The Clean Development Mechanism has contributed to the deployment of wind energy globally. As of October 2008, a total of 538 wind energy projects were in the “CDM pipeline”, totaling an installed capacity of 20,434 MW. This represents 14% of the total number of projects introduced into the pipeline. Almost 7 million CERs have already been issued to these wind projects, a number that will go up to a total of 213 million by the end of the first commitment period in 2012 for the projects currently in the pipeline.

The majority of these projects are located in China and India. In China, 90% of wind energy projects have applied for CDM registration, and there are now 254 projects in the CDM pipeline, making up more than 13 GW of capacity. India has 231 projects in the pipeline, totalling more than 4 GW.

The limited number of countries with CDM-supported wind projects reflects the fact that carbon finance is a useful, and in some cases necessary condition for the development of wind power in the developing world, but it is by no means sufficient. In the case of both India and China carbon finance functions alongside a wide range of other measures necessary for countries to diversify and decarbonise their power supply sectors.
There are signs that some other countries may join the list of major host countries for wind power projects assisted by CDM carbon finance. However, it is clear that the ultimate responsibility for this lies with active government implementation of policies and measures to create the enabling environment within which carbon finance can play its role – as an important source to defray the marginal costs of wind power versus conventional fossil fuel plants. This is particularly
the case in the absence of an economy-wide cap on carbon emissions

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) announced the remarkable news today:

The U.S. wind energy industry shattered all previous records in 2008 by installing 8,358 megawatts (MW) of new generating capacity (enough to serve over 2 million homes).

Half of that was brought online in the fourth quarter, and so I expect stories in big media touting how well alternative energy has been weathering the brutal economic storm — as if (see “Global recession? Must be time for the media’s alternative-energy backlash“).

Still, the AWEA report made clear that there could be tough times ahead, unless Congress takes strong action on tax credits (see “House Ways & Means embraces refundable renewable tax credits“):

The massive growth in 2008 swelled the nation’s total wind power generating capacity by 50% and channeled an investment of some $17 billion into the economy, positioning wind power as one of the leading sources of new power generation in the country today along with natural gas, AWEA added. At year’s end, however, financing for new projects and orders for turbine components slowed to a trickle and layoffs began to hit the wind turbine manufacturing sector.

“Our numbers are both exciting and sobering,” said AWEA CEO Denise Bode. “The U.S. wind energy industry’s performance in 2008 confirms that wind is an economic and job creation dynamo, ready to deliver on the President’s call to double renewable energy production in three years. At the same time, it is clear that the economic and financial downturn have begun to take a serious toll on new wind development. We are already seeing layoffs in the area where wind’s promise is greatest for our economy: the wind power manufacturing sector. Quick action in the stimulus bill is vital to restore the industry’s momentum and create jobs as we help make our country more secure and leave a more stable climate for our children.”

The new wind projects completed in 2008 account for about 42% of the entire new power-producing capacity added nationally last year, according to initial estimates, and will avoid nearly 44 million tons of carbon emissions, the equivalent of taking over 7 million cars off of the road.

The amount that the industry brought online in the 4th quarter alone — 4,112 MW – exceeds annual additions for every year except 2007. In all, wind energy generating capacity in the U.S. now stands at 25,170 MW, producing enough electricity to power the equivalent of close to 7 million households and strengthening our national energy supply with a clean, inexhaustible, homegrown source of energy.

Iowa, with 2,790 MW installed, surpassed California (2,517 MW) in wind power generating capacity. The top five states in terms of capacity installed are now:

-Texas, with 7,116 MW
-Iowa, with 2,790 MW
-California, with 2,517 MW
-Minnesota, with 1,752 MW
-Washington, with 1,375 MW

Oregon moved into the club of states with more than 1,000 MW installed, which now counts seven states: Texas, Iowa, California, Minnesota, Washington, Colorado, and Oregon.

About 85,000 people are employed in the wind industry today, up from 50,000 a year ago, and hold jobs in areas as varied as turbine component manufacturing, construction and installation of wind turbines, wind turbine operations and maintenance, legal and marketing services, and more. About 8,000 of these jobs are construction jobs, and a significant number of those will be lost in 2009 if financing for the pipeline of new projects is not quickly restored.

