IFA confirms significant wind farm uptake

www.agriland.ie
9 Oct 2013

The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has secured the best possible wind farm development negotiations for farmers across Ireland and it is up to the individual farmer to seek professional advice on legal, tax and proper planning.

This is according to Jer Bergin, the association's climate change and renewables spokesman, who noted a significant number of farmers across the Midlands have signed wind farm energy contracts, in the region of 1,000 farmers, within the past six months.

"We recently negotiated legal improvements for all farmers and retrospective improvements for approximately 200 farmers. These farmers are now happy. In general, farmers need to consider very carefully leasing their land to wind farm developers. A wind turbine is a permanent structure and it needs to be considered very carefully by farmers and farmer families", he said.

The IFA published its strategy document on this area, entitled Harnessing Ireland's Wind Resource for Renewable Energy Production.It sets out a useful reference for landowners/farmers. This report a guide to the financial arrangements between individual farmers and wind development companies.

The key elements include an annual payment during the period of the agreement of €1,000; minimum annual lease payments of 6000/MW or €18,000; a payment of 3% of the energy price; and green credits up to year 15, and 5% thereafter.

The agreement also sets out that there will be full compensation for any losses in terms of forestry losses, REPS, Area Aid and/or Single Farm Payment. The deal also includes consultation regarding location of access roads and a payment of €10,000 €18,000 on receipt of planning.

The document also proposes that all wind development companies establish a community fund for each wind project. The fund in question must last for the duration of the wind project and its value should be one% of the annual revenue generated by the project or €2,500 per MW, whichever is the greater, it recommends.

According to the IFA document, the current proposed development in the Midlands is projected to contribute €2.5bn in gross electricity income. "This is the same value as the total annual dairy exports and 1.5 times beef exports in 2011", it noted.

Planning body dismisses anti-wind claims

www.weeklytimesnow.com.au
10 Sep 2013

NSW Planning Assessment Commissions have given plans for the Bodangora wind farm in Dubbo, NSW, the green light. The PAC's recent tick of approval has come just a few weeks before the VCAT hearings on Victoria's Cherry Tree Range wind farm proposal which is scheduled to resume on September 27.

Both wind farm projects have caused controversy within surrounding communities but Friends of the Earth renewables spokesperson Leigh Ewbank said much of the controversy is brought about by the anti-wind farm scare campaign. "The PAC's approval of the Bodangora wind farm shows that planning authorities base their decisions on credible research, not pseudoscience claiming that wind farms harm human health", Mr Ewbank said.

Aside from approving the Bodangora wind farm PAC also dismissed health concerns brought to the attention of the commissioners by anti-wind farm campaigners.

The PAC report stated that: "NSW Health noted that the symptoms reported by residents concerned by wind farms are also reported by those living near other new developments of various kinds. Studies suggest these symptoms are suggestible, ie, if individuals are expecting to be impacted they will be more likely to report symptoms. It was also suggested that the visibility of the turbines influenced the likelihood of complaints from a neighbour".

Mr Ewbank said Friends of the Earth would hope VCAT take the ruling of the PAC into account when deciding the fate of the Cherry Tree Range proposal. "VCAT recently approved a fast food outlet in the Dandenong Ranges that mostly sells unhealthy food. It would be bizarre if they failed to approve a wind farm that produces clean and safe renewable energy", Mr Ewbank said.

He said the anti-wind farm lobby has made a concerted effort to turn the Mitchell Upper Lachlan Council community against the Cherry Tree Range wind farm proposal.

"The anti-wind farm organisers divide communities with their fear campaign and distract people from the local benefits of renewable energy", Mr Ewbank said. "The Cherry Tree Range will deliver jobs and drought-proof income for farmers and the community. It will allow the region to claim a leadership position in addressing climate change".

Based on estimates by Friends of the Earth, the Cherry Tree Range wind farm will generate up to $80,000 for a community fund each year, contribute $76,000 worth of rates each year, inject $1.2 million worth of flow on economic benefit to the economy and produce enough electricity to power 26,000 homes and prevent 150,000 tonnes of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere each year.

Renewable energy use gaining worldwide:IEA

www.heraldsun.com.au
27 Jun 2013

RENEWABLES like solar and wind power represent the fastest-growing source of energy generation and will make up a quarter of the global power mix by 2018, the International Energy Agency IEA says. The IEA said that in 2016 renewable energy will overtake natural gas as a power source and will be twice that of nuclear, and second only to coal as a source of power.

The growth of renewables has been bolstered by increased competitiveness with conventional energy. It is "a bright spot in an otherwise bleak assessment of global progress towards a cleaner and more diversified energy mix", said IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven. The report listed Australia as one of several countries where renewable energy was becoming more competitive.

It said Australian wind generation is cost-effective next to new coal and gas-fired plants with carbon pricing. It also noted the success of onshore wind turbines in Brazil and South Africa. Renewable energy is growing especially fast in China and other developing and emerging countries. The IEA said non-hydroelectric renewable power, mainly wind and solar photovoltaics, is projected to grow from 4% of all power generation in 2011 to 8% in 2018.

"As their costs continue to fall, renewable power sources are increasingly standing on their own merits versus new fossil fuel generation", said van der Hoeven. "This is good news for a global energy system that needs to become cleaner and more diversified, but it should not be an excuse for government complacency, especially among OECD countries".

Still, the IEA, an institute backed by major energy consuming countries, cautioned that the continued growth of alternatives to oil, gas and coal faces some important challenges.

