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☆ Open Championship: Ruthless Xander Schauffele seals second major in two months with imperious display
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-21 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

On Sunday, the American clinched the Open Championship to claim the second major of his career. South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence finished one shot behind Rose and Horschel in tied-fourth, with American Russell Henley a further stroke back. Yet the attacks were coming from all angles now, the most ferocious of all from playing partner Lawrence and Schauffele, two holes ahead. The steely-eyed barrage continued with two more birdies across the next three holes to open up a three shot lead. Rose and Lawrence had barely erred, each bogeying just once, but such was the relentless pace set by Schauffele.

Persons: Xander Schauffele, Billy Horschel, Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau’s, I’ve, Horschel, Rose, Africa’s Thriston Lawrence, American Russell Henley, Scheffler, leapfrog Ireland’s Shane Lowry, Jon Super, Lawrence, Schauffele, –, Peter Morrison, pip DeChambeau Organizations: CNN, Little, American, Royal Troon, PGA, Masters, ‘, Schauffele’s Locations: Scotland, Africa’s, South Ayrshire, Kentucky

☆ Solar manufacturers petition U.S. to impose tariffs on imports from four Southeast Asian nations
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A coalition of U.S. solar manufacturers petitioned the federal government on Wednesday to impose tariffs on imports from four Southeast Asian nations, alleging that the countries are flooding the U.S. market with cheap products that threaten the domestic industry. The other six parties to the petition are Convalt Energy, Meyer Burger, Mission Solar, Qcells, REC Silicon and Swift Solar. They are requesting that the Commerce Department impose tariffs on solar cell imports from the four countries as a remedy. "This case is bad news for clean energy jobs and American solar manufacturing," Array CEO Kevin Hostetler said in a statement Wednesday. The ITC and Commerce Department investigations will take about 12 months to conclude, Brightbill said.

Persons: Meyer Burger, Tim Brightbill, Joe Biden, Brightbill, Kevin Hostetler, Janet Yellen, Biden Organizations: U.S, Convalt Energy, International Trade Commission, Commerce, ITC, Initiative, Commerce Department, Solar Energy Industries Association, American Clean Power Association, Advanced Energy, American Council, Renewable Energy, Technologies, International Energy Agency, IEA, CNBC Locations: Zhangye city, Gansu province, China, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, U.S, The U.S, Beijing's

☆ One country dominated clean energy growth this year, and it isn't the US, UK, or Germany. It's China, by a landslide.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-27 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

In the United States, California continues to have the most solar energy, followed by Texas, Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona. China was one of the few growing markets this year for wind, the Global Wind Energy Council said. Faster permitting and other improvements in key markets such as Germany and India also helped add more wind energy. The top three markets this year are still China, the United States, and Germany for wind energy produced on land, and China, the United Kingdom, and Germany for offshore. The analysts are predicting that the global industry will rebound next year and make nearly 12% more wind energy available worldwide.

Persons: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Joshua A, Bickel, it's, Michael Taylor, IRENA, Karim Shahi, Rafiq Maqbool, Daniel Bresette, Bresette, Abigail Ross Hopper, Wood, Wood Mackenzie, Julia Nikhinson Construction, John Hensley, Seth Wenig, Hau Dinh, Evan Hartley, Paul Braun, John Eichberger, Daan Walter Organizations: Service, International Energy Agency, Business, IEA, United Arab Emirates, Climate, AP, International Renewable Energy Agency, Arizona . Workers, Energy Limited's, Energy, Environmental, Energy Study Institute, Solar Energy Industries Association, Global Energy Monitor, Wind Energy, Clean Power, Workers, Atlas Public, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, Benchmark, University of Illinois, Panasonic, Toyota, Health, General Motors Co, LG Energy, Transportation Energy Institute, Rocky Mountain Institute Locations: Germany, Spain, Mohammed, Dubai, United, Bickel China, Europe, United States , California, Texas , Florida, North Carolina, Arizona, Karim, Khavda, Bhuj, India, Pakistan, Gujarat, China, Wood Mackenzie, Montauk Point , New York, Asia, United States, State, New London, Conn, United Kingdom, Hai Phong, Vietnam, Kansas, Ohio

