Energize Weekly, May 13, 2020 A new front was opened last week in the battle between Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and some of its electric cooperatives, as United Power, its largest member, filed a complaint in a Colorado district court charging subterfuge and breach of contract. Meanwhile on May…
Wind power, a growing source of electricity in the U.S., faces an uncertain future
Energize Weekly, April 29, 2020 Wind power led in electricity generation installations in 2019, and this year is showing signs of becoming a bigger source of energy, according to several studies. Still, uncertainty about the economy and supply chains as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic is making the sector’s…
Coronavirus pandemic rattles energy markets from oil to wind to energy storage
Energize Weekly, April 22, 2020 Pandemic and recession are rippling through almost every corner of the energy sector from oil companies to wind, solar and energy storage manufacturers. “Over half the world’s population is now under lockdown, as demand for power drops and the risk of global recession grows,” according…
Solar industry catches a bad case of the coronavirus as supply and demand both fall
Energize Weekly, March 25, 2020 The solar industry has caught a case of the coronavirus with the symptoms being a supply chain slowdown and a drop in demand for solar projects. With China manufacturing 70 percent of the world’s solar panels, the emergence of the disease there and the aggressive…
Energy a big focus for Virginia legislature which passes sweeping clean energy bill
Energize Weekly, February 26, 2020 The Virginia legislature, on a pair of razor-thin votes, has passed a sweeping energy bill that will bolster renewable generation, energy storage and efforts to set a carbon dioxide cap and trade program. While the Clean Economy Act was the most far-reaching and visible piece…
Global carbon emissions flat in 2019 as the U.S. leads the way in CO2 cuts
Energize Weekly, February 19, 2020 Global carbon emissions slowed in 2019 after two years of growth as increases in developing nations were offset by a sharp drop in power sector emissions in developed countries led by the U.S., according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The worldwide emissions of carbon…
New York States seeks to develop another 1 GW to 2.5 GW of new offshore wind power
Energize Weekly, February 12, 2020 New York State energy officials have filed a petition with state regulators to begin the process to develop 1 gigawatt (GW) to 2.5 GW of new offshore wind projects. This follows on the award in July 2019 of two contracts for 1.7 GW in offshore…
Renewables poised to overtake coal and nuclear power in 2021, natural gas in 2045
Energize Weekly, February 12, 2020 Renewables are set to overtake both coal-fired and nuclear generation by 2021 and natural gas-fired generation by 2045, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Wind and solar are leading the surge in renewable generation, which EIA says will account for 21 percent of…
Evergy sets goal of 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions and an increase in wind power
Energize Weekly, February 12, 2020 Evergy Inc., which serves Kansas and Missouri, has set a goal of reducing its carbon emissions by 80 percent from 2005 levels by 2050 and announced plans to add 660 megawatts (MW) of wind power. The company said that it will reach a 40 percent…
U.S. posts a record for wind installations in Q4 2019 led by Texas and Iowa projects
Energize Weekly, February 5, 2020 The U.S. wind industry finished 2019 in a flurry with the busiest fourth quarter on record as 5,476 megawatts (MW) of capacity were installed, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). The late push made 2019 the third busiest year for wind turbine installations…
India moves into top spot for clean energy investment among emerging markets, BNEF says
Energize Weekly, January 29, 2020 India is moving to the top as an emerging-market destination for clean energy investment, followed by Chile and Brazil, while China, long the biggest market, slips to fourth, according to an analysis by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). Bloomberg’s Climatescope evaluated countries based on market…
Oil companies need to investment more in the global energy transition, IEA says
Energize Weekly, January 29, 2020 The oil and gas industry needs to be major player in the global transition to cleaner energy, in part to maintain its social license to operate, but barely 1 percent of its capital investment is going to alternative technologies, according to the International Energy Agency…
Investments in U.S. offshore wind could outstrip offshore oil by mid-2020s, Rystad says
Energize Weekly, January 29, 2020 Annual investment in U.S. offshore wind – based on projects in the pipeline – could reach $15 billion by the mid-2020s, surpassing offshore oil and gas capital expenditures, according to Rystad Energy. Rystad Energy, an Oslo-based energy consultant, called the trend “a truly remarkable development.”…
