A summary of Australia’s decision to embrace the future of the electric car as a matter of state policy, an  important step toward substituting electricity for oil,  is posted below.  The report originated on The Oil Drum and the complete report is here: Project Better Place founder Shai Agassi was in town last week announcing that Australia will become the third country, following Denmark and Israel, to implement the group’s vision of electric vehicles powered by renewable energy. Better Place and Macquarie Capital …

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As The Wall Street Journal (3/27/08) reported, a Danish utility has joined forces with a Palo Alto company to design a personal transport system based on renewable energy.  The utility’s partner is also part of an Israeli consortium that  is  implementing a system for running cars on solar power.  In Denmark, the renewable source is wind, but the principle is the same. 

The elements of both systems are non-fossil-fuel based electricity generation, electric powered vehicles, and a national network for recharging and battery exchange.  Although renewable solar and wind …

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Keeping in mind that the global economy is embarking on a long term transition from petroleum and natural gas to electricity, the New York Times report posted below identifies a number of salient features of the current wind power scene:

  1. Wind is no longer insignificant.  It provides 3 - 6% of electricity in a number of states in the “wind corridor” that runs between Texas and North Dakota.

  2. U.S. wind generated power grew 45% last year and is expected to continue on a rapid growth path.  This is …

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Two of the most interesting ways to play growth and consolidation in the North American wind sector are Canadian  Independent Power Producers (IPPs) with attractive pipelines of projects, good forward-looking revenue visibility because of their exposures to Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with credit-worthy customers, and attractive take-over targets. These two companies are: Boralex (BRLXF.PK) and Canadian Hydro Developers (CHDVF.PK). read full post

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Masdar, will cut its electricity bill by harnessing wind, solar, and geothermal energy, while a total ban on cars within city walls should reduce the long-term health costs associated with smog. read full post

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It is also time to seriously venture into alternative methods of power generation, including solar power and wind power. There is an ingrained notion among the people that all villages must get national grid electricity.  While this is a noble ideal, some villages are so remote and physically inaccessible that extending the national grid would be a prohibitively costly exercise.  Solar power is free once the initial investment has been made and there has never …

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A multimillion-riyal world-class research centre for renewable energy has been set up at the Dhahran-based King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). The aim is to help the country play the role of world energy leader for years to come. “The centre aspires to prepare the kingdom for the fast approaching hydrogen and methanol economies and help harness its immense solar and wind potentials,” read full post

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Stockerblog submits: Wind power generation rose over 300% between 2000, and 2006. Did you know that it provides 20% of the electricity in Denmark, 9% of the electricity in Spain, and 7% of the electricity in Germany? read full post

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