www.guardian.co.uk
4 Jun 2012
More than a quarter of all farmers have not just green fields but "green" barns too, thanks to a surge in the use of solar panels and wind turbines.
Renewable energy is promising to overtake rural tourism as a secondary income for the agricultural sector, with 200 MWs of power-enough for 40,000 households-installed, according to joint research by the National Farmers' Union (NFU) and NatWest bank. They found that one in six farmers will have solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in place by the middle of this year and one in five will be producing clean electricity by this date. If this trend continues, as much as 15% of all UK electricity from renewable sources come from the land by the end of this decade, they believe.
Jonathan Scurlock, chief renewable energy adviser to the NFU, said: "The NFU has been encouraging farmers and growers nationwide across all sectors to diversify into renewable energy for the past few years, but we are amazed at this level of uptake already. "The potential of land-based renewable energy to support profitable farming, while contributing to energy security and the low-carbon economy, is evidently much greater than we ever imagined", he added. The results also showed that a higher proportion of farmers in the south of England (20%) and Wales (21%) were using solar installations, in comparison to the north. The uptake of wind turbines was about the same across England and Wales with around 5%-6% in each area.
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Saturday, 9 June 2012
China ends nuclear power moratorium
www.upi.com
2 Jun 2012
BEIJING, June 2 (UPI)--China's Cabinet said it had approved a nuclear power plan that would allow for new nuclear projects after a year of putting industry progress on hold. China had suspended new work on any new nuclear projects in the aftermath of the March 2011 earthquake and tidal wave in Japan that crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant causing partial meltdowns in several of the plant's reactors. The disaster caused many countries to suspend nuclear projects. But China, which approved its nuclear industry's strategic plan for 2020, is seen as a pace-setter, The Financial Times reported Saturday.
"The combination of technical experience, operational experience and support that can come out of China will make China a leader in the global nuclear industry", said George Borovas, head of the nuclear practice at global law firm Pillsbury. "We are starting to see it already. Chinese companies are in the international marketplace much more aggressively than they were one or two years ago", he said.
The plan approved by the cabinet includes new safety standards, which allows for the resumption of inspections of existing plants. It also allows for approval of new plants with tougher standards to safeguard against the possibility of floods and earthquakes. The cabinet's approval, "is the main hurdle", said Guo Shou, energy analyst at Barclays. "Approvals for new nuclear reactors are around the corner, they are going to come very, very soon", Guo Shou said.
2 Jun 2012
BEIJING, June 2 (UPI)--China's Cabinet said it had approved a nuclear power plan that would allow for new nuclear projects after a year of putting industry progress on hold. China had suspended new work on any new nuclear projects in the aftermath of the March 2011 earthquake and tidal wave in Japan that crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant causing partial meltdowns in several of the plant's reactors. The disaster caused many countries to suspend nuclear projects. But China, which approved its nuclear industry's strategic plan for 2020, is seen as a pace-setter, The Financial Times reported Saturday.
"The combination of technical experience, operational experience and support that can come out of China will make China a leader in the global nuclear industry", said George Borovas, head of the nuclear practice at global law firm Pillsbury. "We are starting to see it already. Chinese companies are in the international marketplace much more aggressively than they were one or two years ago", he said.
The plan approved by the cabinet includes new safety standards, which allows for the resumption of inspections of existing plants. It also allows for approval of new plants with tougher standards to safeguard against the possibility of floods and earthquakes. The cabinet's approval, "is the main hurdle", said Guo Shou, energy analyst at Barclays. "Approvals for new nuclear reactors are around the corner, they are going to come very, very soon", Guo Shou said.
Thursday, 7 June 2012
Altamont Pass celebrates 'repowering' of wind farm
www.mercurynews.com
31 May 2012
The hilly Altamont Pass region in eastern Alameda and Contra Costa counties is home to one of the nation's oldest wind farms, first developed in the 1970s on land leased from cattle ranchers. On Thursday, state energy officials, local officials and wind developers from NextEra Energy Resources gathered at the site to celebrate completion of the first phase of NextEra Energy Resources's massive "repowering" project, which is expected to drastically reduce the number of red-tailed hawks, golden eagles and other raptors killed by turbines each year.
The project, much of it visible from Interstate 580, is radically changing the iconic landscape. At least six miles of overhead electrical lines and about eight miles of road are being removed, returning the land to a more natural state. And scores of antiquated windmills that have lined the hillsides for decades have been removed. In their place stand enormous, state-of-the-art behemoths, their white blades slowly turning in the warm wind. "When you mention Altamont people think of three things: the Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels and windmills", Ken Alex, a senior adviser to Gov. Jerry Brown, said in reference to the infamous 1969 concert. "Today we're going to talk about windmills".
NextEra Energy Resources, a Florida-based energy company, owns about half of the wind turbines in the 50,000 acre region known as the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area, while the others are owned by a patchwork of other developers. In the next four years, it will replace nearly 2,000 of the 4,000 wind turbines it has at the site, many of which are nearly 30 years old, with about 100 huge state-of-the-art turbines. The new turbines stand 430 feet tall, or taller than the some coastal redwood trees. For every new turbine installed, 23 of the old ones will be removed--a dramatic drop expected to significantly reduce the number of birds and bats that die in the whirling blades each year.
So far, nearly 400 older turbines have been removed and replaced with 34 new turbines near Vasco Road and the Los Vaqueros Reservoir in Brentwood. The other two phases of the project are scheduled to be completed by 2015. Each of the new turbines, manufactured by Siemens, generates 2.3 MWs of electricity--enough to power 600 to 700 homes. "We're a third of the way there", said Matt Schafer, NextEra Energy Resources's vice president of business management. "Our goal is to repower all of our assets at the Altamont in the next few years".
Looming over Thursday's event were concerns about the federal production tax credit for utility-scale wind turbines that is scheduled to sunset at the end of this year. Efforts are under way in Congress to extend it for two more years, but many in the wind industry warn that future projects are already grinding to a halt because the credit is crucial to making wind power cost-competitive with such energy sources as solar and natural gas. "If the PTC isn't extended you'll see very little, if any, development in 2013", said Steve Stengel, director of communications for NextEra Energy Resources. "That is a fact".
President Obama recently visited TPI Composites, an Iowa manufacturer of wind turbine blades, and urged Congress to extend the credit. Iowa gets 20% of its electricity from wind power. In California, the vast majority of wind turbines are clustered in three regions: the Altamont Pass between Livermore and Tracy, Tehachapi near Bakers Groupfield and the San Gorgonio Pass near Palm Springs. Solano County is now home to several wind projects as well. California currently gets about 5% of its electricity from wind power, while most of the rest comes from natural gas, nuclear power and hydroelectric. The state has set an ambitious goal of getting 33% of its power from renewable sources by 2020, and utilities have signed several renewable energy contracts with developers.
PGE, which currently gets about 20% of its energy from renewable sources, is well on its way to meeting the new goal. About 25% of the utility's renewable energy comes from wind, but that is shrinking as more solar projects come online. "Solar will be our biggest contributor on our path to get to 33%", said Fong Wan, PGE's senior vice president for energy procurement. "We have a lot of solar projects in California, but wind will always be a part of the mix". Wan wore a light blue tie with windmills on it for Thursday's ribbon-cutting. He recalled driving from New York to California in the 1980s and crossing the Altamont Pass for the first time.
"As I drove through I wondered 'Why are these old wind turbines here? They don't even spin, and they fall down,' " he said. John Jackson, a local cattle rancher, owns 480 acres in the area and has wind turbines on his property. He's seen the wind farm change over the years and is a fan of the new turbines. "I like them", he said. "The old ones would shut down if the winds got too strong, and then they'd fall down and hit the wires and start grass fires. These spin slower than the old ones, and they are very quiet".
31 May 2012
The hilly Altamont Pass region in eastern Alameda and Contra Costa counties is home to one of the nation's oldest wind farms, first developed in the 1970s on land leased from cattle ranchers. On Thursday, state energy officials, local officials and wind developers from NextEra Energy Resources gathered at the site to celebrate completion of the first phase of NextEra Energy Resources's massive "repowering" project, which is expected to drastically reduce the number of red-tailed hawks, golden eagles and other raptors killed by turbines each year.The project, much of it visible from Interstate 580, is radically changing the iconic landscape. At least six miles of overhead electrical lines and about eight miles of road are being removed, returning the land to a more natural state. And scores of antiquated windmills that have lined the hillsides for decades have been removed. In their place stand enormous, state-of-the-art behemoths, their white blades slowly turning in the warm wind. "When you mention Altamont people think of three things: the Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels and windmills", Ken Alex, a senior adviser to Gov. Jerry Brown, said in reference to the infamous 1969 concert. "Today we're going to talk about windmills".
NextEra Energy Resources, a Florida-based energy company, owns about half of the wind turbines in the 50,000 acre region known as the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area, while the others are owned by a patchwork of other developers. In the next four years, it will replace nearly 2,000 of the 4,000 wind turbines it has at the site, many of which are nearly 30 years old, with about 100 huge state-of-the-art turbines. The new turbines stand 430 feet tall, or taller than the some coastal redwood trees. For every new turbine installed, 23 of the old ones will be removed--a dramatic drop expected to significantly reduce the number of birds and bats that die in the whirling blades each year.
So far, nearly 400 older turbines have been removed and replaced with 34 new turbines near Vasco Road and the Los Vaqueros Reservoir in Brentwood. The other two phases of the project are scheduled to be completed by 2015. Each of the new turbines, manufactured by Siemens, generates 2.3 MWs of electricity--enough to power 600 to 700 homes. "We're a third of the way there", said Matt Schafer, NextEra Energy Resources's vice president of business management. "Our goal is to repower all of our assets at the Altamont in the next few years".
Looming over Thursday's event were concerns about the federal production tax credit for utility-scale wind turbines that is scheduled to sunset at the end of this year. Efforts are under way in Congress to extend it for two more years, but many in the wind industry warn that future projects are already grinding to a halt because the credit is crucial to making wind power cost-competitive with such energy sources as solar and natural gas. "If the PTC isn't extended you'll see very little, if any, development in 2013", said Steve Stengel, director of communications for NextEra Energy Resources. "That is a fact".
President Obama recently visited TPI Composites, an Iowa manufacturer of wind turbine blades, and urged Congress to extend the credit. Iowa gets 20% of its electricity from wind power. In California, the vast majority of wind turbines are clustered in three regions: the Altamont Pass between Livermore and Tracy, Tehachapi near Bakers Groupfield and the San Gorgonio Pass near Palm Springs. Solano County is now home to several wind projects as well. California currently gets about 5% of its electricity from wind power, while most of the rest comes from natural gas, nuclear power and hydroelectric. The state has set an ambitious goal of getting 33% of its power from renewable sources by 2020, and utilities have signed several renewable energy contracts with developers.
PGE, which currently gets about 20% of its energy from renewable sources, is well on its way to meeting the new goal. About 25% of the utility's renewable energy comes from wind, but that is shrinking as more solar projects come online. "Solar will be our biggest contributor on our path to get to 33%", said Fong Wan, PGE's senior vice president for energy procurement. "We have a lot of solar projects in California, but wind will always be a part of the mix". Wan wore a light blue tie with windmills on it for Thursday's ribbon-cutting. He recalled driving from New York to California in the 1980s and crossing the Altamont Pass for the first time.
"As I drove through I wondered 'Why are these old wind turbines here? They don't even spin, and they fall down,' " he said. John Jackson, a local cattle rancher, owns 480 acres in the area and has wind turbines on his property. He's seen the wind farm change over the years and is a fan of the new turbines. "I like them", he said. "The old ones would shut down if the winds got too strong, and then they'd fall down and hit the wires and start grass fires. These spin slower than the old ones, and they are very quiet".
Germany's plans to end use of nuclear power get a boost
www.dw.de
29 May 2012
Germany's grid operators have announced plans for a major expansion of the network. The move is seen as key part of the country's goal of ending the use of nuclear power in 10 years' time. The German government's plans to do away with the use of nuclear power got a boost on Tuesday when the country's power grid operators announced plans to make major investments to expand the grid.
