Exelon nuclear company blaming wind energy for decline in electricity prices
Exelon is merely “looking for a scapegoat” after power prices plummeted following the utility’s “bet on the electricity spot market” with nuclear.
Exelon chief: Wind subsidies could shut down nuclear plants,THE HILL By Zack Colman – 02/08/13
A major utility that was ousted from a wind energy trade group last fall said continued government support of wind power could shutter nuclear plants.
Exelon Corp. CEO Christopher Crane told the Chicago Tribune in comments published Friday that his company might eventually have to close nuclear facilities “if we continue to build an excessive amount of wind and subsidize wind.”
Exelon vocally opposed the extension of the wind production tax credit last year. That led the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) to kick the Chicago-based utility out of the organization.
Exelon will likely try to quash AWEA’s push this year for a phase-out of the 2.2 cent per kilowatt-hour credit for wind power production. Exelon has ties to the White House, as one of its directors is a top fundraiser for and friend of President Obama. Former strategist David Axelrod also consulted for the utility, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who served as Obama’s first chief of staff, helped create the firm through a merger in 2000 while working as an investment banker. Continue reading
Local solar energy making a huge difference in rural Argentina
In Renewable Energy in Rural Markets Project (PERMER)’s proposed scheme, photovoltaic or wind system are installed
for the user, who then pays for its operation and maintenance
dependent on their means.
”People have adapted well to technology and began to ask for solar panels instead of electricity lines,”
there [ the province of Entre Riosall] the rural schools and nearly 2,000 homes have solar panels.The impact is rewarding.
Renewable energy brings power to the rural corners of Argentina
http://www.renewableenergymagazine.com/article/renewable-energy-brings-power-to-the-rural-20130208
Cooking, heating water, or the house during
winter, reading, listening to the radio, charging your phone, using
the computer, watching TV — most people take these activities for
granted in the 21st century, but for thousands of inhabitants in
Argentina’s remote rural communities without electricity it is a
challenge. Nearly 150,000 homes still do not have this basic service,
most of them in the northern part of the country.
Since 1999, the Renewable Energy in Rural Markets Project (PERMER) has
aimed to put an end to this situation. Supported by the World Bank and
the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the initiative connects homes
and schools to clean energy sources such as solar panels and
windmills.
So far, around 25,000 residential customers and nearly 2,000 schools
have been reached, and 300 solar thermal stoves, furnaces and water
heaters have been installed. Also 2,000 users in small, isolated
communities have benefited from small power systems (generation and
distribution networks). The project has also included almost 400
public buildings, such as health centers, community centers, as well
as Gendarmerie (Police force) and National Parks Administration’s
stations. Continue reading
Wind energy to be stored in USA’s largest power storage system
Duke Energy completes North America’s largest energy storage system,
Renewable Energy Magazine Robin WhitlockThursday, 07 February 2013
The 36MW energy storage system will store power generated by the
nearby Notrees wind farm and became fully operational in December
The company announced plans to install large-scale energy storage
systems to service its wind farm at Notrees in late 2009, matching a
$22 million grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE).
As well as helping to meet power demand the system will also help to stabilize the frequency of electricity travelling through the power grid. DukeEnergy is currently working closely with the Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) which will indicate whether the system shoulddispatch stored energy to increase frequency or absorb energy to decrease it. Performance data will be collected from the battery storage system by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to help assess the broader potential for deployment of storage solutions throughout the sector. Continue reading
Not In My Backyard – attacks on renewable energy prevent jobs and economic growth
The US Chamber of Commerce put into action an initiative called
Project No Project, which looks at energy projects being delayed or
stopped entirely due to NIMBYism. Project No Project has projected
that in the short term the 351 projects the group looked at could
produce $1.1 trillion for the economy and create 1.9 million jobs a
year. Also once these projects are created and established, they are
estimated to produce $145 billion and create 791,000 jobs…..
The Real Cost of NIMBYism, Reneweable Energy Magazine Al Maiorino , 07
February 2013 All over the world renewable energy projects are being
delayed or stopped entirely due to the NIMBY or “not in my backyard”
phenomenon, this is a case that often involves people in communities
who stall developments in their areas due to a variety of reasons.
NIMBYism is not limited to the United States, it is global.
The amountof revenue and jobs that have been lost or delayed due to public opposition and protest to renewable energy projects is astounding. Continue reading
NOT using renewable energy will cost the world $billions
Cost Of Not Using Renewable Energy at $9 Billion Per Day, http://designbuildsource.com.au/cost-of-not-using-renewable-energy-at-9-billion-per-day-study-claims By Justin McGar, 7 Feb 13, Study Claims In an unprecedented study, the World Future Council conservatively estimates that the future usage loss resulting from current oil, gas and coal consumption is between $US 3.2 and 3.4 trillion per year.
