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Renewable Energy

Only 10% of Wind Farm Fires Reported

Wind farming is one of the leading industries in the renewable energy sector. The process is simple: wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft, which connects to a generator and makes electricity. However, converting this kinetic energy into mechanical power has resulted in quite a few wind turbines catching fire, and according to researchers not all fires are being fully reported.

Researchers from Imperial College London, the University of Edinburgh and SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden carried out a global assessment of the world’s wind farms, which in total contain an estimated 200,000 turbines. The team found that ten times more fires are happening than are being reported. Instead of an average of 11.7 fires each year, which is what is reported publicly, the researchers estimate that more than 117 separate fires are breaking out in turbines annually.

By comparison, with other energy industries, fire accidents are much less frequent in wind turbines than other sectors such as oil and gas, which globally has thousands of fire accidents per year. However, fire accidents can have a considerable economic impact on the wind farm industry, say the team.

Wind turbines catch fire because highly flammable materials such as hydraulic oil and plastics are in close proximity to machinery and electrical wires. These can ignite a fire if they overheat or are faulty. Lots of oxygen, in the form of high winds, can quickly fan a fire inside a turbine. Once ignited, the chances of fighting the blaze are slim due to the height of the wind turbine and the remote locations that they are often in.

The researchers attribute fire ignition in wind to lightning strike, electrical malfunction, mechanical failure, and errors with maintenance.

In an effort to get a clearer picture about the true extent of fires in wind farms, the team carried out an extensive analysis of data from a wide range of sources. This included Government reports, data from anti- wind farm lobbyists and information gathered by major newspaper investigations.

The research has been published in the journal Fire Safety Science.

Read more at the Imperial College of London.

07/21/2014 0 comment

Renewable Energy

California’s Reserve Fund Won’t Lift the FHFA Boot From PACE’s Neck

written by John Farrell

Earlier this year, the state of California announced a $10 million loan-loss reserve to solve the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s severe restrictions on using property-tax based financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy on residential property.

It’s a great concept, but evidence from one of California’s best property assessed clean energy (PACE) programs suggests the reserve should be three times larger, at a minimum.

An Innovation in Energy Efficiency Financing
PACE was a concept pioneered by Cisco DeVries in 2009 in Berkeley, CA, meant to solve two problems of making homes more energy efficient:

1) The average American moves every 5 years, less than the loan term or life of a typical energy efficiency retrofit

2) Getting information about energy savings opportunities is a challenge, and information is very disjointed.

The solution? A city-sponsored energy efficiency effort that allowed homeowners to repay energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements fixed to their property via their property taxes. The city would be a one-stop shop, homeowners would have simplified financing via a bill they already pay, and the cost (and benefit) of any improvements would pass to future owners of the property.

The Feds Slam on the Brakes
PACE was taking off big-time in 2010 when the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) issued “lender letters” saying that the liens (loans) taken against the property when doing PACE-sponsored retrofits were a threat to mortgage lenders, and that they would not buy or refinance mortgages on properties with PACE improvements (because PACE loans were senior to – paid before – the mortgage).

Why FHFA Was Wrong
Evidence from the $40 million in PACE-financed residential energy projects suggested that default rates were far below that of traditional mortgages (less than 1 percent), and that owners of energy efficiency homes were one-third less likely to default than owners of traditional homes. After all, energy saving improvements provided revenue for homeowners to repay their loan.

Despite the evidence (and a lawsuit), FHFA’s revised rules, released in 2012, doubled down on their PACE hate.

A Few Programs Soldiered On
While many of the existing residential PACE programs closed up shop, a few worked around the FHFA roadblock by providing homeowners with a robust disclosure. Others tried making the lien junior to the mortgage (but also less attractive to investors). In Sonoma County, and the Western Riverside area of California, hundreds of homeowners (particularly those who had no mortgage) were able to move ahead with PACE financing.

However, while PACE for commercial property – unaffected by the lender letters – continued to grow apace, the federal ruling gutted the opportunity for PACE to add momentum to the residential energy savings market.

California’s Solution: Right Concept, Too Small
The $10 million loan loss reserve in California ostensibly solves the lender problem. The fund will hold lenders harmless in event of a default. But based on progress of the PACE program on Sonoma County, CA, California’s state loan loss fund needs to be at least three times as big.

