The Renewable Energy Renaissance
The real Renaissance is in renewable energy whose sources could meet 25% of the nation's energy needs by 2025. Renewable technologies can help restore political and economic stability as well as save money…and the planet.
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Indian Point nuclear plant is on track to be replaced by 100% renewable energy and energy efficiency in NY!
Some great news from our friends and colleagues at AGREE (Alliance for a Green Economy) in New York:
New research from @PhySciEng shows Indian Point nuclear plant is on track to be replaced by 100% renewable energy and energy efficiency in NY. The plant’s first reactor shuts down this month and will be completely shut down by April 2021. https://www.psehealthyenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/PSE-Research-Brief_-Indian-Point-_4_6_20.pdf #IPShutDown
AGREE's good news above adds further pushback to Scott Stapf's tweet below, challening a pro-Indian Point nuclear power plant op-ed in the NY Post --
Thank you to Scott Stapf of the Hastings Group for this tweet:
https://twitter.com/stapf/status/1247554886545354753
Here we have more shameless exploitation by the nuclear industry and its minions of the coronavirus pandemic. Thanks for showing us your true colors by twisting fear about death & disease to advance your craven, lucre-driven agenda of soulless greed. https://nypost.com/2020/04/06/a-pandemic-is-the-wrong-time-to-shut-down-nycs-top-source-of-electricity/
Oil Companies Are Collapsing, but Wind and Solar Energy Keep Growing
The renewable-energy business is expected to keep growing, though more slowly, in contrast to fossil fuel companies, which have been hammered by low oil and gas prices.
US: Renewables to rise above coal, nuclear says FERC
Thank you to Scott Stapf of the Hastings Group, whose tweet points to this good news:
US: Renewables to rise above coal, nuclear says FERC -- http://ow.ly/GI8a30qqCNH
Renewable energy surges despite Trump cuts to investment credits for 2020
Solar and wind power are now the least expensive way to reliably generate electricity. A January 16, 2020 Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) report finds that global renewable energy investment was more than $282 billion last year, a slight increase over 2018 investments. Here in the United States, new investments in renewable energy for 2019 set a record high at $5.55 billion. The power surge in the US comes as solar and wind generated electricity costs continue to plummet despite the Trump Administration's ongoing effort to shrink incentives for solar and wind investment and production tax credits.
The US government funding program passed by Congress and signed by President Trump at the end of 2019 provided wind power a modest 2020 federal tax credit incentive extension. New wind energy projects received a minimum one year extension for those projects that began construction in 2019 are still eligible for the 40% credit in 2020. Those wind projects that can start up in 2020 will be eligible for a 60% credit. However, the U.S. wind power tax credit is presently scheduled to be completely phased out by the end of 2020. At the same time, Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) announced that Congressional lawmakers ignored extending investment tax credits for 2020 to new solar power projects.
President Trump authorized $1.5 billion for nuclear energy research including a $250 million to the Department of Energy for Advanced Reactor Research.