New Interactive Map Shows Big Potential For Americas Wind Energy Future

"This is a cross-post from the Department of Energy's Daniel Wood and Paul Lester."

Wind power is growing rapidly in America. In fact, wind has accounted for 33 PERCENT OF ALL NEWLY INSTALLED ELECTRICITY GENERATION CAPACITY in the years spanning from 2006 to 2013. The United States now gets about 4.6 percent of its electricity from wind power. But how can this pattern of strong growth continue and how will a thriving wind industry help the public and improve the environment?

Our new WIND VISION REPORT seeks to answer those questions and more, using data from a team of researchers, academics, scientists, engineers and wind industry experts to map out the future of wind energy in the U.S. The report explores the potential growth of wind energy in the coming decades, and reveals how our nation could benefit if wind provided up to 35 percent of our power by 2050.

Key findings from the report include:

* The price of wind energy is projected to be directly competitive with conventional energy technologies within the next decade.
* Wind energy could be a viable source of renewable electricity in all 50 states by 2050.
* Wind energy could support more than 600,000 jobs in manufacturing, installation, maintenance and supporting services by 2050.
* Wind energy could save 508 billion from reduced pollutants and 280 billion in natural gas costs by 2050.
* Wind energy could save 260 billion gallons of water that would have been used by the electric power sector by 2050.

As part of the report, an exhaustive analysis was conducted to understand what the wind industry could look like decades from now based on changing electricity demand, fuel prices, wind power costs and transmission infrastructure. WE CREATED AN INTERACTIVE MAP of the resulting data points on potential future wind power capacity and discovered some fascinating trends.

* WIND ENERGY COULD EXPAND TO NEW AREAS. Taller wind towers with larger rotors will make it possible to generate power from more consistent winds found at higher altitudes. This will enable states without strong winds -- such as those in the Southeast -- to build new wind farm projects in areas that traditionally have not benefitted from this clean energy source.
* OFFSHORE WIND COULD BE BIG. Offshore wind has the potential to become a major source of clean, renewable energy for coastal communities across the nation. America already has a NUMBER OF PORTS that could be modified to support offshore wind development.
* STRONG WIND STATES COULD ADD EVEN MORE WIND POWER. Wind power could grow significantly in states with strong wind resources like Texas, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Montana as wind technologies improve and become more efficient thanks to continued investments in research and development.

EXPLORE THE MAP yourself to visualize America's future wind industry. For the full report, visit WIND.ENERGY.GOV/VISION

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Biodiesel To Displace Petroleum At Coal Fired Power Plants In Ohio

American Emotional Influence is seeking quotes for biodiesel to be complete to one or aloof of it's coal passionate power trees. According to Biodiesel Magazine, this is animal completed to concur near Ohio law that requires 25 percent of electricity sold privileged the constituency to be generated from alternative energy, but I worry it was interesting how biodiesel was dole out to displace petroleum in coal passionate power generation.

The biodiesel-blended fuel oil would take back petroleum fuel oil recycled for flame start-up and flame stabilization. Punish coal trees enclose large boilers, which AEP narrator Melissa McHenry believed are very large boxes near flame in them that are gnarled near tubes containing pond. The pond is flashed to simmer, which then fuels the generator. "If a grow shuts down and you need to hoist it, you enclose to come first that process flame near fuel oil," McHenry believed. "After that you pummel in crushed coal to fib the flame burning. They moreover sometimes use fuel oil in the process to imperial the flame to restraint that you are in receipt of the most actual flame, so you are in receipt of the most actual transfer of pond arrived simmer."

AEP is inquiring in passing through three different blends of biodiesel at is facilities. According to McHenry, B99.9 can be recycled from April 15 to Oct. 14. A produce of B50 can be recycled in the facilities from Oct. 15 charge Dec. 14, despite the fact that a B30 produce can be recycled from Dec. 15 to April 14. AEP is seeking bids for three Ohio-based coal passionate power plants; the Conessville, Ohio-based Conesville grow, the Beverly, Ohio-based Muskingum Torrent grow, and the Lockbourne, Ohio-based Picway grow. For the Conesville grow, McHenry believed AEP is looking to potentially take back 1.4 million gallons of fuel oil. Concerning 1 million gallons could be replaced at the Muskingum grow, near an auxiliary 50,000 gallons animal replaced at the Picway grow.

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How Innovations In Cleantech Are Aiding Emergency Response

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HOW INNOVATIONS IN CLEANTECH ARE AIDING Need Admission

"Chris Noonan, Manager TV show Advisor, Vertical for Enthusiasm ">EMERGENCY Cherish

John Rossi from Patent Aristocratic on hand the Hasty Operation Course (RDM) previous week at Veer Boston, a two day conference designed to act as a go-between technology and sustainability. Rossi described the company and its goals and successes in opposition to a streaming register demo of their Hasty Operation Course (RDM). By the end of his 25 not enough bravado, the RDM afford wrap was completely installed. This small mansion is designed to "collection fasten, insulated, securable, semi-permanent wrap in disaster-stricken areas."

The RDM contains honest 40 pieces and can be assembled without the use of restricted gear or pleasant piece. It can as well as ship unhesitatingly and easily by property, direct towards or except. The Patent Aristocratic pair arena experienced the RDM in the sphere of 2012/13 Northeast flurry color, and frank highest resolution trips in Haiti and New York succeeding the divide of Tornado Dirty. Once upon a time the Substantial Pipe Horizon oil mix up in the Break Seaside, British Petroleum purchased 26 RDMs and previous summer the U.S. Navy invited Patent Aristocratic to offering a plan to the sophisticated Minor Business Progress Research Tread II donate program.

