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SFCE Jוךט 29
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Renewable Energy Delivers 70% of New Generating Capacity in First Half of 2015
Jul 27, 2015 | The Energy Collective
By Tom Schueneman
According to the recently released Energy Infrastructure Update from the Office of Energy Projects at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), renewable energy sources accounted for 69.75 percent of new electrical generation placed into service in the first six months of 2015.* -
China 2020 Solar Energy Target = 200 Gigawatts (Rumor)
Jul 26, 2015 | Clean Technica
By Anand Upadhyay
While I’m sure it does not match up to the glory of 8 on the luckiness index, the number 13 is considered quite lucky in China. In Mandarin, “13” is pronounced as “shisan,” which can mean “definitely vibrant” or “assured growth.” And vibrant is exactly how one would describe China’s solar market. But does the sector has “assured growth?” -
U.S., Others Said ‘on Track’ for 2020 Climate Pledges
Jul 29, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Dean Scott
The U.S., China, the European Union, and many of the world's other top carbon emitters headed into end-of-year talks toward a final global climate accord “appear to be on track” to meet their 2020 pledges to cut or slow the growth of their emissions, the Congressional Research Service said in a report released July 28. -
Germany Breaks a Renewable Energy Record
Jul 28, 2015 | Takepart
By Emily J. Gertz
Germany’s transition from coal- and oil-fired power to carbon-free electricity hit a new milestone on July 25, when solar, wind, and other sources of renewable energy met 78 percent of the day’s energy demand. That beat the old record of 74 percent, made in May 2014, according to Craig Morris... -
Solar Could Be First Energy To Be Free Of Subsidy In UK
Jul 24, 2015 | Clean Technica
By Joshua S Hill
A new report claiming to be the “most authoritative report to date on the future of solar” in the UK has concluded that solar could be the first renewable technology to be free of subsidy. The report follows in the wake of several moves by the UK Government to remove solar and wind from accessing the country’s Renewable Obligation financial... -
Prices to give clean energy 'substantial' NSW boost, Infigen CEO Miles George says
Jul 29, 2015 | Financial Reivew
By Angela Macdonald-Smith
NSW is lagging behind the pack on renewable energy but the pricing signals are building for some action on new projects within the next two years, says Infigen Energy chief executive Miles George. A government supportive of wind energy, and plenty of capacity in the system to back up the fuel... -
Obama administration expands access to affordable solar power
Jul 28, 2015 | Brookings
By Jack Karsten and Darrell M. West
Recent announcements on climate change – made everywhere from Vatican City to China to Brazil and the United States – have bolstered global discussion of alternative energy. President Obama, coming off the joint agreement with Brazil to convert 20 percent of total electricity to renewables by 2030, took another step in the path towards... -
Hillary Clinton Outlines 'Bold' Climate Change Proposals
Jul 27, 2015 | Bloomberg Politics
By Jennifer Epstein
Hillary Clinton on Sunday set two "bold national goals" to combat climate change, promising that if she's elected president, she would set the United States on a path toward producing enough clean renewable energy to power every home in America within a decade. -
Congestion Knocks Solar Power Off Grid in China
Jul 29, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
China halted power flows from solar panels for the first time as congestion on its electrical grid prevented renewable energy from reaching customers. About 9 percent of the nation's solar capacity sat idle in the first six months of the year, according to data from the National Energy Administration released July 28. -
SolarCity to Offer Panels to Small Business Market
Jul 29, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Christopher Martin
SolarCity Corp. is offering rooftop power systems to small and mid-size businesses, a market the biggest U.S. residential solar installer said is underserved. -
More Idled Wind Turbines in China as Capacity Grow
Jul 29, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
The number of wind turbines in China sitting idle rose in the six months through June for the first time in three years, even as the country continued to add capacity. The rate of idled turbines was, on average, 15.2 percent in the first half, according to data from the National Energy Administration. -
Meet the Mega-Structure That Sucks CO2 Emissions Out of Thin Air
Jul 27, 2015 | GOOD
By Rafi Schwartz
Unchecked carbon emissions are some of the worst culprits when it comes to damaging our planet’s fragile ecosystem. Unfortunately, carbon emissions are also something of an unavoidable fact of life in our highly-mechanized, industrial-driven world. Of course, great strides have been made in regulating and reducing the overall
Industry News
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Renewable Energy Delivers 70% of New Generating Capacity in First Half of 2015
Jul 27, 2015 | The Energy Collective
By Tom Schueneman
According to the recently released Energy Infrastructure Update from the Office of Energy Projects at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), renewable energy sources accounted for 69.75 percent of new electrical generation placed into service in the first six months of 2015.*
Wind provided more than half (50.64 percent) of all new capacity, or 1,969 megawatts (MW) thus far this year from 18 generating “units.” Solar followed with 549 MW (71 units), biomass with 128 MW (7 units), geothermal steam with 45 MW (1 unit), and hydropower with 21 MW (1 unit).
