Displaced Tortoises for Solar in Mojave Roils Environmentalists

Construction of such large-scale green-energy projects has splintered environmental groups. When concern over global warming was at a peak, national organizations such as the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council threw their support behind industrial-scale wind and solar installations on public land. Now some smaller conservationist groups object to what they consider an environmentally destructive gold rush.

"Of course we need to do solar, but it should go on rooftops or in appropriate places, not the pristine desert," says April Sall, director of the Wildlands Conservancy in Oak Glen, California, operator of the state's largest nonprofit preservation system. "We need to tackle warming — but not forget that there are other things at stake."

Priorities Clash

The Mojave solar project embodies the clash of environmental priorities. The $2.2 billion installation being built by closely held BrightSource Energy Inc. of Oakland, California, is designed to power 140,000 homes without emitting greenhouse gases. But it threatens the tortoises. That's why the Western Watersheds Project conservationist group of Hailey, Idaho, sued to stop it in a Los Angeles U.S. court. (For an interactive graphic of the project, click here.)

The 120-year-old Sierra Club, which calls itself "America's largest and most influential" environmental group, also lobbied for changes to the project's design to protect the tortoises. Yet the 1.4 million-member organization chose not to try to block the plant, says Barbara Boyle, a Sierra green energy specialist.

"Ultimately, we need to jump-start renewables to combat climate change, and large-scale solar has to play a big part in that," Boyle says. However, as it became clear the project was rooting out many more tortoises than projected and as some California chapters urged action, the organization joined a coalition that sued the Department of the Interior in March to block another long-planned Mojave solar project that it says threatens wildlife.

Climate Change

Similar disputes are playing out elsewhere and show a growing concern among green groups and willingness to block large-scale solar and wind projects when the cost to wildlife and habitat seem to outweigh the benefits of fighting climate change. A surge in supplies of cheap, clean-burning natural gas has also begun to undercut demand for more costly green energy.

The green backlash against sacrificing habitat and wildlife to curb global warming parallels polls finding that the public rates climate change low on a menu of environmental problems and has doubts whether it can be fixed. In a March Gallup survey, the issue ranked last among seven environmental concerns, with just 30 percent saying they worried about it "a great deal."

A Washington Post-Stanford University poll in July found that while most Americans believe the earth is warming, 60 percent said little could be done to stop it, and more than 70 percent opposed energy taxes to address it.

Lethal Blades

Near the northern Florida Everglades, the Audubon Society has fought a 200-megawatt wind farm on 10,000 acres (3,900 hectares) of private sugar land, saying its 475-foot tall turbines and spinning blades will form a death corridor for migratory birds and the endangered snail-eating Florida Kite. The project, proposed by closely held Wind Capital Group LLC of St. Louis, was approved by the Palm Beach County Commission and could produce energy for 60,000 homes, the company says. It still needs state and federal permits.

In the southern Sierra Nevada of California, Defenders of Wildlife sued in federal court to block the proposed North Sky River wind-power project. It would be built by NextEra Energy Inc., based in Juno Beach, Florida, next to an existing wind farm where turbine blades killed eight golden eagles this year.

The American Bird Conservancy accused the U.S. government in a lawsuit in Washington of suppressing information about the threat that wind energy projects pose to migratory birds and other wildlife. The government denied the allegation.

26 Projects

Including the Mojave project that is relocating desert tortoises, the Interior Department has accelerated construction approval for 26 large-scale solar plants on public lands since 2009, including nine that it cleared in August. The Obama administration has steered $9 billion in stimulus funds from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to 23,000 solar and large-scale wind installations, according to the Department of Energy.

Conservationist and Native American groups sued to halt five other Mojave solar projects. The organizations argue that federal and state authorities conducted inadequate environmental reviews and failed to consult with tribes on sacred sites. The Bureau of Land Management, the solar companies and the state deny the allegations.

Dozens more solar plants could arise across the American desert West. A July BLM plan allocates 285,000 public acres to 17 solar zones. An additional 19 million acres — an area almost the size of West Virginia — may be approved for solar projects. The goal is to produce 23,700 megawatts, enough to power 7 million homes, according to the BLM. Solar power now provides less than 1 percent of U.S. electricity, amounting to 5,700 megawatts, or enough for about 1 million households.

Abandoned Mines

Conservationists say it is wrongheaded to rip up the public desert and destroy wildlife habitat when millions of already-degraded acres are available. The Environmental Protection Agency last year identified 80,000 to 250,000 abandoned mine sites that could be used for solar and other renewable energy projects, according to Janine Blaeloch, director of the Seattle-based Western Lands Project, a watchdog group.

