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The overall direction of the market, however, has been down. You can get a sense of the amount of money that has been lost by investors from the WilderHill Clean Energy Index, which tracks the performance of publicly traded green energy stocks ranging from solar and wind to rare earth minerals and water companies. The market value of the companies in the index has fallen from a peak level of $231 billion in late December 2007 to about $108 billion today, a decline of 53 percent.
Also filed under [
Energy Policy|
USA]
Wind power's grip on Augusta weakening
May 21, 2013 by Naomi Schalit and John Christie in The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting
May 21, 2013 by Naomi Schalit and John Christie in The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting
Armed with the signatures of the majority of residents in their townships and plantations, they went to ask lawmakers to pass a bill to give them back the right to influence how the land in their communities was used.
That right, they said, had been taken away.
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Energy Policy|
Maine]
There has also been a resurgence of cheap coal, considered a dirtier energy source, abetted by a market failure in the European carbon emission trade.
An oversupply in the right-to-pollute certificates has seen their price fall from an envisioned 15-18 euros per tonne of CO2 to just two to three euros -- making coal plants an economically attractive option once more.
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Energy Policy|
Germany]
Energy bills are rising so steeply that they could overtake mortgage repayments in parts of Britain in just five years' time, the chief executive of supplier, First Utility, has claimed.
utility bill. Analysis by First Utility shows that UK dual-fuel bills have risen by an average of 8.5pc a year over the last five years to reach current levels of £1,420.
Wind energy permitting process among new NC laws
May 18, 2013 by The Associated Press in The Daily Reflector
May 18, 2013 by The Associated Press in The Daily Reflector
The legislation sets parameters for permit applications that include public hearings so opponents can raise concerns. State regulators could deny an application if a project could adversely affect the environment, private landowners or military operations.
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Energy Policy|
North Carolina]
Renewable energy initiative approved for signature gathering
May 16, 2013 by Yuxing Zheng in The Oregonian
May 16, 2013 by Yuxing Zheng in The Oregonian
An initiative that would allow utilities to count all hydroelectric power toward renewable energy requirements was approved this week for signature gathering. The initiative seeks to alter renewable portfolio standards approved in 2007 ...The law prohibits large utilities from counting hydroelectric power generated by dams built before 1995 towards the standard.
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Energy Policy|
Oregon]
Farmers and rural homeowners in Northern Colorado on Wednesday added their voices to a statewide chorus calling on Gov. Hickenlooper to veto a bill certain to raise their electric bills.
Also filed under [
Energy Policy|
Colorado]
LePage also is displeased that the bill ignores a study by Woodcock's office meant to reconsider the state's ambitious wind energy goals and shift the priority to lowering electricity rates.
Wind power policy is too big an issue to tackle in the bill, said John Cleveland, D-Auburn, Senate chair of the committee.
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Energy Policy|
Maine]
Southern CEO: Renewable energy still not competitive
May 16, 2013 by Dave Williams in Atlanta Business Chronicle
May 16, 2013 by Dave Williams in Atlanta Business Chronicle
Renewable power will not get a major share of Southern Co.’s energy portfolio anytime soon, even as the Atlanta-based utility makes forays into wind and solar power, CEO Tom Fanning said Thursday.
“It’s going to remain a niche for some time,” Fanning said during a luncheon speech to the Atlanta Press Club.
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Energy Policy|
Georgia]
Renewable energy mandate opponents appeal to Colorado governor; They claim rates would skyrocket
May 10, 2013 by Marianne Goodland in Fort Morgan Times
May 10, 2013 by Marianne Goodland in Fort Morgan Times
Hickenlooper said Thursday he will meet with executives from Tri-State Generation and Transmission, which provides power to 18 rural electric co-ops and is one of the two entities targeted by SB 252 (the other is the Intermountain Rural Electric Association).
Tri-State executives claim the bill will cost the co-ops at least $2 billion to implement.
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Energy Policy|
Colorado]
Many city representatives say that they are unlikely to give any go-ahead that would effectively enroll customers, who would have the option to opt out, without seeing final rates and having a clearer idea of where the program will get its electricity and how green it will be. ...Benefits, including local energy projects that could create jobs, are "intriguing," Kyes said. "But there really isn't any information yet that shows that's more than talk."
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Energy Policy|
California]
Commission's goal is 'empowering' towns in power projects in Vermont
May 7, 2013 by Mike Faher in Brattleboro Reformer
May 7, 2013 by Mike Faher in Brattleboro Reformer
"Overall, I can say with some confidence that we have addressed the issues we consistently heard from the public and the industry developers alike -- that our current process is too complicated, too expensive, too slow, not transparent enough and not sensitive enough to cultural and environmental considerations," he said.
Also filed under [
Energy Policy|
Vermont]
Sen. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, said he hopes to introduce a bill overhauling the 2008 law as soon as the end of the month. "It behooves any wise person to check in. No one I know of stays with an 18-year plan and doesn't make suitable changes to the plan when market conditions change."
Also filed under [
Energy Policy|
Ohio]
Power companies operating wind farms in Scotland were paid more than £1 million to shut down their turbines for a single day last month, Scotland on Sunday can reveal. ...The so-called "constraint payments" are paid by the National Grid to energy companies when energy supply outstrips demand - turbines are switched off so they stop producing electricity to rebalance the system.
State regulators voted unanimously Wednesday to cancel a planned public hearing next week over a controversial rule that defines and caps the costs of renewable energy to public utilities and their customers.
The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission also voted to launch a whole new rule-making for the so-called reasonable cost threshold.
Also filed under [
Energy Policy|
New Mexico]
The bill, which also is known as he Alabama Wind Energy Conversion Systems Act of 2013, is in trouble because of a filibuster by Democrats that has locked it up past the required introduction deadline. That forces the bill to get unanimous approval before it could be introduced.
Vt. Legislature's push to address concerns about wind power projects sputters, splinters
May 4, 2013 by Andrew Stein in VT Digger
May 4, 2013 by Andrew Stein in VT Digger
On Friday, the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee agreed to the House's pared-down version of what was originally a bill regulating large wind turbine projects, including a three-year moratorium.
But although Senate bill 30 is moving forward without any controls on energy siting, some key provisions are still on the table.
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Energy Policy|
Vermont]
"While I understand the concerns that this bill could take funding away from other sources of renewable energy, I believe that lower electricity rates will provide families much needed relief in their household budgets and improve the prospect of jobs going forward," Kelly said after the vote.
Also filed under [
Energy Policy|
Connecticut]
House Republicans accused Democrats of waging war on rural Colorado when legislators voted Tuesday to increase the renewable-energy mandate for electricity cooperatives. ...The bill passed 37-27, with all Democrats in favor and all Republicans against.
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Energy Policy|
Colorado]
Hager's bill to end NC's renewables policy refuses to die
May 1, 2013 by John Murawski in News and Observer
May 1, 2013 by John Murawski in News and Observer
"This misguided policy acts much like a hidden tax. Experience has shown that renewable energy mandates, like the one on the books in North Carolina, have a negative impact on the economy and an adverse impact on your constituents' pocketbooks."
Also filed under [
Energy Policy|
North Carolina]