Proctor & Gamble (P&G) made an announcement this week when they committed to meet 100 percent of its electricity demands with wind power. The company has developed a partnership with EDF Renewable Energy (EDF RE) that includes the development of a 370,000 MWh wind farm in Cooke County, Texas expected to be online by December 2016. The Tyler Bluff Wind …
Funding Secured for Redstone CSP Plant in Africa
Funding has been secured for the Redstone Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) project in Northern Cape, South Africa by the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). The group has made a $400 million commitment of debt financing for the project, that is part of Secretary John Kerry’s Climate and Clean Energy Investment Forum. The project also supports President Obama’s Power Africa initiative …
Massachusetts Most Energy Efficient US State
Massachuesetts has edged out California as the most energy efficient state in the U.S. according to the ninth annual State Energy Efficiency Scorecard. Several states continue to improve their scores including California, Maryland, Illinois, Texas and Washington D.C. The report is published by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) with support from the U.S. Department of Energy …
Global Wind Atlas Offers Comprehensive Data
A new free resource has been launched that provides detailed data and statistics on global wind energy potential. Provided by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), the Global Wind Atlas, provides wind resource data at one-kilometre resolution; whereas, in the past the best data was at 10-kilometres. “Wind energy potential across the globe …
Energy Companies Sign On to Climate Pledge
Energy company across the U.S. have signed on to support the American Business Act on Climate Pledge, a program the White House announced in July 2015. The 81 companies are part of the third round of pledges and have committed to reduce their impact on Earth. Abengoa Bioenergy US, Aemetis, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Biogen, Novozymes, Pacific Ethanol and Tri-Global Energy …
U.S. Census Fun Fact: Wind
Did you know that the first practical wind turbine generator dates back 74 years to 1941? It was then that Palmer Putnamof Vermont demonstrated his device. His 1.5 MW wind turbine had blades 66 feet in length, and in 700 hours of operation, produced nearly 300,000 kilowatt hours. Innovators were working on wind turbines between the World Wars, mostly for …
RE-VOLT Helps Haitians with Energy Needs
A new start-up company, RE-VOLT, is helping to bring reliable and affordable electricity to families in rural Haiti and has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help fund a service expansion. The system is a combination of a solar panel, control/power storage unit, lights and a phone charger. Founded by Digicel Haiti chairman, Maarten Boute, the RE-VOLT campaign hopes to raise …
IEA Releases Mid-Term Renewable Report
According to the International Energy Agency (EIA), renewable energy will represent the largest single source of electricity growth over the next five years. Pointing to the need to economically mitigate climate change and enhance energy security, the report calls on governments to reduce policy uncertainties that are creating barriers to development. “Renewables are poised to seize the crucial top spot …
EDF RE Completes 194 MW Wind Farm
EDF Renewable Energy’s (EDF RE) Spinning Spur 3 Wind Project located in Texas is now in operation. The 194 MW wind farm was completed three months ahead of schedule and the renewable electricity produced will feed into the CREZ (Competitive Renewable Energy Zone) transmission infrastructure and be sold to Georgetown Utility Systems and Garland Power & Light, two municipal utilities …
DC Water Turns Poop to Electricity
DC Water has unveiled it’s $470 million Blue Plains waste-to-energy project that converts biosolids waste to electricity. The facilities include a dewatering building, 32 thermal hydrolysis vessels, four concrete 80 foot high anaerobic digesters that each hold 3.8 million gallons of solids, and three jet engine-sized turbines. The company said the project was viable through CAMBI thermal hydrolysis process, the …