QUICK NEWS, July 8: SENATOR EXPLAINS SAD ENERGY POLITICS; 300+ BUSINESSES URGE CONGRESS TO ACT; SUCCESS BLOCKS L-E-D STREETLIGHTS’ SUCCESS

SENATOR EXPLAINS SAD ENERGY POLITICS Divided US Congress unlikely to act on energy: Senator

Mark Davidson w/Jeff Barber, 30 June 2014 (Platts)

“Political gridlock in the US Congress has reached the point where making any meaningful decisions on energy policy -- including whether the country should lift its nearly 40-year ban on oil exports -- may be impossible, former Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota said…Dorgan said he is frustrated that legislation on renewable energy tax credits, LNG and crude oil exports -- all vital to the US economy -- appears to be hung up indefinitely by partisan wrangling…If Congress won't act, Dorgan said, President Barack Obama has made clear he will move on his own through the executive action, for example, by ordering the Environmental Protection Agency to issue rules on greenhouse gas emissions. But that will not be a quick fix [because of legal challenges]…” click here for more

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300+ BUSINESSES URGE CONGRESS TO ACT Coalition Of Over 300 Clean Energy Organizations, Businesses, Urge Immediate Action On Tax Extenders

Peebles Squire, 27 June 2014 (American Wind Energy Association)

“In a letter sent out yesterday to House and Senate leadership, a group of 302 businesses and organizations, including major players in the U.S. economy, urged Congress to act quickly to pass the EXPIRE Act and extend tax policies critical to the continued growth of clean energy technologies…[The legislation] includes important provisions for the clean energy industry, including the Production Tax Credit and Investment Tax Credit for wind power…Signers to the letter included major companies such as Sherwin Williams and the MidAmerican Energy Co., and important voices for growth across the U.S. economy and conservation such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Tooling and Machining Association, the American Association of Port Authorities, the Center for Rural Affairs, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, and the National Wildlife Federation…” click here for more

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SUCCESS BLOCKS L-E-D STREETLIGHTS’ SUCCESS Smart Street Lighting; LEDs, Communications Equipment, and Network Management Software for Roadway and Highway Lighting: Global Market Analysis and Forecasts

2Q 2014 (Navigant Research)

“Falling prices for light-emitting diode (LED) street lights have spurred a global transition from older lamp technologies…[P]ayback periods are becoming reasonable with or without subsidies. Residents in cities worldwide are appreciating the improved nighttime visibility…[and] city managers are enjoying the cost savings…[M]ost LED upgrades continue to be completed without any additional controls beyond simple photocells. After years of pilot control projects, however, a growing number of large-scale networked systems have proven that networked systems can work and can provide real benefits. These smart street lighting systems can provide substantial energy savings and a host of non-energy benefits. Yet, as LED prices continue to erode and the long lifespan of LED lamps results in fewer replacements, overall revenue from street lighting will begin to fall. Navigant Research forecasts that global street lighting revenue will decline from $2.5 billion in 2014 to $2.3 billion in 2023…” click here for more

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