Valero Energy Corporation has announced that Bill Klesse, 67, has chosen to step down as Chief Executive Officer effective May 1, 2014. Klesse will remain a Valero director and Chairman of the Board. Joe Gorder, 56, who was named Valero’s President and Chief Operating Officer in 2012, was elected to the role of CEO effective May 1 and has also been elected a director by the Board of Directors. Gorder will join Valero’s Board of Directors immediately.- Renewable generation was up 30% for the week ending February 20, 2014, according to recent estimates from Genscape’s Generation Fuel Monitor Report. The total weekly generation of 11,982 GWhs was the second highest weekly number in the past five years. Wind generation in the Midwest appears to be a significant driver of the increase week-over-week. Genscape’s monitored hydro generation in the Pacific Northwest was also up 39% (612 GWhs), despite the ongoing drought conditions. As a result of the increase in renewables and weaker power demand, gas consumption plummeted 35% (-7,847 GWhs).
- DTE Energy has selected 122 solar energy projects in the third offering of its expansion of the SolarCurrents customer-owned pilot program, which offers customers a more affordable way to install solar photovoltaic systems on their homes and businesses. The SolarCurrents program is offering an additional 2 megawatts (MW) of capacity to be fully subscribed by Dec. 31, 2015. The projects that weren’t selected can reapply for Offering 4, which starts June 23. The application deadline is July 23.
- The North and South American solar photovoltaic (PV) installed capacity will increase more than tenfold over the coming years, climbing from 13.1 Gigawatts (GW) in 2013 to 138.8 GW by 2030, at a massive Compound Annual Growth Rate of 15%, says a new report from research and consulting firm GlobalData. According to the report, the Americas’ power generation from solar PV installations will also increase at an impressive rate, jumping from 21 Terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2013 to 234 TWh by 2030.