Twenty-one units of natural gas contributed 1,173 MW and one unit of coal provided just 3 MW of new generating capacity. For the first half of 2015, new generating capacity from renewable energy sources was 904 times greater than that from coal and more than double that from natural gas. To date, no new capacity came from either nuclear or oil.
For the month of June, wind, biomass, and solar provided 97 percent of new capacity with 320 MW, 95 MW and 62 MW respectively. Natural gas brought 15 MW of online in June.
The trend continues with renewable energy now accounting for 17.27 percent of total installed operating generating capacity in the U.S.: water – 8.61%, wind – 5.84%, biomass – 1.40%, solar – 1.08%, and geothermal steam – 0.34% (for comparison, renewables were 16.28% of capacity in June 2014 and 15.81% in June 2013).
Renewable electrical capacity is now greater than that of nuclear (9.20%) and oil (3.87%) combined. In fact, the installed capacity of wind power alone has now surpassed that of oil. On the other hand, generating capacity from coal has declined from 28.96% in mid-2013 to 26.83% today. **
“With Congress now debating whether to extend the federal tax incentives for renewable energy sources, it is reasonable to ask whether the American public has gotten a good return on these investments to date,” noted Ken Bossong, Executive Director of the SUN DAY Campaign. “The latest FERC data confirms that the answer is a resounding ‘Yes!’.”
* See the tables titled “New Generation In-Service (New Build and Expansion)” and “Total Installed Operating Generating Capacity”
** Note that generating capacity is not the same as actual generation. Electrical production per MW of available capacity (i.e., capacity factor) for renewables is often lower than that for fossil fuels and nuclear power. According to the most recent data (i.e., as of April 2015) provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, actual net electrical generation from renewable energy sources now totals about 14.6% of total U.S. electrical production (see: http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly); however, this figure almost certainly understates renewables’ actual contribution significantly because neither EIA nor FERC fully accounts for all electricity generated by distributed renewable energy sources (e.g., uncounted rooftop solar now provides about 45% of U.S. solar capacity).
Link: http://www.theenergycollective.com/globalwarmingisreal/2253032/renewable-energy-delivers-70-percent-new-generating-capacity-first-half-
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China 2020 Solar Energy Target = 200 Gigawatts (Rumor)
Jul 26, 2015 | Clean Technica
By Anand Upadhyay
While I’m sure it does not match up to the glory of 8 on the luckiness index, the number 13 is considered quite lucky in China. In Mandarin, “13” is pronounced as “shisan,” which can mean “definitely vibrant” or “assured growth.”
And vibrant is exactly how one would describe China’s solar market. But does the sector has “assured growth?” You bet.
Image Credit: China Solar Cells via Wikimedia Commons
PV Magazine recently reported that China, as part of its 13th five-year plan, is considering a solar target of 200 GW by 2020. If you have been following recent reports, that’s the milestone globally installed solar PV capacity is expected to cross in the (very) near future.
In 2009, while drafting its 12th five-year plan, China had envisioned a solar goal of 5 GW. That too by 2015. And we all know how that went!
Following several rounds of revisions, the target for the 12th plan was finally hiked to 35 GW. However, by the end of Q1’15, China’s total cumulative solar power capacity had already reached 33.12 GW.
With the annual target for 2015 set at 17.8 GW, the question to ask is not whether China will meet its current five-year goal, but by how much it will exceed it.
