Clean Energy Policy News

16 November 2016
AllianzGI Invests $375 Million in Renewable Energy »
With the closing of the Allianz Renewable Energy Fund 2 (AREF2) on November 15, the fund reached a volume of € 350 million (about USD 375 million). The money will mainly be invested in existing European wind and solar plants on behalf of institutional investors, including insurance companies, pension funds, foundations, churches and family offices. Learn more.
15 November 2016
A Delicate Balance between Water Demand and the Low-carbon Energy Transition »
Energy and water have always been closely intertwined. Water is essential for all phases of energy production, from fossil fuels to biofuels and power plants. Likewise, energy is critical to water supply, wastewater treatment and desalination. This critical nexus between water and energy is examined in the forthcoming World Energy Outlook 2016, the International Energy Agency’s flagship publication, which looks at how the complex interdependencies between water and energy will deepen in the next decades. Learn more.
15 November 2016
Solutions Center Welcomes Four New Experts »
The Clean Energy Solutions Center welcomes four new experts to its growing Ask an Expert service roster. The experts are available to consult on topics ranging from renewable energy program development and energy policy to urban sustainability and solar soft costs. Learn more.
14 November 2016
IRENA and ADFD Open Fifth Round of Funding for Renewable Energy Projects »
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) have officially opened the fifth round of funding for renewable energy projects in developing countries. The funding round of approximately USD 50 million is part of ADFD’s USD 350 million (AED 1.285 billion) commitment offering concessional loans to renewable energy projects endorsed by IRENA. Learn more.
14 November 2016
United States Announces New Financing for Renewable Energy Projects »
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation announced $125 million in financing commitments to bring renewable energy to El Salvador and India, including $50 million towards a series of eight utility-scale solar PV projects in El Salvador and $75 million for a utility-scale PV project in the Indian state of Telangana that is sponsored by ReNew Power Ventures. The Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the U.S. Government’s development finance institution, and the Government of India will formally launch a $20 million distributed solar facility in partnership with leading philanthropies and the Government of India. Learn more.
14 November 2016
Quality Assurance Framework for Mini-Grid Power Systems »
Providing clean and affordable energy services to the more than 1 billion people globally who lack access to electricity is a critical driver for poverty reduction, economic development, improved health, and social outcomes. To address some of the challenges to providing safe, quality, and financially viable mini-grid power systems to remote customers, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Global Lighting and Energy Access Partnership (Global LEAP) teamed with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to develop a Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) for isolated minigrids. Learn more.
14 November 2016
IEA: Policies are Critical for the “Invisible Fuel” »
Though 2015 was a record year for renewables, another energy technology is making steady—but quiet—progress in limiting greenhouse gas emissions: energy efficiency. Learn more.
11 November 2016
COP22 Welcomes Morocco’s First Green Bonds for Renewables »
With COP22 well underway in Morocco, the north African's Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN) has confirmed the country’s first green bonds for renewable energy. The bond issue, which MASEN is leading with a $100 million bond for three solar projects, will form part of the Noor 170-megawatt solar plant dubbed Noor PV 1, which will consist mainly of concentrating solar thermal power. Learn more.
11 November 2016
AfDB Loans USD 1 Billion to Algeria to Back Renewables »
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a EUR 900 million (USD 994.2 million) loan to Algeria that will benefit renewable energy and other projects. The loan will finance projects under the country’s Industrial and Energy Competitiveness Support Programme, which aims to improved the investment climate in Algeria by improving the framework for private economic initiative and activities—foreign as well as local—and by promoting efficiency of the energy sector and renewable energy project development. Learn more.
11 November 2016
Experts Stress Crucial Importance of Financing for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in Ensuring Success of the Paris Agreement »
At the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, a panel of experts discussed how innovative financing solutions and closer stakeholder engagement can help developing countries reach and exceed the targets set in their Nationally Determined Contributions under the 2015 Paris Agreement and how to ensure small and medium-sized enterprises play a meaningful and central role in the effort. The panel included high-level representatives from the public and private sector. Learn more.