Oregonian: Oregon's Signature Solar Energy Project Built on Foundation of False Hopes
Dignitaries gathered on a dry Klamath Falls hillside in August 2011 to celebrate the launch of the largest solar power project ever attempted in Oregon.
As then-Gov. John Kitzhaber and others dug their golden shovels into the hard ground, they were adamant that this was not another state-sponsored green energy boondoggle. This $27 million collection of solar arrays would be a boon for the economy as well as the environment.
But those solar arrays rest on a foundation of falsehoods and false hopes, an investigation by The Oregonian/OregonLive has found.
Bloomberg: India to Quadruple Renewable Capacity to 175 Gigawatts by 2022
India plans to quadruple its renewable power capacity to 175 gigawatts by 2022 as part of the government’s plan to supply electricity to every household, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Saturday.
India will seek to add 100 gigawatts of photovoltaic capacity, 60 gigawatts of wind power, 10 gigawatts of biomass and 5 gigawatts of hydro projects, Jaitley said in New Delhi in his budget speech for the fiscal year beginning April 1.
New York Times: Rio Tinto May Exit From the Coal Business
In its latest effort to slash costs as commodity prices fall, Rio Tinto is letting go its energy chief and rolling its coal and uranium businesses into two other units, a move that could signal its intention to divest its coal assets.
The world's second-largest mining company said on Friday it will fold its coal mines in Australia into the copper division, while its smaller uranium business will be added to the diamonds and minerals group, leaving the company with four product groups, including iron ore and aluminum.
Journal Sentinel: Scott Walker Wants to End Renewable Energy Program
In an about-face from his first term, Gov. Scott Walker wants to eliminate funding for a University of Wisconsin-Madison renewable energy research center that has played a key role in helping land one of its biggest government grants ever.
In his budget, Walker is proposing to eliminate $8.1 million over two years -- a total of 35 positions -- from a bioenergy program.
The reductions are separate from his proposal to cut $300 million from the University of Wisconsin System over the next two years.
BBC: Plans Unveiled for World's First Tidal Lagoon Power Plant
Plans to generate electricity from the world's first series of tidal lagoons have been unveiled in the U.K.
The six lagoons -- four in Wales and one each in Somerset and Cumbria -- will capture incoming and outgoing tides behind giant sea walls, and use the weight of the water to power turbines.
A £1B Swansea scheme, said to be able to produce energy for 155,000 homes, is already in the planning system.