In their September 2013 report, the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program reported an average residential project cost of $28,000. If we assume a default rate of 1% (higher than the actual) for PACE projects, then California’s $10 million reserve can cover $1 billion of residential PACE projects. It seems like a lot, but that’s only 35,700 average projects (based on Sonoma county), out of approximately 9.5 million housing units that are not multi-family, or 0.37% of all properties.

The Sonoma County program already served 1558 projects by the fall of last year, nearly 1% of the county’s single-structure housing units.

In other words, California’s reserve fund is likely to be used up in a hurry, especially given the opportunity to serve the pent-up demand created by the FHFA’s four-year lull.

It’s a great concept and a good start, but when Fannie and Freddie put their boot on your neck, you’ll need more than a modest loan reserve fund to get property-based financing for residential property back in the race.

07/20/2014 0 comment

Renewable Energy

One-Third of German Power Came From Renewables in First Half of 2014

written by Yale Environment 360

Thanks to abundant sunshine and wind, renewable energy generated 31 percent of Germany’s electricity in the first six months of this year, according to a new report. The report, released by the Fraunhofer Insititute, said that 27 percent of the country’s electricity production came from wind and solar, and four percent from hydropower.

Solar power generation grew by 28 percent in the first half of 2014 compared to the first six months of 2013, and wind power grew by 19 percent over the same period. On a couple of particularly windy and sunny days in May and June, renewable energy accounted for 50 to 75 percent of Germany’s electricity production, the report said.

The Fraunhofer Institute said that as Germany continues to phase out its nuclear power plants, the country still remains reliant on highly polluting “brown coal” to produce electricity. A substantial portion of German coal-generated electricity is being exported, the report said.

07/10/2014 0 comment

Renewable Energy

America’s Coal-Producing States Weigh their Options

written by CleanTechies.com Contributor

Nobody was surprised to hear political foes of President Obama and leaders from several coal-dependent states blast EPA’s proposal to limit carbon pollution from America’s power plants.

The Clean Power Plan, released June 2, represents a big change in the way America will generate and use energy in the coming decades. We understand: Big changes are scary.

So it’s interesting to ponder which political leaders in states dependent on coal-fired power will, in the end, seize this historic opportunity.

Who will use the flexible policy tools offered in the Clean Power Plan to diversify their energy economies and unleash innovation to help their states grow? Who will show political courage?

Clean(-er) power for Texas

Just imagine if a state like Texas, my home state, used the plan to fully leverage its robust natural gas, wind and solar resources. It would be a game changer.

Texas power plants, and the state as a whole, continue to lead the nation in carbon dioxide emissions.

Texas also leads the nation in producing more than 12,000 megawatts (MW) of wind energy. That’s impressive.

According to data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, however, this represents less than 1 percent ofTexas’ onshore wind potential.

What’s more, Texas is at the top in solar potential, yet solar energy in Texas lags far behind wind at 213 MW of installed capacity. This spells tremendous opportunity.

So does Texas’ natural gas industry, which may be the biggest winner under EPA’s plan. The American Natural Gas Association predicts the new emission standards will increase natural gas demand by 45 percent – much of which will be produced by Texas with little impact to electricity prices.

In fact, the flexibility of EPA’s proposed plan offers Texas and other states dozens of ways to comply while improving public health and the state economy.

West Virginia: Rich in energy

Take West Virginia, where king coal has reigned for decades. It’s among several coal-producing states that got a break by the Clean Power Plan.

West Virginia only needs to cut emissions from power plants by 20 percent by 2030, when the overall target for all 491 plants nationwide is 30 percent, and some states face cuts of 40 percent or more.

This has not kept West Virginia from threatening to sue the EPA over the rules, even as several of the state’s utilities said they’re already well on their way to meeting EPA’s rules.

But amid such noise there’s also optimism. The West Virginia University College of Law has already teamed up with a consulting firm to analyze EPA’s plan and to develop strategies some West Virginians hope will help the state transition to a cleaner future.

