Constant power clause discriminates renewable sector

02.03.2016

Bandere, Elektrodistributivna mreža, Struja — Photo: Pixabay

Penalties for green energy producers for not delivering constant power are overregulation abuse and the Renewable Energy Producers Organization in Romania (Patres) hopes the current court case will result in a favourable verdict, its vice president Martin Moise told Energynomics portal. The regulation introduced last year equals power from renewable sources like that from a classic generator, with an explanation that it outlines suitable technical parameters, he added. Patres expects a verdict by mid-year and there are different energy providers who joined the organization’s initiative, as the norm favours generation from conventional sources, mostly operations of state-owned companies, Moise stressed.

At the Day-Ahead Market, where green power producers must pay for the deficit, prices are higher and volatile, and the system came to cover almost half of estimated net consumption in December, he said and added this results in larger bills for consumers. Patres is concerned because the introduction of the feed-in tariff is overdue. The organization believes a guaranteed price for renewable energy from small units stimulates unnecessary expansion of capacity. Furthermore, small capacities get positive discrimination at the expense of large producers, Moise said. He concluded investment in bigger units is risky in Romania.

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Zumtobel moving project bureau to Serbia

02.03.2016

Prime minister Aleksandar Vučić met Ulrich Schumacher, chief executive of Zumtobel Group AG, supplier of integral lighting solutions, to discuss further successful cooperation and investment prospects. The Austrian company decided to move its project centre for Central and Eastern Europe from Poland to Serbia. After the first meeting with Schumacher in November, Zumtobel donated advanced street lighting to Niš and the capital city, the government in Belgrade said. The Austrian group’s head said the reasons for the decision were Serbia’s favourable geographic position, tax system, highly-skilled and well-educated workforce, capable of becoming part of big companies. There are plans for expansion of operations of the regional centre to entire Europe, Schumacher said. An ad for jobs in the company is open until March 4 for 15 electrical engineers and architects. In the second phase of development, the company plans to hire another 50 Serbian university graduates, according to the statement.

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Coal is dying. Who’s going to pay for the cleanup?

29.02.2016

Over the past couple of years, a record number of coal plants have gone offline in the U.S., largely in response to falling prices, but also due to increased environmental regulations, better alternatives, and just plain bad press. Coal production hit a 30-year low in 2015, and there’s a real movement against coal now: activists have shut down coal plants and stopped the construction of new ones, as well as effectively blocked coal export terminals.

And while the Paris climate talks, unfortunately, did not call for keeping all the world’s coal underground, President Obama’s Clean Power Plan will go a long way to eliminating coal power in the U.S. He also announced that no new coal mining leases will be granted on public land. This is a good thing — coal is one of the largest sources of carbon pollution in the country, plus it’s bad for both the land it’s taken from and the people who do the taking. This week, The Wall Street Journal reports, Arch Coal Inc. became the latest coal company to file for bankruptcy — and they did it with $4.5 billion in debt. Arch joins Walter Energy, Patriot Coal, and Alpha Natural Resources, which all filed for Chapter 11 last year.

But what’s to be done with all those defunct coal plants? From the mountains of West Virginia to high deserts of Arizona, there are over 600 coal plants across the country, and when these companies go belly up, they leave behind a big mess. Someone has to clean it up. But who? Green groups — and others — are worried that by filing for bankruptcy, coal companies will be off the hook for cleanup costs. There are provisions in place to make sure this doesn’t happen, but how effective are they?

From the WSJ: Coal miners such as Arch must, under state and federal law, post reclamation bonds to show their ability to clean up the land and treat the water at their mining sites. Some states allow what is called self-bonding, in which the bonds aren’t backed by any insurance. While self-bonds can save companies money, questions arise about their ability to fulfill the bonds when they run into financial trouble. If a company can’t pay for cleaning up the polluted land and water at a mine, the bill could be passed on to taxpayers. In Arch’s case, its lenders have agreed to cover up to $75 million in cleanup and other regulatory obligations in connection with a proposed $275 million bankruptcy loan.

