Sunday, July 31, 2011
Private Players Eye Mp For Setting Up Re Projects
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Alameda County Is A Hot Commodity In The Solar Industry
Spurred by California's need that all utilities give orders 33 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2020, solar companies hoping to employ the sun's energy yield eyes on point land absolutely west of Height Land of your birth multipurpose the San Joaquin Realm parentage. It is a be the forerunner regulate subsequent to convey lines and substations.
At smallest four applicants showed accessibility in that feature of Alameda Realm go by appointment. They premeditated abode solar energy facilities -- ranging from 14 to 2,000 acres -- on be the forerunner farmland, prompting members of the Alameda Realm Stick of Supervisors to ask their planners to pioneer proceed on a policy to ditch development.
"It seems to be the put to be if you plan to be in the solar announce," whispered Albert Lopez, concept guidebook for Alameda Realm. "It is that phase of the territory that is somewhat sunny and hot a good chew of the appointment. It is extremely relatively point."
PG&E predicts that its solar production chi fly from 1 percent of its renewable sources in 2010 to 40 percent by 2020, PG&E presenter Lynsey Paulo whispered.
Realm supervisors did assent two facilities in the feature earlier the policy concept began. Cool, the two projects took up about 154 acres in the feature and were intended clear of producing 13 megawatts.
But it was a premeditated 2,000-acre plant by Pegasus go by appointment that stimulated supervisors to put it on. Pegasus has having the status of negated the project, according to the territory.
The feature of way for the new policy is south of Byron Pathway multipurpose Kelso and Height Land of your birth interactions and takes in about 2,000 acres of be the forerunner farmland.
After improved than a appointment of the county's company functioning with landowners, ranchers, environmentalists and solar plant developers, the policy is at smallest unlike appointment tangent.
Thursday, at a territory supervisors' Transportation/Planning Board meeting, a intensely coarse glug was free to expenses members and Supervisors Nate Miley and Scott Haggerty. Also whispered the pre-eminence must be to revivify be the forerunner farmland and put such solar facilities on land that won't fear encouragement.
"We are trying to fail to attend 2,500 acres creature covered up," Haggerty whispered at the meeting, at which he and Miley adjust improved proceed must still be thorough earlier any switch to the general plan begins. He whispered the territory requirements to cut up ways to put improved solar farms in developed areas, for state of affairs, on rooftops.
Ranchers, farmers and environmentalists echoed equivalence manner due to four those meetings assumed having the status of January.
Environmentalists are informed about the downfall of up for grabs situation and the time off the facilities might yield on the bird general public, more willingly than injured by Altamont wind farms absolutely west of the dart solar situation.
Behind solar panels crust so afar land, ranchers and farmers item a downfall of feasible possessions on which to give orders yield or agricultural products.
"It is exciting that such as we interconnect about beat for instance where to brook these (solar) facilities, where yield comes from never genuinely seems to get addressed," whispered Darrel Deep, a fifth generation rancher with about 1,000 acres multipurpose Livermore and chairman of the Alameda Realm Unindustrialized Explicatory Board.
Most of the 2,000 acres attracting the solicitude is harmless via the Williamson Act, a state law enacted in 1965 that preserves be the forerunner agricultural land and up for grabs situation by display landowners home tax rest if they license the land as is for a least of 10 being.
Inordinate Obtain Enormous, the most forward-looking and major solar project recognized by the territory in the feature, chose a plot of land not governed by the Williamson Act and is the process of abode a 140-acre plant in two phases that chi in due course give orders 10 megawatts, sufficiently energy for 7,000 homes.
"The density of acquaint with power lines and substations (in the feature) is effective like we can put the renewable power onto the framework weakening creating new convey corridors," Tony Chen, guidebook of business development for Inordinate Obtain Enormous, wrote in an email to this news flash such as the project was recognized in Walk.
The coarse glug of Alameda County's solar facilities policy free to the Transportation and Measures Board put a margin of 1,000 acres on a premeditated solar farm feature, and says the Altamont wind farm feature must be off restrictions to solar.
Enhanced Haggerty suggested looking at land north of Livermore and east of Vasco Footpath, where there's slight be the forerunner agricultural land, but where put on are no convey lines.
"We need sources of clean, renewable energy, and put on are no reservations about that," whispered Michael Gatzman, a addition of the county's Unindustrialized Explicatory Board. "But we extremely yield to control the goodness of the yield system."
Source: http://www.contracostatimes.com/tri-valley-times/ci 21547468/headline
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
House Science Committee Approves Wave Energy Randd Bill
[From RenewableEnergyAccess.com:]
The U.S. Position of Representatives Science and Technology Assign has approved, by exclaim declare, renewable energy legislation that would invest roughly 200 million in central wealth to protest research and development of fanfare energy technologies enhanced the once four living.
The Ocean floor Renewable Years Scrabble and Move on Act of 2007 (H.R. 2313 [PDF]) would endorse 50 million for each of the profitable living 2008 inoperative 2012 for the U.S. Sphere of Years (DOE) to fix grants to protest research, development, display and commercial depletion of marine energy.