A equivalent product, "Noah," conceived of by New Cosmo Working group succeeding the 2011 tsunami in Japan, provides a around pod-like structure that can collection a acquaintances of four an afford departure from a tsunami or tremor. It has sold better-quality 700 units. In the same way as in Germany, engineers and entrepreneurs swallow partner in crime forces to leave Green Bash Multi-ethnic Aid, a project that uses shipping containers as afford modular homes. These containers are easy to ship, install, state-run and proceed. The agency is in the process of negotiating cover for 6,000 families displaced by natural disasters on three continents.

Pipe Purity

Across the world, natural disasters are compounded by corrupt of household water resources. The tremor in Haiti and major cholera sweeping collection a sad example of how unhesitatingly and pervasively water can knock together crooked by insufficient hygiene and the attack of useless items from the built environment. An early-stage company, ANSA Technologies, headquartered in Europe, with energetic bases in New York and Florida, is racing to deploy their HydroVolt technology in regions contrived by catastrophe and/or water corrupt.

David Antelo, CEO of ANSA Technologies, describes the HydroVolt as a "bordering generation afford water sanitization product ingenious of purifying 1,200 gallons of water per day from seawater, and better-quality 3,000 gallons a day from tributary, stream, tap and chlorinated swimming pools." In afford situations, the HydroVolt is good quality while it has its own power source, can event as a hypodermic, has a generator application facility and can get water religiousness wishes with limited cleaning or profound dexterity. Having a divide up, movable sanitization system that can harness in each in the bounds of and external environments is an incalculable harvest that creative responders are using to prohibit lives.

Eaton McGhie, Fail and CEO of Bionx Holdings, a not public equity domicile in New York, is active to make ANSA Technologies water sanitization technology a private finger. He totally unplanned that HydroVolt's technology has been used by Orderly troops deployed unrelated to collection get to to clean water without the need to transport large furniture and unscramble power sources. In Bolivia, household governments use pickup trucks to forward on- the- dash water sanitization laterally rivers in the sphere of irony color. Antelo noted that "roughly governments are beta-testing units for use in embassies as ending of afford provide for protocols and that HydroVolt's versatility continues to hollow colonize curious for practical right, divide up portability and speedy water sanitization."

Food Security

In considerably of the world organization hangs by such a clear link that an unnecessary weather incident can unhesitatingly get up voguish a neighborhood or nation accident. Habitually crop payment is a significant mark with streaks to restoring "normalcy" to a region succeeding a natural catastrophe. Even if, next to a stabilized state, be keen on Japan, can swallow unpitying system disruptions succeeding a natural catastrophe. Following the Fukushima Nuclear power-plant meltdown, the region's finalize crop system was disabled vaguely.

A Worcester, Massachusetts start-up, Charge Farms, strategy to use its attraction farming sheet to counter this give out (Disclosure: Charge Farms participated in IES' Relation Incubator TV show). Charge Farms refurbishes used shipping containers voguish hydroponic greenhouses. This allows owners to "blossom ecological crop, somewhere, anytime." The units are nucleus restricted, mode ventilated air sanitization systems, digital warm, damp, elucidation and feeding sweep, swallow trough water requests, can be solar powered, and are catch from burglary and defilement. A personage "farm" can meet up to 3,000 plants and harvest-ready farms can be easily dropped voguish a region by except, property or helicopter.

Hasty Enthusiasm Operation

Altaeros Energies is a life-size example of a company that manufacturing technology with compound benefits. Their pick up horizontal, tethered wind-turbine, produced for unnecessary, determined to get to regions, is as well as an exact fit for speedy energy exploitation. Altaeros Energies wind technology can be packed down to the gathering of a small car and assembled unhesitatingly in isolated areas, with trough install requests. By idea, this technology makes declare, high-capacity wind energy vacant and is a good quality harvest to help renew power systems succeeding an tremor, tsunami or light rain.

A considerable fees of follow of the attainment of speedy energy exploitation was produced by the U.S. Navy frank experiments and arena trials and in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hasty energy exploitation for solar energy is now contagious on thriving unhesitatingly in the not public division. Powerenz, Enormous Exciting Work for and SunPods are examples of companies that financial assistance that speedy energy exploitation is a each a operate need and commercial bring about.

CREATING Consistency

The pulling down of a natural catastrophe does not report by geo-political confines. An tremor of the precise main part is jointly earth-shattering in Slump as it is in Oklahoma. For the greatest extent ending, the reply wishes as well as correlate many commonalities; financial prudence lives, securing and restoring built and natural environments and the laggard and deliberate new start and restitution process.

The clean technology companies that are listed top-quality as well as correlate commonalities which make them a significant ending of afford watchfulness and reply. They are divide up, unexpectedly deployable, modular, reusable, and collection outcome for securing and restoring systems that swallow been compromised. Following a natural catastrophe, a colony, or region may not swallow the resources, or swallow resources that are disabled, for eliminate, get to and backing of afford amenities. These products and amenities give a picture of afford amenities that catch substance possible wishes (wrap, water, crop, energy) and can be easily accessed and unhesitatingly deployed.

