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Wales wind farm gaining momentum

German energy company RWE said Wednesday half of the turbines at what will be the second-largest offshore wind farm are operational. More than half of the 160 turbines planned for the Gwynt y Mor wind farm off the coast of North Wales are in service. The second half could possibly be in service in time for a final commissioning at the end of the year. Project Director Toby Edmonds explained the offshore facility is already the largest renewable energy source in Wales , but final operations are contingent upon circumstances beyond the company’s control. "We hope to have all 160 turbines commissioned this side of Christmas but with the impact that the winter weather can have on our program, it may be the early part of 2015 before the wind farm is fully operational," he said in a statement Wednesday. The wind farm will have a peak operational capacity […]

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North Carolina coast considered for wind farms

| License Photo The federal U.S. government said it outlined three areas off the coast of North Carolina as potential sites for commercial wind energy development. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said more than 307,000 acres off the coast could be developed for wind energy. So far, the agency has awarded five commercial wind energy leases for the Atlantic coast, though none of the projects are in service. "We look forward to working with the state of North Carolina, industry and a broad range of stakeholders as this exciting process continues to further commercial wind development in the United States," U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said in a statement Monday. The Mid-Atlantic Wind Energy Institute estimates the region could host the development of enough wind energy to support the annual electricity needs of more than 50 million homes. BOEM said it’s only considering the issuance of leases and […]

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German Utilities Bail Out Electric Grid at Wind’s Mercy

Germany ’s push toward renewable energy is causing so many drops and surges from wind and solar power that the government is paying more utilities than ever to help stabilize the country’s electricity grid. Twenty power companies including Germany’s biggest utilities, EON SE and RWE AG, now get fees for pledging to add or cut electricity within seconds to keep the power system stable, double the number in September, according to data from the nation’s four grid operators. Utilities that sign up to the 800 million-euro ($1.1 billion) balancing market can be paid as much as 400 times wholesale electricity prices, the data show. Germany’s drive to almost double power output from renewables by 2035 has seen one operator reporting five times as many potential disruptions as four years ago, raising the risk of blackouts in Europe ’s biggest electricity market while pushing wholesale prices to […]

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London signs off on Rampion wind farm

| License Photo The British government said Wednesday it signed off on plans to build the 700 megawatt Rampion wind farm off the coast of Sussex. German utility company E.ON is leading development of the offshore installation that should be completed by 2019. The British government said it expects the project to bring in more than $3.4 billion worth of investments to its economy. Signing off on the project Wednesday, the British government said the Rampion wind farm would generate enough energy to meet the annual needs of 450,000 households. The government said the consent decision is a testament to its commitment to renewable energy resources. "We’re driving investment in our energy security, and our plans have made us number one in the world for investment in offshore wind energy," British Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said in a statement . DECC in a recent assessment said […]

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Maryland offshore wind auction scheduled

Sixteen companies are cleared to take part in an upcoming lease sale to develop wind energy off the Maryland coast, the U.S. government announced. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell joined Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Acting Director Walter Cruickshank to announce nearly 80,000 acres off the Maryland coast go on the auction block Aug. 19. The Department of Energy says the area up for auction has the potential to support as much as 1,450 megawatts of wind energy, which could be enough to meet the annual demands of 300,000 homes. "Maryland is a leading force for building a clean and sustainable energy future," Jewell said in a statement Wednesday. The 16 companies cleared for the auction were determined by the federal government to have the legal, technical and financial qualifications to compete. Maryland has a goal of using renewable energy to provide 20 percent of […]

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Fracking Sucks Money From Wind While China Eclipses U.S.

U.S. President Barack Obama says natural gas can be a bridge from coal to a cleaner energy future. Investors are showing it’s more likely a bridge to nowhere. The country’s embrace of natural gas means less love for wind and solar. New investments in renewable energy sources declined 5 percent in North America last year to $56 billion, the lowest since 2010, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. By comparison, North American oil and gas companies spent $168.2 billion on exploration and production last year, more than double 2009, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Fracking — the process of blasting water, sand and chemicals into miles-deep shale rock to extract fuels — has helped push U.S. natural gas production to new highs in each of the past seven years, according to the Energy Information Administration. It’s also more expensive than traditional drilling and contributes to global warming, according to […]

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Britain wind farm proposal scaled back in face of opposition

The developer of a controversial offshore wind farm in the English Channel announced this week it has reduced its size and moved it farther from shore. Eneco Wind U.K. Ltd. and EDF Energy Renewables, developers of the Navitus Bay wind farm, are seeking planning permission to begin construction by 2017 in hopes of generating energy by 2019. Following complaints it would despoil the natural beauty of the England’s Hampshire coast, the companies said Thursday they have instituted changes that would reduce its generating capacity from 1.1 gigawatts to 970 megawatts with 23 fewer turbines, while cutting the area of the farm from 67.5 to 60 square miles. Its revised boundaries would put the farm up to 2 miles further away from Christchurch, England, and 1 mile further from Bournemouth. However, critics noted the new boundaries wouldn’t alter its proximity to Swanage, England, or […]

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Energy Storage Market Set To Explode

hawaii maui wind project hawaii maui wind project Energy storage is often heralded as the “holy grail” of the energy market. It seems that a number of researchers and companies have worked hard and long enough that this holy grail is ready to see the light. According to market research firm IHS, the energy storage market is set to “explode” to an annual installation size of 6 gigawatts (GW) in 2017 and over 40 GW by 2022 — from an initial base of only 0.34 GW installed in 2012 and 2013. The IHS report  pits the US as the largest market for grid-connected energy storage installations through 2017. It projects that the US will install 43% of the capacity additions from 2012–2017. Germany and Japan are projected to be other top markets, as any regular reader, long-time of CleanTechnica would surely assume. What will rule the day in the energy […]

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Wind Farms in Maine Stir a Power Struggle

This state’s tree-filled hinterlands, long known for producing forest products and potatoes, are also suited for an export that has churned up debate: wind power. The recent appetite for wind power comes largely from Massachusetts and Connecticut, where laws require use of more renewable power. The two states combined have 70% of New England’s population but little open space to build wind farms. Developers have turned to Maine, where they say land is expansive and strong winds plentiful. Maine already leads the region with more than 400 megawatts of wind power installed, according to the American Wind Energy Association, which said 1 megawatt of wind power can cover about 290 homes. Recently signed long-term contracts with utilities in Massachusetts and Connecticut could more than double that output in the next few years. Many locals welcome the development, helped by financial rewards tied to the projects, and the […]

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Area off the coast of Maryland set for wind energy sale

The U.S. Interior Department said it planned to auction off nearly 80,000 acres off the coast of Maryland next year for wind energy development. The U.S. Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management worked with state, local and federal authorities in identifying acreage about 10 miles off the coast for wind energy development. BOEM said it plans to auction off the acreage in two tranches next year. The bureau said the offshore areas could support the commercial development of more than 850 megawatts of wind energy. "The wind energy potential offshore Maryland is significant," BOEM Director Tommy Beaudreau said in a statement Tuesday. More than 100,000 acres off the coast of Virginia were auctioned for $1.6 million for wind energy development in September. A summer lease sale for 164,750 acres off the coast of Rhode Island and Massachusetts secured $3.8 million in bids for […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple