Tthe Center for Rural Affairs has released a report, “Zoned Out: An Analysis of Wind Energy Zoning in Four Midwest States,” that finds zoning need improvement. According to Alissa Doerr, Center for Rural Affairs legal extern and author of the report, Zoned Out analyses different approaches to zoning commercial wind energy systems in four different Midwest states – Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, …
Nature Conservancy Looks to Bird Friendly Wind
The Nature Conservancy has installed the first phase of a bird friendly wind power project. The project is taking place in Palmyra, a national wildlife refuge located in Hawaii, where more than a million nesting seabirds call home. With low wind speeds, traditional wind turbines would have low output, plus, says the Conservancy, conventional wind turbines pose a risk of …
U.S. Senate Votes to Extend Federal Tax Credits
The U.S. Senate Finance Committee has voted 23-3 to extend over 50 tax policies through 2016, including the renewable energy Production Tax Credit (PTC) and Investment Tax Credit (ITC) that helps to encourage the development of more renewable energy projects including wind. To qualify for the credits, construction of a product must begin while the tax programs are in place. …
Mid-Year Renewable Energy Check-Up
Heading in to the second half of 2015, renewable energy accounted for nearly 70 percent of new electrical generation for the firs six months as reported by the latest “Energy Infrastructure Update” report from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) Office of Energy Projects. The report finds wind accounts for more than half (50.64%) of the 1,969 MW of new …
Renewable Tax Credits Before Committee
A Senate committee will consider a package of tax credits for wind, biodiesel and cellulosic ethanol. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa included the tax incentives in the bipartisan tax extenders bill the Finance Committee will consider today. “Certainty and predictability in tax policy are both important for retaining and creating jobs,” Grassley said. “The Finance Committee leaders deserve credit for …
Vaisala: Q4 U.S. Wind Production to Remain Low
Vaisala is predicting that wind energy performance is expected to remain below normal in most regions into the fourth quarter (Q4). The company said earlier this year there were record low wind anomalies that challenged many wind operators, and due to a persistent El Niño that is forecast to remain in effect throughout the end of the year wind production …
Colorado’s RPS Going Forward
Colorado’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) is going forward. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the constitutionality of the legislation stating the RPS does not impose unlawful regulations on out-of-state companies. In their written opinion, the judges determined that Colorado’s RPS would not harm interstate commerce. Current state law requires electric generators to ensure that a percentage of the …
IFC Invests in Renewable Energy
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has announced the company is investing $25 million power company Alcazar Energy to develop and multiple solar and wind projects in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa. The hope is that the projects will aid the country’s economic growth while meeting growing power needs. “MENA’s solar potential alone is massive,” says Maroun …
EWEA Calls on EU for Climate Policy Reform
The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) is calling on the EU to make modernization changes to the EU Trading System in order to better integrate renewable energy and reduce the use of fossil fuel-based energy sources. “The ETS needs root and branch reform. The instrument must be realigned with Europe’s political ambition on climate change. The removal of surplus permits …
Clean Jobs Continue to Rise
A new report finds that more than 9,800 clean energy and clean transportation jobs were announced in the U.S. in the first three months of 2015. This is nearly double the number of jobs announced during the same timeframe in 2014. The report was released by Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2). The top three states for the quarter were: Georgia (2,870 jobs), …