20 Sep, 2012

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Green Tech States Are Not Necessarily Democratic

Most people would expect blue Democratic states to be eager to embrace clean tech and green jobs, the authors assert, with red Republican states resolutely declining to join in the action. However, according to the report, in the 10 states where clean tech jobs are growing the most quickly, only two can be considered traditionally Democratic – Hawaii and New York. Many of the remaining states are decisively Republican, including North Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming and Alaska. Additionally, among Top 10 states where green jobs make up the biggest percentage of the labor force, only three – Washington, Oregon and Vermont – are Democratic.

"What's more, many of the governors working the hardest to bring clean tech jobs to their home states are not only Republican, but are usually regarded as leaders of their party," according to the report. This demonstrates that clean tech and green jobs are only contentious inside Washington D.C., the authors conclude. "Outside of the capital, where governors (and mayors) are more concerned with creating jobs than scoring debate points, there is no controversy about the impact of clean tech." 

"(Clean tech) is almost universally appreciated as the important engine for job development and economic growth that it is," the authors say. "Disregarding the partisan bickering in Washington, these local officials are using clean tech to bring high-quality jobs to their states, in the process reviving communities and winning the support of local voters in both parties."

Zooming out even further, the report reveals that seven of the top 17 states with the most rapid growth in the clean tech sector are considered swing states for the 2012 presidential election. "Numbers like these suggest we are entering an era in which politicians who unfairly criticize or otherwise ignore clean tech run the risk of alienating a bedrock constituency: job holders, most of whom vote," the authors say.

A copy of the report is available here.

Lead image: Divided flag via Shutterstock

20 Sep, 2012

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Securing Skills for a Successful Offshore Wind Industry

Skills – Where Are We Now?

At the moment we are facing a significant skills gap in the industry and this needs to be addressed to reach the positive employment figures which are possible. There are two levels to this skills gap — firstly, the professional level including project managers and engineers, and secondly the operational level which consists of staff including vessel crew members and electricians. Over the next number of years we will see the ratio of operational to professional workers grow as we begin to move from the design and build phases to the operational phase.

This skills gap has been widening over the past three years but unfortunately has yet to be addressed successfully by the industry. New wind farms will bring with them new engineering challenges and it is paramount that the industry is prepared for this. When work on these projects begins there will be a need for a huge amount of skilled offshore workers and preparation needs to begin for this now.

An Outdated Approach To Training?

The 2009 Renewable Energy Directive set targets for EU Member States to reach. The UK, for instance, is expected to achieve 15% of its consumption from renewable sources by 2020 – this compares to 3% in 2009. This has meant that the past few years has seen an increase in offshore wind production and this will continue to grow, which, in turn, will lead to an increase in investment and job opportunities within the industry in the coming years.

The skills gap can partly be attributed to the fact that, even though it is a rapidly growing sector, there is no industry standard for offshore training. There exists an offshore health and safety standard but outside of this there are different opinions in terms of what each company interprets as an adequate technical standard. SMEs may not be able to afford to offer training to potential employees, which makes it difficult to recruit suitable workers. Even larger companies which can afford to provide such training could benefit from a common training standard and the time and money they invest in bringing new recruits up to standard could be used to expand other parts of the business.

SMEs are the lifeblood of the renewables industry and in the past they may have had to poach offshore workers from the oil and gas industry in order to get the skills they need. This might have been a successful tactic when jobs in the oil industry were scarce. But as new opportunities within oil and gas become more available, this has created a growing problem for SMEs. As a result, smaller companies may be tempted to employ workers who may not be up to the desired level and rely on them gaining training and experience on the job.

Closing the Gap

There are in fact many skilled workers who may be unaware that their initial career has given them the basis to successfully train to work in the renewables industry. Construction workers and fishermen are among those who may have skills that can be readily transferred to working on offshore renewables projects.

Many of these workers can be trained to utilise their qualifications or transferable skills for the offshore industry while maintaining high standards; in turn they can help any renewables developer — large or small — develop a competent, professional and well-trained workforce.

Specialist training offers the opportunity to prepare for a life working offshore and enables the transition of technical skills to be more applicable to the needs of the offshore industry. In addition an understanding of the necessary health and safety training and instruction should be provided.

But this is not enough for the future; for us to encourage the sheer numbers of skilled workers the industry will need we must start at the beginning, working with colleges and universities. Even though work is currently being undertaken to provide courses and degrees dealing with renewable energy, there is very limited focus on the challenges faced in the offshore industry. We, as an industry, need to work more closely with higher education institutions, encouraging them to include offshore training on their courses. Industry can provide access to the tools they need, including access to physical wind turbines and other offshore technology, and also to people who already work in the industry who can give first-hand insight. There is simply no point in having highly educated engineers or project managers with degrees in renewable energy if they can't apply this knowledge in an offshore working environment.

