Associated Press
Wed, Nov. 01, 2006
KING CITY, Mo. - When one of northwest Missouri's leading employers decided to shutter a nearby manufacturing plant and ship 220 jobs to Mexico, the move was only the latest economic blow to a region accustomed to bad news.
From a steadily dwindling population to the well-documented decline of family farms, hard times have been the norm all too often in the cluster of Missouri counties along the Nebraska and Iowa borders.
Then came promises of economic salvation - or at least a step in the right direction - in the unlikely guise of a sharp-dressed St. Louis lawyer and scion of the one of the state's most prominent political families. His remedy was simple: look up to the sky.
Farmers who once relied upon hogs or soybeans to make ends meet are now harvesting wind energy. By next year, more than 100 towering turbines are expected to rise above the skyline in Atchison, Gentry and Nodaway counties, generating enough electricity to power 45,000 homes across the state as part of Missouri's first set of commercial wind farms.
"There's not a lot of money in rural America. We're not going to get another factory," said Frank Schieber, a fourth-generation Nodaway farmer. "It's a shot in the arm."
After several years of study by state government and university scientists on the technical feasibility of commercial wind operations, attorney Tom Carnahan - son of the late Gov. Mel Carnahan - created the Wind Energy Group in 2004.
With financing from tractor giant John Deere & Co., Carnahan has committed to construction of three wind farms in the state's far reaches, each costing $70 million to $75 million. The first, known as Blue Grass Ridge, will come online later this year in Gentry County north of King City.
The second, called Cow Branch, will be located between Rock Port and Tarkio in Atchison County. And on Oct. 20, a group of state and local dignitaries heard Carnahan and his corporate partners announce plans for a third wind farm near Conception in Nodaway County.
"If there's any doubt that wind power is real and can happen (in Missouri), we're here today to put that to rest," Carnahan told about 100 people gathered under a temporary tent in the shadow of the still-emerging turbines. "We're just getting started."
Property owners who allow the company to build on their land will earn $3,000 to $5,000 per turbine over the next 25 years, depending on the amount of electricity generated. They can continue to farm the surrounding land, or let herds graze, right up to the base of the turbines, which are 15 feet wide and weigh 200 tons each.
Installation of the turbines will represent a temporary construction boon - up to 150 temporary jobs at the project's peak. And the infusion of property tax receipts to local governments and school systems will be substantial, supporters say.
Mike Waltemath, a Gentry County school board member and Wind Energy Group leaseholder, said the local education system will reap roughly $250,000 annually - an increase of as much as 20 percent to its existing budget.
"That's like a gift from heaven," said Waltemath, who is challenging Rep. Jim Guest, R-King City, in the Nov. 7 election.
The announcement comes on the heels of a decision by Johnson Controls Inc. of Milwaukee earlier this year to close the York Engineered Systems plant in the Nodaway County town of Albany by early 2007, with job cuts commencing this fall. The plant makes commercial and industrial air handler units. Johnson has said it will move those operations in part to Monterey, Mexico.
Widespread use of wind power in the Midwest as well as the rest of the country remains a work in progress. In addition to environmental and aesthetic concerns - not to mention the obvious, finding open spaces with adequate wind speeds - the biggest hurdle remains finding utility companies to purchase the power, said Carnahan.
Unlike Iowa and other surrounding states, Missouri doesn't offer sales or property tax credits for wind farm construction. And with the exception of Columbia, where voters in 2004 approved a law requiring the local utility to devote a percentage of its portfolio to renewable energy sources such as wind or solar power, no statewide mandate exists.
Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, in turn, are among the Midwest states were such requirements exist. "The marketplace and the entrepreneurs are the ones who will decide" the prevalence of wind power in Missouri, said Rick Anderson, an energy analyst with the state Department of Natural Resources.
Those market forces, in the form of the past year's skyrocketing gas prices, helped drive the demand for wind-generated electricity in Missouri, he said. "If it hadn't been for (Hurricane) Katrina in 2005 we wouldn't have seen a wind farm in 2006," said Anderson.
All of the power generated by Carnahan's projects will be purchased by Associated Electrical Cooperative Inc., a wholesale power supplier for 39 rural electric cooperatives in Missouri.
Meanwhile, even without purchasing agreements with utilities, other wind prospectors are scouring the northwest Missouri countryside, looking for potential partners among local property owners. In this volatile energy climate, the appeal is simple, said Anderson. "Wind won't change in price. It will be much more stable (than fossil fuels)."
Monday, 6 November 2006
Australia: John Howard’s green hypocrisy
The Guardian
11-1-06
Last week the Howard Government announced more rural drought relief grants. Howard has finally acknowledged the reality of global warming, caused by emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2). However, the government still refuses to introduce carbon trading, which is intended to reduce CO2 emissions, and could see farmers earn significant incomes from reforestation, the establishment of wind or solar energy complexes on their farms, and even from ceasing land clearing.
The government also announced a $75 million grant for a solar power plant in northern Victoria. Yet it was also revealed that between 1998 and 2006 it failed to spend $667 million allocated to tackle global warming.
Australia consumes more water annually than Britain or New Zealand, particularly because of agricultural irrigation. We emit more CO2 per capita than Britain, Japan or New Zealand, mostly from motor vehicles, coal-fired power stations and heavy industry.
Greg Bourne, World Wildlife Federation CEO, says, “If the rest of the world led the kind of lifestyles we do …, we would require 3.5 planets to provide the resources we use and to absorb the waste we create”. Yet capitalism incessantly promotes ever-higher consumption.
John Howard’s long delay in acknowledging global warming largely stemmed from his desire to protect the powerful coalition of coal mining, coal-fired power generation, cement, smelting and other heavy industries
The uranium mining corporations BHP-Billiton and Rio-Tinto, want coal to be replaced by nuclear power and propped up by massive government subsidies, as in the US. Howard is now advocating public acceptance of nuclear power production.
Renewable energy definitely comes last. The Howard Government is granting only $75 million for construction of the $400 million Victorian solar energy power plant, which will generate 154 megawatts, sufficient for 45,000 homes.
As the Australian Conservation Foundation has pointed out, the government already spends $790 million per annum in aviation fuel concessions, and $1 billion on company car fringe benefit tax concessions. In comparison, this year’s entire climate change initiative spending amounts to just $280 million.
Moreover, this and later projects will involve “public/private” deals which would be part-funded by private capital. These arrangements will privatise energy production and impose crippling financial costs on the public.
Howard has hastened to denigrate solar and wind power, which he describes as unable to achieve “base load” generation, i.e. a stable basic energy output. He studiously ignores new methods of achieving this, utilising chemicals such as ammonia and methane, which are already being used in experimental solar projects.
One scientist recently predicted that by 2020 Australia’s entire electrical energy needs could be met by one central solar power station, occupying an area of only 30 by 30 kilometres. The sale of surplus energy from solar plants could fund reforestation of vast areas of deserts and ruined farmland, greatly helping to minimise climate change. But Howard is not interested
The government still refuses to sign the Kyoto Protocol, even though it would permit Australia an eight percent rise in CO2 emissions, instead of the overall reduction required for other nations. Howard doesn’t want to offend the coal mining industry or embarrass the US, the only other developed Western country which refuses to sign.
Instead, he is backing the Asia-Pacific Clean Development group, which includes Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and the US. This group agrees that emission reductions are necessary, but does not impose CO2 reduction obligations on its members. Its contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions is therefore likely to be absolutely minimal. And that is also true of the Howard Government’s so-called greenhouse gas reduction campaign.
11-1-06
Last week the Howard Government announced more rural drought relief grants. Howard has finally acknowledged the reality of global warming, caused by emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2). However, the government still refuses to introduce carbon trading, which is intended to reduce CO2 emissions, and could see farmers earn significant incomes from reforestation, the establishment of wind or solar energy complexes on their farms, and even from ceasing land clearing.
The government also announced a $75 million grant for a solar power plant in northern Victoria. Yet it was also revealed that between 1998 and 2006 it failed to spend $667 million allocated to tackle global warming.
Australia consumes more water annually than Britain or New Zealand, particularly because of agricultural irrigation. We emit more CO2 per capita than Britain, Japan or New Zealand, mostly from motor vehicles, coal-fired power stations and heavy industry.
Greg Bourne, World Wildlife Federation CEO, says, “If the rest of the world led the kind of lifestyles we do …, we would require 3.5 planets to provide the resources we use and to absorb the waste we create”. Yet capitalism incessantly promotes ever-higher consumption.
John Howard’s long delay in acknowledging global warming largely stemmed from his desire to protect the powerful coalition of coal mining, coal-fired power generation, cement, smelting and other heavy industries
The uranium mining corporations BHP-Billiton and Rio-Tinto, want coal to be replaced by nuclear power and propped up by massive government subsidies, as in the US. Howard is now advocating public acceptance of nuclear power production.
Renewable energy definitely comes last. The Howard Government is granting only $75 million for construction of the $400 million Victorian solar energy power plant, which will generate 154 megawatts, sufficient for 45,000 homes.
As the Australian Conservation Foundation has pointed out, the government already spends $790 million per annum in aviation fuel concessions, and $1 billion on company car fringe benefit tax concessions. In comparison, this year’s entire climate change initiative spending amounts to just $280 million.
Moreover, this and later projects will involve “public/private” deals which would be part-funded by private capital. These arrangements will privatise energy production and impose crippling financial costs on the public.
Howard has hastened to denigrate solar and wind power, which he describes as unable to achieve “base load” generation, i.e. a stable basic energy output. He studiously ignores new methods of achieving this, utilising chemicals such as ammonia and methane, which are already being used in experimental solar projects.
One scientist recently predicted that by 2020 Australia’s entire electrical energy needs could be met by one central solar power station, occupying an area of only 30 by 30 kilometres. The sale of surplus energy from solar plants could fund reforestation of vast areas of deserts and ruined farmland, greatly helping to minimise climate change. But Howard is not interested
The government still refuses to sign the Kyoto Protocol, even though it would permit Australia an eight percent rise in CO2 emissions, instead of the overall reduction required for other nations. Howard doesn’t want to offend the coal mining industry or embarrass the US, the only other developed Western country which refuses to sign.
Instead, he is backing the Asia-Pacific Clean Development group, which includes Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and the US. This group agrees that emission reductions are necessary, but does not impose CO2 reduction obligations on its members. Its contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions is therefore likely to be absolutely minimal. And that is also true of the Howard Government’s so-called greenhouse gas reduction campaign.
Energy measure could bring winds of change
Spokane
Sunday, November 5, 2006
OLYMPIA -- In recent years, Cheney-area rancher Maurice Robinette has watched as monitoring towers sprouted on ridges throughout Eastern Washington. The meters are a sign of prospecting landowners hoping that the gritty gusts they tolerated for years are strong enough to now justify a lucrative second crop: wind-generated power.
“It’s a chance for us to make some extra income,” said Robinette, a third-generation rancher. “And we sure need it.”
So he’s hoping voters approve Initiative 937, an environmentalist-backed measure requiring large power companies to get 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020 and to spend more on conservation. Supporters say it will mean cleaner, more diversified power, plus homegrown electricity and jobs.
“This is our opportunity to take control of our energy future in Washington State,” said Chris McCullough, campaign manager for Yes on I-937.
Opponents – including Avista Corp., Weyerhaeuser and rural electric cooperatives – say that alternative power is growing very rapidly already. By trying to force the market, the initiative will inflate prices and cause a hike in people’s power bills.
“It’s just going to make people’s power rates go up much faster,” said Avista spokesman Hugh Imhof.
The Washington Research Council says the measure could boost Washington power costs by hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Higher power costs, the group projects, will also mean thousands of lost jobs by 2020. “Change is coming,” the group said in a recent report. “Don’t force it.”
Environmental groups have long tried unsuccessfully to get state lawmakers to pass similar measures. “I don’t want to artificially just go out and try to spur the alternative-energy market with taxpayer dollars,” said Rep. Larry Crouse, R-Spokane. “I really like alternative forms of energy, but I think they’re happening already.”
A recent industry report backs that up. Earlier this month, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council said that “the current rate of renewable resource development in the Northwest is unprecedented in the history of the Council.” Some 1,820 megawatts of renewable power are slated to have come online from 2005 to 2008, the report said. Of that, 99 percent is wind power.