The head of grid operator Tennet, Martin Fuchs, told a press conference in Bonn that Germany's transition away from nuclear power would cost about 20 billion euros ($25 billion) over the next decade. He said those funds would go towards modernising the existing grid and constructing around 3,800 km (2,360 miles) of new, mainly high-voltage power lines.
Fuchs warned though, that the job won't be easy, but "we believe Germany can achieve it". Three other high-voltage grid operators, Amprion, 50Hertz and TransnetBW are also involved in the project. The lack of capacity of the grid is seen as one of the major problems Germany will have to overcome if it is to successfully make the transition. "Without the expansion of the electricity network, progress on renewable energy won't produce results", the head of Germany's Federal Network Agency, Jochen Homann, told the news conference, which was also attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Environment Minister Peter Altmaier and Finance Minister Philipp Roesler.
Read More…
29 May 2012
Germany's grid operators have announced plans for a major expansion of the network. The move is seen as key part of the country's goal of ending the use of nuclear power in 10 years' time. The German government's plans to do away with the use of nuclear power got a boost on Tuesday when the country's power grid operators announced plans to make major investments to expand the grid.The head of grid operator Tennet, Martin Fuchs, told a press conference in Bonn that Germany's transition away from nuclear power would cost about 20 billion euros ($25 billion) over the next decade. He said those funds would go towards modernising the existing grid and constructing around 3,800 km (2,360 miles) of new, mainly high-voltage power lines.
Fuchs warned though, that the job won't be easy, but "we believe Germany can achieve it". Three other high-voltage grid operators, Amprion, 50Hertz and TransnetBW are also involved in the project. The lack of capacity of the grid is seen as one of the major problems Germany will have to overcome if it is to successfully make the transition. "Without the expansion of the electricity network, progress on renewable energy won't produce results", the head of Germany's Federal Network Agency, Jochen Homann, told the news conference, which was also attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Environment Minister Peter Altmaier and Finance Minister Philipp Roesler.
Read More…
Japan set to clear restart of two nuclear reactors
online.wsj.com
31 May 2012
TOKYO--Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda appears set to order two of Japan's 50 closed reactors to return online in time for the summer energy crunch--the first reactors to be restarted since the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in 2011. The move, which could take effect as soon as next week, comes after local leaders from western Japan backed away from their opposition, giving provisional support to a restart of the two reactors, located at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s plant. "I effectively accept" a restart of the reactors, provided it is on a temporary basis, to help deal with expected power shortages in the peak summer period, Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto said at a city-office news conference Thursday. "It's time to stop superficial arguments".
Without the restart of the two powerful reactors, the government said, the area covered by the Oi complex, which includes the city of Osaka, would face power shortages of up to 15%. The two reactors are expected to largely eliminate that shortfall, but don't guarantee a swift return of other idled plants. Opinion polls continue to show the public is looking for a long-term exit from nuclear power. The threat of power shortages and a possible exodus of businesses from the region--now a hub of electronics makers such as Panasonic Corp, and Sharp Corp.--helped fracture the unity of the local opposition.
The government's nuclear minister, Goshi Hosono, won agreement from local leaders in a meeting Wednesday by promising that no other reactor will be restarted until an independent nuclear regulator is created--likely after summer. All of Japan's nuclear reactors were eventually shut down after the March 2011 nuclear disaster. The local leaders issued a statement Wednesday that any restart should be a temporary measure. The abrupt about-face of Mayor Hashimoto, a tough critic of the Noda administration and a man seen as the voice of growing political dissatisfaction in Japan, deprived the local leaders' group of a rallying point in their opposition, resulting in their rapid climb-down. "We have put across our concerns to the government. We have fulfilled our responsibility as local government leaders", Katsunori Ishida, spokesman for the local leaders' group, said.
The government must now get the approval of the governor of Fukui prefecture, where the Oi plant is located, and the local assembly. Gov. Issei Nishikawa, a past proponent of nuclear power, is expected to endorse the move. Mr. Hosono is set to be dispatched to the prefecture to explain a plan to create stronger safety oversight of the plant--including the temporary stationing of a deputy minister there and the permanent assignment of plant engineers. "I will make a final decision on the restart at my own responsibility", Mr. Noda said in a news conference Wednesday.
On May 5, the last operating reactor went offline, depriving the country of an energy source that used to account for over 30% of its power supply. The government has since been warning of serious power shortage, especially in western Japan where reliance on nuclear power is much greater than in the eastern half. On May 18, the government announced a plan to ask households and businesses in the service area of Kansai Electric to reduce power usage by at least 15% during summer, compared with peak levels in 2010. Gov. Yukiko Kada, who leads Shiga prefecture next to Fukui, where the Oi plant is located, stressed Wednesday that she will still press the government to proceed cautiously with a restart. Her office also said the governor hasn't dropped her tough demands, including a clear road map for Japan exiting nuclear power.
31 May 2012
TOKYO--Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda appears set to order two of Japan's 50 closed reactors to return online in time for the summer energy crunch--the first reactors to be restarted since the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in 2011. The move, which could take effect as soon as next week, comes after local leaders from western Japan backed away from their opposition, giving provisional support to a restart of the two reactors, located at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s plant. "I effectively accept" a restart of the reactors, provided it is on a temporary basis, to help deal with expected power shortages in the peak summer period, Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto said at a city-office news conference Thursday. "It's time to stop superficial arguments".
Without the restart of the two powerful reactors, the government said, the area covered by the Oi complex, which includes the city of Osaka, would face power shortages of up to 15%. The two reactors are expected to largely eliminate that shortfall, but don't guarantee a swift return of other idled plants. Opinion polls continue to show the public is looking for a long-term exit from nuclear power. The threat of power shortages and a possible exodus of businesses from the region--now a hub of electronics makers such as Panasonic Corp, and Sharp Corp.--helped fracture the unity of the local opposition.
The government's nuclear minister, Goshi Hosono, won agreement from local leaders in a meeting Wednesday by promising that no other reactor will be restarted until an independent nuclear regulator is created--likely after summer. All of Japan's nuclear reactors were eventually shut down after the March 2011 nuclear disaster. The local leaders issued a statement Wednesday that any restart should be a temporary measure. The abrupt about-face of Mayor Hashimoto, a tough critic of the Noda administration and a man seen as the voice of growing political dissatisfaction in Japan, deprived the local leaders' group of a rallying point in their opposition, resulting in their rapid climb-down. "We have put across our concerns to the government. We have fulfilled our responsibility as local government leaders", Katsunori Ishida, spokesman for the local leaders' group, said.
The government must now get the approval of the governor of Fukui prefecture, where the Oi plant is located, and the local assembly. Gov. Issei Nishikawa, a past proponent of nuclear power, is expected to endorse the move. Mr. Hosono is set to be dispatched to the prefecture to explain a plan to create stronger safety oversight of the plant--including the temporary stationing of a deputy minister there and the permanent assignment of plant engineers. "I will make a final decision on the restart at my own responsibility", Mr. Noda said in a news conference Wednesday.
On May 5, the last operating reactor went offline, depriving the country of an energy source that used to account for over 30% of its power supply. The government has since been warning of serious power shortage, especially in western Japan where reliance on nuclear power is much greater than in the eastern half. On May 18, the government announced a plan to ask households and businesses in the service area of Kansai Electric to reduce power usage by at least 15% during summer, compared with peak levels in 2010. Gov. Yukiko Kada, who leads Shiga prefecture next to Fukui, where the Oi plant is located, stressed Wednesday that she will still press the government to proceed cautiously with a restart. Her office also said the governor hasn't dropped her tough demands, including a clear road map for Japan exiting nuclear power.
Monday, 4 June 2012
For future energy, volcanic Indonesia bets on heat
www.weku.fm
28 May 2012
Indonesia, the country with the world's largest number of active volcanoes, is betting that all the hot rocks will provide a clean and reliable energy source for the future. The country is believed have 40% of the world's geothermal energy resources. But making geothermal energy economically feasible will require adjusting the country's heavily subsidized energy prices. And that issue is a political hot potato.
Unused Potential
Steam is visible from miles away as it billows into the sky over Kawah Kamojang, Indonesia's first geothermal field in West Java. Some of the steam is piped into a plant, where it turns turbines and generates electricity that is fed into the national power grid. It's is run by the geothermal arm of the state-owned oil company Pertamina. "This area", explains plant manager Tavip Dwikorianto, "used to be a volcano that erupted and collapsed, forming a large crater. Heat comes up from faults inside the crater. The heat is released through vents and hot springs around the crater".
In many spots near the Kamojang plant, boiling hot water with the sulfurous smell of rotten eggs gushes from the ground. Indonesia has around 130 active volcanoes, strung out through the archipelago. At present, Indonesia is only using about half a GW of its estimated potential of 28 GWs of geothermal energy. That potential is roughly equivalent to 12 billion barrels of oil. Until 1996, Indonesia produced more oil than it could consume, so there was little incentive to invest in geothermal, and it is still cheaper to produce electricity by burning oil or coal.
Read More…
28 May 2012
Indonesia, the country with the world's largest number of active volcanoes, is betting that all the hot rocks will provide a clean and reliable energy source for the future. The country is believed have 40% of the world's geothermal energy resources. But making geothermal energy economically feasible will require adjusting the country's heavily subsidized energy prices. And that issue is a political hot potato.Unused Potential
Steam is visible from miles away as it billows into the sky over Kawah Kamojang, Indonesia's first geothermal field in West Java. Some of the steam is piped into a plant, where it turns turbines and generates electricity that is fed into the national power grid. It's is run by the geothermal arm of the state-owned oil company Pertamina. "This area", explains plant manager Tavip Dwikorianto, "used to be a volcano that erupted and collapsed, forming a large crater. Heat comes up from faults inside the crater. The heat is released through vents and hot springs around the crater".
In many spots near the Kamojang plant, boiling hot water with the sulfurous smell of rotten eggs gushes from the ground. Indonesia has around 130 active volcanoes, strung out through the archipelago. At present, Indonesia is only using about half a GW of its estimated potential of 28 GWs of geothermal energy. That potential is roughly equivalent to 12 billion barrels of oil. Until 1996, Indonesia produced more oil than it could consume, so there was little incentive to invest in geothermal, and it is still cheaper to produce electricity by burning oil or coal.
Read More…
China, Japan driving green energy investments
www.brisbanetimes.com.au
29 May 2012
CHINESE and Japanese investors will be the force driving merger and acquisition activities in the renewable energy industry in coming years, according to accounting firm KPMG. Asian investment in the renewable energy industry in 2011 increased by more than 50% from the year before. Asian companies made 29 acquisitions last year worth $US2.1 billion. Survey respondents believe Chinese and Japanese buyers are likely to be the new major investors and acquirers in the renewable industry in the next 18 months. Mathew Herring, KPMG Australia's national leader of renewables, has urged the country to position itself to take advantage of the coming investment boom.
"Given our proximity to-and strength of relationships with-these countries, we should be making Australia a more attractive place for renewable energy investment by continuing to progress policies, addressing infrastructure challenges, collaborating better with the resource sector and motivating domestic investors", Mr Herring said. Japanese trading houses and industrial corporations such as Marubeni and Mitsubishi have been active in acquiring overseas renewable energy assets in the past year. Mitsubishi, one of Japan's largest industrial conglomerates, announced a plan in March this year to acquire German North Sea offshore wind transmission assets for $US318 million. The company has also bought assets in Mexico and Britain.
Japanese interest in the renewable energy industry is largely driven by the desire to buy energy projects that offer long-term and low-risk returns. Hiroshi Sakuma, a senior vice-president of Mitsubishi, said: ''We are primarily interested in power projects. We continue to invest in the power business and infrastructure projects as they provide steady revenue for our company.'' Chinese investment in the industry is motivated by equipment manufacturers seeking to expand into new markets. Andy Cox, KPMG's global head of energy and natural resources, said in the report that ''Chinese outbound investment seems very much centred on their OEM [original equipment manufacturing] players deploying their highly competitive technology into new markets''.
In March, China's LDK Solar bought a 33% interest in the German maker of solar photovoltaic components. China Datang Renewable Power Co and solar equipment maker Baoding Tianwei Baobian Electric Co formed a partnership with Sydney-based CBD Energy last year to develop $3 billion worth of wind and solar plants.