When training staff for working offshore in renewables it is important to have a finger on the pulse of the industry and a current working knowledge of the issues involved. You need to be aware of the challenges new recruits will face in order to help them prepare fully for the experience. This allows identification of what the industry needs.

It is going to take a united stance from companies — both large and small — to address the significant skills gap facing the renewables industry and acknowledge the clear business benefits of creating industry standards. While the value to SMEs is clear to see, larger companies also have much to gain financially by recruiting workers who could, theoretically, be offshore on their first day in the job.

What Can Be Done Now?

While we may need to wait for an industry standard to come about, companies can still address the barrier that is lack of experience. This is an obstacle that companies can ease if they start working on offshore projects collaboratively.

Acceptance of there being a skills gap within individual companies will also help to ensure the smooth running of projects. Projects may begin slowly in the first instance as agreements and permissions are granted, but once these initial stages have been passed things can move more a lot more quickly. Bearing this in mind, companies need to plan well ahead — look at what they are bidding for, what they are winning or likely to win and, once this has been taken into consideration, make sure that the necessary skills are in place to carry out each task.

What the Future Holds...

Once companies, both large and small, start to work together, mutual benefits will begin to become apparent — from cost and time savings for the larger companies, to new business opportunities for SMEs. We need to develop a more open-minded approach to the industry, helping us to become more aware and wiser to the skills and staff available to the industry. At this point we will realise how an industry standard in practical renewables training can really benefit offshore renewables as a whole.

Sizeable commercial opportunities for developers and operators are available offshore; at the same time new engineering challenges will be introduced which will require different ways of thinking, and new and innovative ways of working offshore. This will, of course, require an expanded workforce with the skills to meet these challenges. There will be a moment of realisation when the sheer scale of the skills gap becomes apparent — but by thinking and acting more collaboratively the industry can demonstrate its maturity, its resilience — and its ability to adapt for the future.

David Martin is Director of the Offshore Marine Academy. 

Lead image: Offshore wind via Shutterstock

20 Sep, 2012

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The Demonization of Clean Tech: The Five Biggest Myths

As a longtime analyst at clean-tech research firm Clean Edge and contributor to the recently published book Clean Tech Nation (coauthored by Clean Edge colleagues Ron Pernick and Clint Wilder), I should be on the front lines defending the clean-tech moniker. But given the noticeable intensifying of false debates surrounding clean tech in the last year, it's worth taking a moment to examine ways in which the industry's far-reaching identity has opened the door to some misplaced antagonism.

#1: Energy Sources as Sports Teams

Unless you are employed in a particular sector of the energy industry, as long as the car runs, the lights are bright, the showers hot, and the beer cold, it makes little sense as a consumer to root for one specific energy source against another, as if they were sports teams. Solar power isn't the Miami Heat, and – as much as T. Boone Pickens would like you to believe it – natural gas isn't the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Of course, it's imperative to evaluate energy sources based on availability, affordability, and environmental impact. But blind support of identifiers like traditional energy, alternative energy, renewables, or clean energy – which aggregate many dissimilar resources and technologies – can quickly create an "us versus them" culture. And that's exactly what seems to be playing out on the national political stage in this election season. When the failure of one longshot solar startup (that shall not be named) can be used to demonize all aspects of a multi-hundred billion dollar industry, perhaps the umbrella is too large.    

#2: The Misrepresented History (and Current Reality) of Energy Subsidies

Government has always played an important role in energy innovation. Nuclear power plants are offshoots of nuclear submarines, which themselves are derivative of atomic bombs developed by the Manhattan Project – the ultimate embodiment of government-funded R&D. Less understood is that today's shale gas boom also owes much to government involvement, as recent technological advances are fruits of decades of public-private research and commercialization efforts, as the Breakthrough Institute detailed well in a recent report. 

Unabashedly ignoring this history, The Wall Street Journal's editorial team recently used a snapshot of 2010 federal subsidies to argue that renewables don't merit government support because right now "wind and solar get the most taxpayer help for the least production" – an argument that only makes sense if 2010 was the lone year subsidies were ever available. Surprisingly, the universe did exist prior to January 1, 2010, so we don't have to rely on such disingenuous analysis. A report by DBL Investors' Nancy Pfund and Yale University graduate student Ben Healey, which looked into the historical role of U.S. federal energy subsidies, found that annual federal support for oil, gas, and nuclear has averaged 22 times the amount of subsidies available to renewables.

This extreme imbalance is one reason why Clean Tech Nation's Seven-Point Action Plan suggests phasing out all energy subsidies over the next decade. We know that's a controversial proposal, but let's debate the future of subsidies based on facts, not myths.