China (3,705,407 square miles) is only slightly larger than the United States (3,537,438 square miles) geographically, yet it contains more than four times as many people; 1,335,962,132 versus 306,134,000 according to 2007 census figures.

What this does to China’s sustainability equation can be imagined. China currently ranks third in coal reserves globally, but first in production, at 40 percent of the world’s output in 2007. According to experts, this resource will be exhausted in 80 years. Smaller reserves of oil and gas will go even faster, lasting between 15 and 30 years at their current rate of use in China’s rapidly expanding industrial economy.

China’s leaders are fully cognizant of this scenario, and that is why China currently leads the world in solar cell production. In 2007, photovoltaic factories in the People’s Republic of China tripled their production, capturing 35 percent of the global market. The same is true for lithium ion batteries used in electric vehicles and wind turbines. According to Steve Sawyer of Global Wind Energy Council, China will produce enough wind turbine assemblies to generate 10 gigawatts of power per year 2010. That 10 gigawatts represents more than half the capacity of the whole world in 2007.

With the Chinese, alternative energies like solar power aren’t “feel good” measures designed to make the affluent seem more in touch with the earth. They are engines of necessity, and the Chinese have always been good at turning necessity into an art form. Who else could find 100 ways to serve rice?

Take solar. China, also the world’s largest solar water heater manufacturer, currently uses about 100 megawatts of solar power to offset coal. This is a mere drop in the bucket, considering China uses 2.83 billion megawatts of power annually, 85 percent of it from coal. This usage creates 1.8 billion tons of fossil fuel emissions like carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, as compared to the U.S., which in 2007 emitted 1.6 billion tons.

By 2010, however, China’s goal is 300 megawatts of solar energy, and that’s not even considering amendments to the 2006 Renewable Energy Law, which doesn’t offer government financial incentives for solar.

Should that happen, expect China’s solar power industry to take off. In the meantime, the real solar push is coming from rural areas which electrification has failed to reach. These 30 million people, in 30,000 villages across the country, get their power from panels, and experts predict this “green” rural electrification will account for more than half of China’s solar power production in the coming years.

Take Rizhao City, where nearly 100 percent of central district households rely on solar to heat their water, trigger their traffic signals, and power street and safety lights. Outside the urban area, many families use solar cookers. More than 60,000 greenhouses grow food under solar panels, and this plethora of captured sunlight is attracting the minds, imaginations, and livelihoods of businessmen, academics and retired people. Rizhao City is growing like – dare I say? – a weed under summer sunlight.

The trend isn’t confined to rural areas. Shenzhen now requires all new buildings higher than 12 stories to install rooftop solar water heaters. In Shanghai, a plan is afoot to invest 1.5 billion dollars in rooftop solar panels before 2015, which the Shanghai municipal government plans to subsidize until the cost of solar panels become affordable to the average Chinese citizen.

Finally, a proposal by two Chinese companies to build a 1-gigawatt solar photovoltaic power plant in Qinghai’s Qaidam Basin, will start small – 30 megawatts in 2009 – and end up being the world’s biggest when completed.

The current world recession has put a damper on many Chinese plans for greener energy, but once it passes (in late 2009, according to most economists) expect China’s solar energy platform to hit the ground running and not stop until every wall and rooftop in every city and village has its full complement of solar panels. Because the Chinese are very good in another venue: making products affordable.

Source

maybe Obama could look north to see how to fix our problems, green jobs and green power…..
THINKING GREEN? THINK ONTARIO, CANADA.
by Bruce Mulliken, Green Energy News

Canada expects to be pulling out of its recession by the middle of the year. Lending actually rose in December. Credit, for the most part, is flowing normally.

The reason? Canada has the wisdom to properly regulate its banks. Banks there have plenty of cash on hand to lend to creditworthy consumers and businesses. They’ll survive the global financial mayhem.

The recession north of the US border is expected to be painful, but brief, even shorter than that of the early 1990’s. So short, in fact, its time to start thinking ahead, thinking about growth and thinking about renewable energy and electric cars.

The Ontario Power Authority(OPA), the regulatory agency responsible for ensuring a reliable, sustainable supply of electricity for the Province of Ontario, has just awarded not one, or two, or three, four or five, but six long-term contracts for power from wind energy projects. The contracts will lead to the construction of 500 megawatts of wind capacity and help Ontario in its goal to eliminate power generated from coal-fired power plants by 2014.

