QUICK NEWS, March 18: INCENTIVE-FREE WIND TO BEST MRKT BY 2030; UTILITIES STRUGGLE WITH ROOFTOP SOLAR; THE GLOBAL ELECTRIC WHEELS MARKET
INCENTIVE-FREE WIND TO BEST MRKT BY 2030 Keep Your Subsidies: Wind Energy Will Still Be Cheapest
Kevin Mathews, March 16, 2015 (Care2)
“One of the main arguments against expanding wind energy in the United States is that it will cost too much. As an emerging industry with new technology, wind energy has relied on government tax subsidies to get off the ground. Take away those incentives, shout opponents, and the wind industry is too expensive compared to gas power…[But within] ten years, [unsubsidized] wind energy is going to be cheaper than energy created from natural gas…[and, with] technological advancements in the field, wind energy will only continue to get cheaper over time [according to the just-released DOE Wind Vision]…[W]hen we factor in all of the hidden costs, such as carbon emissions for various energy sources, wind energy easily has the cheapest real price tag….[but energy corporations now] lobbying to keep gas drilling popular since they stand to profit from this activity…[will be] more likely to change ships once it’s clear what kind of money can be made with renewable energy like wind…[Wind presently accounts for just under five percent of the United States’s power…[but is expected to supply35 percent of our country’s energy needs by 2050…” click here for more
UTILITIES STRUGGLE WITH ROOFTOP SOLAR Utilities fight rise in home solar power; Industry seeking hefty surcharges for consumers
Joby Warrick, March 15, 2015 (Washington Post via Boston Globe)
“…[The utility] industry and its fossil-fuel supporters are waging a determined campaign to stop a home-solar insurgency that is rattling the boardrooms of the country’s government-regulated electric monopolies…The campaign’s first phase — an industry push for state laws raising prices for solar customers — failed spectacularly in legislatures around the country, due in part to surprisingly strong support for solar energy from conservatives and evangelicals…More recently, the battle has shifted to public utility commissions, where industry backers have mounted a more successful push for fee hikes that could put solar panels out of reach for many potential customers…Industry officials say they support their customers’ right to generate electricity on their own property, but they say rooftop solar’s new popularity is creating a cost imbalance…Whether home-solar systems add significant costs to electric grids is the subject of intense debate. A [disputed Louisiana study written by fossil fuel lobbyists] last month concluded that solar roofs had resulted in cost shifts of more than $2 million that must be borne by Louisiana customers who lack solar panels…Other studies commissioned by state regulators in Nevada and Mississippi found that costs can be outweighed by benefits…” click here for more
THE GLOBAL ELECTRIC WHEELS MARKET Electric Motorcycles and Scooters; Market Drivers and Barriers, Technology Issues, Key Industry Players, and Global Demand Forecasts
1Q 2015 (Navigant Research)
“The electric power two-wheel (e-PTW) vehicle industry is expected to achieve stable and continuous growth during the coming years…[It is] led by China, where most of the world’s e-motorcycles and e-scooters are sold…[but] restrictive congestion/emissions policies and lower-than-expected GDP growth are reducing demand…[so] manufacturers are moving to…neighboring emerging economies. New products and key industry players continue to enter the market in various regions of the world and cities are becoming increasingly congested with traffic, leading to new e-PTW sales. Yet, e-PTWs face challenges as well, including high purchase prices, limited vehicle availability, and low gasoline prices. According to Navigant Research, global annual sales of e-motorcycles are expected to grow from 1.2 million vehicles in 2015 to 1.5 million in 2024, while sales of e-scooters are expected to grow from 4.1 million to over 4.4 million…” click here for more
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