Energy Dept. says wind power could be savior San Franciscop Chronicle David R. Baker, May 13, 2008 - "Windmills spinning over the Great Plains and along the coasts could supply 20 percent of U.S. electricity by the year 2030 and put a significant dent in greenhouse gas emissions, federal officials said Monday.

……………a new report from the U.S. Department of Energy found that wind power could play a far larger role in the future. It could supply roughly the same percentage of the nation's power as nuclear plants provide today.

'There are those who say it is marginal and always will be, and yet the statistics say otherwise,' said Andy Karsner, the department's assistant secretary for renewable energy.The report's findings have major implications for the fight against global warming, both nationally and in California…………

……………..Wind farms produce electricity without spewing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. They are one of several renewable energy sources that California officials hope will help slow global warming, by reducing the number of fossil-fuel power plants the state must build.

Under California law, 20 percent of the electricity sold by the state's utilities must come from renewable sources by the end of 2010. The utilities are rushing to sign contracts with wind farm developers........................................".

Green city to rise in the desert thestar.com May 05, 2008
Craig and Marc Kielburger

- "A new kind of oasis is forming in the middle of the desert.
In one of the harshest environments imaginable, where temperatures regularly rise to 50C and sandstorms can limit visibility to a few metres, construction has begun on what will be the greenest city on Earth.
Abu Dhabi is developing the world's first solar-powered, car-free subdivision. Called Masdar City, the initiative is harnessing the region's enormous wealth, and zeal for glitzy construction, to build an eco-friendly community of 50,000 in the heart of the Persian Gulf
If successful, Masdar City will become a haven for green living in one of the most polluted areas in the world; showing what's possible when governments and business leaders join forces.

Global Investment in Renewable Energy Reaches $100 Billion According to UN Report FOX BUSINESS WASHINGTON, May 5, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX News Network/ ----

High oil prices and an array of government incentives are leading to soaring rates of investment in renewable energy, according to the United Nations' annual "Global Trends in Sustainable Energy Investment" report. The UN report calculates global investment capital flows into renewable energy companies reached $100 billion for the first time in history last year..................

...........Usher said the UN's 'report puts full stop to the idea of renewable energy being a fringe interest of environmentalists. It is now a mainstream commercial interest to investors and bankers alike'..........................................."

No energy to tackle the energy crisis
The Age Thomas Friedman
May 3, 2008 - "……………….But here's what's scary: our problem is so much worse than you think. We have no energy strategy. If you are going to use tax policy to shape energy strategy then you would want to raise taxes on the things you want to discourage - petrol consumption and petrol-guzzling cars - and you would want to lower taxes on the things you want to encourage - new, renewable energy technologies. We are doing just the opposite.

Are you sitting down? Few Americans know it, but for almost a year now, Congress has been bickering over whether and how to renew the investment tax credit to stimulate investment in solar energy and the production tax credit to encourage investment in wind energy. The bickering has been so poisonous that when Congress passed the 2007 energy bill last December, it failed to extend any stimulus for wind and solar energy production. Oil and gas kept all their credits, but those for wind and solar have been left to expire this December. I am not making this up. At a time when we should be throwing everything into clean power innovation, we are squabbling over pennies.

……………………In 1997,...... America was the leader in solar energy technology, with 40% of global solar production. "Last year, we were less than 8%, and even most of that was manufacturing for overseas markets." The McCain-Clinton proposal is a reminder to me that the biggest energy crisis we have in our country today is the energy to be serious - the energy to do big things in a sustained, focused and intelligent way. We are in the midst of a national political brown-out…."

Is Desert Solar Power the Solution to Europe's Energy Crisis? SPIEGAL ONLINE 30 April 08 By Jens Lubbadeh - "A tiny fraction of the sun's energy that shines upon the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East could meet all of Europe's electricity demands. The technology to harness the energy already exists........................

The oil of the 21st century is not buried deep within the earth. Instead, it falls on its surface -- as sunshine. "The sun is the hidden asset of North Africa and the Middle East," says Gerhard Knies, a spokesman for the Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation (TREC), a network of scientists and politicians from various countries who have taken it upon themselves to solve Europe's energy problem.
Their vision, which they call Desertec, is to turn desert sun into electricity, thereby harnessing inexhaustible, clean and affordable energy.
............................Müller-Steinhagen has been commissioned by Germany's Environment Ministry to check the feasibility of Desertec in several studies. His conclusion is that Desertec is a real possibility.
In his studies, he has scrutinized the energy situation in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East from the point of view of the post-oil era. Out of all the alternative energy sources, one stands head and shoulders above the rest: "No energy source even comes close to achieving the same massive energy density as sunshine," Müller-Steinhagen says.
And no other energy source is available over such a large area. Every year, 630,000 terawatt hours in the form of solar energy falls unused on the deserts of the so-called MENA states of the Middle East and North Africa...............................It's actually relatively easy. Desertec is low-tech -- no expensive nuclear fusion reactors, no CO2-emitting coal power plants, no ultra-thin solar cells............Solar energy can be harnessed even at night: Excess heat produced during the day can be stored for several hours in tanks of molten salt. This way the turbines can produce electricity even when the sun is not shining.............." .

