QUICK NEWS, January 27: BOONE PICKENS BOOSTS IOWA WIND; THE FIGHT FOR SOLAR IN NORTH CAROLINA; CALIF SETS BAR HIGHER ON EFFICIENCY, DEMAND RESPONSE

BOONE PICKENS BOOSTS IOWA WIND Another View: Wind's outlook remains strong; Developing natural gas and renewable energy are good for Iowa and the U.S.

T. Boone Pickens, January 21, 2014 (Des Moines Register)

“…In 2008, there were concerns that America’s supplies of natural gas were stretched thin…The Pickens Plan began with a call to increase alternative forms of energy generation…[Since then,] natural gas supplies [have] increased so dramatically that…[it] is the cheapest energy source in America, a reality that has hindered aggressive development of renewable energy in Iowa and elsewhere…[T]he same innovation and technology advances that have reshaped the domestic oil and natural gas landscape have also impacted the wind industry…[W]ind is the second-cheapest American power resource…[and] is becoming economically feasible again…[because of more] efficient turbines, better siting, the ability to tie into regional electric grids and other factors…Iowa may not have natural gas reserves, but 75 percent of the state is suitable to generate energy from wind…Developing natural gas for use in heavy-duty trucks and wind for electricity make a solid partnership…” click here for more

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THE FIGHT FOR SOLAR IN NORTH CAROLINA Largest Power Company in U.S. Joins ALEC in Plot Against One State’s Solar Revolution

David Pomerantz, January 22, 2014 (EcoWatch)

“The new hot spot for solar energy in the U.S. is North Carolina. The state was second in the nation in solar growth in 2013, behind only California…[and] if U.S. states were considered as countries, North Carolina would have been among the top 10 countries in the world for solar growth last year…[T]hat solar growth, driven by policies like the state’s renewable energy portfolio law, has been great for the North Carolina economy, generating $1.7 billion in revenue for the state…[and employing] 1,400 people in [2012. But] Duke Energy, the state’s monopoly utility and the largest power company in the country, is about to launch a major attack on…net metering, one of the key policies to North Carolina’s solar growth…Duke’s key ally…[is] the American Legislative Exchange Council, (ALEC), a group that lets corporations like Duke ghostwrite laws for right-wing state legislators…” click here for more

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CALIF SETS BAR HIGHER ON EFFICIENCY, DEMAND RESPONSE California Aims to Increase Efficiency, Demand Response to Meet Need For Reliable, Low-Carbon Energy System; Report looks at how to replace energy from SONGS with preferred resources and address climate impact on grid while meeting 2030, 2050 climate goals

January 15, 2014 (California Energy Commission)

“To meet energy needs of a growing population and a recovering economy in the face of climate change and loss of power plants in Southern California, the state must find ways to significantly scale two preferred resources—energy efficiency and demand response—according to [the] 2013 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR)…It forecasts California's future energy supply and demand and [concludes the] urgency to scale-up demand response is high, if California is to maintain a reliable electric system, particularly in Southern California, in the absence of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), the retirement of power plants that use once-through-cooling, and the need for flexibility to integrate intermittent renewable resources…[and that] California must plan for how climate change is likely to compromise electricity supply and demand…” click here for more

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