QUICK NEWS, February 9: WORLD WIND STILL GROWING; GERMANY IN HUGE CALIFORNIA SUN BUY; WHAT GEOTHERMAL, BIOMASS & HYDROPOWER ALL WANT

WORLD WIND STILL GROWING
World wind capacity increases by 6%
James Quilter, 07 February 2012 (Windpower Monthly)

"The world's wind energy capacity increased by 41GW in 2011, a 21% increase on 2010's rise, according to figures from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).

"Overall global capacity has increased by 6%. The largest addition came from China, which installed an additional 18GW and almost three times as much as the US with 6,810MW. China took its capacity to over 62GW with the US on 47GW…"

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"Other big increases came from India, adding 3GW to go to 16GW, and Germany, adding 2GW to go to 29GW…Germany was also the major developer in Europe, with Spain and the UK adding 1GW and 1.2GW respectively. Overall Europe installed 10GW to take its total to 96.6GW.

"Although the figures show wind capacity continues to grow, rate of growth has slowed…[In 2010] capacity increased by 35.8GW a rise of 22.5%...In emerging markets, Brazil and Mexico continued to add capacity with 583MW (to 1.5GW) and 354MW (873MW) respectively. Both were increases on last year's figures…"


GERMANY IN HUGE CALIFORNIA SUN BUY
German firm buys two solar projects east of the Coachella Valley
K. Kaufmann, February 8, 2012 (Desert Sun)

"Two stalled solar projects east of the Coachella Valley could still repower after being sold to a German company with a track record of financing and completing utility-scale projects.

"But it may take two years or longer until new owner Solarhybrid breaks new ground on either the 1,000-megawatt Blythe project or the 500-megawatt Palen project…[Both were acquired] from former owner Solar Millennium, the German developer that filed for bankruptcy [and both were originally planned as solar thermal plants that promised hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in economic growth for eastern Riverside County [only to be delayed and changed to PV projects]..."

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"…The deal also gives Solarhybrid a 70 percent interest in Solar Trust of America, Solar Millennium's U.S. subsidiary that has managed the projects…Solar Millennium filed for bankruptcy in December, citing the delay in completing the deal as a cause of its cash flow problems.

"…[B]oth the Blythe and Palen plants are listed on Solarhybrid's website as projects the company has under development, with starting dates estimated between 2013 and 2018…The company has completed 18 solar projects in Europe — mostly in Germany, all photovoltaic and all 60 megawatts or less. Its own financial management subsidiary handles funding for its solar projects…"


WHAT GEOTHERMAL, BIOMASS & HYDROPOWER ALL WANT
Hydropower, Geothermal and Biomass Power Executives Call for
Extension of the Production Tax Credit; Industries with significant operations in Southeastern and Western states see risk to thousands of jobs
February 8, 2012 (GEA, NHA, BPA)

"…[E]xecutives from the hydropower, geothermal and biomass power industries called on Congressional leaders to extend the production tax credit through 2016 for hydropower, geothermal and biomass. The three industries operate in parts of the country not often associated with renewable energy – particularly the Southeast and Mountain West – and company and trade association leaders expressed concern for a looming crisis that has put thousands of jobs in these states at risk. The call comes as opponents of renewable energy tax policy place the future of these industries in jeopardy.

"The group called for the immediate passage of H.R. 3307: American Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit Extension Act of 2011, which covers all renewable technologies, and is sponsored by Rep. Dave Reichert [R-WA8] and Rep. Earl Blumenauer [D-OR3] with over 60 bipartisan cosponsors, including 16 Republicans…"

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"The call to action was accompanied by a letter to Congressional leaders…[which stated:]…For most renewable electricity technologies in the United States, the tax incentives put in place over the last decade provided the first significant federal support in decades. By any measure, those policies have been tremendously successful in spurring construction of new projects and the deployment of new technologies, expanding the supply of affordable, clean electricity to the grid, supporting significant local economic opportunities, and creating tens of thousands of U.S. jobs in regions of the country not usually associated with renewable energy…

"…The policies signed into law over the last decade sought to expand federal support and incentives to a wide range of technologies, and to provide longer-term incentives that support industry growth and new technology deployment. And they have been successful in creating momentum for new construction, new capacity and new jobs in America’s renewable energy industry. Those policies and the investments and jobs that they help create need to be kept in place so they can continue to work for America’s economy…"