Singapore – 23 September 2014 – Dr. Ahmad Belhoul, CEO of Masdar, will be delivering the second SIEW Opening Keynote Address at the 7th Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW). Dr. Belhoul will share his views on this year’s SIEW theme, “Building Energy Connections”. He will also share his views on the challenges and opportunities confronting the renewable energy sector both worldwide and in the Middle East. The Singapore Energy Summit continues to feature a strong line-up of illustrious speakers who will share their insights and perspectives on key energy issues. Topics will range from energy connectivity in Asia to…

China’s rapid economic growth and heavy reliance on increasingly expensive foreign oil, the vast environmental toll that is one of the most apparent costs of China’s economic success, persistent rural poverty in China and periodic power shortages all have impressed upon the Chinese government that renewable energy must be a large part of China’s economy if China is to both complete its economic transformation and achieve “”energy security””. China rapidly has moved along the path of renewable energy development. In the near-term China plans to develop 120000 MW’s of renewable energy by the year 2020; this would account for 12%…

Funding includes loan guarantees and grants for solar energy to create jobs, promote energy independence and advance the use of renewable fuels BUNN, N.C., Sept. 18, 2014 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is investing in 540 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects nationwide. “These loan guarantees and grants will have far-reaching impacts nationwide, particularly in the rural communities where these projects are located,” Vilsack said. “Investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency will continue the unprecedented increase in home-grown energy sources and American energy independence we’ve seen in recent years. This is creating jobs, providing new…

More than $100 trillion in cumulative public and private spending, and 1,700 megatons of annual carbon dioxide — a 40 percent reduction of urban passenger transport emissions — could be eliminated by 2050 if the world expands public transportation, walking and cycling in cities, according to a new report. Further, an estimated 1.4 million early deaths could be avoided annually by 2050 if governments require the strongest vehicle pollution controls and ultralow-sulfur fuels, according to a related analysis of these urban vehicle activity pathways by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) included in the report. “Transportation, driven by rapid…

Imagine being able to switch out the batteries in electric cars just like you switch out batteries in a photo camera or flashlight. A team of engineers at the University of California, San Diego, are trying to accomplish just that, in partnership with a local San Diego engineering company. Rather than swapping out the whole battery, which is cumbersome and requires large, heavy equipment, engineers plan to swap out and recharge smaller units within the battery, known as modules. They named the project Modular Battery Exchange and Active Management, or M-BEAM for short (http://www.modularexchange.com). Engineers have already purchased and converted…

About Victorino Salveleon Bala Victorino Salvaleon Bala is the Secretary in Charge of the ASEAN Council on Petroleum (ASCOPE). His concurrent functions include Director/President & CEO of PNOC Renewables Corporation and Head of Energy Research Department of PNOC. Prior to his current post, Bala was the Project Manager for PNOC renewables projects such as the PNOC solar homes system distribution project which won the international award – the 2003 Energy Globe award for Solar Energy project in Linz, Austria – the 1st in the Philippines and in Asia. He also received 2004 NGV Champion Award given in NGV forum in…

About Lord Ronald Oxburgh Lord Ronald Oxburgh is currently Chairman of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association and serves in an advisory role to Deutsche Bank and McKinsey on energy and environmental matters. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering. He retired as Chairman of Shell in 2005. He is a former President of the Geological Society and has also served as Head of the Cambridge Department of Earth Sciences, President of Queens’ College, Chief Scientific Adviser in the Ministry of Defence, and Rector of Imperial College. He entered the House of Lords…

IEA forecast sees renewable power as a cost-competitive option in an increasing number of cases, but facing growing risks to deployment over the medium term. The expansion of renewable energy will slow over the next five years unless policy uncertainty is diminished, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said today in its third annual Medium-Term Renewable Energy Market Report. According to the report, power generation from renewable sources such as wind, solar and hydro grew strongly in 2013, reaching almost 22% of global generation, and was on par with electricity from gas, whose generation remained relatively stable. Global renewable generation is seen…

The International Energy Agency has raised the alarm over the non-binding nature of a 27% renewable energy target for 2030 while also calling for a clear and stable framework. According to the IEA’s Medium-Term Renewable Energy Market Report, the absence of a binding target raises questions about how effective the overall target can be as member states would be able to define their commitment to renewables voluntarily.  The report adds that the framework overseeing these commitments lacks detail. Justin Wilkes, deputy chief executive officer of the European Wind Energy Association, said: “The IEA report hits the nail on the head…

Strong coastal winds powering up to 200,000 Chilean homes annually SAN FRANCISCO, California, August 28, 2014 – The President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, together with Jean-Paul Luksic, Chairman of Antofagasta Minerals SA (“AMSA”) and Mike Garland, CEO of Pattern Energy Group Inc. (NASDAQ: PEGI) (TSX: PEG) (“Pattern Energy”), officially opened operations at the 115 MW El Arrayán Wind facility in a Grand Opening ceremony held on Tuesday at the project site, which is located 400 km north of Santiago on the coast of Chile. The President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, said “I’m very happy to be here today because this project…