The 2014 Nebraska Wind and Solar Conference will highlight new and continuing opportunities for the wind and solar industries in the state. John Hansen is the President of the Nebraska Farmers Union and says the conference is designed as a resource for anyone interested in clean energy.
Now in its seventh year, Hansen says the conferences have already contributed to the growth of wind and solar energy in Nebraska. read more>>>
October 1, 2014 - South Florida community leaders are meeting in Miami Beach to discuss regional plans for adapting to climate change.
Federal climate policy initiatives will be discussed Wednesday at the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Leadership Summit. On Thursday, officials will discuss investment risks and business strategies for adapting to climate change.
A compact reached by the Florida Keys and Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties in 2010 calls for revamped planning policies, more public transportation options, stopping seawater from flowing into freshwater supplies and managing the region's unique ecosystems. read more>>>
Oct 2, 2014 - About $175 billion was spent globally on renewable energy projects during the first three quarters, up 16 percent from the same period last year, with Chinese solar investment at a record, according to a Bloomberg New Energy Finance report.
Spending in the third quarter gained 12 percent to $55 billion from $48.9 billion a year earlier, the London-based research company said today in statement. Almost $20 billion of that was in China, where solar investing soared to $12.2 billion from $7.5 billion.
The world’s largest solar market may add 14 gigawatts of capacity this year, almost a third of the global total, as more large-scale projects are built, BNEF said. read more>>>
October 1, 2014 - The state’s new energy plan calls for greater development of renewable energy sources and reducing energy consumption, though it would come at a higher cost to consumers and businesses.
The 2014 Virginia Energy Plan, released Wednesday, “will lead our efforts to grow, strengthen and diversify Virginia’s economy,” Gov. Terry McAuliffe said in a letter laying out his priorities and what he hopes to accomplish over the next four years.
McAuliffe’s goal is a state economy that will be “stronger ... and fueled by cleaner and more abundant Virginia energy.” read more>>>
October 2nd, 2014 - Earlier this summer, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its draft Clean Power Plan (CPP) standards for cutting carbon pollution from existing, coal-fired power plants in Florida and other states around the country. This plan was greeted with strong support from Floridians, 78% of whom said there should be limits on how much carbon pollution power plants are allowed to emit, 77% of whom said they supported the new EPA rules, and 69% of whom said they wanted an emphasis on renewable energy and energy efficiency — not fossil fuels.
Yet despite the overwhelmingly public support for the CPP, we’ve recently been hearing arguments from Florida utility JEA and others that this plan will supposedly result in higher electricity costs for customers. This is simply not the case. Instead, as St. Johns Riverkeeper Lisa Rinaman puts it, JEA and its coal-fired allies are simply “working overtime to distort the facts, scare the public and undermine” the EPA’s proposed rule. read more>>>
October 1, 2014 - Recently, we learned that Wisconsin hit a clean energy milestone two years ahead of target. Today, more than 10 percent of our electricity comes from sustainable sources like wind and bioenergy.
While that sounds like great news — and, by itself, it is great news — a look at the bigger picture shows Wisconsin actually is falling behind, and it's time for our state leaders to act.
Back in 2005, when Wisconsin enacted the Renewable Portfolio Standard with bipartisan and business support, the state was considered a national leader in clean energy. Utilities had a 2015 deadline to begin including at least 10 percent clean power in their energy mix. Public Service Commission data unveiled recently showed we got there in 2013 instead. read more>>>
September 23, 2014 - To combat climate change, a global Compact of Mayors from cities across the world was launched today at the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Summit today at UN Headquarters.
Cities are currently responsible for about 70 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and can play a critical role in reducing these emissions and strengthening resilience.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, now UN Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, announced that the Compact of Mayors’ key partners are the world’s three preeminent global city networks: C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, and the United Cities and Local Governments, with support from the UN’s lead agency on urban issues, UN-Habitat. read more>>>
September 22, 2014 (ENS) – European Commission President José Manuel Barroso will tomorrow co-sign joint declarations in New York to reinforce energy cooperation with five African countries: Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Togo and Rwanda.
These agreements will aim to increase access to sustainable energy sources, even in rural areas where the needs are the greatest.
In order to achieve this also on a global scale, the EU plans to allocate more than 3.3 billion euro worth of grants in the 2014-2020 financial period to support sustainable energy projects all over the world. read more>>>
26/09/2014 - The annoucement follow’s this week’s UN Climate Summit in New York City, which was attended by 125 heads of state.
