Category Archives: OpEd

Developing nations top investors in renewables in 2015

Wind energy added 62GW, and photovoltaics 56 GW, with more modest contributions coming from biomass, geothermal, solar thermal and “waste-to-power”, in which waste products are recycled. Investment in renewable energy hit a record USD 286 billion in 2015, more than half of which came from developing countries for the first time, according to a UN … Continue reading Developing nations top investors in renewables in 2015

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Meeting the people who live and work with wind power

Five months into my tenure at AWEA, I have a head full of facts about wind power. I can tell you about jobs, electric bills savings and clean air benefits. I can explain the policy mechanisms and incentives that help grow wind energy, and which companies are investing in a clean energy future for America. … Continue reading Meeting the people who live and work with wind power

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1.2 mln Brazilian homes to be self-powered by 2024

Nearly 1.2 million homes in Brazil will have to generate their own energy from renewable energy sources by 2024.  A study by the National Electric Energy Agency predicts that homes equipped with solar panels or mini wind turbines will be able to generate electricity for household consumption, and transfer any surplus to a local distribution … Continue reading 1.2 mln Brazilian homes to be self-powered by 2024

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The Inexorable Shift of the U.S. Power Sector

David Littell served as a commissioner of the Maine Public Utilities Commission from 2010 to 2015, participating in the resolution of more than 2,000 cases involving energy efficiency, distributed generation, ratemaking, rate design, and consumer protection issues. He’s now a Principal at the Regulatory Assistance Project. This blog originally appeared on the Regulatory Assistance Project’s … Continue reading The Inexorable Shift of the U.S. Power Sector

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Major utility: Cutting carbon with wind, solar “a good business plan”

Beth Soholt is the Executive Director of Wind on the Wires, AWEA’s Midwest regional partner. Wind on the Wires concentrates on the technical aspects of connecting wind farms to the transmission grid, and delivering wind energy to cities and towns in nine states from Illinois to North Dakota.  Xcel Energy recently said it plans to … Continue reading Major utility: Cutting carbon with wind, solar “a good business plan”

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Support mounting for Oregon plan to eliminate coal, increase renewables

The Oregon state legislature is currently considering a bill that would eliminate coal from the state’s energy mix while increasing its Renewable Portfolio Standard to 50 percent by 2040. The initiative, called the Clean Electricity and Coal Transition Plan (House Bill4036), has wide variety of supporters, ranging from the Sierra Club to utilities Pacific Power … Continue reading Support mounting for Oregon plan to eliminate coal, increase renewables

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Billions in benefits from adding more electric power transmission

Savings on producing electricity are just the start of the benefits to regions that expand their electrical transmission, according to an impressive new study issued today in Little Rock, Ark., by the Southwest Power Pool, which supplies 14 states across the central U.S. Fuel cost savings alone totaled $240 million in the first year, from … Continue reading Billions in benefits from adding more electric power transmission

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Protecting our most precious resource: water

California’s ongoing drought serves as a stark reminder that water may well be our most precious resource. Luckily, wind power helps conserve billions of gallons every year. In 2013 alone, wind saved over 35 billion gallons of water. To put that into perspective, that works out to 120 gallons per person, or the equivalent of … Continue reading Protecting our most precious resource: water

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Clean Power Plan overcomes first legal challenge

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia recently issued a major ruling on the Clean Power Plan, deciding a stay of the rule was not warranted. Here’s a roundup of what people are saying about the announcement. The New York Times “We are pleased that the court has rejected petitioners’ attempts to … Continue reading Clean Power Plan overcomes first legal challenge

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Governors’ coalition teams up wind energy and solar power to advance renewable energy across U.S.

After seven years of promoting the benefits of adding wind energy to the U.S. electricity mix, the Governors’ Wind Energy Coalition announced today it will pair its advocacy work for wind with work for solar energy as well. The change is reflected in the group’s new name, the Governors’ Wind and Solar Energy Coalition (GWSC). … Continue reading Governors’ coalition teams up wind energy and solar power to advance renewable energy across U.S.

