QUICK NEWS, 11-8: NEW ENERGY’S ELECTION TALLY; FROM RENEWABLE TO CLEAN; 70,000 JOBS FOR UK OCEAN WIND; BIG SUN VERSUS THE CLOCK

NEW ENERGY’S ELECTION TALLY
For Clean Tech, One Big Election Win and an Uncertain National Landscape
Clint Wilder, November 3, 2010 (Clean Edge)

"…California voters delivered a [resounding] victory to the state's clean-energy economy in the nation's most important vote for clean tech, defeating Proposition 23 by an overwhelming 61-39 percent margin…Californians also elected stalwart clean-tech supporter Jerry Brown as their next governor by a 13-point margin…And Golden State voters also re-elected another great clean-tech ally, Sen. Barbara Boxer, to her fourth term.

"…[T]he defeat of Prop. 23…especially with its overwhelming numbers, sends a strong message to future potential efforts to roll back progressive, clean tech-promoting initiatives around the country. The specter of Prop. 23 was the clean-tech community's first big, direct political challenge since the election of President Obama, and it passed with flying colors…[but] Election Day 2010 didn't turn out so well for the clean-tech industry. The ascension of dozens of House and Senate candidates not at all committed to a clean-energy economy - including outright climate-change deniers like Wisconsin Senator-elect Ron Johnson - severely diminishes hope of any significant action at the Congressional level for the next two years."

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"But the state level is really where the action is for creating economic incentives to start, relocate, or expand clean-tech businesses…[T]his year's results create a big air of uncertainty. In governors' races, clean tech, particularly the wind power industry, lost two of its best political champions in Iowa's Chet Culver and Ohio's Ted Strickland. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn held on in a squeaker, although a recount is possible. Colorado fared much better, with former Denver mayor and clean-energy advocate John Hickenlooper's convincing gubernatorial win boding well for continuation of the state's progressive policies under retiring Gov. Bill Ritter.

"Four other significant clean tech-supporting governors—Michigan's Jennifer Granholm, Wisconsin's Jim Doyle, Kansas' Mark Parkinson, and Pennsylvania's Ed Rendell, were either term-limited or chose not to run, and in all four races the statehouse changed from Democratic to Republican hands. That doesn't necessarily mean disaster, as outgoing Republican governors and clean-tech champions Arnold Schwarzenegger (California) and Charlie Crist (Florida) have shown…"

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"[T]he outlook is uncertain. Clean-tech players in Michigan, for example, are hopeful that GOP governor-elect Rick Snyder, co-founder of nanotechnology-investing venture firm Ardesta and a board member of The Nature Conservancy in Michigan, will continue Granholm's aggressive push for clean-tech jobs.

"In the Northeast there was better news, as Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, a staunch clean-tech supporter, survived a tough challenge to win re-election by a solid seven-point margin…But the U.S. can't compete for 21st century jobs and economic leadership on a global scale if clean tech is identified strictly as a blue coastal state, Democratic-liberal phenomenon…[which means this was] a mixed-bag election for the clean-tech industry…"


FROM RENEWABLE TO CLEAN
The RES is Dead, Long Live the CES; A national renewable electricity standard died on Election Day, clean energy lobbyists say.
Bill Opalka, November 5, 2010( Renewables Biz)

"Even renewable energy's back-up plan for federal support appears to be off the table…[T]he renewable electricity standard (RES) that has been bandied about Capitol Hill for a decade…includes wind, solar biomass and possibly hydro as a clean energy fuel source. Expanding the definition to include nuclear and possibly carbon capture turns that into a clean energy standard (CES).

"The changeover in the U.S. House of Representatives from Republican to Democratic control will have numerous implications for renewable energy…[One of the speakers at] an election post-mortem webinar hosted by the law firm Chadbourne & Parke…said the switch is a "net negative" for renewable energy generally. A common view was that energy incentives, mostly in the form of "tax extenders" for project development were as far as Congress was likely to go in the lame duck session in late November."