China is expected to cross 45 GW — 20% higher than its national target — and overtake Germany (in terms of installed capacity) in the process by this year’s end.
Coming back to the 13th five-year plan, China’s National Energy Administration (NEA), which is the nodal government agency in the matters of energy policy, has chalked out a 100 GW target for solar PV by 2020.
However, it is widely speculated that when the plan is actually announced, this would be raised to an optimistic 200 GW.
A recent study published by Energy Research Institute and the State Grid Energy Research Institute expects that, under a high-penetration scenario, renewables will meet 57% of its power needs in 2030, growing to 86% renewables by 2050, all at the same time as China’s economy grows sevenfold.
The report forecasts that solar power in China will reach a capacity of 157 GW by 2020, and cross 1000 GW by 2030.
Let’s say China reaches 45 GW by the end of 2015. The country would still need to install more than 30 GW of PV capacity each year. Apart from the investment of $30–35 billion per year, this would require vast tracts of suitable land and rooftops and sorting out its grid infrastructure woes. NEA is expected to submit its revised plan to the state council next month. We will keep you posted.
Link: http://cleantechnica.com/2015/07/26/china-2020-solar-energy-target-200-gigawatts-rumor/
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U.S., Others Said ‘on Track’ for 2020 Climate Pledges
Jul 29, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Dean Scott
The U.S., China, the European Union, and many of the world's other top carbon emitters headed into end-of-year talks toward a final global climate accord “appear to be on track” to meet their 2020 pledges to cut or slow the growth of their emissions, the Congressional Research Service said in a report released July 28.
Many of the those nations, including the U.S. and China, put 2020 pledges on the table in the run-up to the 2009 Copenhagen climate summit, although those talks fell short of producing a global deal to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Among the nations falling short of their 2020 offers are Canada, Indonesia, Mexico and South Korea, according to the CRS report, “Greenhouse Gas Pledges by Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.”
Countries on track to meet their 2020 offers include Australia, Brazil, Japan and Russia, according to the CRS report.
Countries now essentially are updating their 2020 pledges to cover post-2020 emissions in hopes of getting international agreement on the climate deal at the UN climate summit in Paris, scheduled for Nov. 30–Dec. 11. If reached, the international climate deal would be the first to require actions from developed and developing nations alike.
The U.S. pledged to cut its emissions 17 percent by 2020 from 2005 levels; China's 2020 pledge was to cut the emissions intensity of its economy by 40 percent to 45 percent by that date, from 2005 levels.
Many countries have since offered more ambitious pledges to cut emissions by either 2025 or 2030 ahead of the Paris climate summit. For example, the U.S. and China jointly announced targets in November 2014 under which the U.S. would cut its emissions as much as 28 percent by 2025 from 2005 levels. China pledged its emissions will peak by 2030, and perhaps sooner, and will get 20 percent of its energy mix by that date from non-fossil fuels (219 DEN A-8, 11/13/14).
Link (subscription required): http://news.bna.com/deln/DELNWB/split_display.adp?fedfid=73450850&vname=dennotallissues&fn=73450850&jd=73450850
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Germany Breaks a Renewable Energy Record
Jul 28, 2015 | Takepart
By Emily J. Gertz
Germany’s transition from coal- and oil-fired power to carbon-free electricity hit a new milestone on July 25, when solar, wind, and other sources of renewable energy met 78 percent of the day’s energy demand.
That beat the old record of 74 percent, made in May 2014, according to Craig Morris, a journalist who has covered Germany’s energy scene for more than a decade.
Helping set the record was an unusual weather pattern that brought heavy winds to Germany, wrote Morris, where most of the nation's wind turbines are located. As the turbines generated more power, utilities ramped down coal- and gas-fired power plants.
But Morris found the power mix a few days earlier even more encouraging. During the night of July 22, even with darkness reducing solar output to zero and no big winds in the forecast, renewables—wind, biomass, and hydropower—generated nearly 25 percent of Germany’s electricity.
Morris found the energy data for both dates using an online tool sponsored by the Germany-based Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems.