U.S. sets a renewable investment record as global investment stalls, BNEF says
Energize Weekly, January 22, 2020 U.S. renewable energy investment surged in 2019 to a record $55.5 billion, a 28 percent year-on-year increase, helping global renewable energy investment post a modest 1 percent rise to $282.2 billion, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). Investment in China, the world’s largest renewable…
Tri-State clean energy plan includes 1 GW of utility-scale solar, more local co-op projects
Energize Weekly, January 22, 2020 Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, the wholesale power provider for 43 Western electric cooperatives, said it will add 1 gigawatt (GW) of solar generation and open the way for its co-ops to add more of their own renewables. Under Tri-State’s “Responsible Energy Plan,” the association…
Aging grid challenged by shift to renewable and natural gas generation, ScottMadden says
Energize Weekly, January 22, 2020 The aging U.S. electrical grid is facing challenges from just-in-time natural gas plant fueling and a growing demand for renewable generation, which it will not be able to meet without new investment and policies, according to a study by business consultant ScottMadden Inc. “The grid…
Denmark, Germany and Spain move closer to 50 percent renewable electricity generation
Energize Weekly, January 15, 2020 In 2019, three European countries – Denmark, Germany and Spain –were all closing in on getting 50 percent of their electricity from renewable sources. Wind power provided more than 47 percent of the electricity in Denmark, and solar bumped the total from renewable sources to…
Global energy consumption set to rise 50 percent by 2050 led by rapid growth in Asia, EIA says
Energize Weekly, January 8, 2020 Global energy consumption is projected to grow 50 percent between 2018 and 2050, spurred by a rising demand for energy in Asia and a sharp growth in electricity as a key energy source, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). In its annual International…
U.S. onshore wind generating capacity hits 100 GW, a flurry of year-end projects underway
Energize Weekly, December 18, 2019 Onshore wind generating capacity in the U.S. reached 100 gigawatts (GW) at the end of September 2019, according to the federal Energy Information Administration (EIA). More than half the capacity has been installed since 2012. The oldest wind turbines still operating in the U.S. date…
Trump administration disputes claim solar tariffs led to slower job growth and investment
Energize Weekly, December 11, 2019 The Trump administration’s tariffs on solar cells has blunted the growth in jobs, investment and generating capacity, according to a report by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). The analysis calculated that the industry has forgone 62,000 jobs, $19 billion in lost investment and missed…
NV Energy gets the green light for 1.2 GW of new solar with storage in Nevada
Energize Weekly, December 11,2019 NV Energy has received the go-ahead from Nevada state regulators for 1,190 megawatts (MW) of new solar renewable energy twinned with 590 MW of energy storage. The new capacity – solar and storage – will be in three projects located in southern Nevada and are set…
Companies join global effort to set science-based emission targets for their operations
Energize Weekly, December 11, 2019 Nearly 700 companies around the world are moving to adopt “science-based targets” for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions with 40 percent already having plans in place, according to the non-profit and governmental groups sponsoring the initiative. The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) – a collaboration…
Clean energy investment in the developing world dropped in 2018, led by China downturn
Energize Weekly, December 4, 2019 Clean energy investment in developing countries dropped by more than 20 percent in 2018 to $133 billion, while coal-fired generation surged, according to a Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) survey. “Both suggest that despite considerable recent progress, developing countries’ power sector CO2 emissions are rising…
New York City’s largest solar array will be built at JFK airport by SunPower
Energize Weekly, November 27, 2019 New York City’s biggest solar array will be built at the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) – a 13-megawatt (MW) array with 7.5 MW of battery storage, the New York Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced Nov. 18. The project will…
Bonds and credit instruments for green and sustainable projects reach $1 trillion in 2019
Energize Weekly, November 27, 2019 Debt instruments fostering sustainable projects and development reached $1 trillion in 2019 – with more than 30 percent of those loans coming this year, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). “Reaching the trillion dollar milestone is a key moment for the sustainable debt market…
Wind speeds increased 7 percent in the last decade giving a boost to wind power, study says
