Analysis & Opinion 2010

• UK cleantech could create 13,000 jobs in 2011
  Investment from venture capital funds and private equity houses could lead to the creation of 13,000 cleantech jobs in the UK in 2011, according to the global executive search firm Kinsey Allen International.
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• China is the Most Attractive Country for Renewables Investment
  China has succeeded the US as the most attractive location in which to invest in renewable energy projects, according to Ernst & Young's latest Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices.
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• British wind farms deliver record output
  Britain's wind farms reached record levels of output on Monday providing five per cent of all electricity to the grid over the course of the day.
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• Leaked German report argues peak oil is happening now
  A leaked report prepared for the German government has warned that global oil supplies could peak as early as this year, triggering widespread market failures and a shift in the balance of world power.
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• Asia Making Gains on Germany's Inverter Market Leadership
  Photon International is reporting that similar to German module manufactures, German inverter manufacturers are feeling the heat from China as well.
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• Australian energy firms join calls for carbon price
  Australia's leading energy companies today added their voices to calls for the next government to introduce a carbon pricing mechanism as soon as possible, joining a coalition of civil society groups which yesterday issued a statement demanding the introduction of a new climatye change bill.
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• Report: The Winners & Losers of the Solar Shakeout
  Picking winners and losers is always an interesting and dicey exercise. Lux Research took that plunge and issued a report this week that pointed to likely winners in revenues and IPO candidates over the coming year, as well as some companies that they issued “caution” on.
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• Enerkem claims world first with giant waste-to-fuel plant
  Canadian biofuel specialist Enerkem this week announced it has begun construction on what it claims will be the world's first industrial-sized plant capable of converting non-recyclable municipal waste into advanced biofuels.
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• Will Green Technology Boost Manufacturing in the U.S.?
  There is a characteristic of the greentech industry that one doesn’t hear about often, but it could have a profound effect on the future economy in North America.
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• Scottish offshore wind worth £7.1bn
  Scotland’s offshore wind industry could contribute £7.1 billion of investment and create up to 28,000 direct jobs by 2020, according to Scottish Renewables and Scottish Enterprise.
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• France's €10bn offshore wind plan sets sail
  The French government is set to announce plans for a €10bn offshore wind farm building programme that will see 600 wind turbines erected at 10 sites off the coast of France over the next five years.
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• Statoil reaffirms renewables commitment
  Statoil has today distanced itself from reports suggesting it could scale back investment in renewable energy, insisting the company currently has "no plans" to offload its high-profile alternative energy projects.
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• Ethanol or Electric Cars? The Debate Isn’t Over, Says GM
  Electric cars and biofuels seem to inhabit different universes these days.
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• EU quietly continues renewables revolution
  European efforts to accelerate the development of low-carbon energy supplies are working. That is the central conclusion to be drawn from new figures from the EU's statistics agency, Eurostat, which reveal that almost a fifth of energy production in the EU came from renewable sources last year.
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• Global firms applaud new greenhouse gas yardsticks
  More than 60 leading global firms have finished testing two new greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting standards, taking industry a step closer to a universal approach for measuring and managing emissions.
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• 10 of Cargill’s Next-Gen Biofuel Bets
  Global agriculture and food gorilla Cargill made $2.6 billion in profit in 2010 — the over a century-old company, which is one of the largest private companies in the U.S, doesn’t necessarily need biofuels for its bottom line.
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• Report reveals burgeoning green M&A activity
  The number of mergers and acquisitions completed in the alternative energy sector in the past year climbed over 54 per cent to 391 deals worldwide, according to new figures suggesting investor confidence in the clean tech sector remains bullish.
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• Can Ireland Achieve Energy Independence in Green?
  An Irish energy expert's new book says Ireland has the potential to turn its energy the color of its green shamrocks and put lots of gold into the pockets of the Irish who lead the transition.
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• Corporate Investors Open Wallets for Greentech
  Greentech has become a big subject in corporate conference rooms over the past year.
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• Global renewable energy expands rapidly
  The global alternative and renewable energy industry expanded “rapidly” over the last year despite the global economic recession impact on worldwide energy demand, according to merger and acquisition (M&A) organisation IMAP Inc.