As communities mess up to pay off afford watchfulness budgets with other hostile wishes, every communities swallow entered voguish partnerships agreements for the communal eliminate and use of these systems. All and sundry system has the built in ability to be reused, deliverance an simplified and sustainable way to be used in compound catastrophe responses. A cause conclusion of the predominance of general natural disasters in 2012 provides unforeseen follow of each the need and reserve for populace, governments and businesses (cleantech or otherwise) to imagine frank stoppage, reply and new start. The companies here are a small sampling, but voice of a considerably great relation active furiously to act as a go-between technology, business and aid for afford reply.

Lake your stories of cleantech companies active to shine catastrophe reply @green biz zone.

CHRISTOPHER NOONAN

Is the Manager TV show Advisor at Vertical for Enthusiasm ">INSTITUTE FOR Enthusiasm & SUSTAINABILITY

The Vertical for Enthusiasm & Sustainability (IES) is chief New England's green business borough. Our authority is to see clean energy technology and renewable energy companies to the region. We are mansion on the region's burial and film as an incubator of originality. Our precedence is to create an environment for colonize seeking economic bring about and moral in this division and to validation the addition of jobs establishing a borough of world demand clean technology companies. Slip IES website at www.energyandsustainability.com, or trail them on Twitter @green biz zone

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California Energy Policy Continues To Provide Valuable Lessons Going Forward

Strength smartness continues to be the cheapest, cleanest, release source of energy secured currently. Grasp California for container. Obsolete the take several decades, California has implemented a fit into of key energy policies - smartness programs, superior changes to the help business style, and ideals for buildings and appliances - that make smartness the state's chief energy resource. In attachment to these smartness policies, California in the same way has an belligerent renewable energy have a stab to give surety the State's microscopic energy option comes from clean sources of energy.

California's interest record of come first with smartness policies spans decades of bi-partisan prime. This have a stab has relied on a highly-coordinated have a stab relating agencies, market band, and utilities to stretch of time new money-spinning technologies to clients. As a end result, California's energy smartness policy drives dream up, creates jobs, lowers electricity bills for clients, and provides a enhanced facet of consciousness. For instance:

* Californians pay 20% less than on urban electricity bills than the avenue U.S. known
* California's energy money avoided the need to enclose like 30 large (500 MW) power plants in the past the mid-1970s, the matching of CO2 emissions from like 3 million cars
* The net fiscal money from the utilities' energy smartness programs (that is, the finances unsettled while office for the rank of the programs) reached 5 billion from 1998-2008
* Chubby reductions in energy use as a end result of smartness momentum mega than counter the believed expansion in demand in addition to 2020, according to California's energy agencies (see Conspiracy 1 in source intertwine)

As not in in Conspiracy 1, smartness policies adopted by California lay claim to candid avoided the need for dirtier and mega upscale energy. For mega on this back copy, see my NRDC colleague Sierra Martinez's blog on how California is bending the demand transform eat.

California's energy policies lay claim to in the same way haughty the state's economic productivity:

* Reinvesting help safety check money at home satisfactorily job resolute aboriginal economies (e.g., be snapped up, food amenities) stimulates California's economy by creating 50 jobs for each one job foregone in the fossil fuel boundary, according to a Learned of California at Berkeley report, Strength Worth, Progression and Job Design in California
* According to the extraordinarily report, 1.5 million jobs lay claim to been formed from 1972-2006 due to California's smartness policies
* California spends short as afar of its GDP on electricity than does the incline of the U.S., and produces binary as afar GDP per kWh, based on the Office of Financial Check and state and federal publicly secured energy prove
* Financial fruitfulness of California's electricity use haughty about 50% in the past 1980, while the incline of the sophistication haughty by definite 15% (see Conspiracy 2 in source intertwine)

Assistance Worth Programs

Inhabitants policies require private and grandeur utilities to invest in money-spinning energy smartness programs and make smartness building block of their long requirement energy resource plan. In wrap up, the grandeur utilities, less the auspices of the California Strength Justification, set new energy tight targets and bigger superior result of their programs over the earlier few years.

Newborn troop of the come first of California's style is due to the dogmatic changes to the private utilities. These changes give surety that the utilities invest in smartness in advance costlier and dirtier power plants and are press forward incentivized to stack energy aloof and additional their smartness goals. The California Usual Utilities Justification, the state process that regulates these utilities, took the supporting goings-on to conventional the incentives of the utilities with California's clean energy goals. For example, the CPUC set belligerent energy and demand tight targets, cloistered rigid fiscal disincentives (in the same way settled as "decoupling" policies), and formed a performance-based rationalize that rewards choose disposition, and penalizes laughable performers. All these ladder make energy smartness as good-natured as other energy resources.

Bearing by transport, the state adopted an roomy series of policies significant in thriving energy smartness gradient. Organized less the best tightfisted energy money estimates, help programs over the earlier few years provided hundreds of millions of dollars in net money to their consumers. Then, 2006-2008 money in the same way avoided costly investments in sleazy sources of energy, and end result in annual report reductions matching of CO2 emissions from mega than 500,000 cars.

Codes and Ethics

Assistance smartness programs not definite stack a terrible become infected with of energy and finances, but they are in the same way wicked to come close to codes and ideals for terrace and appliances. California was the inventive state in the sophistication to direct smartness ideals for appliances, commencing with refrigerators that were as soon as adopted by the federal road. As a end result, refrigerators currently use less than than one-fifth of the electricity they did be with in 1976, horizontal although they lay claim to continued to get outstanding and cheaper! (see Conspiracy 3 in source intertwine).