More than 20 states have set goals similar to I-937’s, according to North Carolina State University’s Solar Center. Among them: Montana, which seeks 15 percent renewable power by 2015, and Nevada, which seeks 20 percent by 2015.
Washington’s version wouldn’t count the state’s already-abundant hydropower, although it would count improvements through more efficient dam turbines or other added capacity.
Avista’s plans already call for half of its new power to be renewables over the next 20 years, Imhof said. It’s been trying to buy a 35- to 40-megawatt wind project since February, only to have a larger utility buy up all the available wind turbines.
“We’re all for renewables,” he said. “It’s just that we’re against the mandates.”
The initiative organisers have out-raised opponents three to one: $1.5 million versus about $500,000. Among the major backers: Seattle investor Jabez Blumenthal, Democratic Congressman Jay Inslee’s campaign, Horizon Wind Energy, Seattle biodiesel and the Union of Concerned Scientists.
The measure would also require utilities to boost their conservation efforts. McCullough said, for example, that utilities would be encouraged to expand their rebate programs for homeowners and businesses who weatherise buildings, retrofit heating or cooling systems, or who use manufacturing by-products to make power. “It (conservation) is the cheapest power source – and the cleanest – that we can imagine,” he said.
Although the measure cites a wide variety of alternative power – geothermal heat, landfill gases, tides, methane from manure, solar and wood waste among them – the vast majority of Washington’s known energy potential is from wind. A Power Council study pegged the potential power from manure at about 50 megawatts, for example, and two to four times that for landfill gases. A megawatt is enough electricity to power about 750 homes, according to Imhof.
The potential power from wind, the group says, is about 5,000 megawatts. But that comes with an important caveat: wind power typically only produces 30 percent of its capacity, since the wind isn’t constant. As utilities look to add power sources for the future, McCullough said, they’re largely looking at two sources: wind or coal. I-937, he said, is intended to tip that balance toward wind.
“To be building new coal plants in 2006 doesn’t make much sense,” he said. Coal costs could rise. Shipping it is expensive. And burning it produces carbon dioxide, thought to cause global warming.
Imhof said it’s not that simple. New technology converts coal into a gas that burns far more cleanly than it used to, he said.
Robinette, who works for the Washington Sustainable Food and Farming Network, said he looks forward to seeing 130-foot turbine blades twirling 200 feet in the air as farmers farm and cows graze below. It likely wouldn’t be him – his acreage is flat land between Cheney and Medical Lake. There’s not much wind.
Tapping more wind power, he said, is inevitable. But I-937 will speed it up. “We’ve got to get there sooner or later,” he said, “and sooner is better. So let’s get on with it.”
Sunday, November 5, 2006
OLYMPIA -- In recent years, Cheney-area rancher Maurice Robinette has watched as monitoring towers sprouted on ridges throughout Eastern Washington. The meters are a sign of prospecting landowners hoping that the gritty gusts they tolerated for years are strong enough to now justify a lucrative second crop: wind-generated power.
“It’s a chance for us to make some extra income,” said Robinette, a third-generation rancher. “And we sure need it.”
So he’s hoping voters approve Initiative 937, an environmentalist-backed measure requiring large power companies to get 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020 and to spend more on conservation. Supporters say it will mean cleaner, more diversified power, plus homegrown electricity and jobs.
“This is our opportunity to take control of our energy future in Washington State,” said Chris McCullough, campaign manager for Yes on I-937.
Opponents – including Avista Corp., Weyerhaeuser and rural electric cooperatives – say that alternative power is growing very rapidly already. By trying to force the market, the initiative will inflate prices and cause a hike in people’s power bills.
“It’s just going to make people’s power rates go up much faster,” said Avista spokesman Hugh Imhof.
The Washington Research Council says the measure could boost Washington power costs by hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Higher power costs, the group projects, will also mean thousands of lost jobs by 2020. “Change is coming,” the group said in a recent report. “Don’t force it.”
Environmental groups have long tried unsuccessfully to get state lawmakers to pass similar measures. “I don’t want to artificially just go out and try to spur the alternative-energy market with taxpayer dollars,” said Rep. Larry Crouse, R-Spokane. “I really like alternative forms of energy, but I think they’re happening already.”
A recent industry report backs that up. Earlier this month, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council said that “the current rate of renewable resource development in the Northwest is unprecedented in the history of the Council.” Some 1,820 megawatts of renewable power are slated to have come online from 2005 to 2008, the report said. Of that, 99 percent is wind power.
More than 20 states have set goals similar to I-937’s, according to North Carolina State University’s Solar Center. Among them: Montana, which seeks 15 percent renewable power by 2015, and Nevada, which seeks 20 percent by 2015.
Washington’s version wouldn’t count the state’s already-abundant hydropower, although it would count improvements through more efficient dam turbines or other added capacity.
Avista’s plans already call for half of its new power to be renewables over the next 20 years, Imhof said. It’s been trying to buy a 35- to 40-megawatt wind project since February, only to have a larger utility buy up all the available wind turbines.
“We’re all for renewables,” he said. “It’s just that we’re against the mandates.”
The initiative organisers have out-raised opponents three to one: $1.5 million versus about $500,000. Among the major backers: Seattle investor Jabez Blumenthal, Democratic Congressman Jay Inslee’s campaign, Horizon Wind Energy, Seattle biodiesel and the Union of Concerned Scientists.
The measure would also require utilities to boost their conservation efforts. McCullough said, for example, that utilities would be encouraged to expand their rebate programs for homeowners and businesses who weatherise buildings, retrofit heating or cooling systems, or who use manufacturing by-products to make power. “It (conservation) is the cheapest power source – and the cleanest – that we can imagine,” he said.
Although the measure cites a wide variety of alternative power – geothermal heat, landfill gases, tides, methane from manure, solar and wood waste among them – the vast majority of Washington’s known energy potential is from wind. A Power Council study pegged the potential power from manure at about 50 megawatts, for example, and two to four times that for landfill gases. A megawatt is enough electricity to power about 750 homes, according to Imhof.
The potential power from wind, the group says, is about 5,000 megawatts. But that comes with an important caveat: wind power typically only produces 30 percent of its capacity, since the wind isn’t constant. As utilities look to add power sources for the future, McCullough said, they’re largely looking at two sources: wind or coal. I-937, he said, is intended to tip that balance toward wind.
“To be building new coal plants in 2006 doesn’t make much sense,” he said. Coal costs could rise. Shipping it is expensive. And burning it produces carbon dioxide, thought to cause global warming.
Imhof said it’s not that simple. New technology converts coal into a gas that burns far more cleanly than it used to, he said.
Robinette, who works for the Washington Sustainable Food and Farming Network, said he looks forward to seeing 130-foot turbine blades twirling 200 feet in the air as farmers farm and cows graze below. It likely wouldn’t be him – his acreage is flat land between Cheney and Medical Lake. There’s not much wind.
Tapping more wind power, he said, is inevitable. But I-937 will speed it up. “We’ve got to get there sooner or later,” he said, “and sooner is better. So let’s get on with it.”
Who will clean up on carbon?
The Times
November 02, 2006
The demand for new power sources will be the most disruptive force in business since the internet
I was chatting to a green friend at Shell this week, expecting him to be excited by the sudden new focus on clean energy. “Actually I’m nervous,” he said. “It’s all coming faster than we expected.”
The demand for carbon-free power is about to become the most disruptive force in business since the internet. And disruptive innovations have a way of knocking flat even the most entrenched companies. Five years ago Google was tiny, just starting to sell adverts based on clicks. Ten years ago, Nokia was still thought of as a Finnish paper company. Twenty years ago Dell was a small business selling computers through geeky magazines. These companies came to dominate the market not because the established companies were stupid — not at all — but because they couldn’t quite bring themselves to turn their processes upside down.
That is what climate change will require. Sir Nicholas Stern was only repeating the growing consensus when he said this week that we must reduce greenhouse emissions dramatically within 20 years. That means adopting renewable energy at a hitherto unimagined pace. It means taking a different approach to the design of buildings and transport. It also means turning our power infrastructure upside down. Department of Trade and Industry figures show that we lose about half of our electricity in generation and transmission because we have giant power stations far away from users. We need to turn offices and hospitals into power stations, and let householders feed into the grid instead of letting the grid feed them. Woking has reduced its CO2 emissions by 77 per cent since 1992 by decentralising its energy. That’s what I mean about turning things upside down. Who would have thought the future was Woking?
It is admittedly hard to imagine anything knocking flat the vast infrastructure of the fossil fuel industry. We have invested so much in power plants, pipelines, pension plans and executive suites. Plus, the oil majors have 30 to 50-year investment horizons. How could they ever make their own plants redundant? True, they have long predicted the end of cheap oil. But that is not the same as no oil. It is clear why carbon capture, the new idea of storing carbon dioxide underground, gets your average BP man so much more excited than solar power. It is an add-on to his current business, not a threat to it. But although it might help us to make about 20 per cent of the cuts needed, it will be only part of the solution.
Shell and BP are no fools. They have been hedging their bets intelligently for years. Shell is the world’s biggest distributor of first-generation biofuels. BP Solar is the biggest solar-electric manufacturer. In the age of private equity and the internet, these companies know that they cannot kill an idea by sitting on it. But whether it is hydrogen or woodchips, they are mostly reliant on much smaller partners for innovation. They are not particularly good at developing nimble new businesses themselves.
When I talk to big power companies they tend to tell me why things cannot be done, or at least not now. Small companies think big. Take wind. Power companies complain that it is hard to get planning permission and that it is an unpredictable power source. All true. But one company is proposing to change all that. It would create a “supergrid” of interconnected offshore wind farms, stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean, to provide a constant supply. It would make this a continental resource, not a national one. At one stroke this would create a powerhouse beyond anything previously envisaged. This ambitous piece of lateral thinking comes from the tiny Irish wind company Airtricity. Could Airtricity be the next Google?
It is no accident that the environmently friendly Smart car was designed by a watchmaker, not a car manufacturer. Swatch’s CEO wanted to make small cars as cheap and well designed as his watches were. And he did. Amory Lovins, of the Rocky Mountain Institute, has taken car design farther. Arguing that over half a car’s fuel use is related purely to its weight, he has designed a lightweight “hypercar”, made of carbon fibre and ultralight steel, which would more than double mileage per gallon and be tougher in a crash. And if you add in hydrogen fuel-cell power, you could double mileage again. While Ford continues to churn out loss-making SUVs, Mr Lovins is closer to where public demand may soon be.
Conventional industry has no monopoly on good ideas. A trickle of investment is starting to flow from venture capitalists who made their first fortunes on the dot-coms. The best known is Vinod Khosla, founder of Sun Microsystems, who is pumping his own money into ethanol. These people are ahead of the politicians, and perhaps better attuned to the public. They remember how quickly fortunes were built when a critical mass of consumers suddenly shifted online. They know that canal barges ran out of customers long before they ran out of canals, because the game had shifted.
This may all sound like pie in the sky. But it is worth revisiting some assumptions. Countries that have less than others invested in old models may find it easier to leapfrog to new ones. Commentators like to kick China and India for creating problems that they think the West will have to clean up. But China has started to build the ecocity at Dongtan that the Mayor of London dreams of copying. And Dongtan is the first of five.
The race is on, and the most nimble will win. Who knows, big oil may do the trick. But what is striking about many small British energy companies is their inventiveness and courage. The same kind of spirit built the Spitfires in 1937. Then, we did not make international agreements an excuse for inaction. We invested. Climate change is a different kind of enemy. But for some, the battle will be very profitable.
November 02, 2006
The demand for new power sources will be the most disruptive force in business since the internet
I was chatting to a green friend at Shell this week, expecting him to be excited by the sudden new focus on clean energy. “Actually I’m nervous,” he said. “It’s all coming faster than we expected.”
The demand for carbon-free power is about to become the most disruptive force in business since the internet. And disruptive innovations have a way of knocking flat even the most entrenched companies. Five years ago Google was tiny, just starting to sell adverts based on clicks. Ten years ago, Nokia was still thought of as a Finnish paper company. Twenty years ago Dell was a small business selling computers through geeky magazines. These companies came to dominate the market not because the established companies were stupid — not at all — but because they couldn’t quite bring themselves to turn their processes upside down.
