QUICK NEWS, 2-10: THE NATION WANTS NEW ENERGY; SUN LOOKS BRIGHT; $50 MIL TO OCEAN WIND R&D; AZ GIVES BIG SUN FINAL OK

THE NATION WANTS NEW ENERGY
Survey: 79% have favorable view of solar energy
February 7, 2011 (Denver Business Journal)

"A new survey from Pike Research shows that 79 percent of Americans have a favorable view of solar energy, and 75 percent are favorable toward wind energy…[O]nly 15 percent [have] a favorable view of ‘cap and trade,’ the concept of setting limits on emissions and letting businesses buy and sell permits to pollute.

"Pike Research surveyed 1,000 adults to gauge consumer support for various renewable energy ideas. It ranked 12 energy and environmental concepts by the percentage of those surveyed who said they had a ‘very favorable’ or ‘favorable’ view of each idea…[S]olar and wind energy [are] viewed most favorably, followed by hybrid vehicles (64 percent favorable), electric cars (57 percent) and biofuels and clean coal (tied at 47 percent)."

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"Cap and trade got the lowest favorable rating, followed by LEED certification (19 percent favorable) and carbon offsets/credits (24 percent).

"…LEED, the environmental certification program of the U.S. Green Building Council…[had] a very low level of familiarity among respondents — 53 percent stated that they were unfamiliar with the program, the lowest level of familiarity…LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design."

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"Cap and trade as well as nuclear power got the highest unfavorable ratings, 19 percent each. Nuclear power got a 42 percent favorable rating, placing it in the middle of the pack.

"Oil and natural gas were not included among the 12 tested concepts; nor were hydroelectric or geothermal energy."


SUN LOOKS BRIGHT
Residential solar in 2011, US consumers poised to capitalize; Among other factors, adverse conditions in global solar panel markets make solar energy’s future bright.
Justin Molavi (W/Josh McBee), February 2011 (IBIS World)

"…[T]he future of sustainable energy in the United States…[is] solar power…[T]he future of solar power…[depends on] the prices for solar panels…[T]he future of solar panels…[is in] China.

"…[M]ost solar manufacturing capacity…[is] in China…[because] low-cost labor allows companies to produce cheaper products…[and there are] lucrative partnerships with governments…[and] favorable loans from state-run banks…China’s share of the US solar panel market [was] 23 percent in 2010, with that number projected to continue rising…[The U.S.] Solar Power Generation industry grew at an annual rate of 6.9% in the five years to 2010…"

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"…Chinese solar manufacturing companies have yet to move surplus inventory created during the recession…in 2007 and 2008…As a result, low-cost panels are available, which in turn lowers the up front costs of solar power generation for customers. Panel prices have fallen from the high range of $3.50 to $5.00 a watt noted during 2008 to an expected $1.55 per watt in 2011…Decreased demand from solar power-generation firms in European countries will reduce industry revenue for solar panel manufacturers. In turn, these manufacturers will lower prices…

"…Solar markets outside of Europe (i.e. America) lack generous subsidies like FITs. As a result, relative slow growth in these other solar markets will also serve to lower panel prices…[and the] US government’s 30% federal tax program…[favor] concentrating solar power (CSP)…which will also lower the cost of solar panels by shifting demand…"

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"…[T]he higher electricity prices climb, the more likely consumers will be to turn to solar. Consequently, forecasting the likelihood of consumers’ solar adoption requires projecting the price of electricity…[H]igh disposable income could be seen as a harbinger of increased demand, which will consequently increase traditional electricity costs…

"The bottom line for people looking to power their homes via solar is this: Power companies profit at the expense of consumers who lack either the wherewithal or capital (or both) to find alternative sources of energy…Sunshine, on the other hand, is free. Increased market acceptance of solar combined with changing attitudes about sustainable living have spurred industry growth…[C]urrent conditions in solar panel production overseas and projections for electricity prices, the future for solar use in America looks bright indeed."