Germany’s experience shows that solar and wind can keep the lights on in a highly industrialized nation, said Osha Gray Davidson, author of Clean Break, a book about Germany’s transition to carbon-free energy. “The key indicator is percentage of electricity produced by different sources—28 percent of Germany’s electricity comes from renewables annually,” said Davidson, “which is pretty amazing for large industrialized country.”
Germany is a model for the United States, he said, “because manufacturing accounts for much more of the German economy than the American economy, and they have 80 million people—much larger than a country like Denmark, which gets more of its power from renewables but has a much smaller industrial base, and has a population of five and a half million people.”
The U.S. currently obtains around 10 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.
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Solar Could Be First Energy To Be Free Of Subsidy In UK
Jul 24, 2015 | Clean Technica
By Joshua S Hill
A new report claiming to be the “most authoritative report to date on the future of solar” in the UK has concluded that solar could be the first renewable technology to be free of subsidy.
The report follows in the wake of several moves by the UK Government to remove solar and wind from accessing the country’s Renewable Obligation financial support subsidy. Following the re-election of the UK’s Conservative Party and Amber Rudd’s appointment to Energy and Climate Change Secretary, the Government announced its plans to cease allowing onshore wind farms access to the country’s main renewables subsidy scheme, which will begin August 1, 2016. A month later, the UK Government announced that it would begin consultations on possibly expanding the subsidy cuts to include solar, and accreditation changes to the Feed-in Tariff scheme.
In timely response, the Renewable Energy Association (REA), the largest renewable energy trade association in the UK, in conjunction with leading advisory firm KPMG, released its UK Solar Beyond Subsidy: The Transition report, which demonstrates — among other things — that solar PV’s popularity and increased deployment will help it to become the first renewable technology to achieve “grid parity”.
The cost of solar technology has been dropping considerably over the past decade, and the report models how solar would reach grid parity in the next five years. However, importantly, the report is also clear to detail the need for support to continue so that small and medium enterprises can continue to grow and reach grid parity themselves.
“We need to get to the low carbon economy in the most cost effective way, but to do that government and industry have to work together,” said Dr Nina Skorupska, Chief Executive of the REA. “Clear and stable policy leadership is vital, and as robust as solar is, it can still be held back just short of the finishing line by misguided government interventions.
“This report shows how close solar is to competing with traditional power generation, and with positive government decisions we can ensure the smooth transition from subsidy to business as usual”
The report provides three key recommendations: A national energy strategy is needed, incorporating energy storage alongside solar and giving a coherent overview of the grid.There is an opportunity to review the FiT and ensure tariffs are set at a level that allows acceptable returns and degressions are clearly set out.There needs to be a review of alternative ways to support the solar industry, including for example the tax regime and net-metering to allow a smooth transition away from subsidies.
Additionally, the authors of the report explain that “phasing out subsidies for PV requires a transition plan” to avoid the technology falling off the “cliff edge.” They suggest a five year transition plan the UK Government needs to consider rather than the immediate cessation currently under consultation. The authors of the report propose the following policy options: A combination of net-metering and enhanced building regulations in the residential sector. This would help to create demand for PV on both new build and retro-fit houses.An improved tax regime for nondomestic properties taking into account business rates, capital gains allowance and corporation tax alongside clear rules on required EPC ratings for leased properties would help drive growth in this sector.A strategy to transition and integrate PV into energy markets and distributed energy systems
“It is now time for the UK to capitalise on the subsidies paid so far and the deployment achieved, and start planning for the post parity world, so that the industry can avoid a potential ‘cliff edge’ phenomenon,” the authors conclude. “The 20GW scenario that we have considered provides the ongoing momentum to allow Government and industry to work together to achieve a plan for transition to the post subsidy world.”
However, despite the valid points put forward by the report, there is little hope. “My priorities are clear,” said Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd. “We need to keep bills as low as possible for hardworking families and businesses while reducing our emissions in the most cost-effective way.” She added that the UK’s “support has driven down the cost of renewable energy significantly. As costs continue to fall it becomes easier for parts of the renewables industry to survive without subsidies. We’re taking action to protect consumers, whilst protecting existing investment.” Responding to the Government’s consultation on the closure of the RO for solar, Nina Skorupska explained that “the industry is at a critical point as it seeks to reach grid-parity as quickly as possible yet retain the size and scale necessary to become a key contributor to the UK economy.”