But that falls short of the $485 million in self-bonds that court papers show Arch has posted for its Wyoming mining operations. “Regulators must not allow Arch to shirk its responsibility to have adequate bonds for coal-mine cleanup. Bankruptcy should not be used as a haven for the company to escape its obligations,” Powder River Chairman Bob Le Resche said. “State and federal taxpayers must not be left with the bill.” But will they be? Peter Morgan, a staff attorney with the Sierra Club in Denver, told the International Business Times that “If a self-bonded company does find itself in financial difficulty, if it does end up liquidating, there’s no separate financial assurance. At that point the state is on the hook for 100 percent of those reclamation costs.”

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www.grist.org

Sri Lanka Targets 100% Renewable Energy Share By 2030

29.02.2016

Sri Lanka has given indications it intends to significantly increase the share of renewable energy in its electricity generation by the end of the next decade. Secretary to the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs recently told media outlets that his government is considering increasing the share of renewable energy in electricity generation to 100% by 2030. The new consideration by the Sri Lankan Government represents a significant increase over the recently stated plans of the countries electricity utility. The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) proposed the Long-term Generation Expansion Plan 2015-2034. Sri Lanka’s installed power generation capacity at the end of 2014 was 3.9 GW, of which 11%, or 442 MW, is based on renewable energy capacity.

Renewable capacity is dominated by mini-hydro power technology, which contributes 293 MW capacity, while wind energy technology represents 124 MW capacity. The CEB plans to increase the renewable energy capacity to 972 MW by 2020, which would contribute 20% to the total power generation in the country. Renewable energy’s share in power generation is currently expected to peak in 2025 at 21.4% with an installed capacity of 1,367 MW. As part of the Long-term Generation Expansion Plan, installed renewable energy capacity in 2034 is expected to reach 1,897 MW, with wind energy being the dominant technology. Wind energy is expected to overtake mini hydro in terms of installed capacity by 2023.

Installed capacity targets for the four renewable energy technologies projected by the CEB are mini-hydro: 673 MW; wind energy: 719 MW; biomass-based power: 279 MW; and solar power: 226 MW. The Public Utilities Commission had criticized the Long-term Generation Expansion Plan proposed by the CEB, claiming that it did not focus much on the promotion of renewable energy technologies.

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www.cleantechnica.com

Croatia has biggest rise in wind power in Southeastern Europe

26.02.2016

Wind power capacity in 2015 increased 22% in Croatia, the most in the region, as the country added 76.2 MW, data published by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) show, SeeNews reported. Croatia’s cumulative wind power capacity stood at 422.7 MW at the end of the year, EWEA said in its 2015 Wind in Power report. The countries covered by the report are Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia and Macedonia. Romania remained the region’s leader in terms of cumulative wind power capacity with 2,975.9 MW, up by 0.8% as compared to a year earlier.

Bulgaria came in second with a cumulative wind energy capacity of 691.2 MW, flat from a year earlier, followed by Croatia. Serbia installed its first 9.9 MW of wind energy. Slovenia and Macedonia ended the year with a cumulative wind energy capacity of 3.4 MW and 37 MW, respectively, both flat from a year earlier. During 2015, as much as 13,805.2 MW of wind power was installed across Europe, 5.4% more than in the previous year, as 12,800.2 MW of it was in the European Union.

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Statkraft, Credit Suisse Fund to Invest $1.2 Billion in Wind Power in Norway

25.02.2016

Statkraft AS and partners including a Credit Suisse-backed fund will invest 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) in wind power in central Norway, reviving a project after bringing down costs and boosting capacity. Together with investment company Nordic Wind Power DA and utility Troenderenergi AS, Statkraft plans to build six wind farms in mid-Norway by 2020 with a combined capacity of 1,000 MW, the company said Tuesday in a statement. Statkraft will own 52.1 percent, while Nordic Wind, a company backed by Credit Suisse Energy Infrastructure Partners, will hold 40 percent. “It is the biggest wind power investment in Norway and the biggest onshore wind power project in Europe,” President Christian Rynning-Toennesen said at a web cast press conference in Trondheim. “It will produce enough power to provide 170,000 Norwegian houses with light and heat.” Norwegian state-owned Statkraft in 2014 canceled a similar $1.4 billion wind project because it was deemed unprofitable. The new project had been ”significantly revised” to improve profitability, with fewer and larger units at windier locations farther north, according to Rynning-Tønnesen.