The wind farms will make jobs too. OPA expects 2200 direct and indirect jobs to be created. The direct jobs are those in the construction, management and maintenance of the wind farms. Indirect jobs will be in the manufacturing of building materials and services such as engineering design, legal, accounting and real estate.

Aside from the availability of clean power for Ontarians, landowners who host wind turbines are expected to receive about CAD 3 million ($ 2.4 million) each year in lease payments. Municipalities will receive about CAD 1 million (nearly $800,000) per year in tax revenues.

Together the projects will cost about CAD 1.32 billion (more than $1 billion). All of the projects are expected to be complete by 2012 and the power contracts are for 20 years

GOV. KATHLEEN SEBELIUS: UNLOCK POTENTIAL OF CLEAN-ENERGY FUTURE
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BY GOV. KATHLEEN SEBELIUS
For Kansas to take the next step toward a clean-energy future, we must have a clear picture of where we’d like to be. That’s why my administration has worked with legislators, consumers and industry stakeholders to develop a vision for a comprehensive energy plan.

Recently, the Kansas Energy Council confirmed that we have adequate electricity to power us for years into the future. Meanwhile, this plan will help us bridge the gap until the day when clean-coal technology is a reality, not just rhetoric.

Our plan is based on three priorities: Promote the generation of clean, renewable energy; lead the way in energy-efficiency efforts in state buildings; and create jobs and attract businesses in the new green economy.

The best way to move forward is a bipartisan effort, and we invite all legislators to endorse this clean-energy initiative. Together, we can pass a legislative package that already has been endorsed by two of our major utilities and includes net metering, new building codes and statutory goals for renewable energy in Kansas. This will send a clear signal to investors and renewable manufacturers that Kansas is embracing a clean-energy future.

My new GreenWorks Advisory Council will work to bring green jobs to Kansas. Len Rodman, CEO of Black and Veatch, will lead this effort, and I am grateful that he is providing his time and expertise.

We will continue to work to expand our wind power beyond the 1,000 megawatts of 2008 to reach our potential of 10,000 megawatts of wind power. The effort to accelerate a regional transmission grid to move power from the prairies to the market is an essential component of our plan.

Because the cleanest and cheapest energy is energy we don’t use in the first place, I’ve directed the Kansas Corporation Commission to work with our utility companies to further extend our available power well into the future through measurable energy-efficiency measures.

While we work on these efforts, we know that President Barack Obama has promised a new national energy policy and swift action, but there is uncertainty about the exact rules and financial liabilities Congress will impose.

In Kansas, our energy portfolio is unbalanced and too dependent on coal. While the nation receives only half of its energy from coal, in Kansas it is 75 percent. This makes us 10th in the nation in per capita carbon dioxide emissions, and extremely vulnerable to the costs and penalties of imminent federal regulation.

There is a major challenge facing America, and it provides us opportunities for a “made in America” energy program that is good for our economy, good for our national security and good for our environment. Kansas is uniquely suited to be a leader in the green energy future.

Together, we can unlock the infinite potential of clean energy that will positively impact generations to come.

Kathleen Sebelius is the governor of Kansas.

Some good news ‘mongst all these ongoing recession woes: progress continues to be made on the alternative energy front. For the first time, renewable energy sources accounted for the biggest share in the increase of US’s electrical capacity. This means that, thanks mostly to the burgeoning wind power industry, more renewable energy sources sprung up in 2007 than environmental ne’er do wells like coal-burning plants. So why is this significant?

It means we’re witnessing a paradigm shift—one that’s been a long time coming, in the words of the great Sam Cooke—and that a change gon’ come in the attitudes and ambitions of energy developers. Sure, some really good news would be that renewable energy sources accounted for the largest share in the US electrical capacity PERIOD. But this is a genuinely encouraging figure.

The numbers come from a newly released report called Electrical Power Annual 2007, and they speak volumes:

In 2007, general electrical capacity increased by 2.3%, from 4,065 million megawatt-hours in 2006 to 4,157 MWh in 2007. The total net summer capacity saw total increase of 8,673 MW. And out of that, wind power alone accounted for 5,186 MW: the largest portion of the energy increase pie graph.

