Don't Be Fooled, It's Only The Energy Industry Increasing Investment In Real Estate
from - http://www.businessinsider.com/energy-industry-real-estate-investment-2011-2
Monday, February 28, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Obama’s State of the Union: The Energy Industry’s Policy, Investment Barometer for 2010
Obama’s State of the Union: The Energy Industry’s Policy, Investment Barometer for 2010
By Kirsten Korosec
President Obama’s State of the Union is just hours away, which can only mean one thing: lots of last minute pleas and suggestions as to what he should include and keep out of his address to the American people. Top on the list for energy industry folk is climate-change legislation, clean energy investment, offshore drilling, hydraulic fracturing and legislation to promote natural gas as a transportation fuel, to name a few. And the stakes are high.
This is after all, where Obama is going to set the agenda for the nation. And while he may not spell it out in big, bold letters, the speech can provide clues as to where the administration plans to focus its attention. NOTE: BNET Energy will have a post later discussing what Obama did actually say in the speech.
Case in point: the Hill’s E2 Wire blog reported that a bunch of senators sent Obama a letter urging the president to include clean energy and climate-change legislation as a policy priority for the country.
I have to wonder whether a meeting yesterday between Obama and a number of corporate executives will produce any last minute inclusions in the speech? Who can forget President Bush’s 2006 State of the Union speech where switchgrass made it in at the last minute thanks to a meeting with Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alab.
In terms of energy, there were two notable figures at the meeting, which is part of series of gatherings the president has held in the past year. ExxonMobil CEO and Chairman Rex Tillerson and Anadarko CEO James Hackett were among the business leaders present at the meeting with Obama, according to a report by the Houston Chronicle.
Obama’s State of the Union will certainly focus on the economy and jobs, two huge areas of concern for Americans. Question is: how does he plan on addressing the problem? The natural gas proponents have been exerting lots of pressure in the past few months, including energy investor and billionaire T. Boone Pickens, who is pushing for passage of the NAT GAS Act, legislation that would expand tax credits and incentives to promote the use of natural gas in vehicles. Pickens also wants to replace diesel and gasoline-powered buses and trucks with ones that run on natural gas.
In a recent e-mail, Pickens urges folks to “watch for clues and cues” in Obama’s speech that he supports the NAT GAS Act, according to a post this afternoon by the Dallas Morning News’s Texas Energy and Environment blog.
from- http://www.bnet.com/blog/clean-energy/obama-8217s-state-of-the-union-the-energy-industry-8217s-policy-investment-barometer-for-2010/1115
By Kirsten Korosec
President Obama’s State of the Union is just hours away, which can only mean one thing: lots of last minute pleas and suggestions as to what he should include and keep out of his address to the American people. Top on the list for energy industry folk is climate-change legislation, clean energy investment, offshore drilling, hydraulic fracturing and legislation to promote natural gas as a transportation fuel, to name a few. And the stakes are high.
This is after all, where Obama is going to set the agenda for the nation. And while he may not spell it out in big, bold letters, the speech can provide clues as to where the administration plans to focus its attention. NOTE: BNET Energy will have a post later discussing what Obama did actually say in the speech.
Case in point: the Hill’s E2 Wire blog reported that a bunch of senators sent Obama a letter urging the president to include clean energy and climate-change legislation as a policy priority for the country.
I have to wonder whether a meeting yesterday between Obama and a number of corporate executives will produce any last minute inclusions in the speech? Who can forget President Bush’s 2006 State of the Union speech where switchgrass made it in at the last minute thanks to a meeting with Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alab.
In terms of energy, there were two notable figures at the meeting, which is part of series of gatherings the president has held in the past year. ExxonMobil CEO and Chairman Rex Tillerson and Anadarko CEO James Hackett were among the business leaders present at the meeting with Obama, according to a report by the Houston Chronicle.