Opponents of renewable energy claim conventional energy sources are cheaper on the whole, but the World Future Council report asks what costs are incurred when renewable energiesare not used. Continue reading
Worldwide surge in renewable energy, with costs falling
Renewable Energy Revolution: Declining Costs, Surging Capacity Clean Technica January 24, 2013 The renewable energy revolution is under way. Renewable power generation now accounts for around 50% of all new power generation capacity installed worldwide.
The combination of rapid deployment and high learning rates for technology “has produced a virtuous circle that is leading to significant cost declines and is helping fuel a renewable revolution,” according to a new global study of renewable power generation costs in 2012 produced by IRENA, the International Renewable Energy Agency, which announced it is establishing its global headquarters in the United Arab Emirates during last week’s Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
Additions to global wind power generation capacity totalled 41 gigawatts (GW) in 2011, according to IRENA’s “Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2012: An Overview.” That’s in addition to 30 GW of new solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation capacity, 25 GW of hydro power, 6 GW of biomass, 0.5 GW of concentrated solar power (CSP), and 0.1 GW of new geothermal power capacity.
“Renewable technologies are now the most economic solution for new capacity in an increasing number of countries and regions,” IRENA concluded upon analyzing the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) among the some 8,000 renewable power projects in its database and related literature…….. http://cleantechnica.com/2013/01/24/renewable-energy-revolution-declining-costs-surging-capacity/
USA: In 2012 49% of new energy capacity was renewable
Nearly half of new U.S. power capacity in 2012 was renewable — mostly wind Grist, By Philip Bump, 18 Jan 13 As predicted, almost half of the new power-generating capacity installed in the United States last year was renewable.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently released its December update on the nation’s energy infrastructure [PDF]. When we last checked on the data, it suggested that some 46 percent of new capacity — January through October — was renewable. Well, that ratio improved over the last two months of the year. Ultimately, 49.1 percent of new capacity was renewable….. http://grist.org/news/nearly-half-of-new-u-s-power-capacity-in-2012-was-renewable-mostly-wind/#.UPoHA3lLia4.twitter
Renewable energy:192,000 acres of government-owned land in Arizona
U.S. Establishes Renewable-Energy Zone on Public Land in Arizona http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-18/u-s-establishes-renewable-energy-zone-on-public-land-in-arizona.html
By Justin Doom – Jan 18, 2013 6
The U.S. identified about 192,000 acres of government-owned land in Arizona that are suitable for commercial-scale solar and wind farms.
The agency also established the Agua Caliente Solar Energy Zone, 2,550 acres in the state with strong sunlight and few resource conflicts that are well-suited for solar projects, according to a U.S. Interior Department statement today.
Agua Caliente is the third solar zone in Arizona and the 18th in the nation. Establishing such areas will facilitate development by identifying sites where projects are unlikely to face environmental hurdles and other potential problems.
Creating zones for renewable energy “lays a solid foundation for making sure it happens in the right way and the right places,” Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in the statement. The agency is working with environmentalists, local communities, American Indian tribes and other groups “to reduce potential resource conflicts and expedite appropriate projects.”
The U.S. is promoting wider use of renewable energy to reduce consumption of foreign oil and create clean-energy jobs, Salazar said. The agency has approved 34 utility-scale wind, solar and geothermal projects on public land since 2009 with more than 10,400 megawatts of capacity.
160 nations endorse doubling of renewable energy – IRENA
Adirec sees consensus on doubling deployment of renewable energy, The Gulf Today,, 19 Jan 13, ABU DHABI: Over 160 countries on Thursday endorsed the growth of renewable energy in a balanced global energy portfolio and noted the leading role of the UAE and Middle East.
World’s largest offshore wind farm for Japan
Japan to build world’s largest offshore wind farm, New Scientist, 16
January 2013 by Rob Gilhooly, Tokyo It’s goodbye nuclear, hello
renewables as Japan prepares to build the world’s largest offshore
wind farm this July. Continue reading
Huge ecological advantages with solar photovoltaic energy
Solar Panels In Harmony With Nature http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3555 17 Jan 13, A new report released by WWF says a world powered by solar panels would require an insignificant amount of land.
The report, based on studies of six countries and one region, shows in each case less than 1% of the total land mass in each case would be needed to provide 100% of projected electricity demand in 2050 if generating electricity with only solar panels.
Estimations were based on a study of Indonesia, Madagascar, Mexico, Morocco, South Africa, Turkey and the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Continue reading
Wind power to put Uruguay ahead in global renewable enegy stakes
Uruguay set to become world leader in wind power
South American nation plans to produce 90 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2015
BusinessGreen 07 Jan 2013
Uruguay has set its sights on becoming one of the world’s leading wind power producers as part of plans to produce 90 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2015.
