December 03, 2008

Ontario's political path is the one less traveled. But the Canadian province's leaders say that the pioneering route is the one they were elected to pursue.

As they describe it, the province is at a crossroad whereby it can take progressive positions or stand in the way of "necessary" changes. Policymakers there say that their choice is clear, reasoning that a host of global challenges require that they take the lead so that the next generation of economic opportunities can get underway.

November 17, 2008

While T. Boone Pickens has garnered much attention in recent months with his well-publicized plan to create a massive infrastructure for wind energy production in America's heartland, offshore wind energy is getting more attention in the heavily populated Northeast.

For its part, the Pickens Plan would require billions in transmission lines needed to bring electricity from the wind-rich regions of the central United States to population centers nearer to the coasts. As for offshore wind -- while by no means cheap -- it would eliminate the need to build transmission lines over hundreds, if not thousands of miles inland.

Council OKs $89,000 to install wind turbine, solar panels at petting facility; energy costs could fall 40%.

TAYLOR, MI -- It may be small-scale, but within weeks, this Downriver city will become the first to harness the wind.

Taylor's City Council gave the go-ahead last week to launch an $89,000 hybrid energy project at Heritage Park Petting Farm on Pardee near Northline.

The initiative includes the installation of a 45-foot-tall wind turbine and 21 solar panels -- a combination that makes the project the first of its kind in the state and is expected to accelerate other alternative energy projects Downriver.

November 10, 2008

Fuel cell makers are in overdrive trying to deliver efficient and environmentally friendly technologies. If their enterprises are to succeed, they must illustrate clearly that their ideas are practical and will "change the world."

But economic doldrums are dampening energy demand and affecting the level of investment in emerging technologies. In due course, however, that will change. As the demand for power resumes, regulatory bodies around the globe will insist on greater efficiencies and less pollution. And therein lay the possibilities for fuel cells, which have matured and may soon be ready for prime time.

October 27, 2008

It's a reversal of fortune. The renewable energy sector once had access to inexpensive capital. But during that time it had been at risk of losing of its favorable treatment. Now the tables have turned and the industry must change its game plan.

It's particularly true of solar power projects, which are capital intensive and whose developers must hold the necessary collateral. While banks may be flush with cash after fresh infusions from the Federal Reserve Board, they are unwilling to lend it to those developers without proven track records and especially to finance those projects that are not backed by blue chip customers. To win financing, companies need currency.