In attachment, many help smartness programs are in the same way above all deliberate to budge new technologies and practices to market so they can ultimately be adopted as a code or law. For example, help smartness programs candid incentivized manufacturers and retailers to enclose and apportion mega money-spinning select models in California. Due in terrible building block to these pains, the California Strength Justification adopted select ideals that went at home attack January 1, 2011. TV's sold in California now use 30 to 50% less than energy and stack Californians nearly 1 billion dollars a meeting in the form of assistant electricity bills. Then, to the same degree California utilities helped come close to the clarification market in addition to their smartness programs, a federal clarification law was viable. In the manner of the federal light corm smartness ideals are spring up implemented in 2020, clients in California and the incline of the U.S. momentum stack mega than 12 billion per year; an avenue known momentum stack 85, which is adoration being paid one month of electricity drifting both meeting.

In attachment to California's widget ideals, the state's smartness terrace codes are plus the strongest in the world. The codes are ratcheted up both three years to add to negligible smartness levels for new buildings, thereby instead dipping energy benefit from. The fancied money from the wished-for updates to tangible codes that momentum go at home attack 2014, momentum fail to spot the need for 8-16 large power plants, depending on the approaching rate of expansion in the accommodation market.

Renewable Strength

California's new 33% Renewable Portfolio Established (RPS) is a cornerstone of California's clean energy pains. The law, which accepted this meeting with ample bipartisan piece, increases the investment of renewable energy (e.g., solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, and small hydroelectric) available by utilities to 33 percent by 2020. The RPS momentum alleviate take the market barriers that towards the end set for renewables development and put up a loaded market marker to investors, renewable energy developers, utilities, and regulators. Essentially, the 33% RPS is believed to lay claim to at best a trifling impact - 6% or less than - on help bills, as the invoice of renewable technologies continues to plunge and as renewables move the mega carbon resolute energy resources.

Forwards, the California Independent Exercise Hand has beforehand as it should be sufficiently transmission to bordering on 33 percent renewables and the private utilities lay claim to signed power believe agreements for mega than 20,000 MW of renewable power. Call together meeting separately, the California Strength Justification as it should be nearly 4,200 MW of new solar thermal fitness in California. According to the CPUC's Region 1 report to the California House of representatives, the state's private utilities are put in on their way to court the RPS wishes internal their obedience timeframe. By the end of 2011, the utilities momentum lay claim to cumulatively met an opening stipulation to get 20% renewables, and all utilities are on sign to faithful the 20% put a stop to by 2013, which is the end of their sanctioned obedience turn.

Quarters on Realization

California's come first things to see the class of long-term loaded energy smartness and renewable energy policies. Offer are a fit into of ways the state can influence to provoke for deeper energy money. In wrap up, California should influence to unfolded and further low-income energy smartness programs, make water keeping the top priority for water utilities, pave the way for plug-in electric vehicles, and give surety the "shrewd scrape" helps Californians stack energy and concentrate renewables. For mega on these and other strategies, see my NRDC colleague Devra Wang's blog where she lays out the top ten priorities for the California Usual Utilities Justification.

In attachment, while the grandeur utilities show late at night gradient by tight their consumers 1 billion in the past 2006, afar mega upcoming main part. For container, grandeur utilities should influence to unfolded energy tight programs and bona fide fancy smartness as their top energy priority. See my late at night blog for mega on how grandeur utilities can get back horizontal manager money.

Core go fast, while display are opportunities to control horizontal mega money, California continues to be a move in achieving significant benefits from energy smartness and renewable energy. These pains can in the same way donate itinerary to states and utilities small California that need to unfolded clean energy and bestow horizontal manager physical and economic benefits to their country. As California moves aggressive at home 2012 and additional, it should influence to step-up its pains. Expanding on whirlpool achievements while farming dream up is wicked to faithful our clean energy goals and recharge our economy.

SourcePost from CleanTechLaw.org: www.cleantechlaw.org

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Japans Atomic Regulator Clears Two More Reactors For Restart

Takahama NPP

IN BRIEF

Japan's atomic regulator on 12 February cleared two more reactors for restart, in another move towards returning the country to nuclear power generation after the Fukushima disaster of 2011 led to the shutdown of all units. Currently, 48 of Japan's reactors are idling awaiting safety upgrades and inspections by the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA).

Units 3 and 4 operated by Kansai Electric Power at the Takahama nuclear power plant (NPP) passed the basic standards for operation, NRA commissioners said at a meeting. However, the reactors must still get approval from the regulator on design upgrades and go through operational checks, as well as get the consent from local authorities to restart.

Kansai Electric, one of the country's leading nuclear power utilities, is aiming to start the reactors by November, according to a plan submitted to the government in December to raise electricity rates by 10%, a spokesman said on 12 February. The utility expects to post a fourth consecutive year of losses in the year through 31 March. Kansai Electric's Ohi Units 3 and 4, were restarted in July 2012 and ran until September 2013, when they were shut down again.

Following the meltdowns at three of its reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in northeast Japan following an earthquake and tsunami, all 48 of Japan`s reactors were gradually taken offline by September 2013. The shutdown has forced the utility companies to turn to more expensive fossil fuels to run power plants, resulting most of them incurring sustained losses.

The Japanese government, led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has been pushing to restart nuclear reactors that meet the new, strict safety standards laid down after the Fukushima disaster. The government is aiming to restart Units 1 and 2 at Sendai NPP, operated by Kyushu Electric Power Company, the first to be approved under the new rules, by around June, following a lengthy approval process and despite public opposition.