Economies of scale set the project apart from other renewable opportunities, Dominik Bollier, a managing partner at Credit Suisse Energy Infrastructure, said at the press conference. A long-term contract with Norwegian aluminum producer Norsk Hydro ASA finally provided the cash-flow stability needed, he said. Still, since the first project Nordic power prices for 2020 have dropped 35 percent. The region is facing a power glut from renewable generation, which caused Vattenfall AB and EON SE to decide to shut four Swedish nuclear reactors by 2020, which are able to produce 15 TWh a year. Vestas Wind Systems A/S, the Danish turbine maker, received an order for 278 units with a combined capacity of 1 GW to supply the project. Shares gained 2.9 percent as of 12:58 p.m. in Copenhagen. The joint venture, Fosen Vind DA, will build a total of six wind farms on the Fosen peninsula, the island of Hitra and in Snillfjord that will produce 3.4 TWh of power a year. “This is one of the biggest onshore industrial projects in Norway,” Petroleum and Energy Minister Tord Lien said in a statement. “The decision will contribute to the production of renewable energy and gives the basis for climate-friendly industrial development.”

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The First American City to Ban Plastic Water Bottles

22.02.2016

Plastic pollution is one of the greatest burdens to the environment. Believe it or not, enough plastic is discarded every year to circle the globe four times. Even worse, it is estimated that 50 percent of the plastic on this planet is used only once before being thrown away. To curb the issue of plastic pollution, the city of San Francisco has just done something monumental: it has become the first in America to ban the sale of plastic water bottles. The move is building a global movement to reduce the huge amount of waste from the billion-dollar plastic bottle industry which is taking a toll on the environment. Over the next four years, the ban will phase out the sales of plastic water bottles that hold 21 ounces or less in public spaces.

A waiver is permissible if an adequate alternative water source is not available, reports Global Flare. Think Outside the Bottle campaign, a national effort that encourages restrictions of the “eco-unfriendly product,” was one of the largest supporters of the proposal. While the San Francisco ban is less strict than the full prohibitions passed in 14 national parks and a number of universities in Concord, Massachusetts, it is a step in the right direction. Those who violate the ban could face fines of up to $1,000. That’s certainly an incentive to invest in are usable glass bottle. The ban is “another step forward on our zero-waste goal,” said Joshua Arce, the chairman of the Commission on the Environment.

Please look here for campaign flyer: think_outside_the_bottle_flier

“We had big public events for decades without plastic bottles and we’ll do fine without them again.” This isn’t the first effort by the city to curb plastic pollution. In the past, San Francisco banned plastic bags and plastic foam containers. By 2020, the city aims to have no waste going to its landfill. Its diversion rate now stands at 80 percent. What did the American Beverage Association, which includes Coca-Cola Co. and Pepsi Co, have to say about the plastic bottle ban? The ban is “nothing more than a solution in search of a problem. This is a misguided attempt by city supervisors to decrease waste in a city of avid recycles.” San Francisco may be more recycle-happy than other cities, but plastic pollution needs to be curbed. Perhaps in the future, other cities will follow the city’s bold lead and phase out plastics completely.

Source: http://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org

IEA and UfM join forces to strengthen climate action in the Euro-Mediterranean region

22.02.2016

The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) signed on 17 February in Paris a memorandum of understanding (MoU) setting out the outlines of closer co-operation between the two organisations on projects of mutual interest in the energy field.