REUTERS/David Swanson/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 24 (Reuters) - Canceled offshore wind projects, imperiled solar factories, fading demand for electric vehicles. A year after passage of the largest climate change legislation in U.S. history, meant to touch off a boom in American clean energy development, economic realities are fraying President Joe Biden’s agenda. Clean energy experts interviewed by Reuters say the mounting setbacks will make the United States' ambitious targets to decarbonize by mid-century even harder to reach. Solar energy facilities account for two thirds of those delays due in part to U.S. import restrictions. "These are the normal ups and downs of clean energy development and deployment," Reicher said.

Persons: David Swanson, Joe Biden’s, Biden, John Hensley, Wood Mackenzie, “, Ali Zaidi, Prakash Sharma, that's, Vic Abate, it's, Robert Walther, Walther, Dan Reicher, Reicher, Nichola Groom, Richard Valdmanis, Alistair Bell Organizations: REUTERS, Soaring, Ford, Reuters, American Clean Power Association, United Nations, White, Dominion Energy Inc, TEN, GE, Biden, Treasury Department, Trump, Stanford University, Thomson Locations: Palm Springs , California, U.S, Washington, Nations, Egypt, Dubai, United States, Paris, Virginia, Gulf of Mexico

☆ U.S. renewable, grid battery projects battle transformer shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Nicole Jao | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

LONGER LEAD TIMESLarge-scale battery projects to store energy on grids and to smooth out the variance of wind and solar power are also seeing longer lead times. They are taking around 12 to 18 months to complete, around six months longer than they would take without the supply issues, said Andrew Waranch, chief executive of battery energy storage system developer Spearmint Energy. Utility AES Corp (AES.N) has stockpiled supplies of the equipment it needs to build battery storage projects through 2025, a company spokesperson said. A shortage of raw materials that has contributed to transformer supply delays is unlikely to ease soon, manufacturers said. The supply-demand dislocation has worsened with the rapid scale-up of wind, solar and storage projects.

Persons: Nick Oxford, Vanessa Witte, Wood Mackenzie, Ben Pratt, Pratt, we've, Reagan Farr, Farr, Andrew Waranch, Waranch, Marco Terruzzin, Doug Banty, Banty, John Darby, Nicole Jao, Simon Webb, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, AES, Nova Clean Energy, Silicon, Spearmint Energy, Developers, American Clean Power Association, U.S . Energy Information Administration, AES Corp, MGM, Niagara, Thomson Locations: Big Spring , Texas, U.S, Chicago, Swiss, China, California, Russia, Ukraine, New York

“When you think about a wind turbine, and even fields of wind turbines, they’ll stretch for miles,” said Staff Sgt. Chase Rose, a UH-1 Huey flight engineer at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. The legislation has the support of wind energy advocates, but they caution against a one-size-fits-all approach. The Air Force continues to “support renewable energy efforts to include wind turbines, and we continue to work with energy industry partners to ensure the country’s green energy needs are met,” said Air Force Maj. Victoria Hight, a spokeswoman for F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.

Persons: ”, Chase Rose, Jason Ryan, ” Jo Dee Black, ” Black, John Lutton, Victoria Hight Organizations: WASHINGTON, UH, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Air Force, American Clean Power Association, Department of Defense, Energy, Air Force Base, U.S . Air Force, of, ” Air Force, Colorado Rockies, F.E, Warren Air Force Base Locations: Montana, U.S, Nebraska , Colorado , North Dakota , Montana and Wyoming, Wyoming

In total, the cancellations equate to nearly one-fifth of President Joe Biden’s goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030. Despite the setbacks, offshore wind continues to move forward, the White House said, citing recent investments by New York state and approval by the Interior Department of the nation’s largest planned offshore wind farm in Virginia. Hardy spoke at the American Clean Power industry group’s offshore wind conference in Boston last month on a panel with Morris. Phil Murphy, has established increasingly stringent clean energy goals, moving from 100% clean energy by 2050 to 100% by 2035. “Offshore wind is a lot bigger than Ørsted.”The first U.S. commercial-scale offshore wind farms are currently under construction: Vineyard Wind off Massachusetts and South Fork Wind off Rhode Island and New York.

