Monthly Archives: October 2018

Keystone XL Pipeline Back In Court. Seven Questions You Should Be Asking

By Bill Kelly, Senior Producer/Reporter, NET News

What are the issues to be decided?
Four parties are appealing the decision by the Public Service Commission. Around 90 landowners make up one group. The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and South Dakota’s Yankton Sioux Tribe filed two separate objections. The environmental group Sierra Club filed a separate complaint. The landowners are seeking to throw out the PSC’s approval, in a close 3-2 vote, of the so-called “mainline alternative” route. Their attorneys make the case, in briefs filed in advance of the hearing, TransCanada didn’t formally seek approval for that route, and presented a majority of its evidence for a different “preferred” route.

Opponents argue because no substantive evidence was presented in its original application or during days of public hearings the process must start anew with fresh evidence defending the “mainline alternative.” There are also claims by the landowners that the process used by the state was flawed from the start and TransCanada did not advance its application to the PSC in an appropriate manner. Read more here.

NET Photo: Nebraska Supreme Court Chambers

MORE RECOMMENDED READING
FERC Commissioner: Time to weigh pipelines’ climate threats, E&E News (subscription)
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission needs to acknowledge the “existential threat” posed by climate change and address it in the context of the natural gas projects it reviews, said Commissioner Richard Glick yesterday.

ADDITIONAL NET NEWS REPORT
From Endless Pines To Oil Mines: The Alberta Tar Sands, by Hannah Trull

Illinois is set to become the Midwest’s solar power leader

By Karen Graham, Digital Journal

Illinois is experiencing a boom in solar energy projects stemming from the state’s Future Energy Jobs Act, a 2016 law that sets a target of getting 25 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2025 . . . At the end of the 2nd quarter of 2018, Illinois ranked 34th, up from 43rd in 2017 in solar capacity. The state has only 97.84 MW of installed solar power. Rankings and installed solar capacity are about to change for the better, so much so that Illinois could end up being the Midwest’s leader in solar energy in a matter of a few years. Read more here.

Future Energy Jobs Act

Photo: Shedd Acquarium in Chicago. The 265-kilowatt solar project is a highlight in itself—it is the largest installation at any cultural institution in Illinois—but it’s only the first step of Shedd’s plan to cut energy usage in half by 2020.

NEWS FROM OTHER STATES

A Solar Garden Is Coming To Minneapolis, CBS Minnesota
Instead of dirt, this solar garden will be built over Ramp A near Target Field in downtown Minneapolis. Timothy Denherder-Thomas helped make it official on Monday, announcing plans from his company, Cooperative Energy Futures. It’s similar to the project atop Shiloh Temple in North Minneapolis.
Photo: Shiloh Temple in North Minneapolis
YouTube Video: Just Solar: The Shiloh Story
Landfill solar panels to cover 95 percent of Maine town’s electricity needs, Bangor Daily News
San Diego Is Ditching Their Power Company For A 100% Clean Energy Alternative, Green Matters
San Diego Zoo Adds Storage to its Energy Menagerie, Microgrid Knowledge
UC makes bold commitment to 100 percent clean electricity, University of California News
Salt River Project, DOE’s NREL team up to assess value of distributed energy storage, Utility Dive
Arkansas farmers see benefits of going solar, KATV Little Rock

NATIONAL NEWS

Renewable Energy Is Growing Faster Than Many Experts Expected, Governing
It’s leading an increasing number of state and local governments to commit to 100 percent clean energy goals. Photo: National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL)
US on pace for record coal retirements in 2018, IEEFA finds, Utility Dive
Whatever happened to Jimmy Carter’s solar panels: The sequel, Treehugger
Making Energy Transmission Charges Fair To Solar Generators: A #CleanTechnica Q&A With Doug Karpa, Policy Director Of Clean Coalition. One of the problems with the existing rate design is that it overlooks the positive contribution of local distribution-connected solar generation and energy storage.
Three ways utilities can better engage low-income customers, Utility Dive Opinion by Patty Durand, President & CEO of the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative
Bifacial Gains: How much will bifacial modules add to solar tracker value? We are about to find out, Solar Builder

ENERGY STORAGE RESOURCES

Special coverage of energy storage markets & technology, courtesy of pv magazine, by Christian Roselund. PV Magazine brings you a special edition devoted to the fast-growing energy storage space, including a look at its thornier challenges.