That is what climate change will require. Sir Nicholas Stern was only repeating the growing consensus when he said this week that we must reduce greenhouse emissions dramatically within 20 years. That means adopting renewable energy at a hitherto unimagined pace. It means taking a different approach to the design of buildings and transport. It also means turning our power infrastructure upside down. Department of Trade and Industry figures show that we lose about half of our electricity in generation and transmission because we have giant power stations far away from users. We need to turn offices and hospitals into power stations, and let householders feed into the grid instead of letting the grid feed them. Woking has reduced its CO2 emissions by 77 per cent since 1992 by decentralising its energy. That’s what I mean about turning things upside down. Who would have thought the future was Woking?
It is admittedly hard to imagine anything knocking flat the vast infrastructure of the fossil fuel industry. We have invested so much in power plants, pipelines, pension plans and executive suites. Plus, the oil majors have 30 to 50-year investment horizons. How could they ever make their own plants redundant? True, they have long predicted the end of cheap oil. But that is not the same as no oil. It is clear why carbon capture, the new idea of storing carbon dioxide underground, gets your average BP man so much more excited than solar power. It is an add-on to his current business, not a threat to it. But although it might help us to make about 20 per cent of the cuts needed, it will be only part of the solution.
Shell and BP are no fools. They have been hedging their bets intelligently for years. Shell is the world’s biggest distributor of first-generation biofuels. BP Solar is the biggest solar-electric manufacturer. In the age of private equity and the internet, these companies know that they cannot kill an idea by sitting on it. But whether it is hydrogen or woodchips, they are mostly reliant on much smaller partners for innovation. They are not particularly good at developing nimble new businesses themselves.
When I talk to big power companies they tend to tell me why things cannot be done, or at least not now. Small companies think big. Take wind. Power companies complain that it is hard to get planning permission and that it is an unpredictable power source. All true. But one company is proposing to change all that. It would create a “supergrid” of interconnected offshore wind farms, stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean, to provide a constant supply. It would make this a continental resource, not a national one. At one stroke this would create a powerhouse beyond anything previously envisaged. This ambitous piece of lateral thinking comes from the tiny Irish wind company Airtricity. Could Airtricity be the next Google?
It is no accident that the environmently friendly Smart car was designed by a watchmaker, not a car manufacturer. Swatch’s CEO wanted to make small cars as cheap and well designed as his watches were. And he did. Amory Lovins, of the Rocky Mountain Institute, has taken car design farther. Arguing that over half a car’s fuel use is related purely to its weight, he has designed a lightweight “hypercar”, made of carbon fibre and ultralight steel, which would more than double mileage per gallon and be tougher in a crash. And if you add in hydrogen fuel-cell power, you could double mileage again. While Ford continues to churn out loss-making SUVs, Mr Lovins is closer to where public demand may soon be.
Conventional industry has no monopoly on good ideas. A trickle of investment is starting to flow from venture capitalists who made their first fortunes on the dot-coms. The best known is Vinod Khosla, founder of Sun Microsystems, who is pumping his own money into ethanol. These people are ahead of the politicians, and perhaps better attuned to the public. They remember how quickly fortunes were built when a critical mass of consumers suddenly shifted online. They know that canal barges ran out of customers long before they ran out of canals, because the game had shifted.
This may all sound like pie in the sky. But it is worth revisiting some assumptions. Countries that have less than others invested in old models may find it easier to leapfrog to new ones. Commentators like to kick China and India for creating problems that they think the West will have to clean up. But China has started to build the ecocity at Dongtan that the Mayor of London dreams of copying. And Dongtan is the first of five.
The race is on, and the most nimble will win. Who knows, big oil may do the trick. But what is striking about many small British energy companies is their inventiveness and courage. The same kind of spirit built the Spitfires in 1937. Then, we did not make international agreements an excuse for inaction. We invested. Climate change is a different kind of enemy. But for some, the battle will be very profitable.
‘Switch to Renewable Power Before You’re Forced to’
KoreaTimes.co.kr
10-31-2006
Panels at a solar power plant in the Mojave Desert light up to a central tower in this undated file photo. Even the United States, which hasn’t ratified the Kyoto Protocol, is increasing investment in renewable energies.
The world is slowly but steadily shifting from fossil fuels toward renewable energies. It is unavoidable for related industries to fit themselves into the wind of change or otherwise fade away, said Lee Hyun-seung, chief of GE Energy Korea.
"If a company does not take action beforehand, it will inevitably fall behind the trend,’’ he said. "It is most important to realise how the world is changing, and to take the appropriate initiative.’’
GE is a giant in the traditional power industry and it also is one of biggest players in the wind and solar power sector. Last month, it was selected for Asia’s largest solar power project, which is a 3-megawatt facility to be constructed at Yongkwang, South Cholla Province. It has been working together with two Korean firms _ Doosan for power generators and Taewoong for wind turbines.
Lee, who worked at the Ministry of Finance and Economy until 2001, points out that most developed nations are gradually switching from coal and oil power to nuclear and renewable energies in accordance with the Kyoto Protocol. Even the richest oil producing nations take such a trend for granted, he said.
"Last November, power companies in the United States had a meeting at a GE training center in Crotonville. The topic was the energy industry in 2012, and the consensus was that they will have to reduce the carbon dioxide emission regardless of whether the United States ratifies the Kyoto Protocol or not. "So the gap will increase between companies that are prepared and companies that are not prepared,’’ he said.
The industry is still fledgling, so the wind and solar equipments sales only account for about 1 percent of GE Energy’s total sales, Lee said. But the company sees a bigger potential in the renewable energy market.
Last year, GE launched its "Ecomagination’’ initiative in an attempt to position itself as a green company. During his visit to Korea in May, CEO Jeffrey Immelt mentioned the renewable energy business as one of four sectors where it will hold the future. The others were molecular medicine, nano-technology and security service.
"Renewables are even more important to South Korea as most of its oil and coal demands are imported,’’ Lee said. "It has to diversify its energy portfolio, because no one knows how the fuel price will change in the future.’’
10-31-2006
Panels at a solar power plant in the Mojave Desert light up to a central tower in this undated file photo. Even the United States, which hasn’t ratified the Kyoto Protocol, is increasing investment in renewable energies.The world is slowly but steadily shifting from fossil fuels toward renewable energies. It is unavoidable for related industries to fit themselves into the wind of change or otherwise fade away, said Lee Hyun-seung, chief of GE Energy Korea.
"If a company does not take action beforehand, it will inevitably fall behind the trend,’’ he said. "It is most important to realise how the world is changing, and to take the appropriate initiative.’’
GE is a giant in the traditional power industry and it also is one of biggest players in the wind and solar power sector. Last month, it was selected for Asia’s largest solar power project, which is a 3-megawatt facility to be constructed at Yongkwang, South Cholla Province. It has been working together with two Korean firms _ Doosan for power generators and Taewoong for wind turbines.
Lee, who worked at the Ministry of Finance and Economy until 2001, points out that most developed nations are gradually switching from coal and oil power to nuclear and renewable energies in accordance with the Kyoto Protocol. Even the richest oil producing nations take such a trend for granted, he said.
"Last November, power companies in the United States had a meeting at a GE training center in Crotonville. The topic was the energy industry in 2012, and the consensus was that they will have to reduce the carbon dioxide emission regardless of whether the United States ratifies the Kyoto Protocol or not. "So the gap will increase between companies that are prepared and companies that are not prepared,’’ he said.
The industry is still fledgling, so the wind and solar equipments sales only account for about 1 percent of GE Energy’s total sales, Lee said. But the company sees a bigger potential in the renewable energy market.
Last year, GE launched its "Ecomagination’’ initiative in an attempt to position itself as a green company. During his visit to Korea in May, CEO Jeffrey Immelt mentioned the renewable energy business as one of four sectors where it will hold the future. The others were molecular medicine, nano-technology and security service.
"Renewables are even more important to South Korea as most of its oil and coal demands are imported,’’ Lee said. "It has to diversify its energy portfolio, because no one knows how the fuel price will change in the future.’’
Energy: Italian Mountain Village Finds The Good Life
Varese Ligure, Italy
31 Oct. 2006
With hundreds of miles of coastline, various mountain ranges and one of the sunniest climates in Europe, Italy is ideally suited to develop wind and solar power, yet the proportion of electricity generated from green energy sources here is among the lowest in Europe: a mere 4.5 percent. However, one picturesque mountain village in the northern Italian region of Liguria which meets all its energy needs and more from renewables - has set an example for the rest of Europe. The mayor of Varese Ligure, Maurizio Caranza, told Adnkronos International (AKI) how this feat has been achieved.
"Ten years ago, Varese Ligure's population had shrunk from 6,000 to 2,250 people. We realised the only thing to do to prevent the village from dying was to protect the environment and rehabilitate the agriculture sector," Caranza said.
"Today, the population is stable and Varese Ligure produces all its electricity from green energy sources. We chose the environmental certification route and to save energy, using all the renewable energy sources available," he said.
"Tourism is an important sector for six months a year, local farmers produce an abundance of organic fruit and vegetables, meat and dairy products, and the village now recycles 25 percent of its refuse," he said. "Because the political will existed, we succeeded in arresting Varese Ligure’s decline," Caranza stressed.
Varese Ligure was the first European community to receive the ISO 14001 (1999) and EMAS II (2002) environmental certification awards, as well as a European Union prize for Best Renewable Energy Partnership in Rural Communities (2004).
The village has two windmills in operation - jointly owned by the village of Varese Ligure and a local electricity company - which produce an annual four million kilowatts of electrical power. "This is three times the amount of electrical energy the village needs. We sell the rest to the national grid which earns us 30,000 euros a year," Caranza explained.
The 46-metre tall windmills come into view as one enters Varese Ligure, perched atop a mountain ridge above the village - their white, tapering blades turning silently and rhythmically. They prompt differing reactions: some claim they blight the landscape while others find them strangely beautiful.
Two more windmills are being built to generate a further three million kilowatts of electricity annually. By the end of the year, the village will produce enough electricity to meet the needs of 7,000 people, Caranza noted proudly. "We will sell all the surplus power at a good price," he said.
Varese Ligure has installed solar panels on the roof of the town hall and the local middle school, as well as on the roof of its only hotel. These produce a further 23,000 kilowatts annually and the panels on the town hall and hotel roofs generate enough electricity to heat and provide enough hot water for both.
"Our windmills and our solar panels help reduce by 0.05 percent Liguria's annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions," said Caranza. When asked why he believes there are not more 100-percent renewable villages in Italy he pinpointed bureaucracy, the very high costs of connection to the national grid, and a lack of funding as the main obstacles.
31 Oct. 2006
With hundreds of miles of coastline, various mountain ranges and one of the sunniest climates in Europe, Italy is ideally suited to develop wind and solar power, yet the proportion of electricity generated from green energy sources here is among the lowest in Europe: a mere 4.5 percent. However, one picturesque mountain village in the northern Italian region of Liguria which meets all its energy needs and more from renewables - has set an example for the rest of Europe. The mayor of Varese Ligure, Maurizio Caranza, told Adnkronos International (AKI) how this feat has been achieved."Ten years ago, Varese Ligure's population had shrunk from 6,000 to 2,250 people. We realised the only thing to do to prevent the village from dying was to protect the environment and rehabilitate the agriculture sector," Caranza said.
"Today, the population is stable and Varese Ligure produces all its electricity from green energy sources. We chose the environmental certification route and to save energy, using all the renewable energy sources available," he said.
"Tourism is an important sector for six months a year, local farmers produce an abundance of organic fruit and vegetables, meat and dairy products, and the village now recycles 25 percent of its refuse," he said. "Because the political will existed, we succeeded in arresting Varese Ligure’s decline," Caranza stressed.
Varese Ligure was the first European community to receive the ISO 14001 (1999) and EMAS II (2002) environmental certification awards, as well as a European Union prize for Best Renewable Energy Partnership in Rural Communities (2004).
The village has two windmills in operation - jointly owned by the village of Varese Ligure and a local electricity company - which produce an annual four million kilowatts of electrical power. "This is three times the amount of electrical energy the village needs. We sell the rest to the national grid which earns us 30,000 euros a year," Caranza explained.
The 46-metre tall windmills come into view as one enters Varese Ligure, perched atop a mountain ridge above the village - their white, tapering blades turning silently and rhythmically. They prompt differing reactions: some claim they blight the landscape while others find them strangely beautiful.
Two more windmills are being built to generate a further three million kilowatts of electricity annually. By the end of the year, the village will produce enough electricity to meet the needs of 7,000 people, Caranza noted proudly. "We will sell all the surplus power at a good price," he said.
