Clean Energy Blog
Stay up to date on the latest news related to clean energy in our region and beyond.
TVA First to Submit Construction Permit for SMR
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300 SMR. Image credit: GE Vernova. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) announced May 20 that it is the first utility in the U.S. to submit a construction permit application (CPA) for the GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH) small...
X-energy in Washington state proposes to ‘change the world’ with small nuclear reactors
X-energy in Washington state is developing a new generation of small, safer, and more flexible nuclear power plants in an effort to redefine the nation's energy future. They would make electricity without direct combustion of fossil fuels, which could aid in the...
Biofuels data provides detailed look into renewables and statistics important to emerging energy market trends
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently expanded its data on biofuels. The expanded biofuels data provide a more detailed look at fuels previously grouped under renewable fuels except ethanol, which is now split into biodiesel, renewable diesel, and...
What is hydropower pumped storage?
As Washington moves toward clean energy production and enhanced battery storage, the two following articles explain the story of hydro's pumped storage: Projects would invest billions on Lake Roosevelt for needed renewable-energy storage, but hurdles are high New...
New hydropower project in Washington based on ‘pumped storage’ concept
An effort to generate energy along the Columbia River through a concept called "pumped storage" has drawn pushback from tribes and environmental groups. The hydropower project being developed in Central Washington, overlooking the Columbia River, would generate...
Infrastructure bill provides incentives to modernize hydropower
Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the more than $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Also known as the bipartisan infrastructure framework (BIF), the Senate approved the bill in August. The BIF represents a core piece of...
Leading offshore wind developer pushes into floating wind market
Orsted, the world's leading offshore wind developer, plans to accelerate commercial floating wind build in Scotland. Its bids in the ScotWind offshore wind leasing round demonstrate a significant push into the emerging floating wind market. The Danish group made two...
U.S. wind installations fell 22% in July-September
U.S. wind installations in July-September fell 22% from a year ago to 1.5 GW, as some developers delayed projects due to supply chain issues. U.S. wind developers have installed 7.3 GW of capacity so far this year, far lower than in 2020 when developers raced to meet...
DOE to fund more projects for cleaner cars
This week, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it awarded $199 million to fund 25 projects to put cleaner cars and trucks on U.S. roads. The projects include long-haul trucks powered by batteries and fuel cells and improving the nation's electric...
First U.S. offshore wind blade factory to be built off east coast
Last week, Siemens Gamesa announced that it has agreed to build the first U.S. offshore wind blade factory at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal (PMT) in Virginia. Siemens Gamesa is the world's largest supplier of offshore wind turbines and has installed 68% of capacity...