What's New
Our understanding of the global need to act, and the state of renewable energy policy and news are rapidly evolving in Oregon, nationally and internationally. This monthly resource will keep you up-to-date with what's new both in OREP and renwewable energy conversations from around the planet. These articles are further archived under the navigation menus listed in red below.
From local communities to national policy decisions, informed and engaged citizens will advance the transition to locally-owned and locally-generated clean renewable energy. We encourage you to check back regularly.
June 2016
6/29/16
RE News: Storage & Integration
Energy Storage Procurement Guidance Documents for Municipalities; Clean Energy Group/Clean Energy States Alliance, Jun 27, 2016
Policy News: Community RE
Local Utilities Have Lost Local Control; Abigail Feola, Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Jun 23, 2016
6/28/16
RE News: Storage & Integration
Is this the 'Non-Weird' Future of Microgrids?; Elisa Wood, Microgrid Knowledge, Jun 27, 2016
New York City Seeks Developer for District Energy Microgrid; Elisa Wood, Microgrid Knowledge, Jun 23, 2016
Policy News: World FiT News
Germany overhauls its flagship energy policy; Arne Jungjohann, China Dialogue, Jun 27, 2016
Tasmania Electricity Price Rise, But Higher Solar Feed In Tariffs; Energy Matters, Jun 24, 2016
Policy News: Community RE
Maryland Scores 3 out of 4 on Principles for a Good Community Solar Program; John Farrell, Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Jun 16, 2016
RE News: Energy
U.S., Mexico to source 50% of electricity from clean energy by 2025; Margo McDiarmid, CBC News, Jun 27, 2016
6/27/16
100% RE Cities: RE100 News
Oxford County Adopts 100% Renewable Energy Plan; Renewable Cities, Jun 23, 2016
Policy News: Community RE
New Ruling Opens Up 400 GW Renewables Market; Kevin Brehm, Joseph Goodman, Ph.D., Rocky Mountain Institute, Jun 21, 2016
RE News: Energy
EVs Charge Ahead with New Technologies and Business Models; Chris Nelder, Rocky Mountain Institutue, Jun 21, 2016
6/26/16
Policy News: World FiT News
David Suzuki: Feed-In Tariffs Accelerate the Renewable Energy Revolution; Dr. David Suzuki, EcoWatch, Jun 15, 2016
Renewable Energy Act with feed-in tariffs; Energy Transition, Heinrich Böll Foundation
RE News: Energy
A solar tower four times taller than Liberty Hall is being built in the Israeli desert; The Journal, Jun 26, 2016
6/22/16
RE News: Energy
West Coast Leaders Sign Comprehensive Agreements at Global Clean Energy Ministerial; Oregon Governor's Office, Jun 01, 2016
Tesla makes offer to buy SolarCity; Davide Savenije, Krysti Shallenberger, Gavin Bade, Utility Dive, Jun 21, 2016
Tracking the Energy Revolution: Canada 2015 Report; Clean Energy Canada, 2016
Listen: "Crafting Canada's Clean Economy"; Clean Energy Canada, Jun 22, 2016
6/17/16
RE News: Energy
The World Nears Peak Fossil Fuels for Electricity; Tom Randall, Bloomberg, Jun 12, 2016
FACT SHEET: Obama Administration Announces Federal and Private Sector Actions on Scaling Renewable Energy and Storage with Smart Markets; The White House, Jun 16, 2016
REPORT: Incorporating Renewables into the Electric Grid: Expanding Opportunities for Smart Markets and Energy Storage;
The White House, June 2016
6/16/16
RE News: Energy
It's Time to Plan for Electric Vehicles on the Grid; Chris Nelder, Rocky Mountain Institute, Jun 15, 2016
REPORT: Electric Vehicles as Distributed Energy Resources; RMI, 2016
Policy News: Utility Adaptation
Electric Utilities Prepare for a Grid Dominated by Renewable Energy; Julia Pyper, greentechMedia, June 16, 2016
California local renewables are getting robbed, but CAISO can help; Craig Lewis, Utility Dive, Jun 16, 2016
Policy News: RE Policy Innovation
Beyond rate reforms: Bundling strategies could resolve net metering battles; Herman K Trabish, Utility Dive, June 15, 2016
Policy News: Community RE
Community-Supported Development: A First Step to Community Solar for All; Kieran Coleman, Laurie Guevara-Stone, Rocky Mountain Institute, Jun 9, 2016
6/15/16
RE News: Energy
Renewable energy is not just a fix for climate change - it's also a sign of progress; Francesco Starace, World Economic Forum, Jan 15, 2016
Policy News: RE Policy Innovation
Oregon Could Widen Carbon Trading across North America; Debra Kahn, ClimateWire, June 13, 2016
6/14/16
Policy News: World FiT News
Amendments to German Renewable Energy Act (EEG) take shape; Craig Morris, Energy Transition, Jun 13, 2016
