Latest news with #energíaRenovable
The Guardian
30-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Puerto Rico's solar-powered village: in pictures
Puerto Rico has struggled with an energy crisis for years. Residents pay, on average, twice as much as people on the US mainland for electricity and yet they experience frequent power outages, thanks to an ageing grid and devastating natural disasters. Casa Pueblo, founded in the mountain town of Adjuntas in 1980, aims to bring energy independence to its community Photograph: Jesse Ilan Kornbluth In 2023, Puerto Rico launched a community-owned solar microgrid, the island's first. Today the town's five microgrids provide 228 kilowatts of photovoltaic capacity and additional storage to homes and 15 local businesses. Casa Pueblo regularly hosts researchers and students who come from around the globe to learn about the town's community-based energy-resilience project Photograph: Jesse Ilan Kornbluth Casa Pueblo's Energy Independence Plaza is home to a 'solar forest' – fixtures that resemble trees but whose branches are solar panels – and an open-air community center Photograph: Jesse Ilan Kornbluth A large-scale solar farm in Humacao. Puerto Rico aims to produce 100% of its energy from renewable sources by 2050 Photograph: Jesse Ilan Kornbluth Alexis Massol González (right) co-founded Casa Pueblo with his wife, Tinti Deyá Díaz. Their son, Arturo Massol Deyá (left), now runs the organization Photograph: Jesse Ilan Kornbluth Adjuntas's main plaza doubles as a solar-powered microgrid, supplying many local homes and businesses with renewable, reliable energy Photograph: Jesse Ilan Kornbluth Radio Casa Pueblo broadcasts over airwaves and online, with music and programs on social and environmental issues, democratizing access to telecommunications in the process Photograph: Jesse Ilan Kornbluth During recent blackouts that left the entire Puerto Rican archipelago in darkness, Adjuntas remained alight, thanks to the microgrid Photograph: Jesse Ilan Kornbluth At the public café-museum, beans harvested from Casa Pueblo's solar-powered finca are roasted on site Photograph: Jesse Ilan Kornbluth Casa Pueblo's public community center is covered by 114 photovoltaic solar panels that power an 80-kilowatt-hour battery bank that is available to the public to charge their phones or power other devices Photograph: Jesse Ilan Kornbluth 'We call it the living lab,' says Arturo Massol Deyá. 'We are actively gaining knowledge that will be helping others improve design for renewable energy transitions' Photograph: Jesse Ilan Kornbluth Casa Pueblo also hosts a solar-powered butterfly sanctuary and solar cinema, screening free films and documentaries for the public Photograph: Jesse Ilan Kornbluth In May, the Trump administration announced it would redirect more than $300m in climate grants meant to build out, among other things, rooftop solar projects to fossil fuel plants. Massol Deyá said the move only underscored the importance of Casa Pueblo's work towards energy independence for Puerto Rico. 'Energy security intersects with all elements of society: education, food security, health, entertainment, social justice, local economies,' he said. 'We view energy security as a basic human right' Photograph: Jesse Ilan Kornbluth
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Spanish blackout linked to REE's incorrect energy mix calculations
The failure of Spanish grid operator REE to calculate an adequate energy mix and maintain voltage levels has been identified as the primary cause for the massive blackout that affected Spain and Portugal on 28 April 2025, as reported by Reuters. The findings were revealed in a government investigation released on Tuesday, 17 June. The comprehensive probe also identifies the failure of old power plants, including nuclear and gas-fired facilities, to maintain appropriate voltage control on the day of the blackout. REE's inability to absorb a sudden increase in voltage was highlighted by Spanish Energy Minister Sara Aagesen as the factor that triggered a cascade of generation disconnections. Aagesen told a news briefing in Madrid: 'The system did not have sufficient voltage control capabilities, either because they were not sufficiently programmed, or because those that were programmed did not adequately provide what was required by the standard, or a combination of both.' REE, which is partly state-owned, did not have enough thermal power stations switched on when the voltage surge caused a chain reaction leading to the power outage. Aagesen stated: 'REE told us that they made their calculations and estimated that (switching on more thermal plants) was not necessary at this time. They only set it for the early hours of the day, not the central hours." Voltage surges are typically caused by issues such as lightning strikes, equipment malfunctions or overall grid instability. The government investigation revealed that on the day of the outage, grid instability was detected before the problem had occured. Aagesen said: 'Power plants should have controlled voltage and many of them were economically remunerated to do so. They did not absorb all the reactive power that was expected.' Utilities lobby Aelec, representing major electricity suppliers such as Iberdrola and Endesa, concurred with the findings that pinpointed voltage control deficiencies. 'Despite having sufficient resources to guarantee voltage control, REE opted to manage voltage with limited synchronous capacity and an unbalanced geographical distribution, which left the system in a vulnerable situation,' Aelec stated. REE has not responded to requests for comments regarding the findings. The government announced its intention to propose measures aimed at enhancing the grid and improving its capacity to regulate voltage within the system. It also plans to advocate for further integration of the peninsula with the European grid. Aagesen had revealed in May that the blackout affecting Spain and Portugal was triggered by a sudden loss of power generation at the Granada substation. This initial failure was compounded by subsequent issues at the Badajoz and Seville substations. "Spanish blackout linked to REE's incorrect energy mix calculations" was originally created and published by Power Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Telegraph