These include uncertainty about long-term government policies that discourages investment, reduced subsidies in some countries because of economic problems, and tough competition from other energy sources, such as the US, where a boom in shale gas has made that fuel more competitive. The report comes on the heels of recent research suggesting the threat of climate change is greater than earlier estimates.

An IEA report released earlier this month warned the world is on track to surpass by more than double the two-degree Celsius warming goal set by the United Nations, unless urgent measures are taken. The IEA's recommendations include curtailing coal-fired power stations and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies.

Climate change could affect power plant operations & nuclear capacity according to DOE Report

Power Engineering
July

A recent report from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) says climate change and the resulting rising temperatures can potentially affect water levels and temperatures at power plants and affect demand on the power grid.

The report was released as part of the President's Climate Action Plan and states that every corner of the United States will be affected by increased temperatures. Increased temperatures and drought conditions can affect cooling water temperatures that are required for coal-fired and gas-fired power plants as reported by Power Engineering. Approximately 60 percent of the nation's thermal power plants that require water for cooling are located in areas that have been hard hit by drought conditions.

Temperatures have increased 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit over the last century. In hotter weather, customers use more electricity to cool their housing and businesses. A study by the DOE Argonne National Laboratory found that peak demand during hot weather could require the power output of 100 additional power plants.

Another example cited in the report is reduced water available for hydropower. In 2012, the Sierra Nevada Mountains experienced a lighter snowpack than normal. As a result, California had an eight percent drop in hydropower capacity. Lower levels in Lake Mead resulted in a 23 percent drop in the power generation at the Hoover Dam.

The DOE report says nuclear stations will shut down more often due to water temperatures, citing the shutdown in August 2012 at the Millstone Nuclear Power Station Shutdown due to warmer temperatures in Long Island Sound.

The report comes one week after President Obama, describing climate change as a threat to future generations, called for action to address the problem "before it's too late". The President said his goal is to cut heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions from new and existing power plants.

An interactive map of the potential impacts on the U.S, energy supply can be found on the Energy.gov website.

Liberal links to anti-wind farm fight multiply

www.crikey.com.au
14 Jun 2013

A leaked email has revealed the deep involvement of the wife of Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's business tsar, Maurice Newman, and a blue-chip corporate consulting firm in a "Convoy of No Confidence"-aping anti-wind farm rally set down for Parliament House on Tuesday.

The email, obtained by Crikey, was sent by Jeanette Newman last month to Linda Pahl, the wife of Sydney-based Bluegrass Consulting's Rodd Pahl. The email was headed "THE NIGHTMARE COMES TRUE", and in it Jeanette Newman, who likens her struggle to that of US whistleblower Erin Brockovich, issued a rousing call to arms:

"It is imperative that as many people as possible attend. A poor attendance will be taken by politicians and the wind industry that we are conceding defeat. Whilst not true, that will be the perception and it will be shamelessly used against us to undermine our credibility".

Both the Pahls and the Newmans own property in the vicinity of proposed wind farms near the rural NSW squattocracy centres of Crookwell and Collector. A separate email chain, also obtained by Crikey, shows the Pahls' involvement in a "Friends of Collector" group set up to fight wind developments near their estate.

Bluegrass Consulting "lobbies governments through targeted, high level contact and grassroots campaigns". Rodd Pahl was previously managing director of public affairs for the local arm of global firm Burson-Marsteller. That outfit's storied history includes crisis management for Union Carbide after the Bhopal disaster.

Yesterday, The Guardian Australia reported that Maurice Newman, who will head the Coalition's Business Advisory Council in the event of a Coalition victory on September 14, vowed he would agitate to scrap the bipartisan Renewable Energy Target (RET), which mandates 20% of renewable energy by 2020. Newman is a former chairman of the ABC and the Australian Securities Exchange. He is a climate change sceptic and is a long-time supporter of anti-wind farm campaigns. In April, Newman hosted a meeting of anti-wind farm group the Crookwell District Landscape Guardians, where he warned the Coalition might not bend to his demands.

An anonymous website, Stop These Things.com, registered to a Texan web domain rental operation, has recently cropped up to plug the rally, which will likely be attended by anti-abortion Senator John Madigan, climate change sceptic and soon-to-be-former Senator Ron Boswell, soon-to-be-former Liberal MP Alby Schultz, Liberal Senator Chris Back and Hughes MP Craig Kelly, who told federal Parliament in 2011 that drinking chardonnay was one answer to global warming. Shock jock Alan Jones will serve as master of ceremonies.

The involvement of well-heeled upper crusters in the wind farm debate is widespread. Well-placed sources have confirmed the family of BRW Rich Lister and Flight Centre co-founder Bill James has been involved in a fight over a proposed wind farm on the Bass Strait cheese hub of King Island.

James, alongside fellow founders Graham Turner and Geoff Harris, reaped $620 million from their stake in the listed quasi-monopolist after its stock price soared to over $30 in the eight months to February. According to BRW, James is worth $405 million.

Last month, Crikey revealed that blue-chip Sydney PR firm Wells Haslem--whose directors had previously assisted the Exclusive Brethren, James Hardie, Scientology and Lord Christopher Monckton--had been paid tens of thousands of dollars by the No Tas Wind Farm Group. Last Friday, the ABC reported James, who is not commenting publicly on the issue, had helped fund the expensive advice.

New way for farmers to make money

www.nzherald.co.nz
10 Jun 2013

There is a new way for farmers to make money these days that will actually benefit our environment.