Africa: Continent Needs Reliable Energy Supply AllAfrica.com John Krenicki 16 April 2008 - "…………………To meet the current energy demand, several African nations have implemented small-scale renewable energy projects.
These on-site energy projects are particularly useful in remote locations, because of the excessive cost of transporting electricity from large-scale power plants. The broader application of renewable energy technology has the potential to alleviate many of the problems that face Africans every day, providing a sustainable, cleaner source of power.

GE's Jenbacher biogas engines are an example of such technology, which can burn natural gas or a variety of specialty fuels created from the anaerobic digestion of animal or agricultural waste products.
This fuel flexibility, combined with their ability to operate off-the-grid, has resulted in their selection for several international rural electrification initiatives, including in India and Bangladesh.

They feature combustion and emissions control systems important in promoting public health and air quality in remote villages. ..................................."

Renewable Energy Jobs Soar in Germany Renewable Energy World.com by Jane Burgermeister, European Correspondent Vienna, Austria 9 April 08 - "Renewable energy jobs in Germany shot up to 249,300 in 2007, almost double the 160,500 green jobs in Germany in 2004.
According to revised government figures, as many as 400,000 people could be employed in the renewable energy industry in Germany by 2020. This is 100,000 more jobs than a previous study had predicted due to the boost that the country's economy and exports received as a result of massive investment in the renewable sector.

The systematic expansion of renewable energy is not only good from the environmental and climate policy point of view but also for innovation, growth and employment in Germany' Sigmar Gabriel, the German Minister for Environment said.

New figures published on March 14, 2008 (Bruttobeschäftigung 2007 by Marlene Kratzat, Dietmar Edler, Marion Ottmüller and Ulrike Lehr) show that solar sector jobs are being added the fastest but that employment in all green energy segments has been growing rapidly.

…………………..To train young people in the skills needed for the booming renewable energy sector, the government is also expanding a program to sign up more companies.
So far 5,100 training places have been announced under a joint government-industry initiative "Environment creates perspectives" [Umwelt schafft perspektiven] launched in November 2006..".

Renewable Energy: A Matter of Life and Breath
Power Electronics by Alan Elbanhawy, Semiconductor Industry Veteran
Apr 7, 2008 - "…………….Now, there are some very bright centers of research all over the world where great results have been achieved. These results should fill us all with great optimism about the possibility of achieving a goal of world consumption that is 100% fueled by renewable energy.

.......................................From the economic point of view, the serious research and ultimate adoption of renewable energy sources will create millions of jobs all over the world. Most likely, these new jobs will more than make up for the jobs lost in the fossil-fuel field. Moreover, if we start working toward this goal immediately, we can completely avert the economic hardships that experts predict will occur as a result of the sharp decline that is expected to follow the peak in oil production.

The other side of the energy equation is conservation. We must embark on a major effort to reduce waste of all sorts and particularly energy. Very simply put, a quick look at any home or office will reveal the extent of the waste in everyday life. This includes electronic equipment, TVs, DVD recorders, computers and numerous power packs continuously turned on night and day, consuming power while not in actual use. Our collective conscience should guide us to conserve energy and limit waste and pollution.

LESSONS FROM GERMANY'S ENERGY RENAISSANCE Globeinvestor.com , ERIC REGULYMarch 22, 2008 - BERLIN -- "Solar power will cost next to nothing. The fuel - the sun - is free. The price of the photovoltaic cells used to covert sunlight into electricity will plummet. Just give it time........

..Germany has become the world leader in renewable energy technology, manufacturing, sales and employment. The German map is dotted with hundreds of renewable energy companies. They make PV cells, wind turbines, solar thermal panels, biofuels and technology for biomass plants and geothermal energy. …………

……Germany has created 240,000 jobs in the renewable energy industry, 140,000 of them since 2001, said Matthias Machnig, State Secretary for the federal Ministry of the Environment. Renewable energy technologies already make up 4 to 5 per cent of Germany's gross domestic product; Mr. Machnig expects the figure to rise to 16 per cent by 2025. ..................

....………..GERMANY'S VAST renewable energy industry is a careful and deliberate blend of industrial, political and green policies.

