Wind-power owners, developers and suppliers are preparing to soar under a new round of federal incentives. The news had 23,200 visitors—78% more than last year—blowing into the world’s largest conference on wind-generated electricity. On tap was February’s passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which boosts production tax credits (PTCs) to reduce owners’ tax burden for the first 10 years of operation. Wind PTCs are extended two years, through Dec. 31, 2012. Developers also can claim an alternate investment tax credit (ITC) or Treasury Dept. grant to recoup 30% in the first year. Photo: Sarah Klose / ENR John
As a standard-bearer for French plans to control one-third of the global nuclear powerplant market, Finland’s Olkiluoto project falls short of expectations. Delayed and mired in contractual disputes, the project is the world’s first to include new Franco-German reactor technology on which Paris-based Areva NP is hanging its ambitions. Slide Show Photo: TVO First Franco-German EPR reactor for Finland’s Olkiluoto plant is late. Olkiluoto’s third unit (OL3) is the first of a kind, say Areva officials, in explaining some of the project’s difficulties, hinting that the joint venture may have bid too optimistically for the turnkey contract. Now in arbitration,
The Clinton Climate Initiative, a project of the William J. Clinton Foundation, has announced the Climate Positive Development Program, in collaboration with the U.S. Green Building Council. The program will support 16 large-scale urban developments on six continents that strive to reach below-zero on-site carbon-dioxide emissions. Among the projects, supported by local governments and property developers, are those in Australia, Brazil the U.S. and India.
A new study released on April 27 by Geneva, Switzerland-based World Business Council for Sustainable Development says buildings can reduce energy use by 60% by 2050—essential to meeting global climate-change targets. However, only a “major coordinated and global effort” will enable the 60% reduction target to be achieved, says the group’s president, Bjorn Stigson. Among the WBCSD report’s recommendations are strengthening building codes and energy labeling and using subsidies and price signals to incentivize energy-efficient investments. The report, “Transforming the Market: Energy Efficiency in Buildings,” can be found at www.wbcsd.org.
With automakers struggling to stay afloat, fuel prices rising again and a federal directive looming to clean up greenhouse-gas emissions, President Obama unveiled a plan to increase average fuel-efficiency standards for passenger cars and light trucks by up to 41% by 2016. Starting in model-year 2012, the vehicles will need to meet increased mile-per-gallon ratings, eventually reaching 39 mpg for cars and 30 mpg for trucks. Current regulations require an average 35 mpg by 2020. The rule, which aims to reduce imports of foreign oil, cut costs for motorists and reduce tailpipe exhaust under one national standard, is a landmark
Investigators from the U.K. studying the deadly April 6 earthquake near Rome found that traditional stone masonry buildings with even basic strengthening survived the temblor. The engineers are calling for simple reinforcement of older masonry buildings throughout Europe. Photo: Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team Unreinforced stone houses failed. “We need more willingness...to spend a bit of money on reinforcing these traditional houses in Europe and the developing world,” says Tiziana Rossetto, who led 10 engineers and scientists from the U.K. Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT). The EEFIT team spent six days surveying the devastated city and surroundings of L’Aquila,
Panamanian firm Constructora Urbana SA (CUSA) won the first dry-excavation contract in July 2007 with a low bid of $41.1 million for the Pacific locks access channel, but was outbid for the two subsequent jobs. However, CUSA offered its services to the winning firms and netted subcontracting jobs with both. “We have the equipment out there already, and we can pretty much keep doing what we have been doing,” says CUSA Executive Vice President Carlos Fábrega. “We keep our equipment operating and our people at work.” Photo: C.J. Schexnayder/ENR Non-canal expansion construction thrives in Panama. Related Links: Panama Widens Horizons
This dry excavation, requiring removal of 47 million cu m, is needed to create the Pacific locks access channel–a 6.7-kilometer link between the existing navigation channel and the new locks to be built next to the Miraflores Locks. The Cocoli River, which empties into Miraflores Lake, is being rerouted 3.5 km. The 5 km-long Borinquen Road was also relocated. All Photos: C.J. Schexnayder/ENR Finding ordinance (top), blasting (middle) and moving rivers (bottom) are all part of Panama work. Related Links: Panama Widens Horizons Another tricky aspect has been the removal of unexploded ordinance from a former U.S. Army firing range.
When U.S. engineer John Frank Stevens arrived in Panama in July 1905 to take over the American effort to construct the Panama Canal, he was appalled. The endeavor to build the transoceanic waterway already was a year old and had consumed more than $128 million. “I found no organization…no answerable head who might delegate authority…no cooperation existing between what might charitably be called the departments,” Stevens wrote, as reported in David McCullough’s watershed book “The Path Between the Seas.” Slide Show Photo: ACP Current Panama Canal facilities are a tight fit for ships. Related Links: Panama Canal Third Lane Expansion
The U.S. Energy Dept. is soon to give Chicago-based energy services provider Exelon Corp. "reasonable assurance" of a $50-million agency loan guarantee to spur construction of what would be the nation�s largest urban solar powerplant, says an Exelon spokesman. Development of the 10-MW photovoltaic facility at a former industrial site on Chicago�s South Side, to be finished by the end of 2009, is contingent on receiving the loan guarantee for 80% of its $60-million cost, says the spokesman. Exelon and its partner, San Jose, Calif.-based SunPower, have begun clearing the 39-acre brownfield site where the plant would be built. SunPower
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