The concept of a 100% renewable towns may have seemed farfetched in the past, but stories from many countries are starting to surface proving that such a target is possible. In Burlington VT, electricity supply comes from all renewable sources. … Continue reading 100% Renewable Energy For Burlington, VT
This article was originally posted at The Conversation. View the original post here. Reducing the renewable energy target would cost the federal budget about $680 million more to meet Australia’s target of 5% emissions reduction by 2020, according to modelling … Continue reading Renewable Energy Target cut would hit budget: modelling
This article originally posted at Green Tech Media. View the original post here. Wind, solar, geothermal and biomass are surpassing hydropower as the dominant forms of renewable electricity. And according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, this new … Continue reading Renewables Rising: Wind, Solar, Geothermal and Biomass Will Top Hydropower in 2014 (US)
This article originally posted at The Conversation. View the original post here.
In a recent article on The Conversation, University of Melbourne Professor Emeritus Frank Larkins wrote that Australia’s targets to increase renewable energy will make electricity more expensive, thanks to problems with consistency and storage.
But Professor Larkins is several years behind developments in renewable energy and its integration into electricity grids. In fact, we already have technically feasible scenarios to run the Australian electricity industry on 100% renewable energy — without significantly affecting supply. Continue reading “Renewable energy is ready to supply all of Australia’s electricity”
Originally posted at Energy Matters. View the original post here.
An investment advisory group has warned hobbling Australian’s Renewable Energy Target will negatively impact on the superannuation of millions of Australians.
The Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC ) is a collaboration of Australian and New Zealand investors examining the impact climate change has on the financial value of investments. Its management committee includes members from organisations including HESTA Super Fund, Citi Investment Research, Goldman Sachs and AMP Capital Investors.
According to the Australian Financial Review , the investor group’s chief executive Nathan Fabian has warned millions of Australians are financially exposed to renewable energy assets via their Australian-based superannuation funds. Continue reading “Threat To The RET Also A Threat To Retirement Savings”
By Ben Adler, published in Grist.Org 20th March 2014.
First, the good news — break out the champagne! The overwhelming majority of new U.S. electrical capacity is coming from wind and solar, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. FERC just released its monthly analysis for February, and the Sun Day campaign, a research and advocacy organization promoting sustainable energy, summarizes the findings:
Continue reading “Renewables dominate new U.S. electrical capacity”
Tasmanian opposition leader Will Hodgman has pledged to protect the Renewable Energy Target.
The Liberal party leader, who will contest the Tasmanian election on 15 March, told The Australian he would fight any move by Canberra to axe or dilute the Renewable Energy Target.
According to The Australian, Hodgman “planned a ‘strong’ push to ensure RET changes did not stymie the state’s key wind and hydro energy sectors.” Continue reading “Pollie Watch: Tassie opposition leader vows to protect the RET”
Published by The Conversation. View the original post.
By Tim Forcey, energy advisor at the University of Melbourne Energy Research Institute.
In late September, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) released a report investigating how wind can better be integrated into the power grid. AEMO reports that as more wind turbines are deployed over the next seven years, constraints on the way our electricity grid works – including bottlenecks in the system – mean there may be limits on how much wind-generated electricity we can use.
AEMO has not yet investigated what long-term solutions exist to avoid curtailing wind. But a joint study by the engineering and consulting company Arup and the University of Melbourne Energy Institute is looking at one possible solution.
Electricity system operators and investors could use pumped hydro energy storage to complement the growing deployment of renewable energy. The current grid struggles to push power through when it is being generated in large quantities, and to meet demand when generation is low. Storing energy from wind using pumped hydro means the electricity wouldn’t have to be sold as it is being made, but could be saved for later.
Continue reading “Pumped hydro energy storage – making better use of wind”
Media Release 28 March 2012 Friends of the Earth welcomes the news that the Victorian government will support Cetus Energy’s development of its specialised hydro generation system. However, this support is currently overshadowed by other actions to support coal over renewable energy and climate action. Energy Minister Michael O’Brien has said the technology will make “an important contribution to Victoria’s energy mix in the future” and has granted $1.6 million in funding. Friends of the Earth renewable energy campaigner Ben Courtice questions how important the technology will be overall. “It’s great if we can get extra energy out of water … Continue reading Hydro-electric support welcome, but not enough
“In the year to October 2011, just under 10 per cent of Australia’s electricity came from renewable energy. This represents a large rise on previous years due to a resurgent hydro sector and more power generated by the country’s wind … Continue reading Australian renewables came near 10% in 2011
yes2renewables.org 