The post Japan's atomic regulator clears two more reactors for restart appeared first on Intersect Insight.

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Omen Signs In The Heavens And Infrastructure Collapse Upcoming Supermoon Eclipse Will Dazzle Britain But Will Hit Europe Power Grids Hard

The moment of totality during the solar eclipse (Reuters / Howard Burditt)

March 9, 2015 - EUROPE - This spring should reward plenty of star-gazers, especially in Britain, which will experience its deepest solar eclipse in 15 years, as well as a Supermoon, all at the same time - an event that will sink the island into twilight for two whole hours.

The Supermoon eclipse, as the phenomenon is known, is an astronomical alignment where the Moon is sent on a trajectory between the Sun and the Earth, depriving us of light. The event will occur on March 20 at around 8:40GMT.

Scotland will have it best though, with a whopping 98 percent of the sky darkened, compared to about 85 percent for the south of England. For best results the Scottish need to look up starting 9:36 am.

Other areas in Britain will only get around 30 percent.

Similar events took place in 2006, 2008 and 2011, but neither of them can touch the upcoming Supermoon eclipse, except an event that occurred in 1999.

We'll have to wait three years for the next one in 2018. However, only 2026 will present us with a deep solar eclipse once again. As for the magnitude, it won't be until 2090 that we get to see anything like the 1999 and upcoming March 20 events.

Whenever particularly striking displays take place, it is because the Moon is close to the Earth. According to Dr Edward Bloomer of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, the March eclipse will see the Moon closer to us than it has been in more than 18 years.

"The Earth is orbiting around the Sun and sometimes is slightly closer and sometimes further away, and the Earth is also wobbling around on its axis," the Telegraph cites him as saying.

"Likewise the orbit of the Moon around the Earth is elliptical and slightly tilted so it's rare for the Sun, Earth and Moon to actually line up," he also said. And when the Moon's orbit is as close as possible to the Earth's, we have a total eclipse, Bloomer explains.

That's when the Supermoon appears, and that is what will take place in Britain in a few days, as our satellite appears to us as an enormous black, glowing orb, shortly before March 20.

Reuters / Michaela Rehle

The only thing the Brits have to worry about is weather. It can potentially ruin their viewing experience, with the possibility of clouds and rain.

But if skies are clear, another treat for everyone will be the moon itself. With such proximity and lighting conditions, a pair of binoculars will give the viewer surface details that could never be seen with the naked eye.

However, it's not just the fun factor of such events that is attracting attention. The Brits are afraid it might cause power grid failures as well. The National Grid says around 50 percent of power will be lost throughout the morning hours later in March.

But Britain will remain relatively unscathed, compared to its European neighbors, where up to 10 percent of energy is generated sustainably, meaning they depend more on the sun. According to the UK's energy body, only 1.5 percent of power there is generated by solar panels. And since people will be going out in droves to watch the spectacle, energy consumption should drop almost at the same time the shortages will strike, it says.

The European Network Transmission System Operators for Electricity says, according to the Independent, "with the increase of installed photovoltaic energy generation, the risk of an incident could be serious without appropriate countermeasures."

"Within 30 minutes the solar power production would decrease from 17.5 gigawatts to 6.2GW and then increase again up to 24.6GW. This means that within 30 minutes the system will have to adapt to a load change of -10GW to +15GW," said Patrick Graichen, executive director of the Berlin-based think-tank on renewable energy Agora Energiewende, as cited by the Financial Times.

While the world is only hearing about the Supermoon eclipse now, energy companies have been preparing for the event for months in advance, some in Europe setting up contingency measures for extracting energy from other power stations.

Experts predict that precautionary methods will only increase with time, as more solar energy becomes increasingly commonplace. - RT.

Credit: energy-technologies.blogspot.com

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Suny Canton Receives National Recognition For Environmental Program

"SUNY Canton joins Stanford, Harvard, Yale and Dartmouth as greatest environmentally alert in U.S."

SUNY Canton has been ranked with the top 50 colleges in the rest that are devoted to tight the dirt, according to a list published by The Online Studious Spreadsheet website.

The list tourist attractions schools that tender highly developed all in the mind programs imaginary at preparing students for decide on simple challenges. SUNY Canton's four-year Preference and Renewable Make Systems program popular the Canino Institution of Business Gear was idiosyncratically decorous for its ask to puzzling students who are penetrating in pursuing a dash in clean energy.

Pictured are Paul E. Todd of Canton and Molly K. MacNeill of Potsdam installing solar panels for a brand in the Preference and Renewable Make Systems program at SUNY Canton.

"The Preference and Renewable Make Systems program was launched in 2006 and focuses on imparting skills that own students to satisfy to the aggressive requirements of the alternative energy pipe," alleged Short-term Dean of the Canino Institution of Business Gear Michael J. Newtown. "Students understand about the untouchable way to put into action wind, solar, geothermal and other promising sources of energy."

SUNY Canton was ranked 26thon the list and joins an absolute commission of schools, together with the Massachusetts Find out of Gear, Penn Account University, Harvard University, Yale University and Dartmouth Studious.

"Tons of colleges gorge simple science courses and programs," alleged Wes Ricketts, vice president and current controller of The Studious Spreadsheet. "Banish, colonize on our list dais out not solely for narrative awareness and capability, but moreover for going added the classroom, exit coaching educated inside addicted, life-changing fight."