29 May 2012
CHINESE and Japanese investors will be the force driving merger and acquisition activities in the renewable energy industry in coming years, according to accounting firm KPMG. Asian investment in the renewable energy industry in 2011 increased by more than 50% from the year before. Asian companies made 29 acquisitions last year worth $US2.1 billion. Survey respondents believe Chinese and Japanese buyers are likely to be the new major investors and acquirers in the renewable industry in the next 18 months. Mathew Herring, KPMG Australia's national leader of renewables, has urged the country to position itself to take advantage of the coming investment boom.
"Given our proximity to-and strength of relationships with-these countries, we should be making Australia a more attractive place for renewable energy investment by continuing to progress policies, addressing infrastructure challenges, collaborating better with the resource sector and motivating domestic investors", Mr Herring said. Japanese trading houses and industrial corporations such as Marubeni and Mitsubishi have been active in acquiring overseas renewable energy assets in the past year. Mitsubishi, one of Japan's largest industrial conglomerates, announced a plan in March this year to acquire German North Sea offshore wind transmission assets for $US318 million. The company has also bought assets in Mexico and Britain.
Japanese interest in the renewable energy industry is largely driven by the desire to buy energy projects that offer long-term and low-risk returns. Hiroshi Sakuma, a senior vice-president of Mitsubishi, said: ''We are primarily interested in power projects. We continue to invest in the power business and infrastructure projects as they provide steady revenue for our company.'' Chinese investment in the industry is motivated by equipment manufacturers seeking to expand into new markets. Andy Cox, KPMG's global head of energy and natural resources, said in the report that ''Chinese outbound investment seems very much centred on their OEM [original equipment manufacturing] players deploying their highly competitive technology into new markets''.
In March, China's LDK Solar bought a 33% interest in the German maker of solar photovoltaic components. China Datang Renewable Power Co and solar equipment maker Baoding Tianwei Baobian Electric Co formed a partnership with Sydney-based CBD Energy last year to develop $3 billion worth of wind and solar plants.
Germany sets new solar power record, institute says
www.reuters.com
26 May 2012
(Reuters)-German solar power plants produced a world record 22 GWs of electricity per hour-equal to 20 nuclear power stations at full capacity-through the midday hours on Friday and Saturday, the head of a renewable energy think tank said. The German government decided to abandon nuclear power after the Fukushima nuclear disaster last year, closing eight plants immediately and shutting down the remaining nine by 2022. They will be replaced by renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and bio-mass. Norbert Allnoch, director of the Institute of the Renewable Energy Industry (IWR) in Muenster, said the 22 GWs of solar power per hour fed into the national grid on Saturday met nearly 50% of the nation's midday electricity needs.
"Never before anywhere has a country produced as much photovoltaic electricity", Allnoch told Reuters. "Germany came close to the 20 GW (GW) mark a few times in recent weeks. But this was the first time we made it over". The record-breaking amount of solar power shows one of the world's leading industrial nations was able to meet a third of its electricity needs on a work day, Friday, and nearly half on Saturday when factories and offices were closed.
Government-mandated support for renewables has helped Germany became a world leader in renewable energy and the country gets about 20% of its overall annual electricity from those sources. Germany has nearly as much installed solar power generation capacity as the rest of the world combined and gets about four% of its overall annual electricity needs from the sun alone. It aims to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% from 1990 levels by 2020.
Sunshine
Some critics say renewable energy is not reliable enough nor is there enough capacity to power major industrial nations. But Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Germany is eager to demonstrate that is indeed possible. The jump above the 20 GW level was due to increased capacity this year and bright sunshine nationwide. The 22 GW per hour figure is up from about 14 GW per hour a year ago. Germany added 7.5 GW of installed power generation capacity in 2012 and 1.8 GW more in the first quarter for a total of 26 GW capacity.
"This shows Germany is capable of meeting a large share of its electricity needs with solar power", Allnoch said. "It also shows Germany can do with fewer coal-burning power plants, gas-burning plants and nuclear plants". Allnoch said the data is based on information from the European Energy Exchange (EEX), a bourse based in Leipzig. The incentives through the state-mandated "feed-in tariff" (FIT) are not without controversy, however. The FIT is the lifeblood for the industry until photovoltaic prices fall further to levels similar for conventional power production.
Utilities and consumer groups have complained the FIT for solar power adds about 2¢ per kilowatt/hour on top of electricity prices in Germany that are already among the highest in the world with consumers paying about 23¢ per kW. German consumers pay about 4 billion euros ($5 billion) per year on top of their electricity bills for solar power, according to a 2012 report by the Environment Ministry. Critics also complain growing levels of solar power make the national grid more less stable due to fluctuations in output. Merkel's centre-right government has tried to accelerate cuts in the FIT, which has fallen by between 15 and 30% per year, to nearly 40% this year to levels below 20¢ per kW. But the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, has blocked it.
26 May 2012
(Reuters)-German solar power plants produced a world record 22 GWs of electricity per hour-equal to 20 nuclear power stations at full capacity-through the midday hours on Friday and Saturday, the head of a renewable energy think tank said. The German government decided to abandon nuclear power after the Fukushima nuclear disaster last year, closing eight plants immediately and shutting down the remaining nine by 2022. They will be replaced by renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and bio-mass. Norbert Allnoch, director of the Institute of the Renewable Energy Industry (IWR) in Muenster, said the 22 GWs of solar power per hour fed into the national grid on Saturday met nearly 50% of the nation's midday electricity needs.
"Never before anywhere has a country produced as much photovoltaic electricity", Allnoch told Reuters. "Germany came close to the 20 GW (GW) mark a few times in recent weeks. But this was the first time we made it over". The record-breaking amount of solar power shows one of the world's leading industrial nations was able to meet a third of its electricity needs on a work day, Friday, and nearly half on Saturday when factories and offices were closed.
Government-mandated support for renewables has helped Germany became a world leader in renewable energy and the country gets about 20% of its overall annual electricity from those sources. Germany has nearly as much installed solar power generation capacity as the rest of the world combined and gets about four% of its overall annual electricity needs from the sun alone. It aims to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% from 1990 levels by 2020.
Sunshine
Some critics say renewable energy is not reliable enough nor is there enough capacity to power major industrial nations. But Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Germany is eager to demonstrate that is indeed possible. The jump above the 20 GW level was due to increased capacity this year and bright sunshine nationwide. The 22 GW per hour figure is up from about 14 GW per hour a year ago. Germany added 7.5 GW of installed power generation capacity in 2012 and 1.8 GW more in the first quarter for a total of 26 GW capacity.
"This shows Germany is capable of meeting a large share of its electricity needs with solar power", Allnoch said. "It also shows Germany can do with fewer coal-burning power plants, gas-burning plants and nuclear plants". Allnoch said the data is based on information from the European Energy Exchange (EEX), a bourse based in Leipzig. The incentives through the state-mandated "feed-in tariff" (FIT) are not without controversy, however. The FIT is the lifeblood for the industry until photovoltaic prices fall further to levels similar for conventional power production.
Utilities and consumer groups have complained the FIT for solar power adds about 2¢ per kilowatt/hour on top of electricity prices in Germany that are already among the highest in the world with consumers paying about 23¢ per kW. German consumers pay about 4 billion euros ($5 billion) per year on top of their electricity bills for solar power, according to a 2012 report by the Environment Ministry. Critics also complain growing levels of solar power make the national grid more less stable due to fluctuations in output. Merkel's centre-right government has tried to accelerate cuts in the FIT, which has fallen by between 15 and 30% per year, to nearly 40% this year to levels below 20¢ per kW. But the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, has blocked it.
Analysis: UK bets on biomass in move away from coal
www.reuters.com
25 May 2012
(Reuters)-Britain is placing Europe's biggest bet on biomass as an alternative to polluting oil and coal and expensive gas, but reliance on imports could challenge the plan's low-carbon credentials and Britain's energy security. Burning wood, sunflower husks or animal feces offers steady so-called "baseload" power, giving biomass an advantage over intermittent renewable rivals solar and wind. It also offers an alternative to Europe's gas-fired power plants, where profits have been eroded by rising natural gas prices.
One way biomass is finding a way into the UK's energy mix is through the conversion of coal-burning power plants, which saves up to 75% of the cost of building a new station. "Biomass is perfect for baseload generation capacity because it's always available, it's not like wind power or solar", said Hannes Lechner, head of bioenergy at consultancy Poyry. Britain's biomass plans are Europe's biggest, with 3 GWs in planning representing 20% of Europe's growth through 2035, according to IHR Emerging Energy Research. It is part of the UK's aim to get 15% of its energy from green sources by 2020.
Read More…
25 May 2012
(Reuters)-Britain is placing Europe's biggest bet on biomass as an alternative to polluting oil and coal and expensive gas, but reliance on imports could challenge the plan's low-carbon credentials and Britain's energy security. Burning wood, sunflower husks or animal feces offers steady so-called "baseload" power, giving biomass an advantage over intermittent renewable rivals solar and wind. It also offers an alternative to Europe's gas-fired power plants, where profits have been eroded by rising natural gas prices.
One way biomass is finding a way into the UK's energy mix is through the conversion of coal-burning power plants, which saves up to 75% of the cost of building a new station. "Biomass is perfect for baseload generation capacity because it's always available, it's not like wind power or solar", said Hannes Lechner, head of bioenergy at consultancy Poyry. Britain's biomass plans are Europe's biggest, with 3 GWs in planning representing 20% of Europe's growth through 2035, according to IHR Emerging Energy Research. It is part of the UK's aim to get 15% of its energy from green sources by 2020.
Read More…
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Japan eyes smaller nuclear role but no exit strategy
www.reuters.com
25 May 2012
TOKYO, May 25 (Reuters) - Japan is leaning toward a policy of halving nuclear power's share of electricity supply from pre-Fukushima levels to about 15% by 2030, but will likely stop short of pledging the long-term exit strategy that many voters favour, experts said. That would be a victory of sorts for a nuclear industry that has been under fire since a huge earthquake and tsunami devasted the Fukushima atomic plant in March 2011, triggering meltdowns in the world's worst radiation accident in a quarter century.
With discussions on shaping future energy policy extending over months, the government has already pledged to reduce the role of nuclear power and in principle to decommission reactors after they have been running for 40 years. That formula would yield a share of around 15% by 2030 if strictly followed. "It is government policy to set the limit on nuclear reactors' operation at 40 years," Goshi Hosono, the minister in charge of the nuclear crisis, told reporters on Friday. "Fifteen% (by 2030) would be in line with that," Kyodo news agency quoted him as saying after a meeting of expert advisers to the government the night before.
Nuclear power provided about 30% of Japan's electricity needs before the Fukushima disaster, while a 2010 energy policy, ditched after the crisis, had set a target of more than 50% for 2030.
Read More…
25 May 2012
- Lack of 2050 target would be victory for nuclear power industry
- Fifteen% atomic energy by 2030 seen likely compromise
- Summer showdown seen critical for long-term policy
TOKYO, May 25 (Reuters) - Japan is leaning toward a policy of halving nuclear power's share of electricity supply from pre-Fukushima levels to about 15% by 2030, but will likely stop short of pledging the long-term exit strategy that many voters favour, experts said. That would be a victory of sorts for a nuclear industry that has been under fire since a huge earthquake and tsunami devasted the Fukushima atomic plant in March 2011, triggering meltdowns in the world's worst radiation accident in a quarter century.
With discussions on shaping future energy policy extending over months, the government has already pledged to reduce the role of nuclear power and in principle to decommission reactors after they have been running for 40 years. That formula would yield a share of around 15% by 2030 if strictly followed. "It is government policy to set the limit on nuclear reactors' operation at 40 years," Goshi Hosono, the minister in charge of the nuclear crisis, told reporters on Friday. "Fifteen% (by 2030) would be in line with that," Kyodo news agency quoted him as saying after a meeting of expert advisers to the government the night before.
Nuclear power provided about 30% of Japan's electricity needs before the Fukushima disaster, while a 2010 energy policy, ditched after the crisis, had set a target of more than 50% for 2030.
Read More…
Liquid Metal Battery raises $15M in series B financing
news.cnet.com
24 May 2012
Liquid Metal Battery, an MIT spinoff backed by Bill Gates, has secured an additional $15 million in series B financing in a funding round led by Khosla Ventures, the company announced today. The Cambridge, Mass.-based company, which aims to build a cheap battery for bulk storage of wind and solar power, also announced that Andrew Chung, a Khosla Ventures partner, would join the board.