#3: The False Promise of Energy Independence

"Lobsters are cheap in Maine because storing and shipping live lobster is hard, but globally traded commodities aren't like that," says Slate's Matthew Yglesias in what might be the most effectively concise dismissal to date of the U.S. energy independence delusion. 

Yes, U.S. reliance on foreign oil has fallen amidst an Obama-era domestic production boom – allowing for fewer direct imports from petro-dictator nations. But unlike lobsters, oil is easily stored, shipped, and traded across borders, so America's oil fate will forever be linked to conditions defined by the global free market.

And if American energy "independence" was truly a top concern, vehicle electrification would be priority number one, as 99 percent of U.S. electricity is derived from domestically-generated electrons. Yet instead of being hailed as uber-patriotic "DEVs" (domestic energy vehicles), electric vehicles continue to fight perceptions of simply being expensive eco-toys.

#4: There is No Such Thing as a Green Job

Granted, this is a tricky one, as definitions vary widely – so claiming a direct link between these jobs and a remedy for the economy often does little more than fuel opposition to all industries involved when the nation's labor market proves stubbornly sluggish. Opponents can claim, for example, that it takes fewer than 30 workers to maintain a 250 MW wind farm that powers 75,000 households. But as a recent NRDC report finds, that same wind farm will actually create 1,079 jobs over the lifetime of the project, mostly during manufacturing and construction.  

There are plenty of wind turbine technicians, increasing masses of solar installers, and armies of workers at the world's largest industrial conglomerates working on products to beef up the electric grid, boost vehicle efficiency, and convert waste into resources. As demand for clean-tech products and services grows, an expanding workforce will obviously be an economic boon.

#5: The Climate Change "Debate"

When even Koch brothers-funded researchers conclude that the world is warming and humans are to blame, it's time to stop arguing the science and start focusing on solutions. But this doesn't seem to be the trajectory of things. Climate change continues to be politically toxic, and demand for clean tech – the market's answer to a changing climate – is being severely hamstrung as a result.    

In place of real climate action, U.S. leadership on both sides of the aisle is clinging to an "all of the above" energy approach. But until the current subsidy outlay changes, in no way will this translate into a level playing field. 

Ultimately, clean tech – or green tech, or advanced energy, or whatever you choose to call it – will win out. The realities of a resource-constrained world and changing climate are just too powerful to ignore. But as clean tech moves forward, it's increasingly important to understand the steadfast opposition – and its myth-making operation – facing this innovative sector that dares challenge the status quo. 

Lead image: Myth via Shutterstock

20 Sep, 2012

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Studies Cite Increased Demand for Wind Power, Other Renewables

According to the Global Consumer Wind Study 2012 (GCWS), the desire for more renewable energy options was voiced by 85 percent of survey respondents, with 49 percent saying they'd have no problem digging deeper into their pockets to support companies committed to renewable energy in the product manufacturing process. Even more encouraging, those numbers spiked considerably when consumers were asked specifically about wind power, with 62 percent indicating that if given a choice, they would consciously choose to buy products manufactured using wind over traditional forms of power generation.

These statistics bode well for the efforts of WindMade, a nonprofit whose primary function is the identification of companies and products that rely on wind power for at least 25 percent of their overall electricity generation. The organization's ultimate goal is not only to give eco-conscious consumers the information necessary to vote with their wallets, but also to generate interest for an industry whose potential still vastly exceeds its demand.

"One of the important challenges the [wind power] industry is facing in many markets around the world is public acceptance," writes Angelika Pullen, Communications Director for WindMade. "Our objective is to help address this problem by creating a tool for that majority of the public that is supportive of wind power, to identify and favor those brands and companies that are using wind energy." 

But public acceptance is one thing — actual corporate espousal of renewable energy is another. And in an era where social and ecological consciousness ranks high in the area of mass appeal, new evidence has come to light that tells us not all private companies are riding the aforementioned fence over whether to pursue renewable alternatives. An increasing number are leading the charge, as evidenced by the second of the two studies, the Corporate Renewable Energy Index Report 2012 (CREX).

According to the results of the report, global corporate investment in renewables has surpassed investment for fossil fuel generation by a significant margin. In 2011, corporations around the globe spent $237 billion investing in renewable energy, eclipsing the $223 billion spent chasing fossil fuel power generation. The CREX is an index that ranks companies by their level of investment in renewable energies. The report also found that 40 percent of renewable energy purchases made in 2011 were made by companies for the purpose of on-site power generation, showing a marked increase from previous years.

The GCWS survey was conducted by TNS Gallup, and the CREX report was prepared by Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Lead image: Demand chart via Shutterstock

20 Sep, 2012

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Siemens to Cut 615 US Wind Energy Jobs as New Orders Dry Up

"The industry is facing a significant drop in new orders, and this has an unfortunate consequence on employment in this segment of the power industry," Munich-based Siemens said today in a message to employees that was obtained by Bloomberg.

