Posted 23 September 2014 - 03:43 PM
Folks it really is a state by state game right now, the Big 6 (California, Texas, Hawaii, Colorado, New York and Connecticut) are leading the nation in renewable energy investments. That said the next level of state’s ( Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Montana, Oregon, Washington, North and South Carolina), fall into Tier 2, the rest of the left over states fall into Tier 3 with the exception of the South Eastern US- Tier 4 ( Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas) are all very slow to follow, you can add Oklahoma, Kentucky, South Dakota to the Tier 4 because honestly they are controlled by old thinking Republicans in both the state and Federal Level.
Now how do I know this?
Well its really simple 2 sources first RFP’s or Requests for Proposals and the NREL. Here is an example
Renewable Energy RFPs - I am including this one because it includes one for Southwestern Public Service which is the utility that serves Shortpoets, and look it is not for wind, but Solar. Which is a first for SPS.
Deadline - October 10, 2014
Southwestern Public Service Company (SPS) RFP seeking up to 200 MW of photovoltaic solar resources that could begin delivery to SPS on or before December 31, 2016 and that would be contracted through a power purchase agreement. Solar generation proposals shall be either: 1) to-be-built generation resources to be interconnected on the distribution facilities. These resources shall be 10 MW AC for each distribution interconnection location indicated in the RFP, and 2) remaining resources to be interconnected at distribution or transmission at site(s) proposed by the developer.
Contact: Brian Fleming
Deadline - October 20, 2014
Potomac Edison, Baltimore Gas and Electric, PEPCO and Delmarva Power RFP seeking collectively approximately 4,084 megawatts of wholesale electricity to meet their Standard Offer Service in the state of Maryland. Contracts will be written for three to twenty-four months. Capacity demands are as follows: PE - 536 MW, BG&E - 2,251 MW, Delmarva - 330 MW, and PEPCO - 967 MW. Pre-bid webinar will be held on September 21, 2014.
Deadline - January 5, 2015
San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) Request for Offers (RFO) seeking up to 800 MW from all eligible resources. SDG&E is soliciting both third party owned, contracted resources, and energy storage systems to be owned by the utility. The deadline to submit questions is November 14, 2014 and there are several pre-bid conferences scheduled. Deadline to register for RFO Website access/to download RFO forms and documents is December 1, 2014.
Now we get at least 3 of these updates for RPF’s a week from several different sources that include utilities, state and federal governments, and wait for it PRIVATE COMPANIES as Independent Power Providers (IPP’S). Some have 3 to 5 requests some have up to 10 to 15 requests and it is across the board in renewable energy (Wind, Solar, Biomass, Geo Thermal, Hydro and Hydrogen.) Hawaii is really a fantastic example, right now they have available RFP’s in every area I just listed and more are coming down the pipeline. Literally we get at least 3 RPF announcements a week from multiple sources because we design for all areas of renewable.
Secondly the NREL. The NREL acts as a clearing house for IPP’s and private companies looking to invest in specific areas. Example GE which is currently using the NREL as a proofing and clearing house for their newer larger MW turbines, Gamessa is doing the same thing. In the hydrogen area they have been working with several companies to scale up large facilities after certification of proof of concept. Several companies like Fuel Cell Energy, Hydrogenics, Clear Edge Energy and Bloom are involved with these areas.
Finally there is the number of new investment mutual funds coming on line in the last year; these are investing in both domestic and foreign companies that are ramping up instillations worldwide with Europe and Asia leading, India and China following in large scale renewable projects. Here in the US can you say Warren Buffett.
Now Yonder as you say the main street media just does not seem to care.
You have to be in the business somehow, or trolling the Renewable Energy publications to see this happening but here’s the big deal’
In a growing percentage of the world Fracking is slowly being abandoned or outright banned, because of its effect on water sources and the pollution it brings with it. The European Union is formulating a set of laws right now that when passed and the will be, will severely reduce fracking in the EU, so what does that leave- Renewable.
Investors are seeing that as the middle east becomes even more volatile with all its threats and issues that renewable break the dependency on foreign oil and gas from those areas. Heck Saudi Arabia is investing in Renewables more right now than in their own oil and gas fields, UAE, and Jordan are following right behind.
I post these stories because they are examples of what we are seeing in our business as Renewable Energy Designers a acceletation of renewable worldwide and a shift from just fossil fuel energy investments.
Think of it like this- first you have to find the stuff, Oil Natural Gas, Then you have to transport it, Refine it, transport it again and so on, it really is getting a whole lot cheaper to just go renewable and avoid all those other costs in getting fossil fuels, good old economic justification, of course it also helps that most of the world outside the US stoped debating climate change and moved on to solutions, we in the US are still being driven by economics, so Fracking is still going on and renewable are advancing a little slower.
Sorry if this sounds like a rant, I don’t mean it to be, what I do want to get across to people checking out the forum is that we here at ALT. Energy Shift are pointing out the successes and the changes which, since we all came together in 2011 have been accelerating and that’s a great thing.
Do a happy dance we are making a difference by educating and informing anyone who checks us out. And you two have been leading from the front. I appreciate you guys so much because each one of you is helping get the word out and move the converstion along to a real tipping point.
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) and realizing they cannot continue their previous path
