Here are some noteworthy cleantech announcement of the day from around the world:

Duke Energy, a U.S.-based energy holding company, announced that it would convert its fleet of 10,000 vehicles to electric by 2030 as a part of its plan to reduce carbon emissions. The company will convert the whole fleet of approximately 4,000 light-duty vehicles, and half of its 6,000 medium-duty, heavy-duty, and off-road vehicles to electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid, or other zero-carbon substitutes. Duke Energy also provides allowance worth $3,000 to employees on purchase of EVs as well as $1,500 to employees who rent EVs. The company is expected to install over 200 EV chargers at its workplace for employees by the end of this year.

Colorado Springs Utilities and juwi Corporation have signed a 17-year power purchase agreement for the 175 MW Pike Solar project equipped with a 25 MW of battery energy storage system. The Pike solar project will be located in El Paso County, and it is expected to be completed by 2023. The project will help satisfy the energy needs of 55,000 homes annually. The 175 MW solar project will help Colorado Spring Utilities enhance its target to achieve an 80% carbon reduction by 2030.

Anthem, a U.S.-based health insurance provider, has signed a 15-year power purchase agreement with SunEnergy1 for a 20 MW solar project located in Hanover County, Virginia. The Hanover solar project is almost completed and expected to begin its commercial operation pater this year. In addition to this project, another solar project in Carolina will come online in 2021. The company supported the development of 1,000 acres of solar panels, which would generate around 25 GW of clean energy annually. The generated energy will be utilized to power the company’s offices and data centers across the country.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has launched a $30 million Green Economy Financing Facility to support green investment in Kazakhstan. KMF, a microfinance organization, signed up as a first local partner financial institution with a credit line of $5 million for on-lending to small businesses. The funding will be used to provide loans of about $1,500 to households and domestic small and medium-sized enterprises to invest in climate adaption technologies and services.

Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality has launched a pilot project to install wireless electric roads with ElectReon for charging public transportation in the city. The pilot project will be carried out between Tel-Aviv University Railway Station and Klatzkin Terminal in Ramat Aviv – a two-kilometer route, including 600 meters of electric road. The pilot project will enable specially-equipped electric buses, capable of charging directly under-road electric infrastructure, to travel on the route.

Larsen & Toubro announced that it has successfully completed the 99 MW Singoli-Bhatwari hydroelectric power project situated about 25 kilometers from Rudraprayag. The project can provide over 400 million units of renewable energy annually. The project has three units of Votih turbine generators of 33 MW each, controlled through supervisory control and data acquisition technology.

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) has launched the ISA Solar Awards to recognize distinguished scientists and organizations that excel in providing affordable, reliable, and sustainable solar energy. The ISA Solar Awards will promote its agenda of addressing energy access needs and energy security issues through facilitating the massive deployment of solar energy at an affordable cost and enhance the participation of institutions, individuals, and companies in the sector.

The United States-based Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has filed a petition for review with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals of FERC Order No. 872, which discourages the development of qualifying facilities under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA). The order eliminates rights of qualifying facilities to enter a long-term fix rate contracts and arbitrarily extends the ‘one-mile rule,’ creating several new provisions which prevent solar developments.

Here is our previous daily news wrap-up.

Harsh Shukla is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Previously with Indian Express, he has covered general interest stories. He holds a Masters Degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune.

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