North Carolina is making significant strides in the clean energy sector, with wind and solar providing nearly 10% of the state’s electricity. The state’s clean energy capacity, currently at 6,433 MW, is set to grow significantly by 2030 and is powered in part by over $15 billion in investments. And the sector – which currently employs nearly 10,000 North Carolinians – is poised for further expansion.
Read More
The latest Coal Cost Crossover research finds incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act accelerate this trend – 99 percent of all U.S. coal plants (209 out of 210) are now more expensive to run than replacement by new local solar, wind, or energy storage. Replacing coal plants with local wind and solar would also save enough to finance nearly 150 gigawatts of four-hour battery storage, over 60 percent of the coal fleet’s capacity, and generate $589 billion in new investment across the U.S.
Read More
For mature technologies, such as wind and solar, these incentives have the potential to supercharge an already-rapid pace of development. In our analysis, we estimate that the solar and wind LCOEs in 2030 with the IRA will be lower than those without it by 20%-35% and 38%-49%, respectively. However, despite the economic incentives, the IRA may encounter other development challenges facing renewable energy projects.
Read More
This Short-Term Energy Outlook June 2022 report was prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. The largest increases in U.S. electricity generation in the forecast come from renewable energy sources, mostly solar and wind. It expects renewable sources will provide 22% of U.S. generation in 2022 and 24% in 2023, up from 20% in 2021.
Read More
MidAmerican Energy, a power company based in the US, has made bids for a renewables mega-project in Iowa. The project, named Wind Prime, would comprise 2,042 MW of wind power and 50 MW of solar power with an investment of $3.9 billion. The proposed wind farms would have a 40-year lifespan, while the solar farms would have a 30-year lifespan.
Read More
The Monthly Energy Review is the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) primary report of recent and historical energy statistics. It includes statistics on total energy production, consumption, stocks, trade, and energy prices; overviews of petroleum, natural gas, coal, electricity, nuclear energy, and renewable energy; carbon dioxide emissions; and data unit conversions.
Read More
State and local leaders have long formed the vanguard of US climate action. They continue to set the pace for climate ambition and are the on-the-ground doers when it comes to acting on that ambition. Cities and states have led the way on clean energy deployment, vehicle emissions standards, controls on methane, and much more. Building on that progress will be critical to meeting the United States’ climate goals.
Read More
When it comes to renewable energy, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Clean power just keeps winning and winning in the marketplace. According to the Energy Information Administration, wind and solar power made up 62% of new electric generating capacity to come online in 2019 and 76% in 2020. Through September of 2021, these two technologies made up 74%.
Read More
Applied Economics Clinic and Clean Energy Group have released a new report that finds that customer-sited battery storage is by far the lowest priced new winter peaking resource now available to Massachusetts utilities; that payments to customers enrolled in the Commonwealth’s ConnectedSolutions battery program should be increased by at least 33 percent; and that program budgets should be expanded significantly.
Read More
The year ahead promises new growth paths for the renewable energy industry, potentially aided by supportive policies from an administration focused on combatting climate change. Yet, some challenges still linger. This report explores how new technologies, business models, policies, and investments could help address these challenges and accelerate growth.
Read More
The controversial topic of resource adequacy (RA) is undergoing fundamental reassessment to function properly with the future resource mix. From a legal standpoint, while FERC’s authority over resource adequacy in the ISO/RTO setting has been construed expansively, the Commission has declined to mandate capacity markets in circumstances where reliability and economic problems have not been demonstrated.
Read More
The report has been prepared by the American Clean Power. The U.S. clean energy industry installed 5,620 MW of clean power capacity in the second quarter of 2021—a record for second quarter installations. Additions in the first half of the year total 9,915 MW, supplanting 2020 as the most active first six months for installations.
Read More
This paper “The Governance of Wholesale Power Markets” prepared by Bentham Paulos of Clean Energy States Alliance is the second in a series designed to help state officials and other stakeholders understand wholesale electricity markets. It looks especially at the role of regional transmission organizations (RTOs) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in operating regional wholesale power markets.
Read More
The House of Representatives just passed Build Back Better legislation that includes the largest investment in history to clean up the nation’s electric power sector. Enacting this historic legislation will put us on the path toward President Biden’s goal of 80 percent clean electricity by 2030. The bill contains more than $150 billion in clean electricity tax incentives as well as more than $25 billion for clean energy loans, grants, research, procurement, and other essential programs.
Read More
The growth of distributed energy resources on the grid edge continues to influence many sectors of the energy industry. In the last few months, we’ve seen this play out in the automotive industry’s increasing investment in downstream energy services and virtual power plants becoming more commonplace. In the last few years there has been a slew of joint ventures (JVs) between developers and investors, signaling the more active role that investors are seeking in projects.
Read More
The last decade has proven that clean energy can power American homes, businesses and industry, and has put America on the cusp of a dramatic shift away from polluting energy sources. With renewable energy prices falling and new energy-saving technologies being developed every day, businesses, cities, states, and the nation should work to obtain 100% of our energy from clean, renewable sources.
Read More
The paper “Advice for States on 100% Clean Energy Planning Part One: The Process for Producing a Plan” was prepared by Warren Leon of Clean Energy States Alliance. To successfully achieve a 100% clean energy goal, a state will need to develop and implement a sound plan of action. This paper, Part One of a two-part series, provides advice for states on the planning process, the organization of a plan, and the presentation of results.
Read More
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has announced plans to develop its first US offshore wind turbine blade facility in Virginia. Siemens Gamesa will develop more than 80 acres/32 hectares at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal in Portsmouth, Virginia upon the execution of a firm order for the 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial Project with Dominion Energy.
Read More
President Biden must restore lost trust in the United States as a reliable global climate partner. The Trump administration squandered that trust. Biden is working to earn it back. His strongest card is to lead by example, showing how he’ll keep his promise to cut U.S. carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases by 50 percent to 52 percent, compared to 2005 levels, and get to 80 percent clean electricity by 2030.
Read More
Large-scale solar installation will exceed wind power installation in the US for the first time in 2022, predicts the Energy Information Administration (EIA). With government support diminishing for onshore wind power, utility solar capacity installation is expected to dwarf wind with 16GW vs. 6GW. In 2021, the EIA expects new wind installation to narrowly edge solar by 18GW to 16GW. With solar installation accelerating, the US passed 100GW of total installed capacity in the first quarter of this year.
Read More