"OurLiquid Metal Battery technology is tremendously exciting because it has the potential to dramatically change the electric power system everywhere",Liquid Metal Battery CEO Phil Giudice said in a statement announcing the new funding. "With this new round of financing, we will be able to accelerate our development efforts and deliver our solutions sooner".
The company was spun out of the lab of Donald Sadoway, a professor of materials chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Previous funding for the company has come from France-based oil giant Total and Gates, who took an interest in the technology after watching Sadoway's lectures online. Sadoway's lab has also received funding from the Department of Energy's ARPA-E research program.
Liquid Metal Battery is taking a radically different approach from lithium-ion or other conventional batteries in pursuit of a low-cost system for storing many hours of renewable energy. The active components in the battery--the anode, the cathode, and electrolyte--are liquid metal alloys, an approach that promises to make the batteries durable for many years.
24 May 2012
Liquid Metal Battery, an MIT spinoff backed by Bill Gates, has secured an additional $15 million in series B financing in a funding round led by Khosla Ventures, the company announced today. The Cambridge, Mass.-based company, which aims to build a cheap battery for bulk storage of wind and solar power, also announced that Andrew Chung, a Khosla Ventures partner, would join the board."OurLiquid Metal Battery technology is tremendously exciting because it has the potential to dramatically change the electric power system everywhere",Liquid Metal Battery CEO Phil Giudice said in a statement announcing the new funding. "With this new round of financing, we will be able to accelerate our development efforts and deliver our solutions sooner".
The company was spun out of the lab of Donald Sadoway, a professor of materials chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Previous funding for the company has come from France-based oil giant Total and Gates, who took an interest in the technology after watching Sadoway's lectures online. Sadoway's lab has also received funding from the Department of Energy's ARPA-E research program.
Liquid Metal Battery is taking a radically different approach from lithium-ion or other conventional batteries in pursuit of a low-cost system for storing many hours of renewable energy. The active components in the battery--the anode, the cathode, and electrolyte--are liquid metal alloys, an approach that promises to make the batteries durable for many years.
Germany sets new solar power record, institute says
www.reuters.com
26 May 2012
(Reuters)-German solar power plants produced a world record 22 GWs of electricity per hour-equal to 20 nuclear power stations at full capacity-through the midday hours on Friday and Saturday, the head of a renewable energy think tank said. The German government decided to abandon nuclear power after the Fukushima nuclear disaster last year, closing eight plants immediately and shutting down the remaining nine by 2022. They will be replaced by renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and bio-mass.
Norbert Allnoch, director of the Institute of the Renewable Energy Industry (IWR) in Muenster, said the 22 GWs of solar power per hour fed into the national grid on Saturday met nearly 50% of the nation's midday electricity needs. "Never before anywhere has a country produced as much photovoltaic electricity", Allnoch told Reuters. "Germany came close to the 20 GW (GW) mark a few times in recent weeks. But this was the first time we made it over". The record-breaking amount of solar power shows one of the world's leading industrial nations was able to meet a third of its electricity needs on a work day, Friday, and nearly half on Saturday when factories and offices were closed.
Government-mandated support for renewables has helped Germany became a world leader in renewable energy and the country gets about 20% of its overall annual electricity from those sources. Germany has nearly as much installed solar power generation capacity as the rest of the world combined and gets about four% of its overall annual electricity needs from the sun alone. It aims to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% from 1990 levels by 2020.
Sunshine
Some critics say renewable energy is not reliable enough nor is there enough capacity to power major industrial nations. But Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Germany is eager to demonstrate that is indeed possible. The jump above the 20 GW level was due to increased capacity this year and bright sunshine nationwide. The 22 GW per hour figure is up from about 14 GW per hour a year ago. Germany added 7.5 GW of installed power generation capacity in 2012 and 1.8 GW more in the first quarter for a total of 26 GW capacity.
"This shows Germany is capable of meeting a large share of its electricity needs with solar power", Allnoch said. "It also shows Germany can do with fewer coal-burning power plants, gas-burning plants and nuclear plants". Allnoch said the data is based on information from the European Energy Exchange (EEX), a bourse based in Leipzig. The incentives through the state-mandated "feed-in tariff" (FIT) are not without controversy, however. The FIT is the lifeblood for the industry until photovoltaic prices fall further to levels similar for conventional power production.
Utilities and consumer groups have complained the FIT for solar power adds about 2¢ per kilowatt/hour on top of electricity prices in Germany that are already among the highest in the world with consumers paying about 23¢ per kW. German consumers pay about 4 billion euros ($5 billion) per year on top of their electricity bills for solar power, according to a 2012 report by the Environment Ministry. Critics also complain growing levels of solar power make the national grid more less stable due to fluctuations in output. Merkel's centre-right government has tried to accelerate cuts in the FIT, which has fallen by between 15 and 30% per year, to nearly 40% this year to levels below 20¢ per kW. But the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, has blocked it.
26 May 2012
(Reuters)-German solar power plants produced a world record 22 GWs of electricity per hour-equal to 20 nuclear power stations at full capacity-through the midday hours on Friday and Saturday, the head of a renewable energy think tank said. The German government decided to abandon nuclear power after the Fukushima nuclear disaster last year, closing eight plants immediately and shutting down the remaining nine by 2022. They will be replaced by renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and bio-mass.
Norbert Allnoch, director of the Institute of the Renewable Energy Industry (IWR) in Muenster, said the 22 GWs of solar power per hour fed into the national grid on Saturday met nearly 50% of the nation's midday electricity needs. "Never before anywhere has a country produced as much photovoltaic electricity", Allnoch told Reuters. "Germany came close to the 20 GW (GW) mark a few times in recent weeks. But this was the first time we made it over". The record-breaking amount of solar power shows one of the world's leading industrial nations was able to meet a third of its electricity needs on a work day, Friday, and nearly half on Saturday when factories and offices were closed.
Government-mandated support for renewables has helped Germany became a world leader in renewable energy and the country gets about 20% of its overall annual electricity from those sources. Germany has nearly as much installed solar power generation capacity as the rest of the world combined and gets about four% of its overall annual electricity needs from the sun alone. It aims to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% from 1990 levels by 2020.
Sunshine
Some critics say renewable energy is not reliable enough nor is there enough capacity to power major industrial nations. But Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Germany is eager to demonstrate that is indeed possible. The jump above the 20 GW level was due to increased capacity this year and bright sunshine nationwide. The 22 GW per hour figure is up from about 14 GW per hour a year ago. Germany added 7.5 GW of installed power generation capacity in 2012 and 1.8 GW more in the first quarter for a total of 26 GW capacity.
"This shows Germany is capable of meeting a large share of its electricity needs with solar power", Allnoch said. "It also shows Germany can do with fewer coal-burning power plants, gas-burning plants and nuclear plants". Allnoch said the data is based on information from the European Energy Exchange (EEX), a bourse based in Leipzig. The incentives through the state-mandated "feed-in tariff" (FIT) are not without controversy, however. The FIT is the lifeblood for the industry until photovoltaic prices fall further to levels similar for conventional power production.
Utilities and consumer groups have complained the FIT for solar power adds about 2¢ per kilowatt/hour on top of electricity prices in Germany that are already among the highest in the world with consumers paying about 23¢ per kW. German consumers pay about 4 billion euros ($5 billion) per year on top of their electricity bills for solar power, according to a 2012 report by the Environment Ministry. Critics also complain growing levels of solar power make the national grid more less stable due to fluctuations in output. Merkel's centre-right government has tried to accelerate cuts in the FIT, which has fallen by between 15 and 30% per year, to nearly 40% this year to levels below 20¢ per kW. But the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, has blocked it.
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
Photovoltaic grid parity expected by 2017 In U.S., China
solarindustrymag.com
24 May 2012
The cost of energy generation from clean sources such as solar power is edging ever closer to costs attributed to traditional sources, fostering growth in the renewable energy sector, according to a new report from GlobalData. The report shows that the global cumulative installed solar PV capacity increase of 100% demonstrated during 2009 2011 is likely to grow even further, as mass power consumers China and the U.S, reach grid parity within the next few years. In the U.S, solar PV technology is expected to reach grid parity for some PV projects in 2014, GlobalData says. By 2017, most regions in the country are expected to reach grid parity in alignment with average electricity prices in the residential sector.
China is also due to witness similar developments, with grid parity for solar expected to reach in most regions by 2015 to 2016. The levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for solar PV will continue to decrease due to declining capital costs and an increasing capacity factor. These trends, combined with a lack of fuel costs and low operations and maintenance costs mean that the LCOE of solar PV technology is expected to be lower than average retail electricity prices from 2017 onwards.
Solar PV is also the fastest growing renewable power source in the world, having grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 56.4% over the past five years, the report adds. The global solar PV market witnessed high growth in 2010 and 2011, with 44.3 GW of installed capacity coming online in these two years, in contrast to the 14.8 GW installed during 2008 and 2009.
Europe is currently the largest market for solar PV, but it is expected to lose its market share to newly emerging markets such as India and China. These countries have announced ambitious PV targets and are seen as the next hotheds for PV investment, cushioned by favorable policy frameworks for the development of the renewable energy market. The global solar PV installed capacity will continue to grow at a CAGR of 20.2% 2011 2020, to reach 362,842 MW by 2020, the report predicts.
24 May 2012
The cost of energy generation from clean sources such as solar power is edging ever closer to costs attributed to traditional sources, fostering growth in the renewable energy sector, according to a new report from GlobalData. The report shows that the global cumulative installed solar PV capacity increase of 100% demonstrated during 2009 2011 is likely to grow even further, as mass power consumers China and the U.S, reach grid parity within the next few years. In the U.S, solar PV technology is expected to reach grid parity for some PV projects in 2014, GlobalData says. By 2017, most regions in the country are expected to reach grid parity in alignment with average electricity prices in the residential sector.
China is also due to witness similar developments, with grid parity for solar expected to reach in most regions by 2015 to 2016. The levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for solar PV will continue to decrease due to declining capital costs and an increasing capacity factor. These trends, combined with a lack of fuel costs and low operations and maintenance costs mean that the LCOE of solar PV technology is expected to be lower than average retail electricity prices from 2017 onwards.
Solar PV is also the fastest growing renewable power source in the world, having grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 56.4% over the past five years, the report adds. The global solar PV market witnessed high growth in 2010 and 2011, with 44.3 GW of installed capacity coming online in these two years, in contrast to the 14.8 GW installed during 2008 and 2009.
Europe is currently the largest market for solar PV, but it is expected to lose its market share to newly emerging markets such as India and China. These countries have announced ambitious PV targets and are seen as the next hotheds for PV investment, cushioned by favorable policy frameworks for the development of the renewable energy market. The global solar PV installed capacity will continue to grow at a CAGR of 20.2% 2011 2020, to reach 362,842 MW by 2020, the report predicts.
Solar farm scrapped
www.brisbanetimes.com.au
24 May 2012
The Queensland government has pulled funding for a solar farm in the state's northwest to save money. Minister for Energy Mark McArdle today said the government had withdrawn its financial support for the Cloncurry Solar Farm to save Queenslanders about $5.6 million. Solar company Ingenero Pty Ltd won the tender to build the Cloncurry Solar Farm last December. The Bligh government had promised it $5.7 million in support for the project, but Mr McArdle said the contract had always allowed the government to withdraw at any time. He said the decision to pull funding was about getting the state's finances back on track. "These are savings which will benefit all Queenslanders rather than localised climate initiatives", Mr McArdle said today. It was up to the private sector to decide whether to invest in such projects, he added. Last week the government offered payouts to 30 public servants in its Office of Climate Change amid plans to wind back the state's climate change initiatives.
