Solar Frontier Europe, a subsidiary of CIS solutions provider Solar Frontier, has signed off on a 23MW module supply agreement with Konar Energy, a generator of solar energy in Turkey.
Solar Frontier will be providing its proprietary CIS thin-film modules to Konar Energy for five solar plants in Turkey.
Shipments for two of the projects — a 5.9MW plant in Konya and a 4.7MW installation in Burdur— are expected to begin shortly. The three other projects, all located in the southern Turkey.
Tolga Özdemir, CEO of Konar Energy, said: “Konar Energy is committed to bring high-quality, high-performance solar power plants on stream in Turkey. We are confident that we will be able to do so with Solar Frontier by our side. The ability of Solar Frontier’s CIS modules to yield more electricity than crystalline silicon modules, especially in challenging conditions such as the high temperatures of Turkey, combined with the company’s high-quality manufacturing process and its reputation for continuous support, were all deciding factors for us.”
Wolfgang Lange, managing director of Solar Frontier Europe, added: “Solar energy is naturally suited to Turkey. It is one of the countries that receive the most hours of sunlight and is backed by a growing economy. Solar Frontier looks forward to closely supporting Konar Energy’s experienced team of project developers as it meets Turkey’s demand for clean and renewable energy.”
We’ve all heard about cars that can supposedly run on water, but I think we can all agree that you would be hard pressed to find one just cruising down the streets in most places. But what if water-based fuel can be much more common and what if a major car company would be manufacturing it? As it happens, that’s exactly what’s going on in Germany right now where Audi recently announced their brand new e-diesel fuel. In order to create this new type of fuel the car manufacturer apparently needs only three main ingredients: water, carbon dioxide, and a renewable source of energy, either solar or wind. Audi worked on this very exciting project with a green technology company that goes by the name of Sunfire.
Although it may seem a bit hard to believe, e-diesel is 100% environmentally friendly and could very likely revolutionize the car industry in the near future. According to the manufacturing breakdown made public by Audi, the first step in creating e-diesel is to collect renewable energy, which helps to power the high-temperature electrolysis process that separates water into hydrogen and oxygen. The oxygen is not needed for the process and is released into the atmosphere while the hydrogen is fed into a conversion reactor. Meanwhile, a different facility collects carbon dioxide from the air, which is then also added to the reactor in order to create something called “Blue Crude” in combination with hydrogen. Blue Crude is then processed into a refinery and turned into the final product, e-diesel.
Audi, Sunfire, and even the German government are all very happy with this innovative and clean fuel, but it may take some time before you’ll be able to power your car with it. The companies involved are saying that e-diesel is not yet ready for industrial scale production and that only small quantities of the fuel can be produced in the next few months. However, Audi and Sunfire and working around the clock to take the next step and mass produce e-diesel, which means that we can probably expect to hear much more about it in the very near future.
Asthma attacks all age groups but it often starts in childhood. It is characterised by recurrent attacks of breathlessness and wheezing, which can vary in severity and frequency from person to person, even hourly in some individuals. In asthma, the air passages in the lungs are inflamed, which makes the nerve endings more sensitive to irritation. During an attack, the lining of the passages swell, causing the airways to narrow making it difficult for a person to breathe.
Because asthma is a chronic condition, it usually requires continuous medical care. The disease cannot be cured, but it can be controlled by a combination of preventive and medication strategies. In children, it is not as stable or predictable as it is in adults and diagnosis distinguishes between symptoms that appear in children under five and in children over that age.
Occasionally, children grow out of the problem but many go on to develop asthma as a permanent condition. It sometimes resolves in the early teens but can then recur at a later age. Preventive and treatment measures must be planned accordingly and, when attacks are severe, hospital admittance may be necessary.
In moderate to severe cases, a person normally takes a daily dose of long-term medication to control the underlying inflammation and prevent symptoms and attacks. Short-term relievers are then used to control symptoms when they occur.
Prevention and treatment in children is trickier than it is in older children and adults, who are able to understand their condition and are capable of some degree of self-management. Young children need support and because the condition is unpredictable in those under five, ongoing medication is usually necessary. A paediatrician with a special interest in respiratory disease could advise parents properly.
Treatment for sufferers of all ages needs to be stepped up in the case of a cough, cold or flu. Generally, it is only necessary for an asthma sufferer to take an increased dosage of the usual medication, under a doctor’s supervision, as viral infections cannot be treated with antibiotics.
Armed with the right knowledge and attitude, it seems that most of us can lead a fairly normal life even with asthma. It just takes good planning, sound advice and a hefty dose of self-discipline.
ASTHMA INHALERS, POTENTIAL LIFESAVERS
Death due to asthma is a rare occurrence in Malta, but it is a possibility if treatment is not properly followed. Even school age children should carry their inhaler on their person at all times. Easy access to it during an asthma attack can prevent serious complications. Fears that other children may harm themselves by misusing an inhaler are misplaced and the risks of taking an inhaler away from a child outweigh any potential benefits.
COMMON ASTHMA TRIGGERS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
Indoor air quality is easier to control than outdoor air quality. If a member of your family suffers from asthma, decreasing the number of allergens in your home will reduce the likelihood of an asthma attack. Be unobtrusive, though. Too much fussing and panicky behaviour can make an asthmatic person feel worse, particularly if that person is a child.
House dust mites thrive particularly in fabrics such as clothing, bedding and soft toys. Aim to reduce exposure to dust mites in your home.
Wash bedding, including pillows and duvets, at 55-60C, to kill mites. Some dust mite allergens will persist, but killing the mites reduces their number. Use suitable protective coverings for pillows and mattresses.
Keep your home as dust and fur free as possible. If possible, use a vacuum cleaner with a high efficiency particulate air filter, rather than a broom, and use a damp duster, not a dry one. Vacuum (don’t brush) sofas, chairs, carpets and rugs to remove dust.
House dust mites can be killed by exposure to strong sunlight. Occasionally putting your mattress in a sunny spot for around three hours helps to get rid of the bugs.
Once a week, put your children’s soft toys in the deep-freezer for a while to kill the mites. It’s best not to keep all your child’s soft toys in her/his bedroom if s/he suffers from asthma.
Pets can provoke allergic reactions. Aim to keep your home as free as possible of pet allergens.
Keep pets away from the bedrooms, and outside the home as much as possible.
Vacuum carpets, rugs, sofas and chairs regularly to remove pet hair.
Don’t cuddle your pets when wearing your nightclothes, and don’t allow your children to do so.