Link: http://cleantechnica.com/2015/07/24/solar-first-renewable-energy-free-subsidy-uk/
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Prices to give clean energy 'substantial' NSW boost, Infigen CEO Miles George says
Jul 29, 2015 | Financial Reivew
By Angela Macdonald-Smith
NSW is lagging behind the pack on renewable energy but the pricing signals are building for some action on new projects within the next two years, says Infigen Energy chief executive Miles George.
A government supportive of wind energy, and plenty of capacity in the system to back up the fuel should also turn the tables around for the state, where renewable energy accounted for only about 7 per cent of electricity supply compared with 40 per cent in South Australia, Mr George told a conference in Sydney.
He said the surplus of large-scale renewable energy certificates that had stalled new projects should be "pretty much" eliminated by 2017, and this should prompt electricity retailers to start committing to new green-energy purchase contracts to meet their commitments under the renewable energy target legislation.
"Market prices have risen to the point where they are approaching what is required for new-build economics," he said.
Infigen has 300 megawatts of wind farms with planning approval in NSW among its development pipeline of 1200MW of wind and solar already with development sanctioned. Inking long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with retailers would allow some of those to go ahead.
In NSW, combined prices for forward electricity and large-scale renewable energy certificates, representing the revenue stream for a wind project, have risen to $97 to more than $100 a megawatt-hour. That signalled an opportunity for new ventures because the best wind projects could be built for $80/MWh, and "average" projects for $90-$100, Mr George said.
"What this means is that the spot and short-term forward markets are showing prices that if they were converted to contract prices – even with a discount for contracts which is the norm – prices are already indicating a signal that should result in some contracts becoming available," he said.
"We're not naive enough to think that there's going to be 20-year PPAs available next week, but we do think that in the next six-to-24-month period there will need to be a substantial amount of contracting and at tenors that will facilitate project financing for the wind farms and other renewables projects that are required to be built to meet the target."
As of the end of last year, NSW had just 450MW of installed wind power capacity, about a third of South Australia's total.
"South Australia has capitalised very well on the RET scheme and the much-needed renewable energy investment in regional areas that that's generated, while NSW has really failed to capture much of that investment at all," Mr George said.
NSW also has plenty of scope for earlier-stage projects that require pre-commercial funding, according to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.
The CEFC has identified $1 billion in investment opportunities within $4 billion of projects in NSW, several times more than the $130 million or so it has invested so far in the state, says the organisation's chief investment officer, Theodore Dow.
Mr Dow told the conference the government-funded organisation was in talks with several project proponents throughout NSW, "demonstrating the growth potential for the clean-energy sector in renewables, low emissions and energy-efficient technologies".
Link: http://www.afr.com/business/energy/electricity/prices-to-give-clean-energy-substantial-nsw-boost-infigen-ceo-miles-george-says-20150729-gimfor
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Obama administration expands access to affordable solar power
Jul 28, 2015 | Brookings
By Jack Karsten and Darrell M. West
Recent announcements on climate change – made everywhere from Vatican City to China to Brazil and the United States – have bolstered global discussion of alternative energy. President Obama, coming off the joint agreement with Brazil to convert 20 percent of total electricity to renewables by 2030, took another step in the path towards sustainability this month: the administration announced a new initiative to increase solar access for Americans of all income levels on July 7, 2015. The plan establishes the National Community Solar Partnership and sets a goal of 300 megawatts for renewable energy installations in federally subsidized housing. The Obama administration also announced $520 million in independent commitments toward community solar and solar development for low- and moderate- income households.
The international push toward renewable energy has encouraged industry growth both at home and abroad (see graph). In specific, the American solar industry made more than 195,000 installations in 2014, and now nearly 645,000 homes and businesses have installed solar power. Although these expansions have lowered installation costs by more than 73 percent since 2006 and residential costs by 45 percent since 2010, a distinct class divide persists with respect to solar accessibility.
