Latest news with #renewablepower
Reuters
11 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
UK government gives go-ahead for BayWa solar project
LONDON, June 19 (Reuters) - The British government has given development consent to a 140 megawatt (MW) solar farm in South Derbyshire in England, the UK's Planning Inspectorate said on Thursday. The Oaklands Farm solar park, which is being developed by renewable energy developer BayWa ( opens new tab, will also have up to 37.5 MW of battery storage capacity. The project will generate enough renewable power to supply around 35,000 homes, BayWa said in a separate release. Construction, which is expected to cost around 80 million pounds ($107 million), will start in 2026. ($1 = 0.7449 pounds)
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US officials reverse decision to shut down massive $5 billion wind farm project off New York coast — here's why
Reuters reported that the Trump administration lifted a ban last week on a $5 billion wind energy project off the coast of New York that could bring power to half a million homes as soon as 2027. Empire Wind, a wind farm project from Norwegian company Equinor, is slated to have over 130 wind turbines and provide renewable power to New York. In Spring 2024, construction began in the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. As the fourth largest source of electricity generation in the United States, wind is an important element to our energy systems. Projects like this only help to grow clean energy, as coastal wind farms blend marine engineering with renewable energy technology to power thousands of homes. Offshore wind is a powerful tool in the fight against climate change. Some opponents to offshore wind farms say that they disrupt the environment. However, according to Environment America, no whales have been harmed by offshore wind and the main issue is the noise during the construction process, which is also an issue with offshore drilling, in addition to the massive additional environmental problems that come with harvesting fossil fuels from the earth — especially the risk for accidental spills or explosions. The project is also stimulating the economy, as it is anticipated that the wind farm will bring more than 1,000 jobs to the area. However, alongside this win for wind energy is the potential revival of a natural gas pipeline that had previously been stopped. According to Reuters, the Constitution pipeline would bring gas from Pennsylvania into New York, though it is unclear if the company involved, Williams, will absolutely pursue it. Clean Technica reported on May 24 that the agreement should clear a hurdle for the pipeline, but it's not a certainty that it will proceed. In order to mitigate the worst effects of human-caused climate change, the world needs to move away from dirty energy sources like gas and embrace cleaner, renewable energy like wind and solar. These processes take advantage of natural energy and do not require constant drilling or mining for new materials to burn into the air. One of the best ways for individuals to take advantage of clean energy innovations is to install solar panels. Solar panels, especially when coupled with energy storage technology, can significantly reduce your energy bills and make your home more energy resilient. If you want to take the next step to install solar energy at your own home, EnergySage provides a free platform to compare quotes from vetted local installers and can help to save around $10,000 on installations. According to Equinor, the Empire Wind project is currently over 30% complete, bringing the farm closer to providing power to many in New York. "This project delivers on the energy ambitions shared by the United States and New York by providing a vital new source of power to the region," Molly Morris, President of Equinor Wind US, said in a press release. Should the government be able to control how we heat our homes? Definitely Only if it saves money I'm not sure No way Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
E&E News
29-05-2025
- Business
- E&E News
Legal challenge to SunZia project gets a lifeline
A federal appeals court has revived a legal challenge to a major Southwest electric transmission line, in a win for local tribes and advocacy groups opposing the construction plans for the clean energy project. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court ruling dismissing claims that the Interior Department had failed to properly consult about the potential damage to historical and cultural sites in the path of the 550-mile SunZia line in the San Pedro Valley. The planned transmission line is designed to provide 3 million customers in California and Arizona with mostly renewable power, and would extend from New Mexico to Arizona. Advertisement The appeals court found that Tohono O'odham Nation, the San Carlos Apache Tribe, Archaeology Southwest and the Center for Biological Diversity had 'plausibly alleged' that the Interior had violated a negotiated agreement for the implementation of the project, known as a programmatic agreement or PA.
