QUICK NEWS, 5-19: OIL SPILL SPREADING; BIG WIND FOR WASH’TN STATE; DENVER ROOFTOP SOLAR TRIALS; BIG GEOTHERMAL BUYS MORE

OIL SPILL SPREADING
Gulf Coast fears spreading slick, fishing ban widens
Michael Haskins (w/Matthew Bigg, Steve Gorman, Anna Driver, Tom Brown, Jane Sutton, Richard Cowan, Tom Doggett, Ayesha Rascoe, Sarah Young, Pascal Fletcher, Jeff Mason, Ed Stoddard and Paul Simao), May 18, 2010 (Reuters)

"Fears that oil from a massive Gulf of Mexico spill was drifting to U.S. shorelines rose…after tar balls were found in Florida, while BP faced mounting pressure to stem its leaking well…[T]he United States nearly doubled a no-fishing zone in waters seen affected by the oil gushing from the blown well, extending it to 19 percent of U.S. waters in the Gulf…

"London-based BP, which has seen $30 billion wiped from its market value, said it was capturing an estimated 2,000 barrels per day (84,000 gallons/318,000 liters) after inserting a siphon tube into the well…That was about 40 percent of the 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons/795,000 liters) BP estimated was leaking each day…But a new video of the well showed what appeared to be vast amounts of oil continuing to spew into the ocean…While officials have stressed the slick's limited impact on prized Gulf beaches, fisheries and wildlife, the discovery of tar balls on a Key West island resort…stoked concern that currents were greatly expanding the oil's reach…Oil debris and tar balls have been reported in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi…"

From PigMine via YouTube

"The appearance of new tar balls on a beach is often an indication of an oil spill…Tests were being done to confirm whether the 20 new tar balls -- they ranged from three to eight inches in diameter -- came from the BP spill, which threatens to eclipse the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill off Alaska to become the worst ecological disaster in U.S. history…[A] forecast by University of South Florida College of Marine Science experts who said part of the oil slick may reach the Keys in five to six days, and possibly Miami five days after that…

"…[BP] has offered to pay spill-related damages, [and] estimated the bill for the cleanup at $625 million, $175 million higher than a few days ago. Analysts say costs could reach into the billions… Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told a Senate panel the government was investigating [BP’s] Atlantis oil production platform in the Gulf…Salazar also admitted that the Minerals Management Service fell short in preventing the explosion and oil spill…"

From NatureCitizan via YouTube

"Many experts believe oil from the Gulf of Mexico spill may have already been caught up in the powerful Loop Current curling around the Florida Peninsula, which could take it into the Keys and possibly up the East Coast…"

[Senator Bill Nelson (D-Fla):] "While I always hope for the best, this is looking like really out-of-control bad…"


BIG WIND FOR WASH’TN STATE
PSE to Start Construction on Lower Snake River Wind Project; 343-MW Wind Power Project Near Pomeroy, Wash., Will Generate Electricity for More Than 100,000 Homes and Create 175 Green Jobs
May 18, 2010 (Business Wire)

"…Puget Sound Energy announced the start of construction on Phase I of the Lower Snake River Wind Project…Washington's oldest energy utility is creating more green energy and more green jobs by pursuing federal stimulus-package funding and state incentives for using apprentice labor during construction, which improve the economics of the project for the utility and its customers.

"The 343-megawatt (MW) Phase I project…will significantly increase PSE's total wind-power generating capacity. The utility has finalized negotiations with Siemens Energy for 149 wind turbines, rated at 2.3 MW each, for Phase I. With a generating capacity of 343 MW, the wind energy facility is expected to provide clean power for more than 100,000 homes."