“This memorandum of understanding is in line with the IEA’s objective of expanding bilateral energy programmes both with individual partner countries and inter-governmental organizations such as the UfM. Together, we will identify the challenges and opportunities that I am certain can best be addressed through joint action and collective responsibility,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol (right in photo).

UfM Secretary General Fathallah Sijilmassi (left) stated that “fostering regional co-operation in the field of energy is paramount to effectively advance regional integration, stability and human development. The MoU with IEA represents a clear opportunity to develop synergies and implement joint actions that can contribute to these common goals.” The two parties share similar goals and have together identified a number of potential areas of co-operation. These include, but are not limited to, joint projects involving research and technical assistance; collaboration on joint publications; data sharing; training and capacity building; and regional co-operation on energy efficiency and renewable energies as well as the exchange of expertise between the two parties in areas such as climate change, the water-energy-food nexus and regional energy market integration. In order to give a new political impulse to regional co-operation on energy, the 43 UfM member states decided in May 2015 to establish three high level UfM Energy Platforms on gas, regional electricity markets, and renewable energy and energy efficiency. The MoU is valid for five years and may be extended for subsequent additional periods of three years.

www.iea.org

Mayoral hopefuls urged to back tenfold increase in London solar capacity

19.02.2016

London could deliver a tenfold increase in solar power over the next 10 years, closing the gap which has seen the capital become the worst performing major city and region in the UK for solar adoption. That is the conclusion of a new report released today by campaign group Greenpeace, which is calling on all of the London Mayoral candidates to come forward with a detailed plan to boost the city’s flagging solar industry. Both frontrunners, Labour’s Sadiq Khan and the Conservative’s Zac Goldsmith, have said they want to boost the city’s solar sector, but the Greenpeace report challenges them to adopt specific policies to improve the adoption of solar technologies across the capital. The report highlights how just 0.5 per cent of London’s 3.4 million homes use solar power, lagging far behind adoption rates in the rest of the country.

It argues that a suite of policies could drive faster adoption of solar technologies, including “establishing a London Solar Task Force to bring together communities, investors, and industry groups; installing solar panels in unused spaces owned by Transport for London and City Hall; and loaning out roof space to community energy projects”. It also proposes the issuing of green bonds to fund solar projects in the capital and makes the case for a London equivalent of the feed-in tariff to restore some of the incentives cut last year by the government. The campaign group said analysis by consultancy Energy for London showed this range of measures could deliver a 10-fold increase in solar power across London by 2025, delivering solar panels on close to 200,000 London rooftops at a cost of 0.3 per cent of the investment needed through to 2050 to meet the capital’s rising energy demand. “London is a world leader in innovation, yet it’s missing out on the energy revolution of the century,” said Greenpeace UK energy campaigner Barbara Stoll. “From rooftop space to business know-how and grassroots enthusiasm, the capital has the complete toolkit to unleash a solar revolution that can generate jobs, investments, clean and ever cheaper energy for tens of thousands of Londoners. What’s long been missing is the political will to make it happen.

London badly needs solar champions, and we want the next mayor to be one.” Her comments were echoed by Leonie Greene, head of external affairs at the Solar Trade Association. “If our capital city is to move from solar laggard to solar leader the new mayor will need a very ambitious solar vision indeed,” she said. “It is good news that the Mayoral candidates recognize the failure to deliver on solar to date, and they have set out some impressive solar policies. But Greenpeace is right that the new Mayor will need not only every power at their disposal, but a great deal of creativity and innovation to help overcome the roll-back in support from central government.” In related news, the Green Party’s Mayoral candidate Sian Berry will today announce plans to set up a new London Energy Company to ensure Crossrail is powered by 100 per cent clean electricity. The proposed company would operate as a subsidiary of Transport for London and would be tasked with installing solar panels across its own 5,700-acre estate of stations, depots, offices, other commercial units and brownfield sites. It would then also support solar farms on the outskirts of London that would ultimately seek to cover 100 per cent of the power required by Crossrail.