$50 MIL TO OCEAN WIND R&D
Federal offshore wind plan: $50.5 million in research funding
Tiffany Hsu, February 7, 2011 (LA Times)

"…Federal agencies are jumping on the goal that President Obama set in his State of the Union address last month, aiming to derive 80% of all electricity generation across the country from clean energy sources by 2035.

"Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar…[together announced] a new game plan that will set up a network of wind turbines off the Eastern seaboard potentially by the end of the year."

New Energy where it's needed. (click to enlarge)

"The government will offer $50.5 million in funding for research and development over the next five years and identified potential sites on the outer continental shelf off of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia…Wind projects in those areas will probably enjoy a fast-tracked permitting process. The agencies also plan to pinpoint similar areas off Massachusetts, Rhode Island and North Carolina this spring.

"Though officials acknowledged the barriers to offshore wind development -– high costs, technical challenges, difficulty setting up transmission, lack of site data –- they said they hoped to begin offering leases for potential facilities as early as the end of this year."

An enormous New Energy resource (click to enlarge)

"Officials expect to eventually tap locations in the Pacific, the Gulf of Mexico, the Great Lakes and off Hawaii, resulting in 10 gigawatts in offshore wind capacity by the end of the decade and 54 gigawatts by 2030…Offshore wind energy could provide enough electricity to power the country four times over…

"There are no offshore wind farms in the U.S., where the concept of electricity coming from gusty sea breezes has drawn interest from supporters such as Google and ire from some coastal residents who worry that the technology could affect the local fishing industry and detract from views."


AZ GIVES BIG SUN FINAL OK
Arizona Corporation Commission Approves SolarReserve’s Crossroads Solar Energy Project; …permitting milestone for…proposed…solar thermal project…[with] innovative molten salt energy storage solution
February 7, 2011 (SolarReserve)

"SolarReserve, a U.S. developer of utility-scale solar power projects…has received its final Certificates of Environmental Compatibility (CEC) by unanimous decision (5-0) from the Arizona Corporation Commission for its 150 megawatt (MW) Crossroads Solar Energy Project. The approval includes the associated transmission line connecting the project to Arizona Public Service’s transmission grid…

"…The project will create over 450 construction jobs during the two-year construction period and up to 5,000 direct and induced jobs, including offsite supplier and supporting activities. The project has a capital cost in excess of $500 million and is expected to generate economic development in Gila Bend and throughout the region. It will employ at least 45 full-time, permanent operations staff throughout the 30-year project operating life and has an annual operating budget of up to $10 million per year, largely spent locally."

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"Located on privately owned and actively cultivated land west of the Town of Gila Bend in Maricopa County, Arizona, the 150 megawatt Crossroads Solar Energy Project will supply approximately 450,000 megawatt hours annually of reliable, green, zero-emission electricity to Arizona - enough to power up to 100,000 homes during peak electricity periods…

"…[Crossroads Solar] will utilize an advanced molten salt, power tower technology developed by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, a division of United Technologies Corporation, providing the ability to store 10 hours of solar energy and generate electricity on demand, even after the sun goes down. This energy storage capability provides a stable, predictable electricity product and can replace conventional power generation that produces harmful emissions from burning coal, natural gas and oil…"

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"…SolarReserve, LLC…holds the exclusive worldwide license to the molten salt, solar power tower technology developed by United Technologies Corporation. Since its formation in late 2007, SolarReserve’s team of power project professionals have assembled a concentrated solar power development portfolio of more than 25 projects…with potential output of more than 3,000 megawatts in the United States and Europe…[and] is also developing…photovoltaic projects across the United States…and internationally…

"SolarReserve’s molten salt, concentrating solar power tower technology was successfully demonstrated in California under a U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored pilot project in the late 1990s. The 10-megawatt pilot facility utilized a molten salt receiver designed, engineered and assembled by Rocketdyne, now a part of United Technologies Corporation."