Saving desert tortoises a costly hurdle for solar projects

At the $2.2-billion BrightSource Energy solar farm in the Ivanpah Valley, the endangered desert tortoise brought construction to a standstill for three months when excavation work found far more animals than biologists expected. BrightSource has spent $56 million so far to protect and relocate the tortoises, but the work has met with unforeseen calamity. And, unless current recovery efforts begin to gain traction, the threatened species could become collateral damage in the war against fossil fuels. BrightSource's project is the first large-scale solar plant to enter the desert tortoise regulatory maze. Its experience is a case study for how the booming solar industry must deal with the reptile.

Rep. Mike Thompson introduces bipartisan bill to improve renewable energy storage

Congressmen Mike Thompson and Chris Gibson have joined together to introduce The Storage Technology for Renewable and Green Energy 2012 Act (STORAGE) in the U.S. House of Representatives. The STORAGE Act would provide a tax credit to individuals and businesses when they invest in energy storage systems. Businesses and factories that generate energy via large compressed air systems, flywheels and large arrays of fuels cells and batteries would be eligible for a 20% tax credit. Households and businesses that purchase energy storage systems for their property would be eligible for a 30% tax credit.

Analyst: California solar auctions are sector model

As renewable energy nears competitiveness with fossil fuels and nuclear power, California-style auctions of supply contracts may be a better way to drive value for consumers than calculated subsidies, according to Gerard Wynn, a Reuters market analyst. None of the proposals in other countries are based on the true cost of generating renewable electricity -- they depend on government bureaucrats calculating that cost, rather than forcing project developers to reveal it. Such schemes may learn from an auction approach in California that has come closest yet to revealing the cost of solar power, which turns out to be below calculated support rates.

EIA: Even if PTC expires, wind energy generation will double by 2035

Wind power and biomass dominate projected increases in U.S. renewable energy generation, excluding hydropower, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook 2012 Early Release Reference case. In the EIA's outlook, increased generation from non-hydro renewable energy resources in the electric power sector accounts for 33% of the overall growth in electricity generation from 2010 to 2035. The reference case assumes implementation of current laws and regulations as specified, including the scheduled expiration of some tax credits at the end of 2012. Wind generation nearly doubles between 2010 and 2035, but the growth slows following the expiration of the production tax credit (PTC).

House approves bill easing hydropower development rules

The House approved legislation making it easier for western states to develop hydropower in canals and ditches. The Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act was hailed by Republicans as a way to encourage hydropower development in western states that face environmental restrictions. In a debate, they argued that these restrictions only delay the development of this power at a time when energy prices are spiking, and that there is no real risk of environmental damage. The bill would exempt small hydropower installations from environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act.

Wind turbine prices at an all-time low

North American Windpower - Mar 6 The average price for utility-scale wind energy equipment hit a new low in the second half of 2011, according to BNEF's Wind Turbine Price Index. The price drop was due to excess capacity and new low-cost competitors. According to BNEF, contracts signed in the second half of 2011 for 2013 delivery fell to $1.2 million per MW, down 4% from six months earlier and well off the five-year high of $1.6 million per MW in 2009. Prices dropped most sharply for older, less-efficient turbines to $1.38 million per MW on average, down 10% from six months earlier. The survey revealed that most procurement officers and wind turbine manufacturers anticipate further moderate declines in turbine prices in 2012 and 2013, and do not expect prices to recover until at least 2014.

Rising temperatures in Northwest may impact hydro, California

In the coming decades, warmer temperatures could hamstring hydropower production in the Pacific Northwest, forcing California to look elsewhere for an electricity boost, according to this article. The Pacific Northwest largely powers itself with dams on several major rivers. In fact, 70% of the electricity generated in Washington State comes via hydropower. In the summer, when local demands for electricity are at their lowest, Washington, Oregon and even British Columbia produce more hydropower than they can use, so they sell it to California. Within the next several decades, however, "the ability to transfer electrical energy from the Pacific Northwest to other regions is likely to decrease in May, June, July and August," warns a study from the University of Washington's Climate Impacts Group.

Installed wind energy capacity in North America to top 125GW by 2017

North America presently accounts for more than 22% of the world's total installed wind power capacity, and the region will more than double its current installed capacity to reach 125GW by 2017, with onshore installations expected to represent more than 97% of that total, finds a new report from Pike Research. Overall, approximately $145 billion will be invested in onshore and offshore wind energy installations between 2011 and 2017, the firm says. According to the report, one factor powering the wind industry is consolidation. Over the past three years, numerous high-level mergers and acquisitions have resulted in more dynamic, vertically integrated companies.

University of California working on building a smarter, greener power grid

University of California researchers are building a smarter, greener electric grid for the future, which will be predominately powered by solar, wind and other renewable energy sources. Expanding such a model to the U.S.'s current electrical grid is challenging and a renewable energy-based system will require new technology to facilitate the large-scale transmission and storage of solar and wind power. The researchers are working on a myriad of projects to develop and deploy systems to modernize the nation's electrical system into one that relies on renewable energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The so-called smart grid is part of President Obama’s clean energy initiatives and is needed to implement Gov. Jerry Brown's call for installing 12,000MW of renewable power generation in California by 2020.

Palo Alto approves feed-in tariff for renewables

The City Council of Palo Alto, Calif., unanimously approved a renewable energy feed-in law, dubbed the Clean Local Energy Accessible Now (CLEAN) Program. The city will purchase locally-produced solar energy at a fixed rate of 14 cents per kWh for 20 years. During 2012's pilot stage, the city is targeting 4MW of solar on systems 100kW or more. Starting in 2013, the program will expand to other types of renewables as well as to more eligible project sizes. Applications for the program open April 2.

Senators seek to give hydro power the renewable label

A year ago, Sen. Anthony Cannella tried to get the Legislature to change the definition of renewable energy to include hydro power, but it did not happen. This year, he is taking a more modest approach -- trying to get hydro power factored into the new state mandate requiring utilities to get a third of their power from renewable sources by 2020. Back in 2002, when the Legislature defined the Renewables Portfolio Standard, it deliberately excluded large hydro facilities. Under 2012's revised bill, hydro would be factored into the formula. It is anticipated that Cannella will have a hard time getting SB 971 past the Democrats, as he has no Democratic co-sponsors for the bill. If the bill is successful, it will mean some relief for residents and businesses all over California.