Coal, nuclear bailout plan could cost $17.2B annually, study says

Opinion: Va. needs a master plan to guide offshore-wind development | Report: Larger, more advanced turbines will drive cost reductions | Texas PUC seeks more data in Wind Catcher project Created for aquarianm@gmail.com |  Web Version July 19, 2018 News for wind power professionals and advocates SIGN UP ⋅   FORWARD Industry Update Coal, nuclear bailout plan could cost $17.2B annually, study says It would cost between an estimated $16.7 billion and $17.2 billion annually to bail out the nation's ailing coal-burning and nuclear power plants, according to a Brattle study commissioned by the American Wind Energy Association and other groups. The report, which is based on a Trump administration memo, said annual costs could be as high as $35 billion, depending on the approved payout system. The Examiner (Washington, D.C.) (7/19)       Opinion: Va. needs a master plan to guide offshore-wind development The administration of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam should craft a master plan that will facilitate the development of offshore wind and help Dominion Energy bring a project to fruition off the coast of the state, writes Eileen Woll, offshore-energy program director of the Sierra Club Virginia chapter in Norfolk, Va. "Already, master plans adopted by other East Coast governors have inspired port investments that will net their states tens of thousands of jobs and deliver thousands of megawatts of clean energy to power their electric grids," she writes. The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (7/19)       Report: Larger, more advanced turbines will drive cost reductions The wind industry's levelized cost of energy will continue to decline as turbines get larger and the technology becomes more efficient, says ONYX InSight. "But it's a mistake to think that all of these new technologies will be more reliable than their predecessors, thanks to lessons learned from older designs, or that operating costs will reduce naturally as the industry matures without increased understanding and streamlining of operations and maintenance processes," notes ONYX head of consultancy Evgenia Golysheva. ReNews (UK) (7/18)       A New Workplace Assistant Businesses need smarter printers because they work behind the scenes to help your smart people achieve their greatest productivity. They aren't just printers – they're smart workplace assistants that keep the business running. Find out how > ADVERTISEMENT Project Focus Texas PUC seeks more data in Wind Catcher project The Public Utility Commission of Texas has asked Southwestern Electric Power for more information regarding its proposed $4.5 billion, 2,000-megawatt Wind Catcher Energy Connection, which has also secured regulatory approval in Arkansas and Louisiana. Texas PUC Chairman DeAnn Walker expressed concern about the project's corresponding transmission line and its impact on ratepayers. Utility Dive (7/18)       Free eBook: Container Storage for Dummies Read this eBook, compliments of Red Hat®, to learn: Persistent storage for modern applications Storage for and in containers Dynamic storage provisioning for developers Click here to access the eBook today! ADVERTISEMENT Operations & Maintenance Orsted uses SkySpecs drone technology to inspect UK offshore wind farm Orsted has successfully completed an automated inspection of the 32-turbine Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm in the UK using drone technology from SkySpecs. "Bigger turbines have certainly helped in the rapid cost reduction we've seen in offshore wind, but [that] also means we face new technical challenges in terms of inspecting and maintaining the turbines," Orsted senior technical project lead David-Lee Jones said. Electronics360 (7/18)       Economy, Energy & Trends Mont. wind industry growth is lagging the national average Montana's wind industry grew less than 4% while the energy source experienced a fivefold increase nationally over the same period, according to the Montana Research and Policy Center. "We're falling behind and missing huge opportunities to transition Montana's economy to a cleaner, healthier future powered by renewable energy," said the center's Skye Borden. The Missoula Current (Mont.) (7/18)       NREL's Musial: Floating offshore-wind industry must learn from oil, gas The oil and gas industry has valuable insights to share with the floating offshore-wind sector regarding floating platforms and other technologies, says Walt Musial, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's principal engineer and offshore wind manager. The NREL says 11 floating offshore wind farms with a combined capacity of 229 megawatts are in the early stages of development. E&P magazine online (7/18)       Renewables firm rolls out 100% clean-energy buying option Renewables firm CleanChoice Energy is giving customers the option to buy 100% renewables from the company's portfolio of wind and solar projects. The CleanChoice Energy Broker Program is available now to customers in Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Washington, D.C. North American Windpower online (7/18)       Policy Watch Denver pledges 100% renewables by 2030 Denver has become the 10th Colorado city to pledge to use 100% renewable energy, and it plans to meet that standard by 2030. "Climate change threatens our people directly, putting our health, environment and economy -- our very way of life -- at risk," Mayor Michael Hancock said. CleanTechnica (7/18)       CAREERS IN WIND powered by Marketing Coordinator AMERICAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION - Washington DC, Dist. Columbia Data Scientist NRG SYSTEMS, INC. - Hinesburg, Vermont Technical Sales Manager for Remote Sensing NRG SYSTEMS, INC. - Hinesburg, Vermont Wind Site Manager ALLETE - Alta, Iowa View More Listings | Post a Job Analogies, it is true, decide nothing, but they can make one feel more at home. Sigmund Freud, neurologist and psychoanalyst      Learn more about AWEA: AWEA Home | Events | Take Action AWEA Facebook | AWEA Twitter | AWEA LinkedIn These stories were selected and summarized by independent editors at SmartBrief Inc., not by AWEA's staff, and do not represent AWEA positions. They reflect the variety of daily coverage of American wind power. 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