Obama’s State of the Union will certainly focus on the economy and jobs, two huge areas of concern for Americans. Question is: how does he plan on addressing the problem? The natural gas proponents have been exerting lots of pressure in the past few months, including energy investor and billionaire T. Boone Pickens, who is pushing for passage of the NAT GAS Act, legislation that would expand tax credits and incentives to promote the use of natural gas in vehicles. Pickens also wants to replace diesel and gasoline-powered buses and trucks with ones that run on natural gas.
In a recent e-mail, Pickens urges folks to “watch for clues and cues” in Obama’s speech that he supports the NAT GAS Act, according to a post this afternoon by the Dallas Morning News’s Texas Energy and Environment blog.
from- http://www.bnet.com/blog/clean-energy/obama-8217s-state-of-the-union-the-energy-industry-8217s-policy-investment-barometer-for-2010/1115
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
US smart grid investment paces global industry, says SBI
US smart grid investment paces global industry, says SBI
(December 16, 2010 - Marketwire) -- Backed by federal stimulus funding and an administration dedicated to the attainment of energy independence, the United States is pacing global investment in smart grid applications and capabilities, according to The Smart Grid Utility Data Market by market research publisher SBI Energy. The report reveals that the most important potential Smart Grid capabilities are centered on self-awareness and automation, managing thousands -- or even millions -- of inputs to optimize grid functioning.
At least 27 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) projects are being funded from the almost $5 billion allocated to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for grid modernization projects that have some portion of the award going towards data management or back-end Smart Grid applications. Just over half of these projects have described a transmission or distribution management system, confirming survey results from several different sources that utility professionals are seeing distribution management as a key Smart Grid technology to be implemented in the coming years. Much of the remaining money from this group of ARRA projects is going towards end-to-end Smart Grid projects that will include management systems, analytic systems and data management systems.
For fiscal year 2010, the U.S. DOE's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) Smart Grid research & development budget was $125 million, up from $83 million in fiscal 2009. The funding request for fiscal 2011 is up almost 16% to $144 million. Additionally, $30 million in funding in fiscal 2011 is set aside for cybersecurity for energy delivery systems. Some of the cybersecurity projects being funded originally come from the visualizations and controls R&D program, but the DOE has now recognized the need for specific cybersecurity funding
Globally, much of the Smart Grid funding available is still hardware-focused, particularly for the installation of smart meters. But advanced meters and other sensors are just the fingers of an emerging smarter electrical grid. Rather it is the data that these devices generate and the backend applications that will manage and use said data that will be the nervous system and brain of an active and fully capable Smart Grid.
While there are sound financial benefits to implementing a fully capable Smart Grid, there is also a huge financial cost as well. The number of new hardware and software systems that must be implemented across all levels of the grid is staggering, with cost estimates ranging from a few hundred billion dollars to over one trillion dollars just to fully upgrade the U.S. electrical grid.
"In the short term, utilities need to justify these costs to regulators and investors and also need to raise the capital to implement Smart Grid programs," says Norman Deschamps, SBI Energy analyst and author of the industry study. "While the (ARRA) stimulus bill of 2009 went a long way towards kick-starting Smart Grid implementations, that money is only the tip of the iceberg for what an entire Smart Grid will cost."
The Smart Grid Utility Data Market defines and discusses the data software tools that will be an absolute necessity for utilities as the Smart Grid gains traction. The analysis includes definitions, current product offerings and market detail on the following segments: 1) data management and data security software used by the electrical utility market, 2) system management tools integrating Smart Grid data with both new and legacy control systems to provide automation and fine control of a utility's electrical grid, 3) data analysis software tools that aggregates and provides usable information to utilities from raw Smart Grid data. For more information, please visit: http://www.sbireports.com/Smart-Grid-Utility-2496610/.
