The UK's fledgling tidal energy sector reached a notable milestone this week after Rolls-Royce said that its prototype generator in Scotland has generated 100 MWh of power.
At a conference hosted by Israel’s branch of CIGRE, the International Council on Large Electric Systems, there were discussions on developing by 2020 a €5-6 billion electrical super-grid running from Spain, into northern Africa, to the eastern Mediterranean, and then back into Europe via Turkey.
The Senate of the US state of Illinois has approved a bill that adds utility concessions onto legislation. These concessions are supported by the utility Commonwealth Edison (ComEd), but are opposed by Pat Quinn, the Governor of Illinois.
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has decided on its final regulations for its cap-and-trade system, the second largest in the world, despite continuing concerns over allowance allocations, buyer liability for offsets and the size of the overall market.
Germany’s Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (German Development Bank, KfW) will underwrite renewable energy and energy efficiency investments in Germany with $137 billion over the next five years.
The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change has announced the new levels of government support for different kinds of renewable generation under the Renewables Obligation (RO) from 2013-2017.
French semiconductor manufacturer Soitec has launched its fifth generation concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) system, designed for large-scale power plants. The new product configuration is claimed to deliver higher efficiency and a lower cost of electricity, according to the firm.
China’s State Grid Energy Research Institute (SGERI) and Vestas China have announced plans to cooperate on developing techniques to overcome the difficulties of large-scale integration of wind power to the grid by applying an integrated solution encompassing technology, management and policy.
State-run power transmission utility Power Grid Corp. of India Ltd (PGCIL) plans to enter the power generation sector abroad as part of its diversification plans.
In the USA, EDF said in a pre-hearing testimony with the Public Service Commission that the proposed $7.9 billion sale of Baltimore’s Constellation Energy Group to Exelon of Chicago has “serious and negative ramifications.”