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"A consensus view, even one admitted by President Obama himself, is that carbon cap-and-trade is dead in the next Congress…[and] a modest RES similar to the one that passed a Senate committee - 15 percent by 2021 including energy efficiency - now appears to be without a future as well…"

[Jonathan Weisgall, MidAmerican Energy Holdings:] "I think the major impact of the elections would be to turn that RES into a CES, turning that renewable electricity standard into a clean electricity standard that would include nuclear, would include carbon capture and storage, which I think is more in keeping with Republican mantra of `more of all of the above'…That of course changes things, because a federal RES has a goal of promoting renewables. A clean energy standard has a broader goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

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"The move to a CES is not without precedent. The idea was floated in Arizona this year but was shot down rather quickly…The industry had hoped that the RES could be considered in the lame duck session late in November, but the speakers said the session will be consumed by pressing matters that have to be dealt with by year's end: continued federal spending that would run out in early December; the Bush tax cuts; and extending unemployment benefits…"

[Richard Glick, Iberdrola Renewable Energies:] "I think we need to broaden our minds in the renewable community and not be as doctrinaire as we've been in the past…If you broaden the definition you're going to have to increase the numbers we've been talking about [perhaps in the 25 to 30 percent range]…"


70,000 JOBS FOR UK OCEAN WIND
Go-ahead for wind to generate 70,000 jobs
Fiona Harvey, October 25, 2010 (Financial Times)

"Offshore wind will create 70,000 ‘green jobs’…as hundreds of millions of pounds of planned investments in turbine manufacturing were confirmed [by the UK government, securing pending]…investments by companies including General Electric, Siemens and Gamesa of Spain…

"David Cameron said £60m of spending earmarked for upgrading British ports to make them suitable for handling large offshore turbines would go ahead…GE will invest £100m in a manufacturing plant, creating about 1,900 jobs by 2020…Gamesa will spend €150m (£133m) setting up its worldwide centre for offshore wind in Britain, including a research and development centre and a turbine-manufacturing plant, generating 1,000 jobs, with another 800 indirectly at local suppliers…Siemens announced an £80m plan for a turbine factory, creating 700 jobs at a site in the east or north-east."

Tens of thousands of UK jobs will land in the UK at ports like these preparing to make a massive expansion of offshore wind possbile. (click to enlarge)

"The spending on ports was vital to securing the wind investment. During the summer, Siemens told the Financial Times it was unlikely to continue with its plans without this reassurance."

[Gordon Edge, RenewableUK:] “This is a great day for the UK’s wind industry. We are set to realise the full potential of offshore wind both in terms of energy and job creation, and are happy that the government has shown vision and drive over this issue.”


BIG SUN VERSUS THE CLOCK
Government funding for solar energy: US applicants in a race against time; The US federal grant deadline is fast approaching, yet concentrating solar power developers have yet to break ground on a single project. Will CSP developers be shovel-ready by December 31?
John Johnson and Rikki Stancich, 28 October 2010 (CSP Today)

"…One of the conditions for the U.S. Department of Energy grants [for solar power plants and other projects] is that developers must break ground on projects by the end of the year in order to qualify for the lucrative federal assistance…That means that permitting and financing must be in place soon…[D]evelopers must [also] continue to work on the projects non-stop once they break ground, or risk losing funding…[They] have until 2016 to finish the projects…

"There are two ways to meet the U.S. government’s requirement for funding – a condition called “conducting physical work of a significant nature,” which is the breaking ground approach, or the “5 percent safe harbor,” which requires developers to commit 5 percent of the capital for the project up front…Most developers [are expected to] go the former route…[T]he majority of large projects that are well into their planning and permitting phase are capable of breaking ground this year."

It takes time and money to transform deserts into... (click to enlarge)

"BrightSource Energy, Inc., is the first to have done so. Having secured all the necessary permits to commence construction, the project broke ground on its Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in the final week of October…Solar Trust of America's Blythe Solar Power Project in Riverside, California also received permitting in the last week of October. However, with only 8 weeks to go, others are still awaiting final permitting approvals.

"Next to permitting, the biggest challenge for most developers is to secure the financing to begin serious construction work beyond site prep, such as purchasing equipment, deployment of equipment and making sure heavy construction equipment is secured and ready to go…[A] difference between the tens of millions…[for site preparation] and the billions [needed] to build a full project…Again, BrightSource Energy leads the way…[T]o develop the Ivanpah project…NRG will invest up to US$300 million…"

...solar power plants. (click to enlarge)

"…There have been rumors swirling through the industry that the DOE may extend the end of the year shovel-in-ground deadline…[T]he DOE has made no commitment…[W]hile an extension is not out of the question, most developers are not counting on it…

"With an extension unlikely, Solar Trust of America is busy working out procurement details, getting equipment into place and finalizing logistics in order to break ground as soon as possible once it receives final permitting and financing…[Their] Blythe project gained approval in 10 months, instead of the three years that is typical of such large projects."