Alternative Clean Energy Roundup: 12 May 2013

GE Sees U.S. Wind-Turbine Installs Doubling Next Year After Lull

May 08, 2013 - General Electric Co. (GE), the biggest U.S. supplier of wind turbines, expects domestic installations to double next year after the renewal of a tax credit boosts demand.

Wind-farm developers including NextEra Energy Inc. (NEE) and Invenergy LLC may install 3,000 megawatts to 4,000 megawatts of turbines in the U.S. this year and as much as 7,000 megawatts next year, Anne McEntee, GE’s vice president of renewable energy, said today in an interview. read more>>>

With PTC secured for now, industry focuses on long-term growth

May 9, 2013 - Blessed with some breathing room, the wind industry is taking a step back from last year's aggressive lobbying push, which ended with a renewal of its lucrative tax credit, to chart a path away from the boom-and-bust cycle that has been inherent in its heavy reliance on government support, industry leaders said this week during a conference here.

With the production tax credit effectively in place to support wind farm development at least through early 2015, the industry is brainstorming on how to get through the next five to six years, which developers and manufacturers say they need before they can compete -- subsidy-free -- with natural gas and other forms of electricity generation. read more>>>

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Obama officials roll out climate and health data tool

05/09/13 - The Obama administration has launched an online tool to bolster research into links between climate change and health and inform “more effective responses.”

The interagency U.S. Global Change Research Program on Thursday unveiled its Metadata Access Tool for Climate and Health (MATCH) platform.

“It is a publicly accessible digital platform for searching and integrating metadata ... extracted from more than 9,000 health, environment, and climate-science datasets held by six Federal agencies,” said Tom Armstrong, executive director of the interagency climate program, in a blog post. read more>>>

Government investment boosting green economy

09/05/2013 - The UK’s Green Investment Bank (GIB) is the first institution of its kind, specialising exclusively in investing in the green economy (although the Australians have launched an equivalent body based on the GIB).

Its mission is to attract private capital to infrastructure projects that deliver both strong financial returns and positive green results.

We require large investment to make the UK economy green – with an estimated £200 billion needed to update just our energy infrastructure before 2020. But green technologies also represent a huge opportunity for our country. read more>>>

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GCC states should look into investing in green economy

May 9th, 2013 - Gulf countries should prioritise investing in green energy to sustain their economic and infrastructure growth, said a top official yesterday.

Arabian Gulf University (AGU) president Dr Khalid Abdul Rahman Al Ohali said GCC states should also look into opportunities to invest in green economy and improve their water desalination operations by going eco-friendly.

He was speaking during the opening of the Sixth Zayed Seminar for the Environment at the AGU in Salmaniya. read more>>>

European ministers set out timetable for EU ETS reform

May 7, 2013 - Energy and Environment Ministers from nine European member states, including the UK, France and Germany, have today set out action they want to see this year to reform the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) to ensure it remains at the forefront of EU policies to combat climate change and drive low carbon investments.

The joint statement sets out clear direction and deadlines on next steps on EU ETS reform including: read more>>>

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Regulating Carbon Emissions in Canada

May 6, 2013 - The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) has issued a report analyzing three policy proposals currently in play to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada, and recommends alternatives to what is being contemplated by governments and the oil and gas industry.

Notes the Institute, the provinces, Canada and the oil and gas industry are under pressure to ramp up policies to achieve Canada's 2020 GHG intensity-based emissions target of 17 per cent below 2005 levels. read more>>>

Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC)

Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) is a research, development, demonstration, and commercialization facility recognized as one of the world`s leading developers of cleaner, more efficient energy technologies as well as environmental technologies to protect and clean our air, water, and soil. The EERC is a high-tech, nonprofit branch of the University of North Dakota, which operates like a business. The EERC currently employs more than 280 people and is aggressively expanding its staff.

Explore the EERC

The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) is recognized as one of the world's leading developers of cleaner, more efficient energy and environmental technologies to protect and clean our air, water, and soil. read more>>>