Click image to download and save the PDF.

Clean Energy Group has redesigned their Resilient Power Toolkit to make it easier to locate the resources you need to understand resilient power system technologies, their economics, and how to approach developing a new resilient solar+storage project.

“We’re always refining our toolbox of resources and making new additions, like our recent permitting and interconnection guide and a storage guide for homeowners from Solar United Neighbors. If you know of useful resources missing from our toolkit or are looking for something you can’t find, send us an email.” – Seth Mullendore, Vice President, Project Director: seth@cleanegroup.org

Seven states to double their wind power in near term as Q3 development picks up

American Wind Energy Association News Release

WASHINGTON — Seven states, from Nebraska to Massachusetts, will soon build enough wind turbines to more than double their capacity to generate clean and reliable wind energy, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) U.S. Wind Industry Third Quarter 2018 Market Report released today. The report also reveals the first firm orders for 4-megawatt (MW) land-based wind turbines, nearly twice as powerful as the average wind turbine installed in 2017 . . . The average utility-scale wind turbine installed in 2017 was rated at 2.32 MW but more powerful wind turbines are on the horizon, according to AWEA. In the third quarter, new orders for wind turbines include land-based turbines above 4 MW for the first time, which are capable of powering 1,400 homes a year. Read more here.

Photo: “Wind Rainbow,” AWEA’s Wind Energy Image Gallery

Wind Energy Generation in Nebraska, Nebraska Energy Office

SUN Guide: Battery Storage For Homeowners

The nonprofit Solar United Neighbors has published a
comprehensive guide to battery storage.

More homeowners than ever are looking into battery storage as an option for their homes. In the first quarter of 2018, the market for residential battery storage grew nine-fold! Our guide is designed to help you decide if adding battery storage is right for you.

This guide will inform you:

How battery back-up works
About the different types of batteries
What battery storage costs
How to best pair a solar system with battery storage
What to look for in a qualified installer

Click Link To Download: Battery Storage For Homeowners.

Weatherization program pays off in long-term savings

McCook Gazette Editorial

Unfortunately, people who would benefit the most from lower energy bills often cannot afford the improvements to achieve them. That’s where the Nebraska Weatherization Assistance Program comes in. Tuesday is Weatherization Day in Nebraska, spotlighting an effort that has been weatherizing homes for low-income and elderly citizens for more than 42 years.

Eight non-profit community service providers operate the program. Since the Weatherization Assistance Program began, over $204 million went to make energy efficiency improvements in more than 68,800 Nebraska homes affecting the lives of thousands of Nebraskans, many of who are elderly, disabled, and families with children. Learn more here.

NEWS FROM OTHER STATES

Photo: Walmart Rooftop Solar

Walmart and SunPower Partner for Solar-Powered Illinois Stores, Energy Manager Today
Walmart has made significant progress towards ambitious goals set more than a decade ago including to be powered by 100% renewable energy, create zero waste and sell products that sustain people and the environment.
Walmart’s Project Gigaton asks suppliers to collectively eliminate 1 gigaton of emissions by 2030.
Iowa Investigates Solar And Storage, Solar Industry
Washington’s largest solar plant comes online, PV Magazine
New York State is hitting its community solar stride, PV Magazine
Duke Energy aims to expand solar power to non-residential customers without large upfront investment, PV Magazine

CLEAN ENERGY JOBS & TRAINING PROGRAMS

DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office awards money to train electric utility workers in grid integration, Solar Power World. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has been selected to receive a $6 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) to train the next generation of electric utility workers. The award, the largest of 53 DOE workforce development grants, will be used to develop the data science and analytical skills needed to manage the more integrated grid of the future.
Solar Jobs Update: Even Better Than You Think (With #CleanTechnica Interview)
Federal government gives Philadelphia $1.25M solar grant, The News & Observer
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded Philadelphia a $1.25 million grant to fund solar training education programs.
University of Delaware to offer Offshore Wind Skills Academy, Windpower Engineering Development. This is the first offshore wind skills training program in the United States to focus on professionals and managers seeking to enter the industry.

