Henry Harrell"s Blog: October 11 Green Energy News

Headline News:

Michigan, which experiences harsh, cold winters, is now home to a 200,000 panel solar array on a 250-acre site. The Lapeer solar park is operational and generating enough renewable energy to power 11,000 homes. It is one of the largest utility-owned solar parks east of the Mississippi River, Detroit based DTE Energy said in a statement. [CNBC]

Lapeer solar farm (DTE image)

“What’s the Real Story on the Future of Coal?” • Analysis from the Union of Concerned Scientists tracks the changes in the nation’s fleet of 1,256 coal-fired electric generating units from 2008 to 2016, and concludes that 38% of the nation’s coal generating capacity is less economic to run than alternatives. [Union of Concerned Scientists]
A public-private partnership is pushing ahead with plans to build the nation’s largest wind farm, the second largest in the world, in western Oklahoma. The 2,000-MW Wind Catcher Energy Connection Project is a collaborative venture by Invenergy, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company. [KUAR]
The EPA has identified its priorities, and climate change is not one of them. In fact, the term “climate change” does not appear in the agency’s draft four-year strategic plan, a document of 38 pages quietly released for public comment last week. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has questioned the authority of his agency to regulate climate change. [CNN]
Apex Clean Energy and the GreenBiz Group surveyed 153 major corporations. Among them, 84% are “actively pursuing or considering purchasing renewable energy over the next 5-10 years.” Surprisingly, they found that 43% of the corporations intend to be more aggressive in their pursuit of renewable energy in the next two years. [The Guardian]

Henry Harrell"s Blog