COVID19 | EnergyNorthwest.com

COVID-19 Weighs on Siemens Gamesa Earnings

May 6, 2020

The post COVID-19 Weighs on Siemens Gamesa Earnings appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) on May 6 said delays to its renewable energy projects, in part due to supply chain disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic, will continue to negatively impact the company’s earnings this year.

The company reported its fiscal second-quarter earnings on Wednesday and said the COVID-19 outbreak “had a direct negative impact of €56 million [$ 60.63 million] on profitability, and intensified challenges experienced by the onshore business in India and Northern Europe.” SGRE reported that its margin on earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) fell to 1.5% in the first three months of this year, down from 7.5% in the year-ago period.

The wind turbine maker, which is scheduled to be merged into a larger Siemens entity later this year, said earnings fell despite the company’s build of a record-breaking order book for equipment and services. SGRE last month withdrew its earnings guidance for 2020; Vestas, the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturer along with SGRE, has done the same.…

6 Outside-Of-The Box Ideas To Find A Job Or Stay Relevant Post COVID-19 – Forbes

April 30, 2020

| No Comments

| Energy Jobs

6 Outside-Of-The Box Ideas To Find A Job Or Stay Relevant Post COVID-19 Forbes
“job” – Google News…

COVID-19 May Delay Vogtle Nuclear Expansion

April 2, 2020

| No Comments

| Industry News

The post COVID-19 May Delay Vogtle Nuclear Expansion appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Southern Co. in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on April 1 said the COVID-19 pandemic “could disrupt or delay construction, testing, supervisory and support activities” at the Plant Vogtle nuclear expansion project in Georgia.

The company in the filing said, “It is too early to determine what impact, if any, the COVID-19 outbreak will have on the current construction schedule or budget” for the two new nuclear reactors at the site near Waynesboro, Georgia. Southern said state and federal government actions designed to slow the spread of the virus, such as stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders, could bring disruptions to both the labor pool and supply chains.

The company said effects of the coronavirus pandemic “could disrupt or delay construction, testing, supervisory and support activities at Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4.”

John Kraft, a spokesperson for Georgia Power, the lead utility on the project, told POWER on Wednesday that “Construction work continues at the site under continuing enhanced protocols designed to reduce worker-to-worker contact and keep areas that workers frequent, cleaned and sanitized. …

EPA Relaxes Noncompliance Enforcement During COVID-19 Pandemic

March 29, 2020

| No Comments

| Industry News

The post EPA Relaxes Noncompliance Enforcement During COVID-19 Pandemic appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Adopting a new temporary policy that gives it more “enforcement discretion,” the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said March 26 it does not expect to seek penalties for civil violations of the agency’s rules that result from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The policy adopted Thursday addresses concerns that regulated facilities are facing potential worker shortages, travel restrictions, and social distancing restrictions, factors that could heavily affect compliance with EPA requirements, ranging from monitoring and reporting to exceeding air emission limits.

The EPA said that while it will still expect regulated facilities to comply with regulatory requirements “where reasonably practicable,” if consequences of the pandemic result in noncompliance, these facilities must work to return to compliance “as quickly as possible.” To be eligible for the enforcement discretion, however, facilities must also document decisions they make to prevent or mitigate noncompliance, and they must also demonstrate how the noncompliance was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.…

Wind Energy Group Says $43 Billion at Risk from COVID-19

March 23, 2020

| No Comments

| Industry News

The post Wind Energy Group Says $ 43 Billion at Risk from COVID-19 appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Energy groups continue to assess the industry disruption caused by the coronavirus, with the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) on March 19 saying the global pandemic is putting $ 43 billion of wind industry investments and payments at risk.

Utilities, grid operators, and other have been altering their routines as state and local governments call for the closures of many non-essential businesses. Energy companies have instituted travel bans, have shuttered their offices—asking many employees to work remotely—and changed how they will interact with customers.

Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, earlier this week said the virus has caused “a pretty significant crisis” for the solar industry, disrupting supply chains and likely creating labor shortages. Tom Kiernan, CEO of AWEA, on Thursday acknowledged the challenges the coronavirus is causing for the wind energy industry, going so far as to ask for Congress to intervene to protect jobs and economic investment in the sector.…