RESEARCH

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University want to push solar panel lifespans to 50 years, Solar Power World. A team of solar energy researchers from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio has been awarded $1.35 million from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office to continue its work toward increasing the efficiency and lifetime of photovoltaic modules—specifically aimed at pushing their lifespan to 50 years.

FEATURED VIDEO

What Happens in the Arctic Doesn’t Stay in the Arctic is a six-minute video produced by the Aspen Global Change Institute.

Cities collectively buying renewables: “LA led way to leveraging EV RFPs, more cities follow with renewables”

By Robert Walton, Utility Dive

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced in June plans to partner with other cities to explore collective purchasing of renewable energy in order to bring down costs and incentivize more development. So far on board are cities including Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Portland and Orlando. The RFI aggregates the 20 cities’ combined 5,700 GWh of annual municipal loads said Adam Jacobs, Boston’s energy manager in the webinar hosted by the American Council on Renewable Energy.

Read more here.

Photo Credit: Depositphotos

Related

City of Boston Mayor Walsh calls on cities to join large-scale renewable energy initiative, City of Boston News
Power brokers: Boston to join other cities to collectively buy energy from renewable sources, Boston Globe

MORE AGGREGATION NEWS

Photo by SunEdison: San Diego Canopies

San Diego to form world’s largest Community Choice Aggregation, PV Magazine
The announcement comes as a part of Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer’s ambitious 100% by 2035 renewable energy mandate for the city. CCAs happen when local governments, either municipalities or counties, form an entity to procure electricity for their communities. In the Golden State they have allowed communities to procure renewable energy even more rapidly than the statewide 60% by 2030 mandate.
Businesses Unite To Drive Uptake of Renewable Energy In Australia, The Climate Group
RE100 has gone Down Under, demonstrating the potential for corporate sourcing of renewables to help shift the energy market in Australia away from polluting coal. This week saw the first Australian meeting of RE100 – the global corporate leadership initiative on renewable electricity led by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP.

MORE NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Photo Credit: Google

Brace yourself for a blockbuster quarter in corporate renewables procurement, GreenBiz
NextEra: Wind will be competitive after Production Tax Credit sunset due to price declines, Utility Dive
News Release: Enphase Energy and LONGi Solar announce AC module partnership, Posted by PV Magazine USA
These are the largest solar farms in the world, Digital Trends

CLEAN ENERGY JOBS

1.8 Million Clean Energy Workers Employed In Top 50 American Metro Areas

ADDITIONAL CLEAN TECHNICA INTERVIEW

Google’s Renewable Energy Leadership (#CleanTechnica Interview)

Morrissey Engineering

Inside Business, Omaha World-Herald

Morrissey Engineering announced that its headquarters, the 4940 Building, has been awarded LEED Platinum certification under the v4.1 O+M beta rating system. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance.

This is the second LEED Platinum certification for the 4940 Building, which became the first Platinum certified project in the state of Nebraska in 2009 as part of original construction. The certification is also the first of its kind in the U.S. Continue reading here.

www.morrisseyengineering.com

Note: Jared Friesen, NABCEP-Certified Renewable Energy Specialist with Morrissey Engineering, is Nebraskans for Solar’s immediate Past President, having served as President in 2017. Nebraskans for Solar’s board has the governance structure of President, President-Elect and Past President.