Electricity generated from wind is expected to make up 30 per cent of the South American nation’s total mix, with hydropower contributing 45 per cent, and biomass 15 per cent, according to reports from SmartPlanet.
This would put Uruguay ahead of current renewable energy leader Denmark, which gets 26 per cent of its electrical generation from wind.
While Uruguay has a number of hydro power plants, these tend to shut down in dry periods, forcing the country to purchase electricity from Argentina at up to $400per megawatt hour (MWh). The government hopes installing wind farms could provide a more secure source of energy and drop electricity prices to around $64/MWh, well under the current price of $90/MWh…..
Pakistan gets affordable solar panels, a winning strategy in Asia
“We are aiming to make sure that any person who installs the house solar system will have monthly instalments equal to their current monthly electricity bill,” said Khurram. Given the fact that grid electricity in Pakistan is cheap, but unreliable, it is likely that many will find that proposition highly tempting.
The company is confident that the venture will prove to be financially viable. Adeel Anwar, the finance director of the company, said that he expects its revenues to touch €150 million (Rs19.2 billion) within the first year. CAE officials feel they can then double that number within three years.
Renewable energy: German firm to set up first solar panel plant in Pakistan http://tribune.com.pk/story/491194/renewable-energy-german-firm-to-set-up-first-solar-panel-plant-in-pakistan/ By 
Imran Rana January 8, 2013 FAISALABAD: German renewable energy company CAE plans to invest more than €100 million (Rs12.9 billion) in setting up the first solar panel manufacturing facility in Pakistan, and the second of its kind in Asia.
In an exclusive interview with The Express Tribune, Shahzada Khurram, the only Pakistani director of the company, shared its plans of becoming a leading supplier of renewable energy equipment in the country. “Pakistan is going through one of the worst energy crises, and it is time to think about renewable energy as a way to make good money in the sector,” said Khurram. Continue reading
China’s big steps forward in renewable energy
China unveils big renewable energy ambitions for 2013, The Age,
January 9, 2013 China, the world’s largest carbon emitter due to its
dependence on coal, plans to add 49 gigawatts of renewable-energy
capacity this year in an effort to boost power production without
increasing its reliance on fossil fuels.
China will add 21 gigawatts of hydroelectric capacity, 18 gigawatts of
wind generation and 10 gigawatts of solar, according to a statement
today on the website of the National Energy Administration. The
agency, a unit of the National Development Reform Commission, reported
the results of a national work meeting on energy in Beijing yesterday
and was attended by Zhang Ping, who heads the commission.
That will exceed other forecasts for China’s wind and solar
development. The country is expected to surpass Germany to become the
largest solar market by installing as much as 5.39 gigawatts of
photovoltaic panels this year, according to a November report from
Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The London- based research company
anticipates 16.3 gigawatts of new, land- based wind capacity in China
this year……. :
http://www.theage.com.au/business/carbon-economy/china-unveils-big-renewable-energy-ambitions-for-2013-20130109-2cfdd.html#ixzz2HX92zVT0
Continuing strong renewable energy growth in China
China’s Strong Renewable Energy Growth Continues Clean Technica, http://cleantechnica.com/2013/01/07/china-increases-overall-renewable-energy-capacity/#jmKrVGDEZY5PCtxO.99
January 7, 2013, Joshua S Hill In good news for planet Earth, and news
that should conversely kick us Western nations up the proverbial,
China has again stretched its renewable energy installed capacity,
increasing its wind energy capacity up to 56 megawatts at the end of
October 2012, and increasing its hydro power capacity to 206
megawatts.
China’s renewable energy capacity installation growth has
been impressive, and even more so when you consider that its growth
has been higher than the global average.
The global average growth of wind energy capacity over the past decade
was only 25% while China’s wind energy capacity rose at an annual
average growth of 60%.
When it comes to solar, the average global growth was 44%, while China
managed 50% over the same time period.
It’s good news to see China reaching and beating goals it has set for
itself, especially in light of its recently introduced 12th Five-Year
Plan, in which China has set a target of increasing its total
renewable energy consumption to 478 million tonnes of coal equivalent.
This would represent approximately 9.5% of the overall energy
consumption in the country by 2015.
1 This Month
petition to oppose the rapid increase of space-military industry threatening Jeju Island and the region.
[Petition by April 19th (KST)] Stop the joint military-Hanwha Systems-Jeju Provincial Government Sea Launch!
World Nuclear Power. Reactors 1951-2026, 75 Years of Nuclear Power.
Interactive Map– https://dv.worldnuclearreport.org/
Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – A good documentary on Chernobyl on SBS available On Demand for the next 3 weeks– https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/chernobyl-the-lost-tapes/2352741955560
of the week–London Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Tell the Ukrainian Government to Drop Prosecution of Peace Activist Yurii Sheliazhenko
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity – go to https://nuclearinformation.wordpress.com
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