MORE SUNDAY WORLD, 1-18 (WAVE ENERGY DEAL DOWN UNDER; SUN IN BANGLADESH; ONTARIO, CANADA, TO BE A BETTER PLACE PLACE; OFFSHORE WIND FOR HOLLAND)

WAVE ENERGY DEAL DOWN UNDER
OPT, Leighton in wave energy pact
January 13, 2009 (Interrnational Water Power and Dam Construction)

“A wave energy development deal has been signed by Ocean Power Technologies and the Leighton construction group to build plants off the coast of Australia.

“The partners are to identify and assess potential sites for wave energy projects off the east and south costs of Australia…"

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“Under the deal, Australian group Leighton will carry costs of obtaining approvals, negotiating power purchase agreements, structure the project finance, and oversee the delivery and operation of plants…US firm Ocean Power Technologies will sell its PowerBuoy system…The firm said the deal was in line with its strategic plan to form alliances in key regions.

“The energy technology developer already has projects underway in the UK and Spain.”


SUN IN BANGLADESH
Bangladesh lifts taxes on solar energy equipments
Wang Guanqun, January 16, 2009 (Xinhua via China Daily)

“The Bangladeshi government has decided to withdraw all duties from solar energy equipments to encourage mass use of the renewable energy to face the power shortage in the country…

“…there was a provision for 3.0 percent duty on import of renewable energy equipments and an additional value-added-tax (VAT) of 15 percent…

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who also holds the energy portfolio, announced the decision after a meeting with officials of the energy ministry…

“This decision was made in line with the country's first Renewable Energy Policy, which was approved last month and aimed at providing power to all by 2020 in phases.

“The policy targets developing renewable energy resources to meet 5 percent of the total power demand by 2015 and 10 percent by 2020.

“…over 300,000 households are using solar energy equivalent to 15 megawatt, contributing less than 1.0 percent of the country's total electricity generation of around 3,500 MW against the estimated demand for over 5,000 MW.”


ONTARIO, CANADA, TO BE A BETTER PLACE PLACE
Ontario Paves The Way For Electric Car; McGuinty Government And Better Place - Working To Move Ontario Forward
January 15, 2009 (CNW Group)

“Ontario is joining forces with a world-leading company that creates innovative infrastructure for electric cars…California-based Better Place will establish a Canadian head-office in Ontario. They will build an electric car demonstration and education centre in Toronto to lay the groundwork to help get electric vehicles running on Ontario roads. By May 2009, the Ontario government will release a study which will look at ways to speed up the introduction of electric vehicles including…Financial incentives…Preferred access…Forward looking procurement policies…[and] public education and promotion of electric vehicles…

From Odziz via YouTube.

“At the same time, Better Place will develop an electric car charging network rollout plan and timelines…

“Under the Better Place model, electric car drivers enroll in a subscription plan to use the company's open network of battery exchange stations and charge spots in homes, businesses and parking lots…

“Canada-based Bullfrog Power will provide the Better Place network withelectricity from local renewable sources to avoid shifting emissions from tailpipe to smokestack and support Ontario's commitment to end the use of coal-fired generation by 2014…”


OFFSHORE WIND FOR HOLLAND
Scottish & Southern wins Dutch wind farm consent
Philip Waller and Niclas Mika (w/Mike Nesbit), January 15, 2009 (UK Guardian)

“…British utility Scottish & Southern Energy Plc (SSE) said…the Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works & Water Management had approved an application by its renewable energy division Airtricity to build a farm known as West-Rijn, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) off the Dutch coast and about 90 kilometres from Rotterdam. SSE said West Rijn was the first offshore farm to receive approval in the Netherlands for nearly seven years…It will have up to 72 wind turbines capable of generating a total of about 260 megawatts of electricity…"

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“The Dutch transport and public works ministry said the farm was an important step towards the government's target of setting up farms able to generate 450 megawatts of wind energy in the North Sea during its term. For 2020, the government is targeting 6,000 megawatts of North Sea wind energy…