“West Virginia has an abundance of energy resources – including coal, natural gas, biomass, wind, solar and energy efficiency,” noted James Van Nostrand, director of the university’s Center for Energy and Sustainable Development.

Finding the right mix, he said, will be the main challenge.

Meanwhile, other states enjoy a head start thanks to politically courageous decisions taken years ago. Colorado, a purple state and the seventh largest coal-producer in the country, is one such state.

Colorado blasts ahead

Voters in the Rocky Mountain State approved a renewable energy standard a decade ago and in 2010, the legislature adopted the “Clean Air, Clean Jobs Act.” It requires utility companies to get 20 percent of their energy from cleaner sources by 2020, speeding up the retirement of aging coal-fired plants.

Then in late 2013, Colorado became the first state in the nation to propose new methane limits for its oil and gas operations.

By reining in this highly potent greenhouse gas, and thanks to the steps it took over the past decade, Colorado may already be ahead of the curve when it comes to meeting EPA’s proposed standards.

And what does all this energy progress cost? According to one Colorado utility, Xcel Energy, the Clean Air, Clean Jobs Act will cost the company $1 billion, with an annual rate impact of only about 2 percent over the next decade.

Yet the benefits to Coloradans are significant: $590 million in averted health costs and 1,500 construction jobs.

My guess is that not even in states such as Texas or West Virginia will they be able to deny for long the billions in cost-savings, millions in health benefits, and hundreds of new jobs that the Clean Power Plan promises.

Article by Jim Marston, Associate Vice President, US Climate and Energy, appearing courtesy EDF Blog.

06/19/2014 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Gibraltar Enters Wave Power Agreement

written by EnergyRefuge.com

The Government of Gibraltar in Southern Spain recently signed a deal with Israeli renewable energy company, which includes the installation of a 0.5MW energy device on Gibraltar’s east side. There are plans to expand it to 5MW if the project is successful.

Eco Wave Power is an international wave power developer headquartered in Israel. Its technologies use buoys to capture and convert wave energy into low-cost, clean electricity. The floaters will be specifically designed in accordance with the region’s wave climate. The system will also have in-built storm protection and shock-wave protection mechanisms.

The choice of energy type was based on Gibraltar’s unique location by the sea, coupled with its ability to reliably calculate and project wave patterns. The agreement is part of the local government’s plan to increase the clean energy’s share of energy generation.

06/17/2014 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Ohio Law Rolls Back Unwise Renewable Portfolio Standards

written by Stuart Kaplow

Last Friday, Ohio Governor John Kasich signed Senate Bill 310 freezing the state’s renewable energy portfolio and energy efficiency requirements at 2014 levels.

Environmental activists decried the new state law by evoking apocalyptic fears of ecological collapse while characterizing renewable portfolio standards as just the type of collective sacrifice needed to avoid the end of the world. Average Ohio citizens made it clear they wanted no part of the increased monthly utility bills that Toledo Edison said would rise from $54 today to $241, if no changes were made in the 2008 mandate law. And business wanted nothing to do with the 2008 enactment’s degrowth requirement to cut power usage by 22%.

While 30 states and the District of Columbia have adopted renewable portfolio standards (and 7 other states have some voluntary goal), Ohio is the first state to roll back such a clean energy mandate.

Renewable portfolio standards are state laws designed to increase generation of electricity from renewable resources. These laws require electricity producers within a given jurisdiction to supply a certain minimum share of their electricity from designated renewable resources, generally wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, and some types of hydroelectricity, but may include other resources such as landfill gas, municipal solid waste, and tidal energy.

Renewable portfolio standards are a public policy mechanism to require private sector development of renewable energy funded by increased electric bills to rate payers. But they are a regressive fee on electricity in that they take a larger percentage from low income people than from high income people.

Curiously environmental activists lobbied hard against the provision in the new law that requires disclosure of the costs to customers of the renewable energy resource on every monthly bill.

The new law is not perfect. It is only a 2 year moratorium mandating a study and stating the General Assembly intendeds to enact legislation in the future “that will reduce the renewable energy resource.”

The just passed law should be considered in context given the federal EPA’s recent release of its carbon curbs that states will now have to meet largely through this very type of electric utility mandates. Also significant is that most of the meaningful federal tax incentives for renewable energy projects expired last year and have not been renewed by Congress.

