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The article offers information on the economic forecasting for the U.S. energy industry. It states that the U.S. carbon dioxide emissions are expected to stay below 2005 levels through 2035, principally due to coal-to-gas fuel switching and a moribund economy. It mentions that the cost of renewable energy mandates was the primary cause of a 2.3 percent increase in the national average cost of residential electricity.

The article reports on the future prospect for the power industry in the U.S. and Europe in 2012. The problem of sovereign debt is likely to impact all major capital projects in Europe, where Great Britain is moving ahead with new nuclear projects while many of its neighbors are finding it difficult to finance their commitment to renewables. The U.S. Federal Reserve Bank has lowered in November 2011 its forecast for economic growth through 2013.

The article focuses on the efforts being made in much of the Nordic region to secure a sustainable energy supply for the future. It particularly discusses the extent to which the innovative solutions of these countries can be exported around the globe. It is reported that the Nord Pool network is the world's only multinational exchange for trading electricity, incorporating Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland.

The article offers information on low-cost energy storage technologies that will make the storage and release of the renewable energy easy for the use. It discusses the process of producing natural gas which results in the combination of hydrogen electrolysis and methanation, which helps generate energy. It also discusses the process of producing synthetic fuels for energy.

The article presents information on the significance of flexible turbine operation. It is stated that renewable electricity generation has several environmental benefits, but adding large amounts of far-flung renewable resources to a grid needs increased operating flexibility from dispatchable generators in the absence of wind and sunshine. Detailed information on features and applications of Low Load Operation Capability (LLOC), developed by Alstom SA, is presented.

The article presents information on the company Public Service of New Hampshire's (PSNH) Northern Wood Power Project (NWPP) that won "POWER" magazine's 2007 Marmaduke Award for excellence in operations and maintenance in New Hampshire. The project, completed in December 2006, reduced emissions and expanded the local market for low-grade wood. The NWPP is among the largest renewable energy projects in the U.S. and the only sizable one to replace a coal boiler with a biomass-fueled steam boiler. PSNH estimates that the NWPP will generate between 300,000 and 400,000 renewable energy certificates (RECs) each year, bringing in about $15 million of additional revenue and helping to keep rates low for PSNH customers.

The article discusses the challenges faced by U.S. public electric utilities in integrating wind power plants and renewable wind energy development projects into their strategic plans and electric power production portfolio. Wind power requires a perspective different from the approach used by utility resource planners. Key integration issues are wind forecasting tools, wind power grid reliability, and electric power transmission constraints. The policies of the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security, as well as the actions of the Federal Aviation Administration, have an immediate and potentially costly impact on wind power plant developers.

Presents updates on issues related to the wind power industry in the U.S., as of March 2003. Wind generation in the U.S.; Launch of the first wind turbine over 3 MW from GE Wind Energy; Description of the wind power project, the Fenner Windpower Facility.

The article presents information on Sempra Generation's solar facility in Boulder City, Nevada. It is stated that to shorten the development period, the modular photovoltaic (PV) plant has been built by Sempra on land adjacent to an existing gas-fired plant. It is mentioned that the facility is the largest thin-film PV project in the U.S. Information on El Dorado, Sempra Energy's first solar power generation project is given.

Focuses on a green power program offered by several electric utilities in the U.S. that allows consumers to support electricity production from renewable resources such as sunlight and wind. List of major companies getting into the green business; Ways to increase the use of green power; Green pricing program renewable energy sales as of December 2002.

The article reports on the 280-MW Solana Generating Station in Maricopa County, Arizona. It is said that the Station combines concentrating solar power (trough) technology with thermal energy storage. This which allows the 2 billion dollars Station to operate after the Sun goes down with up to a 38% annual average capacity factor.

An interview with vice president of Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas Inc., Bill Newsom is presented. He states that to support the power generation market, the company continues to develop industry-leading technologies. He mentions that the company invests in the infrastructure of the power generation industry in the U.S. He states that the company is offering products that offers a shift from hydrocarbon supply to renewable energy consuming society.

The article reports on Merkel's energy plan to extend the use of renewable energy to 35% of total power consumption in 2020 and 80% in 2050 in Germany. It is stated by the German Economy Ministry that the renewable energy grant of the Renewable Energy Act of the residential electricity bill will increase to 5.9-6.6 to pay Merkel's renewable energy polices. It notes that $125 billion will be paid by consumers to subsidize installation of renewables before 2012.

The author examines the magnitude of subsidies on renewable electricity compared to conventional generation technologies in the U.S. He argues that it is time to cut our losses on money spent on renewable energy development that is unsustainable with the unimaginable quantities of natural gas. It also looks at the performance and environmental impact of wind power in producing electricity.

