MORE NEWS, 3-26 (FLORIDA WANTS F-I-T FOR NEW ENERGY; WAVES CLOSE BIG DEAL, READY POWER; DOE OPENS BIDDING ON EV FUTURE)

FLORIDA WANTS F-I-T FOR NEW ENERGY
Solar energy advocates rally in Tally
Zac Anderson, March 24, 2009 (Sarasota Herald Tribune)

"Energy reform advocates from across Florida [including business people and elected leaders] made their way to [the state capital of] Tallahassee…to lobby for a solar energy incentive program that would make it profitable for anyone with open land or roof space to go solar…

"The [lobbyists] planned to meet with state legislators to press their case for a "feed-in tariff" system that has been adopted by 46 countries and the City of Gainesville [through Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU)]."

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"A special focus…is Rep. Ron Reagan, R-Bradenton, one of the top leaders in the House of Representatives. Advocates suspect Reagan of blocking efforts to have a full hearing on the feed-in tariff debate."

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"Florida's large electric companies have strongly opposed feed-in tariffs, which would require the electric companies to buy solar energy at a premium rate from anyone would builds a system.

"Reagan recieved $3,000 for his 2008 election campaign from political action committees associated with Florida Power & Light, Tampa Electric Company and Progress Energy...Florida Alliance For Renewable Energy [held] a press conference…in the Capitol to try and put pressure on Reagan and other lawmakers."


WAVES CLOSE BIG DEAL, READY POWER
Wave energy firm agrees £2m deal
Natalie Thomas, 22 March 2009 (Scotland On Sunday)

"Scotland’s ambition to become a leader in marine energy [took] another step forward… with the announcement of a £2m contract to install the UK's first near-shore wave energy generator off the coast of Orkney.

"Aquamarine Power…has signed a £2m contract with marine construction group Fugro Seacore to install its 'Oyster' convertor at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney…The technology, designed for waters of between eight and 16 metres in depth, is expected to be installed 500 metres offshore by the autumn."

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"It is hoped that it will contribute between 300kW and 600kW to the National Grid, a small step towards the Scottish Government's goal to source 50% of the country's electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

"The scheme in Orkney is the first in what Aquamarine hopes will be a string of projects after it last month agreed a joint venture with a subsidiary of Scottish & Southern Energy to develop one gigawatt of wave and tidal power off the coast of the UK and Ireland by 2020.

"The deal with Airtricity, the renewable energy firm acquired by SSE…was heralded as "the biggest deal in the history of marine energy"…Work has also begun on another unnamed location and Aquamarine is investigating several other sites."

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"Aquamarine's Oyster converter consists of a single pump which, when hit by a wave, sends high-pressure water through a pipeline beneath the sea to an onshore generator. This then converts the water into electricity using hydroelectric generators…

"…[E]xperts predict that Scotland could eventually account for 25% of Europe's total tidal electricity generation and 10% of wave energy generation…[But] it is thought it will be several years before marine energy becomes a credible, commercially viable force…"


DOE OPENS BIDDING ON EV FUTURE
Department of Energy opens electric car stimulus programs
Lindsay Riddell, March 23, 2009 (Washington Business Journal)

"The Department of Energy has begun accepting applications for two electric vehicle programs funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

"The DOE has allotted $400 million to establish development, demonstration, evaluation, and education projects “to accelerate the market introduction and penetration of advanced electric drive vehicles.” Applications are due May 13."

"…DOE also is accepting applications for grants to support the construction of US-based manufacturing plants for building batteries and electric drive components and has made $2 billion available for…the Electric Drive Vehicle Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative."

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"The grants represent the first two energy-related programs funded through the $787 billion federal stimulus package to take applications.

"Both programs are through the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Office of Vehicle Technologies. The DOE has $32.7 billion in grant money to distribute from the federal stimulus package…$5 billion for weatherization…$3.1 billion for state energy programs…$2 billion for advanced batteries manufacturing…$6.7 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy…$6 billion for environmental management…$4.5 billion for electricity transmission technologies…$3.4 billion for fossil energy research and development and other provisions."