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Cameron Tells EU Renewables Goal May Cost UK 9 Billion Pounds

Prime Minister David Cameron urged the European Commission to reject calls for a renewable energy target, saying such a plan may cost U.K. consumers 9 billion pounds ($14.8 billion) a year by 2030.




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Renewable Energy Loses Out in Europe's "Lame-Duck" Climate Plan

Wind and solar power producers say they're at risk of losing investment after the European Union's executive arm scrapped proposals for a mandatory target on renewable energy use in 2030.




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Europe Divided on Supply Security as Renewable Energy Grows

European Union governments and the bloc’s executive arm are splitting over how to guarantee electricity supply as the region builds more renewable power.




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EU Leaders Said to Delay Decision on 2030 Targets for Emissions

European Union leaders intend next month to agree on a timeline for developing energy and climate targets for 2030, delaying a final decision on the polices, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.




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Iceland, Japan Can Cooperate to Boost Geothermal, Minister Says

Iceland and Japan, two nations rich with underground sources of renewable energy, can tackle climate change together by promoting the use of geothermal power, Iceland’s environment minister said.




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Musk Says Renewable Energy Shift to Bring ‘Strife’ for Utilities

Tesla Motors Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said shifting to greater use of solar and wind power will challenge utility companies.




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Energy Price Concerns Resonate in EU Talks on 2030 Climate Goals

The European Union should ensure that future climate and energy policies do not undermine the competitiveness of its industry, already weakened by a price gap with the U.S., the bloc’s member states said.




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Renewable Energy in MENA Area to Double Next Year, Desertec Says

Clean energy assets in the Middle East and North Africa will more than double in capacity by the end of next year, the Dii GmbH industry association said.




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Reykjavik to Start Drilling on $2 Billion Ethiopia Geothermal Project

Reykjavik Geothermal, the Icelandic power-plant builder, plans to begin drilling in Ethiopia by July as part of a $2 billion project to develop the renewable energy source, Chief Operating Officer Gunnar Orn Gunnarsson said.




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Will UK Carbon Emission Rules Lead to Energy Shortages?

The U.K. risks power shortages because utilities may react to Europe’s toughest carbon emissions rules by closing plants without replacing them.




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Germany’s $2.8 Billion Power Link With Norway Threatened

Talks between Germany and Norway about how to boost the trading of electricity from renewable sources are being held up by concerns that the power cable running under the North Sea won’t ever make money.




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UK Renewable Electricity Generation Rose 28 Percent in 2013

U.K. renewable power generation rose 28 percent last year as more wind farms and solar plants came online, the Department of Energy and Climate Change said.




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Clean Energy Investment Rises in Several Countries Amid Global Decline

Three G-20 nations saw an increase in clean-energy investments last year even as funding declined globally for the second consecutive year, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts.




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Japan Energy Policy Stops Short of Setting Renewables Targets

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government stopped short of setting goals for renewable energy in the final version of a draft plan that reinforces atomic power’s role in Japan’s energy future, calling it a vital source of generation.




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Utilities Threatened by Competitive Renewable Energy Growth

Technology is catching up with Thomas Edison’s electricity industry, eating away at the utility business model that hasn’t changed much in a century.




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Capital for Clean Energy Easier to Find as Investors Seek Simplicity

Simplifying finance vehicles for renewable energy will lure more investors and lower the costs of capital.




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Global Renewable Energy Should Triple to Save Climate, UN Panel Says

The world needs to triple the energy it gets from renewables, nuclear reactors and power plants that use emissions-capture technology to avoid dangerous levels of global warming, United Nations scientists said.




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CEO of German Utility RWE Says It Should Have Invested in Renewable Energy Sooner

What’s a beleaguered utility to do when forced by the government to close its profitable nuclear power plants?




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Clean Energy Investment Rises 9 Percent, Led by Solar-Power Demand

Clean energy investment rose by 9 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier on surging demand for rooftop solar panels from the U.S. to Japan.




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German Utilities Fight Renewable Energy Shift

Germany’s biggest utilities face dwindling market shares as the shift to renewable energy spurs regional power generation and storage technology, a senior member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party said.




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Hydro research and development news and updates

Research reports and study findings related to hydropower from April 2014




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GE Reportedly in Talks to Buy France’s Alstom for $13 Billion

General Electric Co. is in talks to buy Alstom SA, the French builder of trains and power plants, people with knowledge of the matter said, in what would be GE’s biggest acquisition ever.




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Africa to Quadruple Renewables on ‘Huge Potential,’ Irena Says

Africa’s renewable energy capacity is expected to quadruple to about 120 gigawatts by 2030 if investors dedicate “substantial flows” of funds to the region, the InternationalRenewable Energy Agency said.




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Obama May Consider Power Plant Rule That Tests Clean Air Act

The Obama administration is considering cutting greenhouse-gas emissions from power plants by reaching beyond the plants themselves — an unusual approach that could run afoul of anti-pollution laws.




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Obama Bid to Cut Greenhouse Gases Divides Utility, Coal Industries

Bracing for greenhouse-gas rules from the Obama administration, two industries are staking out different positions. Coal companies are pledging to sue. Electric utilities are ready to talk.




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Australia Renewable Target Cuts Would Deter Investment, Say Manufacturers

Vestas Wind Systems A/S said scaling back Australia’s renewable energy target would cut the value of more than A$10 billion ($9.4 billion) in large projects across the industry and discourage international investors.




