By Michelle Froese Castrol, a provider of lubricants to the wind energy industry, is launching the Castrol Wind Academy. The new Academy is a multi-channel training program designed to up-skill wind energy operations and maintenance (O&M) technician teams with the latest insights, technologies, processes, and examples of how best practices in O&M can improve operational…
By Michelle Froese The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has launched a new tool that can help utilities, institutions, state, and local policymakers, and the public get better answers about the changing economics of today’s power sector. With NDRC’s new tool, users can elect a state and compare the cost of building and operating a…
By Michelle Froese ENGIE Resources, one of the top commercial electricity providers in the nation, announced a five-year energy agreement with Princeton Day School, which provides the campus with budget certainty while also encouraging the development of renewable energy, including wind farms and solar arrays. The new agreement is expected to provide the campus with…
By Michelle Froese In response to high demand and a large number of interested stakeholders, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has added two stakeholder meetings for members of the public to provide input on the Draft 2019 Energy Master Plan. Through Executive Order 28, state Governor Murphy set an ambitious goal in June,…
By Michelle Froese NREL’s experimental design for the wake steering field campaign incorporated lidar measurements of atmospheric conditions. (Photo by Andrew Scholbrock; NREL) With funding from the Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) has developed the FLOw Redirection and Induction in Steady State (FLORIS) model to help wind plant operators optimize turbine…
By Michelle Froese The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment (Siting Board) granted approval to Eight Point Wind LLC to build and operate a wind farm facility in Steuben County, New York. The Siting Board’s decision follows a rigorous review and public participation process to ensure that the wind farm…
By Michelle Froese The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) unanimously voted to preliminarily approve the proposed Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line project. In addition to reducing power congestion charges for utility customers, the Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line project will support renewable production in the Upper Midwest. Cardinal-Hickory Creek is a proposed 345-kV transmission line that…
By Michelle Froese Brian Burks, a senior wind-turbine field applications’ engineer with AMSOIL, supervises an oil change on top of a Siemens 2.3-MW wind turbine. A wind turbine is only as reliable as the quality of its components, and this is particularly true of a turbine’s main gearbox. The job of the gearbox is to…
By Michelle Froese Ameren Missouri will be required to comply with various provisions intended to mitigate the impact of the wind farm on the environment and Missouri wildlife. The Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) has granted a certificate of convenience and necessity (CCN) to Ameren Missouri to construct, own, and operate an approximate 299-MW wind…
By Michelle Froese GlidePath Power Solutions, an independent energy storage developers, announced its acquisition of a 149-MW portfolio of wind farms in North Texas. The transaction adds to GlidePath’s operating portfolio of U.S. wind, solar, and storage projects ,and provides the company with a unique opportunity to optimize the performance of the wind farms though…
By Michelle Froese Gexa Energy, a retail electricity provider in Texas, announced that all of its new Gexa Energy residential plans will be powered by 100% renewable energy — at no additional cost to customers. As part of NextEra Energy Resources, the world’s largest generator of wind and solar energy, Gexa Energy is committed to…
By Michelle Froese Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind announced that it has hired former U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Officer, Ed LeBlanc, as Manager of Marine Affairs. LeBlanc has over 40 years of experience in the USCG, most recently serving as the Chief of Waterways Management Division, Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England since 2003. With the…
By Michelle Froese California Choice Energy Authority (CalChoice) announced three new power purchase agreements (PPA) for wind energy from Avangrid Renewables’ Mountain View III Wind Farm in Palm Springs, California. CalChoice will buy the entire output of the 22.44-MW wind farm starting in 2021 on behalf of three of its members: Apple Valley Choice Energy…
By Michelle Froese Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers recently signed Executive Order #38, which sets a goal of ensuring all electricity consumed within the state is 100% carbon-free by 2050. The Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy will be charged with promoting the development and use of renewables across the state to achieve carbon-free electricity. “A…
By Michelle Froese Artificial intelligence (AI) and internet of things (IoT) startup, mCloud, announced a deal to provide performance analytics for 35 GE wind turbines. Leveraging data from hundreds of turbine sensors, mCloud says it will apply its proprietary AI analytics solution to predict annual energy production and turbine longevity, enhancing output while reducing operations…