QUICK NEWS, August 14: THE ATTACK ON NEW ENERGY; ORGANIZING COMMUNITIES FOR SOLAR; WIRES BENEATH THE WATERS

THE ATTACK ON NEW ENERGY Sierra Club: Clean energy 'under siege'

August 3, 2012 (UPI)

“The U.S. clean energy market is ‘under siege’ at the federal and state levels by ‘powerful, free-spending’ opponents…[according to the Sierra Club’s] Clean Energy Under Siege: Following the Money Trail Behind the Attack on Renewable Energy...

“…[The report said] wind energy production has doubled since 2009 and the wind industry is ‘on track to produce 20 percent of America's electricity by 2030.’…[C]osts of generating solar energy are coming down and sales of electric cars have grown 164 percent since June 2011…That level of growth and success has made renewable energy more of a force to be reckoned with in energy markets…[and] drawn competitive attacks from oil, coal, and gas…[R]enewable energy is favored by large majorities of the public but.’the political spending power of the traditional energy industries is unrivaled.’”

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“…[The] siege at the congressional level…[is exemplified by] congressional investigations into a government-backed loan to the solar panel maker Solyndra…[The] siege at the state level…[is] through the efforts of the American Legislative Exchange Council on behalf of oil, coal and gas industry interests, and ‘well-funded fossil-fuel advocacy groups [that] masquerade as think tanks.’

“…[The siege is] by some of the most powerful, free-spending entities in the nation…[R]eports by the campaign finance tracking group Open Secrets…[show] oil and gas spent more than $146 million on lobbying in 2011, and ‘campaign expenditures by Koch family entities Koch Industries and Oxbow Corp. place them in two of the top three campaign spending slots for 2011-2012.’ …[O]il and gas industry interests contributed to the campaigns of 88 percent of members of the U.S. House of Representatives, and 89 of 100 U.S. senators, during the 2010 election cycle…Republicans [got] 86 percent of all oil and gas donations.”

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ORGANIZING COMMUNITIES FOR SOLAR SunShot Solar Outreach Partnership

August 9, 2012 (The Solar Foundation)

“Through the SunShot Solar Outreach Partnership (OP), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) works to remove solar market barriers and encourage the development of a sustainable solar infrastructure by residents and businesses in local communities…

“The Solar Foundation [TSF] works with DOE and a number of other organizations to provide technical expertise to local governments that are interested in implementing solar programs and policies…”

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“TSF and our partners…[provide] local governments…with tools and…[empowers them] to take informed action to build and expand their local solar markets…[with] a comprehensive, holistic approach rather than think project-by-project…

“SunShot Solar OPs teams provide information in many relevant areas, including solar policies and regulations, financial incentives, workforce training, and best practices for engaging utilities and members of the community…[through] national newsletters…peer-to-peer information sharing…[and] one-on-one workshops…[based on] Solar Powering Your Community: A Guide for Local Governments…”

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WIRES BENEATH THE WATERS Submarine Electricity Transmission; HVDC and HVAC Submarine Power Cables: Supply Constraints, Demand Drivers, Technology Issues, Prominent Projects, Key Industry Players, and Global Market Forecasts

3Q 2012 (Pike Research/Navigant)

“…Demand for submarine cables is growing steadily as national governments and regional organizations pledge their efforts to expanding offshore renewable power generation, linking remote land masses, and interconnecting their national grids. These projects often involve subsea connections or power generation that is found in offshore wind farms. As cable technology advances, more projects are proposed that require longer, deeper, and higher-capacity cables.

“…[Purchasers and developers have proposed installing an additional 6,800 km of high-voltage submarine cables in almost 70 new projects around the world between 2012 and 2016. This is 3,200 km more than what was constructed during the previous 5-year period. This growth will be impossible to realize using only the current, already strained, channels of supply]…”

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“…Pike Research’s analysis finds that the supply chain will not be capable of meeting the full demand in this growing market. While there are very few companies that are capable of performing each step in the installation process, from surveying to final installation, the tightest bottleneck in this already constrained supply chain is the cable manufacturers…

“[Cable deployments are trending toward HVDC technology because of advancements in HVDC cables and equipment, while allowing the cables to handle longer distances, higher voltages, and deeper routes than the HVAC cables.]…Only a handful of companies are capable of building the complex cables that are required…[To meet the demand] cable manufacturers will need to increase their production significantly. While some projects will likely encounter delays due to the limited supply chain, additional market players and increased capacity by existing suppliers will help the industry begin to catch up…”

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