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The latest hydroelectric power news and information

The top hydroelectric power news for May 2014




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Ohio Ready To Halt Its Renewable Portfolio Standard

Ohio is debating the sharpest break from a three-decade campaign by 29 U.S. states to reduce reliance on fossil fuels by promoting power from renewable sources.




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Japan Market for Small Geothermal Projects to Expand, Says IHI

IHI Corp., a maker of everything from aircraft jet engines to gas turbines, expects the market for small-scale geothermal projects to take off in Japan as the country seeks cleaner sources of energy.




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Former Banker Will Now Oversee Renewable Energy in India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appointed a former banker to oversee coal, power and clean-energy reforms in a move aimed at resolving fuel bottlenecks and chronic blackouts hampering economic growth.




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Is Natural Gas Sucking Investment from Renewable Energy?

U.S. President Barack Obama says natural gas can be a bridge from coal to a cleaner energy future. Investors are showing it’s more likely a bridge to nowhere.




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Iceland Moves Closer to Powering European Homes With Geothermal Energy

Iceland is moving closer to plugging European homes into the volcanic island nation’s geothermal and hydropower reserves via what would be the world’s longest power cable, according to the country’s largest energy producer.




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Japan Calls US Emissions Plan a Bold Step Away From Coal

Japan said the U.S.’s proposed cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions from its power plants is a bold step to tackle climate change.




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World Energy Supply Requires $40 Trillion Investment by 2035, Says IEA

Meeting the world’s energy supply needs by 2035 will require $40 trillion of investment, as demand grows and production and processing facilities have to be replaced, the International Energy Agency said.




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The U.S. and Canada can benefit from pioneering ocean energy work in the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is known for its pioneering work in wave, tidal and ocean current energy. The U.S. and Canada have vast marine resources and would benefit from partnerships with UK companies in a number of ways, including building expertise, sharing lessons learned and fostering industry growth.




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Unique study of net evaporation at a hydroelectric facility in Canada

A first-of-its-kind study of net evaporation at a hydroelectric facility reveals that the project has very little effect on the loss of water to the atmosphere as compared with pre-impoundment conditions.




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EU Needs Low-Carbon Energy Union, Ministers’ Advisory Panel Says

The European Union needs an ambitious emissions-reduction goal, targets for energy- efficiency and renewables as well as tools to foster investment under its planned 2030 policies, an advisory panel to 14 ministers said.




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Rehabilitation of Turbines at the Ohakuri Hydro Power Station

Turbine rehabilitation at the 112 MW Ohakuri Hydro Power Station in New Zealand was owner Mighty River Power's most complex program of works of any it had previously performed.




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Japan Bank Sets Aside $2 Billion for Clean Energy

Shinsei Bank Ltd., a lender for Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s clean-energy projects in Japan, plans to provide as much as 200 billion yen (US $2 billion) in loans for renewable developments.




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Using the BioPA method to help ensure safety of fish at the 912-MW Priest Rapids project

To help ensure the safety of fish passing through the new turbines at 912-MW Priest Rapids, Public Utility District No. 2 of Grant County is employing the BioPA method to analyze the biological performance of proposed designs - and to choose an improved one for this facility.




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Orix Plans to Build as Many as 15 Small-scale Geothermal Plants in Japan

Orix Corp., a Tokyo-based finance and leasing company, plans to build as many as 15 geothermal power stations in Japan in the next five years.




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France Spurs Efficiency, Renewables with $13.4 Billion Energy Plan

France’s planned energy law will mobilize about €10 billion (US $13.4 billion) in investment through tax credits and low-interest loans to spur efficiency and renewable power, Environment Minister Segolene Royal said.




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Australia Chills Hopes for $20 Billion Clean Energy Industry

Australia is frightening developers away from renewable energy even before the government decides whether to overhaul targets for the industry’s growth.




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South Africa Seeks to Improve Process for Renewable Energy Deals

South African Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson said her department wants to address weaknesses in the process of commissioning renewable-power projects.




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Expect $1.6 Trillion in Clean Energy Investments Through 2020, Says IEA

Investments in new clean-energy capacity will total $1.61 trillion through 2020 even as the expansion of renewables is expected to slow, the International Energy Agency said.




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Australia's Renewable Industry Imperiled Pending Policy Review

A government-appointed panel gave Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott two options to cut emissions more cheaply: either scrap or weaken its main clean energy program.




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US-China Rifts Put Aside for Clean Energy Research

The threat of climate change is driving China and the U.S. — frequent rivals and the world’s two largest greenhouse-gas emitters — to collaborate on dozens of potential clean-energy breakthroughs.




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Japan Utility to Suspend Grid Access for New Renewable Energy Producers

Kyushu Electric Power Co. will suspend responding to applications from renewable-energy producers applying to access its grid while it reviews how much more clean energy it’s capable of handling.




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RGGI Chair Says States Won’t Leave Emissions Trading Market for California, Quebec

California and Quebec, which together created the largest carbon market in North America this year, may come away empty-handed as they woo northeastern U.S. states to join their system.




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Ukraine Crisis May Spur EU Clean Energy Policies, Neste Oil Says

Europe’s concern about its reliance on Russian fossil fuels may spur governments to prioritize alternative energy, the head of Neste Oil Oyj said.