MORE NEWS, 6-22 (WYOMING WIND BOOM; PV ADVANCES, DROPPING COSTS; CHINAMERICAN EV)

WYOMING WIND BOOM
The new Wyoming wind rush
Steve McManamen, June 20, 2009 (Gillette News-Record)

"Campbell County has been the epicenter of energy development in Wyoming since the county’s first coal mine opened…Then came the oil, followed by natural gas. But many thought Campbell County would not buy into the wind energy industry…

"Not so for…Third Planet Windpower…[It] is in the process of developing a 133-turbine wind farm on 14,000 acres in the southwest corner of Campbell County. The wind farm will produce 200 megawatts of electricity…The Reno Junction Wind farm won’t have a problem with [the sage grouse habitat issue or] transmission lines either. It will sit adjacent to the existing Black Hills Power Pumpkin Buttes substation…The farm is expected to cost about $420 million…"

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"Third Planet also is working on a project in southwestern Wyoming. It is one of many wind developers clamoring to build wind farms and transmission lines in the state…[Governor] Freudenthal likened the development of wind energy in Wyoming to a “gold rush” in a letter to the state legislative task force on wind energy…

"Freudenthal wrote that as the nation moves to some sort of carbon reduction strategy, the state must face the fact that wind and solar energy generation has come to Wyoming, no matter what individual perspectives on the topic are. The governor also wrote that green energy initiatives are moving at a “gold rush” pace…"

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"…[A “gold rush” mentality] creates a lot of opportunities for Wyoming’s energy industry future, as well as problems with land rights and wildlife. Freudenthal created the task force on wind energy during this year’s legislative session and offered the group the full support of his office as it begins to address the many topics that relate to wind energy production and transmission in Wyoming.

"…[Wind farm owners in southeast Wyoming] have formed wind associations…State offices and the University of Wyoming are grappling with land owner rights…[L]andowners are having trouble making sure they get reasonable deals from wind developers…[A] University of Wyoming guide covers…How to measure a property’s wind potential…How to judge win development’s compatibility with other land uses like ranching and hunting…The effect wind development might have on a land owner’s privacy, access and disruption…Advantages and disadvantages of leases."


PV ADVANCES, DROPPING COSTS
Advances in photovoltaics could make solar cost competitive
Michelle Andrews, June 18, 2009 (Los Angeles Examiner)

"Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) is poised to change the face of construction, energy and urban planning in the coming decade.

"The Department of Energy has estimated that BIPV technology could potentially generate 50% of the electrical needs of the U.S. and other developed countries, and the DOE’s Solar America Initiative has set the goal of making solar cost-competitive with grid electricity by 2015."

A stunning use of BIPV. (click to enlarge)

"In this continuing effort…[DOE] just announced the selection of 24 new solar projects to advance photovoltaic technology research, development, and design, ultimately lowering the cost of photovoltaic generation. The competitively-selected projects will be eligible for up to $22 million from the President’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will be matched by more than $50 million in cost shared funding from private partners.

"Many of the projects selected focus on improving the effectiveness of the materials used to capture the sun’s rays."


CHINAMERICAN EV
America's Newest Electric Car Could Be From China; Will the unassuming, near-silent Coda make some noise when it hits U.S. streets next year?
Andy Stone, June 20, 2009 (Forbes)

"Coda Automotive aims to be the David in an automotive world full of Goliaths. This week the Santa Monica, Calif., developer of electric vehicles showed off the latest iteration of its highway-speed electric vehicle, a nondescript four-door sedan that Coda Chief Executive Kevin Czinger says has overcome the technological hurdles and high costs that have dogged established auto giants' attempts to electrify for more than a century.

"Details on the performance of the car's Chinese lithium-ion batteries are scarce, though battery performance will be the first of many challenges Czinger will have to resolve if he wants to begin selling the Coda sedan by June 2010, as planned."

It must be a good car or there would be an alluring woman in a tight-fitting dress in this picture. (click to enlarge)

"The car is the vision of Miles Rubin, a former CEO of Ralph Lauren Polo jeans who in 2005 founded Miles Electric Vehicles to produce low-speed electrically powered fleet vehicles for university campuses and municipalities. He later began development of a commuter-friendly car with an 80 mile-per-hour top speed and 100 mile range…The low-speed business has been a modest success; last year Rubin spun-off the faster car as Coda Automotive, with Czinger, a former Goldman Sachs and Bertelsmann AG executive, running operations…"

Looking under the Coda's hood. (click to enlarge)

"But development of a highway-speed electric car brings technical challenges of a much greater magnitude. Coda's energy-dense lithium ion battery technology, developed by China's Lishen…must withstand 100,000 miles-worth of recharge cycles and eliminate the risk of spontaneous combustion…Such hurdles have forced auto majors to rely on less-efficient NiMH batteries in [other] hybrids…

"Czinger says his battery's unique iron-phosphate chemistry, as well as battery-management technology from an unnamed German supplier, have solved the problems. Czinger also has had to beef up the safety of the Chinese Haifei sedan that forms the foundation of the Coda. Using that ready chassis has shortened development…Czinger has added 95 upgrades, including structural reinforcements and the installation of advanced air bags…to meet American crash standards…[I]ts $45,000 price tag [could] come down to $32,500 in California following federal and state clean-car incentives."