www.all-energy.com.au News

Rare minerals dearth threatens global RE

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:25:40 GMT

Shortages of a handful of rare minerals could slow the future growth of the burgeoning renewable energy industries, and affect countries' chances of limiting greenhouse gas emissions, business leaders were told at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos.

EU Wants to Double RE Share by 2030

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:20:15 GMT

The Climate Commissioner for the European Union, Connie Hedegaard, told reporters today in New Delhi that she believes the European Union should pledge to double their renewable energy supply by 2030 and spoke of hopes that the rest of the world would follow suit.

Xstrata-Glencore could challenge BHP, Rio

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:18:54 GMT

The possibility of a merger between Xstrata and Glencore could result in a combined company with a strong enough balance sheet and desire for acquisitions to threaten the dominance of BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, and even produce a second run at Anglo American, according to reports by The Australian and The Australian Financial Review.

Davey takes over as UK Energy Secretary

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:02:45 GMT

Update: The UK renewables sector lost a powerful advocate at the top of government after Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne resigned – and saw him replaced by an unknown quantity in the form of Ed Davey.

China unveils 2011-15 plans for RE

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:01:34 GMT

According to the 12th Five Year Plan (2011-2015) for the renewable energy industry recently released by the National Energy Administration, China is targeting the development of non fossil energy including wind power, solar power, biomass energy, solar energy and thermal and nuclear power equivalent to 480 million tonnes of standard coal by the end of 2015.

Double RE by 2030, EU tells developing nations

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:00:22 GMT

The EU wants countries meeting at a conference in June under the UN's Rio+20 mechanism to double their share of renewable energy by 2030 under an international obligation.

RE costs are starting to come down

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:53:47 GMT

The price of renewable power contracts signed by California utilities more than doubled from 2003 through 2011 but has now started to plunge, according to a long-awaited state report issued Friday.

$200m funds deal for Hot Rocks

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:20:27 GMT

Australian geothermal energy aspirant Hot Rock says it has signed a funding agreement of up to $200 million with Energy Development Corporation to develop four projects of around 50MW each in Chile and Peru.

Clean energy finance – battle lines drawn

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:00:56 GMT

The polemics around carbon pricing have been largely shunted into the background following the passage of the government’s legislation, but a far more important piece of legislation for the short and medium term future of the clean energy industry in Australia will be presented to parliament this year – the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

UK: Huhne quits over speeding charge

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:13:21 GMT

Chris Huhne has quit as energy secretary after learning he was to be charged with perverting the course of justice over a 2003 speeding case.

Siemens to Implement U.S. Army PV

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:19:03 GMT

Siemens Government Technologies, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center has awarded a $16.8 million task order to implement energy-conserving upgrades, including a 4.465 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power generating system--the largest to date for the U.S. Army--at the White Sands Missile Range, N.M.

EIB to Support Caribbean Geothermal

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:17:39 GMT

Solar and wind energy would probably come to mind first when thinking about renewable energy potential among Caribbean nations, but the region is also home to considerable geothermal energy resources.

Hedegaard dismisses 'politically regulated' carbon price

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:16:08 GMT

Connie Hedegaard, the EU's climate action commissioner, has rejected calls to introduce a price floor to sustain Europe's depressed carbon market, saying she does not want a "politically regulated system".

Cost Of Wind Trending Toward All-Time Low

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:14:57 GMT

The levelized cost of wind energy (LCOWE) is headed toward an all-time low - approaching approximately $0.03/kWh in the best wind resource sites, finds a new report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL).

India, Norway to cooperate in RE

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:14:08 GMT

India and Norway are looking to enhance cooperation in the field of renewable energy. India is taking active interest in setting up the proposed fund in collaboration with DFID, UK and Norway for promoting off-grid solutions in the field of renewable energy.

Could Cheap Gas Slow Growth Of RE?

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:13:08 GMT

The boom in cheap natural gas in this country is good news for the environment, because relatively clean gas is replacing dirty coal-fired power plants.

Mike Rann in carbon farming push

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:11:46 GMT

CARBON farming has been proposed by ex-premier Mike Rann in a speech to an Indian climate change conference.

Power and photovoltaic passion

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:10:23 GMT

Soaring peak demand has caught our electricity networks unprepared, leading to dramatic price increases over the past few years. There seems to be no relief in sight, with the Australian Energy Market Commission predicting a 42% increase in NSW retail electricity prices by 2014.

Brussels seeks power over national energy decisions

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:56:28 GMT

European commissioner Günther Oettinger called yesterday for decisions on energy to be taken away from national governments, as he admitted that Europe did not meet its 2010 renewable energy targets.