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED READING

Henry Doorly Zoo Solar Shade Canopy Utilizing Bifacial Solar Panels

OPPD, UNMC partner on state’s largest rooftop solar array, The Wire, OPPD Blog
The UNMC campus will soon house 1,487 solar panels in a rooftop solar installation atop three campus buildings: the Michael F. Sorrell Center for Health Science Education, Truhlsen Eye Institute, and the Harold M. and Beverly Maurer Center for Public Health. The panels will generate up to 500 kilowatts of solar-powered electricity to help power UNMC, beginning in 2019. Morrissey Engineering also provided design services and project management for solar installations at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium’s Skyfari station at the Africa Grasslands exhibit, Lincoln Electric System’s Service Center, the Bellevue Public Safety building, and several Baxter auto dealerships in Lincoln and Omaha.
Five ‘Solar-Ready’ Building Preparation Tips, written by Jared Friesen

IEEFA Analysis: 15.4 GW of coal-fired capacity will close this year

Kentucky coal plant to close, latest among accelerating shutdowns
By Robert Walton, Utility Dive

Source: Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA)

Coal-fired generators continue to close down, and Henderson’s power plant is only the most recent example. According to the Sierra Club, the plant is the 277th coal generator to close since 2010. And new research finds closures are accelerating.

The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) on Thursday released an analysis estimating 15.4 GW of coal-fired capacity will close this year, including 44 units at 22 plants. This year at least 11 GW have retired and the final tally is predicted to eclipse the previous record of 14.7 GW retired in 2015. IEEFA estimates another 21.4GW of coal-fired capacity will close over the next six years. Read more here.

100% RENEWABLE ENERGY NEWS

Gainesville becomes the 5th city in Florida to commit to 100% clean energy future, Florida Phoenix. The city, home of the University of Florida, currently uses an average of 27 percent renewable resources. Those kinds of resources include solar panels, wind turbines and hydroelectric plants – not fossil fuels or coal. Previously, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Largo are the other Florida cities to commit to such a goal.
San Diego chooses community aggregation path to 100% renewables, Utility Dive
En Route To 100% Renewables, San Diego Chooses Community Choice Aggregation, Solar Industry Magazine
SoCal communities opt for 100% renewable electricity, Windpower Engineering Development
Last week, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors voted to set a default of 100% renewable electricity when the county launches service through the Clean Power Alliance in 2019. Clean Power Alliance is a Southern California community choice energy provider that will procure cleaner power at lower costs than investor-owned utility Southern California Edison (SCE).
PSE’s Green Direct lets customers buy energy from 100% renewables, Windpower Engineering Development
After Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico may shift to 100% renewable energy, Fast Company

ENERGY STORAGE NEWS

Global Market Insights says the U.S. energy storage market will grow to $4 billion by 2024, Solar Power World. The U.S. energy storage market is set to grow from its current market value of more than $400 million to over $4 billion by 2024, as reported in the latest study by Global Market Insights.
Tesla’s ‘historic’ quarter included gains in storage, solar, Utility Dive
AECOM, Lockheed Martin Together Build Energy Storage System at Fort Carson, Energy Storage Association News

Clean Energy Funds Target Growing Demand for Renewable Energy

By Amy Brown, Triple Pundit

According to the International Energy Agency’s latest market forecast, renewables will continue their expansion in the next five years, covering 40 percent of global energy consumption growth. Their use continues to increase most rapidly in the electricity sector, and will account for almost a third of total world electricity generation in 2023.

As such, large utilities like NextEra Energy and MidAmerican Energy are making huge investments in renewables. James L. Robo, CEO of NextEra Energy, one of the country’s largest power generators, predicted that solar and wind power will be cheaper than coal or nuclear generation by the beginning of the next decade. MidAmerican Energy, the majority of which is owned by billionaire investor Warren Buffet’s holding company, Berkshire Hathaway, has set its sights on getting 100 percent of its electricity from wind power by 2020. Read more here.

Pixabay Photo

MORE ENERGY TRANSITION NEWS & RESOURCES

Photo by Rob Davis

Solar Energy Could Grow 6,500% by 2050, The Motley Fool
Shell Joins Global Wind Energy Council, CleanTechnica
In what must surely be a sign of the End Times, the Global Wind Energy Council announced last week that oil and gas megalith Shell has joined as a board-level member as the company looks to expand its wind business as part of its Shell New Energies Strategy.
4 steps to prepare your business for a carbon-neutral future, Fast Company
Want to nudge others to install solar? Actions speak louder than words, Phys.Org
Over the past several years, a Yale-led investigation has illustrated the key role of social
networks—particularly of trusted community leaders—in promoting the adoption of solar technologies.