Varese Ligure has installed solar panels on the roof of the town hall and the local middle school, as well as on the roof of its only hotel. These produce a further 23,000 kilowatts annually and the panels on the town hall and hotel roofs generate enough electricity to heat and provide enough hot water for both.
"Our windmills and our solar panels help reduce by 0.05 percent Liguria's annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions," said Caranza. When asked why he believes there are not more 100-percent renewable villages in Italy he pinpointed bureaucracy, the very high costs of connection to the national grid, and a lack of funding as the main obstacles.
No need to do the dirty on coal power stations
The Australian
November 01, 2006
FOR years, Victoria's fertile Latrobe Valley has been the power equivalent of El Dorado, thanks to the seams of cheap brown coal under its green fields that are sufficient to power the state for 500 years. But these days it is tarnished by climate change, because while its brown coal is cheap, it is also extremely dirty. The high moisture content of the coal makes the Latrobe power stations among the worst offenders for greenhouse gas emissions.
And firmly in the sights of green groups is the 1600MW Hazelwood power station, one of the most intensive emitters in the valley, but one that supplies up to 25 per cent of Victoria's power. The Bracks Government enraged green groups last year by approving an expansion of its coal mine, extending the life of the power station to about 2031.
Green groups are demanding that Hazelwood, which is owned by British power company International Power, be shut down from 2010, arguing that by then there would be enough new wind, gas and solar power to fill the hole left by Hazelwood - when combined with measures to curb demand.
And this week they got more ammunition in the form of Britain's 700-page Stern report, which estimated the social cost of emitting carbon dioxide at $US85 ($110) a tonne. That means the 17million tonnes of carbon dioxide pumped into the atmosphere at Hazelwood cost the world $US1.44 billion a year.
"The message is clear: there is a huge cost of the pollution that a power station like Hazelwood is causing," said Greenpeace energy campaign chief Mark Wakeham.
But for the communities of the valley, simply shutting down Hazelwood, is the wrong answer. For a start, 800 staff and contractors would lose jobs. "You can't take Hazelwood out of the equation. What are you going to do, go back to kerosene lamps?" said John Guy, 68, a 30-year veteran of the Latrobe power industry.
For Mr Guy, chairman of community and business group Advance Morwell, the best option is to clean coal emissions with new technologies. "We have a fantastic resource here, and research and development may go a long way to making that a clean fuel," he said.
The federal Government has earmarked $205 million for cleaning coal emissions. One of the first grant winners was Hazelwood's pilot plan to commercialise technology to dry its coal before burning it, which could cut plant emissions by close to 50 per cent.
International Power spokesman Jim Kouts said calls to close the plant were short-sighted. "We are committed to finding solutions to reducing emissions and that is the way forward."
November 01, 2006
FOR years, Victoria's fertile Latrobe Valley has been the power equivalent of El Dorado, thanks to the seams of cheap brown coal under its green fields that are sufficient to power the state for 500 years. But these days it is tarnished by climate change, because while its brown coal is cheap, it is also extremely dirty. The high moisture content of the coal makes the Latrobe power stations among the worst offenders for greenhouse gas emissions.
And firmly in the sights of green groups is the 1600MW Hazelwood power station, one of the most intensive emitters in the valley, but one that supplies up to 25 per cent of Victoria's power. The Bracks Government enraged green groups last year by approving an expansion of its coal mine, extending the life of the power station to about 2031.
Green groups are demanding that Hazelwood, which is owned by British power company International Power, be shut down from 2010, arguing that by then there would be enough new wind, gas and solar power to fill the hole left by Hazelwood - when combined with measures to curb demand.
And this week they got more ammunition in the form of Britain's 700-page Stern report, which estimated the social cost of emitting carbon dioxide at $US85 ($110) a tonne. That means the 17million tonnes of carbon dioxide pumped into the atmosphere at Hazelwood cost the world $US1.44 billion a year.
"The message is clear: there is a huge cost of the pollution that a power station like Hazelwood is causing," said Greenpeace energy campaign chief Mark Wakeham.
But for the communities of the valley, simply shutting down Hazelwood, is the wrong answer. For a start, 800 staff and contractors would lose jobs. "You can't take Hazelwood out of the equation. What are you going to do, go back to kerosene lamps?" said John Guy, 68, a 30-year veteran of the Latrobe power industry.
For Mr Guy, chairman of community and business group Advance Morwell, the best option is to clean coal emissions with new technologies. "We have a fantastic resource here, and research and development may go a long way to making that a clean fuel," he said.
The federal Government has earmarked $205 million for cleaning coal emissions. One of the first grant winners was Hazelwood's pilot plan to commercialise technology to dry its coal before burning it, which could cut plant emissions by close to 50 per cent.
International Power spokesman Jim Kouts said calls to close the plant were short-sighted. "We are committed to finding solutions to reducing emissions and that is the way forward."
Calls for Campbell to end the suspense
South Gippsland Sentinel Times
Tuesday 31/10/2006, Page: 14
The political games between the state and federal governments are continuing, in relation to the Bald Hills windfarm. State Planning Minister Rob Hulls called on Federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell to hurry up and make a decision on the $220,000 project. Senator Campbell vetoed the plan in April because of the threat to the orange-bellied parrot, but has since reopened the case to take in further information.
"Senator Campbell is holding up an important renewable energy project that could help reduce Australia's greenhouse emissions," Mr Hulls said. "We don't have the luxury any more of playing political games with climate change, but all we get from Senator Campbell is delaying tactics.
"This latest round of consultation finished last week, and now Senator Campbell's time is up," Mr Hulls said. "It's time for this orange-bellied Senator to admit he was wrong and approve the wind farm." But Senator Campbell said the State Government was responsible for the delay because it withheld information contained in a Department of Sustainability and Environment report.
He said the report included evidence that the threatened orangebellied parrot would be further endangered by the presence of turbines. But Mr Hulls rejected both claims.
"Instead of making a decision, he is desperately trying to divert attention with ridiculous claims about a so-called secret DSE submission. "The DSE submission to the original panel hearings for Bald Hills was handed out at the time, and it has been available since to anyone who wants it.
"The submission does not recommend against the project., It says the negligible additional risk to the orange-bellied parrot should be offset by off-side habitat works. "Senator Campbell is grasping at straws. He must put this matter to rest, and make a decision." The DSE report, in its section on the orangebellied parrot, concluded: 'The Bald Hills Wind Farm proposal will increase the level of threat to the orangebellied parrot.
"It is highly likely that OBPs commuting between habitat patches in South Gippsland will fly across the site. Their commuting flights are often at heights encompassed by the rotor swept area. "A conservative approach is therefore required, which acknowledges that this proposed development will increase the cumulative risk to the species posed by the windfarm industry." Senator Campbell said the report had been gathering dust in Mr Hulls' bottom drawer for more than three years, while the State Government was "playing politics".
"Politics is very much a part of the Bracks Government's decision making on the environment. "At the same time as it was railing against my decision to protect the highly endangered OBP at Bald Hills, it was refusing to give approval to a windfarm proposal at Yaloak because it would pose a threat to wedge-tailed eagles which are neither endangered or low in numbers.
"There are over 100,000 wedge-tailed eagles near Yaloak. One can only conclude that in Victoria, a bird's level of endangerment is directly linked to the political endangerment of Labor politicians in seats where wind farms are proposed."
Tuesday 31/10/2006, Page: 14
The political games between the state and federal governments are continuing, in relation to the Bald Hills windfarm. State Planning Minister Rob Hulls called on Federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell to hurry up and make a decision on the $220,000 project. Senator Campbell vetoed the plan in April because of the threat to the orange-bellied parrot, but has since reopened the case to take in further information.
"Senator Campbell is holding up an important renewable energy project that could help reduce Australia's greenhouse emissions," Mr Hulls said. "We don't have the luxury any more of playing political games with climate change, but all we get from Senator Campbell is delaying tactics.
"This latest round of consultation finished last week, and now Senator Campbell's time is up," Mr Hulls said. "It's time for this orange-bellied Senator to admit he was wrong and approve the wind farm." But Senator Campbell said the State Government was responsible for the delay because it withheld information contained in a Department of Sustainability and Environment report.
He said the report included evidence that the threatened orangebellied parrot would be further endangered by the presence of turbines. But Mr Hulls rejected both claims.
"Instead of making a decision, he is desperately trying to divert attention with ridiculous claims about a so-called secret DSE submission. "The DSE submission to the original panel hearings for Bald Hills was handed out at the time, and it has been available since to anyone who wants it.
"The submission does not recommend against the project., It says the negligible additional risk to the orange-bellied parrot should be offset by off-side habitat works. "Senator Campbell is grasping at straws. He must put this matter to rest, and make a decision." The DSE report, in its section on the orangebellied parrot, concluded: 'The Bald Hills Wind Farm proposal will increase the level of threat to the orangebellied parrot.
"It is highly likely that OBPs commuting between habitat patches in South Gippsland will fly across the site. Their commuting flights are often at heights encompassed by the rotor swept area. "A conservative approach is therefore required, which acknowledges that this proposed development will increase the cumulative risk to the species posed by the windfarm industry." Senator Campbell said the report had been gathering dust in Mr Hulls' bottom drawer for more than three years, while the State Government was "playing politics".
"Politics is very much a part of the Bracks Government's decision making on the environment. "At the same time as it was railing against my decision to protect the highly endangered OBP at Bald Hills, it was refusing to give approval to a windfarm proposal at Yaloak because it would pose a threat to wedge-tailed eagles which are neither endangered or low in numbers.
"There are over 100,000 wedge-tailed eagles near Yaloak. One can only conclude that in Victoria, a bird's level of endangerment is directly linked to the political endangerment of Labor politicians in seats where wind farms are proposed."
Nirranda leads way
Warrnambool Standard
Friday 3/11/2006, Page: 4
A PROJECT to bury greenhouse gas at Nirranda will be a crucial part of the fight against global warming, scientists visiting the site from around the world said yesterday. The project, run by the Cooperative Research Centre for greenhouse gas Technologies (CO2CRC), involves injecting carbon dioxide deep underground, a technique known as geosequestration.
More than 30 international scientists visited the site yesterday to hear about the innovative processes to be used at Nirranda. Among the group was Dr Nick Riley, a key adviser to the British Government and European commission on greenhouse gas issues. He said the Nirranda project would make a significant contribution to what was a crucial technology if global warming was to be overcome.
"It really is a no-brainer," he said. "Geosequestration is vital - the world is so dependent on fossil fuels and we have to reduce emissions extremely rapidly." Alternative fuel sources such as wind power were part of the answer, but they reduced greenhouse emissions at a much slower rate than burying gases underground, he said. "Large-scale geosequestration can achieve the same emission reduction in one year as the UK's entire wind power scheme has in over a decade." He also endorsed a recent report by British economist Sir Nicholas Stern which highlighted the escalating costs of failing to deal with climate change.
"At the end of the day society will have to pay for its carbon dioxide emissions - and the longer we leave it, the more it will cost."CO2CRC chief executive Dr Peter Cook said the increasing importance of geosequestration meant the Nirranda project had acquired an international reputation. "We're doing things in better and smarter ways than ever before. It's really putting the project on the world stage," he said.
Friday 3/11/2006, Page: 4
A PROJECT to bury greenhouse gas at Nirranda will be a crucial part of the fight against global warming, scientists visiting the site from around the world said yesterday. The project, run by the Cooperative Research Centre for greenhouse gas Technologies (CO2CRC), involves injecting carbon dioxide deep underground, a technique known as geosequestration.
More than 30 international scientists visited the site yesterday to hear about the innovative processes to be used at Nirranda. Among the group was Dr Nick Riley, a key adviser to the British Government and European commission on greenhouse gas issues. He said the Nirranda project would make a significant contribution to what was a crucial technology if global warming was to be overcome.
"It really is a no-brainer," he said. "Geosequestration is vital - the world is so dependent on fossil fuels and we have to reduce emissions extremely rapidly." Alternative fuel sources such as wind power were part of the answer, but they reduced greenhouse emissions at a much slower rate than burying gases underground, he said. "Large-scale geosequestration can achieve the same emission reduction in one year as the UK's entire wind power scheme has in over a decade." He also endorsed a recent report by British economist Sir Nicholas Stern which highlighted the escalating costs of failing to deal with climate change.