Energize Weekly, November 27, 2019 Wind speeds in the mid-latitudes have increased 7 percent since 2010, a welcomed boost for the wind power business, according to an international team of researchers. Based on the increase in wind speed, the researchers calculated that a typical wind turbine receiving the global average…
Cost for wind and solar generation continues to fall, but more slowly in 2019, Lazard says
Energize Weekly, November 20, 2019 The cost of wind and solar generation continues to fall, though at a slower rate, and they are becoming competitive even without subsidies under “certain circumstances,” according to the financial consultant Lazard’s annual costs analysis. The Lazard “levelized cost of energy” (LCOE) analysis covers eight…
Coal-fired generation set to grow over the next 10 years despite the rise in renewables
Energize Weekly, November 20, 2019 Coal – despite the rapid growth in renewable and natural gas generation – still accounts for the majority of the world’s electricity and is projected to increase at a compounded annual rate of 1.1 percent through 2030 to 2,345 gigawatts (GW), according to analytics consultant…
A third of U.S. population lives in jurisdictions with 100 percent clean energy laws or goals
Energize Weekly, November 20, 2019 While federal clean energy policy has stalled, local governments are pushing forward, and more than a third of the U.S. population lives in jurisdictions – states, districts, territories, counties and cities – with 100 percent clean electricity goals. “A growing number of cities are choosing…
Climate and energy policies around the world are falling short in meeting goals, IEA says
Energize Weekly, November 20, 2019 Even if all the commitments made by countries to cut carbon emissions and provide dependable energy were enacted, the world would still fall far short of having clean, reliable energy in 2040, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The IEA placed all those emission and energy…
Invenergy’s planned Rhode Island natural gas plant lost out to renewables and energy efficiency
Energize Weekly, November 13, 2019 Invenergy’s proposed, large-scale, natural gas-fired power plant in Rhode Island was undone by delays that enabled renewable power and market efficiencies to overtake the project, according to state regulators. In August, the Rhode Island Energy Siting Board voted to deny Invenergy a permit for the…
Lithium chemical glut may turn into a pinched market by 2025, Bloomberg analysis says
Energize Weekly, November 6, 2019 The battery demand for lithium chemicals – now in the doldrums – could reach 700,000 metric tons by 2025 and along with 300,000 metric tons for non-battery uses, making for a tight market, according to a Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) analysis. Lithium prices have…
Global renewable energy set to increase 50 percent in next five years led by solar
Energize Weekly, October 30, 2019 The world’s total renewable generation is set to grow by 50 percent or 1,200 gigawatts (GW) between 2019 and 2024 driven by solar installations, according to an International Energy Agency (IEA) market report. Photovoltaic (PV) solar is projected to account for 60 percent of the…
Indiana electric customers could save $12 billion with a ‘fast transition’ to renewables
Energize Weekly, October 30, 2019 Indiana electric customers could save $12 billion if the state’s utilities moved directly to renewable generation and skipped the strategy of using natural gas-fired plants as a bridge, according to a report to the task force developing a statewide energy plan. The report, done for…
Dominion Energy wins approvals for first offshore wind project on the Virginia coast
Energize Weekly, October 23, 2019 Dominion Energy has received approvals from federal regulators for the design and installation of its 12-megawatt (MW) Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) development, making it the first U.S. project to receive these permits. The project is being developed in cooperation with Ørsted, Denmark’s largest energy…
Midwest U.S. could see a surge in solar installation in the next 10 years, Fitch says
Energize Weekly, October 23, 2019 The Midwest could see a surge in solar installations with 100 gigwatts (GW) of capacity being added in the next 10 years, according to management consultant Fitch Solutions Macro Research. Fitch noted that there are already 546 proposed utility-scale projects with a total capacity of…
Retail sales of renewable energy through green power markets up 20 percent in 2018
Energize Weekly, October 16, 2019 Retail electricity purchases of renewable energy through green power markets rose 20 percent in 2018 to 134 million megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy compared to 2017, according a federal National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) market trends report. The number of customers participating in these markets also…
New England must increase renewables deployment almost eightfold to meet 2050 target