Persons: jeopardizing, Ørsted, Joe Biden’s, Biden, Timothy Fox, “, Molly Morris, David Hardy, Hardy, Morris, “ We’re, ”, Walt Musial, Musial, Conor Bambrick, Phil Murphy, Murphy, Catherine Klinger, Catherine Bowes, ″ Bowes, Michael Brown, ” ___ McDermott Organizations: WASHINGTON, Biden, Interior Department, Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Industry, ClearView Energy Partners, Ørsted, American Clean, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Energy Department, P, Environmental, ., Democratic Gov, New, U.S, Offshore, Ocean, ___, AP Locations: New Jersey, U.S, Danish, New England, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Virginia, Interior’s, Gulf of Mexico, East Coast, Washington, Norwegian, Jersey, United States, Boston, Europe, Virginia Beach, Rhode Island, . New Jersey, Rhode, North America, Providence , Rhode Island, Hill, Albany , New York, Catalini, Trenton , New Jersey

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Wind energy developer Orsted is writing off $4 billion, due largely to the cancellation of two large offshore wind projects in New Jersey whose financial challenges mirror those facing the nascent industry. Some projects already have been canceled, and many offshore wind developers are seeking better terms from governments with whom they have already contracted. Despite the challenges, some wind projects are moving forward. Orsted said it is proceeding with its Revolution Wind project in Connecticut and Rhode Island. And New Jersey still has several other offshore wind projects in various stages of development, with four new proposals submitted in August alone.

Persons: ” Mads Nipper, “, ”, Louis Knight, Biden, Jeff Van Drew, “ David, Goliath, Robin Shaffer, Orsted, ___, Wayne Parry Organizations: CITY, New, Orsted, Northern, World Meteorological Organization, Sierra Club, “, U.S, Government, Office, Republican, Dominion Energy, Virginia Beach, American Clean Power Association, Oceantic Network, Shell, EDF Renewables, Atlantic Locations: N.J, New Jersey, Danish, U.S, New England, Carolinas, New York, Coast NJ, Connecticut, Rhode, Virginia, Atlantic Shores, EDF Renewables North America, www.twitter.com

☆ Why the hydrogen tax credit has become a lightning rod for controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +16 min

The proposed tax credit, 45V, is meant to turbocharge the production of low-emissions hydrogen. "The IRA's section 45V production tax credit is the most generous clean hydrogen subsidy in the world," Jesse Jenkins, professor of macro-scale energy systems at Princeton University, told CNBC. John Macdougall | Afp | Getty ImagesThe adjudication of the hydrogen tax credit has become about more than just the hydrogen tax credit, too. The amount of the hydrogen tax credit, which is available for 10 years, depends on the emissions generated in making hydrogen. If hydrogen is produced without releasing any carbon emissions, the tax credit is maxed out at $3 per kilogram of hydrogen.

Persons: that's, It's, Jesse Jenkins, John Macdougall, Wilson Ricks, Jenkins, Ricks, Rachel Fakhry, electrolyzers, Andriy Onufriyenko, Eric Guter, Josef Kallo, H2FLY, Guter, Phil Musser, Shannon Angielski, Angielski, Shi, Fakhry Organizations: Istock, Treasury, Princeton University, CNBC, Daimler Truck Holding, Afp, Getty, Energy, Research, Princeton, Natural Resources Defense Council, Power, Singularity, Air Products, Bloomberg, Air, Products, Hydrogen Company, European, EU, NextEra Energy, Hydrogen Future Coalition, BP, Duke Energy, Exxon Mobile, General Electric, Siemens Energy, American, Shell, Hydrogen, Coalition Locations: Biden's, United States, U.S, Berlin, additionality, Maribor, Slovenia, Oxagon, Saudi Arabia, Wilbarger County , Texas

☆ New England states join to buy offshore wind power as US industry struggles
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

By joining forces, the states hope to counter the pain rippling across the nascent U.S. offshore wind industry, which is expected to play a key part in decarbonizing the power sector and revitalizing domestic manufacturing. The three states will seek multi-state offshore wind proposals for selection in 2024 for up to 6,000 megawatts (MW) of power. “One year ago, Avangrid was the first offshore wind developer in the United States to make public the unprecedented economic headwinds facing the industry," Avangrid said in a release. Avangrid has said it planned to rebid the Park City project in future offshore wind solicitations. Those Massachusetts power companies include units of Eversource Energy (ES.N), National Grid (NG.L) and Unitil (UTL.N).

