QUICK NEWS, August 21: THE NUMBERS FOR WIND’S 2011; THE TRAFFIC IN ELECTRIC BUSES; MASSACHUSETTS’ NEW ENERGY PUSH IS GROWING JOBS

THE NUMBERS FOR WIND’S 2011 Energy Report: U.S. Wind Energy Production and Manufacturing Surges, Supporting Jobs and Diversifying U.S. Energy Economy

August 14, 2012 (U.S. Department of Energy)

“…According to the 2011 Wind Technologies Market Report, the United States remained one of the world’s largest and fastest growing wind markets in 2011, with wind power representing a remarkable 32 percent of all new electric capacity additions in the United States last year and accounting for $14 billion in new investment…

“…[T]he percentage of wind equipment made in America also increased dramatically. Nearly seventy percent of the equipment installed at U.S. wind farms last year – including wind turbines and components like towers, blades, gears, and generators - is now from domestic manufacturers, doubling from 35 percent in 2005…”

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“The report finds that in 2011, roughly 6,800 megawatts (MW) of new wind power capacity was added to the U.S. grid, a 31 percent increase from 2010 installations. The United States’ wind power capacity reached 47,000 MW by the end of 2011 and has since grown to 50,000 MW…The country’s cumulative installed wind energy capacity grew 16 percent from 2010, and has increased more than18-fold since 2000…[S]ix states now meet more than 10 percent of their total electricity needs with wind power.

“…[T]he wind sector employs 75,000 American workers, including workers at manufacturing facilities up and down the supply chain, as well as engineers and construction workers who build and operate the wind farms…Technical innovation allowing for larger wind turbines with longer, lighter blades has steadily improved wind turbine performance…[while] project capital and maintenance costs continue to decline…For new wind projects deployed last year, the price of wind under long-term power purchase contracts with utilities averaged 40 percent lower than in 2010 and about 50 percent lower than in 2009, making wind competitive with a range of wholesale power prices seen in 2011…”

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THE TRAFFIC IN ELECTRIC BUSES Electric Drive Buses; Hybrid, Plug-In Hybrid, Battery Electric, and Fuel Cell Buses: Global Market Analysis and Forecasts for Heavy Duty and Medium Duty Segments

3Q 2012 (Pike Research/Navigant)

“Over the past few years, government stimulus funding has helped drive adoption of alternative fuel buses around the world, including buses with electric drivetrains. Hybrid and battery buses have both benefitted from these initiatives, while fuel cell buses have had support from government programs designed to support transit fuel cell systems…

“…[For] electric drive options…many of [the] benefits accrue mostly to the public, rather than to owners or operators…[This] threatens to limit the commercial success of these technologies. All three bus options come with higher price tags than diesel or CNG buses, and bus operators must either offset these costs with government subsidies or achieve sufficient operational savings to offset the price premium.”

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“…[Overall, the global market for all electric drive buses is expected to grow steadily over the next 6 years, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.4% from 2012 to 2018 but the]…cost premium will be a challenge for both battery and fuel cell buses in securing significant market share, but both segments will continue to see growth as countries subsidize new bus technologies…

“…Hybrid buses have already captured significant market share in the United States, and China has also been strong in this technology. Hybrid buses will also begin to see more uptake in Europe, albeit at a slower rate than in the United States or China. Lithium ion batteries, the primary battery chemistry for battery buses, [with global demand over 162,000 kWh in 2012 and growing to more than 1.3 million kWh by 2018, a CAGR of 42%. They will] also supply a significant percentage of the energy storage needed in hybrid and fuel cell drivetrains…”

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MASSACHUSETTS’ NEW ENERGY PUSH IS GROWING JOBS Clean Energy Jobs Growing Rapidly In Massachusetts

17 August 2012 (Solar Industry)

“Massachusetts' clean energy economy grew by 11.2% from July 2011 to July 2012…[and] now employs 71,523 people at 4,995 clean energy firms across Massachusetts.

“According to [Massachusetts Clean Energy Report 2012 from Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), direct job growth] in work related to the state's clean energy sector…outpaced the overall economy nearly ten times over and is expected to continue, as employers surveyed expect to hire more workers in 2013.”

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“Clean energy continues to maintain its place as one of the commonwealth's marquee industries, with 1.7% of the total Massachusetts workforce…[in] a large number of firms in varied industries - ranging from construction and manufacturing to research and development - reporting activity and employment in the clean energy sector.

“…[The] report identified a large number of companies that do not necessarily identify themselves as clean energy companies first, but directly engage in activities related to the clean energy cluster - showing that clean energy penetrates numerous sectors of the Massachusetts economy…”

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