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• Renewable Energy Companies Continue Global Expansion
  With analysts predicting the explosive growth of renewable energy, particularly solar power, in the next few years and beyond, it's no surprise that solar and wind companies are announcing new remote offices and new headquarters in other parts of the world.
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• France launches €1.35bn renewable energy package
  The French government has this week launched a major renewable energy investment programme, promising to provide €1.35bn (£1.1bn) of financial support to the sector over the next four years.
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• Supply Chain Issues Dominate Offshore Wind Industry
  Supply chain, supply chain, supply chain. That was the message at this year's UK Offshore Wind conference, which took place in Liverpool for two days earlier this summer.
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• Report: Transport sector's green efforts stuck in the slow lane
  The transport industry was today urged to step up efforts to curb carbon emissions, after new research revealed the majority of firms in the sector have failed to implement climate change strategies.
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• China's energy giants join solar gold rush
  Fifty companies are in the running for 13 large-scale solar power projects in China totalling 280 MW of renewable energy capacity, according to reports yesterday.
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• Will the U.S. Generate Too Much Electricity?
  The potential for clean-tech innovation is so great you might be wise to expect the unexpected. What about an energy glut?
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• Small and medium solar thermal has great potential
  Small and medium sized solar thermal power stations have a larger application potential than often thought, according to the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE).
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• Fresh report confirms soaring clean tech VC investment
  Ernst & Young yesterday became the latest consultancy to confirm that venture capital (VC) investment in clean tech companies bounced back towards record levels during the second quarter of the year, reporting that US investment soared 64 per cent year-on-year to $1.5bn.
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• Top Green Power Purchasers
  For many years, the voluntary market for renewable energy was the main driver for the market. Today, it's state-level renewable energy targets.
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• Will Poland ever get offshore wind?
  Development of offshore wind farms in Poland has been slow, despite the country's leadership of the wind energy sector in Central and Eastern Europe, raising questions about the offshore wind support in Central and Eastern Europe, according to analyst Frost & Sullivan.
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• Renewable Energy Would Create More Jobs Than Nuclear Power
  If Christine Todd Whitman were really serious about promoting jobs in the energy industry, she would be talking about wind and other renewable energy resources, not nuclear power.
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• Report: oil company carbon liabilities are huge risk for investors
  BP’s £11 billion loss is only part of the financial damage facing oil companies, according to a report published by the WWF and the Co-operative Financial Services (CFS).
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• 360+ Organizations Release Statement on Senate Inaction on Energy Bill
  Clean Energy Works, a diverse coalition of more than 80 grassroots organizations representing more than 12 million Americans emailed a statement signed by more than 360 groups bemoaning the Senate's failure to address a clean energy and climate policy.
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• Global energy industry remains buoyant
  The global energy industry remains focused with encouraging levels of new projects emerging according to EIC Monitor, a quarterly report from the EIC, the trade association for UK companies that supply capital goods and services to the energy industries worldwide.
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• Energy alliance appeals to Senate to reinstate RES
  An alliance of US renewable energy companies, environmental groups, labour lobbyists and utility companies have written to Harry Reid, Democrat leader of the Senate, urging him to include a renewable energy standard (RES) in the energy bill which is before the Senate this week.
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• Solarbuzz: US Solar Market To Grow Tenfold by 2014
  Despite a challenging domestic economic environment, the U.S. solar market grew 36% in 2009, according to the United States PV Market 2010 from Solarbuzz.
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• US Senate drops key measures in energy bill
  The US Senate has abandoned plans to include a carbon cap and a base level for renewable energy generation in the energy bill brought by Democrat senators Joe Lieberman and John Kerry.
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• Nevada's Geothermal Industry Worth US $22.5B in 30 Years
  If Nevada were a country, it would be the 9th largest producer of geothermal power in the world today, now, according to new facts from the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) compiled in anticipation of their upcoming GEA Geothermal Energy and Utilities, Co-ops and Public Power Workshop in Las Vegas, the growth of the geothermal industry in Nevada could be worth up to US $22.5 billion over the next 30 years.
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• US offshore wind coalition formed
  The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has announced the formation of the Offshore Wind Development Coalition (OffshoreWindDC), which will focus on advocacy and education efforts to promote offshore wind energy.