Pollen is airborne and difficult to avoid, but you can provide some mechanical barriers that will help you avoid contact.
Keep windows and doors closed at peak pollen times such as the evening, when airborne pollen moves downwards.
Avoid being in and around gardens and plants, especially in springtime.
Don’t keep flowers or flowering plants in your home.
Air conditioners can help filter out pollen, but keep the filters scrupulously clean.
Mould is known to cause asthma attacks. The Mediterranean region is especially prone to a particular type of mould, which is particularly common in Malta. Mould thrives in damp conditions, so aim to avoid a damp indoor environment as much as possible.
Ventilate your home appropriately. Keep air conditioner and dehumidifier filters clean, and ensure that they and any heaters you use are properly maintained.
Remove mould from damp walls, but avoid using supermarket remedies. Mould should be scraped away professionally, if possible.
Vehicle exhaust can hardly be avoided outdoors, though keeping your car windows closed will help, but, to some extent, you can prevent it from getting indoors.
Keep windows closed during peak traffic hours, particularly if you live close to a busy road.
Don’t air bedding and clothes in windows or terraces overlooking the road.
If possible, move to a less traffic-dense area.
Respiratory illnesses such as coughs and colds can aggravate asthma. Avoid contracting them as much as possible. Simple precautions such as washing your hands before eating can help.
Overexertion puts a strain on the respiratory system and can trigger an asthma attack. Controlled exercise, however, is to be encouraged. Swimming (in the sea, not in swimming pools) in especially helpful.
Certain foods can cause allergic reactions. Keep an eye open for possible triggers and avoid those foods altogether.
Smoking is a major cause of respiratory problems. There are two ways to deal with it in your home: kick the habit and ban smokers from lighting up.›‹
Law firm Solivan and renewable energy company Wind Prospect are offering an auditing service to help developers of wind farms in Poland.
The companies offer what they call a “red flag” audit to explore the possibilities of a prospective project.
They have outlined 15 measures to help optimise a wind farm investment and the audit will explore how best the measures can be implemented.
The audit follows a step-by-step process, the companies said.
Step one is a general estimation of potential for revenue increase and cost savings for the project, overview of the main risks.
Step two is a comprehensive due diligence covering all 15 measures to provide an overview about specific revenue increases and cost savings, introducing timelines and costings for the measures.
Step three is the implementation and review of the chosen options from the measures.
The Polish focus follows the EU Energy and Environmental Aid Guidelines in July 2014, which mean that the 2016 Contracts for Difference auction system in Poland will require developers and investors to take a more professional approach to their investment in renewable energy.
The auction system will require competitive tenders between projects and between technologies which the companies “anticipate will generally lead to lower levels of tariff support and may mean a lower return on investment unless action is taken now to optimize your project”.
Solivan and Wind Prospect said that to be competitive in the auction system, “business plans for wind farm investments have to be optimized regarding CAPEX, OPEX and revenues”.
They added: “Professional planning and documentation, optimization of construction and financing costs, accurate long term projection of revenues and optimization of operational costs will attract those investors who can accept a lower tariff, whilst continuing to maximize return on investment and delivering acceptable yields for developers at exit”.
Trina Solar announced last week its State Key Laboratory of PV Science and Technology of China has set a new world record for high efficiency p-type multi-crystalline silicon solar panels.
Trina says its test Honey Plus multi-crystalline silicon module attained a new module efficiency record of 19.14% with an aperture area of 1.515 m2.
The results were confirmed by the National Center of Supervision and Inspection on Solar Photovoltaic Product Quality (CPVT) in Wuxi, China.
The 60-cell panel features advanced technologies including back surface passivation, local back surface field and half-cell module technologies. Trina says the half-cell module technology is not currently part of the Honey Plus products, but will be incorporated at a later date.
“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a multi-crystalline Silicon PV module reaches an efficiency higher than 19%. It demonstrates that multi-crystalline Silicon PV modules can reach an efficiency level that was reserved to the most efficient solar cells before, such as mono-crystalline IBC or heterojunction cells,” said Dr. Pierre Verlinden, Vice-President and Chief Scientist of Trina Solar.
” This milestone achievement is the result of a very close collaboration among our silicon crystallization, solar cell and module scientists. We believe that innovation is playing the very essential role to Trina’s sustainable growth and long-term success. Our focus remains on developing innovative and cutting-edge solar power products and technologies to strengthen our leadership in the PV industry.”
In other recent news, the company announced the signing of an agreement with Toyo Engineering Corporation to supply approximately 116 MW of Trina Solar panels for use in Japan’s largest solar power project – a 231-megawatt facility to be built in Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture.
Approximately 446,000 Trina Solar TSM-260PC05A modules will be used in the project, which will be situated on 1,210 acres of city land on the former Kinkai salt field.
The project is expected to commence commercial operations in the second quarter of 2019.
Trina Solar says Japan is a key market for the company and that solar will play a crucial role in the growing diversification of the country’s energy mix.
Q: Are there any suggestions for helping me with my allergies this spring? I hate taking medications, and the pollen is just terrible this year. Even with the recent rain, I am still suffering. — T.S., by email
Credit the ice ages for making Indiana a good place to turn wind into electricity. All that glacial action scoured flat the northern half of the state and sculpted the perfect terrain for wind turbines.
A few million years later, the Environmental Protection Agency is about to use regulatory fiat to make the state even more attractive to industrial windmills.
New EPA rules coming down the pike will cut carbon emissions from coal and gas power plants for the first time and boost demand for clean power such as wind. One result: Indiana could see two or three times as many wind farms as it has now.
In its latest projection of U.S. wind energy needs, the federal Department of Energy says only five other states are in line to boost their wind power sectors as much as or more than Indiana.
Indiana has a good shot at tripling its wind power capacity in the next decade or so, from the current 1,744 megawatts to 5,000 or more, says Sean Brady, Midwest policy manager for the wind power advocacy group Wind on the Wires.
That would require erecting 2,000 wind turbines to join the 1,031 that now dot the state’s landscape north of Indianapolis. “Indiana has quite a large upside. It has a great opportunity for wind development,” Brady said.
If growth of that magnitude occurs, investment in the state’s wind farms would have to soar from $3.7 billion to more than $10 billion, making wind farms one of the most expensive industrial installations in state history.
Whether wind power actually has that kind of upside, however, depends on a few cards being played just so.