The cuts account for more than a third of the workforce that Siemens has built up in its U.S. wind-energy business, an operation that helped the company to national prominence after President Barack Obama visited a facility in Iowa in 2010. Siemens said that it has invested $100 million to establish its U.S. wind-power subsidiary over the past 5 years.

The reductions are a setback for Loescher's attempt at bolstering the company's portfolio of so-called green products that are environmentally friendly. Siemens is in the process of realigning its business after having to curtail its earnings forecast twice this year, and the company will present the results of its revamp to management next month.

Copyright 2012 Bloomberg

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19 Sep, 2012

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19 Companies Urge Congress To Extend Wind Tax Credit

The diverse coalition of firms, which includes Ben & Jerry's, Johnson & Johnson, Levi Strauss, Starbucks, and Yahoo!, says that raising taxes on the wind sector would be bad for businesses that buy large amounts of wind electricity.

These companies join a very large bi-partisan chorus of renewable energy supporters asking Congress to give the wind industry some certainty and put the sector on a level tax playing field with the oil and gas industry, which enjoys billions of dollars in permanent tax benefits.

Over the last year, the National Governor's Association, County Commissioners, and numerous Republican politicians have all sent separate letters to Congressional leaders in support of extending federal wind tax credits for at least another year. Now this latest group of prominent companies is playing up another theme: Ending support for wind isn't just bad for the wind industry, it's bad for downstream non-utility companies that procure energy from wind:

As major U.S. employers and some of the largest non-utility purchasers of renewable energy, we urge you to extend the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind energy before the end of the 112th Congress. A failure to pass an extension will amount to levying a tax on companies committed to buying American energy and growing the U.S. economy. In today's economic climate, a taxhike on American businesses buying American renewable energy is unwarranted.

In the past decade American businesses have significantly ramped up their purchase of American wind energy. For consumers of wind electricity, the economic benefits of the PTC are tremendous. Electricity rates, which reflect marginal costs for power plant operations and fuel prices, consistently decrease when wind enters the market. Because wind prices can be locked in up front, businesses incorporating wind into their energy portfolios are better equipped to hedge market volatility in traditional fuels markets caused by supply shocks. We are concerned that allowing the PTC to expire will immediately raise prices for the renewable electricity we buy today.

The PTC has enabled the industry to slash wind energy costs – 90% since 1980 – a big reason why companies like ours are buying increasing amounts of renewable energy. Wind now supplies over 3% of US demand and accounts for 35% of new power capacity installed in the last four years. In the seven years that the PTC has been continuously in place, installed wind capacity has grown sevenfold to nearly 47 Gigawatts representing more than $79 billion in private investment.

As Congress investigates ways to spur business growth, we urge you to ensure an extension of the PTC. Failure to extend the PTC for wind would tax our companies and thousands of others like us that purchase significant amounts of renewable energy and hurt our bottom lines at a time when the economy is struggling to recover. Extending the PTC lowers prices for all consumers, keeps America competitive in a global marketplace and creates homegrown American jobs.

These 19 leading companies are part of the Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy (BICEP), a project from the sustainability advocacy group Ceres. They say that failure to extend the wind credit will add new costs to businesses throughout the economy. Interestingly, far-right conservative groups aggressively opposed to raising taxes are the only ones coming out in opposition to the wind tax credit.

Over last five years, wind has brought $20 billion of annual private investment to the U.S., according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). There are now 75,000 jobs across the country in wind manufacturing, operations, maintenance and education. However, a report from Navigant Consulting prepared for AWEA concludes that failure to extend the wind tax credit could result in up to 37,000 job losses in the coming year.

This article was originally published on Climate Progress and was republished with permission.

Lead image: Wind turbine in clouds via Shutterstock

19 Sep, 2012

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Distributed Generation Will Make Electric Grids More Secure, Expand Access

As our society continues to become more wired, the impact of a sudden power outage – such as what occurred in India in early August – becomes increasingly severe and disruptive. With more and more businesses – including mission critical facilities like hospitals, military bases, and water treatment plants – reliant upon access to large amounts of electricity and the Internet, blackouts can significantly damage a country's economy, public health and safety.

At the same time, there are regions of the world – particularly in emerging nations – where entire villages remain without access to power because it is simply too expensive to build the infrastructure needed to transport electricity to the rural areas. According to a 2010 International Energy Agency report, the lack of access to electricity hinders social and economic development and exacerbates major health problems such as hunger, sanitation and access to clean water. As a recent New York Times headline simply put it, energy access is vital to abolishing the worst poverty in the world.