Persons: Brian Snyder, Maura Healey, Avangrid, France's, Scott DiSavino, Aurora Ellis Organizations: REUTERS, American, Offshore WINDPOWER Conference, Eversource Energy, Grid, Shell, Thomson Locations: Rhode, U.S, New England, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, Connecticut, Boston, Park City, United States, Park

☆ US Grid-Scale Energy Storage Installations Hit New Quarterly Record - Report
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - The U.S. grid-scale energy storage installations hit a new record in the second quarter of 2023, a report by Wood Mackenzie and the American Clean Power Association (ACP) said. Grid-scale energy storage is essential in helping balance and regulate energy supply in a grid that is increasingly reliant on intermittent wind and solar power. Across all segments of the industry, the U.S. energy storage market added 5,597 megawatt hours (MWh) in the second quarter this year, a new quarterly record. "We saw a huge bounce back in Q2 after consecutive quarterly declines in the market," said Vanessa Witte, senior analyst with Wood Mackenzie’s energy storage team. Meanwhile, community, commercial, and industrial (CCI) installations were at 107 MWh in the second quarter, according to the report.

Persons: Wood Mackenzie, John Hensley, Vanessa Witte, Wood, Ashitha, Eileen Soreng Organizations: Reuters, American Clean Power Association, Research Locations: U.S, California, Bengaluru

☆ Scientists found a massive lithium deposit inside an ancient US volcano that could be a game-changer for American clean energy but spell disaster for Native Americans
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Lithium independence would be a game-changer for clean energy but Native Americans are already suffering for it. In August, researchers reported that the illite in the southern portion of McDermitt Caldera, called Thacker Pass, contains about 1.8% lithium, on average. And McDermitt Caldera could be that resource. AdvertisementAdvertisementMcKinney is part of the Indigenous group called People of Red Mountain that has opposed lithium mining at Thacker Pass. "The world needs to know that this lithium mining, and this fast-tracking of lithium mining, is a continuation of racism on Paiute and Shoshone people," McKinney told NPR.

Persons: Caldera, Thacker, McDermitt, Jalopnik, There's, Gary McKinney, Al Jazeera, McKinney Organizations: Service, McDermitt Caldera, Chemistry, Nevada -, US, KU Leuven University, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Guardian, Shoshone -, NPR, MSCI Sustainability Institute Locations: Wall, Silicon, McDermitt, Nevada, Nevada - Oregon, Tervuren, Belgium, Thacker, Red, Americas, Al

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers were scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to give Democratic Gov. Five companies paid roughly $750 million last year to lease areas off the California coast to build wind turbines. The bill before lawmakers Thursday would let the state buy the power. Consumers would not pay it until the wind projects are up and running, likely several years from now. The bill lawmakers approved on Wednesday also includes provisions to fast-track new electric transmission projects.

Persons: Gavin Newsom's, Alex Jackson, ”, Sen, Brian Dahle, ” Scott Wetch, Newsom, Henry Stern, Alice Reynolds, ” Reynolds Organizations: Democratic Gov, American Clean Power Association, Republican, of Water Resources, Democratic, California Public Utilities Commission Locations: SACRAMENTO, Calif, California

POINT PLEASANT BEACH, N.J. (AP) — As the U.S. races to build offshore wind power projects, transforming coastlines from Maine to South Carolina, much remains unknown about how the facilities could affect the environment. So far, four offshore wind projects have been approved by the federal government for the U.S. East Coast, according to the American Clean Power Association. The company is a Danish wind power business that will build two of the three offshore projects approved for New Jersey. Numerous others have been proposed, and the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management plans to review at least 16 offshore wind projects by 2025. The federal government has endorsed — but not required — compensation to the fishing industry for negative effects from offshore wind.