"At the end of the day society will have to pay for its carbon dioxide emissions - and the longer we leave it, the more it will cost."CO2CRC chief executive Dr Peter Cook said the increasing importance of geosequestration meant the Nirranda project had acquired an international reputation. "We're doing things in better and smarter ways than ever before. It's really putting the project on the world stage," he said.
Plugging into sun
News Mail
Friday 3/11/2006, Page: 6
MAX Hovarth knows the region may be lacking in rain, but there are plenty of sunny days to keep pollution away. The Bundy Solar owner said the current surge of interest in solar panels was good for business and the environment, but the technology is still expensive.
"To run the average household without any air-conditioning or an electrical hot water system or stove it takes eight solar panels," he said. "If you have big equipment you would probably need a generator as well." Despite the cost, Mr Hovarth said some residents had fully kitted out their homes. "There are a lot of bush blocks where there is no power available, so people are turning to solar power instead:' he said.
Mr Hovarth said next year's rebate scheme should lift interest in the sun power scheme. While Mr Hovarth is happy to see people turning to solar panels, he believes both the government and the community should be looking at other "green power" sources.
"The solar panels are not the only option - there is wind power, which would work well here, and tidal influences system," he said. "We need to get serious about climate change. "It's not a matter of if it is going to happen, it already is"
Friday 3/11/2006, Page: 6
MAX Hovarth knows the region may be lacking in rain, but there are plenty of sunny days to keep pollution away. The Bundy Solar owner said the current surge of interest in solar panels was good for business and the environment, but the technology is still expensive.
"To run the average household without any air-conditioning or an electrical hot water system or stove it takes eight solar panels," he said. "If you have big equipment you would probably need a generator as well." Despite the cost, Mr Hovarth said some residents had fully kitted out their homes. "There are a lot of bush blocks where there is no power available, so people are turning to solar power instead:' he said.
Mr Hovarth said next year's rebate scheme should lift interest in the sun power scheme. While Mr Hovarth is happy to see people turning to solar panels, he believes both the government and the community should be looking at other "green power" sources.
"The solar panels are not the only option - there is wind power, which would work well here, and tidal influences system," he said. "We need to get serious about climate change. "It's not a matter of if it is going to happen, it already is"
Friday, 3 November 2006
The Prime Minister lags behind on dealing with global warming
The Australian
November 02, 2006
Mike Steketee: Reducing emissions can't wait
THE Stern review moves the debate on climate change beyond science to economics and in the process it catches the Howard Government short.
Only six weeks ago, Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane declared himself to be "a sceptic of the connection between emissions and climate change". He conceded the need to lower emissions - the kind of non sequitur that only a politician can explain - but said that could be done through new technology and "you don't necessarily need to give a price signal".
Nicholas Stern's report to the British Government challenges those views, saying the scientific evidence of the seriousness of climate change is overwhelming and there is no doubt about the causes: human activity. As for the response, it is a case of all hands on deck as far as Stern is concerned. It "will require deeper international co-operation in many areas, most notably in creating price signals and markets for carbon, spurring technology research, development and deployment, and promoting adaptation, particularly for developing countries".
John Howard told parliament on Tuesday there could be no effective response to global warming unless "you have all the culprits in the net", including big polluters such as the US, China and India. But Stern argues we cannot afford to wait because that will mean much higher costs.
Australia's policy has always had an element of the surreal about it, influenced heavily by those who argued that the warming of the planet was just one of those naturally occurring phenomena but acknowledging that doing nothing was not an option politically. And so we try to have our cake and eat it, too: as a large resources producer and emitter, we negotiated special conditions for Australia in the Kyoto Protocol. Then we refused to ratify because it would cost jobs and excluded the biggest polluters. Nevertheless, we made a big deal of meeting the targets anyway.
Ironically, the Government can make this latter boast mainly because of the decisions of the state Labor governments of Queensland and NSW to ban broad-scale land clearing, thereby reducing the contribution this was making to greenhouse gases. This offsets the increase in emissions from other sources and allows us, so far, to stay on track to meet the relatively generous target for Australia of limiting emission increases to 8per cent above their 1990 levels. The land clearing ban provides largely a one-off benefit. Nevertheless, the Government is protesting to the UN about a report this week that does not include land-use changes and concludes that Australian emissions increased by 25 per cent between 1990 and 2004, compared to a 15 per cent reduction for industrialised countries that are parties to the Kyoto Protocol.
In contrast to Howard, the Stern report argues the Kyoto Protocol has established valuable institutions to underpin international emissions trading and that it can be seen as a first stepping stone to international co-operation. "It is not obvious that starting from scratch with an entirely new approach would produce a more effective regime and it could take many years for the shape of a new approach to emerge," it says. The Government claims to be deeply involved in international negotiations on climate change but when the 165 countries that have ratified Kyoto meet in Nairobi in two weeks to discuss future initiatives, Australia, together with the US, will not have a voice.
While large polluters such as China and India are not bound at this stage by emission reduction targets - they argue that developed countries caused the problem so they should take the lead - Stern says China has one of the most ambitious policies to reduce emissions. Its goal is to reduce energy use per unit of gross domestic product by 20 per cent in the next four years, and it has made a big commitment to renewable energy.
Australia is not part of the emission trading scheme set up under Kyoto, meaning we deny ourselves the benefits of carbon credits. Nor will Howard contemplate a carbon tax. But in reality he acknowledges the economics of climate change. As he said on Tuesday, to reduce emissions "we have to clean up coal and, as you clean up coal, you make it dearer and, as you make coal dearer, you make nuclear power economically more feasible".
The Prime Minister is having fun with what he calls "the big N option" because Labor is divided on nuclear power. But there also is an irrefutable logic to his argument, even though Macfarlane was in denial about it only a few weeks ago. Reducing emissions requires a price signal, whether through a carbon tax or factoring in the cost of new technology.
Accepting Stern's policy prescriptions does not require endorsing the detailed projections produced by his economic modelling: that failing to act will reduce global GDP by at least 5 per cent a year and possibly more than 20 per cent, and risk social and economic disruption on a scale similar to the 20th century's world wars and the Depression. By contrast, the report says, reducing greenhouse emissions to avoid the worst effects of climate change would cost only 1 per cent of GDP. But even taking elementary precautions points to doing more than the Howard Government has been prepared to consider.
So does politics. How the issue is playing was captured by the headline yesterday in Sydney's The Daily Telegraph, a newspaper that Howard monitors closely: "PM fiddles while the world burns". In the past, Howard has not allowed previous commitments to stand in the way of catching up politically. Until he does so on this issue, he will only lend credibility to Kim Beazley's slogan that Labor is "the future party".
Mike Steketee is The Australian's national affairs editor.
November 02, 2006
Mike Steketee: Reducing emissions can't wait
THE Stern review moves the debate on climate change beyond science to economics and in the process it catches the Howard Government short.Only six weeks ago, Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane declared himself to be "a sceptic of the connection between emissions and climate change". He conceded the need to lower emissions - the kind of non sequitur that only a politician can explain - but said that could be done through new technology and "you don't necessarily need to give a price signal".
Nicholas Stern's report to the British Government challenges those views, saying the scientific evidence of the seriousness of climate change is overwhelming and there is no doubt about the causes: human activity. As for the response, it is a case of all hands on deck as far as Stern is concerned. It "will require deeper international co-operation in many areas, most notably in creating price signals and markets for carbon, spurring technology research, development and deployment, and promoting adaptation, particularly for developing countries".
John Howard told parliament on Tuesday there could be no effective response to global warming unless "you have all the culprits in the net", including big polluters such as the US, China and India. But Stern argues we cannot afford to wait because that will mean much higher costs.
Australia's policy has always had an element of the surreal about it, influenced heavily by those who argued that the warming of the planet was just one of those naturally occurring phenomena but acknowledging that doing nothing was not an option politically. And so we try to have our cake and eat it, too: as a large resources producer and emitter, we negotiated special conditions for Australia in the Kyoto Protocol. Then we refused to ratify because it would cost jobs and excluded the biggest polluters. Nevertheless, we made a big deal of meeting the targets anyway.
Ironically, the Government can make this latter boast mainly because of the decisions of the state Labor governments of Queensland and NSW to ban broad-scale land clearing, thereby reducing the contribution this was making to greenhouse gases. This offsets the increase in emissions from other sources and allows us, so far, to stay on track to meet the relatively generous target for Australia of limiting emission increases to 8per cent above their 1990 levels. The land clearing ban provides largely a one-off benefit. Nevertheless, the Government is protesting to the UN about a report this week that does not include land-use changes and concludes that Australian emissions increased by 25 per cent between 1990 and 2004, compared to a 15 per cent reduction for industrialised countries that are parties to the Kyoto Protocol.
In contrast to Howard, the Stern report argues the Kyoto Protocol has established valuable institutions to underpin international emissions trading and that it can be seen as a first stepping stone to international co-operation. "It is not obvious that starting from scratch with an entirely new approach would produce a more effective regime and it could take many years for the shape of a new approach to emerge," it says. The Government claims to be deeply involved in international negotiations on climate change but when the 165 countries that have ratified Kyoto meet in Nairobi in two weeks to discuss future initiatives, Australia, together with the US, will not have a voice.
While large polluters such as China and India are not bound at this stage by emission reduction targets - they argue that developed countries caused the problem so they should take the lead - Stern says China has one of the most ambitious policies to reduce emissions. Its goal is to reduce energy use per unit of gross domestic product by 20 per cent in the next four years, and it has made a big commitment to renewable energy.
Australia is not part of the emission trading scheme set up under Kyoto, meaning we deny ourselves the benefits of carbon credits. Nor will Howard contemplate a carbon tax. But in reality he acknowledges the economics of climate change. As he said on Tuesday, to reduce emissions "we have to clean up coal and, as you clean up coal, you make it dearer and, as you make coal dearer, you make nuclear power economically more feasible".
The Prime Minister is having fun with what he calls "the big N option" because Labor is divided on nuclear power. But there also is an irrefutable logic to his argument, even though Macfarlane was in denial about it only a few weeks ago. Reducing emissions requires a price signal, whether through a carbon tax or factoring in the cost of new technology.
Accepting Stern's policy prescriptions does not require endorsing the detailed projections produced by his economic modelling: that failing to act will reduce global GDP by at least 5 per cent a year and possibly more than 20 per cent, and risk social and economic disruption on a scale similar to the 20th century's world wars and the Depression. By contrast, the report says, reducing greenhouse emissions to avoid the worst effects of climate change would cost only 1 per cent of GDP. But even taking elementary precautions points to doing more than the Howard Government has been prepared to consider.
So does politics. How the issue is playing was captured by the headline yesterday in Sydney's The Daily Telegraph, a newspaper that Howard monitors closely: "PM fiddles while the world burns". In the past, Howard has not allowed previous commitments to stand in the way of catching up politically. Until he does so on this issue, he will only lend credibility to Kim Beazley's slogan that Labor is "the future party".
Mike Steketee is The Australian's national affairs editor.
NSW falls behind in renewable energy
Goulburn Town & Country
Monday 30/10/2006, Page: 10
STATE and national environment groups have launched a campaign for NSW to join other states and nations in developing a strong renewable energy industry to combat climate change.
The groups has released a report titled `The Great Opportunity: 25 per cent renewable energy for NSW', which outlined that a 25 per cent renewable energy target for NSW would conservatively deliver 4000 new permanent jobs, $9 billion investment in NSW and 4000 MW new electricity generation capacity equivalent to two coal-fired power stations.
It would also lead to a 13 per cent reduction in electricity sector greenhouse emissions on current levels by 2020 and enough renewable electricity to power every household in NSW The report was released at the Earthpower Technologies bioenergy plant in Western Sydney, where food waste is turned into electricity.
At the launch Nature Conservation Council Director Cate Faehrmann said Australia had woken up to climate change in recent months.
"It's important that now we start implementing some big solutions," she said.
"A 25 per cent renewable energy target for NSW would see thousands of jobs created, billions of dollars worth of investment and a reduction in NSW's greenhouse pollution. All we need is the political will to make it happen." Greenpeace Energy campaigner Mark Wakeham said NSW was being left behind in the race for renewable energy.
"Since 2001, South Australia had installed 215 wind turbines while NSW had installed two," he said.
"In NSW there is no incentive in place to develop new renewable energy projects. Victoria and South Australia have seen the benefits of renewables and legislated their own state targets.