For one thing, not everyone in the public policy arena thinks that wind is the way to go. It is, after all, a variable power source that you can’t rely on to generate the juice when needed. (Indiana’s four-season winds are especially fickle, with a fivefold difference in breeziness between the least windy month, August, and the windiest, November. Regional power grid operator MISO tracks wind power use by the hour and posts it online.)
Wind power, in addition, is expensive to install ($2 million or more per turbine) and controlled to a great extent by foreign companies, which doesn’t bode well for winning a lot of public support.
Also, demand for wind energy depends on Congress renewing the federal tax credit that wind developers rely on to be price-competitive with other forms of energy. The credit expired at the end of last year and renewal isn’t a given.
And one last thing: The proposed EPA CO2 rules are fraught with sticky issues, gray areas and unknowns that could tip in favor of wind or against it, depending on how they’re finally written.
“So much is up in the air,” said Joan Soller, director of resource planning at Indianapolis Power & Light Co.
One particularly sticky issue: EPA’s proposed “clean power plan” rules don’t give a utility any credit, under the CO2-lowering mandates, for using green energy in its generation portfolio if it buys wind power from outside its home state.
If that proviso stands, Indiana’s wind industry could be hurt because it currently sells the bulk of its power to non-Indiana utilities. They would be newly motivated to drop their Indiana contracts and buy their green energy from wind farms in their own states.
Utilities and other interests are lobbying the EPA to drop the rule giving credit only to home-state-bought green energy. The final EPA rules are expected out this summer. States also will have a say in the matter, so they’ll have to be lobbied, too. (Some states also are fighting the CO2 rules in court.)
Whatever happens, Indiana likely won’t lose its standing as a big player in wind energy. It’s just too good a place to site wind farms.
The northern reaches of the state not only are prairie-flat, but they’re close to Chicago, Indianapolis and other big population centers that gobble megawatts of electricity. The state also overlaps the territories of two electrical system operators that distribute power from Canada to Louisiana and points east and west.
And, of course, it’s windy.
Wind farm developers in Indiana are already scouting out locations for new farms as the new EPA mandates march closer.
“We’re actively marketing sites to … gauge interest” from power users, said Ryan Brown, an executive vice president at EDP Renewables. “Expansion is definitely possible.”
Spanish-owned EDP already controls about 40 percent of the state’s wind turbines through its Meadow Lake wind farm in White County and its newly opened Headwaters farm in Randolph County.
Most of Indiana’s turbines were erected from 2008 to 2012. Growth has since slowed. Last year, Headwaters was the only major wind farm to open.
A proposed project in Benton County and another in and around Rush County are seen as leading contenders to be built next. Those projects would have about 70 turbines each.
In Indiana, “the easiest-to-develop projects have been developed,” and much of the best available ground for catching steady wind is taken, said Tristan Vance, director of the Indiana Office of Energy Development. “But I think we will see future projects here. We’ve been fairly open for wind development.”
Though the best sites for wind farms might indeed be snapped up, technological improvements have given the industry taller turbines with larger and lighter blades that capture more wind at higher altitudes than older, smaller turbines.
That should allow wind developers to continue to profit from Indiana’s wind at new sites with new turbines, said Brown of EDP.
At its Headwaters farm, EDP installed new turbines 312 feet tall from ground to gearhouse, with blades 180 feet long. Turbines at EDP’s older farm in White County along I-65 are 262 feet tall with blade lengths of 134 to 144 feet.
Because the bigger machines can catch more wind, they generate electricity about 40 percent of time, compared with about 33 percent of the time for the shorter turbines, Brown said.
(Turbines likely won’t get any taller. The Federal Aviation Administration requires special, harder-to-get approvals for turbines that exceed 500 feet from their base to the tip of an upright blade. The new turbines at Headwaters are just about at that 500-foot limit.)
With the bigger turbines, “Indiana is looking very attractive” for wind farm development down the road, said Michael Goggin, senior director of research for the American Wind Energy Association, a trade group for the wind industry. “At that height, (wind) is a very attractive resource in Indiana. It’s like being in the plains at that altitude.”
Any growth in wind farms also would put more money in the hands of farmland owners, who rent the land needed for the turbines. Average rents in Indiana now run about $5,000 a year per turbine, which amounts to about $5 million a year in statewide turbine rent payments.
For those who can get it, wind turbine rent “is pretty significant, especially if you have multiple turbines on a farm,” said Justin Schneider, senior policy adviser and counsel at Indiana Farm Bureau. “It can take off some of the risk of crop production if you have a bad year.”
Schneider said he thinks most Indiana farmland owners would be eager to rent their land for any new wind farm proposals that pop up.
Still, pushback to wind persists at policymaking levels. And that opposition could harden as wind energy use spreads and utilities are forced to spend billions of dollars nationally building transmission lines to handle the increased flow of power from new wind farms, said Tom Tanton, director of science and technology assessment at the Energy & Environment Legal Institute in Washington, D.C. The group has done studies suggesting federal subsidies to wind energy don’t make economic sense.
Tanton said wind farm developers are able to push “hidden costs” of wind energy onto utilities and ratepayers. Those costs include gas turbine plants required to back up wind power and balance its fluctuating energy flows caused by intermittent wind, he said.
Existing backup power sources can handle the fluctuations of wind energy now, since it supplies only about 4.5 percent of U.S. electrical use, Tanton said. But if wind energy boosts its share of the market much beyond that, a fleet of costly new backup gas turbine plants that can turn on and off with short notice will be required, he said.
IPL’s director of project development, Richard Benedict, said it’s tough for a utility to even calculate the true cost of electricity from wind energy because of the need for backup capacity.
Wind-generated electricity is so variable it almost doesn’t count as power in a conventional sense. IPL, for instance, has long-term contracts to buy 300 megawatts of electricity from wind farms in Indiana and out-of-state. But the Indianapolis utility can’t count those megawatts when calculating its official electrical capacity because they’re not reliably available, Benedict said.
“We (only) get it when the wind blows,” he said.
Still, the coming of the CO2 rules might force IPL to buy much more wind-generated electricity in the future. Under its pending rules, the EPA won’t allow IPL to claim CO2-lowering credits for the 66 percent of wind energy it now buys out-of-state, or for converting its coal-fired Martinsville plant to natural gas (because the conversion won’t happen by the deadline set in the rules).
If IPL can’t get credit for those green energy moves, it might have to turn to buying in-state wind energy in a big way.