24 May 2012
The Queensland government has pulled funding for a solar farm in the state's northwest to save money. Minister for Energy Mark McArdle today said the government had withdrawn its financial support for the Cloncurry Solar Farm to save Queenslanders about $5.6 million. Solar company Ingenero Pty Ltd won the tender to build the Cloncurry Solar Farm last December. The Bligh government had promised it $5.7 million in support for the project, but Mr McArdle said the contract had always allowed the government to withdraw at any time. He said the decision to pull funding was about getting the state's finances back on track. "These are savings which will benefit all Queenslanders rather than localised climate initiatives", Mr McArdle said today. It was up to the private sector to decide whether to invest in such projects, he added. Last week the government offered payouts to 30 public servants in its Office of Climate Change amid plans to wind back the state's climate change initiatives.
Company to consult community on Burnett wind farms
www.abc.net.au
24 May 2012
An energy company says locals will be able to have a say on the location of wind turbines in Queensland's South Burnett. AGL Energy wants to generate 350 MWs of power through 115 turbines at Cooranga North, south-west of Kingaroy. AGL Energy spokesman Scott Thomas says a consultative committee will be established to deal with residents' concerns. "The development at these early stages still has flexibility in the final layout", he said. "What we'll be looking to do is work through-with the community consultative committee-ways to find reasonable outcomes to make the project viable for everyone". Interim committee members will be announced today.
24 May 2012
An energy company says locals will be able to have a say on the location of wind turbines in Queensland's South Burnett. AGL Energy wants to generate 350 MWs of power through 115 turbines at Cooranga North, south-west of Kingaroy. AGL Energy spokesman Scott Thomas says a consultative committee will be established to deal with residents' concerns. "The development at these early stages still has flexibility in the final layout", he said. "What we'll be looking to do is work through-with the community consultative committee-ways to find reasonable outcomes to make the project viable for everyone". Interim committee members will be announced today.
Scotland sets up fund to encourage Wave, Tidal Energy technology
www.businessweek.com
23 May 2012
Scotland opened an 18 million-pound fund ($28 million) to bids from developers of wave and tidal power technology to spur business in the nascent industry. The Marine Renewables Commercialisation Fund will announce successful bids by the end of the year, the Scottish government said in an e-mailed statement today. The fund is part of a 35 million-pound investment by the government over three years. "This new fund will be critical to tackle the next set of challenges and innovate to drive down costs of both wave and tidal power", Stephen Wyatt from the Carbon Trust, which is working with the government on the fund, said in the statement.
Energy from waves now costs about $445 a MW and tidal power $402 a MW, according to data compiled by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Those figures compare with the cost of coal-fired power of about $78 a MW. Scotland plans to effectively source all of its power from renewable sources by 2020. The country has the potential to provide as much as 25% of Europe's tidal power, and a 10th of its wave energy, according to the government. Scotland currently gets about 35% of its power from clean energy. Scotland awarded 500,000 pounds of its 70 million-pound National Renewables Infrastructure Fund to support development of a dock near Glasgow as a hub for making clean energy systems.
23 May 2012
Scotland opened an 18 million-pound fund ($28 million) to bids from developers of wave and tidal power technology to spur business in the nascent industry. The Marine Renewables Commercialisation Fund will announce successful bids by the end of the year, the Scottish government said in an e-mailed statement today. The fund is part of a 35 million-pound investment by the government over three years. "This new fund will be critical to tackle the next set of challenges and innovate to drive down costs of both wave and tidal power", Stephen Wyatt from the Carbon Trust, which is working with the government on the fund, said in the statement.
Energy from waves now costs about $445 a MW and tidal power $402 a MW, according to data compiled by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Those figures compare with the cost of coal-fired power of about $78 a MW. Scotland plans to effectively source all of its power from renewable sources by 2020. The country has the potential to provide as much as 25% of Europe's tidal power, and a 10th of its wave energy, according to the government. Scotland currently gets about 35% of its power from clean energy. Scotland awarded 500,000 pounds of its 70 million-pound National Renewables Infrastructure Fund to support development of a dock near Glasgow as a hub for making clean energy systems.
Friday, 25 May 2012
Saudi battles excess heat, dust to build solar power
www.reuters.com
23 May 2012
Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, may finally be getting serious about overcoming the technical and financial hurdles for tapping its other main resource: sunshine. Thousands of solar power panels have sprung up across Europe over the past few years, thanks to generous subsidies that make the technology an attractive alternative to conventional energy. Saudi Arabia too, wants to generate much more solar power as it lacks coal or enough natural gas output to meet rapidly rising power demand.
Doing so would allow it to slash the volume of oil it burns in power plants bankrolled by billions of dollars worth of saved oil earnings. "At world market prices, solar is competitive if you use crude oil to generate electricity", said Maher al-Odan, a senior consultant at King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Research (KA-CARE) which was set up to plan Saudi Arabia's energy mix. Saudi Arabia has said it wants to become a major solar producer before, but its investments amount to much less than 50 MWs versus several countries which have added thousands of MWs a year.
This month, KA-CARE set forth a much more ambitious plan, recommending that the kingdom aim to get more than a third of its peak-load power supply, or about 41 GWs (GW), from the sun within two decades at an estimated cost well over $100 billion. Making the plan work economically rests on three assumptions: that technology improvements will cut costs, that a domestic solar industry will emerge and create jobs for a booming population, and that many billions of dollars worth of exportable oil will be saved.
An average of 700,000 barrels a day of crude were used in Saudi power stations during the peak air-conditioning demand period from May to September last year, according to official data supplied to the Joint Organisations Data Initiative (JODI). Although a rise in gas production should temper crude burning this summer, it will likely rise substantially in years ahead unless alternatives are found, and fast. "Domestic oil consumption is rising very rapidly and you get far more value for oil if it's exported than if it's consumed domestically", said Paul Gamble, chief economist at Jadwa Research in Riyadh.
Read More…
23 May 2012
Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, may finally be getting serious about overcoming the technical and financial hurdles for tapping its other main resource: sunshine. Thousands of solar power panels have sprung up across Europe over the past few years, thanks to generous subsidies that make the technology an attractive alternative to conventional energy. Saudi Arabia too, wants to generate much more solar power as it lacks coal or enough natural gas output to meet rapidly rising power demand.
Doing so would allow it to slash the volume of oil it burns in power plants bankrolled by billions of dollars worth of saved oil earnings. "At world market prices, solar is competitive if you use crude oil to generate electricity", said Maher al-Odan, a senior consultant at King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Research (KA-CARE) which was set up to plan Saudi Arabia's energy mix. Saudi Arabia has said it wants to become a major solar producer before, but its investments amount to much less than 50 MWs versus several countries which have added thousands of MWs a year.
This month, KA-CARE set forth a much more ambitious plan, recommending that the kingdom aim to get more than a third of its peak-load power supply, or about 41 GWs (GW), from the sun within two decades at an estimated cost well over $100 billion. Making the plan work economically rests on three assumptions: that technology improvements will cut costs, that a domestic solar industry will emerge and create jobs for a booming population, and that many billions of dollars worth of exportable oil will be saved.
An average of 700,000 barrels a day of crude were used in Saudi power stations during the peak air-conditioning demand period from May to September last year, according to official data supplied to the Joint Organisations Data Initiative (JODI). Although a rise in gas production should temper crude burning this summer, it will likely rise substantially in years ahead unless alternatives are found, and fast. "Domestic oil consumption is rising very rapidly and you get far more value for oil if it's exported than if it's consumed domestically", said Paul Gamble, chief economist at Jadwa Research in Riyadh.
Read More…
Morocco to start work on 500 MW solar plant in 2012
www.reuters.com
22 May 2012
(Reuters)-Morocco plans to speed up tender processes for the development of a 2,000 MW solar power plan, starting with the award this year of a first contract for 160 MWs to be generated using concentrated-solar technology (CSP). Mustafa Bakkoury, who chairs the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (Masen), said a winning consortium for that first phase of a 500 MW solar power plant, in the southern region of Ouarzazate, would be announced by the start of summer.
Ouarzazate's 500 MW complex, which should be completed by 2015, is the first in the so-called Moroccan Solar Plan that aims to produce 2 GW of solar power by 2020, which corresponds to 38% of the country's current installed power generation capacity. "Works (on Ouarzazate's first 160 MW phase) will start in the third or fourth quarter of 2012 and we aim to complete the work", Bakkoury told the two-day Solar Maghreb conference in Casablanca. Masen will pick a winner for the 160 MW parabolic trough plant from the three following consortia:
Masen will then launch tenders to build a 50 MW photovoltaic module and CSP towers of at least 50 MWs, both of which in Ouarzazate, Bakkoury said. "We will be moving faster in the launch of Morocco's Solar Plan projects,.. Our initial goal to have 2,000 MWs from solar power by 2020 is still on", he said. Morocco has embarked on one of the world's biggest renewable energy development plans involving solar and wind power. The solar power plan is worth $9 billion in investment and will include five power stations, two of which are located in the disputed Western Sahara.
Facing an electricity demand that rises by an annual 7% and a gaping trade deficit from heavy reliance on fossil fuel imports, Morocco also bets renewable energies would enable it to export electricity to energy-hungry trade partner, the European Union. Coupled with a wind power development scheme, the solar development plan should reduce Morocco's annual imports of fossil fuels by 2.5 million tonnes of oil equivalent and prevent emissions of 9 million tonnes of CO₂.
Morocco aims to export surplus electricity to Europe via Spain, where it has a power market trading licence that allows it to sell electricity. "We expect energy demand to double by 2020 and then to quadruple by 2030", said Taoufik Laabi, head of planning and strategy at power utility ONE. He noted that the percentage of solar-generated electricity that will be exported would depend on "availability of surpluses".
High Costs
Pending a drop in the high production costs of solar plants, the Moroccan government will cover any gap between the cost of producing solar electricity and the price ONE pays to buy the electricity from Masen, said Masen's Bakkoury. "The costs are high but we think they will be declining going forward,.. Developing solar power is an irreversible choice for us", said Bakkoury. "I hope we will not rely on public funding for too long", he added.
22 May 2012
(Reuters)-Morocco plans to speed up tender processes for the development of a 2,000 MW solar power plan, starting with the award this year of a first contract for 160 MWs to be generated using concentrated-solar technology (CSP). Mustafa Bakkoury, who chairs the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (Masen), said a winning consortium for that first phase of a 500 MW solar power plant, in the southern region of Ouarzazate, would be announced by the start of summer.
Ouarzazate's 500 MW complex, which should be completed by 2015, is the first in the so-called Moroccan Solar Plan that aims to produce 2 GW of solar power by 2020, which corresponds to 38% of the country's current installed power generation capacity. "Works (on Ouarzazate's first 160 MW phase) will start in the third or fourth quarter of 2012 and we aim to complete the work", Bakkoury told the two-day Solar Maghreb conference in Casablanca. Masen will pick a winner for the 160 MW parabolic trough plant from the three following consortia:
- Abeinsa ICI, Abengoa Solar, Mitsui and Abu Dhabi National Energy Co.
- Enel Green Power and ACS SCE
- International Company for Water and Power (ACWA), Aries IS and TSK EE.
Masen will then launch tenders to build a 50 MW photovoltaic module and CSP towers of at least 50 MWs, both of which in Ouarzazate, Bakkoury said. "We will be moving faster in the launch of Morocco's Solar Plan projects,.. Our initial goal to have 2,000 MWs from solar power by 2020 is still on", he said. Morocco has embarked on one of the world's biggest renewable energy development plans involving solar and wind power. The solar power plan is worth $9 billion in investment and will include five power stations, two of which are located in the disputed Western Sahara.
Facing an electricity demand that rises by an annual 7% and a gaping trade deficit from heavy reliance on fossil fuel imports, Morocco also bets renewable energies would enable it to export electricity to energy-hungry trade partner, the European Union. Coupled with a wind power development scheme, the solar development plan should reduce Morocco's annual imports of fossil fuels by 2.5 million tonnes of oil equivalent and prevent emissions of 9 million tonnes of CO₂.
Morocco aims to export surplus electricity to Europe via Spain, where it has a power market trading licence that allows it to sell electricity. "We expect energy demand to double by 2020 and then to quadruple by 2030", said Taoufik Laabi, head of planning and strategy at power utility ONE. He noted that the percentage of solar-generated electricity that will be exported would depend on "availability of surpluses".
High Costs
Pending a drop in the high production costs of solar plants, the Moroccan government will cover any gap between the cost of producing solar electricity and the price ONE pays to buy the electricity from Masen, said Masen's Bakkoury. "The costs are high but we think they will be declining going forward,.. Developing solar power is an irreversible choice for us", said Bakkoury. "I hope we will not rely on public funding for too long", he added.