A January 2015 report from the George Washington University Solar Institute found that households earning less than $40,000 of income per year constitute 40 percent of American households but less than 5 percent of solar installations. The report also indicates that solar power has the potential to “alleviate the financial burdens of lower income communities, but targeted policies will be necessary for solar to expand into this underserved market segment.”
In what seems like a direct response to such reports, the newly founded National Community Solar Partnership focuses specifically on the establishment of shared solar projects. These projects, affectionately termed ‘solar gardens,’ are designed to allow a larger demographic to enjoy the benefits of solar electricity consumption. Community solar enables customers to buy or lease a portion of a shared solar system and simply have their share of the electricity credited to their electricity bill. Currently, there are more than 100 community solar projects in 25 states and Washington, D.C., but this number has great potential for growth. Considering that 49 percent of households and 48 percent of businesses are unable to host a photovoltaic system by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) analysis, community solar projects could be an essential step towards the overall expansion of both solar and renewable energy.
Obama’s initiative identifies 260 solar energy projects planned to take place in more than 20 states; and, over the next two years, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Minnesota will install a majority of the shared solar projects. There will be much to learn from these case studies; the solar technology itself—as well as its implementation, management, and administration—will undoubtedly be improved upon in the coming years as experts learn from their mistakes and optimize their approaches. By building upon these lessons, the United States may set a global example in its commitments to nationwide sustainability and universal access to modern technology.
Link: http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/techtank/posts/2015/07/28-affordable-solar-power
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Hillary Clinton Outlines 'Bold' Climate Change Proposals
Jul 27, 2015 | Bloomberg Politics
By Jennifer Epstein
Hillary Clinton on Sunday set two "bold national goals" to combat climate change, promising that if she's elected president, she would set the United States on a path toward producing enough clean renewable energy to power every home in America within a decade.
She would also initiate a process that would bring the total number of solar panels installed nationwide to more than half a billion before the end of her first term, her campaign said in a fact sheet released Sunday as it also posted a video in which Clinton lays out her ambitions.
"We cannot wait any longer" to act on climate change, the Democratic front-runner says in the video. "It's time we stand for a healthier climate, stand for cleaner air, for science, for innovation, for our children, for reality, for the future."
Sunday's announcement and an accompanying speech set for Monday at the LEED Platinum-certified Des Moines Area Regional Transit Central Station are intended as a first step in framing Clinton's views on climate and energy issues. More details about her specific positions and policy areas not discussed will be unveiled in the coming months, the campaign said.
Clinton's unveiling of her big-picture views on renewable energy while visiting Iowa is no accident. The state produces nearly a quarter of the nation's ethanol and is building a growing number of wind farms. Twenty-eight percent of Iowa's power comes from wind, and the state trails only Texas in wind power production. The dominance of renewable energy industries in the state makes it a key political issue, one on which Clinton believes her views align not only with Democrats but with most voters.
In the video, Clinton hints at Republicans who, to varying degrees, deny the existence of climate change while the screen populates with quotes from former Florida Governor Jeb Bush ("I'm a skeptic. I'm not a scientist."), Kentucky Senator Rand Paul ("It's absolutely and utterly untrue.") and Donald Trump ("Hoax"), among others.
“Those people on the other side, they will answer any question about climate change by saying, 'I’m not a scientist,'" Clinton said Sunday while speaking at Iowa State University in Ames, before adding a laugh-line that she also uses in the video. "Well, I’m not a scientist either. I’m just a grandmother with two eyes and a brain."
If elected, Clinton would fight back against Republican efforts to demolish the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan, a set of regulations on greenhouse gas emissions expected to be finalized in the coming days or weeks. Those rules and others "set the floor, not the ceiling," the campaign said in its fact sheet, and Clinton would aim to encourage innovation with a Clean Energy Challenge for states, cities and rural communities to get federal support for clean energy programs.
Clinton supports extending and adding to existing tax credits to encourage the production and use of energy from renewable sources, as well as the expansion of the production and use of renewable energy on public lands and in federal buildings.
One concern that contributes to opposition—from Republicans and from some Democrats who represent coal country—to the expansion of the clean energy and the phasing out of the use of coal is what happens to all the people who work in the industry. But, Clinton said Sunday in Ames, she would focus resources on aiding regions already in decline because of the diminishing role of coal. “I will be very clear: I want to do more to help in coal country," she said.