A solution to both of these problems – increasing vulnerability to a power outage in developed areas and lack of access to electricity in developing areas – can be found in distributed generation. Traditionally, electricity is generated in large, centralized facilities, and for the most part these facilities run on fossil fuels. Distributed generation instead allows electricity to be generated from many small, de-centralized sources, such as rooftop solar or a small solar farm.

For developed areas, this method of electricity generation offers far greater grid security than traditional generation in centralized facilities. Generating power through several independent generation stations rather than a handful of major power plants dramatically decreases the impact of one power plant unexpectedly shutting down. The presence of several generation stations allows some to ramp up their production to account for the unexpected loss of others, keeping the grid stable even as power generation fluctuates.

For areas currently without access to electricity, distributed generation facilities bypass the onerous cost of developing infrastructure to transport electricity long distances from enormous power plants and delivers the power they so badly need.

The technology to both develop power grids using more and more distributed generation and integrate distributed generation into large electric grids is getting more advanced each year. Companies are already developing solar-powered thermal power plants designed specifically for off-grid applications and solar community cooking systems to reduce fossil fuels use. Others are supporting the development of solar-powered toilets that require no running water and produce no pollutants.

Other solutions include local wind generators – small wind turbines – that can power homes and small businesses. And as the use of home-based solar panels increases, each individual household or business will create more and more of its own electricity, increasing energy security, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and netting an economic benefit.

As nations overhaul their grids in response to the recent blackout in India and work to provide electricity access to their most remote areas, distributed generation should be part of the solution.

Lead image: Power lines via Shutterstock

18 Sep, 2012

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Brookfield Renewable Energy Likely To Vote Against Western Wind Management in Proxy Battle

The transaction was seen as a signal that Brookfield intends to bid at least C$2.25 for Western Wind in its upcoming sale, and so the company's stock has been trading for slightly more than C$2.25 since the announcement.

Despite this, the Brookfield/Goodman transaction may not prove to be a good deal for Western Wind's other shareholders.  Goodman had not said how it intended to vote in the upcoming proxy battle between Western Wind's management and 4.78% owner Savitr Capital.  The main issue in this proxy battle is which team is best suited to manage the process of selling the company.

Because the purchase comes with a promise from Brookfield to compensate Goodman if Western Wind is sold for more than C$2.25 in the next year, the transaction only makes sense if Brookfield intends to use its newly acquired votes to influence the vote in its favor.  As a likely bidder in the sale, Brookfield's incentive is to vote for the management team which it believes will accept the lowest offer for Western Wind.  Savitr has stated that Western Wind management made a mistake rejecting Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp.'s (TSX:AQN, OTC:AQUNF) 2011 offer of C$2.50 a share, so it's clear that Savitr is willing to accept less for the company than management.

Other shareholders  will want to sell the company for as much as possible.  They should vote for the team they think is best able to interest the broadest range of possible buyers in the company, and best able to advance its Yabucoa solar project and increase the company's value in the meantime.   I personally think current management has the best team for these two jobs, and will be voting my yellow proxy in favor of management's nominees on September 25th.

While Brookfield's stock purchase has been good news for Western Wind shareholders in the short term, if Brookfield casts the decisive vote in the proxy battle, it may well mean that we will end up with less for our shares that we would have gotten otherwise.

Brookfield must think so, or they would not have bothered striking the deal with Goodman.

Disclosure: Long WND, BRP-UN, AQN.

This article was first published on the author's Forbes.com blog, Green Stocks.

DISCLAIMER: Past performance is not a guarantee or a reliable indicator of future results.  This article contains the current opinions of the author and such opinions are subject to change without notice.  This article has been distributed for informational purposes only. Forecasts, estimates, and certain information contained herein should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product.  Information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed.

Lead image: Vote against via Shutterstock

19 Sep, 2012

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The Big Question: What Can We Expect over the Next 12 Months?

Maria van der Hoeven, Executive Director, International Energy Agency

Renewable energy continues to grow in the face of both economic crisis and subsidy reductions in key markets. The technology portfolio is expanding, with generation from wind, solar PV and bioenergy growing in double digits year-on-year. Hydropower continues to grow steadily and remains the largest renewable source in absolute terms. Even geothermal and ocean energy are growing. That growth is being driven by emerging and developing markets outside the OECD - and we expect this contribution to accelerate.

One striking trend is the geographic spread of renewable energy projects, often to totally new markets. Just a few years ago, only a handful of countries hosted significant solar, wind, or bioenergy projects — but renewable energy projects are now taking root across Asia, in Latin America, and in Africa and the Middle East.

