Welcome to the Electrek Green Energy Brief. Put together by our Electrek authors, the Energy Brief is a daily technical, financial, and political review of important green energy news.
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Electrek Green Energy Brief Overview Updated July 1, 2022
Electrek Green Energy Brief
A daily technical, financial and political review/analysis of important green energy news
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories Yesterday
Rhode Island has passed a law requiring all of the state’s electricity to be offset by renewable energy by 2033 – the fastest timeline of any state in the US.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories June 30
The US Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling this morning, “sharply curtailed” the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) options to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants – the second-largest source of emissions in the US. Greenhouse gas emissions cause climate change.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories June 29
Stockholm-based wind farm and solar developer OX2 has applied for a permit to build a massive 5.5 gigawatt (GW) offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea. If approved, it will be the largest single offshore wind farm in the world.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories June 28
Italian startup Energy Dome has now begun to commercialize the world’s first CO2 Battery, which was launched earlier this month in Sardinia, Italy. The battery uses carbon dioxide to store renewable energy on the grid, and Energy Dome says the technology can be quickly deployed anywhere in the world.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories June 24
Spanish-German wind giant Siemens Gamesa has been awarded a firm order for 60 of its SG 14-222 DD offshore wind turbines, which will be installed at the 882-MW Moray West offshore wind farm in Scotland. It will be the first installation of the world’s most powerful wind turbine, which has 14.7 megawatts (MW) of capacity.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories June 23
Here’s where the world’s seven largest economies stand in their clean energy transitions ahead of the 48th G7 Leaders’ Summit next week in Germany.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories June 22
Rivian plans to install a 2.8 megawatt wind turbine on the east side of its Normal, Illinois, manufacturing plant. The wind turbine will provide clean energy to charge new R1 vehicles for the first time.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories June 16
Jackson, Michigan-based Sesame Solar is today unveiling what it claims is the world’s first fully renewable mobile nanogrid – that’s a small microgrid – that runs on solar and green hydrogen.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories June 14
West Lafayette, Indiana-based Purdue Research Foundation recently completed a licensing agreement with an international energy company – the name of which was not disclosed – for the commercialization of a new process discovered at Purdue University Northwest (PNW) for the biological production of green hydrogen from food waste. A second licensing agreement with a company in Indiana is under negotiation.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories June 13
The US Army has launched the largest floating solar farm in the Southeast. It’s also the first project of its kind for the US Department of Defense.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories June 7
The first of 11 8.6 megawatt (MW) turbines has been installed at the world’s largest floating wind farm, off the Norwegian coast. Hywind Tampen is also Norway’s first offshore wind farm – and it will power offshore oil and gas platforms.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories June 6
President Joe Biden will today waive tariffs for 24 months on solar panels made in Southeast Asia in response to a Department of Commerce (DOC) investigation that is destabilizing the US solar industry.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories June 3
Southwest Airlines announced this week that it’s investing in SAFFiRE Renewables as part of a Department of Energy (DOE)-backed project to develop and produce scalable, sustainable aviation fuel.
Contrary to popular belief, air-source heat pumps can work very well in cold climates. They’re now the best choice for energy efficiency and reducing heating bills, and that’s why their adoption is going to grow quickly in colder countries.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories June 2
The Biden administration announced this week that it will cut the cost of building wind and solar on US public land by 50%.
Construction has started on the 1,026-megawatt (MW) MacIntyre Wind Precinct, the largest wind farm to ever be built in Australia. It’s also one of the largest wind farms in the southern hemisphere.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories May 27
The G7, made up of the world’s largest economies, today agreed to “predominantly decarbonized electricity sectors by 2035.” The G7 also agreed to end government financing for international coal-fired power generation and speed up the phase-out of unabated coal plants by 2035.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories May 26
Seoul-headquartered PV solar-cell manufacturing giant Q Cells today announced that it’s opening a new solar panel manufacturing facility in Dalton, Georgia.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories May 25
The EU plans to transition to renewables more than twice as fast as Japan by 2030, according to new analysis released by global energy think tank Ember ahead of the G7 environment, climate, and energy ministers meeting, which kicks off today in Berlin. The ministers will decide whether and how G7 countries will commit to clean power by 2035.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories May 23
St. Petersburg, Florida-based Climate First Bank, which claims to be the world’s first FDIC-insured community bank founded to fight the climate crisis, today launched an online solar lending platform for Florida residents.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories May 19
Four EU countries – Belgium, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands – jointly announced yesterday that they have set an offshore wind target of at least 65 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and then intend to more than double that combined total to 150 GW by 2050.
For perspective, according to the Global Wind Energy Council, as of September 2021, there were 35.3 GW of global offshore wind capacity.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories May 18
GE Renewable Energy yesterday announced the 3 megawatt (MW) Sierra, its newest onshore wind turbine platform that will only be sold in North America.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories May 16
A US Department of Commerce (DOC) probe — investigating whether Southeast Asian solar cell manufacturers are using parts made in China that would normally be subject to a tariff — is destabilizing the US solar industry, which relies on solar module imports to meet growing demand. Bipartisan lawmakers wanted answers from US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo at a hearing last week, but she basically responded that the inquiry is beyond her control.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories May 13
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories May 12
In order to understand the impacts of adopting rooftop solar in the United States, customer review and consumer news platform ConsumerAffairs polled 1,000 US homeowners about their views on and overall experience with solar panels. Here’s what the homeowners said.
