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South Fork Wind received approval of the project’s Construction and Operations Plan (COP) from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).   The COP approval outlines the 132 MW project’s turbine spacing, the requirements on the construction methodology for all work occurring in federal ocean waters, and mitigation measures to protect…

Battery energy storage company Viridi Parente said it raised $94.695 million in a Series C funding round. The latest funding round boosts Viridi’s value to $700 million, and supports the company’s aim to manufacture point-of-use lithium-ion battery technology at scale.   The Series C round was led by existing investor B. Thomas Golisano, a philanthropist and…

Appalachian Power issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for up to 1,000 MW of wind and 100 MW of solar generation resources with optional battery energy-storage systems. The RFP is its largest to date for wind energy resources. Proposals would help the company meet renewable energy requirements set by Virginia’s Clean Economy Act (VCEA).  Under the VCEA,…

General Electric (GE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) demonstrated grid-forming technologies in the Type-3 wind turbine, a step in long-term grid modernization efforts as the rapid deployment of renewable technologies transforms the electric power system. Grid-forming technologies provide functions that are traditionally provided by synchronous machinery. They allow solar and other inverter-based energy sources…

Utility-scale solar energy deployments are not as land intensive as they were a decade ago, thanks to improved power and energy densities. As a result, developers and others who turn to older benchmarks for solar module power and energy density will “significantly overstate” land requirements. Those are the findings of a new study by researchers…

An integrated policy framework built around the energy transition could bring a wave of new sustainable energy investment to Africa, growing the continent’s economy by 6.4% by 2050, according to an analysis published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB). “Renewable Energy Market Analysis: Africa and Its…

By Charles F. Kutscher, University of Colorado Boulder and Jeffrey Logan, University of Colorado Boulder In the summer of 1988, scientist James Hansen testified to Congress that carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels was dangerously warming the planet. Scientific meetings were held, voluminous reports were written, and national pledges were made, but because fossil fuels…

The National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium (NOWRDC) announced $3.4 million in funding for six new wind projects in supply chain efficiency, asset monitoring, and inspection. Three new supply chain projects are aimed at ensuring quality component production and simplifying transportation of major wind plant components. Recipients include the Electric Power Research Institute for…

First Solar said that Boston-based Swift Current Energy placed an order for 1.2 GWDC of First Solar’s thin film photovoltaic (PV) solar modules. The modules will be delivered in 2023 and 2024. Terms were not disclosed. The order is the largest to date for Swift Current, which was founded in 2016 and has a pipeline of more…

Equinor and bp finalized Purchase and Sale Agreements (PSAs) with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) for the 1,260 Empire Wind 2 and 1,230 MW Beacon Wind 1, which would be built in offshore waters.  The January 14 signings closed New York State’s second offshore wind competitive solicitation. The contracts were…