Germany's renewable energy industry (wind, solar, biomass, hydropower, geothermal)
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
2001: 100,000
2007: 240,000
2020*: 500,000TOTAL RENEWABLES SALES
€22.9-billion
GERMAN INVESTMENT IN RENEWABLES (AS OF 2006)
€9-billion
ESTIMATED INVESTMENT BY 2020
€200-billion
PER CENT OF GERMAN ELECTRICITY GENERATED BY RENEWABLES
2000: 3%
2020*: 20%
2050*: 50%

BREAKDOWN OF WORLD'S PHOTOVOLTAIC CAPACITY
Germany 56%
U.S.: 8%
Japan: 17%
Rest of the world: 19% ........................................................"

Renewable energy law signed into effect in Chile
SANTIAGO, March 20 (Reuters) Reporting by Monica Vargas; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
- "Chilean President Michelle Bachelet signed a new energy law into effect on Thursday that requires electric utilities to invest in and supply nonconventional energy sources (NCES).
...................................The law mandates that NCES account for at least 10 percent of the energy supplied by Chile's electric utilities by 2024, and was approved by Congress unanimously earlier this month.

"The main idea is to establish conditions to attract investment to projects for renewable energy by accelerating the development of the market, eliminating entry barriers making these new sources compatible with the country's electricity market," Bachelet said on signing the law.
Nonconventional energy sources include wind, solar, geothermal, hydraulic and other forms of energy that have low environmental impact and are still not widely used in the local market............................................"

CEOs see green energy policies preserving US jobs
GOLETA, Calif., March 14 (Reuters) - "It's not often you hear executives from the biggest U.S. industries and a Republican governor clamoring for stronger regulations on climate change. But that's exactly what they want.
Without clear climate change policy, not only will manufacturing jobs be siphoned off to overseas rivals investing heavily in renewable energy sources, but U.S. companies won't have any clear direction on where best to invest their money in new capital projects to keep in line with regulations, top executives said.
They criticized the United States government sharply for failing to invest in new energy technologies.
They also blasted officials for neglecting to create aggressive energy efficiency standards and failing to extend tax subsidies for clean energy sources such as wind and solar -- measures they say would create jobs for Americans...........................

Improved energy efficiency standards for buildings and appliances; more research and development into biomass, clean coal and other technologies; and opening more U.S. acreage to oil exploration would all help create jobs, Dow's Liveris said.
At a separate conference in Pittsburgh, experts said U.S. workers are already finding jobs building wind turbines, installing solar panels and retrofitting buildings with stronger insulation to conserve energy.

Kathleen McGinty, secretary of Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection, said companies like Spain's Gamesa Corporacion Tecnologica (GAM.MC: Quote, Profile, Research) -- which makes windmill turbine blades -- have created jobs in a state once dominated by the steel and coal industries.........................................................".

More than 100 countries pledge to promote renewable energy China View Editor: Gao Ying WASHINGTON, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Participants from more than 100 countries concluded their discussions on Thursday at the three-day Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC 2008), pledging to promote renewable energy.

More than 2,800 delegates from 119 countries, along with nearly 3,000 other participants came to discuss ways their countries could develop renewable energy, promote sustainable development, and reduce greenhouse emissions.

The meeting launched the Washington International Action Program (WIAP). By the end of the conference, countries, sub-national authorities, private-sector and non-government organizations made more than 100 pledges of concrete ways to drive up renewable energy and enhance energy efficiency.

For example, Cape Verde was committed to increasing renewable sources of energy to 50 percent of market share by 2020, and to having one island running completely on renewable energy by that time. New Zealand also set an ambitious goal of producing 90 percent of their electricity from renewables by 2025, while the Council of the European Union volunteered to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a minimum of 20 percent by 2020..........................................................".

Renewable Energy Accelerates Meteoric Rise Worldwatch Institute 28 Feb 08 Washington, D.C.-The renewable energy industry is stepping up its meteoric rise into the mainstream of the energy sector, according to the REN21 Renewables 2007 Global Status Report. Renewable energy production capacities are growing rapidly as a result of more countries enacting far-reaching policies.

Prepared by the Renewable Energy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) (www.ren21.net) in collaboration with the Worldwatch Institute (www.worldwatch.org), the Renewables 2007 Global Status Report paints an encouraging picture of rapidly expanding renewable energy markets, policies, industries, and rural applications around the world. In 2007, global wind generating capacity is estimated to have increased 28 percent, while grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity rose 52 percent.

"So much has happened in the renewable energy sector during the past five years that the perceptions of some politicians and energy-sector analysts lag far behind the reality of where the renewables industry is today," says Mohamed El-Ashry, Chair of REN21.

Dr. Eric Martinot......says renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, and small-scale hydropower offer countries the means to improve their energy security and spur economic development.

Citing the report, Martinot says the renewable energy sector now accounts for 2.4 million jobs globally, and has doubled electric generating capacity since 2004, to 240 gigawatts. More than 65 countries now have national goals for accelerating the use of renewable energy and are enacting far-reaching policies to meet those goals............................................".