Vestas to supply three wind farms in South Africa
www.elp.com
22 May 2012
Pretoria, South Africa--Danish wind turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems has been chosen as supplier for three South African wind power projects. Projects include a 107.63 MW project by France's EDF Energies Nouvelles, a 94 MW wind farm project of GDF Suez and its unit International Power as well as a 95.33 MW wind project by Cennergi Pty Ltd. All five projects were given the go-ahead in South Africa's second bidding round for green energy capacity.
The Danish company and the project developers need to reach a financial close on the projects in six months. Vestas Wind Systems must agree and conclude the contracts for the supply of the turbines, service and maintenance and construction. The two bidding rounds launched by the South African government, along with the future rounds, are in line with the country's plans to have 3,725 MW of renewable energy capacity by 2016 and to reduce its dependence on oil and natural gas.
22 May 2012
Pretoria, South Africa--Danish wind turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems has been chosen as supplier for three South African wind power projects. Projects include a 107.63 MW project by France's EDF Energies Nouvelles, a 94 MW wind farm project of GDF Suez and its unit International Power as well as a 95.33 MW wind project by Cennergi Pty Ltd. All five projects were given the go-ahead in South Africa's second bidding round for green energy capacity.
The Danish company and the project developers need to reach a financial close on the projects in six months. Vestas Wind Systems must agree and conclude the contracts for the supply of the turbines, service and maintenance and construction. The two bidding rounds launched by the South African government, along with the future rounds, are in line with the country's plans to have 3,725 MW of renewable energy capacity by 2016 and to reduce its dependence on oil and natural gas.
Thursday, 24 May 2012
Australian companies get first shot at green energy cash
www.theage.com.au
23 May 2012
AUSTRALIAN companies will be guaranteed the chance to pitch for business flowing from the Gillard government's $10 billion clean energy fund that Labor will announce today in an effort to sell the benefits of green jobs at home. Climate Change Minister Greg Combet will announce today that the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, which will provide grants and government investment to green projects, will require candidates to show they are giving local firms a fair go to supply parts and services. The announcement comes as a government backbencher launched a scathing parliamentary attack on the Greens' rejection of Kevin Rudd's carbon plan, saying the delay had caused pollution equal to 1 million cars each year.
In a sign that Labor is seeking to distance itself from the Greens and reclaim the environmental badge for itself, MP Andrew Leigh told Parliament that Greens senators ''chose self-interest over the national interest'' when they blocked the original Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme in 2009. Mr Combet, meanwhile, will introduce today legislation to set up the $10 billion corporation, to be chaired by respected businesswoman Jillian Broadbent. It will require candidates for funding to have Australian Industry Participation Plans, which are a key part of the government's broader manufacturing strategy.
Under these plans, which are already used by the resources sector in return for tax breaks, projects have to demonstrate they have given Australian firms ''full, fair and reasonable opportunity''. A wind farm, for example, might have to show it has offered Australian firms the chance to supply the turbine towers. ''The CEFC will drive investment in innovative renewable energy, low pollution and energy efficiency technologies to ensure our economy continues to grow while we reduce carbon pollution,'' Mr Combet said.
Mr Leigh, an economist, told parliament the new carbon tax, which becomes a floating-price emissions trading scheme in 2015, will be similar to Mr Rudd's original CPRS, but the delay since 2009 has added $1 billion a year to the cost of slashing carbon emissions. Five million tonnes each year could have been cut from Australia's emissions-equal to 1 million extra cars staying on the roads, he said. ''For all their claims to be 'green', the Greens party has a brown tinge,'' he said.
23 May 2012
AUSTRALIAN companies will be guaranteed the chance to pitch for business flowing from the Gillard government's $10 billion clean energy fund that Labor will announce today in an effort to sell the benefits of green jobs at home. Climate Change Minister Greg Combet will announce today that the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, which will provide grants and government investment to green projects, will require candidates to show they are giving local firms a fair go to supply parts and services. The announcement comes as a government backbencher launched a scathing parliamentary attack on the Greens' rejection of Kevin Rudd's carbon plan, saying the delay had caused pollution equal to 1 million cars each year.
In a sign that Labor is seeking to distance itself from the Greens and reclaim the environmental badge for itself, MP Andrew Leigh told Parliament that Greens senators ''chose self-interest over the national interest'' when they blocked the original Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme in 2009. Mr Combet, meanwhile, will introduce today legislation to set up the $10 billion corporation, to be chaired by respected businesswoman Jillian Broadbent. It will require candidates for funding to have Australian Industry Participation Plans, which are a key part of the government's broader manufacturing strategy.
Under these plans, which are already used by the resources sector in return for tax breaks, projects have to demonstrate they have given Australian firms ''full, fair and reasonable opportunity''. A wind farm, for example, might have to show it has offered Australian firms the chance to supply the turbine towers. ''The CEFC will drive investment in innovative renewable energy, low pollution and energy efficiency technologies to ensure our economy continues to grow while we reduce carbon pollution,'' Mr Combet said.
Mr Leigh, an economist, told parliament the new carbon tax, which becomes a floating-price emissions trading scheme in 2015, will be similar to Mr Rudd's original CPRS, but the delay since 2009 has added $1 billion a year to the cost of slashing carbon emissions. Five million tonnes each year could have been cut from Australia's emissions-equal to 1 million extra cars staying on the roads, he said. ''For all their claims to be 'green', the Greens party has a brown tinge,'' he said.
Siemens to supply turbines for Chile’s biggest wind farm
www.bloomberg.com
21 May 2012
Siemens AG (SIE) won an order to supply 115 MWs of turbines for a project north of Santiago that will be Chile's largest wind farm when built. Siemens will deliver, install and commission 50 turbines at the El Arrayan park that's being developed by Pattern Energy Group LP, a San Francisco-based renewables company, and Houston-based utility AEI, according to a statement today.
The order is the first wind-power deal for Munich-based Siemens in Chile. Europe's biggest engineering company joins turbine makers such as Vestas Wind Systems A/S and Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co in expanding in the nation that's seeking to boost renewables to curb reliance on hydroelectric power. "It is our goal to grow our presence in this region", Felix Ferlemann, chief executive officer of Siemens Wind Power, said in the statement.
The mining unit of Antofagasta Plc, the Chilean group with three copper mines, also has a stake in the project, according to Siemens. Commissioning of the park 400 km (249 miles) north of the capital city of Santiago on the coast of the Coquimbo IV Region is planned in early 2014. The project will provide power for about 200,000 households when built, according to Siemens.
21 May 2012
Siemens AG (SIE) won an order to supply 115 MWs of turbines for a project north of Santiago that will be Chile's largest wind farm when built. Siemens will deliver, install and commission 50 turbines at the El Arrayan park that's being developed by Pattern Energy Group LP, a San Francisco-based renewables company, and Houston-based utility AEI, according to a statement today.
The order is the first wind-power deal for Munich-based Siemens in Chile. Europe's biggest engineering company joins turbine makers such as Vestas Wind Systems A/S and Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co in expanding in the nation that's seeking to boost renewables to curb reliance on hydroelectric power. "It is our goal to grow our presence in this region", Felix Ferlemann, chief executive officer of Siemens Wind Power, said in the statement.
The mining unit of Antofagasta Plc, the Chilean group with three copper mines, also has a stake in the project, according to Siemens. Commissioning of the park 400 km (249 miles) north of the capital city of Santiago on the coast of the Coquimbo IV Region is planned in early 2014. The project will provide power for about 200,000 households when built, according to Siemens.
No cuts to wind farm pay
www.standard.net.au
22 May 2012
ENERGY companies have denied rumours they will slash payments to south-west wind farm landholders when the carbon tax is introduced next month. Several individuals have notified The Standard of claims that farmers hosting turbines on their property would have their income halved on July 1 when Renewable Energy Certificate's become 50% less under the carbon tax. The rumours were denied in a statement from AGL Energy, which was claimed to have contacted stakeholders about the changes. "AGL Energy would like to confirm that wind farm rent on its wind farms will not be impacted after a price on carbon has been introduced", a spokeswoman said. "Any suggestion otherwise is false". A spokesman for ACCIONA Energy also said the carbon tax would make no change to agreements with landholders at the company's south Mortlake wind farm, while Origin Energy spokesman said agreements written in dollar amounts were "not market linked"
22 May 2012
ENERGY companies have denied rumours they will slash payments to south-west wind farm landholders when the carbon tax is introduced next month. Several individuals have notified The Standard of claims that farmers hosting turbines on their property would have their income halved on July 1 when Renewable Energy Certificate's become 50% less under the carbon tax. The rumours were denied in a statement from AGL Energy, which was claimed to have contacted stakeholders about the changes. "AGL Energy would like to confirm that wind farm rent on its wind farms will not be impacted after a price on carbon has been introduced", a spokeswoman said. "Any suggestion otherwise is false". A spokesman for ACCIONA Energy also said the carbon tax would make no change to agreements with landholders at the company's south Mortlake wind farm, while Origin Energy spokesman said agreements written in dollar amounts were "not market linked"
Heartland Institute facing uncertain future as staff depart and cash dries up
www.guardian.co.uk
20 May 2012
Free-market thinktank's conference opens in Chicago with president admitting defections are hurting group's finances.
The first Heartland Institute conference on climate change in 2008 had all the trappings of a major scientific conclave-minus large numbers of real scientists. Hundreds of climate change contrarians, with a few academics among them, descended into the banquet rooms of a lavish Times Square hotel for what was purported to be a reasoned debate about climate change. But as the latest Heartland Institute climate conference opens in a Chicago hotel on Monday, the thinktank's claims to reasoned debate lie in shreds and its financial future remains uncertain.
Heartland Institute's claims to "stay above the fray" of the climate wars was exploded by a billboard campaign earlier this month comparing climate change believers to the Unabomer Ted Kaczynski, and a document sting last February that revealed a plan to spread doubt among kindergarteners on the existence of climate change. Along with the damage to its reputation, Heartland Institute's financial future is also threatened by an exodus of corporate donors as well as key members of staff. In a fiery blogpost on the Heartland Institute website, the organisation's president Joseph Bast admitted Heartland Institute's defectors were "abandoning us in this moment of need".
Over the last few weeks, Heartland Institute has lost at least $825,000 in expected funds for 2012, or more than 35% of the funds its planned to raise from corporate donors, according to the campaign group Forecast the Facts, which is pushing companies to boycott the organisation. The organisation has been forced to make up those funds by taking its first publicly acknowledged donations from the coal industry. The main Illinois coal lobby is a last-minute sponsor of this week's conference, undermining Heartland Institute's claims to operate independently of fossil fuel interests. Its entire Washington DC office, barring one staffer, decamped, taking Heartland Institute's biggest project, involving the insurance industry, with them.
Board directors quit, conference speakers cancelled at short-notice, and associates of long standing demanded Heartland Institute remove their names from its website. The list of conference sponsors shrank by nearly half from 2010, and many of those listed sponsors are just websites operating on the rightwing fringe. "It's haemorrhaging", said Kert Davies, research director of Greenpeace, who has spent years tracking climate contrarian outfits. "Heartland Institute's true colours finally came through, and now people are jumping ship in quick order". It does not look like Heartland Institute is about to adopt a corrective course of action. In his post, Bast defended the ads, writing: "Our billboard was factual: the Unabomber was motivated by concern over man-made global warming to do the terrible crimes he committed". He went on to describe climate scientist Michael Mann and activist Bill McKibben as "madmen".
The public unravelling of Heartland Institute began last February when the scientist Peter Gleick lied to obtain highly sensitive materials, including a list of donors. The publicity around the donors' list made it difficult for companies with public commitment to sustainability, such as the General Motors Foundation, to continue funding Heartland Institute. The GM Foundation soon announced it was ending its support of $15,000 a year. But what had been a gradual collapse gathered pace when Heartland Institute advertised its climate conference with a billboard on a Chicago expressway comparing believers in climate science to the Unabomber. The slow trickle of departing corporate donors turned into a gusher.
