Offshore Winds of Change
Renewable
energy projects now generate a higher percentage of U.S. electricity
than ever. The U.S. has surpassed Gemany for global leadership in
installed wind capacity but trails Europe for utilization of offshore
wind resources. Regulatory, business and political winds are shifting,
however, and the first turbines may soon be in the water. Cape Wind,
Bluewater Wind, Deepwater Wind and Fisherman's Energy are each planning
East Coast projects in various stages of development. Cape Wind, one of
the most publicized projects, would place wind turbines in Nantucket
Sound, Massachusetts. The Cape Wind project recently received a
favorable environmental impact statement from the U.S. Minerals
Management Service, and National Grid has stated it will negotiate a
power purchase agreement (PPA) for electricity produced by the project.
Meanwhile, Bluewater Wind is banking on Delaware. The company has one
200 MW PPA in place with Delmarva Power and was chosen to produce 55 MW
of power for neighboring Maryland under a PPA. Deepwater Wind
plans to build projects 15-20 miles offshore, starting with a 30 MW
Block Island project off the Rhode Island coastline. Fisherman's Wind
is planning a 20 MW demonstration project off coastal New Jersey.
Construction, operational and financial challenges remain for offshore
wind projects, including the need for stable incentives and policies to
encourage investment in infrastructure and transmission capabilities. Global Clean Energy Outlook: U.S. and China
Bilateral
cooperation between the U.S. and China, including joint R&D focused
on energy efficiency, carbon capture and storage, and innovative
technologies is opening the door to deployment of new public-private
partnerships. China's goal is to derive 15% of its total energy
production capacity from renewable sources by 2020, including 20,000 MW
of installed solar power capacity. Wind power generation in China
is on track to reach 30,000 MW by 2010 and 100,000 MW by 2020. Some of
the largest U.S. clean energy firms are finding lucrative opportunities
in China, including development of the world's largest photovoltaic
power plant to date, estimated at 2,000 MW. Continued collaboration
between the world's two largest energy consuming nations will help
standards, technologies, financial resources and other elements of the
emerging clean energy economy reach every corner of the globe. 19 Biorefinery Projects Receive Federal Stimulus Money
The
Department of Energy has awarded $564 million of Federal stimulus money
to 19 integrated biorefinery projects. These projects have also
received $700 million in private funding for an overall $1.3 billion
investment. The integrated biorefinery facilities will convert biomass
feedstock into biofuel, biopower and biproducts. Examples of the types
of biomass to be used by these facilities include algae, woody biomass,
sorghum and switchgrass. About $483 million in funding was
awarded to 14 pilot scale projects and 4 demonstration scale projects.
The pilot scale projects will test the technology of the facilities, as
well as gather information about facility operations. The demonstration
scale projects are designed to have continuous operations in order to
identify any technological issues in advance of the construction of
commercial scale facilities. The remaining $81 million was allocated
for the ongoing construction of a biorefinery project that previously
received funding. Read more... Copenhagen Climate Talks Leave Unresolved Issues
The
climate change session in Copenhagen (part of the United Nations
Framework on Climate Change) began with the hope of reaching an
international agreement on global climate change as the framework for a
treaty to be put in place before the expiration of the existing Kyoto
Protocol in 2012. But only limited progress occurred,
including an agreement between developed and developing nations to list
national actions and commitments towards climate change. The
Copenhagen Accord accepts the need to keep global temperature rises to
no more than 2 degrees Celsius over 10 years but does not require
signatories to take measures to address climate change. Read more... | Green Stat
The U.S. will double its renewable energy output by 2012 through greater deployment of wind and solar photovoltaic power.
- Stephen Chu, U.S. Energy Secretary, Copenhagen
Green Industry Practice
Morris,
Manning & Martin brings together the right team of experienced
lawyers to proficiently meet or exceed the needs of "green" businesses.
We stay a step ahead by embracing innovation, always expanding our
knowledge, and constantly finding better ways to help both new and
emerging and mature and established businesses achieve their goals. Our
entrepreneurial approach excels by focusing on bottom line results that
accomplish the objectives of our clients. Continue reading...
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