www.windaction.org | Energy Policy

U.S. States turn against renewable energy as gas plunges
April 23, 2013 by Christopher Martin in Bloomberg News

Sixteen of the 29 states with renewable portfolio standards are considering legislation that would reduce the need for wind and solar power, according to researchers backed by the U.S. Energy Department. North Carolina lawmakers may be among the first to move, followed by Colorado and Connecticut. ...Repealing the state's RPS policy "would help increase disposable income, attract more business investment and make energy more affordable for consumers."

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies| USA]

Renewable power's green vs. green battles continue
April 22, 2013 by Alex Guillén in The Politico

The conflicts are bound to grow as renewable projects spread, some environmental advocates say. "Certainly, there's going to be a lot more wind farms than there have been historically," ABC spokesman Bob Johns said. "And the problem is that we have seen no reason to believe that areas of conflict are being avoided - in fact, quite the opposite. They're walking right into it, leading with their chin on some of these."

Also filed under [ Impact on Landscape| USA]

Energy Siting Panel: Towns could say no to big wind
April 22, 2013 by Robin Smith in Caledonian Record

The latest round of draft recommendations from the Governor's Energy Generation Siting Policy Commission would not force a town like Newark or Brighton to find a place for big wind turbines, unlike a previous draft. Instead, the draft recommendations now say that towns can reject one form of renewable technology as long as the towns promote alternative renewable energy projects instead.

Also filed under [ Vermont]

Local elected officials continue to slam renewable energy bill
April 20, 2013 by Joe Moylan in Craig Daily Press

"You're not promoting Colorado jobs. You're promoting jobs in other states where you can buy power to meet the mandate," Mathers said. "This bill provides no advantage to businesses in Colorado or promoting our economy." Perhaps the greatest injustice, Grobe said, is the fact hydroelectric power is absent among the bill's list of approved sources of renewable energy.

Also filed under [ Colorado]

RWE's CEO warns of expenses boom in energy turnaround - report
April 18, 2013 in See News Energy

The success of the turnaround is not only to be evaluated after the volume of the installed solar and wind capacity but also if the energy supply remains safe and affordable, he added.

Also filed under [ Europe| Germany]

Europe faces a crisis in energy costs
April 18, 2013 by Stanley Reed in New York Times

Most green electricity sources cannot compete with coal and natural gas on their own and require subsidies that are passed on to industry and consumers. The more power they generate, the higher those costs. Direct charges for renewables add about 18 percent to German household electric bills, with indirect costs putting on more.

Also filed under [ Europe]

Renewables bill fuels big controversy; Rural electric associations, GOP senators, testify against measure
April 17, 2013 by Marianne Goodland in The Colorado Statesman

"This is a leap to family insolvency... this is environmental bullying," King said. He noted that state-owned facilities pay $5.6 million per year for electricity to the rural co-ops, and SB 252 will increase their electric bills. "Where's the fiscal note?" he asked repeatedly. And why wasn't Tri-State and IREA invited to the table when the bill was being drafted? he asked. "Just because you have the power to do something doesn't mean you should do it," referring to the Democratic majority in both chambers and the governor's mansion.

Also filed under [ Colorado]

Vote leaves EU emissions trading in tatters
April 17, 2013 by Sean Carney in Wall Street Journal

After the vote, the European Parliament's Environment Committee said that some members felt that "a rise in the carbon price would erode the competitiveness of European industry and be passed on in household energy bills." Slack demand for electricity because of the recession and an abundance of permits helped push the price of emitting a ton of carbon below €5 ($6.60) earlier this year, from nearly €30 in 2008.

Also filed under [ Europe]

Power Shift Away From Green Illusions
April 15, 2013 by Steve Horn in Truthout

The modern environmental movement has rolled over to become an outlet for loggers, energy firms and car companies to plug into. It is now primarily a social media platform for consumerism, growth and energy production - an institutionalized philanderer of green illusions. If you need evidence, just go to any climate rally and you'll see a strip mall of stands for green products, green jobs and green energy. These will do nothing to solve the crisis we face, which is not an energy crisis but rather a crisis of consumption.

Also filed under [ USA]

Some area residents steaming over solar projects
April 14, 2013 by Craig S. Semon in Worcester Telegram & Gazette

"Residents and abutters have little to no opportunity to have their voices heard in objections or their questions answered," Ms. Chase said. "Despite the numerous procedural errors that have occurred, the town continues to blindly allow this ill-sited project to deleteriously impact the public health, safety and welfare of the people who have made their home on Bearsden Road for years."

