EU Needs Low-Carbon Energy Union, Ministers’ Advisory Panel Says
The European Union needs an ambitious emissions-reduction goal, targets for energy- efficiency and renewables as well as tools to foster investment under its planned 2030 policies, an advisory panel to 14 ministers said.
New Power Rates Take Effect for Spain’s Clean Energy Plants
Spain set new rates for electricity suppliers that use renewable sources, waste and co-generation based on a “reasonable return,” formally ending a subsidy system dating to the 1990s that had spun out of control.
French State Bank Sets Aside 5 Billion Euros for Green Projects
Caisse des Depots et Consignations, a French state bank, is setting aside 5 billion euros ($6.8 billion) for green projects after the government proposed a law to spur use of renewable electricity and boost efficiency.
Brazil's Cosan Sees Potential to Triple Biomass Power Generation
Billionaire Rubens Ometto’s Cosan SA has the potential to triple its power generation by burning sugar-cane leftovers if the government offers power-purchase contracts for biomass producers.
US Ex-Im Hangs in Balance as Chief Defends Bank Against Critics
U.S. Export-Import Bank Chairman Fred Hochberg mounted a defense of the 80-year-old agency as Republicans weigh eliminating the lender they say backs major corporations with political connections.
Clean Energy Group Says Georgia Power’s New IRP Falls Short on Solar, Energy Efficiency
On January 31, 2019, Georgia Power, the largest utility in the state submitted its newest integrated resource plan (IRP) to the state utility commission for approval.
LaFleur Will Not Seek a Third Term as FERC Commissioner
Federal energy regulatory commissioner Cheryl LaFleur announced on Twitter on January 31 that she will not be seeking a third term and will be leaving the commission later in 2019. She said in the tweet that this is not the outcome she had hoped for but that she felt very lucky to have served on FERC for more than 8 years. She said she plans to serve out the rest of her term, which is up at the end of June.
ABB signs storage and microgrid financing pact
ABB and fellow Swiss company SUSI Partners have signed a pact to promote the deployment of microgrids and energy storage.
Consumers Energy to Study Energy Storage on its Grid with New NEC System
NEC Energy Solutions announced today the completion of an energy storage system for Consumers Energy. The system includes two independent 280kW/340kWh DSS energy storage systems and NEC’s AEROS controls software. The energy storage system will enable Consumers Energy to investigate how energy storage can be used to avoid further system upgrades, smooth renewable energy production and support load/energy management. The storage system has been designed with the flexibility to increase the energy capacity to 1MWh or more, according to NEC.