AWEA's Hensley: US may add up to 9 GW of new wind capacity in 2018

AWEA's Hensley: US may add up to 9 GW of new wind capacity in 2018 | Wind and solar are critical for combating climate change, says Gore | Longer blades are coming but challenges remain, says LM exec Created for aquarianm@gmail.com |  Web Version ADVERTISEMENT October 10, 2018 News for wind power professionals and advocates SIGN UP ⋅   FORWARD Industry Update AWEA's Hensley: US may add up to 9 GW of new wind capacity in 2018 The US is on track to add between 8 and 9 gigawatts of new installed wind capacity in 2018, surpassing the 7 GW added in 2017 and even returning to 2015 and 2016 levels, says American Wind Energy Association Senior Director for Industry Data and Analysis John Hensley. He adds that utility and nonutility buyers have this year signed power purchase agreements for 4.6 GW and 2.7 GW, respectively. Windpower Monthly (UK) (free content) (10/9)       Wind and solar are critical for combating climate change, says Gore Countries worldwide can still take action to address climate change and should do so using "ingenuity and technology" in the form of wind and solar, says former Vice President Al Gore. Unless countries get serious about curbing carbon emissions, "we are headed toward 3- to 4-degree Celsius increase, which is associated with such utter catastrophes," he says. Reuters (10/9)       Longer blades are coming but challenges remain, says LM exec LM Wind and other companies are working on longer turbine blades as a way to boost production and drive down costs, says John Korsgaard, a senior director at LM's test and validation center. Longer turbine blades also bring new challenges in terms of mass, control systems and aerodynamics, he says. Offshore Wind Journal (U.K.) (10/10)       Parts & Repair: Global Supply Chain — Local Presence From over-the-counter spare parts, to main component coverage services, Vestas can deliver a spare parts set-up that fits your fleetwide needs. With Vestas, you access the industry's largest network of global and local parts suppliers, and the world's largest wind turbine spare parts shop. Learn more. ADVERTISEMENT Project Focus EDF Renewables adds 3M vortex generators at Pa. site EDF Renewables North America has added wind vortex generators from 3M to the 38-megawatt, 19-turbine Chestnut Flats Wind Project in Pennsylvania, expecting to boost the site's output by 1.8%. "For Chestnut Flats, we are predicting even better results due to a wind regime that is better suited for VGs," Vice President of Generation Dan Summa says. North American Windpower online (10/9)       Enel Green Power to launch 128-MW trio in Spain Enel Green Power Espana is developing three wind farms in Aragon that will have a combined capacity of 128 megawatts and will likely begin operations in 2019. "The company is committed to bringing its global expertise and sustainability leadership to the country," says Enel CEO Antonio Cammisecra. CNBC (10/9)       Operations & Maintenance GE Renewable unveils ground-based blade inspection system GE Renewable Energy has released a ground-based system for inspecting turbine blades that uses thermal imaging and wide-band acoustic spectral analysis to analyze a single unit in less than 15 minutes. The company says the solution is suited for both GE and non-GE machines, and has been deployed at 1,500 turbines, to date. North American Windpower online (10/9)       . Featured Content Sponsored content from Deloitte The value in blockchainMany executives are trying to see for themselves how to apply blockchain capabilities directly—from dynamic 5G networks, digital identity, and IoT, to stemming piracy, enabling micropayments, and returning more royalties to content creators. Read more.        Blockchain for telecom companiesMany solutions aim to help telecom, media, and entertainment companies mitigate losses, streamline inter-company transactions, and open new strategic revenue opportunities. So is blockchain necessary? The answer lies with the technology's strength in several areas. Learn more.        Click here to learn more about Featured Content Economy, Energy & Trends ExxonMobil pledges $1M to carbon initiative ExxonMobil will invest $1 million to the Americans for Carbon Dividends, an effort to establish a carbon pricing mechanism and dividend in the US also supported by Exelon, the American Wind Energy Association and First Solar. "This is the first time a U.S. oil and gas super major is putting real money behind a carbon pricing effort; it's just never been done before," notes Ted Halstead, CEO of the Climate Leadership Council. Reuters (10/9),  Bloomberg (tiered subscription model) (10/9)       100% renewables by 2050 is on the horizon for GM General Motors is working to source 100% of its electricity needs from renewables by 2050, and will likely hit the 20% mark by the year's end, the company said this week. "You don't get the price spikes this way, like you do with fuel, and it reduces the environment footprint of the vehicle you're driving," Global Manager of Renewable Energy Rob Threlkeld said. Detroit Free Press (10/9)       EDP Renewables offers Ind. educators tips for wind lessons EDP Renewables hosted a workshop in Randolph County, Ind., to discuss ways 17 area teachers could teach their students more about wind energy. EDP already operates one wind farm in the county and is looking to build another $300 million project by September 2020. Winchester News-Gazette (Ind.) (10/9)       Policy Watch Washington, D.C., city council considers a new climate bill The D.C. Council's Committee on Transportation and the Environment is considering legislation that would see the city break ties with carbon and convert to 100% renewables for its municipal power within 14 years. The bill must go through another committee before reaching the full council. The Washington Post (tiered subscription model) (10/9)       CAREERS IN WIND powered by Renewable Energy Business Analyst CUSTOMIZED ENERGY SOLUTIONS - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Director, Advocacy AWEA - Dist. Columbia View More Listings | Post a Job It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well. Rene Descartes, mathematician and philosopher      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. Sign Up SmartBrief offers 200+ newsletters Advertise Learn more about the SmartBrief audience Subscriber Tools: Manage Subscriptions Update Your Profile Unsubscribe Send Feedback Archive Search Contact Us: Advertising  -  Elizabeth Kaufman Editor  -  Sean McMahon Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 © 1999-2018 SmartBrief, Inc.® Privacy Policy (updated May 25, 2018) |  Legal Information