Even Heartland Institute insiders, such as Eli Lehrer, who headed the organisation's Washington group, found the billboard too extreme. Lehrer, who headed the biggest project within Heartland Institute, on insurance, immediately announced his departure along with six other staff. "The ad was ill advised", he said. "I'm a free-market conservative with a long rightwing resume and most, if not all, of my team fits the same description and of us found it very problematic. Staying with Heartland Institute was simply not workable in the wake of this billboard". Heartland Institute took down the billboard within 24 hours, but by then the ad had gone viral. Lehrer, who maintains the split was amicable, said the billboard had undermined Heartland Institute's claims to be a serious conservative thinktank.
Read More…
20 May 2012
Free-market thinktank's conference opens in Chicago with president admitting defections are hurting group's finances.
The first Heartland Institute conference on climate change in 2008 had all the trappings of a major scientific conclave-minus large numbers of real scientists. Hundreds of climate change contrarians, with a few academics among them, descended into the banquet rooms of a lavish Times Square hotel for what was purported to be a reasoned debate about climate change. But as the latest Heartland Institute climate conference opens in a Chicago hotel on Monday, the thinktank's claims to reasoned debate lie in shreds and its financial future remains uncertain.
Heartland Institute's claims to "stay above the fray" of the climate wars was exploded by a billboard campaign earlier this month comparing climate change believers to the Unabomer Ted Kaczynski, and a document sting last February that revealed a plan to spread doubt among kindergarteners on the existence of climate change. Along with the damage to its reputation, Heartland Institute's financial future is also threatened by an exodus of corporate donors as well as key members of staff. In a fiery blogpost on the Heartland Institute website, the organisation's president Joseph Bast admitted Heartland Institute's defectors were "abandoning us in this moment of need".
Over the last few weeks, Heartland Institute has lost at least $825,000 in expected funds for 2012, or more than 35% of the funds its planned to raise from corporate donors, according to the campaign group Forecast the Facts, which is pushing companies to boycott the organisation. The organisation has been forced to make up those funds by taking its first publicly acknowledged donations from the coal industry. The main Illinois coal lobby is a last-minute sponsor of this week's conference, undermining Heartland Institute's claims to operate independently of fossil fuel interests. Its entire Washington DC office, barring one staffer, decamped, taking Heartland Institute's biggest project, involving the insurance industry, with them.
Board directors quit, conference speakers cancelled at short-notice, and associates of long standing demanded Heartland Institute remove their names from its website. The list of conference sponsors shrank by nearly half from 2010, and many of those listed sponsors are just websites operating on the rightwing fringe. "It's haemorrhaging", said Kert Davies, research director of Greenpeace, who has spent years tracking climate contrarian outfits. "Heartland Institute's true colours finally came through, and now people are jumping ship in quick order". It does not look like Heartland Institute is about to adopt a corrective course of action. In his post, Bast defended the ads, writing: "Our billboard was factual: the Unabomber was motivated by concern over man-made global warming to do the terrible crimes he committed". He went on to describe climate scientist Michael Mann and activist Bill McKibben as "madmen".
The public unravelling of Heartland Institute began last February when the scientist Peter Gleick lied to obtain highly sensitive materials, including a list of donors. The publicity around the donors' list made it difficult for companies with public commitment to sustainability, such as the General Motors Foundation, to continue funding Heartland Institute. The GM Foundation soon announced it was ending its support of $15,000 a year. But what had been a gradual collapse gathered pace when Heartland Institute advertised its climate conference with a billboard on a Chicago expressway comparing believers in climate science to the Unabomber. The slow trickle of departing corporate donors turned into a gusher.
Even Heartland Institute insiders, such as Eli Lehrer, who headed the organisation's Washington group, found the billboard too extreme. Lehrer, who headed the biggest project within Heartland Institute, on insurance, immediately announced his departure along with six other staff. "The ad was ill advised", he said. "I'm a free-market conservative with a long rightwing resume and most, if not all, of my team fits the same description and of us found it very problematic. Staying with Heartland Institute was simply not workable in the wake of this billboard". Heartland Institute took down the billboard within 24 hours, but by then the ad had gone viral. Lehrer, who maintains the split was amicable, said the billboard had undermined Heartland Institute's claims to be a serious conservative thinktank.
Read More…
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
BP, Sempra to develop Hawaii wind farm
www.elp.com
17 May 2012
(US) Sempra US Gas & Power and BP Wind Energy plan to jointly develop the Auwahi wind farm in Hawaii. This is the fifth project developed under a strategic partnership between the two companies that includes more than 1,000 MW of wind generating capacity in operation or under construction. Located in southeastern Maui, the 21 MW wind farm will use eight Siemens wind turbines to generate enough renewable power for about 10,000 average Maui homes. Initial construction activities are underway and full mobilization at the site is slated to begin by the end of the second quarter 2012.
The project will employ about 150 workers during the peak of construction and is expected to be in commercial operation by year-end 2012. The balance of plant contract has been awarded to RMT WindConnect. Sempra US Gas & Power will continue leading the development of Auwahi Wind and operate the project once construction is complete. The entire power output from the wind farm has been sold under a long-term power purchase agreement to the Maui Electric Co. This new source of locally-produced wind power helps Hawaii reach its clean energy goal to secure 40% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
In a first for the BP and Sempra US Gas & Power strategic partnership, the Auwahi wind farm will use a battery storage unit capable of storing in excess of 4 MWh of renewable power. This stored electricity will help to regulate the intermittent wind power, providing a valuable source of grid stability for Maui Electric Co.
17 May 2012
(US) Sempra US Gas & Power and BP Wind Energy plan to jointly develop the Auwahi wind farm in Hawaii. This is the fifth project developed under a strategic partnership between the two companies that includes more than 1,000 MW of wind generating capacity in operation or under construction. Located in southeastern Maui, the 21 MW wind farm will use eight Siemens wind turbines to generate enough renewable power for about 10,000 average Maui homes. Initial construction activities are underway and full mobilization at the site is slated to begin by the end of the second quarter 2012.
The project will employ about 150 workers during the peak of construction and is expected to be in commercial operation by year-end 2012. The balance of plant contract has been awarded to RMT WindConnect. Sempra US Gas & Power will continue leading the development of Auwahi Wind and operate the project once construction is complete. The entire power output from the wind farm has been sold under a long-term power purchase agreement to the Maui Electric Co. This new source of locally-produced wind power helps Hawaii reach its clean energy goal to secure 40% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
In a first for the BP and Sempra US Gas & Power strategic partnership, the Auwahi wind farm will use a battery storage unit capable of storing in excess of 4 MWh of renewable power. This stored electricity will help to regulate the intermittent wind power, providing a valuable source of grid stability for Maui Electric Co.
VCEC solar power report risks cheating consumers
www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au
18 May 2012
The solar industry says that while a draft report from the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission (VCEC) contained some important recommendations, consumers could lose out on payments for their solar electricity. Clean Energy Council Policy Director Russell Marsh said many of the VCEC recommendations were sensible, but there was a risk that consumers could miss out on as much as half of the money they were entitled to for their solar power. "We agree that as the cost of solar power continues to drop we should move beyond incentive based feed-in tariffs to a system where consumers are simply paid the fair value for their solar power", Mr Marsh said. "The Clean Energy Council has analysis to show that the fair and reasonable value of solar is between 12-16¢ per kilowatt-hour of electricity.
"The VCEC draft report suggests that households should get a guaranteed payment of between 6-8¢ for the energy they contribute to the grid. But they would then need to negotiate an additional payment from electricity distribution businesses in recognition of the fact that distributed energy such as solar power allows for reduced expenditure on network poles and wires. This is unrealistic. "It will be virtually impossible for consumers to actually get that additional payment, meaning they will miss out on up to half the value they are entitled to. The value of solar power to networks has been quantified successfully in Western Australia and should be the model for Victoria as well", he said.
Mr Marsh said the recommendation that a mandatory minimum value should be paid to consumers for their solar power was important, but to be fair the required payment must include the network benefits too. "More than 100,000 Victorian households from all walks of life have already recognised the value of solar power as a way of fighting rising power bills. We should ensure that people who buy solar power are guaranteed a fair return on this investment that they have made in good faith", he said. "Solar power and other types of renewable energy continue to exceed all expectations, falling rapidly in cost and becoming more efficient. Both state and federal governments have struggled to keep up with the pace of change in the clean energy industry. "More resources need to go into better recognising the growing value of these new technologies, and developing regulations to shape the growth of the industry and protect consumers".
18 May 2012
The solar industry says that while a draft report from the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission (VCEC) contained some important recommendations, consumers could lose out on payments for their solar electricity. Clean Energy Council Policy Director Russell Marsh said many of the VCEC recommendations were sensible, but there was a risk that consumers could miss out on as much as half of the money they were entitled to for their solar power. "We agree that as the cost of solar power continues to drop we should move beyond incentive based feed-in tariffs to a system where consumers are simply paid the fair value for their solar power", Mr Marsh said. "The Clean Energy Council has analysis to show that the fair and reasonable value of solar is between 12-16¢ per kilowatt-hour of electricity."The VCEC draft report suggests that households should get a guaranteed payment of between 6-8¢ for the energy they contribute to the grid. But they would then need to negotiate an additional payment from electricity distribution businesses in recognition of the fact that distributed energy such as solar power allows for reduced expenditure on network poles and wires. This is unrealistic. "It will be virtually impossible for consumers to actually get that additional payment, meaning they will miss out on up to half the value they are entitled to. The value of solar power to networks has been quantified successfully in Western Australia and should be the model for Victoria as well", he said.
Mr Marsh said the recommendation that a mandatory minimum value should be paid to consumers for their solar power was important, but to be fair the required payment must include the network benefits too. "More than 100,000 Victorian households from all walks of life have already recognised the value of solar power as a way of fighting rising power bills. We should ensure that people who buy solar power are guaranteed a fair return on this investment that they have made in good faith", he said. "Solar power and other types of renewable energy continue to exceed all expectations, falling rapidly in cost and becoming more efficient. Both state and federal governments have struggled to keep up with the pace of change in the clean energy industry. "More resources need to go into better recognising the growing value of these new technologies, and developing regulations to shape the growth of the industry and protect consumers".
Giant tidal turbine 'performing well' in tests off Orkney
www.bbc.co.uk
17 May 2012
A subsea turbine which uses tidal power to generate electricity has successfully completed initial tests off Orkney. The turbine was lowered into position during winter storms and Scottish Power Renewables said it was performing well. The 100ft-high 1MW (MW) Hammerfest Strom HS1000 device is already powering homes and businesses on the island of Eday. There are plans to create a 10MW tidal power array in the Sound of Islay. Testing began in December and has been designed to finalise the timetable for the Islay project, with machines being installed "as early as feasible" between 2013 and 2015.
Keith Anderson, SPR chief executive, said: "The performance of the first HS1000 device has given us great confidence so far. Engineers were able install the device during atrocious weather conditions, and it has been operating to a very high standard ever since. "We have already greatly developed our understanding of tidal power generation, and this gives us confidence ahead of implementing larger scale projects in Islay and the Pentland Firth. "Scotland has the best tidal power resources in Europe, and that's why we are seeing world leading technologies tested here". The turbine can be monitored from the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) base in Eday, but engineers can also operate and inspect the device from Glasgow using mobile connections and an on-board camera.
17 May 2012
A subsea turbine which uses tidal power to generate electricity has successfully completed initial tests off Orkney. The turbine was lowered into position during winter storms and Scottish Power Renewables said it was performing well. The 100ft-high 1MW (MW) Hammerfest Strom HS1000 device is already powering homes and businesses on the island of Eday. There are plans to create a 10MW tidal power array in the Sound of Islay. Testing began in December and has been designed to finalise the timetable for the Islay project, with machines being installed "as early as feasible" between 2013 and 2015.
Keith Anderson, SPR chief executive, said: "The performance of the first HS1000 device has given us great confidence so far. Engineers were able install the device during atrocious weather conditions, and it has been operating to a very high standard ever since. "We have already greatly developed our understanding of tidal power generation, and this gives us confidence ahead of implementing larger scale projects in Islay and the Pentland Firth. "Scotland has the best tidal power resources in Europe, and that's why we are seeing world leading technologies tested here". The turbine can be monitored from the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) base in Eday, but engineers can also operate and inspect the device from Glasgow using mobile connections and an on-board camera.
