Category Archives: OpEd

Iberdrola announces the complete closure of its coal-fired power capacity

In line with its strong commitment to tackling the effects of climate change, Iberdrola has decided to complete the process of phasing out all its coal-fired power generation capacity worldwide. The technology represents 1.8% of the group’s total installed capacity of 48,062 megawatts (MW) and 1.5% of its electricity production for the first nine months … Continue reading Iberdrola announces the complete closure of its coal-fired power capacity

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Standing up for American wind energy workers

Congressman Earl Blumenauer stood up for the jobs and livelihoods of over 100,000 Americans this week in front of the full House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means. A longtime supporter of wind energy, Rep. Blumenauer strongly voiced his opposition to the stripped-down Production Tax Credit proposal in H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and … Continue reading Standing up for American wind energy workers

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Senate tax reform bill would keep promise to US wind energy workers and rural America

Today’s proposed Senate tax reform bill honors the 2015 bipartisan phase out terms for the wind energy Production Tax Credit (PTC). The PTC has been used to enable tens of billions in capital investment in rural America and to support tens of thousands of manufacturing and construction jobs spanning all 50 states. In 2015, the … Continue reading Senate tax reform bill would keep promise to US wind energy workers and rural America

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Deal struck in carbon market reforms

Negotiators from the Council, the European Parliament and Commission last night reached a ‘provisional political deal’ on reforming Europe’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) for the next decade. A compromise was struck late in the night, according to which the so-called Modernisation Fund can no longer support financing for coal. An exemption was made for district … Continue reading Deal struck in carbon market reforms

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WindEurope commends targets for electric vehicle

WindEurope today commended proposals in the European Commission’s Clean Mobility Package that call for 30% of new car sales to be zero emission vehicles by 2030. Carmakers exceeding this target will be rewarded with credits they can use to meet their CO2 reduction targets. But the Commission’s proposals fall short of imposing penalties for carmakers … Continue reading WindEurope commends targets for electric vehicle

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Flurry of new deals a vote of confidence for Power Purchase Agreements

A flurry of corporate renewable Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) have been inked in recent weeks, providing major corporates with clean, reliable and competitively-priced power. The deals combine for a total of over 1 GW contracted in the last two weeks. Today the Norwegian aluminium company, Norsk Hydro, announced a long-term PPA with Swedish wind power … Continue reading Flurry of new deals a vote of confidence for Power Purchase Agreements

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Strong winds blow away records across the U.S.

Fall is in full swing, and that’s great news for wind power. Over the past two weeks, wind farms harnessed strong seasonal winds to deliver new wind energy generation and penetration records across the U.S. These new records are not just a testament to the strong growth of wind power in recent years– they also … Continue reading Strong winds blow away records across the U.S.

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Community wind energy experts request appropriate legal definition for community energy

100 community energy experts from 20 countries have met for the 2nd International Community Wind Symposium hosted by the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) and Landesverbandes Erneuerbare Energien NRW (LEE NRW). The event is focussing on the current debate around the German renewable energy law (EEG) and on community energy developments in NRW, as well … Continue reading Community wind energy experts request appropriate legal definition for community energy

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European platform for corporate renewable energy sourcing launched

The potential for corporate sourcing of renewable energy in Europe is significant and largely untapped. To support its growth and bring a new stream of revenue into the European electricity market, it requires a consistent regulatory environment and awareness of this opportunity needs to be raised across a range of different stakeholders. SolarPower Europe and … Continue reading European platform for corporate renewable energy sourcing launched

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Wind energy and solar power jobs are the two fastest growing jobs in America

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data Tuesday showing that jobs as solar installers and wind technicians are projected to grow the fastest of any in the U.S. economy over the coming decade. The number of people working in these professions will double between 2016 and 2026. Where are wind jobs located? Wind jobs … Continue reading Wind energy and solar power jobs are the two fastest growing jobs in America

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Wind energy: Top four trends from the third quarter