Persons: ”, Jim Hutchinson, ’, Greg Cudnik, Andy Lipsky, Phil Sgro, Meghan Lapp, “, Keith Craffey, Sgro, —, Frank Pallone Jr, Wayne Parry Organizations: PLEASANT, The Fisherman, U.S ., American Clean Power Association, Atlantic, U.S . Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Fisheries Science, Biden Administration, Seafreeze, New, Baymen’s, Association, U.S . Commerce Department, Orsted, U.S . Rep, New Jersey Democrat, Twitter Locations: N.J, U.S, Maine, South Carolina, New Jersey, U.S . East Coast, , New York, Montauk, Atlantic City, Ocean City, Danish, Point Judith, Rhode Island, , New Jersey, American, —, United States, America, North Kingstown, New, Raritan, New York, New England, Block Island

☆ First US Gulf offshore wind auction to fuel region's green hydrogen push
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

It is considered "green" if produced with renewable energy and "gray" if the process is fueled with carbon-emitting natural gas. "When we get to the Gulf, (offshore wind) will start becoming much more disconnected from the grid," said Cheryl Stahl, principal project manager at risk assessment firm DNV. In comments to BOEM on the planned Gulf sale earlier this year, those three companies noted the potential of offshore wind to produce green hydrogen in the region. "The Gulf of Mexico is uniquely situated to facilitate and benefit from green hydrogen production via offshore wind," Shell said in April, pointing to the region's existing port and pipeline infrastructure as well as new federal funding for green hydrogen development. The American Clean Power Association, a trade group that represents offshore wind and other renewable energy developers, also said in its comments to BOEM that green hydrogen would "increase market viability of offshore wind."

Persons: Biden, Cheryl Stahl, John Filostrat, Shell, TotalEnergies, Alon Carmel, Joe Biden's, Lacy McManus, McManus, Nichola, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Department's, of Ocean Energy Management, Companies, Shell, Clean Power Association, PA Consulting, New, New Orleans Inc, Thomson Locations: U.S, Gulf Coast, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf, Louisiana, Texas, Mexico, New York, New Jersey, New Orleans, South Louisiana

☆ Fact check: The first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

CNN —Eight candidates for the Republican nomination for president took the stage for the first GOP debate Wednesday night in Milwaukee. (In June 2020, he announced a plan for schools to reopen for the next school year that began in August. In April 2020, the unemployment rate spiked to 14.7% — the highest level since monthly records began in 1948. It reached a 66-year low during certain months of 2019, at 3.4% in April and 3.6% in August, but by December 2020, unemployment for women was at 6.7%. That deal was negotiated by special counsel David Weiss, who was first appointed to the Justice Department by former President Donald Trump.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Daniel Dale Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley, “ Donald Trump, Trump, Daniel Dale, Katie Lobosco Burgum, Doug Burgum, –, Goldman Sachs, Ella Nilsen Tim Scott, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Biden, ” Scott, Scott’s, don’t, Tara Subramaniam Scott, ’ Scott, Joe Biden, they’re, Kevin McCarthy, Merrick Garland, ”, Garland, CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz Haley, Haley, CNN’s Haley Britzky Pence, Mike Pence, “, Obama, CNN’s Haley Britzky Christie, Hunter Biden, Chris Christie, Biden’s son Hunter Biden, Christie, David Weiss, Donald Trump, CNN’s Marshall Cohen Scott, Burgum, Scott, Katie Lobosco Organizations: CNN, Republican, GOP, “, New, New York Tri, State, Trump, South, United Nations, Social Security, Dakota Gov, American Clean, Republicans, DOJ, Justice Department, National School, Department, Defense Department, of Foreign Relations, Former New Jersey Gov, US, IRS, Treasury Locations: Milwaukee, Florida, Broward, Palm, New York, Connecticut , New Jersey, Louisiana, South Carolina, China, United States, Covid, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland

☆ Republican-controlled states like Oklahoma are rushing to invest in clean energy, even as conservative groups push for more oil and gas
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

GOP-controlled states like Oklahoma are seeing major economic investment in clean energy industries. A solar power exec told The New York Times the "financial opportunity" is drawing people in. But as The Heritage Foundation pushes back against renewables, clean energy companies and projects are leading the way in Republican-led states. About two-thirds of new clean energy investment is in Republican states such as Oklahoma, Texas, and South Dakota, the Times reported. Peters, president of Solar Power of Oklahoma, told the Times, "but most people are doing this for the financial opportunity."