Energize Weekly, October 16, 2019 New England will have to increase the pace of renewable energy generation installations by four to eight times to meet 2050 goals to cut carbon emissions, according to a study by the Brattle Group, an economic and regulatory consultant. The region has a goal, as…
Municipal power agency to buy electricity from $80 million solar farm in rural Utah
Energize Weekly, October 9, 2019 Utah Municipal Power Agency (UMPA) has entered into an agreement with Salt Lake City-based sPower for the development of an $80 million solar facility in rural Juab County. The 80-megawatt (MW) Clover Creek Solar project will be located on a 560-acre site on the west…
Renewable generation to provide 50 percent of the world’s electricity by 2050, EIA says
Energize Weekly, October 9, 2019 The total share of electricity provided worldwide by renewable generation is projected to grow to nearly 50 percent in 2050, compared to a 28 percent share in 2018, according to the federal Energy Information Administration (EIA). The bulk of that energy will be provided by…
PacifiCorp to close 20 of 24 coal plants by 2038 and invest in wind, solar and storage
Energize Weekly, October 9, 2019 PacifiCorp unveiled a new resource plan that takes a sharp turn away from coal-fired plants toward renewable generation – closing 20 of its 24 coal units by 2038 and adding 8,300 megawatts (MW) of wind and solar. Portland, Ore.-based PacifiCorp, which serves 1.6 million people…
Dominion Energy plans a $7.8 billion wind farm, largest in the U.S., on the Virginia coast
Energize Weekly, October 2, 2019 Dominion Energy is proposing to build the largest offshore wind farm in the U.S. – a $7.8 billion, 2,600-megawatt (MW) project – off the Virginia coast. The utility has already filed an application with PJM Interconnection, the regional grid that covers all or parts of…
The longevity of wind projects is growing and with it, the economic competitivity of wind power
Energize Weekly, October 2, 2019 The operating life span for U.S. wind farms has increased by more than a third to 30 years in the last two decades, according to a survey and analysis by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The increasing lifetime of the wind projects is improving the…
EIA forecasts a 50 percent increase in energy demand by 2050 driven by Asian economies
Energize Weekly, October 2, 2019 World energy consumption is projected to grow by 50 percent by 2050, with most of that demand coming from growing Asian economies, according to the federal Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) International Energy Outlook. “Energy consumption was greater in Asia than in any other region in…
U.S. wind industry manufacturing and supply chain will face challenges in the 2020s, DOE says
Energize Weekly, September 25, 2019 The U.S. wind industry has a strong supply chain, a solid investment pipeline and growing employment, but could face a downturn in the 2020s from natural gas, low growth in electricity demand and the loss of federal tax incentives, according to a U.S. Department of…
Rooftop solar could meet a quarter of the European Union’s electricity demand, study says
Energize Weekly, September 18, 2019 Rooftop solar arrays could economically provide a quarter of the electricity currently being consumed by European Union (EU) countries, according to a study by the EU’s Joint Research Centre. The researchers used satellite-based geospatial data to calculate the available roof space in the EU –…
Global wind turbine orders set a record in Q2 2019 led by U.S. and Chinese markets
Energize Weekly, September 11, 2019 Global wind turbine orders in the second quarter of 2019 were 111 percent year-over-year to 31 gigawatts (GW) of capacity and set a new quarterly record, according to industry analyst Wood Mackenzie. The 31 GW of orders easily outstripped the previous record of 13.2 GW…
Hawaiian Electric seeks 900 MW of renewable energy projects
Energize Weekly, September 4, 2019 The Hawaiian Electric Company has issued a call for more than 900 megawatts (MW) of renewable generation projects – one of the largest procurements ever undertaken by a U.S. utility, the company said. The bid proposal calls for 594 MW of solar for Oahu, 135…
TVA approves $10.6 billion budget and a plan to add up to 14 GW of solar power by 2038
Energize Weekly, August 28, 2019 The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) board of directors at their August meeting approved a $10.6 billion budget for 2020 and a resource plan that could include up to 14 gigawatts (GW) of new solar capacity by 2038. The TVA, a federal agency, provides electricity to…
Solar cell imports to the U.S. rebound from tariffs in the first quarter of 2019
Energize Weekly, August 21, 2019 Imports of silicon solar cells and modules rebounded in the first quarter of 2019 after a sharp drop when the Trump administration announced it would impose tariffs on them in January 2018. Photovoltaic (PV) module imports averaged 644,000 kilowatts (kW) a month in the first…