Southern Africa: Renewable Energy Could Meet Up to 50 Percent of Region's Energy Needs All Africa.com 25 February 2008 By 2050, renewable energy technologies could meet at least half of Southern Africa's energy needs at a lower cost than the current 'business as usual' mix of essentially coal-based supply options. In order to achieve this, there needs to be a revision of current regional energy policies, as well as effective regional planning and co-ordination. This is the message Southern African delegates will take to the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC) planned for March 4-6, 2008 based on the findings of a preparatory workshop for WIREC in Pretoria.

RE technologies are expected to provide increased levels of access to energy services than are currently possible with more centralised energy systems. Within the context of global climate change, WIREC provides an opportunity for Southern African stakeholders and international investment partners to forge a common basis for investing in cleaner energy services, which have greater long-term predictability in terms of costs..........".

Around 0.3% of Sahara could power Europe, Middle East and North Africa All About: CSP
November 13 Rachel Oliver - (CNN) -- "What if you could provide the world with an endless supply of virtually carbon-free electricity; ensure a constant source of drinkable water to the world's most vulnerable areas; avert some of the world's future humanitarian crises; and save billions of dollars in the process? Certain concentrated solar power (CSP) proponents say there is no "could" about it -- it's more a case of "can."

Like photovoltaic systems (PV), CSP relies on the sun to work. But where PV relies on mirrors to directly translate the sun's rays into energy, CSP uses the sun to heat water, or other liquids, to high temperatures, whose resulting steam is then used to drive turbines that create electricity....................

............Whereas PV can work on cloudy days, CSP needs direct sunlight -- and a lot of it, which means the only practical places on earth CSP plants can really work are in deserts. Deserts typically attract three times as much sunlight as northern Europe, according to The Guardian. It's why California's Mojave Desert has traditionally been the world centre for CSP, home to the world's biggest CSP plants, and is attracting companies from Australia, Germany, Israel and Spain to set up there, according to Business 2.0.Proponents of CSP say you don't need to use up much of the desert space to make CSP effective. A solar farm taking up 92 by 92 miles of desert could power the entire U.S., for example, according to Green Wombat, referring to a calculation made by the chairman of solar company Ausra, David Mills.

..................................CSP is attracting a list of high profile champions in the field of commerce, including venture capitalist Vinod Khosla. Khosla was one of the early backers of Google, Amazon and AOL and his latest venture is to invest in CSP, according to The Toronto Star........................................The founder of Greenpeace Lebanon, Fouad Hamdan, also argues it makes economic sense when compared with many world politicians' favored solution to climate change -- nuclear energy. Writing in Lebanon's Daily Star, he argues that when comparing nuclear energy and CSP like-for-like on a cost basis, nuclear becomes "economically insane."
"Investing in nuclear is a huge waste of money," Hamdan writes. "Plans to build a CSP in Egypt are estimated at $140 million for 140 MW, or about $1 million per MW. In comparison, the cost to build a nuclear power plant is estimated to be at least at $1.5 billion for 1,000 MW - about $1.5 million per MW."

............................................But while environmentalists can make things unpleasant, politicians can make things impossible. A small number of media sources have been reporting recently that there is a growing possibility that U.S. Democrats will allow solar and wind energy tax credits and a renewable portfolio standard (which obliges utilities companies to produce a certain amount of their energy from renewable sources) to be stripped from the forthcoming U.S. Congressional Energy Bill. It has the U.S renewable energy industry in a state of panic........................................................".

SEVILLE'S SOLAR POWER TOWER inhabitat by Jorge 21 May 07 "Rising out of the Andalusian countryside like a gigantic obelisk, a 40 story concrete tower surrounded by fields of photovoltaic panels is is the first stage of Europe's first commercial solar power station , which recently went into operation in a sunny region outside Seville, Spain................

The first stage of the solar power station, known as PS10, is a 300ft tall tower surrounded by 624 solar panels which will produce enough energy to power 60,000 homes. There is also a secondary component, known as Sevilla PV, which is a photovoltaic power plant composed of 154 panels, which will generate enough electricity for about 1800 homes.

Here is how the tower works: the solar panels, a 120m2 mixture of mirrors and photovoltaics, track the sun throughout the year, reflect the energy of the sun to solar receptor at the top of the tower. Water passes through pipes at the top, and is heated enough to turn it into steam by the solar receptor, which in turn passes through a series of turbines to produce electricity.t is a sight to be seen. The area around the tower becomes so bright, that it actually illuminates the water vapor and dust that is in the air. It becomes necessary to wear sunglasses while you are there...................................

The entire development, once it's operational, will generate zero greenhouse gas emissions. ...."