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) estimates that around 140,000kWh of solar power falls on the roof of a typical farm shed each year. Most of this simply heats up a piece of tin and adds minimal value while milking sheds and arable land operations (which use dryers and pumps) consume large amounts of costly power.

Why not capture even some of that energy for domestic use and sell it back to the grid when it is not needed? In Australia, there are over 1,000,000 grid-tied solar customers, who make electricity for their own use and sell the excess back to the grid. This clever idea is starting to catch on in New Zealand-with renewable energy generation leaders Meridian Energy providing the technology and Westpac pitching in to finance farmers putting in solar panels.

If this initiative catches on (and why wouldn't it?) the agricultural sector will save thousands of dollars from their energy bill, we will reduce our needs to generate electricity through fossil fuels and energy security will be improved.

It is great to see Meridian Energy initiating something that will improve the environmental performance of farmers, who are constantly criticised by the urban population for the cumulative effect their industry has on waterways and greenhouse emissions.

One can only hope that when farmers save money through solar generation that they might invest it into fencing and riparian planting rather than the latest model 4WD. But seriously, if you park the complicated and hotly contested environmental arguments about climate change and power generation for just one minute-free energy from the sun makes simple economic sense.

Read More…

U.K. to share more wind-power wealth with local residents

www.bloomberg.com
6 Jun 2013

The U.K, will give residents more say over onshore wind farms and higher payments to communities affected by them, an effort to heal a rift over the technology that's divided lawmakers and sparked local resistance.

wind farm developers must pay 5,000 pounds ($7,721) a MW each year to communities that host projects, a five-fold increase from the current rate, the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency said in a statement today.

Prime Minister David Cameron's administration is seeking to balance a need to boost renewable energy and meet climate goals with the wishes of voters who are concerned about noise and visibility of turbines. About 100 lawmakers in Cameron's Conservative Party last year called for subsidy cuts for the machines, saying they're a blight on the landscape.

"It is important that onshore wind is developed in a way that is truly sustainable--economically, environmentally and socially", Energy Secretary Ed Davey said. "Today's announcement will ensure that communities see the windfall from hosting developments near to them, not just the wind farm".

New planning guidance will require that communities are consulted earlier on applications and that more weight is given to concerns about the impact on the landscape. For significant projects, such consultation will be compulsory before applications are lodged. Housing and Local Government Minister Mark Prisk said today in Parliament "significant" would depend on turbine height, size and density of plants and wouldn't include a small turbine in a backyard.

Read more

Wind power in the sights of climate change deniers the Australian Environment Foundation

www.couriermail.com.au
28 May 2013

DUANE Gish was an American biochemist, best known for his unshakeable belief in creationism over evolution.

When debating his detractors, he would seek to overwhelm them by spewing forth a torrent of pseudo-science, half truths and utter fancy rapidly shifting over a multitude of angles, leaving his opponents little hope of refuting the barrage of BS in any reasoned or logical fashion, and certainly not within the confines of a formal debate.

The technique has come to be known as the "Gish Gallop", which Project Reason founder Sam Harris once described as "starting 10 fires in 10 minutes" and leaving your opponent no opportunity to douse every falsehood, no matter how brazen the untruth.

Another Made in America phenomenon in recent years has been astroturfing, where vested interests establish a (arm's length) movement that is ostensibly independent or grassroots yet largely serves to further their own ends. This is particularly prevalent in areas of environmental debate such as climate science, and gun law reform.

As with most things American, both practices have made their way here in recent years, with the likes of right-wing lobby group the Institute of Public Affairs being an enthusiastic adopter of the astroturf strategy. A case in point here is the Australian Environment Foundation, which was spun out of the IPA back in 2005.

The AEF (donations over $2 are tax-deductible) casts itself as being for "practical" environmentalists, while its past five press statements are headlined as follows: "Rally to support wind farm noise bill"; "Council rejects wind farm application"; "Climate Commission not fair dinkum"; "Climate Commission report relies on faulty data"; and "Carbon Tax hoax begins". Get the picture?

One of the AEF's favourite targets, aside from its love of links to sites promoting climate-change denial (such as junk science queen and conspiracy theorist Jo Nova), is wind farms-an aesthetic act of vandalism, an acoustic affront and a potentially deadly health hazard, apparently.

The AEF is not alone in its wind power crusade, with various other self-appointed Don Quixotes charging around the countryside whipping up fear and loathing. The latest is a strange mob called Stop These Things. (Which "things", one wonders?)

The anonymous urgers at Stop These Things are organising a rally at Parliament House in Canberra next month to protest the folly of renewable energy, and claim to have already enlisted the support of Liberal climate change deniers such as Alby Schultz and Craig Kelly, along with Senator John Madigan-Australia's first Democratic Labor Party senator in 40 years, and who invited climate change denial pin-up boy "Lord" Christopher Monckton to speak in his hometown of Ballarat this year.

The director of the Institute of Public Affairs' deregulation unit, Alan Moran, will also address the rally on "the failed economics of wind power". Serial ratbag, radio demagogue and leader of the rent-a-rage crowd, Alan Jones, will act as ring master at the circus.

The STT website, though, is worth spending a bit of time at, if for no other reason than to marvel at the intellectual garbage littering the pages. Take, for example, claims that "giant wind turbines are being deployed as weapons of mass destruction" by the US Defence Department. No, I'm not making this up-the whole site is a veritable swamp of such tosh.