“There is huge potential in London for a wide range of low- and zero-carbon technologies to be used to generate heat and electricity from the sun, the wind, the ground and air using heat pumps, gas created from waste, and from London’s tides and river flows,” Berry will say. “Unfortunately Boris Johnson hasn’t even bothered to push solar PV. That means London has missed out on the UK’s solar revolution, with cities in the north of England and even Scotland installing more panels per home than London, even though we get more sun in the south. Our London Energy Company will work to turn this situation around.”

www.theguardian.com

Solar power at night? Solar City and Tesla say they can do it

19.02.2016

Solar City, the solar energy company whose largest shareholder is Tesla Motors chief executive Elon Musk, has picked batteries made by his electric-car maker to provide 13 megawatts of electric storage for an array of solar panels to be built on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The combined solar and energy storage system is designed to give KIUC, the Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative, dispatch able electricity in the evening, and after the sun goes down. KIUC has a 20-year contract with Solar City to buy the solar generated electricity at a competitive price of 14.5 cents per kilowatt hour. Solar City has chosen Tesla as its battery provider.

The project now needs approval by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission. Last April, Musk unveiled a suite of batteries to store electricity for homes, businesses and utilities, marking Tesla’s expansion beyond electric cars with battery technology that Musk said would “fundamentally change the way the world uses energy.” The equipment allows businesses and homeowners to store power, reducing the need to rely on utility grids for electricity. The deal with Solar City and KIUC gives some momentum for Tesla Energy, and Musk has said utility-scale deals could be 80 per cent to 90 per cent of sales for the business unit. The company’s Power wall battery, which can be installed in home garages, has generated enormous interest from consumers. But the bigger market is the larger Powerpack, which allows utilities to reduce the need for expensive facilities that only run during times of peak demand. Solar City’s deal also shows how Musk’s two companies can link up to help each one find more business in two relatively nascent markets.

“Global excitement in Tesla Energy products remains very strong,” said Tesla in its recent fourth-quarter letter to shareholders. “To accommodate this demand, we transitioned production to the Gigafactory in Q4. While this transition did take slightly longer than we had expected, both Power wall and Power pack production is now operating smoothly and expanding at the Giga factory.” In the utility industry, energy storage is finally coming of age. In Tesla’s home state of California, a groundbreaking energy storage mandate requires PG&E Corp., Edison International’s Southern California Edison and Sempra Energy’s San Diego Gas & Electric to collectively buy 1.3 gigawatts of energy storage capacity by the end of 2020. New York is also turning to storage to relieve congestion on transmission lines and plans for the potential retirement of aging power plants.

www.afr.com

With renewable energy sources to cleaner future

16.02.2016

The use of renewable energy has become one of the key components of sustainable development after developed countries have recognized the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Although Serbia has great energy potential when it comes to these sources of energy, it is insufficiently or not at all used.
Our country is the biggest part of the energy obtained by burning fossil fuels, coal , oil and gas, and in that way contributes to global climate change. On the impact of these changes in our country are mainly forests, water , agriculture, transportation and electric power. The biggest challenge in Serbia represents a transition to cleaner technologies , with cost-effective , which further hampers the undeveloped market and the lack of experience in Serbia. Based on the potential of renewable resources and the needs of clients, Sberbank has created a special model for financing renewable energy. Project financing refers to the construction of buildings or facilities for the production of electricity using renewable energy sources , which will be the subject of connection to the electricity grid in order to sell electricity. To implement the model of project financing it is necessary to establish a new company (Special Purpose Company ), which is the carrier of the project , and the founders of the newly established companies may be individuals , legal persons and in special cases, companies with proven experience in this field.

The project of construction of these facilities must be in accordance with the current Law on Planning and Construction and the Law on Energy with the participation of investors from a minimum of 30 % of the investment. By investing in renewable energy sources confirm responsibility and together with our clients we build a healthier environment.