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• UK cuts renewable energy spending
  The UK is cutting £34 million of low carbon and renewable energy spending, says the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
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• Wind strengthening across Europe to 2020
  Wind power will dwarf all other renewable energy technologies in Europe, with more estimated installed capacity by 2020 than hydropower and solar put together, according to a report by ENDS Europe, based on analysis of 13 national renewable energy action plans.
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• Renewables investment outstrips non-renewables for second year in a row
  The growing dominance of the renewable-energy sector was underlined yesterday with the release of two new reports revealing that global investments in renewables during 2009 exceeded investment in non-renewable energy sources for the second year in succession.
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• Spain overtakes US with world's biggest solar power station
  Spain has just overtaken the US in the bid to create the world’s biggest solar power station after opening a new plant in the west of the country.
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• Plans for Marine Energy Park in UK
  Able UK has revealed a £400 million plan for a Marine Energy Park on the South Bank of the Humber in the UK.
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• UN warns biodiversity loss poses greater business risk than climate change
  The threat to businesses arising from unchecked biodiversity loss is larger and more immediate than that presented by climate change.
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• Yingli Green Energy subsidiaries set to secure $5.31 credit facility from China Development Bank
  NYSE-listed solar company Yingli Green Energy’s affiliate Yingli Group Company has entered into an agreement with state-owned China Development Bank (CDB), for potential credit facilities of RMB36bn ($5.31bn).
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• Offshore wind industry to provide 45,000 new jobs
  The UK could create at least 45,000 new jobs through the rapid expansion of its offshore wind energy industry, but only if the new coalition government acts quickly to clarify its renewable energy policy and remove barriers to investment for the fast-expanding sector.
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• Offshore wind developers need to standardise contracts
  The offshore wind industry is urged to move towards standardised contracts to reduce risk and save project time, say energy consultancy Xodus Group and legal advisors Shepherd and Wedderburn.
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• UK Budget positive for green jobs
  The UK Budget could be positive for the development of further green collar jobs, according to recruitment company Acre, which specialises in the corporate responsibility, sustainability, climate and energy, and environmental sectors.
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• Offshore wind sector looks beyond 2020
  The UK's offshore wind industry may have only just started work on ambitious plans to build more than 30GW of new capacity by the end of the decade, but that has not stopped the sector already pencilling in proposals for another round of projects post-2020.
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• Legislative Excitement in Solar, Ethanol and Storage
  When it comes to energy and greentech -- technology and financing are crucial.  But without a favorable and stable policy climate -- renewable energy doesn't stand a chance against the entrenched incumbent energy sources -- even if advanced technology is in place.
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• Sen. Daschle & Wind Industry Call for Action on Energy Bill
  At a press conference hosted by former Senator Tom Daschle, a coalition of clean energy industries today called on the White House and Senate leadership to take urgent action upon Congress' return from the July 4 recess on legislation that includes strong measures to promote clean energy.
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• UK enjoys hydropower surge
  Interest in hydropower projects has reached record levels, according to new figures from the Environment Agency showing that the number of applications for hydropower schemes has increased six-fold in the last decade.
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• Ethanol industry blasts EPA for testing delay
  Renewable fuel advocates have slammed the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after it delayed a decision to increase the amount of ethanol permitted for use in vehicles.
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• Eastman Bets on Bigger Profits from Greener Chemicals
  Eastman Chemical Company wants two-thirds of revenue from new products to come from items that are more sustainable than alternatives.
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• US Biotechnology Industry Association seeks legal stimulus for biofuels
  At the forefront of industrial biotech's revolution is the push for US legislation that will bring tax-credit parity to algae-based biofuel technology, while extending credit to cellulosic biofuels. Passing such legislation would stimulate investment in building new advanced biofuel facilities and the creation of thousands of new green jobs.
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• European wind industry predicts bumper 2010
  Europe is set to see its installed wind energy capacity increase by 13 per cent as the sector continues to defy the economic downturn, according to new figures from the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).
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• EU sets out sustainable biofuel criteria
  The UK's biofuel industry will have to deliver "substantial improvements" if it is to comply with new EU-wide sustainability standards that are due to come into effect by the end of the year.
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• Bill Gates & Other Corporate Leaders Call for Renewable Push
  Led by Microsoft's Bill Gates and GE's Jeff Immelt, the American Energy Innovation Council (AEIC) launched this week, releasing a report and a set of reccomendations that could help push renewables and other clean energy technologies even further into the overall energy picture in the U.S.
