QUICK NEWS, 4-1: SUN & WIND GET CLOUT; WIND-150,000 MEGAWATTS AND GROWING; SOLAR ENERGY TO HELP HEAL; CAP&TRADE CUTS EU SPEW 10%

SUN & WIND GET CLOUT
Solar, Wind Power Groups Becoming Prominent Washington Lobbying Forces After Years of Relative Obscurity
Cassandra LaRussa, March 30, 2010 (Open Secrets/Center for Responsive Politics)

"In 1998, the entire alternative energy industry barely even registered as a political player in Washington, spending a mere $2.4 million on lobbying the federal government…[I]n the same year, the oil and gas, electric utilities and mining industries spent a combined $142 million advancing their own legislative interests…That landscape, however, has changed considerably.

"…In 2009, alternative energy organizations shelled out an unprecedented $30 million to protect and promote their interests on Capitol Hill…In comparison, oil and gas spending and mining spending have grown [much more slowly]…The growing involvement of the alternative energy industry in legislative affairs is reflected not just in increased spending…In the late 1990s, only about 20 alternative energy industry organizations used federal lobbyists…By 2009, there were about 200 alternative energy companies and organizations employing lobbyists…"

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"…Until 2008, [The American Wind Energy Association] failed to crack the $1 million mark…and most years, it spent less than $500,000. In 2009…the group spent almost $5 million on lobbying…The involvement stems from the growth in number of alternative energy companies, which was made possible by the growth in popularity of wind power in the national consciousness, said Christine Real de Azua, an AWEA spokeswoman.
Real de Azua states that this, in turn, increased AWEA's ranks by more than 1,000 new business members in 2009 alone…AWEA cites the sheer potential of wind energy and the opportunity for job creation as two key points that their lobbyists emphasize in the fight for favorable legislation.

"…Until 2007, [the Solar Energy Industries Association] had never spent more than half a million dollars on federal lobbying efforts. In 2009, it spent more than $1.6 million…[It] attributes the increase in lobbying presence to a growth in membership that enabled the organization to expand legislative activities…[get an] eight-year extension of the solar investment tax credit…[and] move on to lobbying regarding climate, renewable energy standards, green jobs and appropriations…SEIA has already seen positive gains from their increased expenditures…The group’s lobbyists were successful in promoting several provisions of the stimulus bill…"

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"But while alternative energy interests are just getting acquainted with K Street, the oil and gas industry has been a permanent resident for years…Since 1998, the oil and gas industry has never spent less than $50 million on lobbying in any given year, and in 2009, it reported $168 million in lobbying expenditures…American Petroleum Institute spokesman Bill Bush…[is unconcerned] about the alternative energy industry's efforts…[and unaware of any impact] they're having on the petroleum industry…The institute spent more than $7.3 million in 2009 on federal lobbying efforts after spending between $2.8 million and $4.8 million each year on lobbying between 2002 and 2008.

"As this decade moves forward, climate and energy policy remains a key issue in Congress…Barack Obama labeled such legislation a high priority…Although most of the conversation regarding the drafting of legislation has revolved around the question of greenhouse gases and the proposed “cap-and-trade” policy, the bipartisan bill also makes a point of emphasizing job creation and the use of renewable energy…And with political focus on alternative energy constantly expanding, the lobbying power of the alternative energy industry may soon become as plentiful as Great Plains breezes and desert sunshine."


WIND-150,000 MEGAWATTS AND GROWING
Wind Power Soared Past 150,000 Megawatts in 2009
J. Matthew Roney, March 30, 2010 (Earth Policy Institute)

"Even in the face of a worldwide economic downturn, the global wind industry posted another record year in 2009 as cumulative installed wind power capacity grew to 158,000 megawatts. With this 31 percent jump, the global wind fleet is now large enough to satisfy the residential electricity needs of 250 million people. Wind provides electricity in over 70 countries…

"China led the way in 2009 with an astonishing 13,000 megawatts of new wind capacity, the first time any country has built more than 10,000 megawatts in a single year. With 25,000 megawatts overall, China has doubled its total installed wind capacity in each of the last five years, bringing it into third place behind the United States and Germany…Six wind-rich [Chinese] provinces across the country’s northern half—from northwestern Xinjiang to eastern Jiangsu—have been selected to host seven wind mega-complexes of between 10,000 and 37,000 megawatts each…close to 130,000 megawatts of generating capacity…"

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"The United States passed longtime leader Germany in installed capacity in 2008 and then widened its lead in 2009, expanding its wind fleet by nearly 10,000 megawatts to reach a cumulative 35,000 megawatts. Texas remained the leading state in both annual and total wind installations, reaching 9,400 megawatts overall…Spain added the most new wind in [the EU]…But with 26,000 total megawatts installed, Germany still commands Europe’s largest wind capacity…[S]everal rapidly growing markets in the [EU] have great potential. In Italy, France, and the United Kingdom, total installed capacity has at least doubled since 2006…[The EU] actually saw net reductions in coal and nuclear generating capacity in 2009…[and] wind accounted for close to 40 percent of all newly installed capacity, making it the region’s number one new power source for the second straight year.

