Renewable Energy Focus
New York Times - Jun 22
In the absence of global action to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the United States by the end of the century may face up to $180 billion in economic losses because of drought and water shortages, according to a report released Monday by the White House and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). White House officials said the report, which analyzes the economic costs of a changing climate across 20 sectors of the American economy, is the most comprehensive effort to date to quantify the impacts of global warming. The report comes as President Obama is trying to build political support both at home and abroad for an ambitious climate change agenda.
Sacramento Bee - Jun 23
A political fight over California’s renewable energy industry is playing out in the corridors of power, but it deals with something closer to home: your rooftop. Capitol policymakers are advancing an ambitious proposal to have renewable sources generate half of the state’s electricity by 2030, up from the 33 percent benchmark already in law. The question now seems less whether the new goal will be enacted than how utilities will get there. With the clean energy industry anticipating an opportunity for more business, California’s rooftop solar firms are fighting to be included and meeting resistance from other industry players. The electricity flowing from rooftop solar panels is assigned far less value because some of it is used on-site by the home’s occupant, unlike energy sold wholesale to utilities. As a result, industry representatives maintain they are effectively cut out of the process of utilities buying up renewable power.
Bloomberg - Jun 23
Renewable energy will draw almost two-thirds of the spending on new power plants over the next 25 years, dwarfing expenditures on fossil fuels, as plunging costs make solar the first choice for consumers and the poorest nations. Solar power will draw $3.7 trillion in investment through 2040, with a total of $8 trillion going toward clean energy. That’s almost double the $4.1 trillion that will be spent on coal, natural gas, and nuclear plants, according to a forecast from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The figures show that the traditional dominance of coal and natural gas suppliers will slip in the coming years as cheaper renewables mean developing nations can tap less-polluting sources to meet their swelling energy needs.
Parker Live - Jun 24
The Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) has filed a lawsuit against Riverside County and its board of supervisors for approving the 3,660-acre Blythe Mesa Solar Project allegedly without fully considering the impact of the development on tribal resources. CRIT filed the suit on June 12th in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Riverside. Project developer Renewable Resources Group is also named in the suit, which requests that the court direct Riverside County to rescind its approval and halt construction of the project until it comes into compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act and all applicable laws.
Chem.Info - Jun 22
Researchers from the University of California-Los Angeles developed a plastic material capable of storing solar energy for weeks, which could lead to breakthroughs in solar panel technology. Currently, residential solar panels made from silicon can only hold energy for microseconds, while plastic alternatives are too inefficient. Typically, the plastics, called photovoltaic materials, allow electrons to be easily transferred back to a polymer and lost. UCLA scientists, however, arranged the plastic components in such a manner that the solar energy is transferred and retained.
PV-Tech - Jun 23
Community solar in the U.S. is on course to become a 500-megawatt annual market by 2020, making it the country’s most significant growth segment, a GTM Research report has claimed. The study predicts a fivefold increase for the burgeoning market this year, followed by 59 percent compound annual growth thereafter. Over the next two years, four states, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Minnesota, are expected to install the majority of community solards.
Notable Renewable Energy Projects and Deals
San Jose Mercury News - Jun 24
Silicon Valley's embrace of renewable energy continued Tuesday with an announcement by Cisco Systems of a 20-year solar deal that will help power its headquarters. Cisco has agreed to buy the output of a solar farm that NRG Renew will build on 153 acres in Blythe near the California-Arizona border. NRG Renew will pump the electricity into California's grid, from which Cisco will withdraw an equal amount of "green" power in San Jose.
Greentech Media - Jun 24
BHE Renewables' 579-megawatt solar project in Antelope Valley, California is now fully connected to the California ISO grid. That allows the facility, dubbed "Solar Star," to claim the title of the largest operational solar project on the planet. It went fully on-line on June 19, according to the California Independent System Operator website. Solar Star narrowly edges out First Solar's two projects, the 550-megawatt capacity Topaz Solar and the 550-megawatt Desert Sunlight project in Riverside for the title.
Greentech Media - Jun 24
SunEdison has announced a new partnership with behind-the-meter battery startup Green Charge Networks. Under the agreement, the two companies will jointly market and develop solar storage projects, each providing its own low- or no-cost financing, with an eye on capturing the lucrative energy-plus-demand charge opportunities in the state’s commercial and municipal sectors. The two have already installed their first project, a solar array at a parking garage at Santa Clara, California’s new football stadium, backed by Green Charge’s lithium-ion battery and control systems, and connected to SunEdison’s round-the-clock asset management and monitoring service.
