Renewable Energy News

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a 10-year pilot license to Public Utility District No. 1 Snohomish County for the proposed Admiralty Inlet Pilot Tidal Project to be located in the Puget Sound. The 600-kW Admiralty Inlet Project is an experimental project designed to determine whether commercial development of the tidal energy resources of Puget Sound is commercially viable. The license authorizes Public Utility District No. 1 to study, monitor, and evaluate the environmental, economic, and cultural effects of hydrokinetic energy.

First Solar completed the 1.3MW solar PV power plant at Kitakyushu-shi. Powered by First Solar FS Series 3 Black PV modules, the plant will generate approximately 1,400 MWh of solar electricity per year. Power from the project will be purchased by Kyushu Electric Power Company. First Solar holds 100 percent equity in the project. Obayashi Corporation and Yaskawa Electric Corporation constructed the project.

DTE Energy Services (DTEES) finished its construction project to convert a shuttered coal-fired power plant at the Port of Stockton to operate on biomass fuel. The plant, known as Stockton Biomass, began commercial operations on Feb. 21. It is selling its renewable power to PG&E. The plant will use about 320,000 tons of woody biomass fuel annually to generate about 45 MW of power. The fuel primarily is derived from urban wood waste, tree trimmings and agricultural processes.

GE unveiled its 2.75-120 wind turbine, part of GE's brilliant wind platform. The 2.75-120 that provides 5 percent more annual energy production than GE's 2.5-120 model and is available with various tower technologies, ranging between 85-139 meters, and optional energy storage. The new turbine is available on a steel, hybrid or space frame tower. The range of tower height spans 85-139 meters tall.

Duke Energy Renewables acquired two 20-MW AC California solar projects from renewable energy developer Infigen Energy. The Pumpjack and Wildwood Solar Power Projects, located in Kern County near Bakersfield, represent Duke Energy Renewables' third and fourth utility-scale solar power projects in the state. The solar energy generated from the two projects will be sold through 20-year PPA with Southern California Edison.

SunEdison, along with Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, National Bank of Arizona (NBAZ), and Sol Systems announced a $50 million fund to build a 13.4 MW solar portfolio for the State of California prison and hospital systems. Sol Systems advised Nationwide Mutual Insurance on the acquisition of the equity in the transaction. SunEdison secured long-term debt for the projects from the National Bank of Arizona (NBAZ).

SPI Solar (SPI) and KDC Solar agreed to jointly develop and own the Mountain Creek solar project in Vernon, New Jersey. The agreement, which also entails project administration requirements, enables both companies to move forward in completing the project, which calls for the design, development and build-out of multiple solar energy facilities at the Mountain Creek Resort. In addition, both companies have also agreed to execute a project administration agreement covering the performance of services for the Mountain Creek project by SPI.

Alterra Power completed the acquisition of the Shannon wind project, a 202-MW wind farm in Clay County, Texas, from Horn Wind. Alterra also placed a $4.5 million cash deposit with Oncor, the project's transmission service provider, which will now begin the design and equipment procurement for the project's interconnection substation. In December 2013, Alterra completed certain construction activities to ensure the Shannon project will qualify for the U.S.

Siemens Energy was awarded an order by Minnesota Power for 64 units of the company's latest 3-MW D3 platform wind turbines to be installed at the Bison Wind Energy Center near New Salem, North Dakota. The wind turbines feature a 113-meter rotor and 92.5-meter hub height and thus increased rating of 3.2 MW. Installation of the turbines is scheduled to begin in mid-June 2014, and commercial operation is slated for December 2014.

SunEdison and MIC Solar Energy Holdings completed a 16.4 MW PV solar power plant located outside Tucson, Arizona on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (AFB). The project was developed with a public/private alliance between Davis-Monthan AFB, SunEdison, The North American Development Bank (NADB), MIC Solar Energy Holdings, Chevron Energy Solutions and local officials. MIC Solar Energy Holdings took ownership of the project and SunEdison Renewable Operation Center (ROC) will manage plant operations through a contract with MIC Solar Energy Holdings.