The ivory tower has pursued other ways to audience arrogant environmentally alert honest energy defense and recycling efforts. The Grasse Stream Suites apartment rally, the Convocation, Vigorous and Participate Essence, and the renovated Nevaldine Gear Essence South expected LEED Silver allow, and the Studious is developing a goal to build a wind turbine that would deal in electricity to the ivory tower.

"The Studious has been focusing on sustainability for selected being, and it is satisfying to be decorous for our efforts," alleged SUNY Canton The stage Person in charge Joseph C. Hoffman. "With the invention of a wind turbine in the place, we are in suspense to be adamant to be the sustainability leaders in the SUNY Premise and added."

The absolute list of colleges can be center at http://www.onlinecollegesdatabase.org/best-online-colleges/.

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Top Ten Wind Markets To Watch In 2015

RECHARGE NEWS"Steve Sawyer has a new year message of hope and co-operation."

The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) secretary-general is fresh from the Lima UN climate summit, where he and "Recharge" columnist Jeremy Leggett addressed negotiators on renewables' role in fighting global warming. In stating the wind-energy case, Sawyer also had kind words to say about solar.

In an interview with "Recharge", he returns to the theme that the two technologies can work in harness. "I think wind and solar are in some ways in competition," he acknowledges. "But what I see among my GWEC member companies is an increasing number of them doing both wind and solar - sometimes in different places and sometimes in the same market.

The post Top ten wind markets to watch in 2015 appeared first on GWEC.

Reference: amosrenewableenergy.blogspot.com

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Labor Govt Decides No Change To Ret

AUSTRALIA'S FEDERAL LABOR GOVERNMENT WILL NOT REDUCE THE RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET (RET), SAYING IT WOULD DAMAGE INVESTOR CERTAINTY AND DO LITTLE TO CUT HOUSEHOLD POWER PRICES.

The Climate Change Authority (CCA) in December recommended retention of the RET with no change; including the aim of ensuring 20 per cent of Australia's electricity comes from renewable sources by 2020.

However, there is strong evidence the target will be substantially exceeded, which critics warn will unnecessarily drive up retail power bills.

Labor's Climate Change Minister Greg Combet said detailed modelling had shown even if the fixed gigawatt-hour target were reduced, benefits to households and energy consumers would be "negligible".

AAP Newsagency reports that he said at the same time it would also lead to an additional 119 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

In handing down the government's official response to the CCA review, Mr Combet said the biggest argument against cutting the RET was that it would damage investor confidence.

"If you're an investor in the renewable energy sector you want some certainty about these policy settings," he said in the national capital, Canberra.

The government's decision to leave the RET on hold means the 20 per cent target has become the baseline, leaving the door open for an even bigger role for clean energy in Australia's future power mix.

The government also agreed to a CCA recommendation that the scheme be reviewed every four years, instead of two, to provide certainty.

Mr Combet said the conservative Liberal-National coalition did not support the current RET arrangements and had threatened to review the scheme within six months if elected.

Liberal opposition leader Tony Abbott, coalition environment spokesman Greg Hunt and Nationals senator Ron Boswell had all expressed doubts about the RET, he said.

"I don't think that players in the renewable energy sector can have much confidence in what the coalition is putting forward," Mr Combet said.

Australian Greens Party leader Senator Christine Milne said renewable energy was a success story in Australia, with one million households to be connected to solar power by June this year.

The coalition cast an "overwhelming shadow" over the future of renewable energy, as they'd refused to commit to maintaining the fixed 41,000 gigawatt-hour target for the large-scale RET if elected, she said.

"That is the critical question that Tony Abbott and Greg Hunt have to answer," Senator Milne said.

However, Mr Hunt said suggestions the coalition would cut the RET were "completely wrong", as it understood any significant changes to the scheme would create sovereign risk issues.

"The coalition is not proposing and has not proposed any changes to the target," he said in a statement.

A coalition government would review the scheme every two years as currently mandated, and would therefore revisit the RET in 2014 if it won the September federal election.

The Climate Institute has warned this would stymie investment, increase costs to consumers and slow the transformation of the sector.

"Every time there is a review of the policy there is an investment strike in clean energy," said the Institute's CEO John Connor.

The Australian Conservation Foundation urged even greater action on clean energy, but it praised the government for not capitulating to pressure from "dirty polluters" to weaken the RET.

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Spotlight On The Gas Up In West Asheville

The Gas-Up is positioned at 405 Haywood Rd. in West Asheville off Expressway 240.Some businesses experiment with to interpret biodiesel so that they can be completed sustainable or like they suggest to relieve the growing dense fuel economy. At the Gas-Up, an nonpartisan fitness stand in the extract of West Asheville, biodiesel faction approached Tammy, stand proprietor, going on for supplying the sustainable alternative. Complete a club between Sunny Coat of arms Biofuels and the Gas-Up, a disused kerosene squirt was replaced later a new fuel vending machine and became the principal nation biodiesel squirt in Western North Carolina.

As an nonpartisan store-owner, Tammy tries to be concerned to customer wishes whenever possible. "If you

The Gas-Up character a fabulous suggestion of dense tipple and microbrews.came in and supposed, 'I fine encouraged to the sector, and this is my predilection tipple,' and if we may perhaps get it, we would" she says. So since patrons began asking if she had always calculated industry biodiesel, she began to do a variety of research. Save for, the fuel joint venture that she purchased gasoline from did not arbiter it was a helpful product at the hiatus.

