Top grid regulator stepping down

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, who oversaw a broad expansion of the regulator's oversight of the electric grid and several probes into improper trading tactics by Wall Street banks, will depart his post. FERC has a broad set of regulatory powers over interstate power and natural gas lines, energy markets, and hydropower facilities, and Wellinghoff, a Democrat, rankled some Republican lawmakers for rebuffing requests that the agency conduct more analyses on whether EPA air regulations might threaten the reliability of the power grid. Wellinghoff also shepherded the agency's landmark Order 1000, in 2011, which required grid planners and public utilities to coordinate regional power line projects and encouraged the integration of solar and wind installations.

Big solar, California desert county make peace

Solar developers and Riverside County, which borders Orange county on the west and stretches some 200 miles east, all the way to Arizona, had been at odds for more than a year over the county’s plan to charge $450 per acre used to produce power. The desert of eastern Riverside County is prime territory for large-scale solar development. That could add up to a lot of money for a project like the 550-megawatt Desert Sunlight PV plant that will cover more than 4,000 acres near Desert Center. Solar developers brought a suit to stop imposition of the fee. They labeled it a “Sun Tax,” which was more than glib; it was something of a legal argument. In the end, the sides worked out a negotiated settlement – the amount of the fee/tax will be $150 per acre, and the Independent Energy Producers Association and the Large-Scale Solar Association, who had brought the suit, gives up the right to take the county to court over the issue.

U.S. Senators introduce bill for energy-storage tax incentives

Four U.S. Senators proposed legislation offering tax incentives to homeowners and companies that install energy-storage systems in an effort to boost investment in renewable power. The bill would provide a 30 percent tax credit, capped at $1 million per project, to homeowners and businesses that use power-storage equipment, according to a statement today from Senators Ron Wyden and Jeffrey Merkley, Oregon Democrats, Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, and Angus King, an independent from Maine.

Former EPA administrator Lisa Jackson joins Apple as environmental czar

Lisa Jackson, the former administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will soon be joining Apple, the company’s chief executive Tim Cook announced today. Jackson, who was nominated by President Barack Obama in 2008 and served from 2009 until earlier this year, will oversee Apple’s environmental efforts, including its move to manufacture less-toxic and more energy-efficient products. Cook said she will also oversee the company’s efforts to make its facilities run more energy efficiently.

Connecticut House approves renewable energy measure

The Connecticut House of Representatives voted 112-33 to advance its version of a bill on renewable energy, sending the measure back to the Senate for further refinement. The House bill would allow large-scale hydropower to count toward the state's renewable energy goal only if there is a shortfall in renewable-energy sources such as wind or solar power. Critics say the addition of large-scale hydropower would have a negative impact on renewable energy sources.

Grid storage market poised for major growth

The grid storage market is poised to grow dramatically from $200 million today to $10.4 billion by 2017. Increased adoption of renewable energy like wind and solar is driving the market, said Steve Minnihan, a senior analyst with Lux Research and author of the report: “Global grid storage market to grow to $10.4 billion in 2017.” Minnihan said he and his team calculated the internal rate of return on investment in grid storage for every individual country and found that about 70 percent of the demand for new grid storage will come from the deployment of renewable energy sources like solar and wind.

U.S. could add 20GW extra wind power by 2016

The U.S. wind energy sector could add as much as 20GW of new capacity by 2016 as developers take advantage of new incentive rules, according to the Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration.

Wyoming lawmakers say state's wind power industry doesn't need tax credit

Federal lawmakers and wind industry advocates are battling over the production tax credit that put wind energy on the map. Wyoming’s congressional delegation wants to see it expire. Champions of renewable energy want to see it continue. The tax credit hung on by the skin of its teeth in the closing moments of 2012. It was on the brink of extinction in the final minutes of the fiscal cliff negotiations, but in a surprise move Congress extended the credit for one year. The extension came to the chagrin of lawmakers who see the credit as corporate welfare for an industry that’s outgrown its dependence on federal subsidies. For the producers and other players in the industry, the credit’s survival puts wind on a level playing field with fossil fuels.