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• Global Energy Efficiency Sees Growth in 2010
  Energy efficiency continues to grow in importance over the past year despite the still-struggling global economy, according to the latest global survey on the subject by Johnson Controls and the International Facility Management Association.
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• Report: Renewables revolution to provide 95 per cent of global electricity by 2050
  The world could produce 95 per cent of the electricity it needs from renewable sources by 2050, cutting greenhouse emissions from the energy and transport sectors by 80 per cent without jeopardising economic growth.
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• Biomass overtakes wind as champion in renewable energy
  Biomass facilities have become a more attractive investment than wind and solar technologies, according to the renewable energy sector.
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• US Wind Growth Likely To Drop in 2010
  Following a record-breaking year of capacity additions in 2009—with 9.8 GW of wind projects installed—the U.S. wind market finds itself confronting a growth-constrained 2010 and a near-term market landscape wrought with increased competition, according to a new market study.
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• EU plots debt-busting green tax plan
  The EU is reportedly working on plans for a pan-European energy tax that would bolster the competitiveness of renewable and low carbon energy sources while helping the bloc to tackle its worsening debt crisis.
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• Sun still rising on China's solar makers
  The fortunes of Chinese solar energy companies improved this week when a number of firms reported strong results as demand in the industry recovered to pre-recession levels.
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• EU May Give Solar Companies a Break on Cadmium, Lead
  Top solar manufacturers are making progress on greening their supply chains and recycling efforts, but a key European Union decision on cadmium could redefine what it means to be good for the environment.
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• Green services in firing line as Osborne launches first wave of cuts
  The government departments and agencies tasked with driving the development of a low carbon economy will face immediate and in some cases significant budget cuts as part of the £6.25bn deficit reduction plan unveiled today by Chancellor George Osborne.
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• PwC: Businesses blind to $4.5tn biodiversy risk
  Businesses are notoriously bad at ignoring warnings from NGOs that the currently unprecedented rate of biodiversity loss could cripple the global economy, but perhaps they will listen to one of their own.
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• Pike Research: Solar Market Will Grow 43% in 2010
  Starting in late 2008, the solar market shifted from supply-constricted to demand-driven within a few quarters due to the plunging price of crystalline silicon cells and modules spurred by falling polysilicon cost, constrained availability of credit, Spain's dramatic demand decline, and the growth of thin film supply and market share.
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• Report: UK offshore renewables could outstrip oil and gas industry's peak output
  The first study to put a financial value on the UK's offshore renewable energy resource has concluded that the nascent sector could transform the country from a net energy importer to a net energy exporter by 2050.
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• Study urges Australia to embrace green jobs revolution
  The Australian government could create over 750,000 new jobs by 2030 by acting now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent by 2020, according to a report released today by the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU).
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• Half of UK firms mulling renewable energy investment
  Almost half of British companies are considering installing some form of renewable energy, according to a new survey of over 520 board level executives that reveals growing corporate interest in the renewable energy sector following the launch last month of new feed-in tariff incentives.
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• Entergy Chairman and CEO Issues Statement on the American Power Act
  Entergy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer J. Wayne Leonard today issued a statement in support of the introduction of the American Power Act, which was announced today by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn.
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• UK coalition – renewable energy policies
  The new Conservative / Liberal Democrat coalition in the UK stands firm on renewable energy, but disagrees on nuclear.
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• UN warns rare metal shortage could derail clean tech boom
  The UN yesterday issued a stark warning that the adoption of low carbon technologies such as solar panels, electric cars and energy efficient lights could stall unless the recycling rates for "speciality metals" used by the electronics industry drastically increases.
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• Aviation biofuels taxi towards take off
  The global aviation industry is rapidly accelerating its testing programme for alternative fuels, with experts predicting that new aviation fuel blends containing biofuels could be sanctioned as safe for commercial travel use within the next 12 months.
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• IEA: Solar power to generate quarter of global electricity by 2050
  The International Energy Agency (IEA) has given one of the clearest signals to date that it expects renewable to dominate the global energy complex over the coming decades, with the release of new figures that predict solar energy could account for between 20 and 25 per cent of electricity production worldwide by 2050.