SBI Energy, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes research reports in the industrial, energy, building/construction, and automotive/transportation markets.
from - http://www.electroiq.com/index/display/photovoltaics-article-display/1226363164/articles/Photovoltaics-World/industry-news/2010/december/us-smart-grid-investment-paces-global-industry.html
(December 16, 2010 - Marketwire) -- Backed by federal stimulus funding and an administration dedicated to the attainment of energy independence, the United States is pacing global investment in smart grid applications and capabilities, according to The Smart Grid Utility Data Market by market research publisher SBI Energy. The report reveals that the most important potential Smart Grid capabilities are centered on self-awareness and automation, managing thousands -- or even millions -- of inputs to optimize grid functioning.
At least 27 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) projects are being funded from the almost $5 billion allocated to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for grid modernization projects that have some portion of the award going towards data management or back-end Smart Grid applications. Just over half of these projects have described a transmission or distribution management system, confirming survey results from several different sources that utility professionals are seeing distribution management as a key Smart Grid technology to be implemented in the coming years. Much of the remaining money from this group of ARRA projects is going towards end-to-end Smart Grid projects that will include management systems, analytic systems and data management systems.
For fiscal year 2010, the U.S. DOE's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) Smart Grid research & development budget was $125 million, up from $83 million in fiscal 2009. The funding request for fiscal 2011 is up almost 16% to $144 million. Additionally, $30 million in funding in fiscal 2011 is set aside for cybersecurity for energy delivery systems. Some of the cybersecurity projects being funded originally come from the visualizations and controls R&D program, but the DOE has now recognized the need for specific cybersecurity funding
Globally, much of the Smart Grid funding available is still hardware-focused, particularly for the installation of smart meters. But advanced meters and other sensors are just the fingers of an emerging smarter electrical grid. Rather it is the data that these devices generate and the backend applications that will manage and use said data that will be the nervous system and brain of an active and fully capable Smart Grid.
While there are sound financial benefits to implementing a fully capable Smart Grid, there is also a huge financial cost as well. The number of new hardware and software systems that must be implemented across all levels of the grid is staggering, with cost estimates ranging from a few hundred billion dollars to over one trillion dollars just to fully upgrade the U.S. electrical grid.
"In the short term, utilities need to justify these costs to regulators and investors and also need to raise the capital to implement Smart Grid programs," says Norman Deschamps, SBI Energy analyst and author of the industry study. "While the (ARRA) stimulus bill of 2009 went a long way towards kick-starting Smart Grid implementations, that money is only the tip of the iceberg for what an entire Smart Grid will cost."
The Smart Grid Utility Data Market defines and discusses the data software tools that will be an absolute necessity for utilities as the Smart Grid gains traction. The analysis includes definitions, current product offerings and market detail on the following segments: 1) data management and data security software used by the electrical utility market, 2) system management tools integrating Smart Grid data with both new and legacy control systems to provide automation and fine control of a utility's electrical grid, 3) data analysis software tools that aggregates and provides usable information to utilities from raw Smart Grid data. For more information, please visit: http://www.sbireports.com/Smart-Grid-Utility-2496610/.
SBI Energy, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes research reports in the industrial, energy, building/construction, and automotive/transportation markets.
from - http://www.electroiq.com/index/display/photovoltaics-article-display/1226363164/articles/Photovoltaics-World/industry-news/2010/december/us-smart-grid-investment-paces-global-industry.html
Monday, February 21, 2011
Energy Efficiency SectorCreating the Future for a Clean Environment
Energy Efficiency Sector
As Europe's largest market, Germany offers an ideal environment for new developments in the energy efficiency sector. With its numerous university, R&D institutes, and experienced technicians and engineers, Germany offers excellent investment opportunities to foreign companies. Smart metering, insulation systems, insulated glazing, heating and cooling technologies, efficient home appliances, energy saving lamps as well as cogeneration systems, pumps, and compressed air systems are the energy efficiency segments most attractive for investment.
