Wind farm developers face new risk under ‘Rebid’ model
By: Eleanor Seggie
Government recently chose to abandon the renewable-energy feed-in tariff (Refit) model, favouring competitive bidding, or ‘Rebid’, and this is set to rock the renewable-energy industry, particularly wind farm developers.
Wind farm developer G7 Renewable Energies director Dr Kilian Hagemann says the wind, solar photovoltaic and solar thermal industries tried to persuade, to no avail, the Department of Energy and the National Treasury that a Refit was needed and competitive price bidding would destroy the industry. He was a speaker at the recent Renewable Energy Africa 2011 conference, held in Sandton. (Engineering News)
PERTH ECONOMIC REGULATOR WARNS GREEN POWER SCHEMES BADLY FLAWED
What have climate sceptics been saying for years ?
Watchdog warns about cost of green power
BEN HARVEY and DANIEL MERCER, The West Australian
The State’s economic watchdog has warned that policies to encourage green power such as wind farms are badly flawed and may drive up household electricity bills without good reason.
As Prime Minister Julia Gillard last night talked up the carbon tax at a community meeting at Perth Town Hall, the Economic Regulation Authority dropped a politically explosive report on the real cost and impact of renewable energy sources. (Warwick Hughes)
EU challenges Canadian green power rules at WTO
The European Union has launched a legal challenge against Canada at the World Trade Organization to protest against provincial backing for solar and wind energy projects, the bloc’s executive said on Thursday.
Following on the heels of a similar challenge by Japan, the row highlights a global battle for a slice of the lucrative and growing renewables market with countries including Canada, the United States and China moving to reserve public works projects worth billions of dollars for local firms. (Reuters)
Solar revenue to shrink as price drops outpace growth
Solar industry revenue will shrink before it begins to rise again because dramatic price declines on solar panels will outweigh corresponding volume increases, according to a new report by Lux Research. (Reuters)
