Wind power

A site the size of greater Sydney may host a $100 billion project to convert wind and solar into green hydrogen in Western Australia. If built, it will become the world’s largest clean energy hub.

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• US special interest groups and utilities are working to stall the growth of rooftop solar.
• Why Penn State University won the US Department of Energy’s Collegiate Wind Competition.
• 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.

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• GM and Wabtec will work together to develop and commercialize electric locomotives.
• The US consumed a record amount of clean energy in 2020, reports the EIA.
• 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.

Texas has been hit by a heatwave, and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has asked residents to reduce electricity use until Friday because demand is up, but power supply is down. ERCOT stated yesterday, “Generator owners have reported approximately 11,000 MW [megawatts] of generation is on forced outage for repairs; of that, approximately 8,000 MW is thermal, and the rest is intermittent resources.” “Thermal” power in Texas largely refers to natural gas-fired power plants, which make up around 50% of annual energy production in Texas.

The Rome-headquartered Enel Group’s Brazilian renewable energy subsidiary, Enel Green Power Brasil Participações Ltda, has started commercial operations of the 716 MW Lagoa dos Ventos I and II wind farm in Brazil. It’s South America’s largest wind farm currently in operation and Enel Green Power’s largest wind farm worldwide. 

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• Vertical Aerospace has pre-orders for around 1,000 of its electric VA-X4 vertical takeoff aircraft.
• Most Americans support expanding solar and wind energy, but there’s a significant partisan split.
• 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.

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• US president Joe Biden’s electric vehicles plan includes boosting battery recycling in the US.
• Germany is upping its wind and solar 2030 targets, according to a draft law seen by Reuters.
• 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.

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• ExxonMobil and Chevron suffer shareholder rebellions over a lack of strategy for emissions reduction.
• Here’s the latest US Electric Power Monthly report, and what renewables are projected to do.
• 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.

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• Climate czar John Kerry said emissions cuts will come from future tech, but a new study says we’ve already got what we need.
• The Department of Energy’s Collegiate Wind Competition has kicked off – check it out.
• 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.

Hecate Independent Power (HIP) has announced it will build an enormous, $30 billion offshore wind project off the coast of Iceland that will power the UK using long subsea cables.

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• GE will provide 87 Haliade-X 14 MW for the third and final phase of the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm.
• Rhode Island gets more than 100 megawatts of solar as it works toward 100% clean electricity by 2030.
• 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.

Danish wind turbine giant Vestas has announced today that it, along with a coalition of industry and academic leaders, has figured out how to fully recycle wind turbine blades.

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• The Biden administration has approved Vineyard Wind 1, the first major offshore wind farm in federal waters.
• The IEA raises its forecast for global wind and solar growth by another 25% compared to six months ago.
• 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.

The costs of most existing coal-fired power plants in the US are now more expensive than the total costs of wind and solar as a result of their plunging costs, according to a new study.

Enel Green Power North America, headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts, has started construction on five new clean energy projects in the US. The new wind, solar, and hybrid projects announced today represent more than 1.5 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity and 319 megawatts (MW) of battery storage capacity.

The five new projects under construction in Texas, Illinois, and Oklahoma will generate over 4.1 TWh of renewable electricity per year, capable of powering more than 525,000 US households annually. All five projects announced today have offtake agreements for a portion of their output.

Danish clean energy giant Ørsted has just completed its very first utility-scale solar plus battery storage project, and it’s in the US.

Its Permian Energy Center project (pictured above), a 460 MW solar and 40 MW battery storage facility, is in Andrews County, Texas.

A team at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow has figured out how to recycle glass-reinforced polymer composites (GRP) that are used in wind turbine blades. The university has partnered with Norwegian offshore wind developer Aker Offshore Wind and green investment company Aker Horizons to implement its new technology.

This plan could potentially prevent a huge number of wind turbine blades from ending up in garbage dumps.

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• Researchers produce ultrawhite paint that can cool buildings and reduce the need for air conditioning.
• Vietnam’s largest wind farm comes online.
• China and US pledge to cooperate on fighting climate change.
• 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.

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• Texas wind power topped 10.4 million MWh in March – 2 million MWh above its previous high.
• The UK’s power grid emissions fell to a record low on Monday.
• 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.

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• Solar and wind led the record growth of renewables globally in 2020, according to IRENA.
• South Dakota wants to subsidize more EV charging stations.
• 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.

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• The first-generation Irene Vorrink wind farm is coming down. What happens next?
• The SEC rules that Chevron must allow a shareholder proposal asking for a transparent account of how a net-zero by 2050 scenario will affect its operations and performance. 
• 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.