While the identity of the things behind things that need stopping remains secret, it will be interesting to see just who else from the incestuous network of wind power opponents make it to Canberra. It might be worth a trip just to listen to the IPA's Moran, who will, according to STT, "put some knobs on common sense". Couldn't have put it better myself.

Coalition dances around renewables commitment – again

reneweconomy.com.au
17 May 2013

The politics over renewable energy get bleaker by the moment. As the election date gets closer and a change of government grows more likely, the voices of the pro-coal and anti-renewable interests are becoming more strident and, it would seem, finding larger cracks in the Coalition's supposed "bipartisan" support for renewable energy.

On Thursday, Opposition Treasury spokesman Joe Hockey refused to support the ongoing funding of renewable energy developments, saying the electorate would have to "wait and see" its policies on support measures for wind and solar power.

In an interview with the anti-wind and anti-carbon tax campaigner Alan Jones, which you can listen to here, Hockey was put on the spot several times about ongoing support for renewables, but would not be drawn on the extent of that support because he had "only just seen the budget papers".

"Why are you subsidising these people", Jones asked. To which Hockey replied: "Alan, I need to consult with my colleagues about the state of the budget". Later, asked again why the government would "cover the cost" of wind and solar power, Hockey said: "Well, please wait and see on that Alan".

Hockey may simply have been ducking the question, but the exchange was symptomatic of the sort of pressure the Coalition is under-both from within its own ranks in state and federal levels, and from outside business interests-over support for renewables.

There is increasing concern in the industry that the Opposition will pave way for the Renewable Energy Target to be diluted, under pressure from state governments, utilities and generators worried about sliding profits from their coal and gas generators, and noisy anti-renewable lobbies promoted by the likes of Jones.

This was more or less confirmed by EnergyAustralia this week, which said that it would "wait and see" the result of the election and the decisions taken afterwards. Renewable energy developers says commercial financing support for large scale renewables has dried up pending the result of the election, because no new power purchase agreements are being signed.

Opposition leader Tony Abbott reaffirmed in his budget reply on Thursday night that the carbon tax will be repealed, and the $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corp, will be dissolved. The fate of both will be decided by the make-up of the Senate. The Coalition is in favour of yet another review of the RET, and has expressed sympathy for the argument of utilities that the target should be diluted because of falling demand.

The Climate Change Authority last year rejected those arguments when it said the fixed target of 41,000GWh should be retained, adding that there was a need for investment certainty, and having more than 20% renewables was a good thing-seeing as that is where the country is inevitably headed in any case. Abbott has promised to dissolve the CCA as well.

Abbott's Coalition is littered with anti-wind members, many of whom are apparently going to speak against wind farms at a rally planned for Canberra on June 18.

Read More…

Duke Energy to use less coal, more renewables

nawindpower.com
22 Apr 2013

In its newly released 2012 Sustainability Report, Duke Energy has highlighted plans to rely less on coal-fired generation and more on renewable energy.

As part of Duke Energy's $9 billion generation fleet modernization program, the company will retire more than 3.4 GW of older coal-fired units by year-end. That number will grow to 6.3 GW of coal capacity retired over the next few years.

In addition, the company has set a goal of owning or purchasing 6 GW of wind, solar and biomass energy by 2020. The report also reveals that wind power constituted 3,410 MWh, or 1.4%, of the electricity Duke generated in 2012, as well as 1,627 MW, or 6.2%, of the company's generation capacity last year.

"Greater transformation lies ahead for our company and our industry", said Jim Rogers, Duke Energy chairman and CEO, in his letter to stakeholders. "Current drivers of change include the shale gas revolution, emerging technologies and anemic growth in energy usage. Also, our nation must address global climate change in a more comprehensive way".

Sarah Laurie: doctoring the truth about wind power

barnardonwind.wordpress.com
10 Apr 2013

Sarah Laurie* is CEO and primary spokesperson for the Waubra Foundation, an anti-wind power campaigning group based a long way from Waubra with tight links to Australia's fossil fuels industry and well-off people fighting proposed wind farms near their rural idylls. Formerly a GP, Ms. Laurie has been non-practicing and de-registered longer than she was practicing, but has taken up anti-wind lobbying to fill the void. Due to her active spreading of disinformation, she's up for the Australian Skeptics Society's annual Bent Spoon award for 2013.

On March 20th, Ms. Laurie appeared as a guest of Bill Padley on Let's Talk on Talk Radio Europe (full transcript at the end of this article). Let's see if her interview provides any clues on why she might get that Bent Spoon.

For those unfamiliar with this Talk Radio Europe, it was founded to provide the sounds of home to people from England with vacation and retirement properties on the coasts of Spain. Other guests of this particular program have included well-known present and past climate change denialists including James Delingpole and Bjorn Lomborg and some lesser knowns including Johnny Ball (episode title: Beware the global warming fascist). Oddly, Lord Christopher Monckton is missing, perhaps because he keeps touring other parts of the world with swastikas.

Read More…

Infigen takes on Origin over wind power, consumer costs

reneweconomy.com.au
21 Mar 2013

The renewables industry has responded angrily to Grant King's renewed attempts to dilute the renewable energy target, accusing the CEO of Origin Energy of distorting the facts, and taking actions in his own self interest that could result in higher bills for consumers. Miles George, the CEO of Infigen Energy, the largest owner of wind farms in the country and an emerging developer of solar power, said King-who has waged a campaign against the RET for the last few years-had gone "over the top" in a speech to CEDA earlier this week and made statements that were "just not true".

