In preparation of the winter months ahead, Ergodyne announced its launch of new products to their extensive line of N-Ferno cold-weather gear. These new additions come just in time as retailers and customers start to think ahead to the winter months. “We listened to worker feedback on the type of protection they need on the job…
A trio of reports highlight growth of wind energy in 2018
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released annual market reports documenting data and trends in wind installations, technologies, costs, prices, and performance through the end of 2018 for three sectors: utility-scale land-based, offshore, and distributed wind. “Onshore wind energy installation continues to grow across the country, and this Administration has proven that we can…
BOEM Oregon to host renewable energy task force meeting
The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is holding a BOEM an Oregon Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force meeting on September 27. Members of the public are invited to attend. In addition to providing an update on BOEM activities and an overview of the offshore renewable energy leasing process, BOEM…
Vineyard Wind submits proposals for additional offshore wind development
Vineyard Wind confirmed that it has submitted a set of commercial large-scale offshore wind proposals to Massachusetts Electric Distribution Companies (EDCs), as part of the commonwealths’ second Section 83C procurement for clean energy generation and transmission. The proposals include a required 400-MW option and two options for development of an 800 MW project. “Vineyard Wind…
Walmart wins a Duke Energy 2019 Power Partner award
A half-dozen organizations have been chosen to receive Duke Energy‘s long-standing Power Partner award for 2019. Among them is Walmart, recognized for its commitment to sustainability and renewable energy. The Power Partner award program, which began in 1992, honors businesses and other organizations that achieve notable results in categories including solutions innovation, community excellence, economic…
New 150-MW Arriba Wind Farm coming to Colorado
Holy Cross Energy (HCE) and Guzman Energy announced they have signed an agreement with NGC Partners to develop the 150-MW Arriba Wind Farm in Lincoln County, Colorado. HCE will purchase 100 MW of the project’s output, producing enough energy to supply approximately 30% of HCE’s annual energy requirements. Guzman Energy will use the remaining 50…
Bay State Wind submits bid to build offshore wind farm in Massachusetts
Bay State Wind, a 50/50 joint venture between Ørsted and Eversource, submitted its proposal in response to the commonwealth’s second Request for Proposals (RFP) for offshore wind energy generation. Bay State Wind included proposals for a 400 and 800-MW project. “Since day one our team has been focused on delivering cost-effective, renewable offshore wind energy…
DNV GL establishes Renewables Certification operations in the U.S.
DNV GL has established a Renewables Certification office in the United States to meet the growing demands for certification services for the nascent offshore wind industry. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), there is the potential to install 22,000 MW of offshore wind projects in the U.S. by 2030. Much of this activity…
Castrol launches new Wind Academy to “up-skill” O&M techs
Castrol, a provider of lubricants to the wind energy industry, is launching the Castrol Wind Academy. The new Academy is a multi-channel training program designed to up-skill wind energy operations and maintenance (O&M) technician teams with the latest insights, technologies, processes, and examples of how best practices in O&M can improve operational efficiency, equipment life…
New NRDC tool calculates cost of electricity by resource & region
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has launched a new tool that can help utilities, institutions, state, and local policymakers, and the public get better answers about the changing economics of today’s power sector. The NRDC tool improves upon existing methods to compare, on an apples-to-apples basis, the cost of producing power from different technologies…
ENGIE signs renewable energy deal with New Jersey school
ENGIE Resources, one of the top commercial electricity providers in the nation, announced a five-year energy agreement with Princeton Day School, which provides the campus with budget certainty while also encouraging the development of renewable energy, including wind farms and solar arrays. Princeton Day School is a private coeducational day school in New Jersey. The…
Offshore wind growth could mean 16-MW wind turbines
As the global offshore wind energy market appears poised for significant growth in the coming years, that growth will be driven by demand and cost reductions in new technology, according to IntelStor, a cloud-based market intelligence platform for renewable energy. IntelStor has previously predicted a global offshore wind market of 355 GW by 2050, up…
New law lets Illinois set limits on greenhouse gas emissions
Illinois, Governor JB Pritzker recently signed House Bill 3481, repealing the Kyoto Protocol Act of 1998 that limits state action to curb greenhouse gas emissions. “We know that Illinoisans are suffering the effects of climate change, and we must act now,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “That’s why I joined the Climate Alliance in my first…
New Jersey adds new stakeholder meetings on Draft Energy Master Plan
In response to high demand and a large number of interested stakeholders, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has added two stakeholder meetings for members of the public to provide input on the Draft 2019 Energy Master Plan. Through Executive Order 28, state Governor Murphy set an ambitious goal in June, setting New Jersey…
NREL field trials validate wind-turbine wake steering impacts
With funding from the Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) has developed the FLOw Redirection and Induction in Steady State (FLORIS) model to help wind plant operators optimize turbine interactions. This open-source software lets users design controllers that can choose the best yaw angles for wind-turbine operation under different conditions. (Read more…
New York Siting Board approves 101.8-MW Eight Point Wind project
The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment (Siting Board) granted approval to Eight Point Wind LLC to build and operate a wind farm facility in Steuben County, New York. The Siting Board’s decision follows a rigorous review and public participation process to ensure that the wind farm meets or exceeds…
Wisconsin regulators approve Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission project
The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) unanimously voted to preliminarily approve the proposed Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line project. Cardinal-Hickory Creek is a proposed 345-kV transmission line that would run from Hickory Creek substation in Dubuque County, Iowa, to the Cardinal substation in Dane County, Wisconsin. Studies indicate that the Cardinal-Hickory Creek Project is a…
Connecticut seeking proposals for up to 2 GW in offshore wind
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has released a request for proposals (RFP) for offshore wind power as required under Public Act 19-71 — An Act Concerning the Procurement of Energy Derived from Offshore Wind. This request for proposals seeks up to 2,000 MW of offshore wind. DEEP launched this historic RFP…
Three keys for choosing and analyzing gear oil in wind turbines
A wind turbine is only as reliable as the quality of its components, and this is particularly true of a turbine’s main gearbox. The job of the gearbox is to speed slow, high-torque rotation into a much faster rotation for the turbine’s generator. However, the harsh operating conditions turbines endure — including variations in wind…
Missouri regulators approve 299-MW Ameren wind project
The Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) has granted a certificate of convenience and necessity (CCN) to Ameren Missouri to construct, own, and operate an approximate 299-MW wind facility. The wind farm, known as the Outlaw Project, is in Atchison County. Under the agreement approved by the PSC, the Outlaw Project will be constructed pursuant to…