Students full of renewable energy
www.adelaidenow.com.au
16 May 2012
SCHOOL students are learning about renewable energy through Australia's first mini wind turbine trial at West Beach. The State Government, with the West Beach Trust, is testing four different turbines for 12 months. The power output is compared to a 6kW solar system nearby, with all the data displayed online. Yesterday the Royal Institution of Australia launched a Wind Technology Education Package, with funding from the West Beach branch of Bendigo Bank, to help students in Years 7 10 get in on the act.
The package covers practical applications, optimal locations and uses of wind turbines. Students from West Beach Primary School and Henley High School were the first to use the package, conducting hands-on activities at the site of the mini wind turbine trial. Students built and tested a model wind turbine and learned what designs worked best. RiAus program co-ordinator Dr Tania Meyer said it enabled students to explore the concepts through a "real world example". Jayden from Henley High School is studying renewable energy in his Year 11 Advanced Technologies class. "I think it's interesting making something out of nothing", he said. "We need something like wind power for when the petrol runs out".
16 May 2012
SCHOOL students are learning about renewable energy through Australia's first mini wind turbine trial at West Beach. The State Government, with the West Beach Trust, is testing four different turbines for 12 months. The power output is compared to a 6kW solar system nearby, with all the data displayed online. Yesterday the Royal Institution of Australia launched a Wind Technology Education Package, with funding from the West Beach branch of Bendigo Bank, to help students in Years 7 10 get in on the act.The package covers practical applications, optimal locations and uses of wind turbines. Students from West Beach Primary School and Henley High School were the first to use the package, conducting hands-on activities at the site of the mini wind turbine trial. Students built and tested a model wind turbine and learned what designs worked best. RiAus program co-ordinator Dr Tania Meyer said it enabled students to explore the concepts through a "real world example". Jayden from Henley High School is studying renewable energy in his Year 11 Advanced Technologies class. "I think it's interesting making something out of nothing", he said. "We need something like wind power for when the petrol runs out".
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
Freo’s wave energy project gets go ahead
www.sciencewa.net.au
16 May 2012
A Fremantle-based wave energy company has received funding to commence operations for its grid-connected CETO Wave Energy Project, marking an important step for the technology's future research and development as a viable energy alternative. Carnegie Corporation's Garden Island-based CETO project will receive $9.9 million from the Federal government's Emerging Renewables Program with an additional $5.5 million coming from the WA government's Low Emissions Energy Development (LEED) Fund. Using a network of subsea pipelines the submerged CETO buoy system will pump pressurised water to an onshore power generating facility--located at the HMAS Stirling naval base--to drive hydroelectric turbines with an estimated output capacity of 2MW.
Curtin University's National Center for Marine Science and Technology Studies (CMST) Doctor Tim Gourlay says that structurally and environmentally CETO is ahead of other wave energy technology around the world. "The big advantage of the CETO system is that it is fully submerged and has very good survivability in storms, so by keeping them [buoys] beneath the surface they capture the oscillatory motion without the breaking wave impacts", he says. "It is a slow moving underwater buoy with minimal moving parts and I can't see any adverse impacts on the eco-system".
The project's viability also highlights the amount of wave energy resources Australia has available and the support gap of government-led incentives for the development of clean energy projects. Dr Gourlay says although Australia has supportive policies in place it still falls behind other developed nations. "In Europe there are a lot of government incentives for developing clean energy", he says. "Wave power companies have a lot of trouble getting funding, partly because there have not been many government incentives for this type of development".
The CMST have conducted reviews for the Australian Government on wave energy applications. They have also been involved with the Clean Energy Council of Australia (CEC) to promote the use of the technology. CEC policy officer Lucy Stevens says companies that deal in new clean energy technologies are often under-resourced. "There has traditionally been a major gap in introducing programs to support cutting edge technology moving from research and development through to full roll out and commercialisation", she says. Ms. Stevens expects the Federal Government's $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation will help to bridge that gap. A 2011 CSIRO study showed Australian wave energy resources could produce up to five times the country's electricity requirements.
16 May 2012
A Fremantle-based wave energy company has received funding to commence operations for its grid-connected CETO Wave Energy Project, marking an important step for the technology's future research and development as a viable energy alternative. Carnegie Corporation's Garden Island-based CETO project will receive $9.9 million from the Federal government's Emerging Renewables Program with an additional $5.5 million coming from the WA government's Low Emissions Energy Development (LEED) Fund. Using a network of subsea pipelines the submerged CETO buoy system will pump pressurised water to an onshore power generating facility--located at the HMAS Stirling naval base--to drive hydroelectric turbines with an estimated output capacity of 2MW.
Curtin University's National Center for Marine Science and Technology Studies (CMST) Doctor Tim Gourlay says that structurally and environmentally CETO is ahead of other wave energy technology around the world. "The big advantage of the CETO system is that it is fully submerged and has very good survivability in storms, so by keeping them [buoys] beneath the surface they capture the oscillatory motion without the breaking wave impacts", he says. "It is a slow moving underwater buoy with minimal moving parts and I can't see any adverse impacts on the eco-system".
The project's viability also highlights the amount of wave energy resources Australia has available and the support gap of government-led incentives for the development of clean energy projects. Dr Gourlay says although Australia has supportive policies in place it still falls behind other developed nations. "In Europe there are a lot of government incentives for developing clean energy", he says. "Wave power companies have a lot of trouble getting funding, partly because there have not been many government incentives for this type of development".
The CMST have conducted reviews for the Australian Government on wave energy applications. They have also been involved with the Clean Energy Council of Australia (CEC) to promote the use of the technology. CEC policy officer Lucy Stevens says companies that deal in new clean energy technologies are often under-resourced. "There has traditionally been a major gap in introducing programs to support cutting edge technology moving from research and development through to full roll out and commercialisation", she says. Ms. Stevens expects the Federal Government's $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation will help to bridge that gap. A 2011 CSIRO study showed Australian wave energy resources could produce up to five times the country's electricity requirements.
Heartland Institute grows isolated as three more donors disassociate
www.guardian.co.uk
14 May 2012
Heartland Institute was cut off by three more corporate donors on Monday, further isolating the ultra-conservative thinktank from the mainstream business world. The defections reinforce the sense of Heartland Institute's isolation, ahead of its major climate contrarian conference in Chicago next week. A number of prominent speakers also pulled out of the conference after Heartland Institute put up a billboard on a Chicago expressway suggesting believers in climate change were akin to serial killers.
In statements to advocacy groups, pharmaceutical giant Eli Llily, BB&T bank and PepsiCo confirmed they would not fund Heartland Institute in 2012 dealing a blow to the thinktank's plans of building long-term relationships with major corporations. The three were the latest in a rush of companies to distance themselves from Heartland Institute after the ad campaign featuring Unabomber Ted Kaczynski. "Lilly is not funding Heartland Institute in 2012 and has no plans to do so in the future", David Marbaugh, communications director of Corporate Responsibility for Eli Lily informed Forecast the Facts by email. "That type of ad is not consistent with how Lilly engages in public debate".
In purely monetary terms, Monday's defections will have very little effect on Heartland Institute. None of the three had contributed to Heartland Institute in 2011, according to confidential documents obtained by the water scientist Peter Gleick, and released without the thinktank's permission. PepsiCo's contributions in 2010 amounted to only $5,000. Eli Lily donated $25,000 in 2010 and BB&T $16,105. However, they make it very difficult for Heartland Institute to pursue itsexpansion plans for 2012 and disprove its efforts to project itself as a mainstream organisation seeking to act as an honest mediator in debates over climate policy.
The Heartland Institute budget and ambitious expansion plans for 2012 had been predicated on returning those donors to the fold. It had projected a $3m budget increase for 2012, based on those plans. Specifically, Heartland Institute had hoped to raise $1.5m or half of those funds from "lapsed" corporate donors like Eli Lily. But it appears that the exposure of Heartland Institute's key mission of discrediting climate change-including a project to influence kindergarteners-has turned off public corporations.
Many publicly traded companies outwardly endorse climate change and sustainability as part of their corporate brand-and that makes association with Heartland Institute politically awkward. Those contradictions intensified after the Gleick leak last February when advocacy groups began focusing more intensely on Heartland Institute's corporate donors-even those funding programmes that have nothing to do with clinate change. Pepsi made up its mind to steer clear of Heartland Institute well before the Kaczynski ad. "As previously stated, our relationship ended in 2011", Paul Boykas, vice-president of public policy and government affairs for PepsiCo told Forecast the Facts by email. The advocacy group noted the PepsiCo's website reaffirms its belief in climate change.
BB&T told Greenpeace, meanwhile, it had not received requests for 2012 funding. "We do not have any active request from or any planned contribution to Heartland Institute in 2012", Maria Lachapelle, vice-president of corporate communications for BB&T, told Greenpeace by email. In another blow to Heartland Institute, a meterologist from the National Hurricane Center on Monday publicly disassociated himself with the organisation.
Chris Landsea, the hurricane centre's science and operations officer, asked Heartland Institute to remove him from its website, the Washington Post reported on Monday. It quoted a posting from Landsea to the website BigCityLib Strikes Back saying: "The billboard campaign that you all have recently been displaying is not in good taste nor is it furthering the advancement of better undstanding of how our climate fluctates and changes. Please remove my name from your list of experts".
14 May 2012
In statements to advocacy groups, pharmaceutical giant Eli Llily, BB&T bank and PepsiCo confirmed they would not fund Heartland Institute in 2012 dealing a blow to the thinktank's plans of building long-term relationships with major corporations. The three were the latest in a rush of companies to distance themselves from Heartland Institute after the ad campaign featuring Unabomber Ted Kaczynski. "Lilly is not funding Heartland Institute in 2012 and has no plans to do so in the future", David Marbaugh, communications director of Corporate Responsibility for Eli Lily informed Forecast the Facts by email. "That type of ad is not consistent with how Lilly engages in public debate".
In purely monetary terms, Monday's defections will have very little effect on Heartland Institute. None of the three had contributed to Heartland Institute in 2011, according to confidential documents obtained by the water scientist Peter Gleick, and released without the thinktank's permission. PepsiCo's contributions in 2010 amounted to only $5,000. Eli Lily donated $25,000 in 2010 and BB&T $16,105. However, they make it very difficult for Heartland Institute to pursue itsexpansion plans for 2012 and disprove its efforts to project itself as a mainstream organisation seeking to act as an honest mediator in debates over climate policy.
The Heartland Institute budget and ambitious expansion plans for 2012 had been predicated on returning those donors to the fold. It had projected a $3m budget increase for 2012, based on those plans. Specifically, Heartland Institute had hoped to raise $1.5m or half of those funds from "lapsed" corporate donors like Eli Lily. But it appears that the exposure of Heartland Institute's key mission of discrediting climate change-including a project to influence kindergarteners-has turned off public corporations.
Many publicly traded companies outwardly endorse climate change and sustainability as part of their corporate brand-and that makes association with Heartland Institute politically awkward. Those contradictions intensified after the Gleick leak last February when advocacy groups began focusing more intensely on Heartland Institute's corporate donors-even those funding programmes that have nothing to do with clinate change. Pepsi made up its mind to steer clear of Heartland Institute well before the Kaczynski ad. "As previously stated, our relationship ended in 2011", Paul Boykas, vice-president of public policy and government affairs for PepsiCo told Forecast the Facts by email. The advocacy group noted the PepsiCo's website reaffirms its belief in climate change.
BB&T told Greenpeace, meanwhile, it had not received requests for 2012 funding. "We do not have any active request from or any planned contribution to Heartland Institute in 2012", Maria Lachapelle, vice-president of corporate communications for BB&T, told Greenpeace by email. In another blow to Heartland Institute, a meterologist from the National Hurricane Center on Monday publicly disassociated himself with the organisation.
Chris Landsea, the hurricane centre's science and operations officer, asked Heartland Institute to remove him from its website, the Washington Post reported on Monday. It quoted a posting from Landsea to the website BigCityLib Strikes Back saying: "The billboard campaign that you all have recently been displaying is not in good taste nor is it furthering the advancement of better undstanding of how our climate fluctates and changes. Please remove my name from your list of experts".
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