EPS and KfW together to green energy, Arne Gooss, director of KfW bank in Serbia

16.02.2016

For us, EPS is an important partner within our cooperation with Serbia. ЕPS is definitively on the right track to improve its future performance on market bases. The German development bank (KfW) will continue the cooperation with the “Electric Power Industry of Serbia“, which has lasted for more than a decade. Investments of around 126 million euros had been planned for projects by which environmental protection and the use of renewable energy resources were to be increased, said Arne Gooss, director of KfW office in Serbia, in his interview for “EPS Energy“.

When do you expect the new projects with EPS to be started? How much will KfW invest in them? The project „Transport of Ash in TPPNT A“ is on the starting line, its main purpose being a significant reduction in environmental pollution during the transport and dumping of ash. Around 60.000 people living in the vicinity of the Thermal Power Plant “Nikola Tesla A“ in Obrenovac will be protected from significant environmental pollution, and particularly from air pollution. The scope of KfW funding in this project amounts to 45 million euros. The beginning of project implementation has been planned for 2016, and the relevant loan agreements are being prepared. We have started further joint activities related to the promotion of renewable energy resources. The works on the rehabilitation and modernization of the hydro power plant in Zvornik have recently began and they should be concluded in 2019. KfW has supported this financially with 70 million euros. Prior to this, the implementation of the project of the wind farm “Kostolac“ is the first in line and it should be started in 2016.

The necessary project assessment has already been carried out, and the share of KfW in the funding would amount to around 81 million euros. EPS is undergoing major organizational changes. What would be your assessment of the results of reorganization and what are the main benefits for the company and for Serbia? Where do the main challenges still remain? Can KfW help EPS in this process and in what way? The implementation of institutional reform and reorganization measures should strengthen the EPS so that it could act on the domestic and the international energy market in a sustainable and efficient way. We are very glad to be able to give our contribution to the establishment of a more efficient and environmentally more compatible electricity production in Serbia through the mentioned projects. Are you satisfied with the cooperation between EPS and KfW and what are the main projects which have marked this cooperation? The energy sector has a special place in the developmental cooperation between Serbia and Germany, which was started 15 years ago. One half of our entire scope of funding in Serbia which amounts to 1.7 billion euros is intended precisely for the energy sector. In addition to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Mining and Energy, the EPS is a partner of KfW in the majority of projects within the electricity sector.

The beginning of cooperation included the “urgent measures“ programs, which referred to overhauls in power plants, the import of spare parts for power plants and the funding of electricity imports. The cooperation with the “Electric Power Industry of Serbia“ has developed on many levels. Now, the focus is on the coal quality management and the environmental protection measures in power plants and open pit mines, as well as on the rehabilitation of hydro power plants, which has just been carried out in HPP “Bajina Bašta“ and which has recently began in the HPP “Zvornik“. The aim is to increase the efficiency of electricity production, at the same time reducing the emission of harmful gases. For us, EPS is an important partner within our cooperation with Serbia. Not only the intensified and permanent cooperation, which has lasted for more than a decade, but also the diversity of this cooperation speak for themselves. The partnership with EPS is based on the objective to implement projects successfully, as well as to jointly overcome the numerous challenges in complex projects. The professionalism of EPS during the implementation of projects, and particularly the echnical “know-how“ of those employed on the projects represent an important basis of our joint cooperation. What will be the focus of KfW in Serbia and what new projects have been planned?

The focus of cooperation of KfW bank, which acts by order of the German Federal Government, i.e. the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, is directed towards the fields of environmental protection and promotion of sustainable economic development. Within the sphere of promotion of sustainable economic development, KfW places at the disposal of local banks the credit lines which can be used by municipalities, companies and citizens for the investments in energy efficiency increase and renewable energy resources, as well as for agricultural and municipal investments in general. Credit lines for eco-loans are among new projects, these loans being particularly intended for small and medium-sized companies in Serbia for funding the investments in energy efficiency increase. In addition to energy efficiency and renewable energy resources, the central area of environmental protection also includes the modernization of heat supply, water supply and waste waters treatment, as well as the odernization of waste management, but also the important issues related to municipal infrastructure. The aim is to support Serbia in the fulfilment of stipulated obligations with respect to the EU accession process and to contribute to the achievement of corresponding standards within the sphere of environmental protection. The proposals for future projects within the field of energy, which have been prepared together with the Serbian partners, include the cooperation with the “Power Grids of Serbia” for increasing the capacity of transmission grids to 440 kV, primarily the connection Kraljevo – Kragujevac and Obrenovac – Bajina Bašta and the cooperation with EPS in the implementation of environmental protection measures in power plants, as well as the promotion of renewable energy resources. What was your experience in the project of the HPP “Bajina Bašta“? What is your vision for the continuation of cooperation with EPS?

