Wind Energy News

A new report commissioned by Community Energy, Inc. finds that replacing Colorado’s aging coal plants with a mix of wind and solar backed by battery storage and natural gas would save Colorado electric customers almost $250 million per year, roughly $2.5 billion in net present value through 2040. The modeling study, prepared by Vibrant Clean Energy, LLC, shows the proposed fleet of new clean ...

Jan. 8, 2019

By Smart Grid Observer

The Cradle of Hydropower Nested within the Swiss Alps in the canton of Glarus is one of the world’s most advanced hydropower projects – a variable-speed pump storage plant that leverages the country’s natural terrain and water resources to effectively create a giant battery. Whatever battery you may have just imagined, think much, much bigger. This battery has ...

Jan. 1, 2019

By GE Renewable Energy

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Acting Director Walter Cruickshank recently (12/14) announced the completion of the nation's eighth and highest grossing competitive lease sale for renewable energy in federal waters. The lease sale offered approximately 390,000 acres offshore Massachusetts for potential wind energy development and drew competitive ...

Dec. 16, 2018

By Smart Grid Observer

More than 680GW of new wind power capacity will come online globally over the 10-year outlook, according to new research by Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables. Wood Mackenzie recently upgraded its Global Wind Power Market Outlook Update: Q4 2018 by 2% compared to the outlook published in the third quarter. Most ...

Dec. 11, 2018

By Smart Grid Observer

Minnesota has been ambitious in meeting its renewable energy goals: the state hit its 25 percent renewable energy by 2025 goal early this year using wind, solar, biomass, and hydro power.A report released today finds that Minnesota could achieve 10 percent solar by 2025 at costs comparable to natural gas generation. Further, the report finds that expected cost decreases in solar, wind, and ...

Dec. 11, 2018

By Smart Grid Observer

Allete Clean Energy, a Minnesota-based independent power producer and supplier, has recently approved a new 5-year power sale agreement between its Viking wind farms in southern Minnesota and Xcel Energy, Inc., whose original 15-year PPAs will expire in December 2018. As per an official press release, Allan S. Rudeck Jr., President, Allete Clean Energy, said that the company is delighted to ...

Dec. 6, 2018

By Global Market Insights, Inc.

Clean Energy Infrastructure, a subsidiary of Capital Dynamics, has signed an agreement with independent power producer Tenaska to develop 2 GW of solar projects in the U.S. Midwest, the companies announced November 27. The pipeline incorporates 14 solar projects in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) market, situated in the states of Michigan, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, ...

Dec. 5, 2018

By New Energy Update

South Africa's proposed renewables plan overestimates coal-fired capacity in the coming years and the wind industry must prepare cost-competitive projects for potential procurement announcements, wind developers told the Africa New Energy 2018 conference. In August, South Africa published its draft 2018 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), calling for 8.1 GW of new wind capacity and 5.7 GW of ...

Dec. 4, 2018

By New Energy Update

Project efficiency gains, supportive funding markets, and growing demand from corporate customers will support zero-subsidy projects in the coming years but electrification growth is required longer term, leading developers told the 2018 Offshore Wind Europe conference. Last month, the UK government set maximum offshore wind prices of 56 pounds/MWh (62.8 euros/MWh, $71.4/MWh) and 53 ...

Dec. 4, 2018

By New Energy Update

Our pick of the latest wind power news you need to know. Orsted raises 2025 offshore wind target to 15 GW Denmark's Orsted has raised its 2025 offshore wind capacity target by 3 GW to 15 GW, the company announced November 28. By 2030, Orsted aims to install more than 30 GW of capacity, including onshore wind, solar and energy storage ...

Dec. 4, 2018

By New Energy Update

Across the United States, at least ten candidates for governor who campaigned on aggressively moving their states away from fossil fuels toward more renewable energy resources, won their races. A new analysis by Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables assesses the political landscape of these states ...

Nov. 28, 2018

By Smart Grid Observer

Flexible energy options, such as energy storage, smart-charging electric vehicles, demand response and interconnectors, are needed to ensure that the energy transition proceeds on an optimal path. Our expensive power system would otherwise be reliant on fossil-fueled backup and installing excess wind and solar capacity.The four types of flexibility mentioned above can accelerate the transition to ...

Nov. 20, 2018

By Smart Grid Observer

U.S. utility Duke Energy is deploying AI-supported drones across its growing solar plant fleet in its latest push to raise self-operating efficiency, Jeff Wehner, Vice President of Operations, Renewables at Duke Energy, told the Solar PV Operations USA 2018 conference. Facing intense power market competition, solar fleet operators are increasingly turning to drone technology to minimize ...

Nov. 20, 2018

By New Energy Update

Our pick of the latest wind power news you need to know. The mean levelized cost of U.S. onshore wind projects has fallen by 7% over the last year and costs now range between $29/MWh and $56/MWh on an unsubsidized basis, Lazard consultancy said in a report published November 8. The low end of this range is below the marginal cost of coal plants, estimated at ...

Nov. 20, 2018

By New Energy Update

Advances in wind power technology will open up new project opportunities but operators must tackle growing size and site climate challenges to minimize costs, North American wind experts said at the Wind O&M Canada 2018 conference. In North America and Europe, wind power developers face increasing cost pressure following the removal of subsidies. Wind suppliers have responded by ...

Nov. 20, 2018

By New Energy Update

Offshore wind operators are supplementing giant UK port-side investments with remote vessel expansions to optimize growing project capacities and portfolios, leading operators told New Energy Update. In the coming months, Denmark's Orsted is expected to ...

Nov. 20, 2018

By New Energy Update

US wind activity climbs to record 38 GW as PPA boom continues U.S. wind projects in advanced development rose by 4.5 GW in Q3 to hit a record 38.0 GW, some 28% higher than a year ago, according to the latest figures from the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Construction began on 2.2 GW of projects in July-September, while 2.3 GW of projects entered the ...

Nov. 6, 2018

By New Energy Update

GE's new 5.3 MW turbine system combines larger dimensions with on-site blade assembly in a design leap that could unlock new wind siting opportunities. Last month, GE unveiled a new 5.3 MW onshore wind turbine which is more than double the average capacity of turbines installed in the U.S. in 2017. Larger, higher efficiency turbines and growing installation experience have ...

Nov. 6, 2018

By New Energy Update

Floating wind developers are cutting design weight, maximizing onshore build capability and gaining lender support, but the jump to commercial arrays will require state-level measures, industry experts said. On October 5, Shell, Innogy and Stiesdal Offshore Technologies (SOT) signed a cooperation agreement to build a demonstration floating wind project using SOT’s modular ...

Nov. 6, 2018

By New Energy Update

A major green milestone has been reached on Britain's electricity grid, as the total capacity available from renewables has overtaken fossil fuels for the first time, according to the latest Drax Electric Insights report.A ...

Nov. 6, 2018

By Smart Grid Observer