Since launching a year ago, the Regional Liquidity Support Facility (RLSF) has signed agreements with five countries ensuring that their Independent Power Producers (IPPs) receive protection against payment risks that often contribute to their failure. The Facility supports small and mid-scale renewable energy IPPs (from 50 to 100MW) in sub-Saharan Africa by helping these projects … Continue reading In 2018, Benin, Burundi, Malawi, Uganda and Zambia made significant progress in de-risking renewable energy projects
Continue readingCategory Archives: OpEd
Bird deaths from wind turbines are small when compared to other human-caused sources of avian mortality
President Trump recently criticized “windmills” as a source of energy, claiming: “They kill so many birds. You look underneath some of those windmills, it’s like a killing field.” All this while he attempts to prop up a fading coal industry that is responsible for killing twenty-four times as many birds as wind energy. But do … Continue reading Bird deaths from wind turbines are small when compared to other human-caused sources of avian mortality
Continue readingCompetitive prices in Polish onshore wind energy auction
The results of the first Polish onshore wind power auction were announced today. Prices came it at between €37 and €50/MWh according to Poland’s Energy Regulatory Office. 23 developers entered 31 successful bids for around 1 GW of capacity. WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson said: “These prices are extremely competitive. They’re lower than we’ve seen in … Continue reading Competitive prices in Polish onshore wind energy auction
Continue readingWind energy is more affordable than ever
November is here, and that means peak foliage, turkey stuffing, and the release of Lazard’s Levelized Cost of Energy analysis. For electricity geeks, it’s an early holiday gift. And each year the gift keeps getting better and better for renewable energy. Both the wind and solar industries are relentlessly driving down cost and improving technology … Continue reading Wind energy is more affordable than ever
Continue readingWind energy: Research and innovation needed to provide substitutes for rare materials used in wind turbines
On 14 November WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson spoke at the European Innovation Partnership’s annual conference on “Raw Materials for clean energy-intensive industries of the future.” European energy-intensive industries are important to the European economy, but now face challenges in making the transition to a low-carbon and circular economy by 2050. The wind power industry … Continue reading Wind energy: Research and innovation needed to provide substitutes for rare materials used in wind turbines
Continue readingEuropean Parliament gives final green light to new EU 32% renewable energy
The European Parliament today gave its final approval for a binding EU-wide renewable energy target of 32% for 2030. The Parliament cast its final vote of adoption on the Renewable Energy Directive and Governance Regulation, two key parts of Europe’s Clean Energy Package that sets the EU legal framework for renewables up to 2030. Today … Continue reading European Parliament gives final green light to new EU 32% renewable energy
Continue readingWind energy set to become EU’s largest power source well before 2030
Wind power is set overtake coal, nuclear and gas to become the EU’s largest power source well before 2030. This is according to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) 2018 World Energy Outlook released today. According to the IEA’s projections, wind energy will become the EU’s largest power source in 2027, overtaking coal, nuclear and then … Continue reading Wind energy set to become EU’s largest power source well before 2030
Continue readingMeet the veterans working in wind energy
The U.S. wind industry proudly hires veterans at a rate 72 percent higher than the national average, and the skills, teamwork and dedication they acquire while serving are perfect fits for wind work. Last week, we visited wind projects in Texas and Illinois to meet some of our veterans and thank them for their service. … Continue reading Meet the veterans working in wind energy
Continue readingRenewables saved Texans $5.7 billion
Like everything in Texas, wind power is super-sized in the Lone Star State. Texas has more installed wind capacity than the Oklahoma, Iowa and California combined, the states occupying slots two through four on America’s wind leader board. In fact, only four countries in the entire world have built more wind than Texas. Now, a … Continue reading Renewables saved Texans $5.7 billion
Continue readingPPAs and National Energy & Climate Plans: high on Italy’s wind energy agenda
On Wednesday 7 November, WindEurope participated in the Key Wind conference in Rimini, Italy, organised by the Italian Wind Energy Association, ANEV. As the only reference wind power show in the Mediterranean basin, the Balkans and the Middle East, the event gathered high-level speakers from the Italian government, associations, businesses, banks and TSOs. The … Continue reading PPAs and National Energy & Climate Plans: high on Italy’s wind energy agenda