About a dozen orange-shirted members of NextGen Climate Iowa, the state branch of the super-PAC founded and funded by billionaire investor and climate activist Tom Steyer, watched Clinton speak on Sunday and then waited in line to pose for a group photo with Clinton. Steyer is using his wealth to support candidates and groups that back his approach to climate change, and has already given the primary maximum $2,700 to Clinton and hosted a fundraiser for her at his San Francisco home.
On Friday, he said that candidates who he supports must have concrete plans for making clean energy at least half the overall power supply generated in the United States by 2030. Steyer is also opposed to the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
Clinton has repeatedly avoided taking a position on whether Keystone should be approved by the Obama administration, saying she wants to let the State Department-led process run its course without her interference. Others running for the Democratic presidential nomination, though, have been more clear, going right for the liberal activist base that has rallied against the project in what's become a symbolic fight for both sides. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley both say they're opposed to the pipeline and have attacked Clinton for not doing the same.
“I have helped lead the opposition against the Keystone pipeline,” Sanders told reporters earlier this month as Clinton visited Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill. “I don’t believe we should be excavating or transporting some of the dirtiest fuel on this planet. I think Secretary Clinton has not been clear on her views on that issue.”
O'Malley's campaign, meanwhile, prebutted Clinton's Sunday announcement with a memo on "what real climate leadership looks like" that recaps his opposition to Keystone and to offshore and Arctic drilling, as well as his proposals to create millions of jobs by boosting the clean energy industry.
The initial reaction from climate groups to Clinton's framework was positive. "“Secretary Clinton’s spot-on video makes it more clear than ever that she cares deeply about climate change and will make it a top priority throughout her campaign," League of Conservation Voters senior vice president for government affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld said in a statement. "Her goals of getting to 500 million solar panels by 2020 and ensuring that we are producing enough renewable energy to power every home in America in ten years display the kind of leadership we need to ensure that our nation leads the world in building a clean energy economy."
Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-07-26/hillary-clinton-announces-renewable-energy-goals
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Congestion Knocks Solar Power Off Grid in China
Jul 29, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
China halted power flows from solar panels for the first time as congestion on its electrical grid prevented renewable energy from reaching customers.
About 9 percent of the nation's solar capacity sat idle in the first six months of the year, according to data from the National Energy Administration released July 28. Dormant generators were mainly in the northwestern region of Gansu and Xinjiang.
China's electricity grid is struggling to absorb quickly increasing flows from both renewables and coal-fired power plants. Authorities either delay hooking new plants to the grid or idle facilities whose output can't be managed.
Wind farms for years have suffered such delays, and solar now is joining the fray. The problem is exacerbated by slower growth in electricity use and by more coal plants coming online.
Gansu had the highest rate for idled solar plants, with 28 percent of power generation out of service. Xinjiang's rate was 19 percent, according to the NEA said.
China added about 7.7 gigawatts of solar power in the first half of 2015, more than doubling installations a year ago, the NEA data show. The nation is the biggest market for solar energy in the world and the home of most of the largest panel manufacturers.
Utility-scale photovoltaic plants accounted for 6.7 gigawatts of the new capacity. Smaller distributed solar projects built near where the power is consumed comprised the remainder, the NEA said.
The Asian nation now has a total 35 gigawatts of solar-power supply, according to the agency.
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SolarCity to Offer Panels to Small Business Market
Jul 29, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Christopher Martin
SolarCity Corp. is offering rooftop power systems to small and mid-size businesses, a market the biggest U.S. residential solar installer said is underserved.
SolarCity and its competitors lease rooftop systems under 20-year contracts. Chief Executive Officer Lyndon Rive said that model isn't a good fit for small businesses that typically don't have their own credit scores and may fail during the course of a decades-long agreement.
“We wouldn't serve them at all,” Rive said in a phone interview. “We've now cracked the code on small business.”
SolarCity introduced July 28 a financing model that lets people upgrade homes and offices with loans that are paid back through property taxes. These so-called Property Assessed Clean Energy programs are available in 31 states.
