2013

Letter: Why Canadian Large Hydro Should not be Part of Connecticut RPS

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Dear Editorial Board,

The state of Connecticut is about to consider its Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) – which currently requires at least 20 percent of electricity come from renewable sources like wind and solar by 2020. A hearing on legislation to update the RPS was held last week, with the Energy & Technology Committee scheduled to act on energy bills on March 28. At issue: What types of energy should be included in the RPS, and is there a role for large Canadian hydropower? Keep reading →

 /  Published March 25, 2013 at 12:30 PM

Solar Power has Record Year Despite Bankruptcies

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It was a record year for solar installations in the United States in 2012, boosting an industry still struggling with consolidation and bankruptcies.

Over 3.3 gigawatts of solar power were installed last year, according to a report Thursday from the Solar Energy Industries Association, a trade group. That’s enough to power about 500,000 homes, and it was a 76% increase from 2011. Keep reading →

 /  Published March 25, 2013 at 10:30 AM

Senate Group Seeks Amendment of Proposed EPA Regulations

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A group of Senate Democrats requested the Administration to reconsider EPA’s proposed emissions regulations that would essentially ban construction of new coal-fueled power plants in the U.S.

Four Senate Democrats, led by Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), wrote to President Obama seeking amendments of EPA’s proposed New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for new power plants. The letter – released on March 18, 2013 – explains that implementation of the current draft would effectively ban construction of new coal-based power plants. Drawing attention to provisions that place new coal-fueled plants and natural gas-fueled plants in the same standard, the Senators called for different emissions standards based on fossil fuel type. Keep reading →

 /  Published March 25, 2013 at 8:30 AM

Mega Oil Deal ‘More Important Than Cyprus’: Rosneft Chief

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As politicians in Cyprus scramble to clinch a bailout deal to avert a collapse of its banking sector, Rosneft and BP finalized a deal to create the world’s largest listed oil major, an agreement Rosneft’s CEO hailed as “more important than the situation in Cyprus”.

Rosneft completed the acquisition of BP subsidiary TNK-BP on Thursday. It gives BP a near 20 percent stake in the Russian oil firm. The U.K.-listed oil giant announced Friday that it will buy back $8 billion of its shares, and return some of the proceeds to shareholders. Its stock rose 2.83 percent in morning trade on Friday. Keep reading →

 /  Published March 22, 2013 at 3:30 PM

DOI Releases Assessment Report on Shell’s Arctic Drilling Operations

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A Department of Interior (DOI) report on Shell’s 2012 Arctic operations reveals inadequate management oversight and details key recommendations for conduct and oversight of future exploration projects.

On March 14, 2013, DOI released its 2012 assessment of Shell’s Arctic operations. The review identifies inadequacies that led to a series of problems related to containment system deployment, marine transport, and grounding of drilling rigs. DOI also provides key recommendations to recommencement of Shell’s drilling program and future exploratory activities in the Arctic. The U.S. Coast Guard is currently conducting a separate marine casualty probe to assess the currently grounded Kulluk drilling rig. Keep reading →

 /  Published March 22, 2013 at 2:30 PM

PUC to Xcel Energy: That $16.6 Million you Wanted? No Dice

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The Colorado Public Utilities Commission on Thursday ruled that Xcel Energy will not be able to collect the $16.6 million balance it says it is owed for work performed on the SmartGridCity project in Boulder.

The ruling is in line with an earlier decision by an administrative law judge that the utility should not be allowed to collect the remaining $16.6 million in costs it incurred in the project because it had not met established criteria demonstrating customer benefits, according to a story in the Boulder County Business Report. Keep reading →

 /  Published March 22, 2013 at 12:00 PM

Oil Company Tax Cut in Alaska Highly Controversial

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Crude oil production in Alaska has been steadily declining for years with potentially dire consequences for the Trans Alaska Pipeline System and the state’s tax revenue base.

“Alyeska today is working to respond to the challenges posed by declining throughput. Throughput peaked at 2.1 million barrels a day in 1988. It has only steadily decreased since. In 2011, Alyeska on average moved about 600,000 barrels per day. With the lower flow levels, the crude oil takes longer to reach the Valdez Terminal – about 2 weeks, on average – and the oil is colder on arrival. The slower, colder oil has more potential for water and wax to settle and drop out, and as throughput declines further, the potential for ice to form during shutdown or flowing conditions increases,” according to operator Alyeska Pipeline Service Company’s website. Keep reading →

 /  Published March 22, 2013 at 10:30 AM

OpEd: Why We Should Pity Utilities

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It’s time for some compassion for the owners of America’s $374 billion power industry – twenty-two of whose member firms appear on the Fortune 500 list.

While the fate of these companies may not automatically tug at the heartstrings of your average American, it deserves our attention – not least because it’s in our nation’s short-term and long-term best interests. These thousands of powerful companies not only keep our lights on and our iPhones charged; they also stand squarely in the path of our clean-energy future. Their ability to adapt to a bevy of unprecedented challenges will determine how well and how quickly the United States succeeds in weaning itself from fossil fuels. They’ll also play a key role in the $268 billion global clean-energy market. Keep reading →

 /  Published March 22, 2013 at 8:30 AM

Solar Device That Likes It Hot Hikes Efficiency

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There’s still a ways to go, but PETE is moving along.

“Photon enhanced thermionic emission,” the conceptual breakthrough that Stanford researchers introduced three years ago as a way to capture and make use of both the light and heat in a solar device, has undergone improvements that boost its efficiency by 100 times. Keep reading →

 /  Published March 21, 2013 at 3:00 PM

Concentrated Solar Power Leaps Forward: Shams 1 Technical Details

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The Shams 1 concentrated solar power plant was inaugurated earlier this week in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi, UAE. At 100 megawatts, Shams 1 is currently the largest operational CSP plant in the world. The project is noteworthy because it is a major step forward for renewable energy technology, and CSP in particular, but also because it was developed in an Opec country. Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, partnered with French oil major Total and Spain’s energy infrastructure company Abengoa. Breaking Energy attended the proceedings, along with several other international journalists, as Masdar’s guest. Masdar is a subsidiary of Mubadala, a UAE government-owned investment vehicle.

“With the addition of Shams 1, Masdar’s renewable energy portfolio accounts for almost 68 percent of the Gulf’s renewable energy capacity and nearly 10 percent of the world’s installed CSP capacity”, according to the company. Keep reading →

 /  Published March 21, 2013 at 12:15 PM
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