SET Energy » Blog Archive » US Govt Report: Wind and solar still small in 2030

Wind & Solar Remain Small

In the reference case, the EIA expect wind and solar to remain mice compared to the elephants of fossil fuels. Wind grows to 44 GW (p. 48) or 2.5% of US electricity, only 75% higher than the ~25 GW at the end of 2008. It would take only 2 1/2 years at 2008’s 8+ GW growth rate for 44 GW to be reached. Seems to me they are short-changing wind power.

Solar is dismissed even further into the margins. Growth is expected to make solar less than half the size of wind today by 2030 (p. 140), rather than its potential greater than 100 GW in my opinion. Their models have probably not incorporated the 30+% solar modules price drop currently taking place since last summer. It’s clear that the industry will have to prove themselves to EIA officials in coming months that they can emerge profitable in 2010 despite module prices below $2.50 per watt.

REFILE-Obama climate [scam] plans face long route for passage | Markets | Reuters

John McMackin, a director of a glass container company and part of a lobby for energy-intensive firms, said this vote shows there are still a large number of moderate Democrats from heavy manufacturing states that are skeptical of climate change legislation.

Insurers seize climate change [scam] opportunity with over 600 new products - 03 Apr 2009 - BusinessGreen.com

The insurance sector is responding rapidly to the opportunities presented by climate change and the emergence of low carbon technologies with a glut of new products and services that should help accelerate the adoption of greener business models.

That is the conclusion of a major new report from sustainable investor group Ceres, which found that there are 643 climate change related products and services being offered by almost 250 insurers worldwide, including a doubling in new product offerings launched in 2008 alone.