Renewable Energy World - Hydro Power

Yesterday the Rick Scott campaign attacked a group of businessmen and farmers who believe that renewable energy is the path to creating new jobs and growing Florida's economy. His response - more nuclear.

China has succeeded the US as the most attractive location in which to invest in renewable energy projects, according to Ernst & Young's latest Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices.

A group of businessmen, farmers and renewable energy advocates who met today to support Alex Sink for Governor, were abruptly met with an attack from the Rick Scott campaign.

What about a recently laid-off woman who now pushes a reel mower yard to yard to make money? Would lawn lady's be a green job created, a general job lost, or would the two cancel one another for a net job gain of zero?

The evolving discussion over renewable energy technologies has a tendency to get a bit technical. Most of us who work in the renewable energy space take for granted that many potential customers, investors and partners haven't spent any time in academia studying photovaltaics or wind turbines. In fact, they may not have a background in general energy metrics. Terms that once belonged to the realm of industry-insider jargon are quickly becoming standard. Thus, anyone who wants to follow the renewable versus traditional energy debate needs to know what we mean when we say "watt." Here, then, is a brief crash course in energy lingo.

In what they are calling a "clear and easy choice" for the future of the renewable energy industry, the Florida Alliance for Renewable Energy (FARE), announced today their endorsement of State CFO Alex Sink for Governor and encouraged every organization, business and individual involved in the renewable energy industry to do the same.

Many investors find the prospect of selecting individual stocks simply too daunting. For those investors interested in investing in peak oil, but uncomfortable with the risks and moral dilemmas inherent in oil company stocks, there is another option: Powershares Global Progressive Transportation Portfolio (PTRP).

The huge turbines at the Guanting Wind Farm are popular backdrops for photos of newly married couples who find the 60-meter-tall structures a symbol of modernity; an endearing addition to the distant mountains, corn fields and lake a few dozen kilometers outside bustling Beijing.

The Peace Corps announced late last month that the U.S. Department of State will provide $1 million to fund the program in support of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA). The money will help Peace Corps efforts that increase rural access to energy, mitigate the effects of climate change, and support the use of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies in Central and South American communities.

As policymakers consider energy and environmental goals, renewable portfolio standards (RPS) are one popular tool to encourage the development of renewable power resources. These regulations, also called renewable electricity standards, typically require utilities to source a specified percentage of their power from qualified renewable sources. States adopt RPS programs to incentivize the development of new capacity, reduce their carbon footprints and mitigate volatility in fossil fuel prices. While such regulations do have cost impacts to ratepayers, proponents argue that their benefits exceed their costs.

A new government study shows that Americans are using less energy overall and making more use of renewable energy resources.

When it comes to federal financial incentives, proper planning is essential for renewable energy project owners and developers who seek to maximize available incentives, avoid pitfalls and realize a quicker return on investment.

The Tyson Creek project is the third hydro system developed by Renewable Power Corporation, a British Columbia company. On the Sunshine Coast of BC, Tyson Creek went online in December 2009 and has a rated output of 9.3 MW based on 865 meters gross head and a flow of just 1.3 cubic meters per second.

Our cover notes the 100th anniversary of PennWell Corp., which publishes this magazine plus dozens of other business-to-business magazines across a range of industries.

Rwanda is looking to small hydropower to help meet growing demand for electricity in a sustainable, easily-deployable way.