Solar benefits, solar costs

As gigawatts of solar power come online in the U.S., it becomes increasingly important to address a central question: what are the costs and benefits of this ever-growing level of distributed solar energy connected to the grid? Several new studies have been released that explore these issues. A new report from the Rocky Mountain Institute, “A Review of Solar Benefit and Cost Studies,” lays the foundation for understanding by delving into 15 existing assessments of the situation. Additionally, for a solid overview of market trends in the U.S. solar installation market last year, one need go no further than the just-released annual report from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC).

Production Tax Credit cited as key factor in growth of U.S. wind power

Although wind power does not get as much attention in California as solar power, it is considered the "workhorse" of the renewable-energy industry, observers say. Peter Kelley, vice president of public affairs at the American Wind Energy Association, said that the U.S. has 60,000 megawatts of wind-power capacity, compared to 10,000 megawatts of solar power. A big part of wind power's growth owes to the wind energy Production Tax Credit and state goals such as California's renewable portfolio standard, executives said.

U.S. tracks Atlantic Ocean birds

The U.S. plans to track bird patterns along the east coast from Massachusetts’ Nantucket Sound south throughout the mid-Atlantic region to help improve siting decisions for wind turbines. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management recently awarded a $292,000 study to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to research the movements of priority bird species over the next 12 to 18 months using VHF backpack transmitters.

Big wind gets big hug in New Mexico

The Mountain View Telegraph reported this week that commissioners in Torrance County, where hundreds of turbines generating as much as 1 gigawatt of power might be sited, have backed a $450 million industrial bond issue intended to help Iberdrola Renewables build the wind farm. In an era when we often hear shouts of “Not in my backyard!” when the wind industry rolls into town, the reception given to Iberdrola in Torrance County, an hour or so southeast of Albuquerque, was pretty remarkable. The commissioners passed a resolution endorsing the bond issue, and did so with apparent enthusiasm.

Offshore wind gains in Virginia, stumbles in New Jersey

The past few days brought potentially good news for offshore wind power’s progress in the U.S. in one location, and what looks like bad news in another location. The encouraging development was the announcement of a September 4 lease auction for a parcel of around 112,800 acres offshore Virginia that could one day be home to 2,000 megawatts of wind power. This is the second competitive lease announced by the Obama administration – the first, for two parcels off Rhode Island and Massachusetts, is scheduled to happen next week – and while there’s no guarantee that offshore wind power will soon arrive, the moves are a step in that direction. Less heartening for offshore wind fans was the news that New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities had rejected an agreement between the developer and the state’s ratepayer watchdog that would set the price of $187 for renewable energy credits from the proposed five-turbine, 25-megawatt Fishermen’s Energy project 2.8 miles offshore from Atlantic City.

Deepwater secures two federal offshore wind locations

Deepwater Wind, a U.S.-based offshore wind project developer, has secured two offshore wind energy projects in the federal waters off the coasts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts through a lease auction. The company has won the auctions for the two locations totaling 164,000 acres during the bidding process conducted by U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

Minnesota Power to expand Bison wind energy project by 200 megawatts

Minnesota Power, a division of ALLETE, plans to begin construction this year on a 200-megawatt expansion of its Bison wind project that will deliver more economical, carbon-free energy to customers while meeting Minnesota’s renewable energy standard of 25 percent renewable energy by 2025. The project will be the single largest wind addition to the company’s fleet. Estimated to cost about $345 million, Bison 4 will be constructed in Oliver County, North Dakota, north and west of the project’s first three phases currently in operation.

Nebraska utility draws ire of farm group for importing wind power

The Nebraska Farmers Union criticized public utility Lincoln Electric System's decision to buy 100 megawatts of electricity generated by wind farms in Oklahoma. Lincoln Electric System said that importing wind power makes economic sense for its customers, but the farmers group countered that the utility also has a duty to promote economic development in the state.

Xcel faces backlash over Colorado solar net metering plan

Solar industry and environmental groups in Colorado have united to oppose proposals by utility company Xcel Energy they say could restrict the growth of rooftop PV in the state. They claim Xcel’s renewable energy plan for 2014 filed last week with the Colorado Public Utilities’ Commission (PUC) could pave the way for a scaling back of solar net metering, the mechanism by which rooftop solar owners are paid for the electricity they produce. Although Xcel’s plan set a target of 24 megawatts of small-scale solar and 6.5 megawatts of community solar for 2014, it also raised questions over the value of solar net metering and the costs the policy transfers to non-solar customers. The utility said the value of solar net metering was “not clearly identified” and requested the PUC spell out full costs and benefits of the program.

Texas energy technology company advances with DOE research award

GeoTek Energy, LLC, a geothermal power and downhole pump technology company, has received approval by the Department of Energy for reimbursement of up to $1.08 million for the fabrication and initial testing of its Gravity Head Energy System. GeoTek’s patent pending Gravity Head Energy System improves current geothermal power systems by reducing the use of production and cycle pumps that require frequent service and consume up to 35% of the produced electricity.

Cool Energy wins DOE grant

Cool Energy, Inc., a clean energy power generation company with headquarters in Boulder, Colorado, won a $1 million Phase II Small Business Innovation Research grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The power generation technology this grant supports could replace up to 300 fossil fuel power plants, according to the company. The grant will support a program to demonstrate electricity generation from untapped heat from distributed geothermal sources.

Hydropower project eyed near Prineville, Idaho

An Idaho company has gotten approval to explore building a dam and reservoir near Prineville to store water for generating electricity. The developers envision the project, called “pumped hydro storage” as a complement to balance intermittent supplies from such sources as wind turbines. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted a preliminary permit July 19 to Prineville Energy Storage LLC, an affiliate of Boise-based Gridflex Energy. It allows a feasibility study for a 40-foot dam and reservoir.

Proposed Colorado oil and gas wells to get pollution review

The Bureau of Land Management will reexamine the smog and toxic air pollution potential of 34 oil and gas projects involving more than 1,300 proposed wells on Colorado’s Western Slope before it issues more federal drilling permits for the region, as part of a settlement with four conservation groups. The agency also agreed to establish and maintain a publicly available tracking system for federal drilling permits on its website.