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Senate panel OKs energy bill that differs from Trump, House
DOE’s energy efficiency and renewable energy programs — which Trump wanted to slash by 70 percent — would receive $1.9 billion. That is lower than the $2.1 billion provided last year but far above the $636 million called for in Trump’s proposal. Funding would continue for the weatherization assistance program, which was also targeted for elimination. [ read more … ]
East Coast States Take Lead in Offshore Wind After Paris Accord
States that want to boost their renewable energy supplies are often the same ones that have pledged continued support for the Paris climate agreement, despite President Donald Trump’s decision to leave it. Many of these states see their chance with offshore wind technology, despite the current high cost and logistical complications. Offshore wind supporters New York, Rhode Island and Virginia are among the nine states that want the United States to continue to meet climate goals under the Paris agreement. Other states with advanced plans for offshore wind include Massachusetts, New Jersey and Maryland. Cities and counties in those states, including Baltimore and Boston, have also joined the Paris climate pledge. [ read more … ]
Carbon Trust guides NY offshore
The Carbon Trust has provided guidance for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) on the deployment of measurement technology to generate data to improve project financing for future offshore wind farms. The Metocean Plan aims to support developers and financiers with the deployment of floating lidar solutions, the Carbon Trust said. [ read more … ]
US mulls Gulf of Mexico options
The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is analysing the feasibility for offshore wind and other renewable technologies in the Gulf of Mexico. The project, which is funded by the US government’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, will include site-specific economic analysis to determine which offshore wind locations offer the most promise for developers. [ read more … ]
Germany Expects 900 MW of New Offshore Wind in 2017
Germany connected 626 megawatts (MW) of newly built offshore wind capacity to power grids in the first six months of this year and expects to see total installations of 900 MW in the full year, five industry groups said in a joint statement on Thursday. The installed total is now 4,729 MW and if 900 MW were achieved, it would exceed the 818 MW added in 2016. The rate of expansion could mean the industry will beat government targets of 6,500 MW for 2020, they said.
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This could be the next big strategy for suing over climate change
Two California coastal counties and one beach-side city touched off a possible new legal front in the climate change battle this week, suing dozens of major oil, coal, and other fossil fuel companies for the damages they say they will incur due to rising seas. The three cases, which target firms such as Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP and Royal Dutch Shell, assert that the fossil fuel producers are collectively responsible for about 20 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions between 1965 and 2015. They claim that industry “knew or should have known” decades ago about the threat of climate change, and want companies to pay the costs of communities forced to adapt to rising seas. [ read more … ]
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