Persons: Trump, Entergy, J.W, Peters Organizations: New York Times, The Heritage Foundation, Service, Republican, The New York Times, Heritage Foundation, Times, US Steel, American Clean Power Association, Solar Power Locations: Oklahoma, Oklahoma , Texas, South Dakota, Arkansas, , Texas

Many opponents of renewable energy, she added, “are worried about the impacts to their very way of life.”Roadside opposition to renewable energy projects near Baldwin City, Kan. “We see offshore wind as a critical technology,” said Dan Burgess, the director of the Maine Governor’s Energy Office. Across the country, clean energy projects of all types are tied up in lengthy permitting processes. By then, India had not completed any offshore wind projects. Since 2000, the United States has barely built any major transmission lines that connect different regions of the country.

Persons: Scott Dickerson, ”, Biden, Alison Bates, “, Columbia University’s, Dan Burgess, Habib Dagher, Janet Mills, Gregory Wetstone, Mack, James Gillway, SunZia, ” Hunter Armistead, Broussard, There’s, Vaughan Woodruff, Tucker Carlson, Teslas, ” Ali Zaidi, Dagher, Rolf Olsen, who’s Organizations: University of Maine, Sears, Officials, Federal, International Energy Agency, Colby College, White, Columbia, Climate, The University of, Maine Governor’s Energy, Environmental, University of Maine’s, Composites Center, Gov, American Clean Power Association, American Council, Renewable Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Army Corps of Engineers, . Clean, Union United, China India European Union United States, China European Union United, China India United States European, China United States European Union, China United States European Union India, Energy, The New York Times, United, Pattern Energy, New York State Energy Research, Development Authority, Toyota Prius Locations: Penobscot Bay, Maine, , Maine, United States, Europe, China, Australia, India, Los Angeles, Ohio, Jersey Shore, Waterville , Maine, Baldwin City, Kan, Massachusetts, Ukraine, Gulf, Searsport , Maine, Searsport, Bangor, Mack, West, Union United States, U.S, China United States European Union India, Great, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Riesel , Texas, Energy, San Bernardino County, In Kansas, Atlantic City, N.J, New York, Manhattan, Sears

☆ First Solar announces fifth U.S. factory as Inflation Reduction Act fuels domestic manufacturing
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Pippa Stevens | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

First Solar, the nation's largest solar panel manufacturer, announced Thursday that it will build its fifth U.S. factory as the Inflation Reduction Act spurs a domestic manufacturing boom. The company said it will invest as much as $1.1 billion in the new factory, the location of which has yet to be decided. Still, First Solar has been unable to meet surging demand, and in April, the company said it was sold out through 2026. The Inflation Reduction Act has already spurred a flurry of clean energy factory announcements and more than $150 billion in capital investments since it passed nearly one year ago, according to estimates from American Clean Power. President Biden said Thursday that First Solar's announcement, alongside other green energy pushes, shows that "the era of America ceding leadership to our adversaries in clean energy is over."

Persons: Biden Organizations: Clean Power Locations: U.S, Alabama, Ohio

☆ America’s Green Skills Gap Raises Concerns About Energy Transition
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Dieter Holger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

But recent data shows strong growth in demand for green skills exacerbating an already tight market where demand outstrips supply. The online professional network defines green skills as those that make economic activities more environmentally sustainable, such as carbon accounting, hydrogen engineering and battery manufacturing. It considers green jobs to be ones which include climate action objectives such as removing pollution and preserving natural resources. Likewise, more than 114,000 U.S. clean energy jobs were created in 2022, according to last week’s annual employment report from the U.S. Department of Energy. As of 2023, nearly 11% of U.S. transport workers, such as employees of carmakers, have green skills, according to LinkedIn.