"…[O]ther countries are also [building]…India, for example, installed 1,300 megawatts in 2009…to make it the fifth country to surpass 10,000 megawatts…Canada installed 950 megawatts…in 2009…Latin America and Africa, both rich in wind…[are] accelerating [development]…With 600 megawatts installed, Brazil now claims half [Latin America’s] wind development. Mexico’s wind capacity grew…to 200 megawatts, while Chile climbed…to nearly 170 megawatts…By the end of 2009, just 760 megawatts were installed on the African continent, 90 percent of which was in Egypt and Morocco. But…[there is building] in several sub-Saharan countries, including Ethiopia, South Africa, and Kenya…"

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"Most of the world’s wind turbines are found on land, but offshore wind capacity is poised to grow rapidly from its current 2,100 megawatts…Nearly 600 megawatts were brought online in 2009, including the world’s largest offshore project: Denmark’s 209-megawatt Horns Rev 2 wind farm in the North Sea. The United Kingdom leads the offshore category, with 40 percent of global capacity…

"Having increased ninefold in total capacity since the start of the twenty-first century, wind power is quickly solidifying its position as an important part of the global energy mix..In a 2009 study of world wind resources, Harvard University scientists concluded that the top 10 carbon dioxide-emitting countries could satisfy all of their electricity needs using wind alone…"


SOLAR ENERGY TO HELP HEAL
Recurrent Energy to Develop 15 MW of Solar Projects at Kaiser Permanente Facilities; Kaiser Permanente to Buy All Power Generated From 16 Recurrent Energy Solar Power Systems
March 30, 2010 (Recurrent Energy)

"…[Independent power producer and solar power project developer Recurrent Energy] has signed agreements with Kaiser Permanente to develop 15 MW of solar power systems at multiple locations across California. Recurrent Energy will build, own, and operate 16 solar power systems located across 15 Kaiser Permanente hospitals and office facilities…

"The 16 solar power systems will be implemented across the 15 sites through rooftop solar, ground mount solar, and elevated solar above existing ground-level parking spaces and garages. Several projects are underway and all sites are expected to be completed by the summer of 2011…"

Rendering from Recurrent Energy of Kaiser hospital rooftops covered with solar panels. (click to enlarge)

"Citigroup, an equity investor on a portion of the projects, was a key partner in structuring the agreements…"

[John Kouletsis, director of strategy, planning and design at Kaiser Permanente:] “Kaiser Permanente sees renewable and clean energy as a key part of our environmental and sustainability strategy…As a health care organization, we are concerned with the health of our patients and our communities.”


CAP&TRADE CUTS EU SPEW 10%
Deutsche Bank, BarCap see 10% drop in 2009 EU ETS emissions
Michael Szabo (w/William Hardy), March 29, 2010 (Reuters)

"Carbon emissions under the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme fell by over 10 percent in 2009 but are expected to rebound this year as Europe's economy recovers, Deutsche Bank and Barclays Capital said…

"Deutsche bank said in an analyst note that carbon emissions from heavy industry fell to 1.9 billion tonnes last year, down 220 million tonnes from the 2.12 billion tonnes emitted in 2008, the first year of the scheme's second phase…[It expects half the drop to come back in 2010 and 2% in each of the next 2 years]…"

From Reuters. (click to enlarge)

"BarCap also…[calculated a 2009 10% drop and] expects 2010 emissions to climb back to 1.95 billion tonnes, a 2.8 percent rise.

"The European Commission is scheduled to publish preliminary 2009 emissions data for the scheme on April 1, though both analysts said the data will likely be incomplete.
Sikorski said the data's impact on EU emissions permit prices is likely to be muted…"

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"Deutsche Bank…expects CO2 from the EU's power sector, the 27-nation bloc's largest emitters, to have dropped by 110 million tonnes or 7.3 percent to 1.4 billion tonnes of CO2 last year…[It estimates] industrial emissions, which include those from the steel and cement sectors, to also have fallen by 110 million tonnes, or 18 percent, to 500 million tonnes of CO2.

"Last month, analysts Point Carbon estimated 2009 EU ETS emissions fell by 11 percent to 1.886 billion tonnes."