"Now its time that Premier lemma gets serious about climate change and follows suit with a target to guarantee the growth of renewable energy in NSW. A 25 per cent target would generate enough clean energy to power every house in NSW." Ms Faehrmann added that the introduction of a renewable energy target would be an important issue in the lead up to the March state election.
"Climate change is the number one environmental issue for the state election, and if we're going to address climate change we need targets to reduce greenhouse pollution, targets to kick-start renewable energy and a commitment to begin the shift away from polluting coal," she said.
The report can be downloaded from http://www.nccnsw.org.au/
Monday 30/10/2006, Page: 10
STATE and national environment groups have launched a campaign for NSW to join other states and nations in developing a strong renewable energy industry to combat climate change.
The groups has released a report titled `The Great Opportunity: 25 per cent renewable energy for NSW', which outlined that a 25 per cent renewable energy target for NSW would conservatively deliver 4000 new permanent jobs, $9 billion investment in NSW and 4000 MW new electricity generation capacity equivalent to two coal-fired power stations.
It would also lead to a 13 per cent reduction in electricity sector greenhouse emissions on current levels by 2020 and enough renewable electricity to power every household in NSW The report was released at the Earthpower Technologies bioenergy plant in Western Sydney, where food waste is turned into electricity.
At the launch Nature Conservation Council Director Cate Faehrmann said Australia had woken up to climate change in recent months.
"It's important that now we start implementing some big solutions," she said.
"A 25 per cent renewable energy target for NSW would see thousands of jobs created, billions of dollars worth of investment and a reduction in NSW's greenhouse pollution. All we need is the political will to make it happen." Greenpeace Energy campaigner Mark Wakeham said NSW was being left behind in the race for renewable energy.
"Since 2001, South Australia had installed 215 wind turbines while NSW had installed two," he said.
"In NSW there is no incentive in place to develop new renewable energy projects. Victoria and South Australia have seen the benefits of renewables and legislated their own state targets.
"Now its time that Premier lemma gets serious about climate change and follows suit with a target to guarantee the growth of renewable energy in NSW. A 25 per cent target would generate enough clean energy to power every house in NSW." Ms Faehrmann added that the introduction of a renewable energy target would be an important issue in the lead up to the March state election.
"Climate change is the number one environmental issue for the state election, and if we're going to address climate change we need targets to reduce greenhouse pollution, targets to kick-start renewable energy and a commitment to begin the shift away from polluting coal," she said.
The report can be downloaded from http://www.nccnsw.org.au/
Parrot pundits back wind farm
Australian
Thursday 2/11/2006, Page: 2
ENVIRONMENT Minister Ian Campbell is under renewed pressure to approve the Bald Hills wind farm after the project won conditional support from orange-bellied parrot experts.
And the company that wrote the report Senator Campbell relied on to veto the wind farm confirmed it did not provide an assessment of the impact of the Victorian farm on the bird.
Senator Campbell blocked the $220 million project this year, citing a perceived threat to the parrot. He agreed to reconsider the project and accept new submissions after legal action from the developer, Wind Power Pty Ltd.
In a submission to Senator Campbell, the orange-bellied parrot recovery team says the threat posed to the parrot by the project was "small and is amenable to being offset by targeted management actions".
Senator Campbell said yesterday he would await fresh advice from his department - which has previously supported the wind farm - before announcing his decision.
Thursday 2/11/2006, Page: 2
ENVIRONMENT Minister Ian Campbell is under renewed pressure to approve the Bald Hills wind farm after the project won conditional support from orange-bellied parrot experts.
And the company that wrote the report Senator Campbell relied on to veto the wind farm confirmed it did not provide an assessment of the impact of the Victorian farm on the bird.
Senator Campbell blocked the $220 million project this year, citing a perceived threat to the parrot. He agreed to reconsider the project and accept new submissions after legal action from the developer, Wind Power Pty Ltd.
In a submission to Senator Campbell, the orange-bellied parrot recovery team says the threat posed to the parrot by the project was "small and is amenable to being offset by targeted management actions".
Senator Campbell said yesterday he would await fresh advice from his department - which has previously supported the wind farm - before announcing his decision.
It pays off to be seen as green
West Australian
Wednesday 1/11/2006, Page: 53
With a carbon tax a strong possibility, investors are favouring companies that are well prepared for climate change
Renewable energy companies are poised for growth as Australian investors wise up to the economic implications of climate change and the increasing likelihood of carbon emission regulation.
AMP chief economist Shane Oliver said it was inevitable that Australia would have some form of restrictions on carbon emissions, either in the form of a tax or a carbon trading system within five years.
"If you are prepared to take a five year view then solar and wind power companies or companies based around biofuels should do pretty well, not so much because they will be subsidised but because the cost to the consumer will go up as restrictions on carbon usage start to kick in," he said.
Traditional power stations, airlines, transport and oil companies are among the industries to be hardest hit if carbon control was implemented.
Dr Oliver said investors were already beginning to discriminate between companies that were well prepared for climate change and the ones that were not.
"Investors will want to know those companies that are less well prepared or are heavily exposed to climate change and those companies will see their share price underperform relative to companies that have started adjusting or finding ways of mitigating the problem," Dr Oliver said.
A recent survey co-sponsored by Goldman Sachs JBWere, of the S&PASX 100 listed companies has revealed 94 per cent of respondents thought that climate change was going to have a material effect on their earnings.
Portfolio Partners manager of sustainablity Amanda McCluskey said gas and LNG producers would be the first to benefit from growing awareness of climate change whereas low carbon fuel producers and renewable energy producers would benefit over the medium to long term.
Ms McCluskey said companies such as AGL, Woodside, Origin Energy and Energy Developments would gain in a new low carbon framework whereas companies involved in metal smelting and building materials faced downside risk.
More speculative investments such as geothermal energy company, Geodynamics and carbon offset firm, C02 Australia, also offer long-term investment opportunities.
Ms McCluskey warned against immediate reweighting of portfolios.
"From an investor's perspective, to put too much into these sectors is fraught with risk, that being regulatory uncertainty," she said. "Anybody who invested in biofuels would know the regulatory risk associated as government's flip-flop around." Policies such as the Victorian Government's move to supply 10 per cent of households with alternative energy by 2016 and the Federal Government funding of the construction of the world's biggest solar plant and a brown coal drying and carbon capture pilot project are considered harbingers of a fundamental shift on climate change.
Global warming is increasingly under the spotlight. On Monday World Bank chief economist Sir Nicholas Stern launched a damning report about the economic impact of climate change, which estimates that climate change could shrink the global economy by 20 per cent.
The report coincided with United Nations figures showing greenhouse gas emissions were increasing.
Wednesday 1/11/2006, Page: 53
With a carbon tax a strong possibility, investors are favouring companies that are well prepared for climate change
Renewable energy companies are poised for growth as Australian investors wise up to the economic implications of climate change and the increasing likelihood of carbon emission regulation.
AMP chief economist Shane Oliver said it was inevitable that Australia would have some form of restrictions on carbon emissions, either in the form of a tax or a carbon trading system within five years.
"If you are prepared to take a five year view then solar and wind power companies or companies based around biofuels should do pretty well, not so much because they will be subsidised but because the cost to the consumer will go up as restrictions on carbon usage start to kick in," he said.
Traditional power stations, airlines, transport and oil companies are among the industries to be hardest hit if carbon control was implemented.
Dr Oliver said investors were already beginning to discriminate between companies that were well prepared for climate change and the ones that were not.
"Investors will want to know those companies that are less well prepared or are heavily exposed to climate change and those companies will see their share price underperform relative to companies that have started adjusting or finding ways of mitigating the problem," Dr Oliver said.
A recent survey co-sponsored by Goldman Sachs JBWere, of the S&PASX 100 listed companies has revealed 94 per cent of respondents thought that climate change was going to have a material effect on their earnings.
Portfolio Partners manager of sustainablity Amanda McCluskey said gas and LNG producers would be the first to benefit from growing awareness of climate change whereas low carbon fuel producers and renewable energy producers would benefit over the medium to long term.
Ms McCluskey said companies such as AGL, Woodside, Origin Energy and Energy Developments would gain in a new low carbon framework whereas companies involved in metal smelting and building materials faced downside risk.
More speculative investments such as geothermal energy company, Geodynamics and carbon offset firm, C02 Australia, also offer long-term investment opportunities.
Ms McCluskey warned against immediate reweighting of portfolios.
"From an investor's perspective, to put too much into these sectors is fraught with risk, that being regulatory uncertainty," she said. "Anybody who invested in biofuels would know the regulatory risk associated as government's flip-flop around." Policies such as the Victorian Government's move to supply 10 per cent of households with alternative energy by 2016 and the Federal Government funding of the construction of the world's biggest solar plant and a brown coal drying and carbon capture pilot project are considered harbingers of a fundamental shift on climate change.
Global warming is increasingly under the spotlight. On Monday World Bank chief economist Sir Nicholas Stern launched a damning report about the economic impact of climate change, which estimates that climate change could shrink the global economy by 20 per cent.
The report coincided with United Nations figures showing greenhouse gas emissions were increasing.
Cyclone proof wind turbines
Northern Guardian
Wednesday 1/11/2006, Page: 1
THREE state-of-the-art, cyclone-proof wind turbines are to be built at Coral Bay.
Energy Minister Francis Logan said the 275kw turbines were expected to supply 40 per cent of Coral Bay's energy needs by the end of 2007. Mr Logan said the $9.6 million wind-diesel project would involve new technologies developed in Western Australia.
"The power system will use Verve Energy's technologically advanced control systems and low-load diesel generators which maximise the use of wind energy," he said. "It will also involve the use of wind turbines that can be lowered in the event of a cyclone.
"This will be the first large-scale application of its kind in Australia and has good potential to be used in other cyclone-affected areas." The Minister said the project would be jointly funded by Verve Energy and the Commonwealth funded Renewable Remote Power Generation Project (RRPGP).
"Verve Energy will build the power system and contribute $6.84m to the project," he said. "Financial assistance of up to $2.76m has been committed through the RRPGP." Mr Logan said electricity in Coral Bay was supplied by a number of individual stand-alone power systems, owned and managed by operators of tourist facilities.
Under the new arrangements, Verve Energy would supply power to Horizon Power, which would have responsibility for the electricity network and retail operations in Coral Bay.
"Installing a public wind-diesel system is considered to be the best option for improving power supply to Coral Bay," the Minister said.
"It will provide a reliable, high-quality electricity supply with a substantial contribution from renewable energy. These wind turbines are expected to save 440,000 litres of diesel each year and reduce greenhouse emissions by 1,160 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year."
Mr Logan said that since 2001, eight new wind farms had been installed around WA, with a total generating capacity of 195MW. These included Esperance, Rottnest Island, Hopetoun, Bremer Bay, Albany, Emu Downs, Exmouth and Walkaway. The Minister said these farms were capable of generating enough electricity to power 130,000 homes.
The RRPGP is a Commonwealth program, funded by diesel excise paid in WA. The program is administered by the State Government's Sustainable Energy Development Office.
Wednesday 1/11/2006, Page: 1
THREE state-of-the-art, cyclone-proof wind turbines are to be built at Coral Bay.
Energy Minister Francis Logan said the 275kw turbines were expected to supply 40 per cent of Coral Bay's energy needs by the end of 2007. Mr Logan said the $9.6 million wind-diesel project would involve new technologies developed in Western Australia.
"The power system will use Verve Energy's technologically advanced control systems and low-load diesel generators which maximise the use of wind energy," he said. "It will also involve the use of wind turbines that can be lowered in the event of a cyclone.
"This will be the first large-scale application of its kind in Australia and has good potential to be used in other cyclone-affected areas." The Minister said the project would be jointly funded by Verve Energy and the Commonwealth funded Renewable Remote Power Generation Project (RRPGP).
"Verve Energy will build the power system and contribute $6.84m to the project," he said. "Financial assistance of up to $2.76m has been committed through the RRPGP." Mr Logan said electricity in Coral Bay was supplied by a number of individual stand-alone power systems, owned and managed by operators of tourist facilities.
Under the new arrangements, Verve Energy would supply power to Horizon Power, which would have responsibility for the electricity network and retail operations in Coral Bay.
"Installing a public wind-diesel system is considered to be the best option for improving power supply to Coral Bay," the Minister said.