Here is where the future lies! Come join us as we make the transition to a clean and sustainable world
from - http://www.gtai.com/homepage/industries/energy-efficiency-sector/
Creating the Future for a Clean Environment
Germany is on the cutting edge of energy efficiency, and the German Federal Government will strengthen this position even further through the implementation of the Integrated Energy and Climate Program (Integriertes Energie- und Klimaprogrammm, IEKP).As Europe's largest market, Germany offers an ideal environment for new developments in the energy efficiency sector. With its numerous university, R&D institutes, and experienced technicians and engineers, Germany offers excellent investment opportunities to foreign companies. Smart metering, insulation systems, insulated glazing, heating and cooling technologies, efficient home appliances, energy saving lamps as well as cogeneration systems, pumps, and compressed air systems are the energy efficiency segments most attractive for investment.
Here is where the future lies! Come join us as we make the transition to a clean and sustainable world
from - http://www.gtai.com/homepage/industries/energy-efficiency-sector/
Thursday, February 17, 2011
China’s Renewable Energy Industry Has the Capitol Complainers Out in Force
China’s Renewable Energy Industry Has the Capitol Complainers Out in Force
by Tony D’Altorio, Investment U Research
Monday, November 15, 2010
My colleague, David Fessler, referenced a recent report from Ernst & Young. In it, it showed America losing its top spot on the renewable energy ladder to China.
Apparently, the Obama Administration doesn’t like that news. In its latest cold war with China over currencies and trade, the U.S. is accusing the other country of unfairly subsidizing its renewable energy industry.
In other words, Washington is accusing Beijing of helping itself out a bit too much. And if it can prove that, it plans on taking it all the way to the World Trade Organization.
On the surface, the dispute is over the Chinese government’s support for green industries. But really, the U.S. is just mad it lost its title…
China Expands Its Renewable Energy Industries
Basically, the American government wants to punish China for its renewable energy industry.
But it might want to focus on its own failures before faulting others’ successes. Because while Washington has talked a lot on the subject, Beijing has walked the walk.
Chinese officials may even make more investments on better grid infrastructure and clean-tech industries. And they’re bandying figures around $600 billion.
You see, they take green technology seriously. To them, renewable energy is a huge step towards their economic restructuring agenda.
China has pushed hard to close older industrial facilities and build more efficient ones. It plans those efforts – and the larger green industry – to provide new economic growth.
In fact, of the nine key emerging industries ordained by Chinese policymakers, six are green technology-related. And it’s wind power equipment effort is already experiencing success.
The country’s demand in that area has more than doubled in each of the past four years. It’s on course to beat its official 30 gigawatts of installed wind power target by 2020.
At that rate, it will easily surpass the U.S.’s capacity.
The same goes for the solar power industry, where the Chinese have proved adept at mastering new techniques and producing them on a large scale. That has resulted in prices dropping quickly, allowing them to grab a large share of the market away from the U.S.
The U.S. Slips to Second
The United States hasn’t helped itself either in how it develops new energy technologies.
For example:
Of course, it didn’t help that Silicon Valley vastly underestimated China either.
At the time, China was using older technology based on silicon cells. And Silicon Valley confidently thought its own methods far superior.
Yet today, even First Solar (Nasdaq: FSLR), the leader in thin-film solar technology, is feeling the competition, judging from its recent sharp fall in gross profit margin.
The U.S. Government Blows Hot Air
Lack of government action has caused the U.S. to lag in renewable energy.
In fact, many in the American industry are actually angry at Washington. They don’t like the administration’s overdue recognition that their competitive edge has eroded after years of neglect.
Mike Eckhart, president of the American Council on Renewable Energy, spoke about the Obama Administration’s investigation, saying: “The Chinese did what they said they were going to do, and the U.S. didn’t. The fact that the U.S. didn’t support its renewable energy industry in the same way that other countries did is no grounds for complaining now.”
And while the U.S. points to “unfair” Chinese policies, Chinese companies can’t seem to make much headway here. Just three of their wind turbines in total have sold in the U.S.