IPL officials are trying to get their minds around the fact that they might have to buy as much as 1,000 megawatts of wind energy to meet the coming carbon-lowering standards. That move alone would create the demand for a 60 percent build-out, of about 600 turbines, in Indiana’s wind farms.
Call Star reporter Jeff Swiatek at (317) 444-6483. Follow him on Twitter: @JeffSwiatek.
Wind power in Indiana
(2014 data)
Turbines: 1,031 on six wind farms.
Electrical capacity: 1,744 megawatts.
Electrical output: 3,495 thousand MWh (0.4% increase from 2013).
Share of U.S. wind energy produced: 3% (enough to power 321,000 houses).
Largest month for production: November (507 thousand MWh).
Smallest month for production: August (101 thousand MWh).
Largest Indiana wind farm: Fowler Ridge (355 turbines in Benton County, operated by BP Wind).
Annual land rent paid by wind farms: More than $5 million (typical rent is $5,000 per turbine).
Wind energy employment: About 1,500 jobs.
Investment in wind farms: $3.7 billion.
Proposed new wind farms: 200 megawatts (Wayne, Henry counties by EDP Renewables); 150 MW (Benton County) by Amazon and partners; 140 MW (Fayette, Rush, Henry counties) by NextEnergy Resources. If built, they would increase Indiana’s wind farm generating capacity by 28 percent.
Only 35 percent of voters know about wind energy’s dependence on fossil fuels, according to a poll recently commissioned by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Results of the poll also showed that even fewer, just 30 percent, of voters were aware of health and safety issues that may be associated with wind energy.
“Based on the way those polled responded to the questions, I think it is safe to say that — at best — only about one-third of voters are aware of wind energy’s alleged weaknesses,” said Mark Grebner, president of Practical Political Consulting. “Somewhat more respondents said they knew about wind energy’s dependence on fossil fuels than said they knew about the possible health and safety issues associated with wind energy. Correspondingly, more said they were surprised upon hearing about health and the safety issues associated with wind energy than said it surprised them to hear about wind energy’s reliance on fossil fuels.”
Grebner conducted the poll, which took place on April 1, 2, and 4 and consisted of calls to 4,000 voters likely to participate in the upcoming May election. Those polled were read three statements about wind energy in Michigan and asked (1) if they found it surprising, (2) if they hadn’t heard it before but didn’t find it surprising, or (3) if they already knew it.
Statement No. 1 was, “Wind is so undependable that fossil fuels have to be available to supplement it over 50 percent of the time.”
Nearly three in ten respondents (28 percent) said they found it surprising, 37 percent said they hadn’t heard it before but didn’t find it surprising, and 35 percent said they already knew about it.
Statement No. 2 was, “There’s a debate whether the use of wind to generate electricity should be redefined as a form of fossil fuel, because so little of the generation actually comes from wind.”
Of those polled, 39 percent said they found it surprising, 35 percent said they hadn’t heard it before but didn’t find it surprising, and 27 percent said they already knew about it.
Statement No. 3 was, “Health and safety problems with wind turbines have caused some neighbors to move into their basements, or sell their homes, or file lawsuits.”
Roughly two out of five (42 percent) said they found it surprising, 28 percent said they hadn’t heard it before but didn’t find it surprising, and 30 percent said they already knew about it.
When this portion of the poll was completed, respondents were asked, “How good of a job have news media done covering the debate over whether wind energy in Michigan is efficient and safe?”
Respondents could choose between three answers.
(1) They’ve done a good job in bringing the issue to the public’s attention.
(2) They’ve failed to adequately cover the issue.
(3) They’ve actually been concealing the issue from the public, by making false reassurances.
Only 19 percent said the news media had done a good job; 53 percent said it had failed to adequately cover the issue, and 27 percent said the news media has been concealing the issue from the public.
“Perhaps not surprisingly, when we compare those responses to the party preference recorded for each voter, we discover Democrats are more willing to believe in the media’s good intentions while the Republicans are more likely to smell a rat,” Grebner said.
Wind energy’s reliance on fossil fuels has been attested to by energy experts and reported by alternative news sources on both the political left and the political right. Possible health and safety issues associated with wind energy appear to have generally only received news coverage locally with the exception of a few articles and some radio coverage by larger news sources.
Mason County declared the Lake Winds wind plant south of Ludington out of compliance with its noise ordinance after residents filed a civil suit claiming the $250 million, 56-industrial turbine facility was making them sick. Consumers Energy took Mason County to court, lost at the Circuit Court level and the case is now in the Michigan Court of Appeals.
It appears that this story has only received coverage from the Ludington Daily News, Michigan Capitol Confidential and some radio stations.
Of the 4,000 likely voters called for the poll, 6.4 percent responded to at least one of the wind energy statements. That respondent rate is approximately the same as that of a PPC poll conducted last October poll.
BAODING, China, April 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (NYSE: YGE) (“Yingli Green Energy” or the “Company”), one of the world’s leading solar panel manufacturers, known as “Yingli Solar,” today announced that Pakistan’s Parliament House will be powered by 1 megawatt (MW) of high efficiency multicrystalline Yingli Solar panels. The project was fully funded by the Chinese government, and was inaugurated by the leaders of China and Pakistanon Tuesday, April 21, 2015.
The Yingli Solar system is expected to generate approximately 1.6 million kilowatt-hours of solar electricity annually, offsetting approximately 2,500 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. It is anticipated that the system will be completed by the end of June 2015, and that it will reduce the building’s electricity costs by up to Rs28 million (USD27 thousand) per annum. China Railway 17th Bureau Group Co., Ltd. is in charge of the engineering, procurement and construction of the project and the Company will supply its YGE 60 Cell Series panels for the project.
“We are delighted to make this breakthrough in Pakistan’s emerging solar market and help Pakistan’s Parliament House to go green alongside our partners,” commented Mr. Liansheng Miao, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yingli Green Energy. “It is an honor to contribute to these two countries’ efforts to strengthen their relationship, and this project is sure to help Yingli solidify its reputation and intensify its development in the market.”
With abundant solar radiation resources and a severe electricity shortage, there is huge potential for solar energy in Pakistan, where the energy mix is currently dominated by oil and gas. Pakistan’s government introduced a feed-in-tariff (FiT) scheme at the beginning of 2014, which applied to solar power plants of between 1 MW and 100 MW capacity with varying rates in the north and south of the country. The government also approved a net energy metering system, which allows solar panel purchasers to sell the power they produce to the national grid, at the end of 2014.
