Ocean Energy News - RenewableEnergyWorld.com

Viewpoints from the Board Room: Interview with Voith Hydro CEO and President Kevin Frank

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Kevin Frank was named chief executive officer and president of Voith Hydro Inc. in November 2010. Frank discusses technology, policy and the factors driving the hydropower market.

When We Struggle, We Learn

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:42:49 GMT

If there was one key takeaway from the most recent RenewableEnergyWorld.com and Solar Power-gen webcast it was that the year ahead will be difficult for large-scale solar power development due to poor access to capital, an uncertain policy landscape, the pending trade case against China and module prices that are too low to support a healthy indust

Tackling the Renewable Energy Transmission Tiger - Is There Hope? Is There Help?

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:36:00 GMT

Building transmission to accommodate utility-scale renewable energy generation in the U.S. is seen as essential by much of the renewable energy industry. But can it be justified? Doing so will necessarily involve constructing some of the longest stretches of wire ever undertaken in this country. Much of the best wind and solar resource is located quite distant from the load. Ultimately, thousands of miles of huge power lines will have to be built. It is not illogical to ask whether investment in such massive infrastructure "costs too much and provides too little." It is also not illogical to answer "no," not if the value proposition is laid out appropriately and a well crafted policy and regulatory approach can be established that effectively addresses the issues.

Renewable Energy Recap: United Kingdom

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:00:00 GMT

Developers, manufacturers, investors and other renewable energy industry stakeholders need to know where the next big market is going to be so that they can adjust their business decisions accordingly.

Renewable Energy Recap: South Korea

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:00:00 GMT

Asia Report: China Takes Sharp Turn in Push for Solar Energy

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:20:30 GMT

Facing a manufacturing overcapacity and a growing need for clean energy, China announced a plan that could have impacts on both fronts.

Baby Steps in Climate Negotiations are Still Steps in the Right Direction

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:36:14 GMT

I wasn’t able to attend the [frustrating] climate change talks in Durban, South Africa this year, although I would have loved to. South Africa is an incredible place to visit. I say the talks are frustrating because they always seem to go the same way. The European nations and some smaller countries attend the meeting armed with serious data

Renewable Energy Groups Seek 1603 Extension; Analysts Offer Hope for Life After the Grant

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:34:39 GMT

This week more than 750 large companies, small businesses and organizations sent a letter to Congress calling for a one-year extension of the Department of Treasury's Section 1603 Program.

Predictions for Cleantech in 2012

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:00:00 GMT

It’s December again (how did that happen!?) and our annual time for reflection here at Kachan & Co. So as we close out 2011, let’s look towards what the new year may have in store for cleantech. There are eggshells across the sector for 2012. Global economic uncertainty is leaving some skeptical about the chances for emerging clean

Investment Continues to Flow into Marine Energy: Siemens and OpenHydro Ride the Tide

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:36:00 GMT

Marine resources — tidal, wave and ocean thermal — are ripe for providing massive amounts of energy to coastal communities. But the technologies are still budding, preventing companies from realizing that available potential.

Japan's Tipping Point Part 2: Tetsunari Iida and ISEP

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:55:33 GMT

This is my second blog about Japan's current energy situation and its future, about which I wrote in my short book, Japan's Tipping Point: Crucial Choices in the Post-Fukushima World. In my first post, I explained how I came to Japan to study Eco-Model Cities and renewable energy policy two months after the earthquake/tsunami/Fukushima meltdo

Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards: Nominate Now!

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:43:00 GMT

Get ready to celebrate the industry's achievements. At RenewableEnergyWorld.com, we are ready to accept nominations for the Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards. These awards recognize the best companies, people and projects in the North American renewable energy industry.

Japan's Tipping Point

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:43:10 GMT

Most of you in the renewable energy world probably don't know me yet. This is my first blog here, so let me introduce myself. I write books for a living (a sort of living). In 2010, I published a book on public health (Inside the Outbreaks), and as a follow-up, I concluded that the overarching threat to the world's public health t

In Australia, Can Renewable Energy Get Over the Tea Party Blues?

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:00:00 GMT

"It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things." Niccolò Machiavelli Australia’s government is trying to initiate a new era of clean energy and facing such powerful opposition that some renewables companies th

Obama Cleantech Stimulus: Bad Policy, Bad Politics and Bad for Cleantech

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:06:13 GMT

The Solyndra debacle is no surprise to this cleantech venture capitalist. The inherent conflict between trying to get money out of the U.S. Treasury as quickly as possible to stimulate the economy and, at the same time, have government agencies that are ill-suited at making business decisions do just that was nothing other than a recipe f

Energy Entrepreneurs Flock to Renewables Bonanza

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:00:00 GMT

We hear a lot about the job-building benefits of renewable energy when it draws manufacturers and developers to local communities. Less talked about are those who arrive well before the shovels, steel, factories and jobs. These are the green energy entrepreneurs – the creative thinkers and risk takers responsible for the rise of clean energy ventures over the last decade.

Snapshot of Feed-in Tariffs around the World in 2011

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:46:52 GMT

Feed-in tariffs are the world's most popular renewable energy policy mechanism. Despite the economic recession, more and more jurisdictions are turning to feed-in tariffs to spur not only renewable energy development but also industrial development and the attendant jobs that it creates.

Feds Pick 7 Projects to Speed Up Transmission Line Buildout

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 19:36:49 GMT

Talks about the need to modernize the transmission grid have swirled around in the renewable energy world for a while now, but big challenges in areas such as permitting remain for accomplishing that goal. The federal government says it wants to help, and it announced seven pilot projects on Wednesday to show how it could speed up the regulatory processes.

Wanted: Chinese Cleantech Capital and Connections

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:09:32 GMT

With the emergence of China as the globe’s cleantech powerhouse (see Why China has already overtaken the U.S. in cleantech), it’s become fashionable for cleantech companies seeking large purchase orders to target China. What’s not been so popular is to go to China seeking investment capital. We and a handful of companies di

Trade Barriers Dim Renewable Energy's Prospects

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:00:00 GMT

Protectionism in the renewable energy industry takes many forms depending on location and sector. For example, in the U.S., Ohio is stringently enforcing a law that half of its mandated renewable energy must be supplied through in-state production.