The US Department of Energy announced the availability of USD 70 million in funding for advancing the US geothermal energy sector, as part of the US President's initiative to produce 80% of US consumed electricity by 2035. The funding will be available for a three year period, and is aimed at accelerating the development of the growing geothermal energy sector. The funding will support innovations in exploration technologies such as drilling, characterization and reservoir engineering.
US Department of Energy announced the availability of more than USD 27 million, as part of the SunShot Initiative, as funding that will help reduce the cost of solar energy projects, which is one of the main parameters affecting the current price of electricity from solar energy conversion. The funding will be split into two portions, each dealing with a particular set of problems.
US Deparment of Energy has offered a conditional loan guarantee of USD 737 million for the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project, near Tonopah, Nevada (USA). The project, being developed by SolarReserve, will use solar thermal tower technology, with molten salt heat storage as backup. The 110 MW power plant is to be completed by late 2013. Crescent Dunes was approved by the UD Department of Interior in late 2010.
One redundant step will be eliminated from the offshore renewable energy leasing process. It may not sound like much, but according to the US Department of Interior and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE), the new "streamlined" process will cut the time needed to obtain an offshore permit by about a year. This will greatly improve the situation with the commercial development of the US offshore renewable energy potential.
Costa Rica has an estimated 850 MW of geothermal power generation potential, of which the country is currently exploiting only about 198 MW (at the Miravelles Pailas), which is about 26 percent. The Energy Act, a legislation package to deal with renewable energy development in the country, has encountered several obstacles slowing down the process of adoption considerably. The Costa Rican government has decided to push for two geothermal projects in the meantime, in order to maintain development momentum.
Solar radiation map of Italy, click for larger version (Image credit: PVGIS © European Communities)
Italy is going to impose a restrictive set of measures starting this summer which will reduce incentives for solar power project development considerably. The country's support for solar power has been generous in the past years, resulting in the country becoming the second largest solar power market in Europe. However, the country has to ease the burden on consumers, by introducing reductions in incentives for this clean power source in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Germany has plans to reduce the amount of bureaucracy involved in approving offshore wind energy projects, a problem that has been seen as one of the main reasons for the slow development of offshore wind capacity in this European country. The draft bill regulating this process in a new way will concentrate all responsability for approval of offshore wind projects in one state authority.
Guatemala's tender for purchasing 800 MW of power has attracted interest from many local and foreigh power generators. So far, at least 10 companies have purchased tender documentation (bidding rules), and are preparing to present their bids in late October this year.
Guatemala is seeking a total of 800 MW of power from various power generation sources, but at least 60% of these sources have to come from renewable energy – solar, wind, hydro, and other sources. Only about 40% of the sources are allowed to be from fossil fuels. These "traditional" power plants are allowed to bid for contracts of up to 5 years, while "clean energy source" power plants will enjoy 15 year contract periods.
The US Departmnet of Energy announced more funding, USD 130 million from the Advanced Reserach Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), for the development of five programs that could bring benefits to the US energy industry.
The US Department of Interior has approved the construction and operations plan for the Cape Wind wind energy projects, to be built in Nantucket Sound, near Massachussetts (USA). The saga continues, as the project slowly progresses towards construction, and ultimately completion of the first US offshore wind farm. The project has been, and still is subject to pressure from the opposition, which regards the wind farm as a threat to the environment and the cultural heritage of the region. Cape Wind was approved last October (2010) by the US Secretary of Interior, after several years of reviews.