George's comments were made before the government on Thursday announced it would endorse the recommendation of the Climate Change Authority to retain the fixed 41,000 GW target for the RET. But given the uncertainty over the upcoming election and the position of the Coalition, and the possibility that another review could be held in 2014, the same arguments are likely to be rolled out in coming months. George's intervention highlights to what extent the renewables industry has been frustrated by the actions of the incumbent industry, but also points to a warning of the rapid changes that are being ignored by utilities-possibly at their peril.

George told an energy conference in Sydney on Wednesday that Origin Energy had invested billions in the gas export industry, and was seeking to protect that investment. "The fact is that the expected huge rise in domestic gas prices to export parity pricing over the next few years will make domestic gas fired power generation prohibitively expensive, and for that reason alone uncompetitive", George said. "Independent studies conducted by the Climate Change Authority, among others, have found that increased levels of renewable energy will in fact displace coal fired generation, after gas exporters (including Origin Energy) price themselves out of the domestic electricity generation market".

Read More…

Germany grabs renewable lead as Australia drops back

www.theage.com.au
14 Mar 2013

In 2009, Germany sprinted past the European Union's 12% Renewable Energy Target three years ahead of schedule. Germany's response? Raise the bar.

Europe's biggest economy is now aiming for 35% of energy to be derived from renewable sources by 2020, 50% by 2030, 65% by 2040 and 80% by 2050. Meanwhile, 7,000 km to the east, China-a nation with a less stellar record than Germany on the energy and environmental front-is making similarly aggressive strides towards renewable energy targets.

When China hit its solar-specific goal of 5 GWs of capacity by 2012 also three years ahead of schedule-it lifted the target to 21 GW by 2015. An ambitious quadrupling of the goal, and then some. Since then, the Beijing bureaucrats have started to ponder whether the new target is ambitious enough. The talk, perhaps encouraged by the dire pollution dogging the Chinese capital, suggests the new 2015 goal will be more like 40 GWs.

Surprise surge
And Australia? As power demand continues to decline in eastern states, catching the big private and public utilities off guard, the energy debate is shifting-in the other direction. The 41,000 GW-hour goal for renewable energy by 2020 now looks like being closer to 25% of total generation by 2020 rather than the 20% envisioned by the scheme's designers.

As a result, the Climate Change Authority, the government and the coalition are under immense pressure to pull back. To recap: Germany and China achieve their aims early and respond by lifting their sights. Australia is on course to reach its target and is now considering a cut.

Slow-mover disadvantage
Figures out this week from Pitt and Sherry show the share of coal-fired power to the National Electricity Market Management Company dropped below 75% last month for the first time. That trend, now more than four years long, has prompted incumbent generators to mobilise. Activity, though, is not being focused on grabbing a bigger share of the renewable energy market but rather the marshalling of lobbyists to get a softer RET. The target may be unwelcome for some private-and state-owned generators but is it bad for Australia?

The Climate Change Authority found the cost of the RET policy was negligible-that it was delivering substantial benefit to the economy and that its compliance cost was balanced by the resultant reduction in wholesale electricity prices. Meanwhile, studies continue to show that a transition to 100% renewable energy is technically and economically feasible for Australia-and would be highly popular. Even the government's own energy economics forecaster advised that renewable energy would be the cheapest form of electricity by 2020.

In spite of this, it appears Australia seems content to lag its international competitors. According to the Climate Change Authority, only 10% of Australian energy production in 2010 11 was from renewable energy sources-and half of that came from pre-existing hydroelectric. Of the $5 billion invested in renewable energy deployment in 2011, more than 80% was by households purchasing solar power systems. By contrast, more than $50 billion was spent by both the USA and China in the same year.

All up, entrenched interests are lobbying for a reduction in Australia's Renewable Energy Target, our competitors are increasing their lead, often mastering technology and skills-think solar PV-developed in Australia. The government needs to consider whether ceding further ground-which would no doubt occur if the RET were weakened-is the wise move to make.

US approves 3 major renewable energy projects

www.businessspectator.com.au
14 Mar 2013

The Obama administration on Wednesday approved three large renewable energy projects in the US West, including what will be one of the world's largest solar developments, that combined will produce enough energy to power 340,000 homes. The projects, to be built mostly on federal lands in California and Nevada but funded privately, were announced by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar at a press conference in San Francisco.

The approvals were for one wind and two solar projects, including NextEra Energy Resources Inc's 750 MW McCoy Solar Energy Project near the southern California city of Blythe in Riverside County that stands to be one of the largest solar developments in the world.

The other two projects are the 150 MW Desert Harvest Solar Farm proposed by EDF Energy Renewable Energy, also in Riverside County, and the 200 MW Searchlight Wind Energy Project in Nevada, south of Las Vegas. Searchlight, which is being developed by Duke Energy Corp, will use Siemens wind turbines. Both solar projects will use photovoltaic solar panels.

Wednesday's action brings the total number of renewable energy projects approved by the administration to 37 including 20 solar facilities, eight wind farms and nine geothermal plants with associated transmission corridors and infrastructure to connect to established power grids.

"That's a lot of power, and these projects now are becoming the examples to the rest of the world on what can be done with renewable energy", Mr Salazar said during the signing ceremony in San Francisco.

The two California projects are located in one of the nation's 17 solar power zones-areas the administration has identified as well suited for solar power projects due to high levels of sunlight, proximity to transmission lines, and limited impact on wildlife in the area. "They are the blueprint, the bible if you will, of where solar power will go on public lands in the years ahead", Mr Salazar said.

