Dominion Awarded $47 Million by DOE for Offshore Wind Turbine Demonstration Project - May 7, 2014

RICHMOND, Va., May 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Virginia Power has been awarded an additional $47 million from the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to help fund the construction of a 12-megawatt demonstration project, consisting of two 6-megawatt offshore wind turbines on innovative substructures that will produce enough electricity to power up to 3,000 homes.

"This was a highly competitive process and we thank DOE for recognizing this demonstration project is using innovative designs that will both lower the cost and lower the risk of future commercial scale offshore wind projects located in hurricane prone regions," said Mary C. Doswell, senior vice president-Retail and Alternative Energy Solutions.

Dominion Awarded $47 Million by DOE for Offshore Wind Turbine Demonstration Project - May 7, 2014

Dominion Acquires Two Largest Solar Projects in Tennessee - May 7, 2014

RICHMOND, Va., May 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion (NYSE:D), one of the nation's largest energy providers, has acquired two stand-alone solar energy developments in southwestTennessee. Commercial operation is slated for the fourth quarter of this year.

The two projects are currently in late stage development by Strata Solar of Chapel Hill, N.C.  All power and environmental attributes from both projects will be purchased by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) under their renewable standard offer program.  Interconnection to the electric grid will take place through facilities owned and operated by Pickwick Electric Cooperative ofSelmer, TN.

Dominion Acquires Two Largest Solar Projects in Tennessee - May 7, 2014

The Changing Role of Technology in Building Efficiency (Webcast) - YouTube

Video (1:00:19)



The Changing Role of Technology in Building Efficiency (Webcast) - YouTube

Renewable Energy: Bringing New Opportunities to Indian Country

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Patrice H. Kunesh, Deputy Under Secretary, USDA Rural Development, on May 9, 2014 at 4:00 PM

A tractor tills the soil among wind turbines in Oklahoma on August 13, 2009. USDA photo by Alice Welch.

In rural communities across the country, USDA Rural Development is bringing new energy efficiency and cost saving opportunities to Indian Country.

Choggiung Limited, a Native American Corporation in southwest Alaska, received a $20,000 energy assistance grant from USDA Rural Development to install a wind turbine at the courthouse in Dillingham – a Native-owned building and leased to the state – that has reduced its energy costs by 80 percent and is saving Choggiung about $20,000 a year.  Choggiung is a for-profit Native corporation serving Tribal residents in Dillingham, Ekuk, and Portage Creek, Alaska. “This wind turbine marks a new approach to sustainable business management and renewable energy in Dillingham,” Choggiung CEO Doug Calaway said.

In the southwest, USDA awarded the Arizona, the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority a $100,000 grant to conduct energy audits that helped farmers, ranchers, and small business owners across the Navajo Nation make their operations more energy efficient and economical.

Careful stewardship and sustainable management of forest lands are essential to the culture of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin.  Since 1908, Menominee Tribal Enterprises (MTE) has operated a sawmill to provide lumber and fuel for the community.  Tribal members make hand-crafted, natural wood products, such as furniture and cabinets, which are an important source of income and cultural pride for the Menominee. MTE received a $250,000 grant for a new, energy efficient boiler that produces steam used in kilns that dry the wood and to heat MTE’s building facilities.  The boiler helps the environment because it is clean burning and uses less wood residue as fuel.

USDA Rural Development’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) is helping these and many other Tribal communities carry out their renewable energy projects.  USDA supports Tribal communities, businesses, and producers in a vast array of projects.  And renewable energy development is just one way we provide enormous economic opportunities in Indian Country.  The REAP Program helps farmers, ranchers, and rural small business owners incorporate renewable energy and energy efficiency technology into their operations.  Although government entities such as Tribes are not directly eligible for REAP assistance, individual entities and Tribally owned corporations – like those above – are eligible to apply.

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack just announced funding availability of more than $70 million in REAP grants and loan guarantees in 2014.  REAP is one of many USDA programs that are expanding our energy economy.  REAP also creates quality jobs in rural America and encourages U.S. energy independence.  Cutting energy costs with cleaner and more efficient energy generates more income for farmers and rural businesses, and reduces greenhouse gasses that affect our climate.

With everything that Rural America provides us – abundant food, clean water, beautiful outdoor spaces, and renewable energy – the positive impact of our rural areas is further strengthened by the diversity, knowledge and traditions of our Tribal communities.

To learn more about how REAP can benefit Indian Country farmers, ranchers, and small businesses, or for help in applying, please contact the USDA Rural Development American Indian/Alaska Native Coordinator that serves your area.

Verizon Showcases Its Commitment to Green Energy and Technology Investment in Montgomery County, Md.

