News, comment, trends and opinion for renewable energy professionals
North America
4th June 2021
 
THE HOT STORY
U.S. heading towards a renewable future
A new report by the Environment America Research and Policy Center and Frontier Group has concluded that the U.S. has the capacity to build an energy system around clean, renewable resources. According to the research, U.S. solar energy resources have the technical potential to meet America’s 2020 electricity demand more than 77 times over, and U.S. onshore and offshore wind resources could meet America’s 2020 demand 11 times over. In addition, all 50 states have sufficient solar or wind potential to meet current electricity needs, and 49 have enough to do so under a 2050 scenario in which energy uses like transportation and buildings run on electricity. The report calls on policymakers at the local, state and federal levels to set ambitious goals for the transition to clean, renewable energy, as well as provide the support needed to ensure clean energy can actually deliver on those goals.
WIND POWER
Wind sector to rise to Biden's giga-scale targets
Ross Gould, vice president of supply chain development at the Business Network for Offshore Wind, writes for Recharge on why he believes cynics who claim the U.S.'s recently set national goal of having 30GW of turbines turning in its waters by 2030 is "impossible" need a rethink at this industry-making moment. He contends that offshore wind is a once-in-a-generation new American industry that should be seen as the epitome of the pioneering spirit that brought about the US automotive industry, the U.S. tech boom, and put a U.S. man on the moon. Mr. Gould concludes that businesses will take their cues from the federal government, and as their confidence in this new industry grows, will pivot to take advantage of this new market opportunity.
New Ohio wind farm powers up
RWE Renewables has powered up a new onshore wind farm in Ohio with a total capacity of 250MW. The Scioto Ridge Wind Farm, located in Hardin and Logan Counties, will generate enough green electricity to power more than 60,000 households. The project, which consists of 75 Siemens Gamesa turbines, is RWE’s first onshore wind farm in the state. Ohio is believed to have “enormous potential” for future projects as wind power provides less than 2% of the total electricity generation in the state.
Goodnight Midstream agrees wind power deal
Goodnight Midstream has agreed a wind power deal with TXU Energy. The U.S. oilfield water infrastructure builder said that the retail electricity provider owned by Vistra has agreed to secure certified Texas wind resources to cover the firm’s energy usage. The contract calls for the supply of a total of 72.5m kWh of renewable power.
Vestas to sell Pueblo tower factory
Vestas has announced it is selling its its tower-manufacturing facility in Pueblo, Colorado, to CS Wind, a South Korean wind tower manufacturing company “This is a continuation of moving away from tower manufacturing facilities and instead working closely with suppliers like CS Wind who are tower manufacturing experts … while we focus our attention and energy on other areas of our business,” said Chante Condit-Pottol, head of external communications for Vestas North America. Condit-Pottol said there will likely be a six- to eight-week transition period with CS Wind likely taking over the Pueblo site sometime in August.
Danish offshore wind project plan given green light
Plans for the Thor offshore wind farm have been approved by the Danish Energy Agency, after it pre-qualified six bidders to take part in the tender to construct the facility earlier this year.
INDUSTRY
Canada announces renewables, grid support programme
A four-year programme that will provide up to CAD$964m ($799.2m) for smart renewable energy and grid modernisation projects has been announced by Canada’s minister of natural resources Seamus O'Regan. The Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program (SREPs) will grant direct financial support to eligible projects among established renewables, emerging technologies and grid modernisation schemes.
Ørsted raises renewable energy installation target
Ørsted has increased its  renewable energy installation target to 50GW by 2030, in a bid to retain its leading position on the global market amid an expected surge in demand for green energy over the coming decade. The Danish green energy giant said it would raise its ambition to install 50GW of renewable power capacity by 2030, up from its previous target of 30GW. Of that 50GW target, Ørsted expects wind power to make up the majority at around 30GW, with 17.5GW from onshore wind and solar, and around 2.5GW from other renewable energy sources such as biomass, renewable hydrogen and green fuels, it said.
State Bank of India torn between funding coal and backing renewables
Bloomberg Quint looks at how State Bank of India is torn between the need to finance coal projects to meet Indian PM Narendra Modi's push to electrify more homes and its desire to back renewable projects to appease global money managers including Blackrock, Storebrand and Amundi. “Investors’ concerns are very important to us, we take them into consideration,” the lender’s head of corporate banking and global markets, Ashwani Bhatia, said. “But we also have commitments to the country. There are so many coal mines being developed in India because we need them to produce steel, aluminium, electricity.”

 

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