QUICK NEWS, July 21: MISINFORMATION ATTACK ON WIND; PSST – GOT ANY TELLURIUM?; NEW ENERGY IN THE HEARTLANDS; SOLAR AGGREGATOR GOES NAT’L

MISINFORMATION ATTACK ON WIND
The Facts About Wind Energy and Emissions
July 20, 2011 (American Wind Energy Association)

"Recent data and analyses have made it clear that the emissions and fuel use savings from adding wind energy to the grid are even larger than had been commonly thought. In addition to each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of wind energy directly offsetting a kWh that would have been produced by a fossil-fired power plant, new analyses show that wind farms further reduce emissions by forcing the most polluting and inflexible power plants offline and causing them to be replaced by more efficient and flexible types of generation.

"At the same time, and in spite of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, opponents of wind energy have launched an increasingly desperate misinformation campaign to convince the American public that wind energy does not significantly reduce emissions…"

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"At the forefront of this misinformation campaign are two reports written by the natural gas consulting firm Bentek, the first of which was paid for by the fossil fuel lobby group Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States (IPAMS). The President and CEO of Bentek, the company that wrote the reports, is also the Chairman and Director of IPAMS' Natural Gas Committee and a member of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association.

"Both Bentek reports are directly refuted by large bodies of U.S. Department of Energy and grid operator data showing that fossil fuel use and pollution decrease drastically as wind energy is added to the grid. In particular, the first report’s claim that wind energy has not reduced emissions in Colorado and Texas is directly contradicted by government data…"


PSST – GOT ANY TELLURIUM?
Will materials shortages hinder thin-film PV development? Markets for thin film solar photovoltaic (PV) devices are growing rapidly, with a range of devices under development using different materials.
18 July 2011 (World of Photovoltaics)

Analysis by the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) has found that the availability of materials needed for [thin film solar photovoltaic (PV)] devices is sufficient for short-term requirements. However, if markets for thin film grow in line with some energy scenarios in the next 20 years demand for materials used in some devices could greatly exceed current global production. Information on the future supply of indium and tellurium, key to some thin film designs, is currently inadequate and it is not possible to determine whether supply can expand to meet demand."

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"…Materials Availability: Potential constraints to the future low-carbon economy…assesses the demand and supply of indium and tellurium – secondary metals typically extracted with zinc and copper and used in some types of thin film PV modules. It is part of a wider UKERC research project into the scarcity of materials for advanced low-carbon technologies."

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"The global market for solar PV is growing very rapidly, and some energy scenarios suggest that it could contribute as much as 10-15% of global electricity by 2050. Thin film PV devices are expected to occupy a significant share (35-40%) of this market…a market for thin films of perhaps 20 GW per year. Cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper, indium, di-selenide (CIGS) devices are both contenders for a large share of the thin film market…"


NEW ENERGY IN THE HEARTLANDS
Report: Greener energy policies will create more Midwest jobs
Thomas Content, July 19, 2011 (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

"…The Union of Concerned Scientists report concludes that the Midwest would add 87,500 jobs by 2030 if all of the Midwest states implemented a series of policies advocated by the Midwestern Governors Association…"

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"...A Bright Future for the Heartland…modeled the impact of policies that would set a 30% renewable electricity standard for Midwest states by 2030. Accompanying that would be aggressive energy efficiency policies that aim to reduce energy use by 2% a year beginning in 2015…"


SOLAR AGGREGATOR GOES NAT’L
One Block Off The Grid Introduces National Solar Program
18 July 2011 (Solar Industry)

"Solar group purchasing company One Block Off the Grid (1BOG) has launched 2,081 group deals on solar energy in 34 states, as well as a new interactive map designed to promote job creation at the state level...The project, called One Nation Off the Grid, signifies a new level of national reach for a single residential solar organization, according to 1BOG. It is the result of 175 new partnerships between One Block Off the Grid and solar installers across the country."

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"The U.S. Solar Market Map is an interactive, data-driven map that shows real-time levels of homeowner solar activity all the way down to the county level, as well as an estimated number of jobs that would be created in each state if solar policies were stronger. The map reveals whether group pricing on solar is available in a given county and includes an assessment of each state's clean energy policies…[1BOG] will contribute all profits from the national program to Kiva City, the new U.S.-based arm of Kiva.org's microlending platform."