About Yingli Green Energy
Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (NYSE: YGE), known as “Yingli Solar,” is one of the world’s leading solar panel manufacturers. Yingli Green Energy’s manufacturing covers the photovoltaic value chain from ingot casting and wafering through solar cell production and solar panel assembly. Headquartered in Baoding, China, Yingli Green Energy has more than 30 regional subsidiaries and branch offices and has distributed more than 10 GW solar panels to customers worldwide. For more information, please visit Twitter and Weibo.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “target” and similar statements. Such statements are based upon management’s current expectations and current market and operating conditions, and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond Yingli Green Energy’s control, which may cause Yingli Green Energy’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in Yingli Green Energy’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Yingli Green Energy does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable law.
For further information, please contact:
Qing Miao Vice President of Corporate Communications Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited Tel: +86 312 8929787 E-mail: ir@yingli.com
Aprilaire Makes the Top 100 Allergy Capitals More Livable
Proactive Preparation a Must for the Brutal 2015 Allergy Season
St. Louis, MO– Aprilaire, the nation’s indoor air quality leader, offers tips to quell allergy symptoms in advance of a brutal spring season. The 2015 allergy season might be one of the worst ever, according to experts at the Weather Channel. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America releases its 2015 Spring Allergy Capitals list, revealing which areas will be hit the hardest.
“If you’re an allergy sufferer and live near any of America’s top allergy cities, you cannot escape allergic reactions to pollen,” said Joseph Hillenmeyer, marketing content specialist for Aprilaire. “But you can take measures to lessen the impact.”
This season, the warm fall coupled with a wet and cold winter is causing trees and flowers to produce more pollen. A pollen count of 150 grains per cubic meter triggers allergic reactions. The cities in the top 100 average 300 grains per cubic meter daily – twice the trigger level. As a result, millions of Americans could see worsened allergy symptoms, but most do not realize that pretreatment should begin thirty days prior to the onset of symptoms.
“The key to surviving this spring is preparing early,” said Hillenmeyer. “It’s easier to prevent a fire than put one out, and that should be the thinking when bracing for this allergy season.”
Proactive preparation is the key to comfort this spring, so build up defenses with the right treatment and a secure home that offers refuge from allergy symptoms.
Top 4 Ways to Stop Allergies Before They Start
Get an early start: Allergy pretreatment should begin thirty days prior to the usual onset of allergy symptoms. Seasonal allergy symptoms are the body’s overactive immune response to pollen in the air. Once activated, the response is hard to stop, according to WebMD. Depending on where you live, the time to start pretreatment with medicine will vary. For individuals in the Northeast and Midwest, early April is a good time to begin.
Clean, clean, clean. Wash the pollen away. When outside pollen collects on hair, skin, clothes and pets, it gets brought into the home. If not removed, pollen will become airborne and a person could breathe it in, causing an allergic reaction. Wash pollen from hair and skin each night, and put clothing that has been outdoors in a hamper or washer as soon as you come inside.
Improve your indoor air: Even with doors and windows closed, pollen and other irritants often find their way inside. Standard one-inch furnace filters are not rated to remove pollen. By using a whole-home air purifier, the home can become a refuge from allergies.High-quality home air purifiers remove up to 98 percent of airborne pollen and pet dander that cause allergic reactions. A home with improved indoor air quality provides symptom relief for allergy sufferers.
Change your whole-home air filters at least once a year. Even high-quality, whole-home air purifiers do not work with dirty filters, and knock-off brand filters could actually damage the HVAC system. A good rule of thumb – have your air purifier filter changed once a year, when you have your HVAC system serviced.
This spring, control your allergies before they control you. For more information on proactive preparation and how to create a home refuge from allergy symptoms, visit Aprilaire.com.
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New Delhi: Cautioning against harmful effects of greenhouse gases due to fossil fuel use, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has advocated a paradigm shift in the energy scenario through the use of alternative energy like solar and wind power.
“The largescale use of fossil fuel worldwide is causing greenhouse gas emission affecting the climate adversely. All have agreed that greenhouse gas emission due to use of fossil fuel is causing global warming and climate change,” he said at a memorial lecture on Sunday.
Explaining the consequence of greenhouse gas emission, he said, “The unseasonal rain in the recent time and the amount of change in weather cannot be imagined. Extreme weather is causing adverse effect on agriculture like damage to crop.”
He said the present global regime of energy is not sustainable in terms of environment. “We must find out new source of energy which are sustainable and it is a big challenge today.”
Advocating use of solar and wind energy, he said solar and wind energy can lead to a new paradigm shift in the energy scenario.
“We have 300 days of good sunshine in India. We do not have to import solar energy. We should focus on solar power,” he said.
“However, there is a requirement for storage facility of solar energy, he said.
The Minister also suggested tapping of oceanic energy while noting that India has a long coastline.
Suggesting other changes to keep the environment clean, he said, “Buildings should be designed as energy-efficient. Since ground water is depleting, steps should be taken like rain water harvesting to prevent further fall in water level.”
Michael Hartofilis understands New York City’s energy first-hand. After growing up working in the insurance business alongside his father, he developed an interest in saving his customers money on their utility bills. Six years ago, the father-and-son team founded Greenlight Energy, an Astoria-based energy service business that provides natural gas and electric to customers in New York, New Jersey and Maryland. Hartofilis, 30, lives in Astoria.
What sparked your interest in the energy biz?
Prior to starting Greenlight Energy, I was 23 years old and working my way up in the health insurance industry, providing plans to small businesses. At the time, there was a lot of uncertainty in health care and the role of the sales agent, and it was also extremely competitive. The initial draw to energy was to get a competitive advantage in the insurance industry by saving customers on their utility bills in addition to their medical insurance. It was basically about finding ways to lower the customer’s bottom line, which is usually a good sell.
Why did you decide to take the leap?
The value of the services we could provide, as well as the potential to grow, became immediately apparent. And because we’d begun by providing only natural gas services through one utility in New York, there was a serious desire to expand our territories as well as the products we could provide. I knew the only way I could do that successfully was to become 100% invested in Greenlight Energy and leave the insurance industry behind. Whole hog, as they say.
What was the first step?
It was coming up with a company name. [My father and I] knew that we wanted to go the green route. I came up with Greenlight Energy mostly because we eventually wanted to get into providing green energy services. At the time, our resources were a little bit limited; we only recently started providing natural gas because it requires a great deal of capital to provide. For the first two years we were only providing natural gas services.
Why are you based in Astoria?