"It will provide a reliable, high-quality electricity supply with a substantial contribution from renewable energy. These wind turbines are expected to save 440,000 litres of diesel each year and reduce greenhouse emissions by 1,160 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year."
Mr Logan said that since 2001, eight new wind farms had been installed around WA, with a total generating capacity of 195MW. These included Esperance, Rottnest Island, Hopetoun, Bremer Bay, Albany, Emu Downs, Exmouth and Walkaway. The Minister said these farms were capable of generating enough electricity to power 130,000 homes.
The RRPGP is a Commonwealth program, funded by diesel excise paid in WA. The program is administered by the State Government's Sustainable Energy Development Office.
Howard denies diversion of green energy
Launceston Examiner
Wednesday 1/11/2006, Page: 2
CANBERRA - A cutting-edge Tasmanian company has been used by Labor to accuse the Federal Government of driving hundreds of millions of dollars in investment offshore because of its failure to increase Australia's Mandatory Renewable Energy Target .
But Prime Minister John Howard denies companies are pulling out of Australia because of a lack of opportunities to invest in green energy.
Labor MP Peter Garrett yesterday highlighted the case of Tasmanian wind energy company Roaring Forties, which was behind a wind farm in China opened recently by Environment Minister Ian Campbell, yet had to abandon two wind farm projects in Australia this year over the Government's refusal to increase green energy targets beyond 2 per cent.
"Isn't it the case that the Australian company Roaring Forties, involved in the Chinese renewable energy project, abandoned $550 million of projects in South Australia and Tasmania because the Government has not increased the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target?" Mr Garrett asked Mr Howard during question time.
Mr Howard said Roaring Forties could have had any number of reasons for discontinuing the wind farm projects in Australia and investing in China.
Roaring Forties specifically mentioned the low MRET when it abandoned the projects.
Wednesday 1/11/2006, Page: 2
CANBERRA - A cutting-edge Tasmanian company has been used by Labor to accuse the Federal Government of driving hundreds of millions of dollars in investment offshore because of its failure to increase Australia's Mandatory Renewable Energy Target .
But Prime Minister John Howard denies companies are pulling out of Australia because of a lack of opportunities to invest in green energy.
Labor MP Peter Garrett yesterday highlighted the case of Tasmanian wind energy company Roaring Forties, which was behind a wind farm in China opened recently by Environment Minister Ian Campbell, yet had to abandon two wind farm projects in Australia this year over the Government's refusal to increase green energy targets beyond 2 per cent.
"Isn't it the case that the Australian company Roaring Forties, involved in the Chinese renewable energy project, abandoned $550 million of projects in South Australia and Tasmania because the Government has not increased the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target?" Mr Garrett asked Mr Howard during question time.
Mr Howard said Roaring Forties could have had any number of reasons for discontinuing the wind farm projects in Australia and investing in China.
Roaring Forties specifically mentioned the low MRET when it abandoned the projects.
Home Eco Green Guides
Age
Wednesday 1/11/2006, Page: 16
Fancy your own wind turbine? Want a listing of ethical investment funds, a green plumber, or a laundry detergent that washes well and is then OK to tip directly on to the garden? More than 5000 Australian businesses have listed their environmentally sustainable service or product with online directory Green Pages Australia.
In hardcopy form, with articles as well as relevant directories, Green Pages Business ($35) and Green Pages Lifestyle ($12.95) are available from news agencies.
Water Tip
A slowly dripping tap can waste 20,000 litres of water annually. Many people around the world don't have that much to use in a year. For tips on saving water, go to savewater.com.au
Wednesday 1/11/2006, Page: 16
Fancy your own wind turbine? Want a listing of ethical investment funds, a green plumber, or a laundry detergent that washes well and is then OK to tip directly on to the garden? More than 5000 Australian businesses have listed their environmentally sustainable service or product with online directory Green Pages Australia.
In hardcopy form, with articles as well as relevant directories, Green Pages Business ($35) and Green Pages Lifestyle ($12.95) are available from news agencies.
Water Tip
A slowly dripping tap can waste 20,000 litres of water annually. Many people around the world don't have that much to use in a year. For tips on saving water, go to savewater.com.au
Employment growth in green sector
Age
Wednesday 1/11/2006, Page: 1
By ROD MYER
SUSTAINABILITY is already a job creation factor in Australia with the renewable energy sector alone employing more than 6100 people.
According to the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, the renewable energy sector has turnover of $2 billion. The employment breakdown for the sector is 1566 in hydro electricity, 1200 in solar hot water, 1000 in wind power, 1335 in photovoltaics, 900 in biomass energy and 120 in geothermal and wave power projects.
The number is expected to grow by at least 2000 with the help of Victoria's new renewable energy scheme, under which new renewable output will move to 10 per cent of the state's generation capacity by 2016. The recently announced $420 million Solar Systems generator planned for the Mildura region will create 950 jobs during construction and provide 44 ongoing jobs when it becomes operational.
What the BCSE calls the "sustainable energy industry", including the above renewable technologies as well as gas-fired generation and the energy advisory industry, employs 20,000 and has a turnover of $5.7 billion.
Australia also has an industry manufacturing and exporting solar cells. Energy group Origin is looking for partners to commercialise its proprietary sliver technology, which cuts the use of expensive silicon in photovoltaic cells. Oil giant BP already exports about $100 million worth of solar cells from its Sydney factory and provides for the nation's needs as well. Every year BP produces cells capable of generating 50 megawatts compared with a total Australian demand of only 10 megawatts.
The desire of Australians to offset their carbon emissions by growing trees has also created a new industry. Not-for-profit groups Greenfleet and Carbon Neutral charge a fee ($40-$50 a year for the average car) to offset carbon emissions with tree planting.
An average car requires the planting of 17 trees a year to offset its carbon emissions. Flying to England on a Boeing 747 emits about 12 tonnes of greenhouse gas per passenger and requires 55 trees as an offset. But don't think offsets allow you to be profligate. The trees take 30 years to take in the carbon produced in one year of driving or a 21-hour flight.
Economics Of Emission Cuts
Wednesday 1/11/2006, Page: 1
By ROD MYER
SUSTAINABILITY is already a job creation factor in Australia with the renewable energy sector alone employing more than 6100 people.
According to the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, the renewable energy sector has turnover of $2 billion. The employment breakdown for the sector is 1566 in hydro electricity, 1200 in solar hot water, 1000 in wind power, 1335 in photovoltaics, 900 in biomass energy and 120 in geothermal and wave power projects.
The number is expected to grow by at least 2000 with the help of Victoria's new renewable energy scheme, under which new renewable output will move to 10 per cent of the state's generation capacity by 2016. The recently announced $420 million Solar Systems generator planned for the Mildura region will create 950 jobs during construction and provide 44 ongoing jobs when it becomes operational.
What the BCSE calls the "sustainable energy industry", including the above renewable technologies as well as gas-fired generation and the energy advisory industry, employs 20,000 and has a turnover of $5.7 billion.
Australia also has an industry manufacturing and exporting solar cells. Energy group Origin is looking for partners to commercialise its proprietary sliver technology, which cuts the use of expensive silicon in photovoltaic cells. Oil giant BP already exports about $100 million worth of solar cells from its Sydney factory and provides for the nation's needs as well. Every year BP produces cells capable of generating 50 megawatts compared with a total Australian demand of only 10 megawatts.
The desire of Australians to offset their carbon emissions by growing trees has also created a new industry. Not-for-profit groups Greenfleet and Carbon Neutral charge a fee ($40-$50 a year for the average car) to offset carbon emissions with tree planting.
An average car requires the planting of 17 trees a year to offset its carbon emissions. Flying to England on a Boeing 747 emits about 12 tonnes of greenhouse gas per passenger and requires 55 trees as an offset. But don't think offsets allow you to be profligate. The trees take 30 years to take in the carbon produced in one year of driving or a 21-hour flight.
Economics Of Emission Cuts
- Annual market for low-carbon energy products by 2050: $US500 billion
- Renewable energy products market size- $US38 billion
- Jobs in renewable energy products: 1.7 million.
- Growth rate of renewable energy markets (2005): 25 per cent.
- Market value of solar companies: $US27 billion (up 38-fold in 12 months to August).
Slower winds but full steam ahead
Adelaide Advertiser
Wednesday 1/11/2006, Page: 49
Babcock & Brown Wind Partners has stuck to its distribution forecast for 2006-2007, despite its wind farms losing a bit of puff in the first quarter. Lower-than-expected average wind speeds in July across its 19 farms fanned a fall in energy production in the three months to September.
But chairman Peter Hofbauer told shareholders at the company's AGM yesterday higher tariffs in Spain resulted in operating cash flow being in line with expectations.
"I am pleased to report that the results to date are on track to meet our distribution target of 12.5c per stapled security and BBW's distribution to be paid out of operating cash flow," he said.
Wednesday 1/11/2006, Page: 49
Babcock & Brown Wind Partners has stuck to its distribution forecast for 2006-2007, despite its wind farms losing a bit of puff in the first quarter. Lower-than-expected average wind speeds in July across its 19 farms fanned a fall in energy production in the three months to September.
But chairman Peter Hofbauer told shareholders at the company's AGM yesterday higher tariffs in Spain resulted in operating cash flow being in line with expectations.
"I am pleased to report that the results to date are on track to meet our distribution target of 12.5c per stapled security and BBW's distribution to be paid out of operating cash flow," he said.
Climate change threatens to be an election issue
Summit Sun
Thursday 26/10/2006, Page: 4
STATE and national environment groups have put state politicians on notice that climate change is the number one environmental issue for the state election next March.
Cate Faehrmann Director, Nature Conservation Council said that the introduction bf a renewable energy target is a key ask in the lead up to the election.
"If we're going to address climate change we need targets to reduce greenhouse pollution, targets to kick-start renewable energy and a commitment to begin the shift away from polluting coal." Greenpeace Energy campaigner, Mark Wakeham said that NSW was being left behind in the race for renewables.
"Since 2001 South Australia has installed 215 wind turbines while NSW has installed 2.
In NSW there is no incentive in place to develop new renewable energy projects. Victoria and South Australia have seen the benefits of renewables and legislated their own state targets. Now its time that Premier Lemma gets serious about climate change and follow suit with a target to guarantee the growth of renewable energy in NSW. A 25 per cent target would generate enough clean energy to power every house in NSW," Mr Wakeham said.
The comments follow the release of a report "The Great Opportunity: 25% Renewable Energy for NSW". The report can be download from: http://www.nccnsw.org.au/
Thursday 26/10/2006, Page: 4
STATE and national environment groups have put state politicians on notice that climate change is the number one environmental issue for the state election next March.
Cate Faehrmann Director, Nature Conservation Council said that the introduction bf a renewable energy target is a key ask in the lead up to the election.
"If we're going to address climate change we need targets to reduce greenhouse pollution, targets to kick-start renewable energy and a commitment to begin the shift away from polluting coal." Greenpeace Energy campaigner, Mark Wakeham said that NSW was being left behind in the race for renewables.
"Since 2001 South Australia has installed 215 wind turbines while NSW has installed 2.
In NSW there is no incentive in place to develop new renewable energy projects. Victoria and South Australia have seen the benefits of renewables and legislated their own state targets. Now its time that Premier Lemma gets serious about climate change and follow suit with a target to guarantee the growth of renewable energy in NSW. A 25 per cent target would generate enough clean energy to power every house in NSW," Mr Wakeham said.
The comments follow the release of a report "The Great Opportunity: 25% Renewable Energy for NSW". The report can be download from: http://www.nccnsw.org.au/
Council recommends $4000 in grants
South Eastern Times
Thursday 26/10/2006, Page: 2
Wattle Range Council is about to give $3,950 to four local groups in annual Canunda Power community financial assistance funding grants. A recommendation about the successful applicants was made on October 11 when Wattle Range Council held its monthly meeting in Millicent.
The grants are sponsored by International Power which operates the 23-turbine Canunda windfarm along the Woakwine Range.
The Canunda Power grants are for eligible projects and events which involve environmental improvement initiatives, the development and promotion of alternate energy sources and active community participation in healthy lifestyle activities.
Council has recommended the 2006-7 grants be awarded to a school, a service club and two community organisations. These council recommendations are now being considered by International Power.
Robe Grants
Meanwhile, Robe District Council has recently announced the recipients of its annual sporting and community assistance grants.