And the towers and blades for those were U.S.-made anyway… So I guess it all depends on what your perspective is to determine the definition of “unfair.”
Good investing,
Tony D’Altorio
from - http://www.investmentu.com/2010/November/chinas-renewable-energy-industry-beats-out-united-states.html
by Tony D’Altorio, Investment U Research
Monday, November 15, 2010
My colleague, David Fessler, referenced a recent report from Ernst & Young. In it, it showed America losing its top spot on the renewable energy ladder to China.
Apparently, the Obama Administration doesn’t like that news. In its latest cold war with China over currencies and trade, the U.S. is accusing the other country of unfairly subsidizing its renewable energy industry.
In other words, Washington is accusing Beijing of helping itself out a bit too much. And if it can prove that, it plans on taking it all the way to the World Trade Organization.
On the surface, the dispute is over the Chinese government’s support for green industries. But really, the U.S. is just mad it lost its title…
China Expands Its Renewable Energy Industries
Basically, the American government wants to punish China for its renewable energy industry.
But it might want to focus on its own failures before faulting others’ successes. Because while Washington has talked a lot on the subject, Beijing has walked the walk.
Chinese officials may even make more investments on better grid infrastructure and clean-tech industries. And they’re bandying figures around $600 billion.
You see, they take green technology seriously. To them, renewable energy is a huge step towards their economic restructuring agenda.
China has pushed hard to close older industrial facilities and build more efficient ones. It plans those efforts – and the larger green industry – to provide new economic growth.
In fact, of the nine key emerging industries ordained by Chinese policymakers, six are green technology-related. And it’s wind power equipment effort is already experiencing success.
The country’s demand in that area has more than doubled in each of the past four years. It’s on course to beat its official 30 gigawatts of installed wind power target by 2020.
At that rate, it will easily surpass the U.S.’s capacity.
The same goes for the solar power industry, where the Chinese have proved adept at mastering new techniques and producing them on a large scale. That has resulted in prices dropping quickly, allowing them to grab a large share of the market away from the U.S.
The U.S. Slips to Second
The United States hasn’t helped itself either in how it develops new energy technologies.
For example:
- Silicon Valley promised to create a new, world-beating solar energy industry.
- Venture capitalists loved the sound of that, throwing money willy-nilly at new solar start-ups.
- Most of those newbies were trying out a new technology based on printing thin layers of exotic new materials onto cheap substrates.
- The resulting panels didn’t convert sunlight to power as efficiently as silicon, but they were supposedly cheaper to make and install.
Of course, it didn’t help that Silicon Valley vastly underestimated China either.
At the time, China was using older technology based on silicon cells. And Silicon Valley confidently thought its own methods far superior.
Yet today, even First Solar (Nasdaq: FSLR), the leader in thin-film solar technology, is feeling the competition, judging from its recent sharp fall in gross profit margin.
The U.S. Government Blows Hot Air
Lack of government action has caused the U.S. to lag in renewable energy.
In fact, many in the American industry are actually angry at Washington. They don’t like the administration’s overdue recognition that their competitive edge has eroded after years of neglect.
Mike Eckhart, president of the American Council on Renewable Energy, spoke about the Obama Administration’s investigation, saying: “The Chinese did what they said they were going to do, and the U.S. didn’t. The fact that the U.S. didn’t support its renewable energy industry in the same way that other countries did is no grounds for complaining now.”
And while the U.S. points to “unfair” Chinese policies, Chinese companies can’t seem to make much headway here. Just three of their wind turbines in total have sold in the U.S.
And the towers and blades for those were U.S.-made anyway… So I guess it all depends on what your perspective is to determine the definition of “unfair.”
Good investing,
Tony D’Altorio
from - http://www.investmentu.com/2010/November/chinas-renewable-energy-industry-beats-out-united-states.html
Dubai capitalists interested in energy, sugar, coal mining
DUBAI captains of industry have expressed a strong interest in venturing into Swaziland’s energy sector, sugar industry and coal mining.
