** BP has put all new offshore wind projects on pause as the oil company’s new chief executive seeks to focus more heavily on fossil fuels. Murray Auchincloss, who became permanent head of the business at the start of the year, has also frozen hiring in the offshore wind division. ** California lawmakers advance legislation that would …
Category: Solar Energy in Oklahoma
Tulsa to be site of Norwegian firm’s first-ever solar wafer plant in the U.S.
Solar manufacturing is coming to Tulsa in a big way—$620 million worth. NorSun, a Norwegian solar energy company that manufactures monocrystalline silicon wafers for the global solar energy industry, announced this week plans to build a plant at the Tulsa International Airport. Governor Kevin Stitt made the announcement this week that the firm …
Energy briefs
** Here’s where more of your money is going. The Biden administration announced Wednesday $375 million in funding for renewable energy projects, predominantly through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The funding, announced by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, includes $275 million through the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program, an IRA program devoted to renewable electrification in rural …
Energy briefs
** The Supreme Court as soon as this week could rule to curb the power of federal agencies — including those with the power to protect the environment. As the Supreme Court’s term winds down, a legal doctrine called Chevron deference hangs in the balance. ** A sensor on the railroad tracks running through the town of East …
Energy briefs
** Flooding on the Blue Earth River in Minnesota breached the Rapidan Dam Monday morning and it’s now in an “imminent failure condition,” officials said. Le Sueur County residents in low-lying areas of the Minnesota River Valley are advised to closely monitor the situation and potentially evacuate, according to the county’s emergency management office. ** US West …
Energy briefs
** A nonprofit backed by Chris Hohn, the billionaire money manager behind TCI Fund Management, says climate investors need to move into the highest-emitting sectors if they’re to effectively bring about a low-carbon energy transition. ** North Dakota officials approve a $32 million loan for a processing facility that will convert natural gas into liquid hydrocarbon products. …
NextEra and Entergy reach agreement for more solar power in Arkansas and 3 other states
Entergy and NextEra Energy Resources LLC, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc. (NYSE: NEE), announced a joint development agreement that will accelerate the development of up to 4.5 gigawatts (GW) of new solar generation and energy storage projects. The agreement represents significant progress toward Entergy’s growing portfolio of renewable generation. “We’re excited …
Nearly 12,000 renewable energy projects stalled by bureaucracy
A growing complaint by renewable energy developers across the country is the amount of time it takes to put their projects on line. Their main roadblock is bureaucracy. Rules and regulations. Red tape and of course in some cases, opposition by landowners and residents. A recent annual report by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory stated …
Energy briefs
** The Senate is poised to send a major energy bill to President Biden’s desk this week, which could allow for more nuclear power to be built throughout the U.S. The legislation seeks to reduce fees for companies that are proposing to build nuclear reactors and establishes a prize that aims to incentivize nuclear deployment. ** Fisker …
New Mexico utility says renewable energy will help avoid brownouts
While temperatures soared to 107 degrees in parts of New Mexico on Monday, the state’s major utility indicated it did not anticipate brownouts even after the firm closed its main coal-fired power plant near Farmington. Public Service Co. of New Mexico credits the ability to avoid brownouts after the shutdown of its San Juan …