The cooperation on the rehabilitation of HPP “Bajina Bašta“ was the starting point for funding joint investments with EPS within the field of renewable energy resources. Within this project, which was successfully implemented in 2013., four power units of the hydro power plant were completely modernized. This did not contribute only to the 12 percent increase in the performance of the hydro power plant and the extension of operating life by 25 years, but also to the increase in energy efficiency during electricity production. Thereby, the participation of renewable energy resources in the overall energy production in Serbia has been increased on one hand and, on the other, the emission of harmful gases has been reduced. Within the sphere of renewable energy resources, further joint activities with EPS have been planned, with respect to further utilization of hydro power as well as of wind power.

Source: www.esiasee.eu

Obama says confident in legal footing after Supreme Court carbon decision

15.02.2016

climate-change-2254711_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday called the Supreme Court’s decision to delay implementation of his administration’s Clean Power Plan “unusual” and expressed confidence that the White House would prevail. “We’re very confident that we’re on strong legal footing here,” he told a group of Democratic donors in California in his first public remarks about the move. In Washington, Gina McCarthy, Obama’s head of the Environmental Protection Agency, told state energy and environmental regulators that the ruling “is not going to slow us down.”

The Supreme Court on Tuesday delivered a blow to the plan, the centerpiece of Obama’s climate change policy and backbone of his administration’s commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions pledged last year in Paris. Obama said the Supreme Court had in fact required the EPA to regulate carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act if they were shown, as scientists had, to be harmful to public health. He said some people had commented to him in recent days that the Supreme Court’s decision had struck down the Clean Power Plan. “That’s not true. So don’t despair, people,” he said. McCarthy told state regulators tasked with complying with the rule she is confident the plan will survive the legal challenges and tried to boost morale among the officials. “I want you to do as I am doing,” McCarthy told the crowd. “Pick myself up, rededicate myself and tell the people in this country that we are there to serve them,” she said, while shaking her fists in the air. The Supreme Court stay was a “small pause” in what has been a years-long effort of the EPA and states to get the Clean Power Plan off the ground, she said.

The plan was designed to lower carbon emissions from U.S. power plants by 2030 to 32 percent below 2005 levels. The Supreme Court ordered a delay in implementation until legal challenges to the regulation are completed. “This Supreme Court has said the Environmental Protection Agency is required to regulate carbon emissions if it’s a threat to the public health. And we clearly can show that that’s the case,” Obama said. Fighting climate change is critical to the president’s legacy as he completes his final year in office.

www.reuters.com

Ministry’s assessment for wind park annulled

15.02.2016

wind-energy — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The Administrative Court in Split accepted Association BIOM’s law suit and declared invalid the decision of Croatia’s Ministry of Environmental and Nature Protection to accept the construction of Bila Ploča wind power plant in Pelješac peninsula in the country’s south. This is the first ruling which blocks a project in an area significant for bird protection as it has been determined that the environmental impact assessment study was unfounded, BIOM said. According to its press release, studies have been produced unprofessionally for years, including findings related to the Natura 2000 network.

The process was initiated by the association and the Croatian Society for Bird and Nature Protection three years ago and the court issued the ruling on December 28. The situation with the study was absurd as state institutions had identified the area as significant for bird protection on an international level, said Vedran Lucić, spokesman of BIOM, and added that bad positioning of wind power plants can cause high mortality of birds and bats, as they collide with turbine blades.

