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Solar Industry on Edge as Trump Weighs Tariffs on Panels
Some in the U.S. solar-power industry are hoping a decision this week by President Donald Trump doesn’t bring on an eclipse Companies that install solar-power systems for homeowners and utilities are bracing for Trump’s call on whether to slap tariffs on imported panels. The solar business in the U.S. has boomed in recent years, driven by falling prices for panels, thanks in part to cheap imports. That has made solar power more competitive with electricity generated from coal and natural gas. [ read more … ]
U.S. Solar Has a $1.5 Billion, Long-Shot Plan to End a Trade War
While President Donald Trump prepares to announce his decision on new solar panel import tariffs, the U.S. industry is quietly trying to broker a sweeping deal to settle a different trade dispute with China involving an estimated $1.5 billion held by Washington. Since 2012, the U.S. has been collecting duties on panels imported from China. American solar companies are pushing to divvy up that money between manufacturers and suppliers in both the U.S. and China as part of a deal that, they say, could effectively reset solar-trade relations between the two nations. [ read more … ]
U.S. South Defies Solar Slowdown as Utilities Tap Savings
The U.S. South is providing the solar industry with a few bright spots this year even as growth slows nationally. Florida will lead the way as NextEra Energy Inc.’s Florida Power & Light utility replaces an aging coal-fueled plant that will save customers $183 million a year. Entergy Corp.’s Arkansas utility will get 81 megawatts from a single project, boosting installations in the state. [ read more … ]
Big Increase In Wisconsin Solar Energy Expected In Next Few Years
Wisconsin renewable energy advocates say they’re optimistic about the potential growth in solar energy in the next few years. According to the group RENEW Wisconsin, the amount of electricity generated by solar in the state could grow 20-fold in the next few years. [ read more … ]
Wind energy sets sail on the Great Lakes
Eight miles north of Cleveland in Lake Erie, the Icebreaker Wind project is poised to become the first offshore wind project in the Great Lakes. The project, lured by LEEDCo, is owned by Icebreaker Wind Power through the Norway-based investor Fred. Olsen Renewables. Pending federal and state approval, developers anticipate construction will begin in 2020 on the six-turbine, 20.7 MW project. [ read more … ]
Nike just inked a big wind power deal in Texas
The deal is for 86 megawatts of wind power from the Karankawa Wind Farm in Bee and San Patricio counties in Texas. Avangrid Renewables is a subsidiary of energy and utility business Avangrid and part of the Iberdrola Group. “This agreement enables us to source 100 percent renewable energy across our owned or operated facilities in North America,” Hannah Jones, Nike’s chief sustainability officer and VP of its Innovation Accelerator, said in a statement Thursday. “Investing in renewable energy is good for athletes, the planet and for business.” [ read more … ]
BMW Ranks First, Subaru Rated Worst in Survey by Climate Lobby
As automakers pour billions of dollars into preparing for electric vehicles and stricter emission controls, among other changes in the industry, an environmental lobby has handed out progress reports. The results put German carmakers BMW AG and Daimler AG in pole position and Subaru Corp. of Japan bringing up the rear. [ read more … ]
Note: News clips provided do not necessarily reflect the views of coalition or its member governors.