New capacity for generating electricity from renewables such as solar, wind, and other clean energy increased to a record level worldwide in 2021. And clean energy will continue to grow in 2022, according to the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA).
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories May 11
The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) today held the lease sale for two offshore wind areas in Carolina Long Bay. Up to 16 prequalified bidders competed for lease rights for 110,091 acres off North Carolina’s and South Carolina’s shores. Together, they will result in at least 1.3 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy, enough to power nearly 500,000 homes.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories May 10
The US achieved a new record in April 2022 – for the first time, the US generated 20% of its electricity from wind and solar power, according to new data released today from global energy think tank Ember.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories May 9
Europe’s largest floating solar farm – which is on the Alqueva hydroelectric dam’s reservoir in Portugal – is ready to produce power in July.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories May 4
US Department of Energy-funded solar marketplace EnergySage and nonprofit accreditation body The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) just released the results of the 2021 Solar Installer Survey, which polled more than 500 residential and commercial solar installers across 43 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, DC. Here’s what they said.
Offshore construction work has officially started for the UK’s Dogger Bank, which will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm, with the installation of the first length of HVDC export cable off the Yorkshire coast. Dogger Bank will also be the first HVDC-connected wind farm in the UK.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories May 3
Mexico’s largest opposition party proposed installing rooftop solar on houses for free on Sunday. That pitch was in response to a run-in with the president’s party over a constitutional overhaul of the power market.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories May 2
The US Department of Commerce (DOC) is investigating whether Southeast Asian solar cell manufacturers are using parts made in China that would normally be subject to a tariff. A group of bipartisan senators today joined most of the US solar industry in asserting that the DOC investigation will devastate solar businesses, as they rely on solar module imports to meet growing demand.
For the first time ever, California, the world’s fifth-largest economy, was powered by 100% clean energy on Saturday, April 30. That milestone was driven largely by solar power.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories April 28
Last month, the US generated 18% of its electricity from wind and solar (59 TWh) for the first time. That beat the previous record set in March 2021 (53 TWh), according to new data from global energy think tank Ember.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories April 27
Florida governor Ron DeSantis (R) vetoed a bill, which the state’s Republican-majority House and Senate passed, that would have slashed rooftop solar credits in the state. It would have denied many homeowners net metering in the Sunshine State, and harmed its solar industry.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories April 22
All 10 offshore wind turbines have now been installed by Dutch maritime company Van Oord off Italy’s Puglia coast – the heel of Italy’s boot. It’s Italy’s first offshore wind farm, and the first in the Mediterranean Sea.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories April 21
The Biden administration set a goal of permitting 25 gigawatts (GW) of solar, onshore wind, and geothermal energy on public lands by 2025. It’s well on its way to exceeding that goal.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories April 20
The US Department of Energy (DOE) yesterday issued a request for information (RFI) to support $84 million in enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) pilot demonstration projects. It’s part of the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which passed last year.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories April 18
Block Island Wind Farm in Rhode Island is the United States’ first offshore wind farm. The 30-megawatt, five-turbine offshore wind farm began commercial operations in December 2016 and generates enough energy to power 17,000 homes. And it turns out, it’s perfectly safe, and sometimes even beneficial, for fish.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories April 14
GE Renewable Energy announced yesterday on Twitter that the first GE Haliade 150-6 megawatt (MW) wind turbine has now been installed at St. Nazaire, France’s first offshore wind farm.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories April 13
First Solar, the largest US-owned solar panel manufacturer, today announced that it’s going to provide 260 megawatts (MW)DC of Ohio-made solar modules to Nevada Gold Mines, the single largest gold-producing complex in the world.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories April 12
Boston-based solar company ClearPath Energy and Maitland, Florida-based Castillo Engineering, a solar engineering firm, are building six community bifacial solar farms in New York State.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories April 11
Eco Wave Power, which produces clean electricity from ocean and sea waves, today announced that it has entered an official agreement with Port Adriano, Spain, to build Spain’s first wave-energy power plant.
Danish wind giant Ørsted and Danish offshore wind service and support company ESVAGT announced on Friday that they will invest in the world’s first service operation vessel (SOV) that can operate on green fuels.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories April 7
- KORE Power is now ready to build the first lithium-ion battery factory wholly owned by a US company.
- UnderstandSolar is a free service that links you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates. Tesla now offers price matching, so it’s important to shop for the best quotes. Click here to learn more and get your quotes. — *ad.
Electrek Green Energy Brief Stories April 6
West Virginia’s largest solar farm will sit on the site of the 5,800-acre Hobet Mine, one of the state’s largest former coal mines, which went bankrupt in 2015.
Germany’s economy and climate ministry today announced a more ambitious target of clean energy making up 80% of its power mix by 2030 – a bump up from its previous target of 65%. Currently, 40.9% of Germany’s power mix consists of clean energy.
