Alternative energy
DOE has awarded $100M to accelerate scientific breakthroughs for a fundamentally new energy economy. On June 18, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $100M award across 32 projects – as second round of funding for Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) – to support innovative energy research that will enable fundamental advances in energy generation, supply, transmission,…...
A 742,000 acre zone offshore Massachusetts will be available for commercial wind energy leasing, doubling the federal offshore acreage available for wind development. On June 17, 2014, the Department of Interior (DOI) announced the availability of more than 742,000 acres offshore Massachusetts for commercial wind energy leasing. The proposed wind energy area (WEA) – located…...
EPA has extended compliance demonstration and attest engagement reporting deadlines for 2013 Renewable Fuel Standards. On June 16, 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published to the Federal Register a rule extending regulatory deadlines for obligated entities under the 2013 Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) program to ensure timely amendment of current deadlines before compliance obligations take…...
FERC is seeking a review of the recent court decision vacating Order 745, FERC’s final rule governing demand response resources in the wholesale market. On June 11, 2014, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) announced it will request the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia for an en banc rehearing of the…...
NYSERDA has announced higher incentives to promote net zero energy standards in the residential construction market. On June 6, 2014, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced the availability of significantly higher incentives under its Low-rise Residential New Construction Program including first incentives for homes designed for net zero energy performance…....
The EPA stressed State flexibility in its Clean Power Plan to reduce emissions 30 percent by 2030. Overview On June 2, 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed its Clean Power Plan to set carbon pollution guidelines for existing power plants and emission standards for modified and reconstructed power plants. The proposal is key…...
On March 12, 2014, Eos Energy Storage announced plans to test its Aurora energy system at a Con Edison facility in mid-2014. The pilot aims to demonstrate the value of distributed energy storage in reducing costs associated with energy infrastructure upgrades to serve peak electricity demand. The project is supported by $1M in funding from the…...
The New York State Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiative aims to answer the question of how to proceed with New York’s energy future in the face of aging electric generating plants and the need for a more resilient energy infrastructure. Overview The initiative – announced by Governor Cuomo in April 2014 – tasks the…...
Biodiesel producers have written to President Obama requesting a higher biofuel blending mandate under the 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard to enable sustained industry growth. On May 29, 2014, 117 biodiesel companies and businesses represented by the National Biofuel Board (NBB) wrote to President Obama petitioning for a higher biofuel blending mandate under the 2014 Renewable…...
An eight-state coalition formed in October 2013 to advance ZEV initiatives has released a Multi-State ZEV Action Plan identifying priority actions for interstate coordination and state-specific measures. On May 29, 2014, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the release of a Multi-State Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Action Plan. The the multi-state plan is the first milestone of…...
DOE has announced $10M in funding for new concentrating solar power technologies highlighting progress of the five most innovative plants in the southwestern U.S. On May 21, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) released a report titled “2014: The Year of Concentrating Solar Power” highlighting the progress of five major concentrating solar power (CSP) deployment…...
Multiple energy industries rely on federal tax incentives to spur private investment in commercializing renewable technologies. However, the periodic expirations of these tax credits have led to business uncertainty and an inability to make long-term planning decisions. The most recent Senate extender bill – the Expiring Provisions Improvement Reform and Efficiency (EXPIRE) Act of 2014…...