Reuters
28-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Key US clean energy charts that track Trump's tax bill impact: Maguire
LITTLETON, Colorado, May 28 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill calls for drastic cuts to clean energy tax credits that have been major drivers of the boom seen in utility-scale renewable power and battery capacity over the past three years or so. The bill was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives by a narrow margin last week, but must now get approval from the U.S. Senate before becoming law. Several influential senators have raised objections to certain elements of the bill - especially proposed cuts to health care benefits - which suggests changes to the final package can be expected. But among Republican lawmakers there remains broad support for gutting Biden-era clean energy incentives, which remain at risk of a full repeal by the Republican-majority Congress. Below are some key projections on U.S. energy generation capacity, investments, fuel use and emissions if the current clean energy incentives are repealed under the new tax law. A full repeal of the Biden-era clean energy incentives would drastically reshape the country's electricity generation infrastructure landscape over the coming decade. According to the REPEAT Project - which analyses the impact of federal policies on the energy sector - total cumulative electricity generation capacity growth could fall by half between now and 2035 if current incentives are scrapped. Under the existing incentive and tax credit system, the REPEAT Project estimates that total electricity generation capacity would climb by an average of around 100 gigawatts (GW) per year from now through 2035. Existing incentives are on track to boost generation capacity from solar systems by around 46 GW/year, wind capacity by around 18 GW/year, natural gas capacity by around 14 GW/year, and battery storage capacity by around 16 GW/year. If all of the current clean energy tax credits are repealed, the pace of capacity additions would fall to around 48 GW/year, due mainly to steep declines in renewable energy and battery storage capacity construction. Under a full repeal scenario - where all existing clean energy incentives are phased out as quickly as possible - the average capacity growth of utility-scale solar systems would slow to around 19 GW/year - or less than half the current pace. Wind generation and battery storage capacity growth would also fall by roughly half, while natural gas generation capacity would drop by around 16% to around 12 GW/year. With lower tax breaks and incentives leading to a slower build-out of electricity generation capacity, the growth in total electricity supplies is also projected to slow under a full repeal scenario. Under the current incentive structure, the resulting expansion in electricity generation capacity would accommodate a roughly 30% increase in total U.S. electricity consumption by around 2035, to around 5,275 billion kilowatt hours by 2035. However, if the current incentives are repealed the resulting slower capacity expansion would limit electricity consumption growth to around 5,066 billion kilowatt hours by 2035, or 17% less than if the incentives remained in place. That shortfall in electricity consumption would in turn have a ripple effect on overall economic growth, with tighter electricity supplies triggering higher energy costs for consumers. The ditching of clean energy incentives would also alter the country's projected electricity generation mix. Under the existing incentive system, the proportion of clean energy sources within total U.S. electricity generation would rise from around 40% now to over 70% by 2035, REPEAT data shows. However, if the clean incentives are repealed, the clean power share would only rise to around 54% of the total mix by 2035, due to sharply slower clean power additions. The dropped incentives would also have a major impact on fossil fuel consumption patterns, which are currently trending broadly lower but would rise again if the Biden-era clean energy policies are scrapped. If current policies were maintained, U.S. use of thermal coal - the highest polluting fossil fuel - would drop by over 85% from current levels as other cleaner sources of power displaced coal plants. However, a full repeal of clean incentives would extend the use of coal-fired power within the U.S. energy system, and result in only a 14% decline in coal use volumes from current levels by 2035. Natural gas use by U.S. electricity producers would expand sharply if current clean power incentives are scrapped. REPEAT Project data shows that total natural gas demand could climb by nearly 30% from current levels by 2035 if clean incentives are scrapped, which compares to around an 18% rise in projected gas use if current clean incentives are maintained. U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are currently on track to decline by 28% by 2035, assuming current clean energy incentives remain in place. If those policies are repealed, however, greenhouse gas emissions would decline by only 8% by 2035, due to the resulting increased reliance on fossil fuels for power. Lower clean power incentives would in turn trigger changes to investments in the U.S. energy system, potentially wiping out billions of dollars of projected capital allocations. Lower investments in the U.S. transmission system would also trigger higher average energy costs for consumers, with annual household expenditure on energy set to climb by over $400 a year by 2035 if current policies are cut, according to REPEAT. The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.
Bloomberg
07-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
UK Wealth Fund Pledges £600 Million to Iberdrola to Upgrade Grid
The UK's National Wealth Fund, along with other investors, is investing more than £600 million ($797 million) as part of a broader funding plan for the country's grid to fortify infrastructure needed for the clean-energy transition. The money will be used to upgrade the electricity network to accommodate changes in the coming years from a growth in renewable power generation, including wind farms in Scotland, according to a statement on Thursday.