Under the SolarCity model, solar panels are leased to the property owner, and not the individual or business that uses the property. That mollifies concerns that a business owner may stop making payments if things go sour.
SolarCity initially is offering rooftop power systems through this program in California, the largest U.S. solar market. Rive expects to expand to the Northeast by next year, using its network of more than 80 operation centers to install systems cheaper than rivals.
“The market is massive, bigger than the traditional market,” Rive said. “Businesses will save 5 percent to 25 percent and they're locked in at that rate for 20 years.”
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More Idled Wind Turbines in China as Capacity Grow
Jul 29, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
The number of wind turbines in China sitting idle rose in the six months through June for the first time in three years, even as the country continued to add capacity.
The rate of idled turbines was, on average, 15.2 percent in the first half, according to data from the National Energy Administration. That is almost 7 percentage points higher than the same period last year.
Idled capacity has dogged China's wind farm operators after a rush to build turbines in the windiest areas of the nation surpassed the grid's ability to absorb and transmit the power. Lately, the situation had been improving, with the number of idled turbines declining year-on-year.
Now, more coal-fired capacity and a dip in electricity consumption growth are weighing on demand for wind power.
About 43 percent of installed wind generation sat unused in the northeastern province of Jilin in the first six months, the highest rate in the nation, the NEA said in a statement on Monday. The northwestern regions of Gansu and Xinjiang followed.
Idled generation increased almost 58 percent from a year ago to 17.5 billion kilowatt-hours, the NEA said.
China added 9.16 gigawatts of wind capacity in the first half of 2015, according to NEA data.
Link (subscription required): http://news.bna.com/deln/DELNWB/split_display.adp?fedfid=73450819&vname=dennotallissues&fn=73450819&jd=73450819
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Meet the Mega-Structure That Sucks CO2 Emissions Out of Thin Air
Jul 27, 2015 | GOOD
By Rafi Schwartz
Unchecked carbon emissions are some of the worst culprits when it comes to damaging our planet’s fragile ecosystem. Unfortunately, carbon emissions are also something of an unavoidable fact of life in our highly-mechanized, industrial-driven world. Of course, great strides have been made in regulating and reducing the overall amount of CO2 released into our atmosphere, but we have yet to bring about the sort of holistic sea change necessary to fully reverse the decades of harmful impact carbon has had on our environment. That could change, though, with the introduction of new carbon-capturing technology able to suck CO2 out of thin air, on a massive, industrial scale.
Canadian start-up Carbon Engineering has created what it claims is a modular series of carbon capture filters which can extract ambient carbon out of the air, separate it from its accompanying oxygen molecules, purify and distill it, and perhaps someday even re-sell the newly reclaimed carbon as fuel.
The video above is from 2012, and while since that time no carbon-extracting mega-walls have been erected, Carbon Engineering has made serious headway on an equally impressive engineering feat: A carbon extracting “demo” plant, located in Squamish, British Colombia. Although neither modular, nor boundlessly deployable, as the company’s proposed capture filter system is, the demo plant is designed to demonstrate the technology’s large-scale viability, and pave the way for a subsequent commercial plant.
These plants have the added significance of not only testing the feasibility of the technology involved, but hopefully assigning a price-tag on the process, as well. That’s significant, because as a 2013 New York Times profile on Carbon Engineering points out, no one has quite figured out how much carbon-capture-from-air will ultimately cost—something researchers will finally be able to test once a carbon extraction plant is up and running.
Even if the company’s concept for the giant wall of carbon extractors does eventually make it off the ground, it’s unlikely that it alone will be able to solve all our carbon-based problems. Instead, it would need to operate in conjunction with existing and forthcoming advances in low-carbon output, emissions legislation, and the overall trend toward relying more and more on renewable energy from the sun, wind, and water. Still, while carbon extraction may not be an end-all-be-all solution, it represents an important and often overlooked element of the environmental energy conversation: One based not only on developing cleaner forms of power, but on cleaning up after the less eco-friendly forms we have right now.
Link: http://magazine.good.is/articles/carbon-engineering-wall-pulls-c02-out-of-thin-air
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