Renewable portfolio standards are not good public policy. The hodgepodge of standards exist today for the failure of Congress to act on energy policy. Possibly EPA’s new carbon curb proposals will initiate discussions about solutions to the real world environmental issues of the day, cognizant that electricity use will increase (i.e., EPA’s new carbon curbs assume that electricity consumption will drop sharply) including considering an answer in market based solutions driven by innovation and technology.

It is likely best to not be an alarmist about Ohio’s new law or to deny that it was passed overwhelmingly by the legislature after a hue and cry from the public, who recognized an unwise (expensive) existing law (green or otherwise) when they saw it.

The real concern may be whether Ohio is the beginning of a trend?

06/17/2014 0 comment

Renewable Energy

IKEA U.S. Rolls Out More Solar Power

written by

Ikea U.S. recently announced plans to install a solar energy system at its Merriam, Kansas store slated to open this fall. The store is located about eight miles from Kansas City, Missouri. The 92,000-square foot solar array will contain 2,850 photovoltaic (PV) panels and will produce approximately 1,348,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity a year for the store. That is equivalent to the power needed for 128 homes, reducing 930 tons of carbon or the emissions of 196 cars. Once completed, it will be the largest rooftop solar array in Kansas.

The solar energy system is Ikea’s 41st solar project in the U.S. The 395,000 square foot Merriam store is currently under construction on 19 acres. The store will have a geothermal component to its healing and cooling system, the second U.S. store to contain one. The other store to contain one is in the Denver, Colorado area, which opened in 2011.

Ikea’s 40th solar power project will sit atop the 416,000 square foot Miami-Dade area store opening this summer in Sweetwater, Florida. The 178,000 square foot solar energy system consists of 4,620 PV panels and will produce about 1,738,876 kWh of electricity a year. The equivalent of the power needed for 169 homes, reducing 1,227 tons of carbon or the emissions of 256 cars. Ikea has rooftop solar arrays on other Florida stores, including in Orlando, Tampa and Sunrise. The fourth solar project makes Ikea the largest non-utility solar owner in Florida.

Ikea U.S. has solar power at almost 90 percent of its U.S. locations. The company is the second largest private commercial solar owner and user in the U.S. It is investing $150 million in PV systems on its U.S. store locations. In 2013, IKEA installed solar panels on eight U.S. stores.

Ikea’s efforts are gaining attention. In May, President Obama announced over 300 private and public sector commitments to reduce carbon while creating jobs by increasing solar energy deployment and energy efficiency. Ikea U.S. was listed as committing to use renewable energy generation at their new U.S. IKEA store locations.

Solar is not the only renewable energy investment in the U.S. Ikea U.S. announced its purchase in April of a 98 MW wind farm in Hoopeston, Illinois. The purchase is IKEA Group’s largest single renewable energy investment globally. The wind farm is currently under construction and is expected to be operational by the first half of 2015. It is expected to generate up to 380 gigawatt hours (GWh) of renewable energy every year.

The company has allocated $1.8 billion to invest in renewable energy through 2015, and has installed over 550,000 solar panels on buildings globally. Ikea owns about 157 wind turbines in Europe and Canada, with 49 more being built in the U.S. The goal is to produce at least 70 percent of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2015. By 2020, Ikea plans to produce as much renewable energy as its operations consume. Currently, solar and wind energy meets 27 percent of the electricity needed to run the company’s operations globally.

Article by Gina-Marie Cheeseman of Justmeans, appearing courtesy 3BL Media.

06/16/2014 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Local Energy Rules Episode 23 – San Diego’s Fight for Community Choice

written by John Farrell

“San Diego and its community choice energy district would be able to offer a diverse energy mix with all of the solar, biodiesel, biogas, and energy storage resources that we have in San Diego. A product that is price competitive and yet at the same time would strive for and achieve a higher level of renewable content.”

See how this southern California city is striving for more clean energy and more local control in this interview with Lane Sharman, co-founder and chair of the San Diego Energy District Foundation. This podcast was recorded via Skype on May 21, 2014.