Also filed under [ Zoning/Planning| Massachusetts]

Renewable energy bill could hurt rural co-ops
April 13, 2013 by Marianne Goodland in Fort Morgan Times

Kent Singer of the Colorado Rural Electric Association said the co-ops serve 70 percent of the state's land mass but only 25 percent of the state's population, which he called "light density" and which means that costs are spread out over a much smaller customer base.

Also filed under [ Colorado]

Anti-wind group focuses on comprehensive plan; Goal is no more wind farms
April 11, 2013 by Ken de la Bastide in Kokomo Tribune

The Tipton County Board of Zoning Appeals placement of conditions on the Prairie Breeze permit of a 1,500 foot setback from property lines and development of a property value guarantee ...could make future wind farm development in the county impossible, or difficult at best, he said.

Also filed under [ Zoning/Planning| Indiana]

Change may hurt $250M wind project
April 9, 2013 by Matt Sanctis in Springfield News-Sun

When the state's renewable energy mandate was enacted five years ago, both demand and prices for electricity were expected to rise, said Ohio Sen. Bill Seitz, chairman of the Ohio Senate Public Utilities Committee that is holding hearings this month on the state's renewable energy requirement. But since then, large deposits of natural gas in shale have kept energy prices down, Seitz said, and the additional demand hasn't materialized.

Also filed under [ Ohio]

New York renewable power plan would cost $382 billion by 2030
April 8, 2013 by Louise Downing in Bloomberg News

"It's too ambitious by 2030 to replace all the state's power with renewables," Angus McCrone, a senior analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance in London, said today. The projections, he said, look "unrealistic" for individual technologies. ...offshore wind turbines would cover an area of about 4,903 square miles, and onshore machines would cover a further 1,000 square miles.

Also filed under [ Impact on Landscape| Impact on Economy| New York]

Sales in our wind: Ireland's ambitious wind-energy plans
April 6, 2013 by Frank McDonald in Irish Times

It is "far too soon" to make final judgments on which of the export-orientated windfarm projects now being mooted will be approved and under what terms. "There is no fait accompli at this stage. None of this has reassured objectors, who are concerned about the noise and visual impact of onshore turbines and also see the export of wind energy to Britain as equivalent to "selling the family silver".

Also filed under [ Impact on Landscape| Impact on People| Ireland]

Falmouth selectmen, finance committee stand firm on removing turbines
April 5, 2013 by Scott A. Giordano in The Bulletin

The Falmouth Board of Selectmen and the Falmouth Finance Committee held a joint April 4 meeting and unanimously stood by the selectmen's prior vote to remove the town's wind turbines, despite receiving none of their requested financial assistance from the state to do so. The latest estimate is that it will cost the town about $14 million to remove both Wind 1 and Wind 2.

Also filed under [ Impact on People| Massachusetts]

North Carolina edges closer to repeal of renewable portfolio standard
April 5, 2013 by Felicity Carus in PV Tech

"What this bill does is try to soft land this business and to be competitive you need to move from government subsidy you need to move off the taxpayer rolls. I see this as an entitlement programme that is beginning to get its roots into our state. I see it as a regressive type tax." Hager's bill is part of a nationwide campaign to repeal state-based renewable portfolio standards.

Also filed under [ North Carolina]

NC renewable energy law diminished in House bill
April 3, 2013 by Gary D. Robertson in The Associated Press

A House panel on Wednesday narrowly approved an effort to scale back and ultimately repeal a 2007 law requiring North Carolina electric utilities to generate a percentage of their power through alternative sources and locate energy savings. The House commerce subcommittee voted 11-10 in favor of the bill that would cap renewable energy and efficiency requirements by power companies, electric cooperatives and city-owned electric utilities at roughly half the level the law ultimately demands.

Also filed under [ North Carolina]

Subcommittee votes to reduce state support of renewable energy
April 3, 2013 by Molly Parker in Star News

A House subcommittee narrowly passed a bill Wednesday that chips away at a 2007 law that aimed to increase conservation efforts and renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass. Rep. Chris Millis, R-Pender, one of the bill's sponsors, said the intent is to stop the burden of renewable energy subsidies and mandates on ratepayers.

Also filed under [ North Carolina]

Coal makes a comeback in Europe as conventional gas dries up
April 3, 2013 by Arthur Max in EnergyWire

Coal is cheap not only because U.S. supplies are sold at bargain prices but because the penalty for emitting too much carbon has become almost insignificant. Europe's cap-and-trade program is meant to make it expensive for industry to pollute. In practice, the economic recession has led to an industrial slowdown, less emissions and an overabundance of permits for sale. Thus, the price of carbon has collapsed to less than €5 per ton.

Also filed under [ Europe]