Dance to the Revolution

I attended several interesting energy conferences in the past week, including Energy Innovation 2013 and a two-day private meeting at Brookings (which is why I can’t make references as to who made which remarks). Here’s a run down of the key issues discussed in these conferences. Do you agree or disagree with some of these [...]

The Chinese National Energy Administration (NEA) just unveiled the Twelfth Five Year Plan for Solar Power Development (“The Plan”), in which it laid out the general principals, overall goals, and key tasks for China’s solar energy development. The Plan set the goal at 21 GW solar installation capacity by 2015, with an annual power generation of [...]

In September, Shanghai officials announced that it would soon establish municipal subsidies for alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs): vehicle buyers can receive up to 40,000 RMB (US $6,310) in local subsidy and 60,000 RMB ($9,465) in national subsidy, and a free “green” vehicle license. The new municipal subsidies may be in place as soon as October [...]

Yesterday I wrote something nice about China’s blackout response, and today I read this article a Chinese newspaper 21 Century Economic Report: India’s Massive Blackout Proves “Indian Model” Overrated (in Chinese). It starts with this: The massive blackout in India in the past three days are the most severe power outrage in human history. It [...]

People in DC probably still remember the derencho a month ago that left more than 1 million residents without power. Pepco came out with an estimation on June 29th 10:39pm that it would be fixed around July 6th 11pm. Fortunate for most of the residents, the power came back in four or five days. Now [...]

Mark Fulton, Managing Director and Global Head of Climate Change Investment Research at Deutsche Bank, said yesterday at Society for International Development’s workshop on climate finance: From what I see, the two biggest crises of our age are the climate crisis and the debt crisis, and in order to address both of them, two words: carbon [...]

You are thinking a preliminary 31.22% tariff for Suntech, 31.14% for Trina, 31.18% for 59 others companies, and finally 249.49% for all other Chinese companies — that’s crazy! (Or wonderful, depending on which side you are on.) What now? First: Don’t panic! Obviously this would crank up the PV prices and hurt the US developers. Yet [...]

The Japanese Diet passed The Act on Special Measures concerning the Procurement of Renewable Electric Energy by Operators of Electric Utilities, a feed-in tarrif law that would require utilities to purchase from renewable energy sources, effective on July 1, 2012. It encompasses the following renewable sources, and as you can see, solar is going to [...]

Southern Power Grid to Receive 10.07 billion RMB Central Budget for Rural Grid Upgrade Project 2012 China’s central budget designates 10.07 billion RMB (US $1.6 billion) to Southern Power Grid, of which, 9.288 billion RMB is budgeted for rural grid upgrade and the remaining 783 million RMB for grid construction in areas without electricity. Southern [...]

China Guodian Power Development Co. released its 2011 Internal Control Assessment Report, highlighing the following “high risk areas”.  It seems to me that these points are true sector-wide in China. 1. Growth in power consumption slows down. China’s economy enters a phase of “slow development, deep adjustment”. The speed of economic growth will continue to slow [...]