QUICK NEWS, September 19: UTILITY IN BIG WIND BUY; 15 LOAN GUARANTEES PENDING; SUCH-A-DEAL SUN CARS; NEW TRANSMISSION FOR NEW ENERGY

UTILITY IN BIG WIND BUY
Austin Energy Signs Two Wind Power Mega-Deals, Negotiating Another
15 September 2011 (North American Windpower)

"The Austin City Council has approved two new wind contracts totaling 291 MW and has authorized Austin Energy to negotiate a third wind contract for an additional 200 MW. If the latter contract is approved, it will allow Austin Energy to meet 30% of its power needs by the end of 2012…[near] its 35% by 2020 goal.

"The new wind farms will be located near the Texas coast and will produce their highest output during peak-demand times…[T]he projects will be located in an area with sufficient transmission infrastructure…"

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"The first contract is a 25-year purchase power agreement (PPA) totaling $675 million with Duke Energy Generation Services for 200 MW from the Los Vientos project…The second 25-year PPA, worth $375 million, is with MAP Royalty Inc. for 91 MW from the White Tail project…The council also authorized Austin Energy to negotiate a 25-year PPA with Iberdrola Renewables Inc. for 200 MW from the [$725 million] Penascal III project in Kenedy County…

"The Duke and Iberdrola projects are within 15 miles of the coast, while the MAP project is 75 miles from the coast. The contract prices [for energy produced only] are on a per-megawatt-hour basis, are fixed and will not change over the term of the agreements…"


15 LOAN GUARANTEES PENDING
Officials hope to approve more loan guarantees
Kevin Freking, September 15, 2011 (AP via Yahoo News)

"The Obama administration is moving to finalize as many as 15 loan guarantees for renewable energy companies before the stimulus program ends on Sept. 30, and Republicans are questioning whether that could lead to more failures like Solyndra Inc., a company that filed for bankruptcy and may leave taxpayers on the hook for a half-billion-dollar loan.

"The loan guarantees essentially make it easier for the companies to get financing as the government guarantees repayment in the event of default. In Solyndra's case, the loan came from the government itself, but private banks often provide the financing."

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"A spokesman for the Energy Department said the department won't take any shortcuts during the approval process…

"A congressional subcommittee is examining the loan guarantee program…[T]he White House Office of Management and Budget…[may have been rushed to approve] a loan guarantee for Solyndra, a California manufacturer of solar panels. The company is also the subject of an FBI investigation…"


SUCH-A-DEAL SUN CARS
Combining Solar Power and Your Electric Vehicle – Too Practical to Pass Up…
Zachary Shahan, September 17, 2011 (Clean Technica)

"…A small, 1.2-kilowatt solar system priced at around $4,000 will cover charging costs for an electric vehicle for up to 40 years…For $4,000 you can buy your ‘gas’ for the next 40 years.

"For the next forty years you will be producing the power for your EV for $8.33 a month. Those are fixed dollars, not dollars that will rise with inflation, the $8.33 per month is locked in."

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"The $185 per month that ICEV owners will be paying for gas? In forty years, based on past inflation, will cost you $1,027…Price for gas now = $185…Price for electricity now = $8.33…Price for gas forty years from now $1,027…Price for electricity forty years from now $8.33…

"Forty years from now $8.33 will have the buying power of $1.44 in today’s dollars. For less than the price of a latte, you charge your EV for a month…On an annual basis, $12,324 for gas, $100 for electricity…What’s not to love about that?"


NEW TRANSMISSION FOR NEW ENERGY
Major Renewable Energy Transmission Project Secures Development Funding
15 September 2011 (North American Windpower)

"The Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) and TransWest Express LLC…[will] fund the TransWest Express Transmission (TWE) Project's development phase.

"The TWE project's development phase will determine the feasibility of constructing and operating a 725-mile, 600 kV direct-current transmission line that would facilitate renewable energy delivery from Wyoming to the southwestern U.S. The project would interconnect with the existing transmission grid near Rawlins, Wyo., and the Marketplace Hub, near Las Vegas…"

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?TWE and WAPA will each pay up to $25 million to complete the development phase. If WAPA continues its participation in the project into the construction phase - a decision that will be made when the environmental analysis is complete - additional borrowing authority would be used…

"…The draft environmental impact statement is expected to be available for public comment in mid-2012, with a final environmental impact statement planned by 2013, and a record of decision expected by late 2013. Commercial operation would begin in late 2015 or early 2016."