A Fight Against ‘Solar Taxes’
The rise of the San Diego Energy District Foundation was in response to fees proposed on solar customers by San Diego Gas and Electric in October 2011. Thanks to the efforts of Lane, Bill Powers, and others in and outside of the foundation, the solar-crushing “Network Usage Fees” were not adopted. It was a particularly important win, because the fees would have applied to those customers who had already installed solar, with the expectation that they wouldn’t pay extra for going solar.

Pursuing More Local Energy Control
The Energy District Foundation wasn’t satisfied with stopping their monopoly utility from implementing bad policy, it wanted to create an energy system that put the community in charge of implementing policy that was positive for the economy and the environment. In 2012, members of the Foundation worked with Protect Our Communities, a nonprofit organization focused on using California’s community choice aggregation law, to create a local entity in charge of greening up the city’s energy supply with local power. They hope to follow in the footsteps of Marin County and Sonoma County in prioritizing local control of a cleaner energy system, at competitive prices.

Why Public Power?
The interest in local control over energy purchases is rooted in the inherent conflict of interest between ratepayers and their existing for-profit utility. Utilities in California make money by investing in hardware (power plants, power lines, and the like) and not finding the cleanest, lowest cost power for their ratepayers. In part, this is because taxpayers pick up the tab for pollution from fossil fuels. A public entity is more likely to incorporate those externalities. Water, sewage, and education all provide examples of where the public sector provides excellent local service.

How Renewable Can San Diego Be?
A 2010 study called the San Diego Regional Plan for 100% Renewable Energy outlines the technical potential for clean energy in the region. But it’s the market prices for clean power than are most encouraging. Open bids for new energy in Texas, for example, had solar bidding in at 5¢ per kilowatt-hour compared to retail energy prices of 15¢ or more. The county has approved (in 2013) a comprehensive energy plan that will include an investigation of a local energy aggregation.

A ‘Monopoly Protection Act’
Incumbent utilities don’t much like the San Diego Energy District Foundation and its plan for local control of the energy system. The big three corporate monopoly utilities in California are behind a new bill (AB 2145) that would completely undermine community choice aggregation by changing a key provision of implementation. Currently, when a local government establishes a local aggregation to purchase power on behalf of its residents and small businesses, these individuals may opt out. If AB 2145 passes, all potential participants would have to opt in. It effectively shields the monopoly utilities from competition, requiring a yet-to-be-operational local utility to spend thousands of dollars to attract customers before it sells a single kilowatt-hour. Furthermore, it would make energy procurement nearly impossible for the local utility, which would be unable to effectively plan and purchase power without a reasonable estimate of their market share.

For more information on community choice aggregation, Lane recommends the San Diego Sierra Club, the local 350.org, the Local Energy Aggregation Network, and the San Diego Energy District Foundation .

Article by John Farrell, appearing courtesy Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

06/11/2014 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Solar Breakthrough in Australia Signals New Era for Renewable Energy

written by CleanTechies Staff

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) announced last week that a solar thermal test plant in Newcastle, Australia was able to generate “supercritical” steam using solar power.

Supercritical steam is ultra-pressurized steam that drives some of the most advanced turbines in the world. Until now, these plants have run on fossil fuels such as coal or natural gas because solar could only achieve subcritical heat levels where bubbles formed creating inefficiencies.

The solar thermal test plant used more than 600 directional mirrors pointed at two towers with solar receivers and turbines. Researchers generated steam at a pressure of 3,400 psi and 1,058 degrees Fahrenheit.

According to CSIRO’s Energy Director, Dr. Alex Wonhas, “It’s like breaking the sound barrier; the step change proves solar has the potential to compete with the peak performance capabilities of fossil fuel sources.”

This development comes at a time when renewable energy continues to come under fire by the Abbot administration. “Imagine what our country could accomplish if our clean-energy industry had the resources, subsidies and support the Abbott Government lavishes on the non-renewable, dirty coal, mining and resources industries,” said Greens Party deputy leader Adam Bandt.

06/09/2014 1 comment

Renewable Energy

Texas Wind Energy Continues to Blow Us Away

written by Marita Mirzatuny

We have a lot to celebrate this Global Wind Day (June 15). Across the nation, wind energy accounted for almost one-third of new power capacity over the past five years and the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) estimates that wind energy has the potential to double over the next few years.