Continue readingUniversity of Texas study highlights wind energy low cost
Wind power, solar and natural gas have the lowest levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) in the majority of counties across the United States, according to a new report from The University of Texas at Austin’s Energy Institute, part of a series of white papers on the Full Cost of Electricity. The report breaks down the … Continue reading University of Texas study highlights wind energy low cost
Continue readingPoland makes wind energy comeback with commitment to develop 8 GW of offshore wind power and ongoing 1 GW onshore wind turbines auction
Poland marked its return to wind energy today with the announcement of ambitious plans to develop 8 GW of offshore wind by 2035. It came as Poland opened a 1 GW onshore wind auction on 5 November. Polish State Secretary for Energy, Grzegorz Tobiszowski, today announced plans to develop 8 GW of offshore wind by … Continue reading Poland makes wind energy comeback with commitment to develop 8 GW of offshore wind power and ongoing 1 GW onshore wind turbines auction
Continue readingGetting wind energy in Turkey back on track
The ongoing Turkish financial and economic crisis has negatively impacted Turkey’s previously flourishing domestic wind energy market. The Turkish lira has fallen in value and this has curtailed the growth of Turkish wind energy. Dickson told participants that getting Turkey’s wind energy market back on track will require several steps. It is crucial, as soon as … Continue reading Getting wind energy in Turkey back on track
Continue readingNational lab report confirms wind energy contributions to a reliable power system
There is an all too common misconception among policy makers, regulators, and power market participants that wind energy isn’t reliable, and that turbines can’t provide essential grid reliability services. In reality, wind turbines can provide many of the services needed for reliable grid operations, including voltage and reactive power control, frequency response, active power control, … Continue reading National lab report confirms wind energy contributions to a reliable power system
Continue readingGermany reaches political agreement on additional onshore wind energy
This week the German government reached a political agreement on an additional 4 GW of onshore wind power by 2021. The agreement will see Germany auction an additional onshore wind turbines capacity of 1 GW (in 2019), 1.4 GW (in 2020) and 1.6 GW (in 2021) over and above the 2.8 GW pa which … Continue reading Germany reaches political agreement on additional onshore wind energy
Continue readingWorking a wind farm
This is a guest post from Peter Lukens, Chair of the AWEA Environmental, Health, and Safety O&M Working Group. The working group develops operating guidelines, training modules, and support materials for the safe and healthful operations and maintenance of the wind industry. Peter is the Project Manager, Training, for Siemens Gamesa and has worked in … Continue reading Working a wind farm
Continue readingAmerican Wind Energy Association comments on new PJM fuel security study
PJM, the nation’s largest power grid operator, issued a new study this morning analyzing fuel supply resilience on their system. Amy Farrell, the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) Senior Vice President for Government and Public Affairs made the following comment: “Energy regulators and grid operators confirm the reliability and resilience of the U.S. power system, … Continue reading American Wind Energy Association comments on new PJM fuel security study
Continue readingThe wind energy contributes to reduce the price of electricity in October 2018 in Spain
The commitment to wind energy in the peninsula and the Canary Islands helps reduce the price of electricity and reduce CO2 emissions in Spain. The wind power, which has blown quite intensely in October (new record for this month: 4.33 TWh), has contributed to contain the price of the wholesale electricity market, which has gone … Continue reading The wind energy contributes to reduce the price of electricity in October 2018 in Spain
Continue readingDevelopment of Wind Energy in Colombia: Challenges and Opportunities
Green growth in Colombia is becoming a major priority for the country as recent reports from the Ministry of Mines and Energy warn of the impact of El Nino on the economy, which has already decreased the country’s GDP by 0.2% in 2015. It is clear that policies need to be put in place for … Continue reading Development of Wind Energy in Colombia: Challenges and Opportunities
Continue readingEgypt aims to produce 5,651 MW of renewable energy by 2022
For the wind energy under-implementation projects, Al-Khayat said that they include a wind farm in Jabal Al-Zayt with a capacity of 120 MW, and another wind turbines plant in the Gulf of Suez under the build, own, operate (BOO) scheme. The total capacity of wind energy projects under study amounted to 700 MW, including 250 … Continue reading Egypt aims to produce 5,651 MW of renewable energy by 2022
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