HAPPENING IN OTHER STATES

Utility attorney says Illinois’ success a credit to stakeholder collaboration, Midwest Energy News. In a Q&A, Chicago energy company attorney Mark Johnson talks about deregulation and the Future Energy Jobs Act.
Science group to Illinois: close more coal plants, and do it quickly, Midwest Energy News
N.D. coal plant draws scrutiny as part of Minnesota utility’s resource plan, Midwest Energy News. Clean energy groups argue the Coal Creek’s profitability has plummeted in the last three years as the cost of extracting coal has increased, and that the utility has not been aggressive enough with its energy efficiency programs, which could lessen the need for the large coal plant, they contend.
Three Massive Solar Farms Going Up to Power Facebook Data Centers, Data Center Knowledge Three solar projects in Utah and New Mexico will add 160MW of generation capacity to Facebook’s data center power supply. Earlier this year, Facebook committed to powering its operations with 100 percent renewable energy.
New York State is hitting its community solar stride, PV Magazine
While not entirely due to community solar, in the last decade, New York has seen a solar explosion. The state saw its total installed capacity grow more than 1,000% in size from December 2011 to December 2017. That growth figure also includes the 728 megawatts of community solar projects developed in the Empire State. As it stands, SEIA has New York ranked as the 11th in all states for total installed capacity, up from 12th in 2017, at just over 1,460 MW. SEIA also projects New York to have the nation’s 5th highest projected growth over the next five years, with 3,265 MW expected.

EXAMPLES OF PROJECTS FUNDED BY DOE’S RECENT $53 MILLION SOLAR INVESTMENTSClick image to link to the American Solar Workforce Website.

New Funding Will Support Advanced Solar Careers for Veterans and Underserved Communities, The Solar Foundation News Release. The Solar Foundation was selected as a part of the Energy Department’s FY2018 SETO funding program, an effort to invest in new projects that will lower solar electricity costs and support a growing solar workforce. The Solar Foundation will work alongside other projects in the funding program to develop training programs that prepare the solar workforce for a more digital electric power system and enable veterans and transitioning military personnel to join the solar workforce.
Cypress Creek Renewables receives $1.5 million from DOE to test bifacial modules, Solar Power World

FEATURED VIDEO

U. S. Air Force Tech Report: Solar Power

Solar energy is playing a larger role in how the Air Force is modernizing bases, making them more resilient and less dependent on fossil fuels. Using the sun is also a cost-effective way to update aging power grids.

Midlands Voices: This is what democracy looks like

By John Crabtree, Omaha World-Herald

The writer, of Lyons, Nebraska, is the Nebraska campaign representative of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign.

Democracy is at the heart of public power. By listening to their customer-owners, the Omaha Public Power District board members can honor that democratic principle and gain the collective wisdom and courage of their constituents. Today, those customer-owners are calling for less coal and more clean energy, and the environmental and economic opportunities which will follow a shift to 100 percent clean energy.

Three years ago, OPPD proposed and quickly approved one of the country’s most regressive rate hikes. The proposal significantly increased the fixed amount that every OPPD customer pays each month, burdening low-income residents and dampening a growing interest in local clean energy projects. OPPD’s board approved the rate hike despite overwhelming opposition, leaving many to wonder if the “public” aspect of public power had been lost. There is, however, a chance for redemption. OPPD is currently accepting comments on a policy, known as Strategic Directive 7, that sets goals for the utility’s environmental stewardship. Continue reading here.

Related News Stories – Previously Posted
Omaha World-Herald: Despite pleas to consider the poor, OPPD board OKs revised rate plan
Utility Dive: Nebraska municipal utilities move to increase fixed charges

Current
PV Magazine: Utilities seek greater fees on customers who go solar