Nowhere is the growth in wind energy more evident than in Texas, the nation’s top wind producing state. Texas’ wind energy generation grew by 13% in 2013 and more than 60% of all wind projects under construction in the first part of the year were in Texas.

This success has been aided by the Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit (PTC), a modest tax credit for new facilities good for ten years after the wind farm’s start date. Like those received by the oil, gas, and nuclear industries, tax incentives help ignite growth in the market. EDF has strongly advocated for this incentive over the past few years.

Unfortunately, the breaks that oil and gas have received over the last 100 years are often (conveniently) ignored by those wanting to maintain the status quo, making the PTC a point of debate among politicians.

In 2012, the PTC’s renewal came down to a last minute vote in Congress, creating uncertainty for developers waiting to determine the future of their job-creating projects. Ultimately, it was extended, but in 2013 Congress stalled again and the extension was allowed to expire in January. In the meantime, wind developers sit by cautiously waiting for clear direction. AWEA estimates that this uncertainty has led to the loss of 30,000 jobs.

People and businesses want wind power

The wind industry is a boon for Texas’ economy though, and more companies are investing in wind’s cheap energy prices and Texans are benefitting from cheaper electricity and job growth.

Google, BBVA Compass, and Microsoft already take advantage of Texas’ abundant wind power. And Mars Candy is now buying in with a 200-megawatt (MW) wind farm to power its 37 factories and 70 offices. New Generation Power Texas also signed a contract with General Electric, the largest manufacturer of wind turbines in the U.S., to supply 235 wind turbines and related services for its 400 MW Texas Wind Project.

Furthermore, AWEA found that “American consumers in the top wind energy-producing states have seen their electricity prices actually decrease by 0.37 percent over the last 5 years, while all other states have seen their electricity prices increase by 7.79 percent over that time period.” These states have seen great gains in jobs, too. Texas, again leading the nation, reported an increase of 8,000 to 9,000 direct and indirect jobs in 2013.

As we face the consequences of climate disturbance, including droughts that are ravaging states like Texas and California, it is imperative that we view (and support) renewable energy as part of the solution to a sustainable future. According to AWEA: “Operational wind energy projects and those under construction will avoid 115 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, while avoiding the consumption of over 36 billion gallons of water each year, because wind turbines use virtually no water in operation.”

That’s why EDF is working with Texas policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs to see that Texas seizes opportunities and drives innovation in the new energy economy.

06/06/2014 1 comment

Renewable Energy

New Battery Technology Could Offer Cheap Renewable Energy Storage

written by Yale Environment 360

New battery technology that uses cheaper and safer materials to store large amounts of energy may soon enable utility companies to use more renewable power, according to MIT Technology Review.

The new device is a type of flow battery, and it uses liquid materials that rely on iron-chromium chemical reactions to store energy. California-based startup Enervault, developer of the new battery, figured out how to use materials that had been tried in batteries decades ago; Enervault overcame a key technical challenge that had caused the earlier batteries to quickly degrade.

The new battery is large — it can store one megawatt-hour of electricity, or enough to run 10,000 100-watt light bulbs for an hour — and the materials last more than 20 years, according to its developer. Although the battery is inefficient compared to conventional batteries — it loses 30 percent of the energy used to charge it — it is still economically viable, the company says. The iron-chromium flow battery costs 80 percent less than vanadium flow batteries, a competing technology. The batteries are currently in use at a small power plant near Modesto, California.

06/02/2014 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Why is an Island Electric Utility Hindering Incredibly Cost-Effective Solar?

written by John Farrell

The Northern Mariana Islands are one of several island U.S. territories, lying three-quarters of the way from Hawai’i to the Philippines. Like most islands, their electricity supply has been almost entirely supplied by diesel-fueled generators, at enormous cost.

So why have islanders in the Marianas – such as the residents of Saipan – been struggling to install solar and other renewable power?

The utility, Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, has raised the same objections of mainland utilities, that technical barriers inhibit the reasonable uptake of variable renewable energy. But the cooperative utility serving Kaua’i island in Hawai’i is forecasting that 50% of its daytime electric demand will be met with solar by the end of next year. And California utilities are finding solutions to many of the purported technical barriers.

