QUICK NEWS, February 5: THE AMAZING TEXAS WIND BUILD; MONEY FOR SOLAR IN 2013; THE COST OF ELECTRICITY FROM NEW ENERGY

THE AMAZING TEXAS WIND BUILD Texas extended its wind lead in 2013

Michael Copley, January 31, 2014 (SNL)

“…Already the national leader in installed [wind] capacity, [Texas] finished 2013 with more wind power under construction — upward of 7,000 MW — than any other state has installed to date…The reasons for the industry's growth…[are that the state's renewable portfolio standard helped ‘incubate’ the industry until it could convince investors of its financial viability, while transmission providers — who plan to complete more than $3.6 billion in projects between 2014 and 2018 on top of the $6.8 billion Competitive Renewable Energy Zone build-out that was recently finished — are moving wind power over long stretches from the Texas panhandle into the state's load centers…” click here for more

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MONEY FOR SOLAR IN 2013 $600 Million in VC funding for Solar in 2013, Strong Public Market Financings, Project Funding Activity; Total corporate funding up 25 percent to $10 billion

February 3, 2014 (Mercom Capital Group)

“…Global venture capital (VC) investments dropped 40 percent to $600 million in 97 deals in 2013 compared to $992 million in 106 deals in 2012. Total corporate funding into the solar sector encompassing VC, debt and public market financings was up 25 percent in 2013 to almost $10 billion, compared to about $8 billion in 2012…VC funding in Q4 2013 totaled $87 million in 24 deals compared to $197 million in 28 deals in Q3 2013…Since mid-2012 the new normal for VC funding has been smaller funding quarters and smaller deal sizes…” click here for more

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THE COST OF ELECTRICITY FROM NEW ENERGY What Does it Cost to Convert Renewables into Electricity? Study Compares the Cost of Electricity Production from Renewable Energy

January 27, 2014 (Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy)

“…[ LeveLized Cost of Electricity Renewable Energy Technologies ] from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE compares the present costs for conversion of different energy forms into electricity and gives a prognosis for the further cost development up to 2030…for new [solar, wind energy, biogas, brown coal, hard coal and gas] power plants constructed in Germany…The study shows that the LCOE from renewables has decreased rapidly over the last years…has even caught up with the generation costs from conventional power plants…[and] the costs to produce electricity from PV and wind will be less than fossil fuel plants by 2030…” click here for more

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