They are Bray CFS and Progress Association ($3250), Robe Sport and Recreation Association ($1500), Lake Fellmongery Water Ski Club ($1640), Mayoral Christmas Committee ($500), Robe Golf Club ($3000), Robe Bowling Club ($2500), Robe Netball Club ($500) and Robe Tennis Club ($500).
Thursday 26/10/2006, Page: 2
Wattle Range Council is about to give $3,950 to four local groups in annual Canunda Power community financial assistance funding grants. A recommendation about the successful applicants was made on October 11 when Wattle Range Council held its monthly meeting in Millicent.
The grants are sponsored by International Power which operates the 23-turbine Canunda windfarm along the Woakwine Range.
The Canunda Power grants are for eligible projects and events which involve environmental improvement initiatives, the development and promotion of alternate energy sources and active community participation in healthy lifestyle activities.
Council has recommended the 2006-7 grants be awarded to a school, a service club and two community organisations. These council recommendations are now being considered by International Power.
Robe Grants
Meanwhile, Robe District Council has recently announced the recipients of its annual sporting and community assistance grants.
They are Bray CFS and Progress Association ($3250), Robe Sport and Recreation Association ($1500), Lake Fellmongery Water Ski Club ($1640), Mayoral Christmas Committee ($500), Robe Golf Club ($3000), Robe Bowling Club ($2500), Robe Netball Club ($500) and Robe Tennis Club ($500).
Wind farm test tower sabotage
Camperdown Chronicle
Friday 27/10/2006, Page: 1
Police are investigating the suspected sabotage of a wind farm company's test tower at Naroghid.
Wind Farm Developments manager Jonathan Upson said the company was alerted to the tower's damage at the end of September. "We had a landowner contact us late last month telling us the very top section of the tower had been bent over," he said.
"The farmer said he figured the wind had blown it over, as it had been very windy a couple of days before he noticed the damage. "That's kind of unusual, but it could happen." Mr Upson said a company contractor determined the tower was sabotaged when the damage was assessed two weeks later.
"When the contractor got out there, he concluded that the tower hadn't blown over, someone had cut a few of the guide cables supporting it. "We then filed a police report and Colac CIU is investigating the incident." Mr Upson said he found it surprising somebody would sabotage the project.
However, he said the Naroghid Wind Farm development would still go ahead as planned. "We never thought this would happen," he said. "The tower has been up for a fair while.
"I don't know anyone who would do this, but obviously it is someone who clearly does not like the project and is willing to undertake criminal behaviour. "However, as disappointing as it is, it does not change a thing.
"It is not going to stop the project from happening." In August, State Minister for Planning Rob Hulls approved the $80 million, 42- megawatt Naroghid wind farm, which could potentially power 25,000 homes.
The development includes the construction of 21 turbines 2.5km from Lake Bullen Merri and 4km from Cobden. When the project was signed off, Cobden Aero Club was the main objector. However, former club president, now treasurer, Duncan Morris said there was "certainly no-one" at the club who would consider sabotaging the development.
"Although the club is not in favour of the project, there is no-one I'm aware of that would break the law in such a way," he said.
Mr Morris said the club was not against the project as a whole. He said the club's main objection was the positioning of two towers.
"All we wanted, and what we still want, is to have a one kilometre corridor at either side of the run-way's extended corridor, which is what the air ambulance's senior base pilot requested.
"The proposed plan for the position of turbines has two towers which prevents us from achieving this. "Our primary aim is for the air ambulance to have unrestricted access to the airstrip. "It is a critical issue for the region as we are the only airstrip, other than Warmambool, Geelong and Ballarat, available in the area." Mr Upson said a panel of experts did not think IMN the positioning of the wind farm's towers was a threat to the air strip.
"At the end of the day, when the air ambulance, aviation experts and the (Corangamite) shire, who owns the airstrip, looked at the evidence they concluded that the wind farm was not going to be a problem," he said.
Mr Upson said the company was currently holding talks with potential financial investors for the project. He said if all went to plan the wind farm's construction would begin as early as the end of next year.
A Colac CIU spokesperson said he had no updates on the suspected sabotage of the Naroghid Wind Farm test tower. "We are still undertaking our investigations," he said.
Friday 27/10/2006, Page: 1
Police are investigating the suspected sabotage of a wind farm company's test tower at Naroghid.
Wind Farm Developments manager Jonathan Upson said the company was alerted to the tower's damage at the end of September. "We had a landowner contact us late last month telling us the very top section of the tower had been bent over," he said.
"The farmer said he figured the wind had blown it over, as it had been very windy a couple of days before he noticed the damage. "That's kind of unusual, but it could happen." Mr Upson said a company contractor determined the tower was sabotaged when the damage was assessed two weeks later.
"When the contractor got out there, he concluded that the tower hadn't blown over, someone had cut a few of the guide cables supporting it. "We then filed a police report and Colac CIU is investigating the incident." Mr Upson said he found it surprising somebody would sabotage the project.
However, he said the Naroghid Wind Farm development would still go ahead as planned. "We never thought this would happen," he said. "The tower has been up for a fair while.
"I don't know anyone who would do this, but obviously it is someone who clearly does not like the project and is willing to undertake criminal behaviour. "However, as disappointing as it is, it does not change a thing.
"It is not going to stop the project from happening." In August, State Minister for Planning Rob Hulls approved the $80 million, 42- megawatt Naroghid wind farm, which could potentially power 25,000 homes.
The development includes the construction of 21 turbines 2.5km from Lake Bullen Merri and 4km from Cobden. When the project was signed off, Cobden Aero Club was the main objector. However, former club president, now treasurer, Duncan Morris said there was "certainly no-one" at the club who would consider sabotaging the development.
"Although the club is not in favour of the project, there is no-one I'm aware of that would break the law in such a way," he said.
Mr Morris said the club was not against the project as a whole. He said the club's main objection was the positioning of two towers.
"All we wanted, and what we still want, is to have a one kilometre corridor at either side of the run-way's extended corridor, which is what the air ambulance's senior base pilot requested.
"The proposed plan for the position of turbines has two towers which prevents us from achieving this. "Our primary aim is for the air ambulance to have unrestricted access to the airstrip. "It is a critical issue for the region as we are the only airstrip, other than Warmambool, Geelong and Ballarat, available in the area." Mr Upson said a panel of experts did not think IMN the positioning of the wind farm's towers was a threat to the air strip.
"At the end of the day, when the air ambulance, aviation experts and the (Corangamite) shire, who owns the airstrip, looked at the evidence they concluded that the wind farm was not going to be a problem," he said.
Mr Upson said the company was currently holding talks with potential financial investors for the project. He said if all went to plan the wind farm's construction would begin as early as the end of next year.
A Colac CIU spokesperson said he had no updates on the suspected sabotage of the Naroghid Wind Farm test tower. "We are still undertaking our investigations," he said.
Farmers may be in for a windfall
Area News
Monday 30/10/2006, Page: 3
WIND farm turbines could soon dot the local countryside and provide extra income for farmers if the state government acts quickly and provides more incentives, according to a national wind farm body.
The Australian Wind Energy Association (Auswind) agrees with claims by local Greens state election candidate Peter Carruthers that farmers could save their drought-hit livelihoods by supporting the renewable energy source.
A large area north of Griffith, around Rankins Springs and Lake Cargelligo stretching to Condobolin, is considered viable for wind farms.
Auswind media and community relations manager Rob Clancy said NSW was below par compared with other states regarding incentives for renewable energy, and demanded wind farms be put on a level playing field with other forms of energy.
"We would definitely look at getting companies to expand into more areas if the incentives were available," Mr Clancy said. "And it can be a very good alternative income for farmers. They generally receive $5000 to $10,000 per year, per turbine, for a period of 20 to 25 years." Mr Clancy said state governments including Victoria and South Australia had increased incentives for renewable energy and the market had taken off.
But NSW has not increased incentives since a federal scheme was introduced several years ago. Mr Carruthers believes renewable energies such as wind farming and solar farming can provide alternative incomes.
"If we can get politicians to change their opinions then we are doing the right thing," Mr Carruthers said. "Why hasn't the NSW government and the federal government combined? If they worked together they would make an impact.
"People are saying they (farmers) should be kicked off their land, but they need to look at other options and have professional and technical advice to make that happen." Murrumbidgee MP Adrian Piccoli said he would like to see more renewable energy developments in NSW and agreed it looked like a good option for farmers to make money.
Monday 30/10/2006, Page: 3
WIND farm turbines could soon dot the local countryside and provide extra income for farmers if the state government acts quickly and provides more incentives, according to a national wind farm body.
The Australian Wind Energy Association (Auswind) agrees with claims by local Greens state election candidate Peter Carruthers that farmers could save their drought-hit livelihoods by supporting the renewable energy source.
A large area north of Griffith, around Rankins Springs and Lake Cargelligo stretching to Condobolin, is considered viable for wind farms.
Auswind media and community relations manager Rob Clancy said NSW was below par compared with other states regarding incentives for renewable energy, and demanded wind farms be put on a level playing field with other forms of energy.
"We would definitely look at getting companies to expand into more areas if the incentives were available," Mr Clancy said. "And it can be a very good alternative income for farmers. They generally receive $5000 to $10,000 per year, per turbine, for a period of 20 to 25 years." Mr Clancy said state governments including Victoria and South Australia had increased incentives for renewable energy and the market had taken off.
But NSW has not increased incentives since a federal scheme was introduced several years ago. Mr Carruthers believes renewable energies such as wind farming and solar farming can provide alternative incomes.
"If we can get politicians to change their opinions then we are doing the right thing," Mr Carruthers said. "Why hasn't the NSW government and the federal government combined? If they worked together they would make an impact.
"People are saying they (farmers) should be kicked off their land, but they need to look at other options and have professional and technical advice to make that happen." Murrumbidgee MP Adrian Piccoli said he would like to see more renewable energy developments in NSW and agreed it looked like a good option for farmers to make money.
AGL stalls wind farm plans
Border Mail
Tuesday 31/10/2006, Page: 10
AGL Energy has backed away from its controversial $140 million wind farm proposal for Victoria's east. A company spokeswoman has confirmed the planning process for its 48-turbine Dollar Wind Farm proposal had been placed on indefinite hold.
The project was opposed by residents of southern Gippsland, but company spokeswoman Jane Counsel yesterday said the move was a business decision. The move comes after AGL's proposal to build its 183-turbine Macarthur Wind Farm in western Victoria was given the green-light last week.
"We've decided to put the planning stage of Dollar on hold, and we've formally requested with the Government that that is the case as well," Ms Counsel said yesterday. 'We have got a fair amount on our plate right now and, with Macarthur getting the development approval last week, it is a matter of having to decide what our priorities are.
"This is not by any means a final decision, we are just putting the planning process on hold because of a number of more pressing priorities." But the Nationals yesterday said the move sounded a death-knell for the Dollar Wind Farm project.
The Nationals' Victorian leader Peter Ryan said more than 1500 objections were lodged during the planning process and local opposition was "overwhelming".
"It's a pity that it has taken a commercial decision by AGL for the project to be suspended ... if the Bracks Government had any credibility on this issue it would have already pulled the plug," he said.
Tuesday 31/10/2006, Page: 10
AGL Energy has backed away from its controversial $140 million wind farm proposal for Victoria's east. A company spokeswoman has confirmed the planning process for its 48-turbine Dollar Wind Farm proposal had been placed on indefinite hold.
The project was opposed by residents of southern Gippsland, but company spokeswoman Jane Counsel yesterday said the move was a business decision. The move comes after AGL's proposal to build its 183-turbine Macarthur Wind Farm in western Victoria was given the green-light last week.
"We've decided to put the planning stage of Dollar on hold, and we've formally requested with the Government that that is the case as well," Ms Counsel said yesterday. 'We have got a fair amount on our plate right now and, with Macarthur getting the development approval last week, it is a matter of having to decide what our priorities are.
"This is not by any means a final decision, we are just putting the planning process on hold because of a number of more pressing priorities." But the Nationals yesterday said the move sounded a death-knell for the Dollar Wind Farm project.
The Nationals' Victorian leader Peter Ryan said more than 1500 objections were lodged during the planning process and local opposition was "overwhelming".
"It's a pity that it has taken a commercial decision by AGL for the project to be suspended ... if the Bracks Government had any credibility on this issue it would have already pulled the plug," he said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)