Participants at an investment seminar hosted by a Swazi delegation led by Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Jabulile Mashwama at Burj al Arab Hotel in Dubai on Tuesday expressed a strong interest in the energy sector (in particular electricity and natural gas), sugar industry and coal mining.
During one-on-one meetings which were later held between Tibiyo TakaNgwane, the ministry of natural resources and Swaziland Investment Promotion Authority (SIPA) with individual companies, one indicated that they would like to visit the country during the second week of next month.
Meanwhile, Mashwama assured the potential investors that Swaziland was ready to be their gateway into Africa and the rest of the world.
She said this had been made possible by government’s continued efforts to ensure that the country had the required infrastructure such as roads, dams and well serviced industrial sites for production and to access regional and international markets.
“We also have a dedicated cabinet team that works tirelessly to ensure that Swaziland is one of the countries where it is easy and convenient to do business,” she told captains of industry from the Dubai business community.
Mashwama said Swaziland’s competitive advantage remained its strategic location in Southern Africa, given the country’s close proximity to ports, quality infrastructure, highly trainable and committed labour, peace and stability.
“The Kingdom of Swaziland has created a conducive macroeconomic environment to ensure that you have maximum returns on your investments. These policies include inflation targeting to single digit inflation rate and liberal financial sector, where you can freely repatriate your profits.
“We have also embarked on an accelerated infrastructural investment programme, which involves our new and bigger international airport to be completed by December 2010, to enable you to move your products to international markets with ease,” she said.
Adding, the minister noted that the country’s regional and international markets include the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Europe, United Kingdom, USA and Asia.
“Swaziland is blessed with the best weather climatic conditions which makes it favourable for the production of agricultural products such as sugar, vegetables and citrus fruits. These are some of the areas that can be explored for products that can be traded between our two countries,” she said.
source: The Swazi Observer
from - http://sugarinds.blogspot.com/2010/10/dubai-capitalists-interested-in-energy.html
Participants at an investment seminar hosted by a Swazi delegation led by Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Jabulile Mashwama at Burj al Arab Hotel in Dubai on Tuesday expressed a strong interest in the energy sector (in particular electricity and natural gas), sugar industry and coal mining.
During one-on-one meetings which were later held between Tibiyo TakaNgwane, the ministry of natural resources and Swaziland Investment Promotion Authority (SIPA) with individual companies, one indicated that they would like to visit the country during the second week of next month.
Meanwhile, Mashwama assured the potential investors that Swaziland was ready to be their gateway into Africa and the rest of the world.
She said this had been made possible by government’s continued efforts to ensure that the country had the required infrastructure such as roads, dams and well serviced industrial sites for production and to access regional and international markets.
“We also have a dedicated cabinet team that works tirelessly to ensure that Swaziland is one of the countries where it is easy and convenient to do business,” she told captains of industry from the Dubai business community.
Mashwama said Swaziland’s competitive advantage remained its strategic location in Southern Africa, given the country’s close proximity to ports, quality infrastructure, highly trainable and committed labour, peace and stability.
“The Kingdom of Swaziland has created a conducive macroeconomic environment to ensure that you have maximum returns on your investments. These policies include inflation targeting to single digit inflation rate and liberal financial sector, where you can freely repatriate your profits.
“We have also embarked on an accelerated infrastructural investment programme, which involves our new and bigger international airport to be completed by December 2010, to enable you to move your products to international markets with ease,” she said.
Adding, the minister noted that the country’s regional and international markets include the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Europe, United Kingdom, USA and Asia.
“Swaziland is blessed with the best weather climatic conditions which makes it favourable for the production of agricultural products such as sugar, vegetables and citrus fruits. These are some of the areas that can be explored for products that can be traded between our two countries,” she said.
source: The Swazi Observer
from - http://sugarinds.blogspot.com/2010/10/dubai-capitalists-interested-in-energy.html
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