Electical Contractor

If renewable energy is driven by innovation and creativity, then the state of New Jersey has taken these driving forces to a new extreme.

The Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC), which is based at Oregon State University, chose Newport, Ore., as the future site of the first utility-scale, grid-connected wave-energy test site in the United States—the Pacific Marine Energy Center.

Dominion, one of America’s largest energy companies, recently announced an expansion of its clean-energy portfolio by developing a major fuel cell power generating facility in Bridgeport, Conn. The new facility uses a reactive process that converts natural gas into electricity.

In the ongoing national conversation about the role of clean, alternative sources of power, various measures exist to gauge the success of these industries in grabbing a bigger share of our nation’s total energy consumption.

A recent study by the consulting firm Clean Power Research showed that solar power in New Jersey and Pennsylvania delivers value to the electric grid that exceeds its cost by a large margin, making it a bargain for consumers.

There will always be a little bit of the outrageous in renewable power. Yet, every day, in the realm of energy, what once seemed like the exclusive domain of fantasy becomes an accepted part of our lives.

As you read this article, the election is over but wind-energy proponents likely still are biting their nails over their own extremely tight race.