The transport sector accounts for over 90% of primary oil demand and is responsible for 23% of energy-related CO2 emissions. Africa has comparably low CO2 emissions from transport: 215kg of CO2/per capita in 2008, which is 25 times lower than the world average. However this figure is expected to increase with the rise in Africa’s total oil demand. read more>>>
September 26, 2014 - One of Bristol Community College's large parking lots is currently a construction site.
A long, shiny steel roof has been erected at one end, one of eight similar structures planned to cover all five lots by the end of the year. When complete, it will be Massachusetts' largest solar carport, expected to generate 40 percent of campus energy needs, BCC officials said.
"Our goal is to reduce greenhouse gases and get as much of our energy from renewable sources as possible and this is a big step," said Steve Kenyon, vice president of business and finance. read more>>>
September 26, 2014 - Solar energy, particularly distributed photovoltaic (PV) generation, drives more full-time utility employment than any other renewable generating resource, according to research conducted by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and ScottMadden Inc., which looked at how renewable energy is reshaping utilities' organizational structures across 14 utilities.
As increasing levels of solar, wind, geothermal and biomass are integrated onto the grid, utility hiring is impacted. In fact, the 14 utilities surveyed averaged 41 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees per 100 MW of PV interconnections vs. 12 FTEs per 100 MW of total renewable capacity. read more>>>
September 26, 2014 - The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has proposed a plan for promoting clean energy development after the current authorization of the Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (EEPS) and Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS) programs end in 2015. The Clean Energy Fund is just one component of the strategy to bridge the transition from the current portfolio of clean energy programs to the new Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) market and required regulatory framework.
Coupled with an increased role for the state's utilities investing in both energy efficiency and large-scale renewable energy, NYSERDA's Clean Energy Fund proposal features a 10-year, $5 billion commitment to funding and supporting clean energy development, which are critical to bringing clean energy businesses and jobs to New York. read more>>>
September 29, 2014 - For the third straight year, jobs in the Massachusetts clean energy industry experienced double-digit growth, increasing by 10.5 percent between July 2013 and 2014, Gov. Deval Patrick announced Monday in Brighton.
September 29, 2014 - Gregory Garrison, a co-founder of Northeast Solar in Hatfield, traces his company back to the renewable energy program at Greenfield Community College.
September 23, 2014 - The frenzy of investors divesting from fossil fuels in favor of clean energy has reached a fever pitch at $50 billion in divestitures, according to MarkGlobal Divest/Invest Coalition.
Sep 22 2014 (IPS) - Acting on climate change will not hurt domestic economic growth, and in fact is more likely to boost growth, most analyses now show.
09/22/14 - The town of Kisielice in Poland is 100 percent powered by renewable energy! In recognition of its achievement, the town has just been awarded a European Commission ManagEnergy Award 2014 in the self-sufficiency category. The achievement is even more remarkable given that Poland as a whole derives around 90 percent of its energy from coal.
22.09.2014 - Scientists at the German Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) achieved an efficiency of 21.7 % with a thin-film solar cell made of copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS). The last record was set by Swedish researchers, who produced solar cells with an efficiency of 21 %.
22/09/2014 - With the US Defense Department (DoD) the largest single global consumer of petroleum products and its military operations comprising the largest demand for all forms of energy, the DoD is already working on establishing a network of independent microgrids that integrate distributed renewable generation, electric vehicles, and demand response at its bases. As a result, the growth potential for the military microgrid market is anticipated to see upwards of 54.8 MW total capacity by 2018, according to new analysis from Red Mountain Insights.
22.09.2014 - OffTEC Base GmbH has officially inaugurated its new Maritime Training Centre (MTC) in Enge-Sande. The specialised facility can provide all necessary training for maritime and wind technology personnel.
September 20, 2014 - Last week was a big week for solar power in North Carolina. On Monday, Duke Energy announced that it plans to invest $500 million in solar power to meet state requirements for more power from renewable sources. On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited a Bunn solar farm to announce that the USDA is making $55 million available in grants and loan guarantees to support 22 North Carolina solar and other renewable energy projects.
19 September 2014 - Almost 90,000 jobs could be created if the Government develops a "coherent vision and strategy" for boosting the green economy, a group of businesses have claimed.
9/19/2014 - The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded over $8 million in funding for 7 microgrid projects. Will microgrids play an increasing role in the U.S. electricity industry?