My father grew up in Astoria and he currently lives in Astoria as well, so the idea was I wanted him to be able to walk to the office. I’m also living here and this is where my father grew up. This is where our roots are, so it just makes sense that we should get a stronger presence here and kind of grow from here.
How is Greenlight moving toward providing renewable energy?
We’re currently reaching out to existing customers and new business, offering the opportunity to purchase their electricity supplies from 100% renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. Our goal is to have at least 50% of our customers green by 2017.
What was an unexpected challenge in getting into this biz?
One unforeseeable factor has been the volatility of energy markets. We’ve seen historic highs and lows in some markets since we started six years ago. As it turned out, the only predictable thing about the markets was how unpredictable they were. So we had to adapt fast and did so by signing up our customers with fixed rates for periods of 12 to 24 months. As a result, our customers knew exactly what their natural gas and electric supply rates would be every month and were no longer at the mercy of the markets.
What benefit does Greenlight Energy offer New Yorkers?
Over the last year, we’ve seen Con Edison’s electricity supply rates triple from one month to the next. We can protect our customers against this kind of volatility by locking them into a fixed rate for 12 to 24 months. This also allows the customer to budget their annual utility costs. Knowing how much you have to spend, how much you can save; these concerns seem to be more pressing than ever.
Why might people not sign up for your service?
Lack of information, I guess. There are some misconceptions running through the industry, one being that we’re stealing business away from the customer’s utility (Con Edison, et cetera). But this couldn’t be further from the truth. The local utility companies that deliver our customers’ natural gas and electricity actually endorse third party suppliers like us. And because of our lower operating costs and the opportunity to offer fixed plans, which the utilities cannot, we’re able to consistently provide our customers with stability and savings. We’re offering people something they can use, something that can positively impact their lives and I suppose that’s about the best anyone can do.
What do you like about your new job?
When I was in health insurance, I was working for myself, by myself. As nice as it is to reap the fruits of your own labor, I find it much more fulfilling to see what each of our 15 employees brings to the table every day, to see them growing and succeeding as a member of a team. All that I’ve experienced and learned in this business over the last six years, I wouldn’t trade for anything.
Any advice for readers considering a career 180?
I just wouldn’t be intimated by the unknown. Considering the resources we have now, [there is] access to all kinds of information. And I’m not just talking about Google. You can find somebody in a specific industry or field on LinkedIn and these people are willing to talk to you, especially young people who are looking to get into that field. Do your research and the information is there.
Unclear sectional maps and an inoperable light on top of a wind turbine are two items highlighted in an investigative report into a plane crash that killed four area cattlemen south of Highmore last year.
The National Transportation Safety Board issued a factual report this month listing the details collected during the investigation of the April 27, 2014, crash. The report examines several factors, including the maintenance and condition of the obstruction light at the top of the wind tower involved in the crash. The investigator also reviewed the sectional maps in use at the time of the crash, which depicted a group obstruction, but did not depict a wind farm at the site of the crash.
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Investors will be intently watching the EPS number that Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI) reports when they announce their upcoming earnings. These investors will monitor how close the reported number is to the number that analysts had expected. Currently, analysts are predicting that the firm will report an EPS of $0.44 for the quarter ending on 2015-04-30. This estimate is based on 3 analysts that are giving their projections for the quarter.
In the previous fiscal quarter, Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI) posted EPS of $0.37. This number was $0 away from what analysts had predicted resulting with a surprise factor of 0% . Right before they reported, the standard deviation was $0.01.
Future of the stock?
The consensus has Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI) stock moving to $40.333 within the next year. This number is using the average of the 3 brokers that are providing predictions. On the high end, one analyst sees the stock at $43. On the low end, one analyst sees the stock at $38. The standard deviation for the price targets is $2.516.
When a simplified formula is put to use where a one indicates a Strong Buy and a five indicates a Strong Sell, the stock is presently rated 3.11, based on the consensus. Taking a look at the consensus trend, the three months ago stock rating was 3.11.
Donaldson Company, Inc. (Donaldson) is a worldwide manufacturer of filtration systems and replacement parts. The Company’s product mix includes air and liquid filtration systems and exhaust and emission control products. The Company operates in two segments: Engine Products and Industrial Products. Products in the Engine Products segment consist of air filtration systems, exhaust and emissions systems, liquid filtration systems, and replacement filters. Products in the Industrial Products segment consist of dust, fume, and mist collectors, compressed air purification systems, air filtration systems for gas turbines, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane-based products, and specialized air filtration systems for applications including computer hard disk drives. Donaldson’s products are manufactured at 40 plants around the world and through three joint ventures.
The final solar panel has been installed at Australia and the Southern Hemisphere’s largest solar photovoltaic plant in Nyngan, NSW, paving the way for more utility-scale solar plants to be built in Australia.
A total of 1.36 million solar panels have been successfully installed at the Nyngan site, which is now supplying 50MW of renewable energy to the national electricity market. When fully operational, the plant will produce 102MW peak output. The plant surpasses ACT’s 20MW Royalla solar farm as Australia’s largest.
The plant, once fully operations, will also surpass South Africa’s 96MW Jasper PV Project as the Southern Hemisphere’s largest. The project will slot into 27th position in the worldwide list of largest PV plants, according to Wikipedia.
Owner AGL Energy and developer US-based First Solar today joined NSW Minister for Industry, Resources and Energy Anthony Roberts and NSW Environment Minister Mark Speakman on site to celebrate the milestone.
“Low-emission technology like our Nyngan Solar Plant is an important part of AGL’s journey towards a decarbonised electricity generation sector,” AGL managing director and CEO Andy Vesey said.
“We are pleased to be adding to AGL’s and Australia’s portfolio of renewable energy generation and assets, he added, with the company saying it had invested more than $3 billion in renewable energy projects in the last decade.
The plant is part of a $440 million solar plant spend by AGL on two plants, which is supported by $166.7 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and $64.9 million from the NSW Government, and which will see Nyngan complemented by a 53MW solar plant in Broken Hill, also developed by First Solar, bringing the combined capacity to 155MW.
The remaining 50% of generation from the last two sections of modules will be progressively brought online in the next few months, and once complete will be able to power more than 33,000 homes annually. The Broken Hill plant expected to be fully operational by the end of 2015.
Mr Vesey said the project had been a boon to western NSW: “On average our project has seen a monthly spend of between $350,000 to $500,000 in local communities on indirect costs, including accommodation, food, petrol and other suppliers to support the project’s construction,” he said.