The third quarter continued a productive 2017 for the U.S. wind industry, with demand for wind power surging from both traditional and new customers. Here’s a quick recap of some of the top findings from our new U.S. Wind Industry Third Quarter 2017 Market Report: Utilities announce big wind power deals American Electric Power (AEP), … Continue reading Wind energy: Top four trends from the third quarter

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WindEurope plugs importance of visibility on renewables plans and support with Finnish Government

WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson met with the Finnish Energy Minister Kimmo Tiilikainen on 26 October before presenting with the Minister at the annual conference of the Finnish Wind Energy Association. Finland has 2 GW of installed wind capacity today, and wind is 4% of its power mix.  The Government has wound up the FiT scheme … Continue reading WindEurope plugs importance of visibility on renewables plans and support with Finnish Government

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On Block Island, offshore wind energy ushers in a new time

Molly Seltzer is a George Washington University Shapiro Traveling Fellow. Her photojournalistic project, Electric America, documents the American energy landscape. Life on Block Island runs a couple of minutes slower than on the mainland. But “island time” does not refer to the leisurely pace of the island lifestyle, but rather to the quality of the … Continue reading On Block Island, offshore wind energy ushers in a new time

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Jeff Bezos made headlines by smashing a bottle of champagne to launch Amazon Wind Farm Texas

This week Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos made headlines by smashing a bottle of champagne to launch Amazon Wind Farm Texas, one of the company’s 18 clean energy projects to date. Press play on the video below to see Bezos in action.   It’s a fantastic visual, and here at Into the Wind we had some … Continue reading Jeff Bezos made headlines by smashing a bottle of champagne to launch Amazon Wind Farm Texas

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Would extra payments to coal and nuclear really solve any problem with the grid?

Does the latest push for extra payments to coal and nuclear electric generators really reflect a problem with the grid, or is it a “solution” to the “problem” of cheap electricity? Two weeks ago the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) was given a tight, 60-day timeline to act “before the winter heating season begins so … Continue reading Would extra payments to coal and nuclear really solve any problem with the grid?

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Wind Energy Fall Symposium

Next month, the wind industry will head back to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the annual Wind Energy Fall Symposium. It’s an extraordinary opportunity to network with leaders in the wind energy industry, and to participate in the strategic planning of the next three years. This year’s event will provide attendees with: Actionable takeaways on how … Continue reading Wind Energy Fall Symposium

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Understanding the economic benefits of wind power: A conversation with Tom Kiernan

American wind power is increasingly becoming an economic driver for the U.S. economy and is on track to meet 10 percent of our energy needs by 2020. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Tom Kiernan, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) for an interesting discussion on the growing industry. This … Continue reading Understanding the economic benefits of wind power: A conversation with Tom Kiernan

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WindEurope’s CEO talks at VIND 2017 on the new rules of renewables

The Swedish wind energy association, Svensk Vindenergi, held its annual conference and exhibition on 11-12 October in Stockholm. This is the largest gathering of the wind industry in the Nordic region. The mood at the event was reasonably upbeat with a number of new onshore wind projects in Sweden having recently secured or being close … Continue reading WindEurope’s CEO talks at VIND 2017 on the new rules of renewables

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AWEA launches new campaign “Take Time to Take Care”

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has launched a new campaign “Take Time to Take Care” with wind turbine technician safety in mind. “Safety training and awareness campaigns are top priorities for us,” said AWEA CEO Tom Kiernan. “We are pleased to announce AWEA’s 3rd annual October safety campaign ‘Take Time to Take Care.’ Focusing … Continue reading AWEA launches new campaign “Take Time to Take Care”

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UK continues offshore wind energy ambition

The UK government announced this week a further subsidy auction for offshore wind and other renewable technologies in the spring of 2019.   Minister for Energy and Industry, Richard Harrington, announced that renewable energy projects will be able to compete for contracts worth up to £557m. The news was swiftly followed with the publishing of … Continue reading UK continues offshore wind energy ambition

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