We’ve still got a ways to go: renewable energy only accounts for a total of 2.5 % of total electrical capacity, with 105 million MWh of total net generation.

if the economy ever gets back on its feet, Wind stocks are going to soar………

Credit Suisse Estimates that Worldwide Energy Demand is Expected to Increase 50% by 2030
Credit Suisse research forecasts that the share of alternative energies in the worldwide energy supply is expected to grow significantly within forthcoming decades. This increase will be primarily driven by the political risk of relying on declining oil reserves and concerns about global warming, which has inspired many countries to enact renewable energy standards.
As a result of increasing demand, various industries within the alternative energy sector are currently experiencing rapid double digit growth, most noticeably the dynamic wind and solar industries. Whilst these energies today make up a small portion of the total renewable energy market (7.3%) some industry exponents expect wind and solar to contribute more than 25% to renewable energy by 2030.

“Alternative Energy is a long-term theme. Driven by rising energy costs and regulatory mandates in many countries, it is rapidly gaining share in the global energy supply”. said Miroslav Durana, Head Alternative Energy Research for Credit Suisse. However, as these young industries quickly increase their capacity, component supply shortages and execution problems are likely. As a result, many alternative energy companies show high earnings growth but also relatively high earnings risk. Therefore, Credit Suisse recommends a diversified investment in selected stocks across all alternative energy themes or in an alternative energy index.

“It is an exciting time for alternative energy with market dislocation

Obama is going to kick start wind power and in a big way………
In his first weekly presidential address, which for the first time was also broadcast on YouTube, Mr Obama also promised to building a new electricity grid.

“To accelerate the creation of a clean energy economy, we will double our capacity to generate alternative sources of energy like wind, solar, and biofuels over the next three years,” he said.

“We’ll begin to build a new electricity grid that lay down more than 3,000 miles of transmission lines to convey this new energy from coast to coast.

“We’ll save taxpayers $2 billion (£1.47 billion) a year by making 75 per cent of federal buildings more energy efficient, and save the average working family $350 (£260) on their energy bills by weatherising [insulating] 2.5 million homes.”

Mr Obama has asked the US Congress “to act without delay” to pass legislation instituting his plan, which has received a broad welcome.

T. Boone Pickens, the billionaire oil investor and Republican donor, said the measure would help to kick-start the economy.

“Investing in alternative energy, focusing on conservation and rebuilding our power grid to deliver that energy to every corner of our country are critical components of this effort,” he said.

The League of Conservation Voters said that Mr Obama’s “prescriptions will address the twin challenges of an ailing economy and the threat of global warming”.

Some, however, have questioned whether Mr Obama should boost spending on higher-cost renewable fuels during a recession. His plan is likely to be modified during the negotiation process in Congress.

Danish firms consider wind power projects in South Africa

Feed-in tariffs required to woo investment
January 25, 2009

By INGI SALGADO

Johannesburg – Several Danish companies are eyeing investments in South African wind power but have cautioned that the fledgling industry needs to operate with the certainty of a renewable energy policy and a feed-in tariff.

Suzlon Wind Energy, among the world’s five biggest suppliers, said on Friday it had identified “many projects” in South Africa, without elaborating.

Danish gas producer Dong Energy said it would make direct investments in wind power here, as well as in China, Vietnam, and Chile, in order to secure carbon credits to reduce the group’s emissions by a mandatory 43 percent by 2012.

It was cheaper for Dong to buy carbon credits than reduce internal emissions, said Cilla Clausen, the firm’s head of carbon funds and purchases. “It would be very good to get three to four [wind] projects running in South Africa over the next one to one and a half years.”

Jorn Hammer, the managing director of wind turbine supplier Vestas Wind Systems, said the Danish group had “plenty of projects” on the go locally, without giving details.

He cautioned that a feed-in tariff was “extremely important” for the market’s long-term sustainability. “We, like the rest of the industry, are keen to see what happens on that front.”

The National Energy Regulator of SA said last year it planned to release details of its proposed feed-in tariff by the end of next month.

Feed-in tariffs, usually implemented on a sliding scale, allow renewable-energy generation technologies to compete financially with fuel-based sources, whose external pollution costs are not reflected in the price.

Claus Andersen, Suzlon’s chief sales officer, said no energy technology had ever been developed without economic support, including oil, gas, nuclear, hydroelectric and coal.