QUICK NEWS, December 19: THE EU’S NEW ENERGY PLANS; OCEAN WIND BLDR DESPERATELY SEEKING BACKER; THE EV FUTURE OF CAR COMPUTING

THE EU’S NEW ENERGY PLANS
Energy Roadmap 2050: Renewables crucial for decarbonisation of the energy sector
Alexandre Roesch, December 15, 2011 (European Photovoltaic Industry Association)

"After several months of intense discussions, the European Commission presented…its Energy Roadmap 2050, exploring five decarbonisation scenarios to achieve an 85% domestic energy related CO2 emissions reduction by 2050.

click to enlarge

"The Roadmap recognises the increasing role of electricity in this evolution, highlighting the…importance of starting the transition now…Renewables are, together with energy savings, seen as crucial pillars for the energy system transformation…beyond 2020…[I]n all scenarios, the share of renewable energy rises substantially, up to 97% in the electricity portfolio of the High Renewables Scenario."

Against this background, however, the Roadmap lacks ambition when it comes to the post-2020 regulatory framework for renewables. It simply mentions the need for concrete ‘milestones’ for 2030, whereas EPIA and its umbrella association EREC (European Renewable Energy Council) are calling for a binding 45% renewable target for 2030.

"While all decarbonisation scenarios feature similar overall system costs, proving that a purely renewable-based strategy is economically sound, the Roadmap leads to unrealistic conclusions when it comes to the prices of electricity in the High Renewables Scenario...[ due to its reliance on a questionable economic model]…This document will now serve as a basis for a political discussion under the Danish presidency, which intends to produce Council conclusions in June 2012."


OCEAN WIND BLDR DESPERATELY SEEKING BACKER
NRG Energy's Bluewater Wind Puts The Brakes On Offshore Wind Farm
13 December 2011 (North American Windpower)

"NRG Energy… is halting active development of offshore wind projects for the near term. This includes the development of the Mid-Atlantic Wind Park, which had been planned off the coast of Delaware by NRG's subsidiary, Bluewater Wind…[but] Bluewater Wind has been unable to find an investment partner and intends to terminate the project's 200 MW power purchase agreement (PPA) with Delmarva Power & Light Co…the first offshore wind PPA in North America - by Dec. 23.

"Since NRG acquired Bluewater Wind in November 2009, the company has made significant financial investments in development to move the offshore wind project forward...[T]he outlook for offshore wind was positive [then]…[Now] the outlook for offshore wind and for the Delaware project has changed dramatically…[due to the elimination of] funding for the DOE’s loan-guarantee program applicable to offshore wind, and the failure to extend the federal investment and production tax credits for offshore wind…[ rendering] the Delaware project both unfinanceable and financially untenable…"

If Bluewater can build its project, it will have a big market. (click to enlarge)

"NRG will close its Bluewater Wind development office but preserve its options by maintaining its development rights and continuing to seek development partners and equity investors. If and when market conditions improve and the company is able to find partners, NRG says it will look to deploy the wind park and explore other viable offshore wind opportunities in the Northeast…

"NRG Bluewater's founder and president, Peter Mandelstam… has spent the last two weeks in Europe talking up the project to potential investors…[and said alternative plans are] in the works…"


THE EV FUTURE OF CAR COMPUTING
Electric Vehicle Telematics; Navigation, Infotainment, Range Conservation, Charging Station Location, Battery Performance, Charging Costs, and Other Key Connected Applications for Consumer and Fleet Markets
4Q 2011 (Pike Research)

"Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are set to be some of the most “connected” vehicles on the road. Telematics systems for PEVs come in two varieties: basic telematics provide simple data connections for emergency services, charging equipment locations, and diagnostics/vehicle monitoring; and connected vehicle telematics provide live traffic, weather, streaming content, and cloud computing-based applications…

"…Telematics provides the connection to utilities, grid operators, data providers, and owners’ smartphones. PEV telematics delivers information on electric usage, pricing, and state of charge to smartphones, while connected vehicle telematics will be used to deliver additional content and provide unique tools for PEV owners."

click to enlarge

"PEV telematics are expected to play a significant role in the smart grid, as well. The ability of these vehicles to communicate with both utilities and the grid will help utilities anticipate the location and duration of PEV charging…

"…Advance knowledge of where a load on the grid will be located or the length of time that a vehicle may be attached to the grid will ultimately help utilities manage the grid. PEV telematics will also aid in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) energy transfer, which will help manage demand response or grid balancing…This Pike Research report analyzes…plug-in electric vehicle sales, sales of basic and connected vehicle telematics, and global revenue forecasts through 2017, segmented by world region…"