While we see growth across renewable technologies, of course the trends for each vary. Solar PV is particularly striking. Stagnating economies and electricity demand, combined with feed-in tariff reductions and other support limitations, are slowing down European PV growth. But that is compensated for by increases in China, the US, Japan and India, and also driven by a rapid fall in component costs. And with falling costs comes intensified global competition. A consequent shake-up of the industry should ultimately bode well for its long-term health. Companies surviving the current consolidation are restructuring and successfully transitioning from subsidized markets to new and potentially more competitive market segments.

Finally, although wind and solar often grab headlines, hydropower remains the largest renewable source by a wide margin. And despite its more sedate image, hydro's growth continues at a healthy pace, driven by the need for baseload capacity in emerging economies, and by increasing pumped storage demands in countries seeking to integrate more variable renewables.

With an outlook marked by growth and driven by emerging economies, these trends are likely to continue and accelerate into the medium term.                      

Birger T. Madsen, Director, Navigant's BTM Consult APS

The global wind market has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past two decades. In 2011, it defied the fragile Western economic climate with a record level of global installations (around 42 GW). There is no doubt that although much of the IP and highest ranking turbine OEMs reside in Europe, the balance of power has shifted to Asia and specifically China, the number one market in the world. 

The wind industry was largely unaffected by the credit crisis, but now is feeling its hangover. It is faced with an overcapacity of turbines and some core components, limited credit availability, high material prices, shortages in skilled labor, continuing low U.S. gas prices and Chinese turbine and core component suppliers producing at lower costs than western competitors. This has resulted in Western companies reducing prices and profit margins, resulting in a strategic rethink of their earlier ambitious targets and aggressive investment decisions made during the boom of 2008. Despite this, the investment level available to the wind industry remains high, but there has been a marked evolution in the shape and face of the investment vehicles available, most notably in the offshore sector.

Looking ahead over the next 12 months, the Chinese market will still constitute the lion's share of global installations despite a drop in annual installations, with Europe seeing a flat level of growth and the US seeing a spike as companies seek to capitalize on the PTC before it expires at the end of 2012.

It is, however, the Latin American, Indian, Eastern European and European offshore markets which are expected to provide the main impetus in installations moving forward.

It's crucial that transmission capacity is improved in time to facilitate the expected offshore progress in northern Europe. Furthermore, it is expected that there will be a continued shift towards the use of direct drive technology and an increasing interest in two-bladed wind turbines.              

Andrew Beebe, CCO, Suntech

Rumors of our industry's death have been greatly exaggerated. Yes, it's true that upstream module oversupply is thinning margins and eroding profitability. But the global solar market will still grow in 2012, just not at the pace we're used to. Although it's a tough time to be a solar manufacturer, it's a great time to be a solar consumer. That's what matters. 

For the first and last time, the price of solar modules has breached the US$1/W mark, a harbinger of cost-competitive solar. We have finally reached the tipping point. New markets are emerging, and the potential for growth is astounding. 

Of course, to achieve this growth, solar companies will need to endure a market that is slowly digesting excess capacity and ensuring that only the most efficient producers survive. As the industry moves through this consolidation phase, we expect bankability to separate the wheat from the chaff. We are witnessing a 'flight to quality', where customers are looking for a reliable and trustworthy brand that can uphold its end of the promised 25-year relationship.

In addition, innovation will define future leaders. In previous years cost reductions came from both technology improvements and declines in key material prices; in coming years innovation will take centre stage. Companies that have a technology heritage and have invested heavily in R&D will be able to innovate ways to redesign cells and modules, to effectively use cheaper ingredients and to scale higher conversion efficiencies.

Despite the skepticism of critics, we can expect the industry to continue on a moderate growth trajectory in 2012 and to accelerate into 2013. The consumer's good fortune bodes well for the industry as our ultimate goal is to make solar power a viable and affordable energy choice.

We knew that solar manufacturers would have to go through this ultra-competitive "Valley of Death". Consolidation is maturation. Amidst unfounded political skepticism of our industry's long-term health and potential, we must stay focused on what matters.

Andrew Oldfield, Head of Cleantech, Mercia Fund Management

There is still a lot of work to do to move UK climate chief Lord Stern's central thesis (that the true cost of not acting on environmental issues is far greater than the cost of investing in alternative technologies) into the political mainstream. It is being questioned whether green is compatible with growth, when in fact it should be synonymous. Community led cleantech companies offer a viable approach, commercializing disruptive innovations without the heavy investment the sector has demanded in the past. 

In solar, for example, new business models will be enabled by technology advances bringing existing low-cost industries into the supply chain. This will require equity finance to build some exciting early stage SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises] in a capital efficient manner. The financial backdrop is not healthy: for example, seed stage venture investment in the UK has dropped every year from 2006 (about £400 million [US$620 million]) to last year (about £10 million [$16 million]). This is seriously affecting the ability of UK cleantech entrepreneurs to get their ventures funded.

