QUICK NEWS, July 14: THE NEW ENERGY TIPPING POINT; SOLARMAKERS SEE SUNPATH; OCEAN WIND WIRES SEEK APPROVAL; THE SOLAR GROUPON

THE NEW ENERGY TIPPING POINT
Fidelity Analyst Bullish on Alternative Energy Firms
Dave Lindorff, July 6, 2011 (On Wall Street)

"The wind is at the back of alternative energy and it has a sunny future that investors should prepare to capitalize on…Anna Davydova, portfolio manager of Fidelity Select Environment and Alternative Energy…says she is bullish long-term about the alternative energy sector, which she says is reaching an ‘economic tipping point’ where solar, wind and biofuels become truly competitive…"

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"She bases her optimism on three factors…[1] a string of recent disasters, such as the BP well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, and the earthquake and tsunami-induced meltdowns of the nuclear plants at Fukushima…[2] the huge and growing demand for energy in emerging markets, with their massive populations…[and,3] rapidly developing technologies…"


SOLARMAKERS SEE SUNPATH
DOE Introduces SUNPATH: U.S. Manufacturing's New Hope For Growth?
Jessica Lillian, 12 July 2011 (Solar industry)

"The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has revealed plans for a new and possibly game-changing program for encouraging the domestic development of solar companies…SUNPATH - which stands for Scaling Up Nascent PV At Home - …is intended to address a crucial finance gap for the U.S. solar market - one that is intrinsically tied to the entire economy…"

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"…U.S. spending on foreign sources of energy has been a key factor in prolonging our current economic woes…SUNPATH aims to grow the domestic solar manufacturing market and help it serve as an economic engine…Early-stage corporate finance for solar in the U.S. is vibrant; the nation holds 77% of the global market share for venture capital and private equity…However, during the period between initial investments and manufacturing, companies tend to shift their activities abroad."

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"In 1995, the U.S. held a 43% market share for producing PV cells and modules. That percentage shrank to just 7% last year, while the global solar market grew exponentially…SUNPATH aims to develop…[an] investment-friendly environment in the U.S. and encourage solar companies to keep their R&D and manufacturing here…"


OCEAN WIND WIRES SEEK APPROVAL
Atlantic Wind Connection Makes Early Pitch in Galloway Township; The company's aim is to connect offshore wind energy directly to the grid, saving customers money and creating jobs.
Anthony Bellano, July 5, 2011 (Galloway Patch)

"Although it will be quite some time before the process is complete, Atlantic Wind Connection is in the early stages of completing a project that would set up an offshore wind system that would provide wind energy for residents at a cheaper cost while creating jobs in the state…

"The plan [is backed by Google and other corporate entities and] calls for the development of a 350-mile project over a 10-year period. The project proposes over 12,000 megawatts of wind capacity…[T]he result could be 30-40,000 new jobs in the state…[T]he system would cost $30 billion to set up, but the benefits would come to a total of $43 billion, meaning $13 billion of benefits once the project is paid off…"

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Atlantic Wind Connection will make it possible to connect power generated from offshore wind farms directly to the power grid…The line would run 12-15 miles offshore…

"…[S]everal square miles could provide several thousand megawatts of wind energy…3,000 megawatts would power five million homes…Atlantic Wind has identified the best wind zones off the coast of New Jersey…Twelve miles have been set aside for development…"


THE SOLAR GROUPON
A “Solar Groupon” for Small and Mid-sized Businesses
Erica Gies, july 13, 2011 (Forbes)

"…Existing solar financing solutions for homeowners and corporations have been too small and too big, respectively. But now there’s something that fits them just right…Solar@Work, a new program…[from] San Francisco’s Department of the Environment…will offer solar systems to Bay Area business via a group purchase or aggregation model…"

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"This overcomes historic barriers for small and mid-sized businesses that aren’t issues for big businesses…[A] 200 kilowatt installation is similar to the work…[for] a 2 megawatt system…[T]wenty 100 kilowatt systems using standardized documents, and…one solar installer and one financial partner, in effect…[is] a 2 megawatt installation project, which is interesting to the financial partner, to the installer, and to the independent small businesses who are getting the benefits as if they were doing one large system…"