Brazil Auction Rules May Boost Price of Wind Power 15%
Prices for wind energy in Brazil, currently the lowest in the world, may rise at least 15 percent due to government policies designed to make the nation's power grid more reliable.
Moniz Unanimously Confirmed As New DOE Chief
Ernie Moniz has been unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the next Secretary of Energy, in a 97-0 vote (with three nonvoters). He succeeds Stephen Chu who held the position for four years.
Ireland Keen to Hit 2030 Renewable Targets, Says EU Ambassador
Irish Ambassador to the European Union Tom Hanney is in the throes of a six month stint at the heart of decision making in Brussels, as Ireland currently holds the EU Presidency. The Deputy Permanent Representative says holding the Presidency is "a marathon, from January to June."
The Economic Case for Divesting from Fossil Fuels
Securities of fossil fuels firms, as an economic sector, may soon be on the decline.
Suzlon Energy No Longer Top Indian Wind Turbine Supplier
Suzlon Energy Ltd. ceded its position as India's top wind-turbine supplier in the year ended March 31 for the first time in at least a decade, according to figures from an industry group.
Connecticut Seeks to Literally Water Down its RPS, Could it Happen in Your Region?
Since I live in New Hampshire and write about the global renewable energy industry, once in a while small local news that might appear to be of minor importance to my neighbors leaps out at me as something that could end up having a huge impact on the renewable energy industry.
Two Conversations the Wind Energy Industry Must Own, And Soon
One of the strongest messages that came out of this week's AWEA Windpower event in Chicago was the urgent need for more unity in the wind industry's message, delivered to and embracing everyone from legislators to the finance community to the general public. And two key parts of that unified front, agreed multiple speakers, must be underscoring the wind industry's true "clean" position vs. other energy sources, and mending fences and reestablishing ties between the wind and environmental communities.
With More Wind Energy, PJM Could Save Customers $7 Billion per Year
The PJM Interconnection could save its customers $6.9 billion if it more than doubled the amount of wind energy it currently plans to build. This is according to a study by Americans for a Clean Energy Grid and Synapse Energy Economics.
Europe Sinks Its Flagship Carbon Trading Scheme
All German Chancellor Angela Merkel had to do was pick up the phone and dial her people in Brussels. Had she done so before the European Parliament's (EP) key vote last month on April 19, her party's representatives could easily have saved the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), Europe's flagship mechanism for reducing carbon emissions. But the woman once hailed as "the climate chancellor," didn't make the call, a consequence of differences of opinion on the ETS within her ruling center-right coalition, she said. The impotent ETS is now withering on the vine, where it may remain until it is dead altogether.
Buffett’s MidAmerican Plans $1.9 Billion of Wind Farms in Iowa
A unit of Warren Buffett's MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co. plans to invest $1.9 billion to build additional wind farms in Iowa that would increase its wind generating capacity in the state by about half.
German Scientists Use Offshore Wind Farms to Replenish Lobsters
German scientists are betting that offshore wind farms can help replenish the North Sea's fledgling lobster population.
Beyond the PTC – Wind Energy’s Future
At Wind Power 2013, the big question on many minds in the wind industry is what will the market look like if and when the production tax credit expires? Wind power experts tried to answer that question at the event held in Chicago this week.
Microgrids: Coming or No?
You know that experience, when you buy a new car, and suddenly you see the model everywhere? Since Superstorm Sandy I’ve had the equivalent experience with the term ‘microgrid.’ Policymakers and thought leaders in the U.S. Northeast started talking microgrid in earnest shortly after the October 2012 storm leveled swaths of their region. Lately, the
Russian Renewable Energy Law Could Significantly Boost Clean Energy But Obstacles Remain
Hopes for Renewable Energy Source Development Measures (RESDM) in Russia's renewable power sector are high: if adopted and properly implemented, it will boost the renewable sector that is plagued with underfunding, often differing regional and federal legislation, other short-comings or simple ineffectiveness.
Brazil May Favor Gas Over Wind to Fulfill World Cup Energy Demand
Brazil, the second-biggest producer of hydroelectricity, is seeking to increase the use of fossil fuels after the worst drought in 50 years depleted reservoirs, underscoring a limit to renewable energy.
New AWEA Leadership Urges Strategy, Unity for US Wind Industry
Kicking off the AWEA Windpower 2013 event in Chicago, the new leadership of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) took to the stage and underscored a five-point plan to build a viable and sustainable industry centered around developing a unified message backed by personal contributions.
Fforde on Feed-in Tariffs: Literary Use of "Feed-in Tariffs" Comes of Age
Feed-in tariffs, the terminology at least, has come of age. The term can now be found in a prolific English novelist's most recent book. Jasper Fforde's use of the words in fiction is an open acknowledgment that the term and the idea it conveys have become mainstream in the English language.
GE Contracts 1 GW of Wind Turbines Post-PTC Extension
After the extension of the Production Tax Credit on January 1, 2013, GE (NYSE: GE)'s renewable energy unit said it has signed 1 GW of U.S. wind turbine orders as of May 6. GE also debuted its newest wind turbine product during the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)'s Windpower 2013 conference and exhibition in Chicago.
EU Debate Over Climate Change Policy Could Dampen Renewable Energy Growth
Europe's program to halt climate change is in disarray with lawmakers in the region expressing concern the drift is undermining the planet's most significant effort to combat global warming.
Ten Clean Energy Stocks for 2013: April Update
While the sun was shining on most clean energy stocks in April, my ten clean energy picks for 2013 (introduced here) got relative showers. The Powershares Wilderhill Clean Energy Index (PBW) was up a sunny 14.1% for April to 19.6% for the year, rising quickly past my picks, which inched up a relatively meager 0.7% to 7.5% for the year so far. Meanwhile, the broad universe of small stocks gained 2.6% for a year to date gain of 15.1%, as measured by my benchmark the iShares Russell 2000 Index (IWM).
