QUICK NEWS, November 17: WORLD RECORD FOR WIND; NEW ENERGY SAVES BILLIONS; DUKE BUYS SUN

WORLD RECORD FOR WIND
Xcel sets world record for wind power generation
Mark Jaffe, November 15, 2011 (Denver Post)

"Early on the morning of Oct. 6, Xcel Energy set a world record for electricity from wind power…Between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. on that day, 55.6 percent of the electricity consumed by Xcel's 1 million customers, or at least those that were awake, came from the wind farms dotting the state…The previous high - 53 percent - was recorded in 2009 in Spain…

"There is an on-going debate among utility executives and engineers about how much wind can be put in the electrical grid and its dependability…Improved wind forecasting, energy trading and grid operating improvements are allowing more wind power to be used, Xcel executives said…"

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"Xcel is appearing before the Colorado Public Utilities Commission Nov. 21 seeking to add another 200 megawatts of wind from NextEra Energy...The proposed wind farm… would have the lowest wind costs Xcel has ever paid…The charge…will start at $27.50 a megawatt-hour [and increase over 25 years by about 2 percent]. Xcel's average purchase cost for wind since 2007 has been $42.16, according to the company…

"The proposed deal has been challenged before PUC by the Climax Molybdenum Co., one of Xcel's largest customers…Climax contends…the extra wind is not needed to meet the Colorado renewable energy standard, which requires 30 percent of Xcel's power to come from renewable sources…nor is it needed to meet demand."


NEW ENERGY SAVES BILLIONS
Civil Society Institute Study: U.S. Could Achieve Over $80 Billion in Lower Energy Costs by Focusing on Safer, Renewable Energy
November 16, 2011 (Civil Society Institute)

"It is a myth that switching to safe, renewable energy would mean an unreliable U.S. power supply that also is too expensive to afford. That is the major conclusion of a new Synapse Energy Economics report…that details a future with more energy efficiency and renewable energy and less reliance on coal and nuclear power…"

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…Toward a Sustainable Future for the U.S. Power Sector: Beyond Business as Usual 2011…outlines a realistic transition to a cleaner energy future that would result in a net savings of $83 billion over the next 40 years. The Synapse report also details other major benefits, including: the avoidance of tens of thousands of premature deaths due to pollution; the creation of hundreds of thousands of new jobs; sharp cuts in carbon pollution; and significant cuts in water consumption for power production…"


DUKE BUYS SUN
Duke Energy Acquires Three N.C. Solar Farms
15 November 2011 (Solar Industry)

"Duke Energy Renewables has acquired three 1 MW commercial solar projects in the southwestern corner of North Carolina. The company says it now owns seven commercial solar farms in the state.

"Duke Energy Renewables, part of Duke Energy's commercial businesses, purchased the portfolio of PV projects from ESA Renewables LLC, which designed and built the generation sites…"

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"The power from each of the newly acquired solar farms is sold through Blue Ridge Mountain EMC to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), as part of the TVA's Generation Partners program. The length of the power purchase agreements is 10 years. The TVA will also receive the renewable energy certificates created by the projects.

"ESA Renewables will handle operations, monitoring and maintenance at each of the solar farms."