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Archive for the ‘Hydropower’ Category

Wholesale power prices decrease across the country in 2015

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, based on SNL Energy Wholesale electricity prices at major trading hubs on a monthly average basis for on-peak hours were down 27%-37% across the nation in 2015 compared with 2014, driven largely by lower natural gas prices. Because natural gas-fired generation sets the marginal price in many markets, wholesale electricity […]

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Getting To 100% Renewable Energy In the US

Getting to 100% renewable energy in the US by 2050 is a goal that is gaining traction among the US public. Reports from many environmental organizations have been written on how to get to this target, including from Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Foundation. After last year’s COP21 conference, the momentum has gotten stronger in […]

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Underwater balloons: Clean energy savior?

In the waters of Lake Ontario, Canada, a hugely significant energy development is taking place. Hydrostor is a company specializing in underwater compressed energy storage. Their idea addresses a significant issue facing renewables: the question of how to store energy to be used when the sun is not shining or winds aren’t strong enough. “The […]

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El Niño: Spanish For ‘Disrupter Of Energy Markets’

Back in 2009, a colleague started laughing as I was explaining how El Niño affects energy markets in the Americas. When I asked why, he told me to Google ‘Chris Farley El Niño’. While Chris Farley’s short skit (in which the late comedian, dressed as an overweight wrestler, dramatically explains that “El Niño is Spanish […]

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FERC: Renewables account for over 60% of new generation in 2015

FERC puts renewables at 17.4% of total installed U.S. generating capacity, including 8.59% hydro, 5.91% wind (68,830 MW), 1.43% biomass, 1.13% solar (13,180 MW), and 0.34% geothermal steam. No new nuclear capacity was added in 2015, and only 9 MW of oil and 3 MW of coal. Because of differing capacity factors, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) […]

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Report: Total Transition to Renewable Energy Possible by 2050

AUSTIN, Texas – The world can transition to 100 percent renewable energy by the year 2050, according to a new report from Greenpeace. The plan calls for phasing out oil and gas at a rate that matches the depletion of existing fields, and warns exploration for new fields should be seen as high-risk investments since those fossil […]

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