Unfounded studies are the consequence of direct deals between investors and producers of the document, and the ministry tolerates actions against protected species and habitats in Croatia, the press release said. BIOM has three more pending law suits related to bird protection, for wind parks in the mountains of Dinara and Velebit.

www.balkangreenenergynews.com

Senegal Is Second African Country to Join ‘Scaling Solar’ to Quickly Develop Clean Energy

12.02.2016

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, signed an agreement on Tuesday with the government of Senegal to develop up to 200 megawatts of solar power under Scaling Solar, a World Bank Group initiative helping African countries procure renewable energy quickly and affordably. The planned utility-scale solar photovoltaic project underscores the government’s commitment to integrate renewable energy resources in the West African country’s energy mix.

The World Bank Group’s Scaling Solar program has gained momentum across sub-Saharan Africa with this new agreement with Senegal to develop large-scale solar power through private investment quickly and affordably with competitive and transparent tendering. It follows an agreement with Zambia in 2015 that has already generated significant market interest. “This innovative partnership with Senegal is important for creating a new market for solar power investment in the region,” said Vera Songwe, IFC Director for West and Central Africa. “Scaling Solar is an excellent example of how World Bank Group expertise can help governments in the region meet their most pressing needs.”

Scaling Solar offers a “one-stop shop” package of advice, project documents, risk management products, finance and insurance that gives even small countries the purchasing power of larger markets and helps attract leading private sector developers to new geographies. IFC will help the Government of Senegal conduct due diligence and tender the solar project, and IFC, the World Bank and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency are expected to support its bidding phase. “Access to electricity is fundamental for Senegal’s economic development,” said Louise Cord, World Bank Director for Senegal. “Scaling Solar will help the Government of Senegal to draw on an abundant renewable energy source to deliver energy quickly and efficiently, helping to meet the objectives of the Plan Senegal Emergent.”

An agreement with Zambia, signed in August 2015, has already led to major advances toward the first large-scale solar facility in the southern African country. Zambia’s Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) has announced that 48 companies sought to prequalify for their two initial 50 megawatt solar projects under Scaling Solar. According to World Bank data, just over half the population of Senegal currently has access to electricity. With energy accounting for an estimated 2.5 percent of Senegal’s gross national product annually, the World Bank Group has doubled its efforts in the sector.

www.ifc.org

Commission welcomes landmark deal on CO2 standard for aircraft emissions

11.02.2016

The Commission welcomes the agreement reached yesterday within the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on the first ever-global standard to cap CO2 emissions from aircraft. EU Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc said, “This agreement is an important step to curb aviation emissions. An ambitious climate policy is an integral part of the Commission’s plan to create an Energy Union, and a priority of the new Aviation Strategy. The EU played a central role in brokering this deal, as it did at the COP21 in Paris. I hope this will create further momentum for the creation of a Global Market-Based Measure to offset CO2 emissions from international aviation, which we hope to achieve this autumn at the ICAO General Assembly.”

Background

Meeting in Montreal, the ICAO’s Committee on Aviation and Environmental Protection (CAEP) agreed on a CO2 standard, which will guide the certification of aircraft towards greater fuel-efficiency. The stringency and the applicability dates, which the CO2 standard imposes, will depend on the weight of the aircraft and whether it concerns a “new type” aircraft or an “in-production” aircraft. For large new aircraft types, a very ambitious standard was agreed, to incentivise ever-greater fuel efficiency performance of future aircraft fleets. For such aircraft types, the standard will apply as of 2020. By 2028, existing aircraft types will also have to apply the new standard. Over the period until 2040, the CO2 standard could help save up to 650 million tonnes of CO2.
This agreement concludes six years of international negotiations. It will be brought before the 39th ICAO Assembly in September for political endorsement, and is expected to be formally adopted by the ICAO Council in early 2017.

Please look here for more informations:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STATEMENT-16-267_en.htm

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