QUICK NEWS, 10-24: A FIGHT WITH CHINA FOR SUN; WIND MAKES RECORD 15.2% OF TEXAS POWER; HOW EV BATTERIES WILL DO

A FIGHT WITH CHINA FOR SUN
U.S. Firms Seek To End China's 'Decimation' Of Domestic Solar Manufacturing
Michael Bates, 19 October 2011 (Solar industry)

'Backed by the support of six of its peers and a powerhouse D.C. law firm, manufacturer SolarWorld…filed cases with the U.S. Department of Commerce and International Trade Commission, alleging that Chinese cell and module makers have been illegally dumping products into the U.S. market…[T]he complaints are intended to ‘end China's decimation of U.S. solar manufacturing and jobs.’

"SolarWorld and the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing say gargantuan state-funded subsidies have given Chinese solar manufacturers an unfair advantage in the marketplace, with ‘dumping margins well in excess of 100 percent.’"

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[Gordon Brinser, president, SolarWorld Industries America Inc.:] "China actually has no production cost advantage. China's labor is less productive, its raw material and equipment have come from the West, and China must pay for long-distance shipping. Yet massive state subsidies and sponsorship have enabled Chinese manufacturers to illegally dump their products into a wide-open U.S. market."

"Law firm Wiley Rein LLP is representing the coalition in the petitions. The six members joining SolarWorld in the anti-dumping and countervailing-duty filings will not be publicly named…"


WIND MAKES RECORD 15.2% OF TEXAS POWER
Wind energy sets new record in Texas...
October 18, 2011 (American Wind Energy Association)

"…[W]ind turbines in the service territory of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT, the main Texas electric grid) set a new output record on Oct. 7. That afternoon, wind generated 15.2% of ERCOT's demand for electricity that afternoon, or 7,400 megawatts (MW)… According to ERCOT, wind energy…[is almost] 58 percent of all new generation…in planning stages…in Texas…"

[Michael Goggin, Manager of Transmission Policy, American Wind Energy Association (AWEA):] "This…is good news for consumers…Wind generation offsets the use of expensive fossil fuels, is pollution-free, and uses virtually no water, unlike other sources of electricity…"

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[Michael Goggin, Manager of Transmission Policy, American Wind Energy Association (AWEA):] "…[T]his is yet another case showing that large amounts of wind energy can be integrated into existing utility systems reliably…[as the] number of wind turbines and wind farms [in Texas] and in other windy states across America is continuing to grow…"

[Michael Goggin, Manager of Transmission Policy, American Wind Energy Association (AWEA):] "…[This] shows the success of stable federal tax policies, starting with the Production Tax Credit for renewable energy…Wind power is delivering cheap electricity to ratepayers in hard economic times, and it's hard to overstate the benefits of that far-sighted tax policy…"


HOW EV BATTERIES WILL DO
Electric Vehicle Batteries; Lithium Ion Batteries for Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid, and Battery Electric Vehicles: Market Analysis and Forecasts
Sreekanth Venkataraman and John Gartner, 4Q 2011 (Pike Research)

"Over the past few years, the automotive industry has increased its focus on the electric vehicle (EV) market by successfully introducing several new plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles…

"These vehicles will rely almost exclusively on lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries, while hybrid vehicles will slowly switch from nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) technology. While the cost of Li-ion batteries is gradually declining, cost still represents a significant hurdle as it accounts for a large portion of total EV cost."

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"The government subsidies that gave the initial impetus to the electric vehicle market will continue to drive the market in the near term…[S]ignificant reductions in battery cost are imperative for the industry to grow to the $14.6 billion and 28 million kWh market that Pike Research forecasts by 2017. Nearly half of the demand is likely to come from Asia (led primarily by China) while Europe and the United States are likely to constitute 25% and 21% shares…

"…There are currently more than half a dozen battery chemistries with unique properties for power, energy density, and life cycle performance that are being commercialized…[N]o chemistry [has emerged] as the clear winner (owing to the tradeoffs in the various properties)…[But there is likely to be] a greater interest in the lithium iron phosphate chemistry in the years to come due to its superior performance characteristics coupled with increased safety…"