The Obama administration announced a few hours ago that it will “accelerate the permitting and construction of seven proposed electric transmission lines” to help create jobs and support the growth of renewable energy around the U.S.
A recently released solar map of New York City found enough room on building rooftops for solar panels to power half the city during hours of peak electricity use. Taking advantage of this solar windfall could allow New Yorkers to save millions on electricity costs and create tens of thousands of jobs.
UK startup Isentropic Energy has proposed the simplest of thermal energy storage systems, according to Powermag. Two large containers of gas and gravel, one hot (500C) and one cold (–160C) provide the temperature difference to operate a heat pump. Off-peak surplus wind power or solar energy is used to heat up the contents of the hot tank and to retain that temperature.
When you consider the environmental benefits of solar power for providing electricity, it has always seemed unfair that it takes so much bureaucracy to overcome to get it built, even in the nation’s leader, California.
Whereas a natural gas power plant sails through the permitting process with ease, solar can take years and be tripped up by technicalities that don’t slow the permitting of polluting power plants…
Chair Jon Wellinghoff’s clever new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has just ruled that “negawatts” not generated (using demand response ) are to be paid as much money per megawatt reduced as generated electricity is, per megawatt, on the nation’s electricity markets.