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• EU opens up funding treasure chest for small green businesses
  The European Union is on the look out for innovative small green businesses that can play a role in cutting Europe's environmental footprint as it seeks to dish out a new €35m (£29.83m) fund.
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• Report: Waste-to-energy could supply half of UK renewables by 2020
  The UK could meet half its renewable energy target for 2020 through the use of energy from waste (EfW), landfill gas, anaerobic digestion and second generation biofuels, according to a major new report from Cranfield University.
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• Clean Energy M&A: Six Trends to Watch
  When all is said and done, clean energy M&A activity is going to be one of the big stories of 2010. By Jamie Boyd
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• United Airlines pioneers first commercial low-carbon flight
  The aviation industry has moved a step closer to delivering low-carbon travel following the successful completion of United Airlines' first commercial flight using an "ultra-clean" fuel made from synthetic gas.
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• Cisco tops Greenpeace green tech league
  Networking giant Cisco has pushed IBM off the top spot in the latest Greenpeace leader board of green IT companies.
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• Waste industry heading for perfect storm - Peter Jones
  Ex-Biffa director Peter Jones has warned that we're heading for a waste crisis in Britain as landfill becomes full but we lack the infrastructure for more sustainable waste management
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• EU unveils green car action plan
  The European Commission has today unveiled a wide-ranging strategy designed to establish the European car industry as a leading player in the global green vehicle market, and ensure that electric vehicles can be recharged right across the continent.
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• Green energy players go from strength to strength
  Two of the UK's leading green energy suppliers were celebrating this week after Good Energy reported that pre-tax profits rose 30 per cent last year, while Ecotricity announced that it has secured planning permission for a new headquarters.
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• Sinking water industry needs urgent reform, warns Severn Trent
  The UK water industry is "unsustainable" and must be urgently revamped to prevent climbing debts leading to a 27 per cent hike in customer bills by 2030.
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• What Ails Solar and Wind? Not Enough Lobbyists
  Washington D.C.-General Wesley Clark today (Thursday) called upon the solar and wind developers of the United States to hire consultants from K Street.
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• Report Signals Rebound in Energy Efficiency Spending
  The Energy Efficiency Indicator found energy efficiency projects are on the rise but many organizations lack carbon reduction strategies.
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• Top Ten Green Giants
  What are the most important companies in greentech? Hint: many are over 100 years old.
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• US geothermal sector heats up as new projects come online
  The US geothermal power industry enjoyed strong growth in 2009, according to new figures from the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) that will alleviate fears that the nascent sector would stall as a result of the recession.
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• Why Intel Wants to Get into Energy
  Intel will show off an experimental device this week in China that could someday substantially cut the costs of wiring homes and offices for energy efficiency, one more step in the company's foray into energy.
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• Landmark report explodes renewable energy myths
  Europe can switch to low carbon sources of energy without jeopardising reliability or forcing up energy bills to punitive levels, according to a major new study that claims to be the most comprehensive assessment to date of the viability of zero carbon power supplies.
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• US Wind Industry Needs US Manufacturing
  Wind manufacturing is recovering but growth is slow. That's the message coming from the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), which this week released its wind market report for 2010.
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• US plans major polluters climate meeting for Washington
  As UN climate change negotiations prepare to get under way tomorrow, US officials signal that they will host an additional meeting of the Major Economies Forum to discuss climate issues.
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• Biofuel companies at the crossroad
  Biofuel has narrowed its cost and performance gap to petroleum with help from academic labs and venture partners – but how will it become competitive?
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• Why It's Time to Take Solar Seriously
  The ongoing debate today is whether solar photovoltaics (PV) will emerge from its niche position within the energy sector to become a larger part of our power generation portfolio. By Danielle Merfeld
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• Renewable energy coalition releases manifesto
  Nine of Britain’s renewable energy associations have outlined detailed proposals for the delivery of renewable energy targets by 2020.
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• Without CEO Buy-In, Companies Struggle at Sustainability
  In addition to "you can't manage what you don't measure," the idea that environmental leadership has to come from the top is one of the truisms of green business.
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• Europe could be 100% renewable energy by 2050: study
  Europe and North Africa could obtain all of their electricity from renewable energy by 2050, if the concept is supported by a single European power market united with a similar market in North Africa.
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• Clean tech investment off the charts in first quarter
  Clean tech venture capital deals across the world's largest markets reached record heights in the first quarter, according to research released yesterday by Deloitte and the Cleantech Group.
