Largest Solar PV Plant in North America Comes On-Line

The largest operational PV plant in North America is the 100 megawatts on-line of the 290-megawatt Agua Caliente solar project in Yuma County, Arizona. Construction is still in progress, with completion expected in 2014. Agua Caliente is owned by NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG). First Solar will build, operate and maintain the site.

Navajo community banking on proposed solar array

The To'Hajiilee (Toe-hajee-lee) solar project is one of 19 energy projects that will share in $6.5 million recently awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy to spur renewable energy development on tribal lands. About two-thirds of the money is earmarked for tribes in the West. Most of that will go toward projects in New Mexico and Arizona.

NV Energy pulls wind project because of threatened bird

More studies by the federal government on the future of the sage grouse has prompted NV Energy to pull out of developing a major wind energy project touted to supply 100,000 homes. NV Energy was working with RES America Development to build the China Mountain Wind Project with anywhere from 170 to 200 wind turbines in Elko County and Idaho.

Salmon may benefit from spilling excess water

Salmon advocates say they have new information that shows that spilling more water over dams may actually benefit fish. The news has implications for wind power generators as they look toward another spring season of possible shutdowns.

PG&E; cancels PPA with Terra-Gen on Nevada geothermal project

U.S. utility PG&E announces it has told regulators in the state of California that “it has terminated a geothermal-power contract with Arclight Capital Partners LLC unit Terra-Gen Power. Terra-Gen had signed a 25-year PPA with the utility in 2010 under which the company was to build a 53 MW geothermal power plant near Reno in the state of Nevada.

Shiloh IV Wind Project Receives CPUC Approval

enXco, an EDF Energies Nouvelles Company, has received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for the 102.5 megawatt Shiloh IV Wind Project PPA. Shiloh IV Wind Project, located in Solano County, California, is the largest repowering project in the country whereby older technology is upgraded allowing for increased generation of clean energy with fewer wind turbines. Approximately 235 Kenetech 100kW turbines originally installed in 1989 have been removed and will be replaced with 50 REpower 2.05 MW turbines.

U.S. Bancorp Sets up New Fund with Sunrun

A subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp has set up a new renewable energy tax equity fund with Sunrun to support the purchase and installation of more than $150 million in residential solar systems across the US. Sunrun is a home solar specialist and this is the company’s sixth renewable energy tax equity commitment from U.S. Bancorp.

EPA, DOE See Potential In Siting Wind And Solar Projects On Contaminated Land

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have developed and launched new tools designed to test underutilized sites and contaminated land for their wind and solar energy potential. The EPA estimates that, nationwide, there are approximately 490,000 sites and almost 15 million acres of potentially contaminated properties. According to the EPA and the DOE, the new tools give local communities and landowners ways to evaluate these sites for renewable energy potential without the need for technical expertise.