Wärtsilä Successfully Hands Over Two New Plants to Support the UK’s Need for Fast-starting Flexibility
The technology group Wärtsilä has successfully handed over two new gas engine plants ordered by Centrica, a British multi-national energy and services company. The project is in line with the company’s strategy for de-centralised power production and will ease the integration of intermittent renewable capacity, notably solar and wind power. Wärtsilä was selected to deliver Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) solutions for both sites, located at Brigg and Peterborough in the UK. The o...
Renewable Energy Set for Boost in Spain As Government Suspends Controversial 7% Solar Power Tax
The recently elected Spanish government is set to suspend the country’s controversial 7% solar tax, as it seeks to move towards renewables and lower the cost of electricity bills for families with solar panels fitted to their homes. The ‘sun tax’ is one of the most controversial laws in Spain and was implemented by the previous government of Mariano Rajoy in 2012. It has drawn criticism because it charges Spanish homes fitted with solar panels with an additional tax of 7% to remain conne...
Energy Efficiency/ACEEE State Scorecard: Investments in Net-Zero Buildings & EVs Increase; NJ, CT, CO, SD Most Improved; MA and CA Lead
Washington, DC (October 4, 2018) — As the US government loosens environmental rules, states are investing more in energy efficiency and delivering increased power savings, according to the 2018 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard. This 12th annual report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), released today, identifies the leaders (Massachusetts and California), the most-improved states, notably New Jersey, the states that lost ground such as Iowa, and those lagging beh...
50 US Schools Ready to 'Go Solar' to be "Buddied Up" with Schools Already Using Solar Energy
WASHINGTON, D.C. – How do you encourage more schools to go solar when so many school administrators are unsure about the process, time frame and costs? The “Solar Schools 2025” initiative of the nonprofit Renewable Nation thinks it has the answer: by using the “buddy system” to pair up schools eager to go solar with schools that already have gone solar. Today, Solar Schools 2025 announced that it is seeking 50 K-12 schools across the United States that it can “buddy up” with schools that alre...
SolarReserve Flags Heliostat Deal with Local Manufacturer for South Australian Project
An artist's impression of the Aurora plant to be built by SolarReserve in South Australia. Global solar thermal company SolarReserve is working on a deal with Heliostat SA to build more than 12,800 tracking mirrors for its 150MW Aurora project in South Australia. The agreement will utilise skills and technology initially developed in South Australia for the automotive industry. SolarReserve today announced a Memorandum of Understanding with Heliostat SA for the development of...
Fluor Subsidiary Gains U.S. Department of Energy Strategic Petroleum Reserve Management and Operating Contract Extension through March 2024
IRVING, Texas - Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) announced today that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has exercised its option to extend its current management and operating contract of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) through March 31, 2024. The contract is currently being executed by Fluor Federal Petroleum Operations, LLC (FFPO), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fluor. Fluor will book the $2 billion contract extension value in the third quarter of 2018. FFPO began management and operatio...
SunShare Secures $11 Million in Construction and Term Financing
MICHAEL, Minn. – SunShare, the nation’s pioneer in community solar, has secured $11 million in construction/term project financing from ANB Bank for the construction of 8.2 MWdc of community solar gardens in Minnesota. Construction has begun on the SaintSun (6.9 MWdc) and ZumbroSun (1.3 MWdc) projects in Saint Michael and Zumbro Falls, MN, and they are expected to reach mechanical completion starting in October 2018. “We’ve been building community solar gardens for almost a decade to make so...
EIA Releases September’s U.S. Short-Term Energy Forecast
The U.S. Energy Information Administration released its Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) on Tuesday, September 11, 2018. The full STEO can be downloaded at: http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/steo/ Forecast Highlights Global liquid fuels Brent crude oil spot prices averaged $73 per barrel (b) in August, down almost $2 from July. EIA expects Brent spot prices will average $73/b in 2018 and $74/b in 2019. EIA expects West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil prices will a...
Solar Energy Might Become EU’s Fastest-Growing Energy Source by 2020 Due to Elimination of Tariffs on Imported Chinese Solar Panels
Following the European Commission’s decision to lift trade tariffs on the import of solar panels from China, Europe’s energy experts have described the block’s decision to end the trade war with Beijing as a “watershed moment for European solar energy.” In 2013 the EC imposed tariffs of up to 64.9% on the original price of solar panels imported from China, after accusing Beijing of selling subsidised panels below cost in Europe. The tariffs were imposed to protect European solar panel ma...
REPORT: Energy Efficiency Employs 2.25 Million Americans
Energy efficiency jobs grew 3% in 2017 17 states have more than 50,000 energy efficiency workers; 25 have more than 30,000 Energy efficiency employs 2X as many Americans as fossil fuel industries WASHINGTON AND BOSTON – (September 6, 2018) – Energy efficiency added more new jobs than any other industry in the entire U.S. energy sector in 2017, and now employs nearly 2.25 million Americans, according to a new jobs analysis from E4TheFuture and the national, nonpartisan business grou...