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• Outlook brightens as solar industry reports record 2009
  Despite the recession, the global solar photovoltaic electricity generation industry enjoyed a record year during 2009 and is expected to increase installed capacity by another 15 per cent in 2010, according to figures released yesterday by the the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA).
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• EU insists there will be no U-turn on biofuel policy
  The European Union has bowed to pressure from environmental groups and published its first major impact assessment into the effect of biofuel on indirect land use change, following concerns that it could undermine the fuel's stated environmental benefits.
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• China became top wind power mkt in 2009 -consultant
  China became the No. 1 wind turbine market in 2009, installing a record 13.75 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity, and three Chinese suppliers ranked among the Top-10 turbine manufacturers, Danish consultants BTM said.
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• Is Bureaucracy Killing Solar?
  Forget the Bureau of Land Management. Find an abandoned subdivision for your solar project.
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• China over takes US as top clean tech investor
  China has overtaken the US for the first time in a league table of investments in low-carbon energy among the G-20, according to a new report by not for profit group the Pew Charitable Trusts published this week.
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• U.S. Government Signs MOU on Hydropower
  The U.S. Department of Energy, Department of the Interior and Army Corps of Engineers have signed a memorandum of understanding to promote the development of hydropower.
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• No top changes in quarterly assessment of renewable energy
  The United States, China, Germany, India and Italy remain the most attractive countries for renewable energy, according to a quarterly assessment by Ernst & Young.
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• Unilever Leads Food and Beverage Industry on Sustainability
  Unilever helped found the Marine Stewardship Council and Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, and was one of the early supporters of fair trade and nutritional labeling.
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• Bloomberg predicts renewable energy boom
  Although annual global expenditure on renewable energy projects is expected to jump from $90bn (£59bn) last year to $150bn by 2020, it will need to increase by up to a third more if the world is to avoid dangerous levels of climate change.
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• Revenue for solar, wind and biofuels reached US$139bn in 2009
  Growth in the three renewable energy sectors last year was 11.4% over 2008, and their US$139 billion in aggregate revenue will reach US$326bn by 2019.
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• Clean Energy 2010 Trending Up
  Last year around this time, clean tech research and publishing firm Clean Edge predicted we'd be talking about flat or even downward clean energy revenue trends in 2009.
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• Biogas markets on the upswing
  The biogas plant market is on the upswing, with Germany to lead production in 2010, according to analyst Frost & Sullivan.
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• UK: Government to wave in new era of British marine energy
  The government has today promised to review the level of financial support available to British marine energy firms as part of a newly launched Marine Energy Action Plan designed to ensure the UK generates up to 2MW of renewable energy from wave and tidal generators by 2020.
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• Why Applied Materials Should Curb its Solar Plans
  It’s crystalline clear: the amorphous business isn’t working for Applied.
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• How Toyota’s Prius Troubles Will Shape the Green Car Market
  Not too long ago, Toyota reigned as the seemingly untouchable hybrid leader.
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• Funding deal bolsters US nuclear industry confidence
  The US nuclear industry received a welcome confidence boost from the US government this week in the form of a $40m grant, even as policymakers continued to puzzle over how to store its waste.
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• Wind Industry Fires Back, Calls for RES
  A group of wind energy executives as well as the CEO of the American Wind Energy Association called on the U.S. Congress today to quickly enact a strong federal renewable energy standard in order to save American jobs.
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• Will Agribusiness Be A Growth Market for Solar?
  Produce and solar, it turns out, have a lot in common.
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• European energy giants unveil Supergrid vision
  Ten of Europe's largest energy and engineering firms today joined forces to launch a new lobby group committed to advancing plans for a pan-European Supergrid capable of supporting new renewable energy capacity.
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• Shell CEO Defends Pullback From Clean Power
  Updated: Oil and gas giant Royal Dutch Shell made headlines over the last few years for “going cold” on solar, wind and hydrogen energy.
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• Senate Proposal Could Hurt US Wind Industry
  This week, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) introduced legislation that, if passed, would restrict any renewable energy project that uses less than 100% U.S. made components from receiving tax payer subsidies and grants.
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• China to Develop Low-Carbon Economy
  The Chinese government says it will take action to develop a low-carbon economy and that the low carbon targets will be included in the 12th five-year plan for national economic development (2011-2015).