AGL also said the construction of the plant had created more than 250 onsite jobs as well as off-site jobs to supply material as well as roles responsible for the design, management and support of the project.
First Solar Asia-Pacific chief Jack Curtis said local procurement accounted for over 55% of the total procurement spend on the Nyngan Solar Plant.
Source: ARENA
“First Solar has pursued every opportunity to support local and regional businesses throughout the construction of the Nyngan Solar Plant,” Mr Curtis said. “In addition to boosting the local economy through job creation, First Solar supported Australian automotive parts manufactures who were exploring new business opportunities. They produced vital parts, like mounting structures, transformers and switchgear to the plant.”
ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said the project brought Australia a step closer to cost competitive large-scale solar PV.
“ARENA has been working with AGL and First Solar during the planning and construction stages to ensure the energy industry can benefit from their experiences,” he said. “To date we have published 19 reports covering a range of topics from planning, approvals and logistics to procurement, construction and grid connection.
“Pooling and sharing this knowledge will make it easier and cheaper to develop large scale solar plants in Australia by helping reduce financial, regulatory and technical barriers.”
Mr Frischknecht said Broken Hill was “well underway” with ground posts installed, pallets of solar panels arriving and newly constructed network components ready to supply renewable energy into the grid, adding it would “benefit from the learnings gained in developing and constructing Nyngan.”
Mr Curtis reiterated the ARENA CEO’s views that the project would drive other ‘big solar’ developments Down Under.
“These 1.36 million modules will have a higher energy yield than traditional crystalline silicon modules, particularly in hot climates, will produce no carbon emissions and will require no water during operation.
“Utility scale solar PV is already cost competitive with conventional generation in many parts of the world and will increasingly deliver economic stimulus to rural Australia without depleting natural resources,” he said.
Samoa’s Electric Power Corporation has reached an agreement with a locally registered Pacific Renewable Energy company to build a wind energy farm and a hydro storage plant on Upolu island.
Its General Manager, Tologata Galumalemana Tile says the renewable energy project will generate and supply 48 million units of electricity a year.
He says this latest move is part of the corporation’s efforts in developing sources in achieving the government’s goal of using 100 percent renewable energy generation.
Tologata says this would be the second wind energy farm in the country, the first one was commissioned last year at Vailoa Aleipata.
Meanwhile a 500 kilowatt new Solar System by the Sun Pacific Energy at the Faleolo Airport was commissioned and connected to the EPC grid last Friday, but the remaining 1,500kW will be completed soon.
Tologata says a second solar company, Green Power Samoa is currently constructing its 2,000kW solar system at the same location and is expected to be commissioned next month.
Samoa’s first wind energy project at Vailoa Aleipata on the southern coast of Upolu island was opened in August last year.
Don’t let the sun trick you into thinking Tuesday’s weather will be pleasant.
The Clark County Department of Air Quality has sent out a dust advisory.
Winds are expected to blow between 25 to 30 mph with gusts up to 47 mph, the National Weather Service said. Windy conditions should last until the evening.
Children and people with respiratory diseases should stay indoors, the county said. Drivers should also drive slowly on unpaved roads. Residents should shut windows and change dirty air filters.
The high should reach 75, according to the Weather Service. Winds could make it feel cooler.
Clark County’s Department of Air Quality sent a notice to valley dust control permit holders, contractors and stationary sources Monday. The asked businesses to inspect their sites and stabilize loose soil.
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) recently named Mike Smith, a certified public accountant and certified association executive, vice president of finance and operations.
Smith is the former Chief of Staff and Senior Financial Officer for the Air Force Association, where he oversaw the organization’s operation and multi-million dollar budget. He has extensive experience working with nonprofit organizations, serving for years in lead roles at both a large telecommunications trade association and a federally-funded educational foundation. Smith is also no stranger to Washington D.C. Before transitioning into nonprofit financial and organizational management, he spent more than eight years with a public accounting firm based in the nation’s capital.
“We are happy to welcome Mike into the SEIA family,” said Rhone Resch, SEIA president and CEO. “He has spent his career supporting and enhancing the operations of nonprofit organizations. I have no doubt that Mike will be a great addition to our team.”
Smith expressed excitement about joining the SEIA, which represents one of the fastest-growing industries in America. “I’m looking forward to working closely with SEIA’s talented staff, volunteers, executive leaders and members to do everything I can to support our mission and the U.S. solar energy industry,” he stated.
Leaders in state government may be united under the Republican Party banner, but when it comes to revamping Michigan’s comprehensive energy policy, differences in vision have emerged over the past month.
Since early March, Gov. Rick Snyder and leaders in the House and Senate have either formally or informally presented their energy plans. But big questions remain over whether legislators will continue on a path of renewable energy and efficiency standards — which has guided state policy since 2008 — and whether they’ll stick with an experimental, hybrid form of electric choice in which some ratepayers can shop for energy on the open market.
Lobbying is underway in Lansing on both fronts and the debate is likely to intensify into the summer.
What appears to be a common theme among the plans from Snyder, Rep. Aric Nesbitt and Sen. Mike Nofs, though, is a desire to move away from mandates, or requiring utilities to generate a certain percentage of energy from renewable sources by a target date in the future.
As Nofs, R-Lawton, and Nesbitt, R-Battle Creek, chair energy committees in their respective chambers, they have paid a great deal of lip service — as has Snyder — to wanting policies focused on affordability and reliability for ratepayers, as well as adaptability for utilities as the wholesale energy market and technology shifts.
The state is on track to meet its 10 percent requirement when P.A. 295 levels off at the end of this year. While Snyder outlined goals on what Michigan could accomplish by 2025, including a greater mix of renewables and energy efficiency, Nofs and Nesbitt have said a mandated target can be replaced with new rules requiring utilities to file detailed energy forecasts every three to five years.
Democrats, meanwhile, want Michigan to continue growing its renewable portfolio, getting to 20 percent over the next seven years.
The governor’s plan
Synder’s goals, which he outlined in metro Detroit last month, drew praise from both sides of the aisle for recognizing the importance that renewables and energy efficiency can play over the next decade.
Snyder said under certain scenarios, the state could meet 30 to 40 percent of its portfolio through a combination of renewables (mostly onshore wind) and eliminating energy waste in the next decade. Snyder sees efficiency as a good investment for the state: The Michigan Public Service Commission has reported that for every dollar spent on saving energy, ratepayers save nearly $4.
“We saved two-thirds of our dollars, and did so while making Michiganders’ homes and businesses more comfortable and their bills lower,” Snyder said in his energy message. “Why wouldn’t we do more of that?”
