Though still considered a long shot, bipartisan support for instituting a tax on the largest US carbon and greenhouse gas emitters is being revived. Coupling it with payments to taxpayers and emphasizing the economic benefits would help muster support, according to policy experts. […]
The picture of the US wind energy industry looks markedly different looking back than it does looking forward. US wind energy capacity has been growing at a record rate this year, but the year-end expiration of a key federal tax credit is already slowing things down. […]
Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar on Friday announced a federal blueprint for large-scale solar power project developments spanning six Western states. The Obama Administration’s Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) refines the approach that’s been taken previously — the Interior Department is now first identifying solar energy development zones … [continued]
Q2 was a record quarter for the US solar market, intensifying opposition and populist rhetoric notwithstanding. Utility solar power installations powered second quarter gains in solar power capacity, though residential solar power installations increased for the fourth consecutive quarter, according to SEIA-GTM Research’s latest quarterly report. […]
As compared to its current microgrid and renewable energy grid integration research capabilities, the Energy Systems Integration Facility “is going to be like our current lab on steroids,” one NREL staffer said. […]
A study by Illinois State University’s Center for Renewable Energy finds that the state’s 23 largest wind farms create thousands of jobs and boost local economies, adding fuel to calls for Congress to extend the key federal wind energy production tax credit (PTC). […]
Some welcome news on the US wind energy front: E.ON Climate & Renewables North America on June 4 announced it has secured $150 million of institutional equity financing for its 150MW Pioneer Trail Wind Farm from Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
