Recent Advances Move Solar Closer to Equaling Coal Costs

Mother Nature Network has a good blog article reviewing some recent improvements in Solar Panels that will help bring them closer to parity with coal costs. I don’t fully agree with the tone of the full article blaming recent cuts in government subsidies sounds more like sour grapes. I know in politics, especially in the USA, it has become increasingly popular to completely bemoan every decision politicians make. More of this is because of our over the top polarization currently at every level of government. Sorry for getting a little off topic but I always felt the best way to convince someone of your point of view is to make compelling arguments, not to belittle the other option. All it does in this case is give the other side reason to believe that without subsidies solar panels would not have made the advances they have over the past decade. It is like when I tell people I am vegetarian and they ask why and if I respond that eating meat is stupid I stand no chance to think about their the consequences of their actions.

New Canadian Government Program to Promote Renewable Energy

The Canadian Government started a new program called ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative.  The program will start with $97 million Canadian Dollars and fund research and development and other projects to help create jobs in the clean energy sector. 

“Canadians gave our Government a strong mandate to complete our economic recovery and focus on continued job growth,” said Minister Oliver, speaking in Toronto. “Support for clean energy technology is an effective way to both reduce emissions and create high-quality jobs for Canadians.”

These programs will promote jobs in the in technologies that will help reduce the carbon footprint of all Canadians.

Selected projects will focus on research, development and demonstration in five key areas: energy efficiency in buildings, communities, industry and transportation; clean electricity and renewables; bioenergy; research and development of electric vehicles; and unconventional oil and gas.

With these efforts will help lead Canada to a greener future.

More High Speed Rail Money Given to States

The DOT has given 5 states more money to buy high speed rail trains. This latest round is for over $300 million in projects that are underway. Altogether over $700 has been awarded so far for trains to 6 states to buy 33 locomotives and 120 bi-level cars. The federal government has invested over $10 billion in high speed rail and extensions for suburban commuter rails. This award will also help grow jobs in the USA as all trains purchased must be manufactured stateside.

Renewable to Potentially Benefit from FERC Ruling

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recent changed rules to further deregulate transmissions lines. This will allow the cost of transmitting the power from one area to another to be shared more equally between the rural regions where these renewable will be installed and urban areas where the power will be used. With this ruling the amount of transmission lines in the USA will potentially increase 9%. The Solar Energy Industries of America (SEIA) see this as alleviating some roadblocks in the development of large scale Solar power stations.