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Legislative Updates

The State Utility Commissions of nine southeastern states are urging Congress NOT to adopt a federal renewable portfolio standard (RPS) because it will raise prices for consumers. The states are Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. They say that traditional renewable energy sources such as wind energy are not widely available in the southeast, which means utilities in those states would be forced to buy credits from the federal government. The utility commissioners point out that while over 20 states and the District of Columbia have adopted state RPS standards, states have included a wider array of energy sources in their definitions of eligible renewable resources than the proposed federal RPS. They want states to be allowed to tailor their energy sources according to what works best for them, whether it’s wind, solar, nuclear, fuel cells, hydropower, or through energy efficiency. — Representatives Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) amended the troublesome language of H.R. 2337, negotiating a positive outcome for the wind energy industry in the ongoing situation concerning legislation introduced by Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) that in its original form would have brought the wind energy industry to a grinding halt. […]

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Yingli Green Energy Debuts IPO

Chinese solar manufacturer Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YGE) launched its IPO on Nasdaq. Shares were priced at the bottom of the forecast range. The offering raised $319 million, giving the company an initial market cap of $1.39 billion. Yingli expects to use most of the net proceeds to increase its equity interest in its operating subsidiary, Tianwei Yingli, from 70.1% to 73.5%.

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Who's Top in Wind?

US independent power producer FPL Energy (NYSE: FPL) narrowly edged out Spanish utility Iberdrola to become the top global wind power owner in 2006, according to the latest rankings from Emerging Energy Research (EER), an advisory and consulting firm that tracks emerging technologies in global energy markets.FPL Energy closed 2006 ahead of Iberdrola by just 156 MW following major US project activations, but Iberdrola will likely reclaim leadership in 2007 with the acquisition of ScottishPower, which represents 1,400 MW of wind power capacity installed in the UK and the US. According to EER, the top 20 wind plant owners together account for about a third of wind power capacity worldwide.“Competition for global wind power leadership remains intense, with North America’s sustained growth providing a major boost to FPL and up-and-coming IPPs to compete with the acquisition strategies of European rivals,” says EER Research Director Keith Hays. “The rankings reflect a continuation of European utility dominance, though US players’ activations of mega projects and North America’s broader growth prospects will increase competition across the Atlantic in the near future.” Led by firms active in the U.S. and Spain, the top 20 wind power operators added over 5,100 MW in 2006 – […]

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Every Little Bit Helps at UPS

Every little bit helps. You wouldn’t think of something as benign as avoiding a left-hand turn could conserve fuel, but Atlanta-based United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) swears by it. In fact, the parcel carrier has technology in its systems that map this out routes that minimize the number of left turns the driver has to make. According to spokesperson Steve Holmes, avoiding left turns at intersections reduces idling which in turn lowers fuel consumption. “It seems small, but when you multiply it across 88,0000 vehicles making nearly 15 million deliveries every day during the course of a year, it adds up.”And at stop lights, making a right turn at an intersection tends to be faster than at a left turn, since you have only to wait for an opportunity to turn in one lane of traffic. You also have the option of “right on red” in most jurisdictions. “So even if you didn’t save fuel, you’re going to move more quickly through a route.”“Because 98% of our packages are processed electronically by shippers, we know what’s entering our system each day, what’s still in our system each day, when each package is going to arrive at a center, when the […]

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