SILVER SPRING, Md. – Montgomery County Executive Isiah “Ike” Leggett will visit Verizon’s Chesapeake Complex today to see firsthand how one of the county’s largest employers is improving its energy efficiency, reducing its carbon footprint, and using innovative technology to improve and change customers’ lives. 



Verizon Showcases Its Commitment to Green Energy and Technology Investment in Montgomery County, Md.

EPA News Release:

NREL Assembles Industry Group to Explore Solar Lending Potential

Wednesday, May 07, 2014

Increasingly, banks, credit unions, and other lenders are beginning to offer loan products to homeowners and businesses for the installation of rooftop solar systems. However, barriers to accessing this growing market still remain. The Energy Department's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently convened the Banking on Solar working group to engage lenders and other stakeholders to address these barriers.

Banking on Solar comprises more than 50 members representing the solar, banking, legal, regulatory, and financial industries, among others. The group's principal efforts center on standardizing contracts and underwriting processes, as well as educating banks and regulators about the risks and rewards of the solar asset class. The goal is to reduce barriers to entry for banks that wish to diversify their asset base and invest in a market with high growth potential.

"There are many states where third-party finance is unavailable and there are solar customers who may prefer to own their systems over leasing them," said NREL Analyst Travis Lowder. "A greater prevalence and diversity of loan products could enable higher rates of solar adoption in these markets."

The working group has already begun developing standardized loan documents and underwriting criteria in the residential and commercial markets. Other solar debt markets, such as lending into tax equity capital structures, are also under consideration.

The Banking on Solar working group is operating in parallel with the SunShot Initiative-funded, NREL-led Solar Access to Public Capital (SAPC) working group. SAPC is designed to facilitate capital market investment via securitization.

"The two initiatives are complementary, as securitization offers banks an opportunity to free up their balance sheets and expand their loan activities," Lowder said. "The knowledge gained from quantifying solar risks under the SAPC mock ratings process is highly relevant to solar lenders."

The effort is supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy through the SunShot Initiative. Banking on Solar will host several webinars in the months ahead to introduce banks to the solar asset class. The group will also have a presence at several upcoming banking conferences around the United States. For more information on this group and its activities, please send an email to travis.lowder@nrel.gov.

Banking on Solar participants include:
Admirals Bank
AFC First Financial Corporation
American Bankers Association
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Blank Rome LLP
Bloc Power
Bridge Bank
Callahan & Associates
Capital City Bank
Capital Fusion Partners
Citi
City University of New York
Clean Fund
CleanPath
Clean Power Finance
The Climate Bonds Initiative
Coalition for Green Capital
Community Development Financial Institutions Fund
Congressional Bank
Connecticut Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority
Digital Federal Credit Union
DLA Piper
Energi
Energy Programs Consortium
Energy Sense Finance
Enphase
Environmental Defense Fund
Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance
Harcourt Brown & Carey
HelioPower
Independent Community Bankers of America
Kilowatt Financial
K&L Gates LLP
Latham & Watkins LLP
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
LendKey Technologies
M-Core Credit Corporation
McHenry Savings Bank
MJM Consulting
Mosaic National Cooperative Bank
Nautilus Solar
New York Green Bank
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
NextEra Energy
OneRoof Energy
Patton Boggs
PNC
R&R Consulting
Rabobank
Renovate America Inc.
Rocky Mountain Institute
Sandia National Labs
Self Help Credit Union
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, & Flom LLP
SolarCity
Solar Energy Industries Association
Sungage Financial
SunPower
U.S. Bancorp
VectraBank
Wiser Capital
Zions Energy Link

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for the Energy Department by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

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NREL News Release:

NREL Innovators to Be Honored on May 8

Wednesday, May 07, 2014

The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory will be hosting its annual Innovation and Technology Transfer Awards ceremony on May 8, at the Denver West Marriott. The awards celebrate NREL's innovation and technology transfer accomplishments from the past year, including NREL patented technologies, outstanding achievements in transferring NREL-developed technologies into the marketplace, and notable innovators.

Media are invited to attend a guided tour of one of NREL's recently constructed, LEED platinum commercial buildings from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Doors will open for the awards at the Denver West Marriott at 3 p.m.; the awards ceremony begins at 3:30 p.m. (Free shuttle service will be provided to and from the NREL site).

WHAT:      Innovation and Technology Transfer Awards
WHEN:     Thursday, May 8
WHERE:   Denver West Marriott, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO, 80401

Media interested in attending the tour or the awards ceremony should RSVP to Heather Lammers via email or by calling 303-275-4084.

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

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