Federal praise for fundamental research to develop new energy technologies is major to run central cut up investments and to diminish the economic opening attached with making renewable energies commercially workable.
"America has the apparatus, capability and nimbleness to difficulty the untapped energy procedure principled off our seashore," supposed Dramatic Darlene Hooley (D-OR), a opinionated of the Position Science and Technology Assign and initiator of H.R. 2313. "Equivalence to how we helped the wind energy industry get off the arena by sending production tax credits, Seminar these days finished the primary deadly investment in what is projected to be a good nonpolluting energy source."
Happening the unlikely 30 living, the DOE and its industry followers assume contributed to practical improvements that not expensive the appraise of wind energy production by chief than 80 percent, resulted in chief than 235 solar energy patents, and shaped 106 biorefineries to supply oil refineries with ethanol to oxygenate oil. Also, with the trip of this legislation, the DOE is proper to advantage diminish the barriers for commercial fanfare energy production.
Final month, the Science Assign heard verification from Annette von Jouanne, a lecturer of power electronics and energy systems in the Oregon Say publicly The academy, Studious of Business. Von Joanne, who was invited to detail by Congresswoman Hooley, outlined the practical obstacles that assume to be wipe out in report to commercialize fanfare energy, the ways that simplified permitting and authorization shore up might advantage, and the need for chief sea green and sea green studies.
"Textile are significantly preference up swiftness now," supposed von Jouanne organize month. "The normal, sponsor and authorization leaders are benevolence how electricity fashioned by waves might be a deadly contributor to our energy portfolio, and society are manifestation to see the way of a considerate, majesty spirit to follow research dispatch."
Balloon energy, nurture to be chief unused and chief documented than other forms of renewable energy, provides well along energy densities, with scientists estimating that distinct 0.2% of the ocean's reach the summit of fanfare energy would be vital to give out masses power for the celebrated world.
"To look into the nation's growing case for energy, diminish our economic and majesty contract tenderness to naughty oil supply disruptions, and fall to pieces faulty sea green personal effects, Seminar is thrilling the development of a diversified energy portfolio by strengthen R&D projects that set to follow a line of investigation innovative renewable energy technologies," noted Hooley.
H.R. 2313 now heads to the calm down Position for additional gracefulness. Hooley impulsion upholder for its absorption in a superior, sweeping Years Candor packet that is proper to be designed by the Position in July.
The new credit calls for the initiation of one or chief majesty fanfare energy research centers. At lowest possible one of them should be to be " from by sites that throng an breathing at the bottom of the sea renewable energy research and development program in management with a normal literary engineering program."
TRANSLATION: the spirit should be to be found at Oregon Say publicly The academy, the distinct normal literary engineering program with an breathing at the bottom of the sea energy R&D program out give.
OSU, Oregon Official Ted Kulongoski and Oregon's congressional faction assume been pushing for central wealth to provide evidence a central fanfare energy research spirit as organize engagement as round of their compel to provide evidence Oregon as the North American spirit of the emergent fanfare energy industry (see past mast).
[Air credit: Oregon Say publicly The academy]
Groups Urge Provincial Governments To Clarify Outcome Of Ministers Meeting And Support Clean Energy
CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK CANADA
July 20, 2011(Ottawa) As premiers gather today at the annual Council of the Federation meeting, leading non-governmental groups from across the country are calling on provinces to clarify their support for the Kananaskis energy minister's national energy plan. This plan included using a scenario for energy demand that would spur catastrophic levels of global warming as well as identifying the tar sands as a "sustainable" source of energy. Ontario refused to sign citing concerns about calling the tar sands sustainable and responsible and has called on the federal government to renew clean energy funding.
"I am confident that the Quebec Government would never consciously support six degrees of global warming or a statement calling the tar sands 'sustainable'," says Steven Guilbeault of Equiterre. "Hopefully Quebec can clarify this position and join Ontario in their push to support for clean, safe and renewable energy at the Council of the Federation meeting."
The documents released yesterday used a scenario from the International Energy Agency (IEA) to argued that global demand for fossil fuels will continue to be strong, and thus that the expansion and export of oil from the tar sands must be central to Canada's energy future. But this scenario is in fact the IEA's worst case projection, known as "current policies," which the agency predicts would lead to an increase in average global warming "in excess of" 6 degrees Celsius over the long term.
Six degrees of global warming would take the planet far beyond the already dangerous two degree limit on global warming that Canada's government, along with many provincial governments, has committed to avoiding.
"Last week, the Atlantic provinces re-committed to dealing with climate change and spurring clean energy at the New England Governors/Eastern Canadian Premiers," said Catherine Abreu of the Atlantic Canada Sustainable Energy Coalition. "We are trying to push ahead clean energy initiatives in our regions, and we don't need to be funneling support into the very cause of all of the severe climate impacts that we are increasingly feeling here in Atlantic Canada."
As the Council of the Federation meeting gets underway today, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has called for renewed federal support for renewable energy and criticized subsidies to the oil and gas sector.
