Global energy consumption continues to increase each year and, with this increase, the demand for safe, clean, and unlimited energy is on the rise. The Federal and State governments promote clean energy through a variety of financially-beneficial incentives. With the understanding that renewable energy laws and regulations are constantly changing, The Chanler Group is committed to investing in its understanding and practice of this area of law. Our understanding allows us to guide homeowners, businesses, and/or developers on the various ways to structure these projects in order to take advantage of the many benefits. Read more about Renewable Energy
Washington State University has recently installed a mini wind farm on its Vancouver campus, reported The Oregonian in late February. The five wind turbines, which generate enough energy to power a house, are a key component in the school’s 2-year-old renewable energy program.
The renewable energy program is an interdisciplinary track of the mechanical engineering major in the School of Engineering and Computer Science, which allows students to study renewable energy... full text
A bill allowing municipalities and counties in Utah to make bulk purchases of renewable energy power stalled in the House, reported The Salt Lake Tribune in February. HB110 expands upon legislation passed in 2012 that enabled large electricity customers to purchase power from renewable sources as long as they bought at least two megawatts (enough to power 2,000 homes).
HB110 enables “community choice aggregation” (CCA), a system in which cities and counties may aggregate the... full text
The West Coast’s first offshore wind energy farm project will be developed off the coast of Oregon, reported ABC News last month. Five floating wind turbines will be built fifteen miles off the shore of Coos Bay and are expected to generate 30 megawatts of energy (enough to power 8,000 homes) by late 2017, federal and state officials announced last Wednesday.
Seattle-based Principle Power will develop the turbines using floating wind turbine technology that has never been used in... full text
The world’s largest solar-thermal plant opened in the United States last week, reported Talking Points Memo. The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System can generate nearly 400 megawatts of power, enough for 140,000 homes, and is situated along the Nevada-California border.
As a solar-thermal plant, Ivanpah uses 350,000 computer-controlled mirrors to reflect sunlight at boilers atop 450-foot towers. The sunlight heats water inside the boilers, creating steam, that is... full text
India has released plans to build the world’s largest solar plant, reported Nature earlier this month. Six state-owned companies have formed a joint venture to construct the plant, which would triple India’s solar capacity and dwarf existing photovoltaic arrays.
Under the current plan, the facility will generate 4,000 megawatts, which is more than ten times more powerful than any solar project built in India to date. After its completion, the plant will use 77... full text
London has successfully finished constructing the world’s largest solar bridge, reported BusinessGreen last week. Network Rail, the company that operates and maintains Britain’s rail network, worked in association with Solarcentury, a solar energy company, to cover the roof of Blackfriars Bridge with photovoltaic panels. Blackfriars Bridge runs over the River Thames and carries the A201 road.
After nearly five years, the project was completed last week. The roof of... full text
A new startup company, Aquion, has begun production of a low-cost sodium-ion battery intended to make the grid more efficient and allow consumers to use solar power around the clock, reported MIT Technology Review late last week.
The new battery lasts more than twice as long as lead-based batteries, which provides consumers with an affordable way to store solar power for use at night or during cloudy weather. The battery is charged by a renewable energy system, such as solar panels... full text
Two men have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Las Vegas for offenses involving the federal renewable fuel program that allegedly netted them more than $37 million, the Justice Department announced last week. The 57-count indictment against James Jariv and Nathan Stoliar includes allegations of conspiracy, wire fraud, false statements under the Clean Air Act, obstruction of justice and conspiracy to engage in money laundering.
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007... full text
Google invested $75 million in another wind farm in Texas, reported SF Gate earlier this week. In late December, Google finalized an agreement to purchase and develop a wind turbine site, Panhandle 2, in Carson County, near Amarillo. Panhandle 2 is expected to generate enough renewable energy to power 56,000 homes.
Since 2010, the company has invested heavily in alternative energy. Last year, Google announced it was investing $200 million in another Texas Panhandle wind farm,... full text
The Coloradoan community of Fort Collins is looking to grow the world’s first “solar garden,” reported Business Green last month. The solar garden sprouted from other community energy projects conceived and constructed in Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. These energy projects follow the same guiding principles as community solar farms; the solar garden will consist of an array of solar panels with grid-connected subscribers who will receive net metering benefits... full text
