STUFF

Europe's 2nd biggest coal plant - 4Gw in England - to convert 1st of 6 boilers next month to burning wood pellets from N Am.

Vestas Wind got order for near 300Mw of 1.8Mw wind turbines from EDF Canada, Enbridge. Delivery start 2H13 to Alberta project. Colo factories to make components. Vestas also shipping 3 new additions to its 3Mw turbine line to largest onshore wind farm in Denmark.

All of London Array - world's largest operating offshore wind farm @ 630Mw - now supplying UK grid. 175 Siemens 3.6Mw turbines. Current cost of offshore wind ~$208/Mwh. Britain has 3.3Gw installed offshore wind cap, more than rest of world combined. Plans to reach 18Gw by '20.

Clean Power Finance (San Fran) raised $37M in finance round. Develops sales software, licenses it to solar installers. Also offers system leases, PPAs installers can market to homeowners. Tripled revs in '12.

DOI recommending removal of 4 hydrodams on Klamath R. 129Mw total.

NREL study: clean/renewable elgen from techs commercially available today in combo with more flexible el system more than adequate to supply 80% of total US elgen in '50 while meeting el demand on hourly basis in every region of country. Analysts, though, say the study doesn't support the claim. Also reveals need for more diverse tech strategy, aggressive investments in innovation.

Venezuela national oil comp said its debt to oilfield service comps grew 35% in '12 from $12B in '11. Schlumberger threatening to cut activities in country.

Exxon planning to build world's largest floating LNG plant off Australia coast.

Tokyo Power said impossible to restart 7 reactors beginning this month as had been planned.

IEA taking steps to open its membership to emerging econs like China, India, Russia, Brazil, S Africa, Mexico, Indonesia. Years away.

Hawaii $200K grant to USDA, Bio Tork papaya-based biofuels program. Uses algae, fungi. Funds for pilot project.

NC Biofuels Center awarded $700K of grants to 6 projects.

Abengoa started ops at Spain demo plant for 25K tons of muni solid waste to 1.5M liters/yr of ethanol. Also building plant in Kansas, 1 of 1st commercial-scale plants producing 2nd gen eth from waste. Cap 100M liters/yr. Online yearend.

Indian food giant launching 6 biomass plants, 3 cogen plants and biodiesel plant this yr to cut fossil fuel use 20%/yr. Feedstock waste from chicken, pig, shrimp ops. Expect to cut CO2 emissions 30K tons/y. Cost ~$35M.

FL senate committee voted to repeal all ethanol blending requirements for state. "Lifespan of vehicles, equipment can be dramatically reduced with wrong fuel."

Chevron (majority stake holder) got contract from Japan power comp to supply 1M tons/y of LNG for 20 yrs from Australia project. Japan bought 87M tons LNG last yr.

Fracking industry loses $1.5B in NG leaks per yr: World Resources Inst. Fixing NG leaks would be the single biggest move that US could make to reduce GHG emissions. Lack of incentive for pipe owners. They don't own the gas flowing through their pipes. EPA not required to directly regulate NG emissions. (Something needing fixing, folks.)

Fuel consumption in UK down at least 20% last 5 yrs from high pump prices. 34.2B liters gas/diesel sold last yr.

U of Washington scientists close to building nuclear fusion rocket. NASA funding. Successfully tested all components. Now have to combine pieces, hope they work together. Computer simulations say they will. (If you can build a fusion rocket engine, can't you build a power plant?)

Washington Gas Energy Systems to build, own, op 3.8Mw solar farm for Bellingham, Mass. Schools to save ~$6M over 20-yr project life. Summer completion.

China Solar Energy Holdings (Hong Kong), thin-film panel maker, seeking to raise $7.7M, consolidate shares. Proposing 1 for 10 reverse split.

Martifer (Portugal) opened 28Mw of solar parks in UK. Plans similar amount this yr. Plants sold to Lightsource for avg. $1.8M/Mw. Q1 record UK solar installs - 350Mw. Up to 1.1Gw new cap expected this yr. 800Mw built in '12.

Iberdrola unit got $150M loan from Europe Investment Bank to upgrade Brazil grid.

New York would need ~$382B, wind turbines covering 13% of state, plus energy from solar, tidal, other clean sources in 254Gw plan to replace fossil fuel elgen by '30.

ResHydro (NY) got $153K grant from Scotland to further research, development of tidal power tech.