Industry News
Solar Power International in its 7th year.
This year held in LA, in mid-October
(Posted September 20, 2010)
Source: Solar Power International
SEIA President and CEO Rhonda Resch states "The U.S. solar industry weathered the broad economic challenges of 2009, growing revenue by 36 percent, expanding utility-scale capacity by 37 percent, and attracting $1.4 billion in venture capital in 2009. Solar is now poised for record growth in 2010 and beyond. Professionals who want to take advantage of this escalating growth will once again find Solar Power International to be the critical connection point in North America for expanding their business. By learning how to navigate the ever-changing U.S. policy landscape and connecting with key leaders in the industry, attendees will gain new customers and revenue possibilities."
Solar Power International offers unparalleled opportunities to grow business and network with industry leaders. The show is a must-attend event for solar industry professionals, utility executives, investors, technical experts and policymakers, as it offers the ideal environment to build cooperative relationships with the most professional, knowledgeable product and service providers in the solar energy business. To make it simple to navigate the 1,000+ exhibitors in multiple halls, the trade show floor is organized by product category.
"As the only event that brings together the entire solar industry for face-to-face meetings and networking events, Solar Power International, now in its 7th year, has gained the kind of traction that makes it an essential part of doing business in the U.S. solar market," said Julia Hamm, executive director of SEPA. "Industry veterans and newcomers alike meet face-to-face to jointly strengthen the industry’s position and create new business opportunities for the U.S. solar energy market."
TVA to idle nine coal-fired units totaling almost 1,000MW by 2011
(Posted August 27, 2010)
Source: Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority, with a vision to be one of the nation's leading providers of low-cost and cleaner energy by 2020, announced that it will idle nine coal-fired electric generating units, totaling about 1,000 megawatts, at three of its power plants beginning in fiscal year 2011.
Those units are: Shawnee Unit 10 near Paducah, Ky.; John Sevier Units 1 and 2 near Rogersville, Tenn., and Widows Creek Units 1-6 near Stevenson, Ala.
TVA President and CEO Tom Kilgore unveiled a strategy to replace some of TVA's older and less-efficient coal-fired units with other sources of low-carbon and carbon-free power generation at Friday's meeting of the TVA Board of Directors.
"Much of our stakeholder input and other assessments point toward a greater reliance on nuclear power and energy efficiency and less reliance on coal," he said. "Replacing some coal with other, cleaner fuel sources allows a reduction in air emissions including carbon. One of TVA's key goals is to improve air quality."
TVA announced the plans to its employees and the leaders of communities around the affected units on Tuesday. Two units at the Widows Creek plant will be idled in fiscal year 2011, and four other units there will be idled between 2011 and 2015. Shawnee Unit 10 will be idled and evaluated for possible conversion to biomass fuel. Two units at John Sevier will be idled within the next four to five years.
Most TVA power plants have multiple generating units, and some units will continue to operate at all plant sites under Tuesday's announcement. In addition, natural gas-fired generation units are under construction at the John Sevier site. Additional natural gas and nuclear generating units are under construction at other TVA locations.
"We will work to lessen the impact on employees," Kilgore said. "We are looking at a number of ways to create new opportunities and options for most, if not all, employees affected. We do not expect that involuntary staffing reductions would be necessary, but we can make no guarantees. The units will be idled in phases, which will allow many affected employees time to plan and pursue new opportunities.
No employee layoffs are associated with the units being idled in 2011.
Coal-fired units are evaluated on the basis of original designs, economics and efficiency, overall performance, cost to operate and the cost to bring them into compliance with anticipated environmental regulations. Watts Bar Fossil Plant, which was shut down in 1983, was the last TVA coal-fired plant to be retired.
"TVA has a strong commitment to improving air quality and has spent more than $5.3 billion to reduce air emissions," Kilgore said. "Last year, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions for the TVA coal fleet were about 90 percent lower than during their peak years."
The TVA coal fleet consists of 59 units at 11 plants with about 15,000 megawatts of generation. Of that amount, about 8,000 megawatts are equipped with advanced environmental controls and will remain part of TVA's long-term generating capacity. Other units totaling about 6,000 megawatts would require scrubbers or other advanced environmental equipment additions in the future. Those units will be evaluated to determine whether to install controls, idle them or replace them with alternative generation.
"This is a difficult step, but it's the right thing to do," Kilgore said. "We will work with employees and local communities to ease the transition."
$2.3 Billion in funding to 183 clean energy manufacturing projects
(Posted July 14, 2010)
Last year the Section 48C Advanced Energy Tax Credit program provided $2.3 Billion in funding to 183 clean energy manufacturing projects in 43 states. Qualifying recipients included manufacturers of wind, solar, electric vehicle and other renewable energy technologies. Interest in the MTC program far outstripped initial program funding as more than 500 applicants submitted requests totaling more than $8 billion in tax credits – an oversubscription of more than 3 to 1. Legislation is underway to extend this successful program for an additional year and funding will be doubled to $5 Billion.
