Michael Page

6 steps for identifying land for a renewable energy project: 1. Identify a general area of interest 2. Look for Section 48C Tax Credits 3. Overlay transmission lines and substation locations 4. Check ISOs/RTOs for nearby projects 5. Perform local courthouse research 6. Select the ideal location https://lnkd.in/gt6FrVJK

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DOE proposes ten “national interest” transmission corridors (my latest for PV Magazine USA) Eight of the ten transmission corridors proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy would facilitate transmission between grid regions; one would expand transmission within the Mid-Atlantic’s #PJM grid region; and one would expand transmission in the Northern Plains.

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Grid analysts challenge Bonneville Power’s pace in adopting advanced conductors--my latest for PV Magazine USA. As the White House encourages utilities to use advanced conductors to help interconnect new renewable generation, the federally-owned utility Bonneville Power is moving slowly to use the high-capacity conductors, analysts said. Mike O'Boyle, Casey Baker, Michelle Solomon #AdvancedConductors

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Reconductoring could enable 764 GW of transmission-connected solar by 2035. (My latest for PV Magazine USA) Replacing existing transmission lines, known as conductors, with advanced conductors could enable 764 GW of transmission-connected solar by 2035 even if transmission in new corridors was limited, found a study by UC Berkeley and GridLab researchers. 3M CTC Global TS Conductor Amol Phadke #Reconductoring

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https://lnkd.in/ea_vt6XR Grid-forming inverters will take us to 100 percent renewable energy…The westernmost Hawaiian island of significant size, Kauai is home to around 70,000 residents and 30,000 tourists at any given time. Renewable energy accounts for 70 percent of the energy produced in a typical year—a proportion that’s among the highest in the world and that can be hard to sustain for such a small and isolated grid.

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Clearway Closes Financing & Begins Construction on Pine Forest Solar and Grid-Enhancing Pine Forest Energy Storage Projects in Texas Clearway Energy Group announced that it has closed financing and begun construction of the 300 MW Pine Forest solar and 200 MW Pine Forest standalone storage projects in Hopkins County, Texas. Once complete, the Pine Forest projects will generate enough electricity to power over 90,000 homes with reliable, low-cost energy. The energy storage system will store excess power and dispatch it when demand is high, providing valuable flexibility to the grid. To finance the $665 million project, Clearway assembled a bank consortium consisting of Société Générale; Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, New York Branch; Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria […] Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/dQJKXxGd #solarenergy #alternativeenergy #solarpv #pvsolar #photovoltaic #cleanenergy #cleantech #climatechange #america #clearwayenergygroup #construction #energystorage #northamerica #renewableenergy #solarenergy #solarplusstorage #solarprojects #unitedstates

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Renewable energy such as solar needs more space per GW generated than conventional sources of power, but land-use change is a major cause of the decline in nature. So how to inform solar farm design and management in order to balance our need for renewable energy with our need to foster the ecosystem services we rely upon? Step forward the Solar Park Impacts on Ecosystem Services (SPIES) decision-support tool (DST) – SPIES. SPIES is a free-to-use tool developed by Prof Alona Armstrong of Lancaster University and Prof Piran White of the University of York, in collaboration with a cross-sectoral group of partners. SPIES draws upon over 700 pieces of evidence from over 450 peer-reviewed articles to provide an evidence-based summary of the impacts of solar farm land management on ecosystem services and biodiversity. Its use is also one of the components of the Wild Power Solar Biodiversity Scorecard that underpins Wild Power Certification for solar farms. Through thoughtful design and management solar farms can help restore ecosystem services at the same time as producing low carbon energy. You can find out more about SPIES, including how to log in and use the tool here: https://lnkd.in/ei8fZAGd To learn more about Wild Power and our scorecard and certification scheme, visit wildpower.org #biodiversity #solarfarms #solarenergy #ecosystemservices

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🔆 Exciting times ahead in the realm of community solar! U.S. #CommunitySolar installations are predicted to double from their current capacity of under 7 GW to over 14 GW in the next five years, according to Wood Mackenzie. Better yet, Wood Mackenzie expects 3.6 GW of community solar to serve low-to-moderate income households by 2029, up from the current 829 MW. The increasing growth of community solar is proof that community solar works — and is one of the most effective ways of expediting the clean energy transition while increasing #renewableenergy access. Read more in pv magazine USA.

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‘Renewable energy growth is truly a 50-state story now’: New report shows big jump in solar, wind, EVs "Johanna Neumann was watching Monday Night Football with her husband when a commercial earlier this week caught her eye. The 30-second ad featured actor and comedian Will Ferrell at what looks like a gas station but equipped with electric vehicle chargers instead of gas pumps. He’s gleefully dancing, twirling the charger and using it as a microphone when another EV driver honks the car horn and tells him to hurry up. The commercial actually was for PayPal and had nothing to do with the number of registered EVs jumping to 3.3 million in 2023 — a 25-fold increase from 2014, according to a report released Wednesday from Environment America, a national network of 30 state environmental groups. Neumann, who leads the group’s renewable energy campaign, said she loved the commercial because, “It was a totally normal experience. “We’re at this moment where … they’ve gone from being a novelty to something that is normal in our landscape and will only become more normal as more and more people adopt EVs and see them on the road.” The United States produced more than three times as much electricity from wind, solar and geothermal sources in 2023 than it did in 2014, according to the report, “Renewables on the Rise,” which Environment America has released annually since 2017." Continue reading in the article below. #mygovus #BuildingBetterCommunities #governmentsoftwaresolutions

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Texas, renowned for its unique and deregulated electric grid managed by ERCOT, is emerging as a powerhouse for utility-scale solar PV development. The state's business-friendly environment and minimal local permitting have long attracted solar developers. Now, Texas is at the forefront of an innovative energy solution: Virtual Power Plants (VPPs). Unlike traditional centralized power plants, VPPs harness the power of smart software to manage a network of distributed energy assets. These include rooftop residential solar, battery storage, smart heating and cooling systems, and other connected appliances. This decentralized approach allows homeowners with VPP-compatible assets to contribute to the grid by exporting power or reducing usage during peak demand times, and in return, they receive compensation. This innovative model not only enhances grid resilience but also empowers individuals and communities to play an active role in the energy landscape. Texas is proving that a market-based approach combined with cutting-edge technology can lead to a more sustainable and efficient energy future. Texas leads VPP adoption with deregulated market: https://lnkd.in/dnknWU48 #RenewableEnergy #Sustainability #SolarEnergy #EnergyInnovation #SmartGrid #GreenTech #CleanEnergy #ClimateAction

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American-made #solar has reached a huge milestone! A new report from Solar Energy Industries Association & Wood Mackenzie shows that U.S. solar module manufacturing capacity is now almost 40 GW, enough to meet nearly all solar demand in the nation. https://lnkd.in/gjyF7S9H

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“Developers and power plant owners plan to add 62.8 gigawatts (GW) of new utility-scale electric-generating capacity in 2024, according to our latest Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory. This addition would be 55% more added capacity than the 40.4 GW added in 2023 (the most since 2003) and points to a continued rise in industry activity. We expect #solar to account for the largest share of new capacity in 2024, at 58%, followed by #batterystorage, at 23%.” “For 2024, developers report 2.5 GW in planned natural gas capacity additions, the least new natural gas capacity in 25 years. Notably, in 2024, 79% of the natural gas capacity added is to come from simple-cycle, natural gas turbine (SCGT) plants. This year will be the first time since 2001 that combined-cycle capacity was not the predominant natural gas-fired technology.”

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