He called his goal of reducing energy waste by 15 percent over the next 10 years “actually conservative, as it represents carrying out only half of the projects that already pay for themselves.”
While Snyder’s plan predicts a greater reliance on natural gas, it also recognizes the volatility of natural gas prices, which will be a key factor in the coming years as policymakers replace coal-fired generation that is scheduled to retire. The choice between going with renewables and natural gas to make up the difference is largely affected by cost. Should renewables beat natural gas on cost, Michigan could get roughly 25 percent of its portfolio from renewables by 2025, Snyder said.
Larry Ward, executive director of the Michigan Conservative Energy Forum — a coalition of Republicans and faith-based groups pushing for more energy efficiency and renewables — said he “loved” Snyder’s message.
“The governor set a very good tone of how important energy efficiency is and where he thinks renewables fit in,” Ward said. “He gave some pretty concrete numbers. It begs the question of how we get there. The proof is in the details at this point.”
Ward also thinks it was important for Snyder to bring up natural gas prices and how those will affect the state’s energy mix.
“A lot does depend on the price of natural gas: Why put all your eggs in one basket?” Ward said. “It seems like a great solution now, but at what point is it not? I’m a big proponent of natural gas, but people need to keep that in check.”
Despite giving some broad numbers and goals, Snyder faced criticism after his announcement for not offering a detailed policy plan.
Speaking to an audience last month at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Sam Gomberg, Midwest energy analyst for the Union of Concerned Scientists, said: “It’s nice to see Michigan recognize old, dirty and inefficient coal plants won’t meet the needs of tomorrow. … What (Snyder) didn’t lay out was a lot of policy specifics to get there.”
Gomberg, along with other clean-energy advocates, is also critical of the idea that Integrated Resource Planning for utilities — which is being proposed in the Legislature and that Snyder hinted at — could replace renewable and energy efficiency standards. The idea behind IRPs is that long-term, detailed forecasts related to supply and demand will ultimately provide the most efficient and cost-effective energy mix.
Martin Kushler, senior fellow with the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, also approved of Snyder’s 30 percent to 40 percent combination of renewables and energy efficiency by 2025.
But he added: “I have not seen any explanation of what the policy mechanism is to get there.”
“In fact, what’s proposed in the Legislature takes away two specific policy mechanisms” that have made Michigan’s standards successful until now, he said. “If you knock out that pillar of policy requirements, how do you expect to do even better?”
Where the Legislature is heading
Indeed, as supporters point out that Michigan’s renewable and efficiency standards have been successful in driving growth and certainty in those sectors since 2008, neither Nofs nor Nesbitt are interested in keeping or expanding them.
“An all-of-the-above energy approach from generation and efficiency is something that can be achieved working through an IRP, which I believe is a better system than looking at things separately in terms of mandates,” Nesbitt told reporters last month. “Cookie-cutter mandates need to be a thing of the past.”
Yet Kushler, who has recently studied the effectiveness of IRPs versus standards, says evidence from other states shows that standards are nearly three times as effective in terms of driving spending and savings.
“The data set and 30-plus years in the field tells me that having solid energy efficiency targets is by far producing much stronger results than states that are more voluntary,” Kushler said. “A lot of IRPs become paper exercises that don’t get translated to boots-on-the-ground energy-efficiency programs.”
While Nesbitt has sponsored a series of bills outlining his energy priorities, Nofs recently wrapped up a months-long working group process for his own comprehensive energy plan.
Details of the plan released so far show an apparent agreement with Nesbitt to move toward an IRP process and scrapping generation and efficiency mandates.
However, Nofs has for months advocated for a new “clean energy standard” that credits utilities based on the decrease of greenhouse gas and particulate matters released during generation. This would effectively credit utilities for switching to natural gas, which releases fewer pollutants than coal.
Nofs has reasoned that, given federal regulations on pollutants and pending rules for carbon dioxide, the goal of Michigan’s policy should be emissions-based rather than mandating certain technologies.
“That can be complicated,” Gomberg said of Nofs’ clean energy standard. “The devil is in the details. It could basically give the green light to a wholesale shift to natural gas.”
An over-reliance on natural gas could bring a whole new set of problems related to the price of fuel and stranded assets in the future, experts say.
A question of energy choice
But while efficiency and renewables are key components of a new comprehensive energy policy, Michigan’s energy choice law is also being thrown into the mix.
Michigan has a hybrid regulatory structure in which the ability for ratepayers to choose an alternative energy supplier is capped at 10 percent of a utility’s load. Also referred to as deregulation, the 10-percent cap has been in place since 2008 following an eight-year period of full deregulation.
Supporters of energy choice say the market will ultimately drive down energy prices if everyone can participate (there is currently a waiting list to participate in Michigan), while utilities hope to eliminate choice entirely to prevent uncertainty in the capacity they are required to maintain.
While wanting to eliminate mandates, Nesbitt took criticism over his plan from free-market advocates because he has proposed eliminating electric choice. Nofs, meanwhile, would keep the 10-percent cap but require those customers participating in choice to make a one-time declaration about whether they will keep an alternative supplier or come back to a regulated utility. After a certain date, no others would be allowed to participate. Those already participating could do so for as long as they choose under Nofs’ plan.
Work to be done
Nofs is expected to introduce formal legislation in the coming weeks, while Nesbitt has already started debating the general themes of his proposal in committee. Observers say the committee process could play out well into the upcoming summer.
“It’s interesting to see three Republican leaders coming out with three different proposals,” Gomberg said.
An official with the Michigan Chamber of Commerce declined to comment for this story, saying the organization has not yet finalized its position on energy policy.
While the most politically plausible scenario appears to drift away from a renewable energy and efficiency standard that has guided Michigan over the past seven years, some recent polling shows strong public opinion in favor of both.
A statewide poll of voters done by Public Opinion Strategies — a nationally prominent Republican polling firm — and released March 30 by the Christian Coalition of Michigan showed more than 80 percent of those surveyed support an increased renewable energy standard. And that spans the political spectrum.
Other findings showed respondents would set the renewable energy standard at 62 percent if it were up to them, while 70 percent were more likely to support an elected official who supports more renewable energy.
Ward, whose organization was involved in the poll, said those strong numbers send a clear signal.
“What we’re sharing with the legislators is: Look, guys, here are the numbers,” Ward said. “Seventy to 80 percent want more renewables and efficiency. Why buck that trend?”
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