This week in cleantech and renewable energy news, electric vehicles and efforts to cut down on emissions are in full swing. Right here in Massachusetts an offshore wind farm is expected to be built by 2021, Mazda announced almost all of its’ vehicles will be electric by 2030, solar customers are feeling the pain of tariffs, and the EU has ambitious goals to cut emissions down by 40%. What news have you been reading this week? Share with us @GreentownLabs!

 

The Inquirer and Mirror – Vineyard Wind’s 800 megawatt wind farm is expected to be in operation by 2021, according to a top executive

• In local news Vineyard Wind, an Offshore Wind Farm based in New Bedford Massachusetts, is expected to be in operation in the next three years. The company seeks to build the first large-scale offshore wind energy project in the U.S. The project is dependent on timing of the ability to use expiring tax credits that are to expire in 2024.

 

“Vineyard Wind, which won a bid in May to sell 800 megawatts of power to Massachusetts electricity distributors, offered a competitive price through the use of federal investment tax credits and a long-term power purchase agreement, Pedersen said in May.”

 

Reuters – Mazda Motor Corp announced that all of its vehicles will be electric hybrids or fully electric by 2030

• The automaker joins a growing number of global automakers who plan to reduce emissions by producing more eco-friendly vehicles.

 

“By 2030, Mazda expects that internal combustion engines combined with some form of electrification will account for 95 percent of the vehicles it produces and battery electric vehicles will account for 5 percent,” the automaker said in a statement.

 

Greentech Media – Tariffs Cost US Solar Customers $236.5 Million

• After a recent report was posted by the solar marketplace EnergySage, customers began paying elevated prices. The average tariff rate increase resulted in a price increase of $0.16 per watt which sums to hundreds of millions since the decision was made by the U.S. International Trade Commission.

 

“Using the average tariff-related customer price increase of $0.16 per watt applied to all residential purchases since the U.S. International Trade Commission’s decision, EnergySage found the tariffs added $236.5 million to bills for solar projects..”

 

Reuters –   European Union lawmakers voted to cut carbon dioxide emissions from cars and vans by 40 percent by 2030.

• In an effort to fight climate change, EU lawmakers backed a target to cut down on carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. There are many who believe this goal is ambitious and costly – while others seek to reduce greenhouse gases back to numbers last seen in 1990.

 

“EU lawmakers backed the target, which is more stringent than that proposed by the European Commission, by 389 to 239. They also set a 20 percent target for 2025, with the reductions based on 2021 figures.”

 

Thanks for reading to the end! That’s it for now, come back next week!