August 30, 2010 - Cape Wind; German solar to beat wind?

The dome at the Maine State House - currently netted for construction.

The Boston Globe editorial team has come out in qualified support of utility National Grid's proposed long-term contract with Cape Wind.  The editors note that consumers are correct to consider whether it is appropriate for them to be required pay more than 25% more for energy from renewable sources than for energy as a commodity.  They do note that because the Cape Wind contract represents about 3.5% of National Grid's load, the impact on ratepayers will be diluted -- about $1.24 per month for the average residential consumer.  After a close examination, should the Department of Public Utilities approve the deal?  The editors' answer: "no if the goal is simply to keep utility costs as low as possible in 2010 — but yes if Massachusetts wants to be a future leader in renewable technology."

Meanwhile, Germany has announced that its solar PV capacity may exceed its wind capacity by 2020.  A state energy adviser has projected that Germany will have 42 GW of installed capacity from solar photovoltaics by 2020 -- just enough to topple wind power, which is projected to reach 41.9 GW installed capacity.  Germany produces more electricity than any other nation in Europe.

1/27/2010

US federal climate change legislation continues to brew on a back burner, although with last week's change to the Senate balance, the focus should be on enacting realistic measures that will provide a benefit but are politically viable. In addition to Martha Coakley, other losers may include the notion of a cap-and-trade mechanism, which even the lopsided Senate hinted it could not pass. We are more likely to end up with a watered-down bill that offers more carrots for good behavior than sticks raising the cost of "bad" behavior. (Think of increased incentives for efficiency upgrades, but not increased taxes on the rest of us who don't change our wicked ways.) Remember that in the meantime, EPA continues to move forward with its own administrative regulation of carbon emissions, which many consider likely to be more costly than any congressional action.

Following on yesterday's news of lackluster demand for wind turbines, Michigan (with 143 MW of installed wind capacity) and Minnesota (with 1,809 MW of wind) both report declines in the rate of new wind capacity being developed. (Meanwhile, China installed 12,000 MW of wind in 2009, nearly doubling its total wind capacity. The US added 9,000 MW in total.)