The renewable energy zones encompass 285,000 acres of public lands across six western states. California Governor Jerry Brown said the new projects will advance the state's position as a leader in the fight against climate change. "We have a lot of challenges in this country, a lot of them, but climate change is on the way and we've got to do something about it", Mr Brown said.

Bumper year for solar and wind energy

www.smh.com.au
12 Feb 2013

2012 was another bumper year for renewable energy worldwide with solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity surpassing 100 GWs for the first time and wind power capacity expanding by almost one-fifth. Rapid growth outside Europe saw a total of about 32 GW of solar PV capacity installed, bringing capacity to 101 GW and narrowly pipping the 30 GWs taken up in 2011, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association said, citing preliminary figures.

"No one would have predicted even 10 years ago that we would see more than 100 GW of solar photovoltaic capacity in the world by 2012", said EPIA President Winfried Hoffmann. "The photovoltaic industry clearly faces challenges but the results of 2012 show there is a strong global market for our technology. Solar photovoltaic plants can now generate as much electricity in a year as about 16 mid-sized coal-fired or nuclear power stations, the lobby group said.

Australian surge
Australia added about 1 GW of solar PV capacity last year, lifting the country's capacity about 70% to 2.4 GW, according to the Australian Solar Council. The wholesale price of solar PV is now as low as 55¢ per watt of power, down from an average of $7 in 2008, said John Grimes, chief executive of the Australian Solar Council.

With some consumers in NSW, for instance, paying more than 50¢ per kW-hour for peak power, solar power is becoming "an absolute no-brainer", Mr Grimes said. "The fundamental economics are now driving the uptake of solar, rather than government support".

Demand for new PV panels was quiet at the start of the year but has picked up in recent weeks, suggesting 2013 demand will probably land between the 840 MW to 1 GW levels installed in the past two years, he said. Policy uncertainty remains, though, with the government now considering a recommendation by the Climate Change Authority in its review of the Renewable Energy Target to cut the size of commercial PV installations eligible for the small-scale solar scheme from 100 to 10 kW capacity.

"That would be an enormous brake on the take-up of solar in commercial and industry areas'' if accepted by the government, and curb job growth in a sector already employing about 25,000 people, Mr Grimes said. The crash in solar PV prices has largely been prompted by Chinese producers flooding the market with low-cost panels. The expansion of the global market came even as new European capacity slumped amid subsidy cuts by governments.

Countries outside Europe added more than 13 GW of solar capacity last year, compared with less than 8 GW in 2011, driven by China, the US and Japan, the data show. Germany, home to a third of the world's solar panels, remained the biggest market after adding 7.6 GW, while Europe as a whole installed 17 GWs, down from 23 GW. Research by Bloomberg New Energy Finance released last week found that new solar and wind capacity is now cheaper than the cost of building new coal-fired power plants in Australia.

Wind power accelerates
In a separate statement, the Global Wind Energy Council said installed capacity expanded 19% last year, with 44.7 GW of turbines built. The total of new capacity beat the previous record 40.6 GW installed in 2011 by just over 10%. Figures for Australia show the country added 358 MWs of new wind capacity, lifting the total by 16% to 2.584 GW, the Council said.

A rush by wind farm developers in the US to beat an anticipated expiration of the US Production Tax Credit saw the country install more than 8 GW of capacity in the final three months of 2012 alone. All up the US added 13.1 GW of capacity in 2012, leaving it just shy of the estimated 13.2 GW added by China.

"While China paused for breath, both the US and European markets had exceptionally strong years", Steve Sawyer, Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council, said in a statement on the group's website. "Asia still led global markets, but with North America a close second, and Europe not far behind".

Europe set a record with 12.4 GW of wind power added, as markets such as Sweden, Romania, Italy and Poland posted quicker growth. The outlook remains uncertain, though, as the region's on-going sovereign debt crises limits government support, the council said. The region, though, continues to lead the market for offshore wind farms, with 1.166 GW added, accounting for more than 90% of total offshore installations of 1.293 GW in 2012, the council said.

London gives offshore wind financial boost

www.upi.com
March. 1, 2013

LONDON, March 1 (UPI)--The British government said it was giving offshore wind power a $3.4 million vote of confidence in a move to drive down costs by 25%.

The British Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency announced it awarded three companies financial support for offshore wind innovations. London said wind power would help advance a low-carbon economy, adding support for innovation would help the country cut the costs of offshore wind by 25% by 2020.

The funding would support High Voltage Partial Discharge Ltd, and JDR Cable Systems Ltd, improve designs for cable systems tied to offshore wind platforms. Principle Power (Europe) Ltd., meanwhile, is working on a floating-platform system that would eliminate the need for seabed foundations.

"This $3.4 million will give three more companies the boost they need to take their innovative designs to the next level, helping cut costs in offshore wind generation, and ultimately helping us harness more power from turbines out at sea", Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said in a statement.

The wind announcement follows a decision by the British government to set aside $30 million to support the development of technology used to exploit marine energy. London said marine energy could meet as much as 20% of nationwide energy demand by 2050.

Bursting the carbon bubble

www.theage.com.au
15 Feb 2013

AT 2PM last Tuesday, in San Francisco's city hall the regular council meeting was called to order as usual. But councillor John Avalos proposed a decidedly irregular resolution: the city's retirement fund should withdraw its money from fossil fuels. ''San Francisco has aggressive goals to address climate change,'' he said. ''It's important that we apply these same values when we decide how to invest our funds.''