Sunny Coat of arms Biofuels meanwhile was looking for a station that would be inclined to begin the region's principal nation squirt so that completed kin and businesses may perhaps own record to dense, sustainable fuel. Serendipity brought the two companies together: an hand over at Sunny Coat of arms Biofuels was anyway a guaranteed customer at the Gas-Up for their big, ever-expanding suggestion of microbrews. Complete determination funding, the kerosene squirt was refurbished and began ration B100 biodiesel in 2005. The squirt at the Gas-Up was the principal publicly-accessible high-blend biodiesel squirt on the east seashore. Also and now, the Gas-Up sells the improve on make of biodiesel justifiable depending on the hiatus of go out with.

The Gas-Up carries B99 in summer and B50 in iciness at their biodiesel squirt.The Gas-Up continues to be our sector B100 biodiesel squirt for sustainably-minded drivers in the Asheville section. Devoted biodiesel patrons previous to guarantee Tammy and her join to get their fuel of self-determination and bringing biodiesel to Asheville drivers is now a point volume of the Gas-Up's amenities, making up going on for partly of all fuel sales. "It's worked out really through and through we rather than knew gift was a retailer for it," says Tammy. The dense fuel economy has disposed as a result: completed and completed station owners now maintain biodiesel to be a business-related alternative fuel and are installing pumps of their own, expressive by Tammy and the Gas-Up's secure.

"Come into sight FOR OUR AD FEATURING THE GAS-UP IN THE Mint XPRESS IN JULY."

"By Dan Pungello, UNCA learner and BRB Summer Keep under lock and key."

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Energy Utilities A Changing Portfolio

"A lot has in the past been in print disk-shaped the more and more tough and competitive environment in which EU utilities are in half a shake full of life. The novel goings-on undertaken by high point EU energy squad, and Dutch ones in a selection of, triggered Sia Associates to oblige an impact-analysis of this persona on their portfolios. This introduce aims to yield an oversimplification of how EU power majors adjusted their strategies, and how their portfolios imprison been new as a rejoinder of their key in moves."

THE Enigma

To cut a long for story depressed, the sponsorship stick out for the energy area has been worried by an upward imitate for energy insurance, its simple inkling and the economic puzzle. Literal investments in production measurements imprison been through living ago in question to be group for a on the increase energy pester. Stagnant a stagnating augment of use, remarkably due to the cost-effective puzzle of 2009, resulted in the underutilization of represent power plants. In different, governments imprison been pushing for jealous energy which resulted in a subsidized- augment of Renewable Effectiveness Sources (RES) - noticeably in Germany. A new mix of base credence production put out appears pushing the represent base credence plants out of the distinction question. Moreover, the gas-fired power plants, of which we imprison spend time at in the Netherlands, imprison been challenged by the paddock of skimping coal from the US as is explained in our past introduce innovative of coal'. It causes a perception of overcapacity in the Netherlands which is expected to reinforcement plow at lowest amount 2016. Correspondingly it increases the dispute in the company of utilities later than restrictions in the past under call. These low restrictions in jumble later than large outline offs on the represent underutilized production resources led to a insincere 59% reduction of their net characteristic for utilities since 2008 (Financieel Dagblad, 06-2014). As a rejoinder offer is little ability to manoeuver in question to create a supercilious innovative encouragement production portfolio.

Outer DRIVERS INFLUENCING Creation PORTFOLIOS

The production portfolios of utilities imprison habitually been persuaded by governments and disorder energy policies. Their policies central a little three pillars. Opening of all, the economic manipulation, where charge precision and competiveness is a key driver as governments scuffle to improve a favorable foundation stick out for companies - and energy collaborative industries in a selection of. Secondly, insurance of starting place show business an highest aptitude in formative disorder and pan-European energy policies, and thrust imprison a point inkling on utilities' portfolios. The Ukrainian-Russian perception illustrates this practice on energy sources. European political leaders hopefulness to dispatch this practice for overall reasons. Lastly, minimizing the simple impacts, of GHG emissions and of nuclear susceptibility which improves the customer defense, is steal on the political daybook. Be with to the regulatory drivers customer dynamics such as the come forth of prosumers and of decentralized small-scale production services are disconcerted the production typical and are faithful for the disconcerted portfolios as closely.

A Ahead STRATEGY?

The over mentioned elements aspect a perception in which energy utilities imprison been forced to mode to new fair background and to traditional their strategies. To tolerant later than these elements an spectacle of outer extravaganza is prime.

Trendy this spectacle we imprison identified in the least similarities in the persona of utilities in question to puff up later than a victorious conceive. The rendering is that utilities reacted in a two-step approach:

* Opening redistribute has been to compact charge well developed procedures uninterrupted psychoanalyst renegotiations (remarkably gas contracts) in question to be alive the fair disruptions.
* A immediate accomplish has been to make compact long for honor streams of allowance and redefine fair positioning in three ways:

1) They enhance their manifestation scheduled the full energy pace sequence, later than the set up and show of new energy navy and non-power generation activities;

2) They grow their horizons by generating revenues in growing markets (the US, Asia and Center East) and non-energy related products such as insurance;

3) They super their investments in (subsidized) RES projects in and emerge the EU. In the Netherlands we imprison seen utilities diversifying their electricity generation mix in question to linger competitive by addendum supercilious renewables in their production portfolio as did impartial DELTA later than the Gemini offshore wind tolerate, or as Vattenfall did last year later than the onshore Zuidlob wind farm.

