November 2009

As big as you can afford. While the fabled “London Array”, which contemplates 1 gigawatt of production capacity in the Thames Estuary, is truly enormous, Sweden plans a wind farm array in Lappland (where the reindeers live) that will generate over 3 gigawatts. They will use 7.5 megawatt turbines, that will be far higher than a football field is long: over 35 stories high. See the video, and more details, here. read more

It’s official: Climate change legislation will not happen this year. Senate Democratic leaders announced last week that floor debate on the Boxer-Kerry bill (S. 1733) will not begin until next spring, taking a back seat to legislation overhauling the healthcare system and financial industry. According to conventional wisdom, the climate bill will become increasingly difficult to pass after March 2010, with election pressures making lawmakers reluctant to support legislation that many see as likely to slow economic recovery and raise energy costs. read more

EnviroMission (USA) Inc., the Phoenix-based subsidiary of the Australian company EnviroMission Ltd., already has a few parcels under option in La Paz County and recently received an initial approval from the Southern California Public Power Authority ("SCPPA").  The company plans to construct a plant in Arizona that will generate electricity using "solar tower" technology.  This new technology, described here, essentially heats air near ground level using a greenhouse effect and then funnels it into a huge tower as it rises, driving wind turbines.  Unlike photovoltaic and concentrating solar, the solar tower does not require any water and can operate at night and on cloudy days since it is powered by radiant heat rather than direct sunlight. read more

Four months after signing into law new tax incentives for the renewable energy industry, Arizona governor Jan Brewer welcomed China’s largest solar-panel manufacturer to the Valley of the Sun. Suntech Power Holdings Co. announced on Sunday its decision to locate its U.S. headquarters and an 80,000 to 100,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Phoenix. The facility, which will assemble panels that convert sunlight into electricity, is slated to begin operations in the third quarter of 2010. Initially, it will employ 75 Arizonans, and that number could grow to 250 at full capacity. read more

Now that climate change legislation has passed the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee, albeit without any Republican votes, proponents must gather the bipartisan support and 60 votes needed to withstand an expected filibuster. The road to the floor will not be smooth, with senators of both parties expressing reservations and seeking to modify the bill. read more

A proposal submitted by petition for hearing on January 5, 2009 by New Energy Economy (a Santa Fe based nonprofit) is being considered by the state Environmental Improvement Board (NMEIB) and would place strict limits on greenhouse emissions.  The New Energy Economy proposal would apply to oil and gas producers, refineries, manufacturers, power plants, and others that emit 10,000 tons or more a year of carbon dioxide and require that by 2020, they reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25% below 1990 levels. read more

The Greenbuild 2009 International Conference and Expo opened on Wednesday at the Phoenix Convention Center.  An annual event organized by the U.S. Green Building Council, Greenbuild is the largest convention of its kind, with over 20,000 attendees and exhibitors expected this year. read more

On Tuesday, Arizona governor Jan Brewer participated in a celebratory signing of SB 1403, entitled "Renewable, High-Wage Industry Incentives." The bill, which Gov. Brewer signed into law in July, creates income and property tax incentives for renewable energy companies, including those in the wind, biofuel, and solar industries, to locate or expand their operations in Arizona. read more

In the wee hours of Sunday morning, Spain set quite a record: The country got more than half its electricity from wind farms, a first for a country long invested in renewable energy.  Between 4:30 and 6 a.m., Spanish wind turbines took advantage of a particularly windy day to generate 53% of the electricity coursing through the grid. read more

NV Energy recently began a bio-mass test in an attempt to increase efficiency, reduce emissions, and reduce energy prices for customers.  The test began two weeks ago and consists of burning wood chips to produce steam. read more

On Thursday, Democrats on the Senate's Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee approved the Boxer-Kerry cap-and-trade bill without a single Republican present.  The 10-1 vote came after a two-day Republican boycott of the committee's markup of the bill. The boycott protested the lack of a comprehensive analysis of the measure's potential effect on jobs and energy prices, with Republicans calling the bill a hidden tax increase.  Democrats labeled the boycott a stall tactic and countered that a new study would largely duplicate EPA's analysis of the House-passed cap-and-trade bill, which pegged costs to the average American household at 22 to 30 cents per day. read more

On Tuesday, the Nevada Interim Committee on the Production and Use of Energy heard presentations from the Solar Alliance and the Electric Auto Association of Nevada regarding feed-in tariffs.  After the presentations, Chairman Schneider directed the Nevada Public Utilities Commission (PUCN) to open an investigatory docket regarding the plausibility of the feed-in tariffs. read more

PointCarbon, a market research firm, has just released a study projecting that ExxonMobil would need to spend nearly $6 billion for carbon allowances under the terms of the Kerry-Boxer cap-and-trade bill. read more

Government incentives (federal, state and local combined) make installing solar power almost irresistible. Buyers can save up to 90% on a system whether its for a single family home or a 75-unit condo in the city. This article by Chris Kahn describes a $394,514 solar system installation at a Queens, NY co-op in which the 75% of the cost was picked up by government incentives. The remaining 1/4 costs will be recouped in a couple years, and then the co-op can start selling back energy to the public utility. A Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study released last month shows solar costs have declined 31% over last 10 years. read more