QUICK NEWS, March 17: NINE STUDIES! NO REAL ESTATE IMPACT FROM WIND; SUNPOWER’S SOLAR ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES; GEOTHERMAL EYES UNTAPPED RICHES

NINE STUDIES! NO REAL ESTATE VALUE IMPACT FROM WIND How Many Studies Will It Take Before People Believe Wind Farms Don’t Harm Property Values?

Mike Barnard, March 10, 2014 (Clean Technica)

“Nine major and statistically reliable studies covering roughly 270,000 property transactions by different respected and independent organizations in three different countries spread over fifteen years have found no correlation between operating wind turbines and negative property values…[and] three found slight but statistically insignificant improvements…[Another] low reliability study — due to small available sample size — in Australia found no impacts as well…[Only] two moderately reliable studies with some statistical significance found property value impacts, and they are both challenged in different ways. Five other often referenced studies are merely case studies with no statistical significance…The evidence for property value impacts is very weak in comparison to the evidence for lack of harm…[E]very robust study finds that there is no correlation between sales prices and nearby wind farms, and the most recent studies show that there is no impact on rate of sales of properties…” click here for more

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SUNPOWER’S SOLAR ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES Why Is SunPower Planning To Issue Solar Asset-Backed Bonds?

March 13, 2014 (Trefis via Seeking Alpha)

"SunPower (SPWR), one of North America's largest solar companies, intends to issue bonds backed by solar assets later this year…We believe that the bonds, which will be backed by solar leases, could potentially allow the company to tap into a cheaper and potentially larger pool of capital, allowing it to grow its residential solar leasing business…Project financing has proven to be a significant obstacle for solar companies in the past…[but increasing acceptance of solar power has] made solar assets increasingly attractive…[Asset-backed securities pool together power purchase agreements from utility scale plants or residential solar leases, and pass on the payments from these assets to debt investors…SolarCity, a solar system installer, successfully closed a $54 million private placement of bonds backed by residential and commercial solar power contracts in November 2013…” click here for more

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GEOTHERMAL EYES UNTAPPED RICHES Geothermal Industry Endorses Salton Sea Initiative

March 14, 2014 (Geothermal Energy Association)

“The Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) [and other influential groups have endorsed]…the Salton Sea Restoration and Renewable Energy Initiative…According to the Imperial Irrigation District (IID)…the Salton Sea Restoration & Renewable Energy Initiative…will leverage funds generated by new renewable energy projects located at the Sea to help finance activities for air quality management and habitat restoration…[The initiatives would create] thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent jobs [as well as provide] consumers affordable, long-term electric price stability through a renewable baseload fuel supply that does not fluctuate; and…[enhance] environmental quality and…species habitat conservation…GEA recently issued a status report on California’s geothermal resources that says they are still largely untapped…[and] the best opportunity for growth in California in the near term…” click here for more

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