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• Spain proposes doubling of renewable energy capacity
  Spain is hedging its bets on renewable energy sources as a means to revive its recession-hit economy – with a proposal to more than double production from clean energy to over 20 per cent of total energy use by 2020.
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• Top energy firms accused of missing renewable energy goals
  Five out of the "big six" energy suppliers failed to invest the £30 per customer per year that is required to help the UK hit renewables targets, according to a new analysis from renewable energy firm Ecotricity.
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• UK corporate climate change spending to top $5.3bn this year
  Corporate spending on climate change and sustainability initiatives is set to rebound to over $5.3bn during 2010, according to a major new study from research firm Verdantix which predicts that the market for green business-to-business products and services will continue to expand rapidly over the next three years.
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• Businesses vent anger over absence of carbon reporting standards
  UK businesses have today expressed frustration at the government's failure to deliver a standard method for reporting greenhouse gas emissions, which has left firms having to navigate a maze of different mandatory carbon reporting requirements
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• Multinationals causing ₤1.4tn of damage to environment every year
  The world's 3,000 largest companies are causing £1.4 trillion worth of environmental damage every year, according to an unpublished UN report seen by the Guardian.
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• Powering up: can offshore wind deliver a renaissance in UK manufacturing?
  The UK is positioning itself as one of the biggest offshore wind markets in the world, with the potential to deliver thousands of British jobs, but it still has no major manufacturer investing in it. Louise Bateman reports.
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• Electric vehicles to emerge market-changing force: Capgemini
  Electric vehicles have the potential of emerging a "market-changing" force, says a nw thought leadership report by consulting firm Capgemini.
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• Solar to gain the most into 2011
  Solar will register the greatest increase in usage from 2010 into 2011, according to the latest US government forecast.
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• Firms scale back from US climate push
  Three major US companies said they were leaving a coalition pushing for action on climate change, dealing a potential fresh blow to landmark legislation to cut carbon emissions.
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• EU will meet renewable energy target
  The EU will meet its 2020 20% renewable energy target, even slightly exceed it, according to the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).
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• GM calls for urgent increase in ethanol fuel stations
  General Motors (GM) will today wade into the controversial debate surrounding the US biofuel industry, warning that without an urgent expansion in the country's fledgling network of ethanol fuelling stations millions of dollars of investment in biofuel technologies risk becoming "stranded".
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• Jobs bill could fuel controversial US biodiesel business
  The controversial US biodiesel industry could get a major boost from Congress if a draft bill released this week makes it to the president's desk.
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• Controversy mounts in EU over fall-out from biofuel
  Fresh controversy is mounting within the European Union over biofuels and their unintended impact on tropical forests and wetlands, documents show.
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• EU emissions targets weaker than Japan, US and Canada says analyst
  Even if the EU were to increase its emissions reduction target to 30 per cent of 1990 levels by 2020, Japan and Australia the USA and Canada are still pledging larger cuts from current emission levels, according to a recent analysis of the submissions to the Copenhagen Accord published by Point Carbon.
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• Financial Crisis Paves the Way for Chinese Solar Giants
  Sales of Chinese solar modules, which accounted for nearly one third of the global market share, were shadowed in the wake of the financial crisis. However, what did not kill the Chinese companies made them stronger, especially in terms of product cost and market access.
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• Biofuels Firms Rated; New Order Emerges
  Some start-ups entering the biofuels sector already are revealing themselves as winners in certain market applications even though there is no shortage of mature biofuel companies, according to a new report by Lux Research (Boston, MA), a financial analyst group.
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• EU electric vehicle strategy flawed, say NGOs
  Current EU policy on car emissions is flawed because it offers no guarantee that more electric vehicles on Europe’s roads will lead to savings in carbon emissions over coming years, according to a report commissioned jointly by Friends of the Earth Europe, Greenpeace and Transport & Environment.
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• Green policies could help move UK out of the red
  The UK could slash its deficit by £12bn a year by scrapping tax breaks for carbon-intensive industries and halting investment in projects that will increase carbon emissions, according to a study from sustainable business think-tank the Green Alliance.
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• China overtakes USA in wind
  China overtook the USA for volumes of new installations and manufacturing of wind turbines for the first time in 2009, according to a report by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).