The economics are ironclad: switching from imported diesel to domestic clean energy would save a bundle. The following presentation explains.

Article by John Farrell, appearing courtesy Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

05/28/2014 3 comments

Renewable Energy

Revolutionizing the Utility Model in New York

written by The Vote Solar Initiative

On the heels of New York’s historic commitment to develop ten times more solar, the state is continuing to think big and bold when it comes to transforming its energy landscape.

This week, the New York Public Service Commission (PSC) kicked off a major proceeding called ‘Reforming the Energy Vision’ (REV) that aims to fundamentally rethink how electric utilities do business (details here). The main thrust is to move towards an energy landscape that is increasingly decentralized with consumers playing a more active role in climate-friendly energy decisions.

Rethinking the century-old utility paradigm continues to be a hot topic as growing consumer demand for solar and other distributed energy resources raises fundamental challenges and questions. And New York regulators want to take these questions head-on and make bold changes to support the energy future that New Yorkers want for their state. “Business as usual just doesn’t cut it anymore,” suggested Public Service Commission Chair Audrey Zibelman, as quoted in a recent New York Times editorial.

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. New Yorkers want more clean, renewable energy powering their homes, businesses and communities – as stated by Zibelman, our outdated utility system is simply not designed to support that local, decentralized and clean energy.

We need a new utility model that’s built from the ground up to allow New Yorkers to take action into their own hands and repower their state with sunshine and other clean energy resources. As this process unfolds before the PSC, we believe state regulators should pay special attention to these three goals as they’re considering what comes next:

Build a more inclusive clean energy marketplace that allows and even encourages direct customer participation.
Design an energy marketplace that properly recognizes and rewards the very real value of that clean, local power to the state’s grid, public health, environment, and economy.
Ensure that existing programs – like NY-Sun, the Renewable Portfolio Standard, Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard and Systems Benefit Program – can continue to fulfill their purpose of successful market transformation in the new energy marketplace.

The PSC will be deliberating the REV over the coming months, and likely years. We are happy to see the agency starting by designing an inclusive and transparent process that will give stakeholders like Vote Solar the opportunity to weigh in along the way. We look forward to participating in this exciting visioning process with our own focus on empowering New Yorkers to go solar.

05/16/2014 2 comments

Renewable Energy

Raising Hell – Australian Government Continues Attack on Renewable Energy

written by CleanTechies Staff

Since the Coalition Party took over the reigns in Australia, the party led by Prime Minister Tony Abbott has launched attack after attack on the environment. For some reason, the environment seems to be the Coalition Party’s punching bag. Let’s see what they’ve done: Approved dredging off the coast of Queensland near the Great Barrier Reef for a coal export port and repealed the carbon tax. So, what else is the Coalition Party up to?

Well, the government is now reviewing whether or not to revise or eliminate the nation’s renewable energy target (RET). In February, the Abbott government appointed industrialist Dick Warburton, a self-proclaimed climate skeptic to lead a review of the RET. The review will be looking at “the economic, environmental and social impacts of the RET scheme, in particular the impacts on electricity prices, energy markets, the renewable energy sector, the manufacturing sector and Australian households” and with assessing how it fits with the government’s aim of “reducing business costs”

New modeling commissioned by the Clean Energy Council shows that energy bills are higher in the short term as a result of the RET, “but households would end up about $50 a year better off in 2020 if the target is left in place.” The report also noted that average energy bills would be $100 a year lower after 2020. In the short term, the report noted that energy bills would be $11 to $22 a year higher until 2017-2018. According to Daniel Leahy, development manager for RES Australia, “We are concerned that the Government may be considering a reduction of the RET on a false premise it will save consumers money – when in reality, cutting the RET will demonstrably increase our energy bills in the long term.”

Adding more fuel to the flames, new reports suggest that the Abbot administration will axe the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, the primary agency supporting renewable energy in Australia. All this in the name of cutting government spending. Clearly, the Abbott administration is thinking short term and not long term. Maybe they realize that this is their only shot at derailing the renewable energy industry in favor of cheaper, but dirtier energy. Either way, the Abbott government is moving backwards and not forward.

05/13/2014 1 comment

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