MORE SUNDAY WORLD, 2-22 (WIND OFF SCOTLAND ON; A NEW EV FROM CHINA; ONTARIO KNOWS THE FIT; INDONESIANS AGAINST COAL)

WIND OFF SCOTLAND ON
Green giants herald power revolution
Jeremy Watson, 15 February 2009 (The Scotsman)

"…The Crown Estate, which owns the seabed out to the 12-mile British territorial limit, will tomorrow award "exclusivity agreements" to a range of power companies to develop 10 offshore wind farm sites.

"The sites will be split evenly between the west and east coasts. Those in the west are expected to be in the relatively sheltered Irish Sea and Solway Firth areas off the south-west coast. In the east, they are likely to stretch in a line from Wick in the north to the Berwickshire coast in the south…they are forecast to produce 6.4 gigawatts of power, more than doubling the amount of electricity produced by renewable forms of energy in Scotland…"

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"The companies involved are understood to be some of Britain and Europe's biggest utility companies, which are likely to form consortia to exploit offshore wind power. They include Scottish and Southern, ScottishPower, Centrica, Swedish-owned Vattenfall, Germany's E.on, France's EDF, Danish company DONG, Npower and Ramco…

"The rising value of the euro means construction projects in the UK are now far cheaper than was previously the case for international consortia."

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"The wind farms will use undersea cables to transport their power ashore and connect to the national grid…[The] agreements are designed to allow developers to begin initial surveys and consultations on the sites, while the Scottish Government conducts an assessment of the environmental implications…The emphasis on generating wind power is now switching offshore because of the difficulties of getting onshore wind farms through the planning process…

"The new generation of offshore farms will be sited several miles out to sea, ending most objections about visual intrusion in rural areas, although developers will have to overcome concerns about wildlife movements and incursions on airport flight paths.


"As the seabed owner, the Crown Estate will earn up to 2% of the value of the electricity generated, providing a lucrative annual windfall for the Treasury…"


A NEW EV FROM CHINA
China's Chery Auto unveils electric car: company
February 20, 2009 (AFP)

"China's largest independent carmaker Chery Automobile rolled off its first plug-in electric car this week, the latest Chinese automotive company to produce an alternative energy vehicle.

"The all-electric car, S18, can go up to 150 kilometres (93 miles) on one charge and has a maximum speed of 120 kilometres (72 miles) an hour…The battery can be fully charged within six hours using a 220-volt home outlet, while 80 percent of the battery can be charged within 30 minutes…[It’s] unclear when the car would be available to buy."

The S18 (click to enlarge)

"Unlike another Chinese carmaker, the BYD Co, which began selling its plug-in electric hybrid car in China in December, the Chery has not given the S18 the option of running on petrol…

"Domestic manufacturers of clean vehicles are likely to get a boost from the government in the form of a policy package to help the car industry through the global economic crisis…China's Ministry of Finance [plans]…to subsidise purchases of alternative energy vehicles to expand domestic demand, boost the domestic car industry and reduce pollution emissions."


ONTARIO KNOWS THE FIT
Feed-in Tariffs: Ontario’s Experience
John Lorinc, February 10, 2009 (NY Times)

"Less than three years after the Ontario government introduced North America’s first feed-in tariff policy to promote small-scale renewable energy, [a Canadian environmentalist has suggestions]…for decision-makers in the United States…Several states and cities in the United States are considering a set of energy rate-setting policies that are regarded as pivotal in the growth of green energy in countries like Germany.

"Feed-in tariffs — also known as “standard offer contracts” — guarantee long-term preferential rates to small renewable energy developers so they can compete on price with conventional (and less costly) forms of power."

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"Beginning in March 2006, Ontario agreed to price small-scale hydro, wind and biomass projects at 11 Canadian cents ($0.9 U.S.) a kilowatt-hour, and 42 Canadian cents ($0.34 U.S.) for solar — compared to about 5 cents for nuclear, coal, gas and large hydro. The rates were guaranteed for 20 years.

"So many local wind and solar developers — as well as homeowners looking to install photovoltaic panels — applied for Ontario’s standard offer that the government’s 10-year target cap of 1,000 megawatts was exceeded within a year...The province…is expected to reintroduce a modified feed-in tariff [with its]… new green energy legislation…"

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"…Keith Stewart, an energy analyst at World Wildlife Fund Canada [suggests]…1) Don’t cap a feed-in tariff program. Governments should rely on such tariffs as the primary procurement method for green energy…2) Create a monitoring process. Under the terms of Ontario’s standard offer, developers had three years to line up financing, obtain approvals and build their projects…3) Underwrite a smart grid. To fully exploit the potential of renewable energy, transmission networks need to be re-engineered to accommodate smart meters and intermittent energy flows from solar and wind projects…

"An expert task force convened by Ontario’s electricity market operator released a report last week recommending $1.6 billion Canadian ($1.3 billion U.S.) in smart grid investments."


INDONESIANS AGAINST COAL
Coalition demands end to coal use
JP, February 13, 2009 (Asia News Daily)

"…[ Greenpeace ] has demanded that the government stop using coal to generate electricity in the country, saying its adverse effects outweighed its benefits…

"Greenpeace said the people around Cilacap coal-fired power plant in Central Java had suffered from respiratory problems and loss of income from the damage to rice fields and the decline in fish populations."

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"They demanded the power plant be shut down immediately…[A Greenpeace survey showed] almost 90 percent of respondents living near the power plant suffered acute respiratory infections, especially children and old people…

"Greenpeace, the Anti-Coal Coalition and the Cilacap People’s Aspiration Committee (KAM Cilacap) ended a two-day event in Cilacap on Thursday, aimed at promoting clear energy in the region.

"The Cilacap plant started operating in 2006 with a capacity of 600 megawatts. It supplies the Java-Bali electricity grid…[Negotiations] for compensation for damages caused by the coal power plant in three villages and the Griya Kencana Permai housing complex [where locals claim suffering] have not been fruitful…"