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"Construction of Phase I will create up to 150 temporary jobs, with the eventual commercial operations creating as many as 25 permanent jobs…

"PSE is building Phase I of the Lower Snake River Wind Project now, in part, to meet the utility's longer-term state renewable energy requirements…but also to protect against energy-market price volatility and the "carbon costs" government is likely to impose on utilities to address climate change…"

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"Phase I will be built near Pomeroy, Wash., on nearly 40,000 acres of leased farmland. More than 98 percent of the land will remain available for crops once the wind facility enters operation, with farmers receiving lease and royalty payments for participating in the project…PSE has also tapped Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. (RES Americas) for the construction of the project infrastructure…

"PSE is finalizing development of additional phases of the Lower Snake River Wind Project, including neighboring Columbia County, where the utility currently owns and operates the 87-turbine, 157-MW Hopkins Ridge Wind Facility near the city of Dayton…In addition, PSE owns and operates the 149-turbine, 273-MW Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility near Ellensburg, Kittitas County. PSE is recognized by the American Wind Energy Association as the nation's second-largest utility owner and operator of wind power…"


DENVER ROOFTOP SOLAR TRIALS
UNI-SOLAR Participates in Major Rooftop Photovoltaic Test Site in Denver
May 18, 2010 (Globe Newswire via MarketWatch)

"UNI-SOLAR, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices…announced it is participating in one of the country's largest rooftop testing sites for photovoltaic (PV) modules. The test site, hosted by ProLogis Renewable Energy, is on a utility-scale rooftop in Denver, Colorado.

"…UNI-SOLAR is the only large-scale manufacturer of lightweight, flexible thin-film photovoltaic products in the U.S…ProLogis is a leading global provider of distribution facilities, with more than 450 million square feet of roof space worldwide available for solar photovoltaic installations. UNI-SOLAR already has 4.7 MW of PV installations active, or soon to be this year, on the grid on additional ProLogis rooftops…"

This is how they compare in the lab. ProLogis wants to know how they compare on the roof. (click to enlarge)

"The Denver site totals 11 kWp DC of power generation capacity from 99 modules and eight different module manufacturers: Ascent Solar, First Solar, GS-Solar, MiaSole, Solyndra, Suniva, UNI-SOLAR and Xunlight. Already generating power, the initial configuration provides side-by-side comparisons of several module technologies, including monocrystalline, glass-on-glass thin film and membrane-applied thin film modules. In addition, the installation contains 16 individually monitored strings, each designed to test a certain system parameter.

"Overall, ProLogis has solar projects installed or under construction on 32 buildings throughout France, Germany, Japan, Spain and the United States. The installations cover more than 10.6 million square feet (984,800 square meters) of roof space and total 24.6 MW…"


BIG GEOTHERMAL BUYS MORE
Mighty River Plans More Investment in U.S. Geothermal Projects
Gavin Evans (w/Alex Devine and Ang Bee Lin), May 17, 2010 (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

"Mighty River Power Ltd., operator of the world’s largest single-turbine geothermal generating unit, has increased funding to help identify and build power projects in the U.S. and Chile.

"…[A] $107 million investment in a $400 million, 49.9 megawatt geothermal power plant in Southern California [is] its first in the U.S. The New Zealand government- owned generator said it has also more than doubled to $250 million a fund available for projects…"

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"Mighty River is among the world’s 10 largest operators of underground steam fields. It’s investing internationally to profit from its experience building large-scale geothermal power projects, its relationships with bankers and plant manufacturers, and increasing global demand for non-polluting energy.

"Geothermal plants tap heat from the earth to power turbines and generate electricity 24 hours a day with minimal emissions. New Zealand, Chile and the west coast of the U.S. lie on the 40,000-kilometer (25,000-mile) chain of active volcanoes that surrounds the Pacific Ocean. The zone, known as the Ring of Fire, also includes Japan and Indonesia…"

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"…[The] investment gives Mighty River a 20 percent stake in EnergySource LLC, which is building the Hudson Ranch power station in the Salton Sea geothermal region of Southern California. It will use the Fuji Electric Systems Co. machines that Mighty River has installed in New Zealand the past two years, including its 140-megawatt Nga Awa Purua plant, the world’s largest single-turbine project…

"Mighty River runs four geothermal power plants in New Zealand and has just been granted planning approval to build a fifth. It plans to have a 70-megawatt generator operating in Tolhuaca in Chile by 2013…The Hudson Ranch plant will take about two years to build and will supply Arizona-based utility Salt River Project…The balance of the project cost is being met by EnergySource and a group of eight international banks…"