There is a perception that early stage ventures do not offer an attractive risk-reward profile. The reality is that seed stage investment has often been through publicly backed funds with significant restrictions on follow-on investment. These funds have therefore shouldered the operational risk inherent in backing early stage, high growth companies - some of which do fail - without being able to invest in the winners that do eventually emerge. This negatively skews the true value of early stage investing on average. 

The UK urgently needs to re-seed its early stage venture capital market, with substantial funds going into cleantech sectors. A fully functioning seed fund will do 80 per cent of its deals in seed, but 80 per cent of the money goes into later rounds. Community-led cleantech will help returns, but government help is needed to correct the perception that early stage is not an attractive place to invest. Once corrected, the market will take over the job. 

In the end the sector needs to stand on its own feet. Ironically this requires more early stage funding so the financing of disruptive innovation can be shown to be attractive and therefore self-sustaining.

Sven Teske, Renewable Energy Director, Greenpeace International            

The renewables industry's circumstances have changed fundamentally over the past five years. Renewables became mainstream, economic, and grew out of their sometimes wild teenage years. And even faster growth across all renewable energy technologies is more important than ever.

A certain amount of climate change is now "locked" based on the amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere since industrialization began. On the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe yet another nuclear incident underlined the urgent need to rethink global energy strategies. The Fukushima disaster sparked a surge in global renewable energy and made at least some governments reconsider their energy approach. At the same time, the poor state of the global economy has resulted in decreasing carbon prices, some governments reducing support for renewables, and a stagnation of overall investment, particularly in the OECD. Rising oil demand is putting pressure on supply, causing prices to rise and making possible increased exploration for "marginal and unconventional" oil resources, such as regions of the Arctic newly accessible due to retreating polar ice, and environmentally destructive tar sands in Canada.

For almost a decade it looked as if nothing could halt the growth of the renewables industry. But the economic crisis and its continuing aftermath slowed growth and dampened demand. While the industry is slowly recovering, increased competition, particularly in the solar PV and wind markets, has driven down prices and shaved margins to the point where most manufacturers are struggling to survive. PV prices fell more than 60 per cent in the past two years, with costs not always following. More production capacity - not only for PV - is a must to get to the market size needed to save the climate and supply enough energy to growing economies such as China and India.

A renewable energy market of around 200 GW by 2020 is required. The big question is whether governments around the world will provide the reliable policy framework needed, and if infrastructure will be adapted to renewables not the other way round. 

Lead image: Question marks via Shutterstock

18 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2012/09/the-big-question-what-can-we-expect-over-the-next-12-months?cmpid=rss
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France Taxing Carbon Emitters in an Effort to Overhaul Consumer Energy Costs

Making more people eligible for so-called "social" utility rates will make energy more accessible, he said in a speech at an environment conference in Paris. Existing law allows for 1 million households to benefit, he said.

The 2013 budget will include a "general tax" on businesses that contribute to air pollution, he said. The government also plans to review the CSPE tax on electricity bills that goes toward paying the higher costs of renewable energy.

President Francois Hollande has embarked on a plan to lower France's reliance on nuclear power and overhaul energy costs for consumers. Electricite de France SA and GDF Suez SA, the Paris- based former monopolies, have the rates that they charge households in their home market regulated by the government.

A draft law aimed at boosting energy efficiency and lowering demand would make rules on the tariffs more complex because they will depend on home insulation and revenues.

"I want to encourage moderation in energy use," Ayrault said today. Under the plan, the government wants 1 million homes renovated annually for which financial aid will be available, he said.

Business Costs

"What worries us the most is how much this will cost and who will pay," Laurence Parisot, head of the business organization Medef, said after the conference on the government's energy policies and the planned pollution tax. "We can't keep raising costs for companies without a big impact on jobs and competitiveness."

The government will also start tenders by the end of the year for two offshore wind parks near Le Treport in the Channel and Noirmoutier island off the Atlantic coast, as well as large- scale solar installations, Ayrault said. This will be accompanied by a streamlining of administrative procedures for development of onshore turbines.

EDF and partners including turbine maker Alstom SA won in April a French government tender to build three offshore wind farms, while Iberdrola SA got one. That first round was for almost 2,000 megawatts that will add an estimated 1.1 billion euros to household electricity bills when the wind farms are running, the government has said.

France, which doesn't yet have any offshore wind power, plans to install 6,000 megawatts of offshore wind, tidal and wave power by 2020 to boost clean energy.

Lead image: wind turbines via shutterstock

17 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2012/09/france-taxing-carbon-emitters-in-an-effort-to-overhaul-consumer-energy-costs?cmpid=rss
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