A New Jersey offshore wind farm is reeling in an important endorsement. This article from The News Journal says the aptly named Fishermen’s Energy has received endorsements for its proposed offshore wind farm from the Atlantic County Freeholders and the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce. It comes as the company awaits approval of its funding from the State of …
Google Hopes for Good Results from Wind Project
Search engine giant Google is hoping the expansion of a California wind energy operation by one of its companies will give good results. This story from KCBS in San Francisco says Google-owned Makani Power is expanding its presence at, or maybe more accurately, ABOVE the formal naval base in Alameda. When Google bought Makani Power in 2013, the seven year-old …
Vestas Becomes World Wind Leader, Adds US Jobs
Danish wind turbine builder and installer Vestas has become the world’s leader in wind energy installation, while adding jobs right here in the U.S. The company says it installed 13.2 percent of all wind energy in 2013, nearly a third more than its closest competitor. And this record-setting year for Vestas prompted the company to hire about 400 workers at …
Ill Winds Blow for Energy Production Tax Credit
Things could be looking bleak for a federal tax credit that helps wind power projects. This article from Bloomberg Businessweek says the production tax credit is facing a bumpy ride as Congressional Republicans look for a bigger tax break overhaul. “Maybe there will be some in the Senate who will try to revive it but I really do think it’s …
GE Space Frame Revolutionizing Wind Tower Tech
A new wind turbine tower is changing the game in tower technology. This article from Clean Technica says GE’s Space Frame Tower is helping along a rapidly growing wind energy sector. From the outside, the Space Frame Tower looks like a regular tube-shaped turbine tower with a bit of an Eiffel Tower splay to the bottom, and there’s your clue …
Offshore Wind Farms Could Cut Hurricane Winds
Not only do they generate lots of clean energy, but offshore wind farms could help lessen the winds of hurricanes. A new study from Stanford University researcher Mark Z. Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the school, says the data could give shore-based communities another reason to put in the turbines. The researchers simulated three hurricanes: Sandy …
Clean Jobs Increase 19% in 2013
The Clean Jobs Index shows 2013 ended with a 19 percent increase in clean jobs. The study also shows more than 3.5 million clean jobs were available in 2013 with a 57 percent increase in solar jobs. Published by Ecotech Institute, the Clean Jobs Index was created to provide objective job information about the renewable energy industry. In addition, the …
Aging Wind Farms Should Not Be Thrown to the Wind
As the wind energy industry continues to grow, there has been debate about whether wind turbines have a more limited shelf-life than other energy technologies, such as solar panels. With the United Kingdom’s (UK) target of generating 15 percent of the nation’s energy from renewable resources such as wind farms by 2020, aging wind turbines could be a concern. According …
Innovation Challenge Leads to Cool Innovation
The 2014 Northrop Grumman Corporation High School Innovation Challenge (HSIC) has led to some, well, cool innovations in renewable energy and engineering. On February 21, 2014, six student teams from Los Angeles, California high schools took an engineering problem, limited budget and little time and created renewable energy-powered model vehicles. The event was part of National Engineers Week. The challenge …
Cali Drought Intensifies, Climate Action Calls Heat Up
As California battles the worst drought the state has seen in centuries, calls for climate action are heating up. During the U.S. Climate Leadership Conference taking place this week in San Diego, California, more than a dozen businesses including Apple, SolarCity, San Diego International Airport, Sapphire Energy and Sungevity signed the Climate Declaration. The declaration urges federal and state policymakers …