18-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Renewable energy to blame for Spain's blackouts, official investigation finds
Spain's disastrous national blackout was triggered by solar farms switching off in response to plummeting power prices, an official investigation has found. A government report into Europe's biggest power cut found that Spain's solar farms were generating so much power on April 28, a particularly sunny day, that prices became 'negative' – meaning there were no profits to be made in operating them. Plunging prices triggered a mass switch-off, which sent voltage and frequency fluctuations cascading across the national grids of both Spain and Portugal. Back-up systems meant to guard against such fluctuations were not in effect. This caused blackouts that left more than 60m people across the Iberian peninsula without power, the Spanish government report concluded. The power cut caused massive gridlock in cities and left thousands stranded on trains and in elevators across the Iberian peninsula. Several deaths were also linked to the incident. Experts said in the immediate aftermath of the power cut that a reliance on net zero energy had left Spain and Portugal vulnerable to the blackouts because of the way renewable power is generated. However, Spain's Left-wing government has repeatedly insisted that green energy was not to blame. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the opposition People's Party (PP), said ministers were 'so intent on being the greenest in the world that you have led Spaniards into the dark ', the BBC reported. The investigation's findings will fuel concerns about Britain's race to net zero, led by Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary. Mr Miliband wants to make Britain's energy system carbon free by 2030, a shift that will see the country rely almost entirely on renewable energy, such as wind, solar and nuclear to keep the lights on. Critics say more time is needed to ensure the grid is resilient and prepared for the huge shift. The Spanish report, made public on Tuesday, described how the power cut, which occurred shortly after midday, had been preceded by unusual voltage fluctuations across the Spanish grid from roughly 10am onwards. Those fluctuations correlated with abrupt reductions in solar generation which were probably driven by solar farms switching off as wholesale power prices fell. This coincided with other wider changes such as an abrupt drop in the amount of power being exported to France. While the solar switch-off appears to be the immediate trigger for the blackouts, investigators blamed the country's grid operator Redeia for failing to calculate the correct mix of energy generation needed to prevent a blackout. Redeia disputed that finding, saying voltages had always been within set limits. Investigators also attributed a portion of blame to power plant operators. Some had been paid to keep nuclear and gas-fired power stations in operation to stabilise the system but had turned down those plants too in order to save money. Sara Aagesen, Spain's energy minister, said power plants 'should have controlled voltage and, moreover, many of them were economically remunerated to do so. They did not absorb all the reactive power that was expected.' Redeia rejected any blame and said it was the fault of power plants. Concha Sanchez, operations chief, told a news briefing: 'Had conventional power plants done their job in controlling the voltage there would have been no blackout.' Beatriz Corredor, the company's chairman, said Redeia will release its own full report on the causes of the outage.
Bloomberg
04-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Spain Makes First Payment in Lengthy Fight Over Renewable Energy
The Spanish government made its first payment as a result of an arbitration decision in 2021 around the country's move to change investor incentives tied to renewable energy projects, following a number of lengthy legal battles between Spain and various creditors. An entity called Blasket Renewable Investments, which petitioned a claim against the country in the US, notified a US federal court on Wednesday that Spain had 'fully satisfied' a final judgment ordering the payment, court documents show, without specifying how much was paid.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ecopetrol Will Acquire Ten Renewable Energy Firms from Norway's Statkraft
CEO Ricardo Roa of Colombia's state-owned oil company Ecopetrol S.A. (NYSE:EC) stated on Tuesday that the two companies had reached an agreement to acquire ten wind and solar energy project development companies from Statkraft of Norway. A portfolio of renewable projects with a combined capacity of up to 1.3 gigawatts is part of the agreement, which aims to provide for the firm's domestic energy needs. There was no disclosure of the transaction's value. One project is now underway, and others have no set timeframe but are expected to begin in 2026 or 2027. Legal and regulatory approvals of the agreement are still pending. A fleet of tanker ships crossing the sea as they deliver oil and gas to their destinations. The acquisition reduces Ecopetrol S.A. (NYSE:EC)'s dependency on bilateral agreements and spot market purchases while assisting with its shift to low-emission energy. The projects are spread in the departments of La Guajira, Sucre, Cordoba, Caldas, and Magdalena. Roa claims that the agreement improves the business's energy independence in a market that is very competitive. Jose Castellanos, Statkraft's Colombian representative, stated that the sale marks the Norwegian company's complete withdrawal from the Colombian market. As part of a larger move toward renewable energy, Ecopetrol S.A. (NYSE:EC) also signed an agreement with AES Colombia in April to acquire a 49% stake in the Jemeiwaa Ka'I wind cluster and is currently negotiating the purchase of another wind project with Enel of Italy. While we acknowledge the potential of EC to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than EC and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this READ NEXT: and Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
