QUICK NEWS, January 23: RECORD BUILD PUTS WIND AT 6% OF U.S. POWER; NEW ENERGY CAN BE $1.9 TRIL BY 2018; DOE SUNSHOT SHOOTS AT SOLAR COSTS

RECORD BUILD PUTS WIND AT 6% OF U.S. POWER U.S. Wind Power Accounted for 6% of Generation Capacity in 2012

Louise Downing, January 18, 2013 (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

“U.S. wind power accounted for 6 percent of the nation’s total electricity generation capacity after developers rushed to finish projects before expiration of a subsidy, Bloomberg New Energy Finance said...The threat that the U.S. Production Tax Credit would lapse on Dec. 31 prompted developers to complete as many projects as they could last month...

“…A record 13.2 gigawatts of turbines were installed last year including 5.5 gigawatts in December, the most ever for a single month. Total wind capacity is about 60 gigawatts… The credit has been extended for a year to cover wind farms that start construction in 2013. Previously it only covered projects that started working by the expiration date. Uncertainty about whether the credit would be extended meant developers and investors haven’t built up a backlog of projects for 2013.”

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“Asset financing for U.S. wind farms dropped to $4.3 billion in the second-half from $9.6 billion in the first six months of last year. This has hurt component makers such as Vestas (VWS) AS, Gamesa Corp Tecnologica SA (GAM) and Clipper Windpower Ltd., which is owned by Paltinum Equity LLC.

“Vestas declined as much as 41 percent in the past year and Gamesa by 39 percent. Equipment prices for wind have dropped by more than 21 percent since 2010, and the performance of turbines has risen. This has resulted in a 21 percent decrease in the overall cost of electricity from wind for a typical U.S. project since 2010…”

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NEW ENERGY CAN BE $1.9 TRIL BY 2018 The domestic clean energy economy needs national policies to innovate, manufacture, and compete

January 17, 2013 (The Pew Charitable Trusts)

“The global clean energy marketplace is expanding rapidly, but the competitive position of American industry is at risk because of increased competition abroad and uncertain policies at home…

“… Innovate, Manufacture, Compete: A Clean Energy Action Plan [from the Pew Charitable Trusts], states that revenue in the clean energy sector worldwide could total $1.9 trillion from 2012 to 2018. Yet…[p]rivate investment, manufacturing, and deployment of renewable power have been constrained because of the lack of a long-term, consistent energy policy…”

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“Clean energy markets are large and growing…[R]evenue associated with installation of wind, solar, and other renewable power is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 8 percent, rising from $200 billion in 2012 to $327 billion annually by 2018. In the United States, clean energy installations are projected to reach 126 GW, which would more than double non-hydroelectric generating capacity…

“Pragmatic federal clean energy policies…[should] Establish a clean energy standard to guide deployment and investment for the long term…Significantly increase investment in energy research and development…Enact a multiyear but time-limited extension of tax credits for clean energy sources…Level the playing field across the energy sector by evaluating barriers to competition…Renew incentives for domestic clean energy manufacturing…Create a strategy to expand markets for clean energy goods and services abroad…”

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DOE SUNSHOT SHOOTS AT SOLAR COSTS Energy Department Announces $12 Million to Bring Cost-Competitive Solar Technologies from Lab to Market

January 16, 2013 (U.S. Department of Energy)

“As part of the Energy Department's SunShot Incubator Program...$12 million [will be available] to accelerate solar energy innovation that reduces manufacturing, installation, and permitting costs for American homes, businesses, and utilities. This new funding opportunity expands on previous Solar Incubator rounds to support both hardware efficiency and soft cost reduction goals, while helping companies transition lab-scale ideas to prototype phases or move early-scale projects to commercial launch.

“The Energy Department's SunShot Incubator Program helps launch startups and new business units…Since 2007, the program has helped launch more than 50 American small [solar] businesses, which have since attracted more than $1.7 billion in follow-on private sector investments…[and] created more than 750 jobs across the U.S. solar energy industry…In 2011, the Department broadened the scope of [the SunShot Incubator] program to include projects that address soft or non-hardware costs such as installation, permitting, interconnection, and inspection, which can amount to up to 40% of the total cost of solar installation…”

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“Divided into two areas—solar hardware and soft costs—this round of Incubator funding…[offers]…Up to $500,000 to help speed the transition of a proof-of-concept technology to the early-stage functional prototype stage…Up to $1 million to accelerate the transition of an early-stage functional prototype to a full-size prototype that could later be manufactured…Up to $4 million to develop efficient manufacturing processes and equipment to move technology from a full-size prototype to pilot-scale production…

“…[For] addressing soft cost reduction goals…Up to $500,000 to accelerate the transition of a proof-of-concept business plan or early stage solutions to early customer trials…[and] Up to $2 million to drive full commercialization of innovative technologies that reduce solar deployment soft costs…”

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