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1) Avangrid files a motion in MA for one month suspension of offshore Commonwealth Wind PPA, citing, "economic challenges… historic price increases, sharp and sudden increases in interest rates,” and requests, "modest changes", to associated PPA. 2) Siemens Gamesa releases a wind turbine on its 5.X platform w/rated output of 7 MW, for medium to high wind..
Energy Central…
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is readying a regulatory sweep targeting more stringent limits on traditional pollutants that could accelerate coal power plant closures. A coal trade group estimates that even without new rules, 86 GW of coal generation is slated to retire by 2030.
While the U.S. Supreme Court in June curtailed the EPA’s ability to regulate carbon emissions from existing power plants, the EPA is working on other rules in “an integrated and coordinated approach” that will allow the agency to tackle “threats” posed by power plants to clean air, safe water, and healthy land, EPA Administrator Michael Regan has said.
The EPA chief recently told Reuters the agency remains undeterred by the Supreme Court’s constraints. “We want to present the industry with a suite of regulations so that they can make the best long-term investments possible,” the news agency quoted Regan as saying on July 29. “The power sector will … look at the cost benefit of complying with those and more than likely stay with the conclusion that … clean energy is more cost effective for them and for their customers,” he reportedly said.…
Bipartisan lawmakers in Minnesota want utilities in that state to procure 50% of power sold by 2030 from renewable sources. The measure, if passed, could put the state’s renewable efforts on par with California’s.
The bipartisan bill introduced in the Minnesota Legislature on February 27 seeks to double the state’s renewable energy standard, which is currently 25% by 2025.
Lawmakers noted that the state is already on track to surpass current goals set by the Next Generation Energy Act, which was enacted by former Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) in 2007. That bill was overwhelmingly supported by 97% of legislators.
About 21% of Minnesota’s generated electricity came from renewable sources in 2015, according to the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Wind energy generated 17% of the state’s power, biomass generated 3%, and hydro 1%. About 44% came from coal, 21% from nuclear, and 13% from natural gas.
Under a 2007 statute, Xcel Energy—the state’s largest utility—has a separate, more aggressive requirement of getting 31.5% of its power from renewables by 2020, with at least 24% of sales from wind and 1.5% of sales from solar.…