Renewable Energy

March 19, 2014
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...
Renewable Energy
March 11, 2014
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)....
Renewable Energy
March 5, 2014
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....
Renewable Energy
February 21, 2014
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...
Renewable Energy
February 18, 2014
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...
Renewable Energy
February 6, 2014
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...
Renewable Energy
January 31, 2014
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...
Renewable Energy
January 24, 2014
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,...
Renewable Energy
January 22, 2014
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...
Renewable Energy
January 13, 2014
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...
Renewable Energy