Visionary entrepreneur and global business leader Zaya Younan, Founder and Chairman of Younan Company, has announced a strategic expansion into large-scale renewable energy with the launch of a major utility-scale […]

The post Visionary Entrepreneur Zaya Younan Enters Renewable Energy With 880 MW Solar + 460 MW Battery Project In California, Generating $100M Annually appeared first on SolarQuarter.

Ocean services provider DeepOcean has completed trenching and survey operations at a US offshore […]

Ulster County Executive Mike Hein signed into law the Sustainable Energy Loan Program which will be known as the "Energize NY Benefit Financing Program" to advance Ulster County's clean energy economy. The County Executive was joined by Ulster County Legislator Tracey A. Bartels, Chairman of the Energy and Environment Committee and Ulster County Legislator Manna Jo Greene, member of the Energy and Environment Committee, both of whom sponsored the law. The new program, available in Ulster County towns will make financing available to commercial property owners for the installation of renewable energy systems and energy efficiency measures. It also allows the Energy Improvement Corporation (EIC), a local development corporation, to act on behalf of Ulster County and provide financing to qualified property owners. The financing will be repaid by property owners who will see a charge on their real property tax bill. The payment will be levied and collected at the same time and in the same manner as County taxes, although it will be listed separately on the tax bill."I am pleased that the County Legislature, through careful deliberation, crafted this local law under the leadership of Tracey Bartels," said County Executive Hein. "This local law allows Ulster County Government to continue its efforts to promote energy efficiency and achieve our renewable energy goals. Businesses will soon be able to obtain an application which will be made available on the Ulster County and EIC website. We are trying to make it easier for commercial property owners to take advantage of solar energy and the energy efficiency improvement /renewable energy systems that have been deemed cost effective by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. I urge Ulster County business owners to take advantage of this great opportunity.""I'm thrilled that Ulster County is becoming a member of the Energy Improvement Corporation. This program offers the opportunity for existing Ulster County businesses and commercial property owners to become more economically and environmentally sustainable. We often hear how small businesses are the backbone of our communities, PACE financing is a tool to strengthen that backbone," stated Energy and Environment Committee Chair Tracey Bartels. "The clean energy projects that this funding will support will reduce business operating costs and increase profitability.""Given the urgency of reducing our carbon footprint, the recent passage of Local Law No. 6 establishing a Sustainable Energy Loan Program in Ulster County will provide an excellent opportunity for businesses and landlords to do energy retrofits and/or install solar systems to significantly reduce their energy costs and impacts, and to pay the investment back on their tax bill with their energy savings. Residents have been utilizing NYSERDA's Green Jobs/Green NY on-bill payment system to finance their energy improvements -- now businesses have a similar way to accomplish the same," Ulster County Legislator Manna Jo Greene said. "The Energy Improvement Corporation (EIC) will help make the transition to a truly Green Energy Economy easier for our businesses to participate in -- and to thrive by doing so.""With these low interest loans, not only will existing Ulster County businesses save money on their energy bills, dollars will be infused into the local economy," stated Legislator Richard Parete. "Once an energy efficient retrofit project is approved, local contractors can be hired."For more information on the program please contact The Ulster County Department of the Environment at 845-338-7287 or email environment@co.ulster.ny.us.SourcePost from CleanTechLaw.org: www.cleantechlaw.org

The U.S. Department of Energy moved to de-obligate or revise billions in financing for clean energy projects while prioritizing natural gas and nuclear power.

From pv magazine USA

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced it will restructure or eliminate $83.6 billion in loans and conditional commitments, shifting focus away from renewable energy sources like solar and wind in favor of baseload power like gas and nuclear.

Along with this action the DOE has renamed the loaning organization, the Loans Programs Office to the Office of Energy Dominance Financing (EDF).

The action follows a review of the Biden administrations $104 billion principal loan obligations, “including approximately $85 billion rushed out the door in the final months after Election Day,” said a press statement from DOE.

The department stated that nearly $30 billion has been or is being de-obligated, while an additional $53.6 billion is undergoing revision.

According to the department, approximately $9.5 billion in subsidies for wind and solar projects were eliminated. These funds are being redirected toward baseload energy sources, including natural gas, nuclear power, and coal-fired facilities. The agency said that the changes are intended to prioritize grid reliability and lower electricity costs for consumers.

The department maintains $289 billion in available loan authority. It identified six sectors it will fund, notably excluding renewable energy and battery energy storage.

The EDF is set to oversee the allocation of funds across a diverse range of energy and industrial sectors. These include nuclear power, fossil fuels such as coal, oil, gas, and other hydrocarbons, as well as critical materials and minerals essential for technological development.

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said the office will now focus on supporting the private sector through energy projects that provide consistent power rather than intermittent generation.

Recent analysis finds that solar and battery energy storage costs have fallen enough where cost-competitive “anytime electricity” is available around-the-clock.

The department has already begun closing loans under the new priorities, including a deal to restart the Three Mile Island nuclear facility. A coal-powered fertilizer plant in Indiana also received support.

Meanwhile, many solar and storage developers that had received conditional commitments under the previous administration must now navigate a revised landscape where federal backing is no longer guaranteed for renewable technologies.

The department noted that $85 billion of the original portfolio was finalized in the final months of the Biden administration, a timeline the current leadership described as “rushed.”

The move signals a departure from federal support for the energy transition as previously defined, focusing instead on traditional energy production and nuclear expansion.