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• Entergy Chairman and CEO Commends Obama's Clean Energy Strategy
  Entergy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer J. Wayne Leonard today issued a statement in support of President Barack Obama's comprehensive strategy to enhance American energy independence and build a foundation for a new clean energy economy.
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• US budget cuts fossil subsidies
  In his 2011 budget proposals, President Barack Obama has fulfilled on his promise to end subsidies to oil, gas and coal producers, and funnel the funds into nuclear and renewable energy sources instead.
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• Obama’s $28.4 Billion Budget for the DOE
  For nuclear, and to some degrees researchers, it is a very good year. Oil takes a hit.
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• UK must move beyond carbon cuts to stay competitive
  Britain needs to focus on more than just carbon dioxide emission cuts and manage its water, waste and food resources better to remain competitive, a report by the Aldersgate Group said on Monday.
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• BWEA: renewable industry calls for 2020 action
  The British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) calls on the UK Government to consider a raft of immediate measures to deliver the UK’s 2020 renewable energy targets.
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• Green Technology Set to Lead The Way in 2010
  Astute investors know that spotting a trend on the horizon, or in its infancy, can offer a number of investment opportunities today.
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• US Renewable Energy Industry Needs the Heat in Biomass
  Energy from biomass heating fuel can be generated in a renewable, carbon-neutral system that leverages our natural resources to reduce our use of and dependence on imported fossil fuels.
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• Nuclear Power: Too Costly to Revive
  Is nuclear power a solution we can afford? The short answer is no.
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• UK offshore wind set to continue to lead the way in Europe
  The UK looks set to continue to lead the way in offshore wind in 2010, according to latest figures from the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).
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• Solar Market Rises in 2009, says CEO. Will Supply, Demand Meet in 2011?
  Masdar PV’s CEO says installations grew 10 percent globally last year and orders look good for 2010. Abu Dhabi—Maybe 2009 wasn’t so bad after all.
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• Vestas takes 30% of Italian wind turbine market '09
  Danish Vestas Wind Systems A/S (CPH: VWS) was the largest player on the Italian wind-turbine market in 2009 with a 30% share, Danish newswire Nyhedsbureauet Direkt said today, citing industry source Evwind.
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• European 2009 Offshore Wind Market Growth Above 50%
  A total of 199 wind turbines with a combined capacity of 577 MW were installed at eight new offshore wind farms and connected to the European grid during 2009.
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• Fuel cell industry could create 700 000 green jobs worldwide by 2020
  Up to 700 000 ‘green’ manufacturing jobs could be created in the global fuel cell industry over the next decade, according to the latest Industry Review, Fuel Cells: Sustainability from the analysts at Fuel Cell Today.
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• US body predicts green building trends for 2010
  An organisation set up to promote sustainable construction in America's Northwest has produced a 'top ten' list of emerging trends it claims will become increasingly important through 2010 and beyond.
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• The India Solar Market: How Big and How Soon?
  In India, solar project and policy announcements are piling up, but predicting market growth can be tricky.
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• European Countries Plan Energy Grid to Link Hydro, Other Renewables
  Nine European countries back a plan to develop a US$43 billion North Sea renewable energy transmission network that would link tidal power projects, offshore wind farms, hydroelectric plants and other renewable energy sources.
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• Wind farms to be built off UK coast, but 70,000 jobs created could go overseas
  The government is expected to announce the creation of nine new wind farms off the UK's coastline, but many of the jobs created to make the turbines could go overseas.
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• An Update on Marine Renewable Energy in Britain
  The year 2009 was an important one for wave and tidal energy in Britain with a number of new support measures and policy advances.
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• Asia Pacific Wind and Solar Markets Hot in 2010, claims Frost
  Renewable energy development in the Asia Pacific region holds considerable potential for growth in 2010 as initiatives taken by governments in 2009 are likely to stimulate not only the massive adoption of green energy technologies, but also R&D investments and manufacturing capacity.
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• Japan and India to create sustainable cities
  Japanese and Indian ministers are planning to exchange knowledge and resources to make cities in the respective countries self sufficient.
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• Lockheed Martin launches new solar-focused mission systems sensor business
  Global security company NYSE-listed Lockheed Martin Corporation has launched a new Mission Systems & Sensors (MS2) business.
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