United States Solar Energy News

Related Power Industry News

• May 2024: RWE AG and Microsoft signed two 15-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) for clean electricity from RWE’s new onshore wind farms in Texas. The Peyton Creek II and Lane City projects have a combined capacity of 446 MW. Vestas will supply the turbines, and Wanzek Construction Inc. and RES will manage the construction. This partnership underscores Microsoft’s commitment to renewable energy.
• August 2023: Newfoundland and Labrador approved a significant wind-to-hydrogen project led by EverWind Fuels. This project, located in the Burin Peninsula, aims to produce green hydrogen using wind energy. It is part of a broader initiative to develop and export hydrogen and ammonia globally. The project is expected to create numerous jobs and contribute significantly to the local economy. This approval marks a step forward in Newfoundland and Labrador’s renewable energy ambitions.

• May 2024: World Bank Group, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC (Masdar), and the government of Uzbekistan signed a contract on a financial package to build a 250-MW solar photovoltaic plant and a 63-MW battery energy storage system. The main aim of this project is to provide clean and reliable energy to about 75,000 households.
• March 2023: The scaling Solar 2 project for Uzbekistan received USD 12 million in financial support, as agreed by the World Bank's Board of Executive Directors. The project will support the government's transition to a green economy, promote the decarbonization of the energy industry, and increase the nation's capacity to produce clean and renewable energy.

• April 2024: RWE AG, a German multinational energy company, was granted a 495 MW electricity business license (EBL) by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy in South Korea for the development of the Seohae offshore wind project, situated off the coast of Taean County.
• February 2024: Aker Solutions, a Norway-based company, was awarded a contract that includes front-end engineering and design (FEED) for the Haewoori Offshore Wind 2 and 3 projects. The project is expected to be located offshore Ulsan, South Korea, each with a capacity of 500 MW.

• November 2023: The Biden-Harris administration authorized the Empire Wind offshore wind project, marking President Biden's sixth approval of a large-scale offshore wind energy project. This decision aligns with the administration's objective of installing 30 GW offshore wind energy capacity by 2030.
• November 2023: The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PR-ERF), which will provide up to USD 453.5 million to increase residential rooftop solar PV and battery storage installations across the region, with a focus on reaching and supporting Puerto Rico's most vulnerable residents. This round of funding will support consumer protection and education initiatives to support the long-term use of solar systems by residents, as well as a Solar Ambassador Prize for community groups to assist the Department in identifying and connecting with eligible households, thereby assisting Puerto Rico and President Biden in meeting their goals of lowering energy costs through a resilient grid powered by 100% renewable energy.

• April 2024: After a combined investment of USD 15,841,000 from the federal and provincial governments, a new solar energy project would provide the Ulkatcho First Nation with clean energy. The project is set to decrease the need for diesel generation in the remote community by about 64%, equal to a reduction of 1.1 million liters of diesel annually. It is estimated to be one of Canada's largest off-grid solar projects.
• January 2024: The President of India approved the implementation of a new solar power scheme for vulnerable tribal groups (PVTG) habitations/villages from 2023-2024 to 2025-2026. The scheme would be implemented under Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN). Under the scheme, off-grid solar systems would electrify about 100,000 un-electrified households in PVTG areas where electricity supply through the grid is not techno-economically feasible.

• May 2024: Jindal Steel & Power Ltd announced the commissioning of the building integrated solar project with an installed capacity of 3.25 MWp spread across an area of 2,00,000 sq. ft. The project, built by the team at SG Ornate Solar Solutions (a joint venture of APL Apollo Tubes & Ornate Solar), is expected to generate more than 100 million units of electricity over its life expectancy, contributing to offsetting 4,500 tons of CO2 emissions annually.
• February 2024: Scientists in the Middle East simulated the use of different BIPV systems on Dubai’s high-rise buildings. They found that BIPV may be superior to rooftop power generation for buildings with more than seven floors. The main setting conditions for simulation were assumed to be an occupancy density of 0.2 person/m2, sensible heat of 65 W/person, and a latent heat of 54 W/person. Owing to building load reduction and power generation, BIPVs can be a very efficient alternative in Dubai.

• April 2024: Octopus Energy, a European renewable energy group specializing in sustainable energy, announced investments in Ocergy, a US-headquartered floating offshore wind tech company, to boost the development of floating offshore wind farms globally.
• April 2024: Vårgrønn and Flotation Energy, a JV between Plenitude (Eni) and HitecVision, announced that their floating offshore wind project, Green Volt, was granted offshore planning approval. With onshore consent announced earlier, Green Volt is expected to be the first commercial-scale 560 MW floating wind farm offshore Scotland in Europe.

• March 2024: Energea, an online investment platform that provides access to portfolios of renewable energy projects, announced the completion of 12 new projects in its Community Solar in Brazil portfolio. These latest additions mark a significant milestone in Energea's mission to provide sustainable and efficient energy solutions across Brazil.
• October 2023: ENGIE Brasil Energia awarded ANDRITZ a contract for the modernization of the 424 MW Jaguara hydropower plant. The ANDRITZ scope of supply includes the modernization of the four Francis turbine-generator units with a capacity of 106 MW each, governors, excitation system, automation system, and all related auxiliary systems. ANDRITZ Hydro Brazil will execute the contract.

• February 2024: The French development agency, Agence Française de Développement, announced that it was seeking to engage individual regional or international specialists to form a panel of experts to provide technical assistance services for the development of the 1.2 GW Bac Ai pumped-storage hydropower plant in the Ninh Thuan province of Vietnam.
• January 2024: Nexif Ratch Energy Investments Pte. Ltd, an owner/operator of clean-energy power, acquired the 30 MW Minh Luong hydropower plant, a run-of-river facility with peak-hour storage in Lao Cai province, Vietnam. The acquisition contributes to strengthening the Nexif Ratch Energy portfolio’s growth path in renewables and will create a stable and recurring income through a long-term power purchase agreement.

• April 2024: Mahindra Group, a conglomerate that spans technology to tractor manufacture, announced an investment of INR 12 billion (USD 144 million) in the establishment of solar and wind energy projects. The renewable projects are likely to be developed by Mahindra Susten, the group's renewable, with a hybrid capacity of 150 megawatts (MW).
• November 2023: The UK government increased wind farm subsidies offshore by 66%. Prior to Allocation Round 6 (AR6) of next year, the maximum strike price for suspended offshore wind projects was raised by 52%, from EUR 116/MWh to EUR 176/MWh, and by 66% for offshore wind projects, from EUR 44 (USD 54.5)/MWh to EUR 73/MWh.