Avalos isn't the first official to say so. In December, Seattle mayor Mike McGinn declared that the city's cash balances-the $US1.4 billion it uses to manage its daily operations-would no longer be invested in fossil fuel stocks. He also wrote to the city pension fund, which counts Exxon-Mobil and Chevron among its major holdings, requesting it do the same.

The deliberations in the two west coast cities made a media splash, adding momentum to America's fastest growing social movement: ''Go Fossil Free'', a nation-wide blitz calling for universities, governments and churches to freeze new investments in fossil fuel assets, and to sell what they've already got.

The impetus for the campaign is a set of simple numbers-a global carbon budget. It's a way of framing the climate crisis that is now uniting student activists and market analysts. The former use the numbers to prosecute a moral case that the fossil fuel industry has gone rogue; the latter, for a cold-blooded calculation that trading away from carbon-heavy assets is in an investor's own interest.

The numbers were set out in a report called ''Unburnable Carbon'', which was released last year by the Carbon Tracker Initiative, a group of analysts and environmentalists in the UK. It highlighted the work of the Potsdam Climate Institute, which in 2009 produced a set of emissions scenarios together with their likely influence on global temperatures.

These are the numbers: for a low chance-one-in-five-of exceeding 2° warming, we can only emit another 565 Gt of CO₂ by mid-century. But proven fossil fuel reserves (held by listed corporations, private companies and nation states) equate to 2795 Gt-five times the carbon budget. In Copenhagen in 2009, the world's governments agreed to limit warming to 2°. To do so, four-fifths of our fuel must stay in the ground.

Bumper year for solar and wind energy

www.theage.com.au
12 Feb 2013

2012 was another bumper year for renewable energy worldwide with solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity surpassing 100 GWs for the first time and wind power capacity expanding by almost one-fifth. Rapid growth outside Europe saw a total of about 32 GW of solar PV capacity installed, bringing capacity to 101 GW and narrowly pipping the 30 GWs taken up in 2011, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association said, citing preliminary figures.

"No one would have predicted even 10 years ago that we would see more than 100 GW of solar photovoltaic capacity in the world by 2012", said EPIA President Winfried Hoffmann. "The photovoltaic industry clearly faces challenges but the results of 2012 show there is a strong global market for our technology. Solar photovoltaic plants can now generate as much electricity in a year as about 16 mid-sized coal-fired or nuclear power stations, the lobby group said.

Australian surge
Australia added about 1 GW of solar PV capacity last year, lifting the country's capacity about 70% to 2.4 GW, according to the Australian Solar Council.

The wholesale price of solar PV is now as low as 55¢ per watt of power, down from an average of $7 in 2008, said John Grimes, chief executive of the Australian Solar Council. With some consumers in NSW, for instance, paying more than 50¢ per kW-hour for peak power, solar power is becoming "an absolute no-brainer", Mr Grimes said. "The fundamental economics are now driving the uptake of solar, rather than government support".

Demand for new PV panels was quiet at the start of the year but has picked up in recent weeks, suggesting 2013 demand will probably land between the 840 MW to 1 GW levels installed in the past two years, he said. Policy uncertainty remains, though, with the government now considering a recommendation by the Climate Change Authority in its review of the Renewable Energy Target to cut the size of commercial PV installations eligible for the small-scale solar scheme from 100 to 10 kW capacity.

"That would be an enormous brake on the take-up of solar in commercial and industry areas'' if accepted by the government, and curb job growth in a sector already employing about 25,000 people, Mr Grimes said. The crash in solar PV prices has largely been prompted by Chinese producers flooding the market with low-cost panels. The expansion of the global market came even as new European capacity slumped amid subsidy cuts by governments.

Countries outside Europe added more than 13 GW of solar capacity last year, compared with less than 8 GW in 2011, driven by China, the US and Japan, the data show. Germany, home to a third of the world's solar panels, remained the biggest market after adding 7.6 GW, while Europe as a whole installed 17 GWs, down from 23 GW.

Research by Bloomberg New Energy Finance released last week found that new solar and wind capacity is now cheaper than the cost of building new coal-fired power plants in Australia.

Wind power accelerates
In a separate statement, the Global Wind Energy Council said installed capacity expanded 19% last year, with 44.7 GW of turbines built. The total of new capacity beat the previous record 40.6 GW installed in 2011 by just over 10%. Figures for Australia show the country added 358 MWs of new wind capacity, lifting the total by 16% to 2.584 GW, the Council said.

A rush by wind farm developers in the US to beat an anticipated expiration of the US Production Tax Credit saw the country install more than 8 GW of capacity in the final three months of 2012 alone. All up the US added 13.1 GW of capacity in 2012, leaving it just shy of the estimated 13.2 GW added by China.

"While China paused for breath, both the US and European markets had exceptionally strong years", Steve Sawyer, Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council, said in a statement on the group's website. "Asia still led global markets, but with North America a close second, and Europe not far behind".

Europe set a record with 12.4 GW of wind power added, as markets such as Sweden, Romania, Italy and Poland posted quicker growth. The outlook remains uncertain, though, as the region's on-going sovereign debt crises limits government support, the council said. The region, though, continues to lead the market for offshore wind farms, with 1.166 GW added, accounting for more than 90% of total offshore installations of 1.293 GW in 2012, the council said.

Wind power capacity grew 20% globally in 2012, figures show

www.guardian.co.uk
11 Feb 2013

Wind power expanded by almost 20% in 2012 around the world to reach a new peak of 282 GWs (GW) of total installed capacity, while solar power reached more than 100GW, having more than doubled in two years. More than 45GW of new wind turbines arrived in 2012, with China and the US leading the way with 13GW each, while Germany, India and the UK were next with about 2GW apiece.

