QUICK NEWS, August 17: BILL GATES, BUSH ADVISOR WANT CLIMATE MIRACLE; YIELDCOS AND SOLAR INVESTING; WIND TO THE RESCUE

BILL GATES, BUSH ADVISOR WANT CLIMATE MIRACLE We need a miracle on climate change

Michael Gerson, August 13, 2015 (Washington Post)

“…If climate scientists are right about the pace of global warming, and about the total amount of carbon dioxide that humans can emit in the future without potentially catastrophic consequences, then we currently do not have feasible policy responses that are adequate to the need, even if we had far greater political will. By some estimates, the world must keep two¬-thirds of its carbon¬-based energy resources in the ground — at the same time that vast numbers of people…move toward middle¬class levels of energy consumption…There was no way to get to the moon by stacking ladders. That required an entirely different technology…So how do we get technological miracles at a realistic social and economic cost? Only by dramatically increased investment in basic research and development. [Bill Gates] has pledged to increase his personal investments in green technologies by $1 billion over the next five years…[and] he has also recommended that U.S. investments in basic energy technology be more than tripled — from about $5 billion to $16 billion a year. Even at this level, energy research funding would lag well behind defense and health research…” click here for more

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YIELDCOS AND SOLAR INVESTING Are Solar Energy Yieldcos Worth More Than Investors Think?

Paul Ausick, August 15, 2015 (24/7 Wallstreet)

“…Are solar stocks merely tracking stocks for oil company stocks? While that may appear to be the case, Bloomberg New Energy Finance suggested…the drop in oil prices could boost investments in renewable energy. Bloomberg reports that U.S. investment in clean energy rose from $48 billion in 2013 to $52 billion in 2014. Only China, which invested $89 billion in 2014, sunk more investment into clean energy last year. Globally, clean energy investment rose to $310 billion, the second highest total on record, behind only 2011’s $318 billion…[And according to Bloomberg, the] key drivers behind these numbers were: the brief window of renewed policy support for wind, the acceleration of the rooftop solar business; and the emerging phenomenon of ‘yieldcos’ (publicly listed companies that own operating renewable energy assets)…[But] yieldcos have tracked oil stocks down, with losses in a range of 11% to about 44%...[A]re investors missing something here? …[L]ook at five yieldcos: Abengoa Yield…NRG Yield…NextEra Energy Partners…TerraForm Power…[and] 8point3 Energy Partners…” click here for more

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WIND TO THE RESCUE The U.S. wind energy boom couldn’t be coming at a better time

Chris Mooney, August 10, 2015 (Washington Post)

“The Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan…requires the country to use a lot more renewable energy by the year 2030 — and a lot less coal. And right on time, [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s 2014 Wind Technologies Market Report finds that wind] is booming, a development that can only help matters when it comes to reducing carbon emissions…[The study suggests] that wind is being installed at a rapid rate, that its costs are plummeting, that its technologies are advancing, and that it is creating a growing number of jobs to boot…Wind energy in the U.S. is now at 66 gigawatts of installed capacity… providing roughly 5 percent of total U.S. electricity demand…[or] enough electricity to power 17.5 million homes…[and] 13 more gigawatts are now [in construction] and set to come online by 2016…[I]n 2012, the U.S. had 1063 gigawatts of total installed electricity capacity…[W]ind now provides 73,000 jobs…[and] is now just 2.35 cents per kilowatt hour. That’s the lowest it has ever been…” click here for more

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