German cabinet puts brakes on clean energy transition; Richard Fuchs, Deutsche Welle, Jun 9, 2016
Changes to Japan's Existing Renewable Energy Feed-in-Tariff System; Yu Babasaki, Toshio Dokei, Kazuo Kasai, Arthur Mitchell & Tony Nicholson, JD Supra Business Advisor, Jun 8, 2016
The Evolution of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in Greece: A Synopsis of the Legal Framework; Energy Transition, Jun 8, 2016
RE News: Storage & Integration
Greater than the sum: How aggregation is making storage into a software business; Herman K. Trabish, Utility Dive, Jun 13, 2016
Here's why the lights stayed on at NYU while the rest of Lower Manhattan went dark during Hurricane Sandy; Jeremy Deaton, Business Insider, Jun 11, 2016
Policy News: Utility Adaptation
Little less talk: With new revenue models, New York starts to put REV into action; Gavin Bade, Utility Dive, Jun 9, 2016
6/13/16
100% RE Cities: RE100 News
The Second-Largest City In The U.S. Is On The Verge Of Being 100 Percent Renewable; Samantha Page, ThinkProgress, Jun 10, 2016
RE News: Storage & Integration
We need lots more power lines. Why are we so bad at planning them?; David Roberts, Vox, Jun 9, 2016
Policy News: RE Policy Innovation
2016 Election – Energy Policies at the Ballot; Nick Stumo-Langer, Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Jun 2, 2016
6/9/16
100% RE Cities: RE100 News
Del Mar Climate Action Plan Passage Could Influence Other Cities; Alison St John, KPBS News, Jun 6, 2016
Portugal – Moving to 100% renewables; Rita Antus & Francisco Ferreira, Energy Transition, Jun 6, 2016
Is Denmark slowing down its energy transition?; Craig Morris, Energy Transition, Jun 1, 2016
RE News: Energy
FERC greenlights CAISO's push to integrate DERs into markets; Robert Walton, Utility Dive, Jun 6, 2016
GE Ventures adds energy storage to investment portfolio; Mariyana Yaneva, SeeNews Renewables, Jun 6, 2016
At a Minneapolis grain silo, a new approach to capture waste heat; Frank Jossi, Midwest Energy News, Jun 6, 2016
Energy firms urge EU to back offshore wind; Fiona Harvey; The Guardian, June 6, 2016
Could these new technologies be the key to sustainable energy?; Stefanie Koperniak, World Economic Forum, Jun 6, 2016
French nuclear under pressure – from German renewables?; Craig Morris, Energy Transition, Jun 3, 2016
6/8/16
Policy Basics: Reports
US renewable energy mandates bring down fossil fuel use, power costs; Christian Roselund, PV Magazine, Jan 8, 2016
A Retrospective Analysis of the Benefits and Impacts of U.S. Renewable Portfolio Standards; Ryan Wyser, Galen Barbose, Jenny Heeter, et. al., Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory & National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Jan 2016
RE News: Energy
Energy Transition: Inside one mountain town's struggle to move off coal; Emily Holden, E&E Publishing: ClimateWire, Jun 7, 2016
As nuclear plants shutter, state efforts to save them are coming too late; Robert Walton, Utility Dive, Jun 6, 2016
6/3/16
RE News: Energy Storage
Statement from ESA on Congressional Approval of an Energy Storage ITC; Energy Storage Association, May 25, 2016
RE News: Solar
Fannie Mae's Financing for Solar: A Game Changer for the Solar Industry; Jamie Johnson, Laurie Guevara-Stone, Rocky Mountain Institute, Jun 1, 2016
Minnesota utility to triple residential solar rebates, build first solar garden; Robert Walton, Utility Dive, Jun 3, 2016
100% RE Cities: RE100 News
Wind and solar could meet nearly all Midwest energy needs by 2050, researcher says; Andy Balaskovitz, Midwest Energy News, Jun 2, 2016
Policy News: Community RE
Community Solar: A Cost-Effective Bridge away from Net Metering?; Kieran Coleman, Anothony Teixeira, Rocky Mountain Institute, May 26, 2016
Policy Basics: Reports
On the Path to Sunshot: Executive Summary; Solar Energy Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy, May 2016
On the Path to Sunshot: Full Reports; U.S. Department of Energy
5/31/16
RE News: Solar
New Solar Plants Generate Floating Green Power; Erica Goode, New York Times, May 20, 2016
Policy News: Utility Adaptation
Strange bedfellows: How solar and utilities struck a net metering compromise in New York; Krysti Shallenberger, Utility Dive, May 26, 2016
Policy News: World FiT News
German legislators fight over policy rollback on renewables; Craig Morris, Energy Blog, May 25, 2016
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OREP's Vision: Oregon communities powered by clean, renewable energy.