In 2015, the United States added about 3,600 megawatts of wind power capacity in the first nine months. This addition is almost triple the amount from a year earlier and is attributed to private sector businesses and local governments moving to lineup their own supplies of electricity. The growth was driven largely by private companies who are now joining utilities which have traditionally been the largest developers of wind energy projects. Amazon, Hewlett Packard and the City of Washington D.C. all signed contracts in the third quarter of 2015 to purchase wind power. In addition, Microsoft and Wal-Mart have announced… Read more
Tag: electricity
Proposed Solar Financing Legislation Tees Georgia Solar Industry Up for Major Expansion
Representative Mike Dudgeon (R-Johns Creek) introduced HB 57, the Solar Power Free Market Financing Act of 2015, in Georgia’s General Assembly on Thursday, January 15. The bill, which SGR’s Steve O’Day worked closely with Rep. Dudgeon and others in developing language for the bill and in negotiating an agreement among the solar industry and Georgia’s 88 electric utilities, will clarify Georgia law to allow financing of solar systems for residences and businesses in which the payments for the system are based on the electricity produced. Georgia’s businesses and residents will be able to utilize the same kinds of free-market financing for solar… Read more
Pursuit of US Offshore Wind Energy Takes a Step Forward, Yet Technical, Legal Challenges Remain
With nearly 100,000 miles of coastline, the US Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that US offshore wind holds the potential to provide 900,000 megawatts of electricity, which is roughly the energy necessary to power 270 million homes. Yet, it may come as a surprise to the general public that there are currently zero operational offshore wind farms in the US. In a bid to pursue the feasibility of the nascent American offshore wind energy industry, the DOE announced in 2012 that seven offshore wind “demonstration projects” would receive approximately $4 million each in federal matching funds, aimed at exploring the… Read more
EPA Issues Statement Stating it is “On Track” to Issue Greenhouse Gas Rule for Existing Power Plants
The EPA Administrator, Gina McCarthy, stated on February 10 that it is “on track” to issue a proposed carbon dioxide emission standard for existing power plants in June of 2014. According to the EPA, generation of electricity is the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for approximately 33% of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. According to McCarthy, the new rule will “…encourage clean energy investment that expands domestic industries and secures good paying jobs here in the United States, while making sure there is space for a diverse fuel supply.” For more information, contact Phillip Hoover or… Read more
Recent Legislation for Green Buildings
The New York City Council has recently enacted, at Mayor Bloomberg’s request, four laws[1] that are designed to increase the energy efficiency of buildings in New York City. The legislation is rather complex, with various “start” dates, but the basic provisions that apply to cooperatives and condominiums are as follows: Effective July 1, 2010, all alterations, including apartment alterations, that require building permits must comply with the new New York City Energy Conservation Code and must be certified accordingly. Commencing January 1, 2013, all owners of “covered buildings” (those over 50,000 gross square feet) must file an energy efficiency report… Read more