News Archive - 2007
December 7, 2007
Southwestern Energy Service Providers Work Together to Get Large-Scale Solar Project Built
A multi-state consortium of southwestern energy service providers is issusing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a utility-scale concentrating solar power plant. The plant would be owned by a third party, with consortium members each signing long-term purchase power agreements. The plant, with size, design, and location to be determined by the RFP submissions, is expected to produce 250 megawatts and be located in either Arizona or Nevada.
November 29, 2007
Assistant Secretary Announces New Solar Initiative
Alexander Karsner, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, today announced a new solar energy initiative designed to speed adoption of low-cost concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies into the marketplace.
November 27, 2007
NREL Sponsors Energy Analysis Forum on Carbon Policy Design
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) held its fifth Energy Analysis Forum, "Analytic Insights into Carbon Policy Design and the Implications for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy," in Golden, Colorado, on November 27-28.
November 20, 2007
FERC Approves Requests for Transmission Investment Incentives
In a move expected to enhance grid reliability, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on November 15 approved several requests for transmission investment incentives for new grid construction.
November 5, 2007
PG&E and Ausra Announce 177 Megawatt Solar Thermal Power Agreement
Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced Nov. 5, 2007, that it has entered into a 177 megawatt solar thermal power purchasing agreement with Austra Inc. The project, to be located in central California, is being developed by Ausra and is expected to begin generating power in 2010.
November 1, 2007
Deadline for Utility-Scale Wind Turbine and Ocean Energy Technologies R&D Proposals Extended
The U.S. Department of Energy Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program extended its deadline for proposals from potential partners in research and development of utility-scale wind turbine and ocean energy technologies. The new deadline for submitting proposals is November 26, 2007.
November 1, 2007
Deadline for R&D Partnerships for Utility-Scale Wind Turbine Testing Extended
The U.S. Department of Energy Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program extended the deadline for proposals for partnerships to test utility-scale wind turbines through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA). The new deadline for submitting proposals is November 26, 2007.
October 31, 2007
Design and Operation of Power Systems with Large Amounts of Wind Power
This report is a summary of case studies addressing concerns about the impact of wind power's variability and uncertainty on power system reliability and costs.
October 16, 2007
Increasing Renewable Resources
Markets supported by Independent System Operators (ISOs) and Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) have proven to be fertile ground for the development of renewable resources. This report explains how ISOs and RTOs are helping meet public policy objectives.
September 25, 2007
R&D Partnership Opportunity for Utility-Scale Wind Turbine Testing
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program released its first call for proposals from developers, owners, operators, and manufacturers interested in forming partnerships through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to test utility-scale wind turbines.
September 21, 2007
R&D Partnership Opportunities for Utility-Scale Wind Turbine and Ocean Energy Technologies
The U.S. Department of Energy Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program released its first call for proposals from companies or organizations interested in a research, testing, or product development partnership.
September 14, 2007
NREL Receives Presidential Award for Federal Energy Management
SEAAC staff members Nancy Carlisle and Otto Van Geet have been selected to receive one of the 2007 Presidential Awards for Leadership in Federal Energy Management.
September 1, 2007
NREL, LBNL Sponsor Workshop on Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)
NREL and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) cosponsored a "Workshop on Renewable Energy Certificate Markets and Challenges." The workshop promoted an exchange of experiences and lessons learned on renewable energy certificates or credits (RECs).
August 20, 2007
David Hurlbut Appointed to State RE Mapping Task Force
David Hurlbut, senior analyst with NREL's SEAAC, was recently appointed to Colorado Governor Bill Ritter's Renewable Resource Generation Development Area Task Force.
August 6, 2007
California Utility Agrees to Buy 553 Megawatts of Solar Power
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced on July 25, 2007, that it has agreed to buy power from a 553-megawatt solar thermal power plant to be located in California's Mojave Desert. Solel-MSP-1 plans to build the Mojave Solar Park using its parabolic trough technology.
July 16, 2007
DOE's NREL Seeks Proposals for Independent Testing for Small Turbines
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through its National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), has released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for commercially available small wind turbines to be tested at NREL's National Wind Technology Center (NWTC).
May 30, 2007
DOE Announces Funding Opportunity for Concentrating Solar Power
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Program has released a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to address market barriers for utility-scale electricity generation using concentrating solar power technologies.
April 3, 2007
European Commission Announces First Commercial Solar Plant
An 11-megawatt, concentrating solar power plant is now in operation in Seville, Spain.
March 9, 2007
PV Incubator Involving Small Business and non-Federal Research Institutes Is Proposed
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Solar America Initiative (SAI) work provides significant opportunities for collaboration and partnership among industry and university researchers to develop and improve solar energy technologies. Subject to Congressional appropriations, during 2007 DOE expects to issue an "incubator" solicitation. The responder to the solicitation must be a small business. The small business may team with a large company and/or university partner(s).
March 9, 2007
Partnership Opportunity for Advanced Wind Turbine Blade Test Facility Progresses
DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory announced today that applications from partnerships in Massachusetts and Texas—to design, construct and operate an advanced wind turbine blade test facility—will move on to a final competitive round. The finalist will be awarded a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with NREL in mid-2007.
March 9, 2007
DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory announced today that applications from partnerships in Massachusetts and Texas—to design, construct and operate an advanced wind turbine blade test facility—will move on to a final competitive round. The finalist will be awarded a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with NREL in mid-2007.
January 23, 2007
NREL Author Receives Outstanding Paper Award at Reno Conference
Jason Jonkman, a senior engineer at NREL’s National Wind Technology Center (NWTC), received an award for Outstanding Wind Energy Conference Paper for the paper he presented at the 26th ASME Wind Energy Symposium on January 8.
January 10, 2007
NREL Upgrades Wind Turbine Test Capabilities
The Controls Advanced Research Turbine (CART) at the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) received a facelift last month when an NWTC team replaced its two-bladed rotor with a new three-bladed rotor from GE.
January 4, 2007
President Bush Approves One-Year Energy Tax Credit Extension
President Bush approved a bill on December 20th that will extend federal tax credits for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