"While China paused for breath, both the US and European markets had exceptionally strong years", said Steve Sawyer, secretary general of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), which produced the statistics. "Asia still led global markets, but with North America a close second, and Europe not far behind".

The UK now ranks sixth in the world for installed wind power, with 8.5GW. In Europe, only Germany (31GW) and Spain (23GW) have more. China leads the world with 77GW installed and the US is second with 60GW. The UK is by far the world leader in offshore wind deployment, installing 0.85MW in 2012 to bring the total so far to 3GW. Denmark has a total of 0.9GW installed; Belgium is ranked third with 0.4GW.

"We are pleased to be part of this success story", said a spokeswoman for the UK department of energy and climate change. "Wind is an important part of our low-carbon energy future. We're also driving the technology forward with innovative 6MW offshore turbines currently being installed in the North Sea".

The GWEC said market consolidation led to the relative slowdown in China, while "a lapse in policy" caused a similar slowdown in India, but expected Asian dominance of global wind markets to continue.

The record year for installation in the US was driven by a rush to beat an anticipated end to tax credits: 8GW of the total 13GW were installed in the last quarter of 2012. However, the tax credit has since been extended, meaning a dramatic slowdown in the US in 2013 is less likely. GWEC said the outlook for 2013 in Europe was uncertain due to the eurozone debt crisis, but that the EU's legal commitments and 2020 targets for renewable energy ensured "a degree of stability".

There is very little wind power installed in Africa, but sub-Saharan Africa's first large commercial wind farm came on line in 2012, a 52MW project in Ethiopia. "This is just the beginning of the African market", said Sawyer. "With construction started on over 0.5GW in South Africa, we expect Africa to be a substantial new market, where clean, competitive energy generated with indigenous sources is a priority for economic development".

Solar power reached 100GW installed capacity in 2012 for the first time, according to data from the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA), up from 71GW in 2011 and just 40GW in 2010. The largest market by far is Europe, with Germany (32GW total) and Italy (16GW) the leaders. But while solar panel connections in Europe fell by 5GW in 2012 compared to the previous year, installations rose by 5GW in the rest of the world, notable China, the US, Japan and India.

"Even in tough economic times and despite growing regulatory uncertainty, we have nearly managed to repeat the record year of 2011", said EPIA president Winfried Hoffmann. But the EPIA noted that a continued oversupply of solar panels would most likely make 2013 a "difficult year" for photovoltaic companies.

In January, Bloomberg New Energy Finance reported that global investment in all renewable energy had fallen by 11% in 2012, due largely to drops in government support in the US, Spain and Italy. Investment continued to rise in Asia.

In November, the International Energy Agency noted that low-carbon energy was growing quickly, driven largely by state subsidies. But the IEA highlighted that fossil fuels received six times more subsidy-$523bn in 2011, up 30% from 2010 than low-carbon energy.

Australian wind energy now cheaper than coal, gas, BNEF says

www.bloomberg.com
7 Feb 2013

Wind is now cheaper than fossil fuels in producing electricity in Australia, the world's biggest coal exporter, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Electricity can be supplied from a new wind farm in Australia at a cost of A$80 ($84) per MW, compared with A$143 a MW from a new coal-fired power plant or A$116 from a new station powered by natural gas when the cost of carbon emissions is included, according to a Bloomberg New Energy Finance report. Coal-fired power stations built in the 1970s and 1980s can still produce power at a lower cost than that of wind, the research shows.

Relying on fossil fuels to produce electricity is getting more expensive because of the government's price on carbon emissions imposed last year, higher financing costs and rising natural gas prices, BNEF said. The cost of wind generation has fallen by 10% since 2011 on lower equipment expenses, while the cost of solar power has dropped by 29%.

"The fact that wind power is now cheaper than coal and gas in a country with some of the world's best fossil fuel resources shows that clean energy is a game changer which promises to turn the economics of power systems on its head", Michael Liebreich, chief executive officer of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, said in a statement today.

Renewables Target
While wind power has become more competitive, Australia's plan to get at least 20% of its power from renewables by the end of the decade is still required to drive investment because of weak energy demand, the report said. Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co., China's largest wind-turbine maker, said in December that it's studying new projects in Australia, while Vestas Wind Systems A/S, the world's biggest turbine maker, said in November it expects to keep more than 50% of the Australian market.

Australia last year started charging its biggest polluters a price of A$23 a metric ton for their carbon emissions to discourage the use of fossil fuels and fight climate change. natural gas prices in Australia may triple by 2030, BNEF said. "The low and falling costs of renewable energy and high and rising costs of coal-and gas-fired plants suggest that much of Australia's new generating capacity is likely to be renewable", Sydney-based Bloomberg New Energy Finance analyst Kobad Bhavnagri wrote in the report.

AGL Energy Ltd., Australia's largest developer of renewable energy projects, said in November that it expected the A$1 billion ($1.03 billion) Macarthur wind farm in Victoria state to begin operating fully this month. AGL Energy in October suspended the development of the first stage of its 1,000 MW Dalton gas-fired power station in New South Wales after reviewing the economic viability for several months.

Driven by hydroelectric-and wind-power projects, renewable energy contributed 9.6% of Australia's electricity production in 2011, up from 8.7% the prior year, according to the Clean Energy Council, an industry group.