Persons: ”, Sue Duke, Kenneth Gillingham, ” Gillingham, Tim Gruber, Gillingham, Sara Smiley Smith, Steven Cohen, Cohen, Todd Anderson, Rochelle Toplensky, Dieter Holger Organizations: U.S, LinkedIn, Wall Street, U.S . Department of Energy, Political Economy Research, University of Massachusetts Amherst, American Clean Power Association, Sustainable Business, Yale School of, Workers, Nobles, Environment, Yale, Columbia, Science, Sustainability Management, The Wall, dieter.holger Locations: U.S, Reading, Minn, Woodbine , Georgia

☆ Recycling 'end-of-life' solar panels, wind turbines, is about to be climate tech's big waste business
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Bob Woods | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

watch nowIndeed, the market for recycled solar panel materials is expected to grow exponentially over the next several years. One recipient of this federal funding is First Solar, the largest solar panel manufacturer in the U.S. Massive wind turbines, blades are almost all recyclableRetired wind turbines present another recycling challenge, as well as business opportunities. How the circular renewable energy economy worksPlayers in the circular economy are determined not to let all that waste go to waste. Vestas Wind Systems has committed to producing zero-waste wind turbines by 2040, though it has not yet introduced such a version.

North America has seen the largest increase in planned hydrogen projects in the past six months, according to the Oxford-based consulting firm. Clean hydrogen is a small but fast-growing area of the transition to lower-polluting energy sources. However, low-emission hydrogen production is currently small compared with where analysts believe it will need to be. Europe’s shrinking share of hydrogen projects is “a direct consequence of the bloc’s slow response to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and [its] delay in developing concrete regulation for renewable hydrogen,” said Dilara Caglayan, lead hydrogen researcher at Aurora. Only 1% of the one terawatt of planned hydrogen projects have begun construction, while 86% are in the early planning stages of development.

Most new gas plants currently do not pay for emitting carbon, so the rules could make it harder for them to compete with solar and wind power. Second, the Inflation Reduction Act created tax credits making carbon capture and hydrogen more affordable and affirmed EPA's authority to regulate power plants. Existing technology can capture and store approximately 90% of carbon emissions, Lynch said. The EIA projected that this year, 54% of new generation (21GW) will be solar and 14% will be natural gas (7.5GW). Southern, which also runs the National Carbon Capture Center with the Department of Energy, said commercial deployment of carbon capture technology "is many years away" despite the cost-reduction potential of the Inflation Reduction Act.

☆ From GE to Siemens, the wind energy industry hopes billions in losses are about to end
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Bob Woods | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The wind farm includes 132 2-megawatt Gamesa G80 wind turbines along 12 miles of the Allegheny Front. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesIt's been a tough couple of years for the U.S. wind energy industry. Although 2023 is expected to remain sluggish, GE Renewable Energy, Siemens Energy and Vestas Wind Systems, the leading makers of wind turbines — outside of China, which has built the world's largest wind energy infrastructure — and their suppliers are banking on growth over the next decade, particularly in the nascent offshore wind niche. "The wind energy market is stuck in this very strange paradox right now," said Aaron Barr, an industry analyst at Wood Mackenzie. Comparatively, the U.S. offshore wind industry is just ramping up after years of delays in permitting, environmental approvals and power purchasing agreements with utilities that buy wind energy.

Obrador's decision to roll back reforms aimed at opening Mexico's power and oil markets to outside competitors sparked the trade dispute. If not, the U.S. will request an independent dispute settlement panel under the Unites States Mexico Canada Agreement, or USCMA, they said. The United States and Canada demanded dispute settlement talks with Mexico in July - 250 days ago. Under USMCA rules, after 75 days without a resolution, they were free to request a dispute settlement panel, a third party that rules on the case. In my view, it’s long past time to say enough is enough and escalate this into a real dispute settlement case," Wyden said.

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