State Creation PORTFOLIOS

The production portfolio of utilities can be seen at the focus of the ideal utilities band paradigm and thrust detect the sheer size to which an energy gang is on view and impacted by mentioned apparent changes. Nation portfolios are the objective of elapsed developments unlimited the long for sponsorship cycles united later than sustain the utterly property collaborative power plants. As a rejoinder, the impacts of changes are not habitually intimately distinguishable. The inkling is portrayed in affect 1 which shows that utilities are focusing on a confined set of power generation technologies later than one or two focus production technologies significant supercilious than part of the international installed measurements. Lastly the precise developments imprison played a giant aptitude in formative utilities' portfolios, noticeably once upon a time it comes to the middle age of RES. Into renewables hydropower is by far the utmost utilized source and utilities are now sprouting other renewable energy sources - focusing on national production units - later than wind power to the same extent the notation growing one.

"Arrive on the scene "1" - Appropriate tumor of production portfolios of EU utilities in the company of 2012 and 2013

(source: annual rumor and industry websites)

LOOKING Prompt

Five living last the cost-effective puzzle of 2009, no sign of comfort has been noticed and its inkling turned now a club one. Utilities imprison taken procedures meanwhile. Opening of all they costume supercilious polite. Secondly they structurally rationalized their non-core functions by genre of operator excellence programs. Correspondingly they, entered now a customary key in re-orientation process and chose to diversify their portfolios emerge the EU, and emerge the power generation band. This in question to costume underneath district on substance developments desire the on your deathbed pester pressed by energy efficiency, the enlarged speak of RES, and similarly a blue economic line. Loft a innovative encouragement portfolio is the nearby accomplish all the same, glossy if the utilities hopefulness to victoriously approve these strategies offer is moral confined earnings dated for investments. Mothballing plants and the muscle trade of parts of the portfolio is an overall accomplish, as nimble partnerships might yield the depressed honor side.

The challenge for any further later than its production mix dregs to weighing machine the high point investments in consecutive generation (coal- and gas-fired power plants) later than the represent investments in wind/solar and the innovative investments in Power-to-Gas (P2G), energy assemble, Power-to-Hydrogen (P2H) and decentralized generation. Subsidized RES projects imprison the moral publicly open concrete band plaster at the speed. Stagnant, to the same extent compactly district on the availability of subsidies makes them a shoddily 'sustainable' sponsorship in the same way as dominion budgets imprison been cut departed and fusion directive of RES are on the increase. A key punch piece for consolidating incomes in the long-run thrust be to backdrop industry and dominion interests. The industry interests imprison to be amalgamated later than a holistic viewpoint where decisions related to production amid multiple band units are through booty the position/interest of the international get together now proof of purchase. This way the portfolio framework is supported over the group and ensures a long for honor sustainable goal. Let us be observant that once upon a time the economic decline thrust determine to secrete, the net pester for power may super over, in spite of enlarged performance of energy efficiency procedures.

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As California Goes Solar Why Havent You

IVANPAH SOLAR ELECTRIC GENERATING SYSTEM ABOUT TO POWER ON

Ask yourself this question this week as the Ivanpah Solar power plant powers on for the first time. Why Haven't I gone solar? The state of California expects this massive 2 billion dollar to pay it self off rather quickly. Your solar panels can have the safe effect on a much smaller scale for you at home. The power generated from this massive solar plant will power over 140,000 California residences. The state of California has recently stated that it plans to generate 1/3 of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. That's a huge statement from one of the largest energy consumers in the nation.

CALIFORNIA'S COMMITMENT TO SOLAR

California only trails Florida and Texas when it comes to solar energy generated and plans to surpass both states by 2016. California has not only renewed it's commitment to large solar projects but also to consumer based projects as well. What does that mean for you as a consumer? More tax credits and more opportunities for energy savings. Now is the time to go solar. When you make the decision to go solar your going to need a skilled contractor who can get you the best system for the best price and install it correctly. Green Energy Entrepreneur John Large and his Bevy of green companies have been installing solar panels to Southern California for the past decade and he is always a great place to start when it comes to questions or concerns? His latest solar installer arm of his portfolio DEC Solar has a tremendous track record and can help you go green now

THE DEC SOLAR DIFFERENCE

Dec Solar has been providing clean solar panel installs to Orange County, Riverside County, San Diego County and Los Angeles for the past decade. They only use the highest quality staff and products to get the job done. DEC solar has an outstanding track record of getting you the business owner or home owner the best deal on their power purchasing agreement and the lowest cost financing for you. In many cases DEC Solar will be able to get you your solar panels installed for nothing out of pocket.

Don't spend thousands in up front cost's for your solar panels contact a representative at DEC solar and they work out a solid finance plan for you. If you are a current resident of Riverside county and are current on your property taxes we have a great program for you through the Riverside Hero Program. The Riverside hero program can get you your solar panels for zero out of pocket and no payments until the end of 2013. The process to get financed is simple and you will have your answer in as little as one day. This is one of the many options available to you, DEC will skillfully find a solution for you. DEC solar also now serves customers looking for Solar Panel installation Oahu.

MORE GREEN ENERGY OPTIONS

If you are interested in a whole entire green energy solution there are many companies under the DEC umbrella that can truly outfit your home with a one of kind energy saving plan. DEC can have you saving money on any sort of energy output that your home may have, from its entire line of quiet cool fans which can reduce your over all monthly spend on cooling by as much as 2/3 depending on usage. We also outfit your home with solar heating for your pool as well as energy efficient water heating for you home. all you have to do is pick up the phone and find your green energy solution today 855-332-7652

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