QUICK NEWS, November 12: POLITICAL GRIDLOCK COSTING GREEN JOBS; HOW THE OBAMA WIN HELPS IOWA WIND; SOLAR POWER TOWER AND TROUGHS FOR SO AFRICA

POLITICAL GRIDLOCK COSTING GREEN JOBS With Policy In Question, Wind Energy Jobs Plummet In Third Quarter

9 November 2012 (North American Windpower)

“More than 10,800 U.S. jobs in the clean energy and related sectors were announced in the third quarter, but that number represents a drastic drop from the second quarter, when 37,000 clean energy jobs were announced, and from the first quarter, when 46,000 jobs were created, according to a new report by Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2)…

“The main factor in the marked drop was policy uncertainty, especially the looming expiration of the production tax credit (PTC) for wind energy…In the wind industry, manufacturing job announcements fell to zero in the third quarter, compared to eight announcements in the first quarter and two in the second quarter…”

“Power generation companies announced the most clean energy jobs in the third quarter. Solar, wind and biogas companies announced 40 projects that together would create more than 6,000 jobs.

“The E2 report also notes that clean energy job announcements have no political or regional boundaries, as 48% of the announcements were in Republican congressional districts, 46% were in Democratic districts and 6% spanned more than one congressional district…The top 10 states for green jobs in the third quarter were California, New York, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, Texas, North Carolina, Minnesota, Illinois and Nevada…”

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HOW THE OBAMA WIN HELPS IOWA WIND The experts: 5 things the Obama victory means for Iowa

November 6, 2012 (Des Moines Register)

[Dianne Bystrom, director, Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics/Iowa State University:] “…A slowly recovering economy…Continued and expanded access to afffordable health care, especially for the uninsured, women, unemployed college graduates and senior citizens…Continuing tax credits for Iowa’s wind energy industry…An affirmation of the Iowa Supreme Court decision allowing gay civil unions…An expanded role for government…Continued gridlock in Washington, DC.”

[Graham Gillette, public affairs consultant, Des Moines:] “…[A] continued struggle with Congress to preserve and maintain the hallmarks of his first term…[and more conciliation] with Congress as he attempts to do so…[A better economy so we will be] better in 2016 than we were in 2012…[and the possibility of] finance reform…to significantly close the floodgate of money flowing into campaigns.”

[Steffen Schmidt, political science professor, Iowa State University:] “…Obama will buy a second home in Iowa maybe on Lake Okoboji…Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, and Obama will do a concert at the State Fair…The Obama campaign will treat all Iowan’s to free beer…When millionaire taxes are increased Iowa’s rich will move to the Cayman Islands…Wind power tax breaks will be restored.”

[Shane Vander Hart, founder/editor in chief, Caffeinated Thoughts:] “…[S]agnation in the jobs numbers as economic uncertainty will continue…[Economic] recovery, but at a much slower pace…[and a possible tax increase] on job creators…”

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SOLAR POWER TOWER AND TROUGHS FOR SO AFRICA Abengoa’s first solar power tower outside Spain to be built in Upington

Terence Creamer, 6 November 2012 (Engineering News)

“Leading renewable-energy group Abengoa, of Spain…has started construction on two solar power projects in South Africa…the 50 MW Khi Solar One power-tower concentrating solar power (CSP) project…[and] a 100 MW parabolic trough CSP plant, dubbed KaXu Solar One…[Both will be] in the sun-drenched Northern Cape province…[T]he Khi Solar One plant will be only the group’s third commercial power tower and its first outside of Spain.

“Both developments signed long-term power purchase and implementation agreements with Eskom and the Department of Energy respectively on November 5, having been named as preferred projects along with 26 other wind and solar bidders in December last year…during the first bid window of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme [which represents] an investment value of around R47-billion and wind and solar capacity of around 1 415 MW.”

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“The Abengoa projects, which are expected to be operational during 2016, are the only CSP projects selected during the first bidding phase and the documentation released following their selection indicates total costs of R11.4-billion for the development of the two projects…[Abengoa] is partnering with the State-owned Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), and will build, operate and maintain the plants – Abengoa owns 51% of the project, the IDC 29%, while black economic–empowerment entities own the 20% balance.

“Both Khi Solar One and KaXu Solar One will employ dry-cooling technology, to reduce water consumption and will incorporate storage capacity – about two hours in the case of Khi and three hours for KaXu…[Abengoa said] the projects would reduce South Africa’s yearly carbon dioxide emissions by about 498 000 t and will create about 1 400 local construction jobs and 70 permanent operational jobs.”

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