-
The CSP industry has witnessed an exhilarating series of developments over the last few years. While emerging markets like South Africa and Morocco continue to advance, others, such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are progressing at a slower-than-expected pace.
USA
-
California utility mulls compressed air storage to shave renewable energy peaksAug 21, 2015
Southern California municipal utility Burbank Water and Power (BWP) is looking to build a 300 MW compressed air energy storage (CAES) pilot facility at the Intermountain Power Project (IPP) site in Delta, Utah to control the intermittency of growing renewable energy capacity, Lincoln Bleveans, power resources manager at BWP, said during the Energy Storage USA 2015 conference on July 7.
-
Shifting Sands in the Global CSP MarketOct 10, 2014
The CSP industry has witnessed an exhilarating series of developments over the last few years. While emerging markets like South Africa and Morocco continue to advance, others, such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are progressing at a slower-than-expected pace.
-
Red state or blue state - which is best for CSP?Sep 19, 2014
Politically, the US is divided, between ‘red’ or Republican-run states, with few permitting restrictions, but also no policy incentives to build clean energy, and the ‘blue’ states run by Democrats, with high state requirements for clean energy, but rigorous permitting to build it.
-
Secretary Moniz announces $30 million investment for solar developmentFeb 10, 2014
U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz has announced $30 million in funding to 12 projects to develop solar technologies which can produce electricity when the sun is not shining.
-
392MW Ivanpah Plant now connected to the grid
Jan 31, 2014
The world’s largest concentrated solar power development – the 392MW Ivanpah Solar Thermal Project is now online. There has been little fuss but one of the most iconic solar developments in the world has connected to the grid and is now producing clean power.
-
U.S. utilities set to procure CSP in 2014
Jan 27, 2014
The California Public Utilities Commission’s recent 1.3GW storage mandate to be fulfilled by the states 3 major utilities by 2020 has led to utilities across the nation putting procurement plans in place to avoid being caught out by a wholesale federal roll out of similar legislation.
-
How do US government shutdowns impact CSP project permitting?Dec 2, 2013
In the United States, all CSP projects must undergo lengthy permitting by a variety of federal and state government agencies.
-
Loan-Guaranteed Ivanpah meets grid-readiness milestone as CSP costs in the USA come downOct 3, 2013
“When the SunShot program was planned in 2010, CSP was 21 cents a kilowatt hour without subsidies. Now, SunShot Initiative CSP Director Dr. Pitchumani tells CSP Today, they are getting reports of prices of as low as 13 cents a kilowatt hour”.
-
Where next for US CSP?Sep 27, 2013
American CSP companies such as BrightSource and SolarReserve are among the biggest and best in the world. But do they have their sights set on world domination?
-
Weighing-up Options for CSP SubsidiesSep 20, 2013
CSP subsidies in Spain and the US are remarkably different. Neither is without issue. The biggest impact in both countries is that of politics – inevitably short term and thus somewhat at odds with the long-term planning requirements of the energy industry.
-
CEC releases FSA for 500 MW Palen project, USA
Sep 12, 2013
The California Energy Commission has released the first installment of the final staff assessment (FSA) of BrightSource's 500 MW Palen project.
-
United States outlook – promise despite the hazeJun 21, 2013
CSP in the United States faces a crucial year, with the Department of Energy adamant that visible benefits from five new plants under construction, plus millions of dollars in research funding, will offset the freezing of its loan guarantee programme.
-
SEGS experience suggests that CSP will age gracefullyJun 7, 2013
An old project, built three decades ago in California holds the answer to an interesting question: How do the costs and performance of ageing CSP compare to energy from other ageing power plants, once the capital costs have been paid off?
-
Land mitigation: what is best for the beasties?May 17, 2013
California believes its land mitigation measures represent best environmental best practice for CSP. Not all environmentalists are convinced, however.
-
How updating climate-blind environmental laws could speed-up US solar developmentApr 4, 2013
The US needs to revise the permitting of clean energy projects to properly account for the climate benefits of renewables versus the climate costs of fossil energy. That might finally be happening.