US: Wind-Power Firms on Edge

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:46:39 GMT

WASHINGTON—Wind power is facing a make-or-break moment in Congress, with renewable-energy firms' projects on hold as lawmakers debate whether to extend subsidies for new wind farms this month.

Buffett Group Forms RE Company

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:45:24 GMT

MidAmerican Energy, part of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc., has created a new company to oversee its green energy interests.

Scotland: Projects shelved due to uncertainty

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:42:56 GMT

UNCERTAINTY surrounding energy market reform and the decision to cut subsidies for home solar panels has led to renewable energy projects being shelved, MSPs have been told.

Clouds gather over Spain's RE sector

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:41:11 GMT

Spain's push to become a world leader in renewable energy risks collapsing after the government slammed the brakes on generous subsidies as part of an austerity drive.

Cheap natural gas jumbles markets

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:40:29 GMT

For the past three years, promoters of shale gas and environmentalists opposed to coal-fired power plants have hailed the sudden abundance of U.S. natural gas as a bridge to a renewable-energy future.

De-risking renewables

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:21:28 GMT

Funding renewable energy projects is becoming more challenging because of increasing financial, regulatory and operational risks. But it is not too late for government, the insurance sector and banks to help, says Siân Crampsie

Falling solar prices bad for firms

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:20:22 GMT

There is a bright side to the plunge in solar panel prices that has brought down some U.S. and German manufacturers which relied too heavily on subsidies for green energy - solar power costs have fallen faster than anyone thought possible.

Obama to Clear Roadblocks Holding Up RE

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:18:56 GMT

America’s Indian Country has the potential to host a significant share of the renewable energy generated in the United States. But development of those resources is stymied by a lack of transmission, onerous tax disincentives, and a thicket of bureaucracy.

Nuclear crisis bolsters Japan push

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:17:44 GMT

Mayor Nobuto Hosaka had more than saving taxpayers' money on his mind when he recently invited bids from rivals of giant utility Tokyo Electric Power Co to supply power to his ward in Japan's capital.

GM's Threlkeld Discusses RE Opportunities

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:16:34 GMT

As we close out the week, we are sharing the final video we produced in alignment with GM's 2011 Corporate Sustainability Report.

Israel's Negev great for Solar Energy

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:15:33 GMT

American Yossi Abramowitz, Kibbutz Ketura member Ed Hoflind, and their US-based partner David Rosenblatt have built Ketura Sun, Israel's first commercial solar energy field.

California solar plans exceed state goals

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:14:57 GMT

The number of proposed solar projects in California last year was 4-1/2 times the level the state needs to meet its 33 percent renewable power target by 2020, a state regulator said on Tuesday.

Oz to gain from US Navy switch to RE

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:54:53 GMT

AUSTRALIAN companies could benefit from a radical policy switch by the US Navy to wean itself off fossil fuels and tank up instead on renewable energy, a visiting US energy expert says.

EU Balks at Spain Halt to RE Subsidies

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:54:10 GMT

Spain’s decision to temporarily halt subsidies for new renewable energy projects will hurt investments in the industry, the European Commission’s energy spokeswoman said.

Kyocera - Solar With Li-Ion Battery Storage

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:21:44 GMT

A big energy-related disaster doesn't just leave horrible marks on people's lives; it also can propel better and quicker policy and technology adoption. Kyocera on Monday said it plans to start selling a system that pairs solar panels with lithium-ion batteries for the residential market in Japan starting this summer.

US: Hourly Pricing Boosts Value of Solar

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:10:54 GMT

What if electricity cost more when the sun was shining? Many utilities are using new electronic "smart meters" to adjust the price of electricity as often as every hour, to reflect supply and demand.

How – and why – China leads green economy

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:57:53 GMT

This is the first article in a series by Tim Buckley, portfolio manager at ArkX Investment Management, looking at global clean energy leaders.

Kiwi climate sceptics get US funding

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:40:47 GMT

New Zealand's most prominent group of global warming sceptics has received at least $84,000 from an American think-tank which has been backed by fossil fuel interests and accused of "climate change denialism".

Power pain without political gain

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:38:04 GMT

In the words of British commentator Theodore Dalrymple, politicians want a painless solution to every problem. And in the Australian electricity sector, there is a grand example of this principle on display now.

Oz Investment Spend Rises 2.1% on LNG

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:37:12 GMT

Australia’s business investment rose 2.1 percent in the fourth quarter, led by liquefied natural gas projects in resource-rich Queensland, a Deloitte Access Economics report showed.

Australia: $200m of VC funding for RE

info@all-energy.co.uk (www.all-energy.com.au) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:36:14 GMT

The Australian Government has recently set up the country's largest renewable energy venture capital fund to help high-potential Australian renewable energy start-ups launch and market their innovative technology and products.