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Governor Cuomo Launches $5 Billion Clean Energy Fund to Grow New York’s Clean Energy Economy

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the New York State Public Service Commission’s approval of a 10-year, $5 billion Clean Energy Fund to accelerate the growth of New York’s clean energy economy, address climate change, strengthen resiliency in the face of extreme weather and lower energy bills for New Yorkers starting this year. Additionally, the … Continue reading Governor Cuomo Launches $5 Billion Clean Energy Fund to Grow New York’s Clean Energy Economy

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Spain’s 500 MW wind energy auction inadequate

Spain’s 500MW wind power auction last week was too small to satisfy demand and the country risks missing its 2020 target for renewables. The auction is Spain’s first under the new support scheme for renewable energy projects since the government implemented a series of harsh retroactive cutbacks to the country’s feed-in tariff in 2013. A … Continue reading Spain’s 500 MW wind energy auction inadequate

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The Spanish Wind Energy Association believes that the outcome of the 500 MW auction does not reflect the reality of the sector

The Spanish Wind Energy Association (AEE), which represents 90% of Spanish wind energy sector, believes that the outcome of the auction held on Friday 14th, the first in Spain ever, is not significant because it does not reflect the reality of the sector. The fact that the auction was isolated (there is no calendar for … Continue reading The Spanish Wind Energy Association believes that the outcome of the 500 MW auction does not reflect the reality of the sector

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Increasing World’s Share of Renewable Energy Would Boost Global GDP up to $1.3 Trillion

Achieving a 36 per cent share of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2030 would increase global gross domestic product (GDP) by up to 1.1 per cent, roughly USD 1.3 trillion, according to new analysis by IRENA. Renewable Energy Benefits: Measuring the Economics, released today at IRENA’s sixth Assembly, provides the first global … Continue reading Increasing World’s Share of Renewable Energy Would Boost Global GDP up to $1.3 Trillion

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The State Of The Union On Wind Energy: A Tale Of Two Fact Checks

The Washington Post‘s Fact Checker wrongly challenged President Obama’s State of the Union comments about wind energy by citing a study linked to the oil billionaire Koch brothers. By contrast, FactCheck.org cited an Energy Department analyst who confirmed that Obama was correct when he said that wind energy is less expensive than fossil fuels in … Continue reading The State Of The Union On Wind Energy: A Tale Of Two Fact Checks

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Denmark generated 42.1 percent of its electricity from wind power in 2015

Denmark generated 42.1 percent of its electricity from wind turbines in 2015, system operator Energinet.dk said on Friday, setting a world record and putting a 2020 target of 50 percent in sight. “This is the highest figure ever and the highest proportion for any country,” Energinet.dk said.   Denmark is home to the largest wind … Continue reading Denmark generated 42.1 percent of its electricity from wind power in 2015

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Clean Energy defies fossil fuel price crash to attract record $329bn global investment in 2015

Clean energy investment surged in China, Africa, the US, Latin America and India in 2015, driving the world total to its highest ever figure, of $329.3bn, up 4% from 2014’s revised $315.9bn and beating the previous record, set in 2011 by 3%. The latest figures from Bloomberg New Energy Finance show dollar investment globally growing … Continue reading Clean Energy defies fossil fuel price crash to attract record $329bn global investment in 2015

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The Rise of the Non-Traditional Energy Buyer

John Powers leads the Renewable Energy Advisory Services Division at Renewable Choice Energy and has helped corporate and institutional clients achieve their renewable energy goals for over 12 years. This is the first in a 4-part series of blogs on the explosive renewable growth currently underway in the commercial & industrial market sector. A sea … Continue reading The Rise of the Non-Traditional Energy Buyer

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Top five wind energy stories over the holidays

Greg Alvarez http://www.aweablog.org   Hopefully everyone enjoyed some egg nog and time with the family over the last couple of weeks. Before we get too far into 2016, we wanted to make sure you saw the top five ways wind power ended 2015 on a high note. Here’s a quick roundup of some wind power … Continue reading Top five wind energy stories over the holidays

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