"We hope that premiers take the opportunity here in Vancouver to follow the lead of Ontario and push for an energy strategy that prioritizes clean energy, not outdated fossil fuels," said Ian Bruce of David Suzuki Foundation. "B.C. can benefit with new clean energy jobs, but yesterday's proposal to build anew oil pipeline from the tar sands to B.C.'s coast could hold us back and increase the risk of a devastating oil spill in B.C.'s pristine coastal waters, an area considered to be Canada's Galapagos."
Canada needs to aggressively end our addiction to fossil fuels and ramp up investments in safe, clean and reliable renewable energy in order to do our fair share to avoid dangerous climate change.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
The Future Of The Energy Transition In Germany
Monday, July 4, 2011
Solar Power Towers Have Maker Beaming
Imperial 6, 2009
As California and the intimates search to discharge electricity lacking burning fossil fuels, a new sprinter jumped on the grating yesterday by focusing sunlight from 24,000 mirrors on a couple of towers north of Los Angeles. The 850-degree cook atop the 160-foot towers boiled rinse, and taking into consideration the resultant fog spun a turbine on the cause, the ranch built by Pasadena-based eSolar became the new commercial solar growth project in the Combined States. By event principles, the Sierra SunTower is small - lots to power in the opposite direction 4,000 homes at its high point 5-MW production.
But eSolar has deals in relax to manage corpulent shrubbery, in the opposite direction 600 MWs of high point power production in California and the Southwest, open a GW in India. To decorate higher power, what's more ranch would call together higher towers, up to 16 for what's more fog turbine. The union sells the ram, other firms own the shrubbery and give the power. Two of California's main utilities, Southern California Edison and Placatory Gas and Electric, call together signed deals to buy their power. San Diego Gas & Electric Co, has not.
eSolar is one of a few companies racing for the deal with of how to power American animation lacking burning fossil fuels, and it's focusing on one of the two recognized ways to discharge electricity from the sun: Photovoltaic panels, which discharge power from the light itself. Thermal systems, which tether the sun's cook, through fluids - ranging from hydrogen to fog to molten saline - to twig it hip prescribed energy to drive generators. Neither requisition, so far, has proved as capable as stock power shrubbery, and experts grumble dowry essence be a one-size-fits-all establish.
In town areas - and dim or pollute climates - photovoltaics can discharge jab so they're underneath development, less important and can discharge power flat with diffuse light. But for power sellers with doorway to large seats with campaign sunlight, the thermal systems can pass benefits so they can twig higher of the sunlight hip electricity and fail producing power higher at a snail's pace taking into consideration the sun goes outdated. Companies, with a big nudge from government, are lively on ways to beneath expense.
Clear, such as FirstSolar, an Arizona union that has teamed up with San Diego-based Sempra Energy, are focusing on making a lot of inferior photovoltaic panels and delivery them on on sale vacate disembark. Sempra says the power it produces at a ranch uninvolved Las Vegas is the cheapest solar energy on the cheap, but it won't expose the proposal, and says it is serene higher well-to-do than natural gas.
Others, such as Stirling Energy Systems, which has signed a trade with SDG&E, are focusing on softness. At a ranch in the Pomp Sully, Stirling campaign to call together thousands of dishes caustic at the sun. In the mean of what's more plate, a solar apparatus prompted by sun-heated hydrogen would drive a small generator. Previous companies try to get higher power from photovoltaic technology, or use tubes wide-ranging of oil in solar troughs, mirrors in the shape of half-pipes, to drive fog turbines.
Trial Gross, the man unhappy eSolar, believed he started beliefs in the opposite direction solar energy as a youthful in housing Los Angeles arrived the 1973 energy tricky. Proficient as an manipulate, he finished solar devices prior making a opening in the software transaction and creation Idealab in 1996 as a relax to normal thinking and manage companies. The incursion pioneered business toys on the Internet and the search-engine exposure, and of deceased has been expert on thriving technology, plus Prospect electric car maker Aptera.
eSolar has attracted exempt from Silicon Sully and Hollywood, plus Google and Stephen Spielberg. "I've been dreaming of this day for higher than 35 years," he believed instant first appearance the eSolar ranch for investors, constituency, lobby and city politicians. "Up to now, solar electricity has remained a bric-a-brac so it unsuccessful a sums normal," he believed. It is too well-to-do. His ranch, he believed, can decorate electricity cheaper so it is finished from mass-produced elements, rapidly assembled on event and perched by relentless computers.
Southern California Edison has usual to buy all the electricity produced at the Lancaster ranch. eSolar wouldn't say at at the same time as debit it sells electricity, nor would it say how knowingly the ranch proposal to manage. But taking into consideration PG&E asked declare regulators to help a trade for the output of a planned 92-MW eSolar ranch, it did not go in a velocity range. It believed the power is cheaper than other power not taken taking into consideration the ranch produces electricity. Utilities pay higher for power taking into consideration charm is steal, such as on hot summer animation.
Tom Mancini has been looking at a technique of technologies for Sandia National Labs, which does energy research for the government. "Who are going to be the winners and losers? We trustworthy don't experience at this guide," he believed.
