many on the verge of extreme old age), but my former NRDC colleague Sierra … Read more

Quidnet Energy’s Plans to Store Energy Underground

A Texas startup’s big energy idea: storing electricity underground The Guardian, August 25, 2016 In a field in Central Texas, Aaron Mandell and his crew are running pumping equipment to bring a former oil and gas well back to life. But they’re not trying to extract black gold. Instead, they are developing a way to … Read more

Renewables Outrun Coal as Largest Global Energy Source in 2015

Renewables surged past coal in 2015 to become world’s biggest source of electricity: IEA CNBC, October 25, 2016 Renewable energy moved past coal in 2015 to become the biggest source of global electricity capacity, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Tuesday. Last year “marked a turning point for renewables” the body said, with clean … Read more

The Massive Potential to Increase Renewable Energy in Cities

energy-efficient-city renewable energy in cities

Hundreds Of Cities Have Cost-Effective Opportunities To Boost Renewable Energy Use Clean Technica, October 20, 2016 A new report estimating energy usage in 3,649 cities has found that, while there is no one-size-fits-all solution, every city nevertheless has massive potential to cost-effectively increase the use of renewable energy at a local level. Published on the … Read more