QUICK NEWS, 6-2: WE WILL BRING OIL SPILLERS TO JUSTICE – OBAMA; FISH FLOW TEACH WIND FLOW; BIG MONEY, NEW SUN; LEAF EV SOLD OUT AT NISSAN

WE WILL BRING OIL SPILLERS TO JUSTICE – OBAMA
Obama vows justice if laws broken in oil spill
Matt Spetalnick (w/Alister Bull, Ross Colvin and Vicki Allen), June 1, 2010 (Reuters)

"President Barack Obama vowed….that if laws were broken in the devastating Gulf of Mexico oil spill, those responsible will be brought to justice…[and] said energy giant BP would be held accountable for financial losses from what he called the ‘greatest environmental disaster of its kind in our history.’"

[President Barack Obama:] "What is being threatened, what is being lost isn't just a source of income but a way of life… We have an obligation to investigate what went wrong and to determine what reforms are needed so that we never have the experience of a crisis like this again…If the laws on our books are insufficient to prevent such a spill, the laws must change. If oversight was inadequate to enforce these laws, oversight has to be reformed…If our laws were broken, leading to this death and destruction, my solemn pledge is that we will bring those responsible to justice on behalf of the victims of this catastrophe and the people of the Gulf region."



"U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder made his first visit to the Gulf coast to view the damage ahead of what experts have said will be a criminal probe into the explosion and oil spill that could produce record fines.

"Obama spoke just days after BP's latest attempt to plug its blown-out seabed well failed, sparking fears oil could leak into the Gulf until August. The company is now planning a risky attempt to place a cap over the leak to funnel oil to the surface…Obama pledged to continue pursuing all efforts to plug the blown-out oil rig until relief wells are completed…"


FISH FLOW TEACH WIND FLOW
Caltech studies fish schools to improve wind farms
May 31, 2010 (Green.Blorge)

"Researchers at the California Institute of Technology are testing new wind farm configurations based on observations of schools of fish. By using vertical wind turbines and placing them better in relation to each other, wind farms may be able to produce 10 times the amount of energy per acre…

"Fluid-dynamics expert John Dabiri, head of of Caltech’s Biological Propulsion Laboratory, and his graduate students Robert Whittlesey and Sebastian Liska are looking into two aspects of wind farms to improve their efficiency. First, the team looked at how to get more turbines onto the small plots of land. Second, they are studying the best placement of the turbines in relation to each other to generate the most energy."

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"Graduate students Whittlesey and Liska researched using vertical axis wind turbines rather than horizontal axis wind turbines. Horizontal axis wind turbines are the propeller type wind turbines usually arranged in rows on most current wind farms. Vertical wind turbines use vertical blades and don’t take up nearly the space…

"The next thing the researchers are examining is the most efficient configuration of turbines…In current wind farms, all of the turbines rotate in the same direction. But while studying the vortices left behind by fish swimming in a school, Dabiri noticed that some vortices rotated clockwise, while others rotated counter-clockwise. Dabiri therefore wants to examine whether alternating the rotation of vertical-axis turbines in close proximity will help improve efficiency. The second observation he made studying fish-and seen in Whittlesey and Liska’s simulation-was that the vortices formed a 'staircase' pattern, which contrasts with current wind farms that place turbines neatly in rows."

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"Dabiri has purchased two acres of land north of Los Angeles establishing the Caltech Field Laboratory for Optimized Wind Energy (FLOWE). This site will be used to test vertical axis wind turbines and various configurations in real world conditions…[T]hey will be using six vertical [15 kilowatt] wind turbines on movable platforms so that they can research different turbine configurations. Three of the wind turbines to be used are being provided by Windspire Energy. In return, the company will get a copy of the research results. The other three turbines have been bought from another manufacturer….

"Dabiri thinks that the FLOWE research may lead to wind turbine configurations that will yield 10 times the amount of energy generated by wind farms today…Further research is expected to include power-generation experiments that will look at using the generated power locally or through the grid."


BIG MONEY, NEW SUN
SunEdison venture could lead to $1.5 billion in solar energy projects
Dan Beyers, May 31, 2010 (Washington Post)

"SunEdison…develops solar energy plants around the world…[and] is teaming with one of the industry's largest private-equity companies in a joint venture that could generate up to $1.5 billion in new projects.

"The deal with First Reserve comes as the price of manufacturing photovoltaic cells has dropped sharply in the past 18 months, making new projects much more affordable. At the same time, a growing number of governments around the world are requiring utilities to generate more power from renewable sources -- helping to kick up demand for solar…Rhone Resch, president and chief executive of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said the deal could be a harbinger of what's to come in the industry…"

Prices have been coming progressively down but never more precipitously than last year. (click to enlarge)

"With 350 projects built or underway, SunEdison is already one of the world's largest developers of solar energy projects. The company has a healthy backlog of plants going through the permitting process and waiting for funding…[It] specializes in developing projects in areas near existing portions of the electrical grid in order to avoid large transmission costs. Its plants range from big, utility-scale operations to smaller rooftop systems…Any excess is typically sold back to utilities.

"… SunEdison and First Reserve have agreed to put $167 million into their new venture, which they say should be enough to attract additional debt financing to fund as much as $825 million in new projects. First Reserve may raise an additional $150 million of equity, which can be leveraged to bring the total amount of projects funded to $1.5 billion…"

SunEdison keeps making deals while the prices fall. (click to enlarge)

"Demand for solar power is projected to grow. At least [31] states have adopted rules requiring utilities to generate power from renewable sources, and federal climate legislation contemplates a [Renewable Electricity Standard (RES)]…In addition, the federal government has adopted tax credits, grants and loan guarantee programs to create incentives for new solar projects.

"The cost of manufacturing solar cells has fallen 40 percent in less than two years, which many attribute in part to a decision by several countries to curb incentives. Spain, in particular, moved to cap the size of its market, shrinking the opportunities there by roughly 75 percent, Resch said. Many manufacturers that ramped up production in anticipation of new orders suddenly found themselves with a glut of supply."


LEAF EV SOLD OUT AT NISSAN
Nissan's LEAF EV Sells Out for 2010
Jamie Lendino, June 1, 2010 (PC Magazine)

"Nissan’s electric LEAF has sold out for this year, with 19,000 pre-orders for the $33,000 car. This exceeded expectation…[The company] may have to stop taking reservations. Nissan is aiming at selling 500,000 electric vehicles starting in 2013.

"…[R]eports on the quality of the LEAF…[are] positive…[It] has a 100-mile range, a top speed of 90 mph, and the $33,000 price is reduced to $25,000 after the federal credit. It's also roomy (five seats and a big trunk), and Nissan has apparently managed to manufacture the cheapest electric car battery yet, making the car more affordable."

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"The long-delayed Chevy Volt is also coming out later this year, probably for around $40,000 (before tax credit). Toyota recently partnered with Tesla to release the electric Model S sedan.

"…[T]he Gulf oil spill will probably give…electric cars a useful boost over the next couple of years. 19,000 pre-orders seems like a good start... if the company can follow through and deliver a good car…"