The article focuses on biomass power projects in the U.S. It cites the cancellation of FirstEnergy Corp.'s plans to renovate Units 4 and 5 of its R.E. Burger plant to burn biomass fuels in November 2010 due to low wholesale energy prices. It notes the two projects canceled by Progress Energy totaling 100 megawatts in January 2011 and the Xcel Energy project on Lake Superior in Ashland. Also listed is the top 10 states with the most operating plants and proposed projects as of April 2011.

The article presents the findings of a survey conducted by the "Financial Times" in which household members who pay the energy bill each month in France, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, and the U.S. were asked about their support of renewable energy. About 87 percent of the U.S. respondents favored renewable energy. About sixty eight percent of U.S. respondents said that they are not likely to pay extraordinary increase in the electricity bill.

The article presents the author's views on the discrimination faced by the biomass power industry in terms of policy and equity comparing to other renewable sources in the U.S. It states that there are two types of biomass plants including closed-loop plants and open-loop plants. Consumption of biomass power in the U.S. is more than other renewable resources including solar, wind and geothermal. It discusses the HR 4373, the Renewable Biomass Fairness Act, which assures production tax credits.

The article presents information on the predictions regarding the future of the power industry. It is stated that the new nuclear plants in the U.S. will not show much progress in the future. It says that the U.S. electricity usage growth will rise in the year 2010 after two years of negative electricity consumption. It further states that the real cost of renewable energy generation will increase.

The article focuses on the long term effects of Spain's renewable energy policy on jobs and the economy. According to a study by Gabriel Calzada Álverez the policy has led to loss of many jobs with the creation of supposedly green jobs. The study further reveals that consumers have paid large amounts for the renewable energy and the real cost of electricity generation has actually increased but it hasn't been visible as it formed a part of the government debt.

The article focuses on the impact of the emission trading scheme (ETS) of the European Union (EU) on the market price of carbon. The EU regulators allocated emission allowances to the industries as per the pre-ETS time when the economy was in good health. Subsequently, now an increase in allowances will increase the value of carbon. This may lead to an increase in the cost of coal fired generation, subsidized less-carbon-intensive and resulting in more expensive renewable energy.

The article reports on the recognition of the J.K. Spruce Power Plant of CPS Energy as the best large coal-fired power plant by the Electric Utility Cost Group (EUCG) Fossil Productivity Committee in San Antonio, Texas in 2008. It is remarkable that there are various companies that assure high safety operation and efficacy compliance but the power plant has excelled among them. Recognition is part of the EUCG's growing concern in motivating power generating companies to assure compliance with the laws and regulation.

The article focuses on the plan of Al Gore, self -appointed father of the climate change movement in the U.S., to produce 100% of the nation's electricity from renewable energy and carbon-free sources. It is stated that the campaign hopes to enroll more than 10 million activists-from the Girl Scouts to the United Steel Workers, according to the group's Web site-to form what his campaign calls the largest public advocacy group in history.

The article focuses on the prospects of using heat produced by magma escaping through seafloor vents, an undersea version of geothermal energy. With the cost of all kinds of energy rising, the appeal of undersea geothermal energy is predicted to grow to match its ubiquity. Southern California inventor Bruce C. Marshall laments the lack of attention paid to untapped renewable energy source-hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor. Hydrothermal vents are natural geysers of magma-superheated water found atop mid-ocean ridges at an average depth of 7,500 feet. Marshall has proposed a system that would bring the high-temperature fluid to the surface through a network of insulated pipes to an offshore power plant on a platform similar to that used by oil companies.

The article reports on the possible effect of the proposed carbon cap-and-trade regulations in the U.S. power industry's 2008 performance. The proposed legislation for carbon control has executives at nuclear- and wind-power plants vilify their counterparts at coal-based utilities, in which they asked allowances to ease the transition. Predicting power industry performance requires understanding on how utilities and other plant developers respond to risk and uncertainty. The imminent arrival of carbon controls has reportedly caused a tectonic shift in the industry.

The article offers information on Nevada Solar One, a project that involves the installation of a 64-MW solar thermal plant in Boulder City, Nevada. The project is jointly owned by Acciona Energia and Solargenix Energy LLC. According to the article, Solar One is to be the largest renewable generating facility in the state of Nevada. Power generated from the plant will be purchased by the Nevada Power Co. and Sierra Pacific Power Co. under a 20-year power purchase agreement. The cost of generation from Solar One is estimated to be around $0.15 to $0.17/kWh.

The article reports that Central Vermont Public Service Corp. (CVPS) has launched the CVPS Cow Power program, which promotes development of and reliance on renewable energy in Vermont by using cow manure. By enrolling in CVPS Cow Power, retail customers help support Vermont dairy farms develop biogas-fueled generators. The program is said to have garnered strong public support, with more than 4,570, or 2.8%, of the company's customers among the participants. CVPS expects to have 5% of its customers enrolled by the end of 2010. Two of Vermont's larger utilities are studying the possibility of using CVPS Cow Power as a template for their own renewable choice programs.