Tag Archives: US

Energy

What’s Behind PetersenDean’s Allegations?

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By Roy L Hales

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PetersenDean claims 7 of the  11 Board members displayed on Solar Energy Industries Association’s (SEIA) homepage are from “Chinese-based manufacturing and affiliated companies” and SEIA represents Chinese rather than American interests. They are calling upon the Board to resign and are “asking for an ethics investigation under the SEIA by-laws, including Article 10.” To which SEIA responded that PetersenDean is not one of their members and their allegations are “a PR puffball.” What’s Behind PetersenDean’s Allegations?

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Energy

A Five-Year-Long Siege Of The US Solar Industry

One perspective of the U.S. International Trade Commission Hearing

By Roy L Hales

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A Chinese publications depicts  former Vice-Minister of Commerce Long Yongtu saying Chinese solar firms descended on the overseas market like a “swarm of wasps.” Testimonies from the U.S. International Trade Commission describe how a deluge of cheap Chinese solar modules wreaked havoc on US Industry. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden describes it as a five-year-long siege of the American solar industry.

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Energy

Industry Leaders on SVTC’s 2014 Solar Scorecard

Originally Published in Clean Technica 

By Roy L Hales

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Every year, the Silicon Vally Toxic Coaltion (SVTC) sends out a survey to PV solar manufacturers. Though companies do not have to respond, this does not stop the SVTC from evaluating them. It simply means there is less information and, consequently, they receive lower marks. The “Industry Leaders” on SVTC’s 5th annual 2014 scorecard are: Trina Solar (92), SunPower (88), Yingli Green Energy (81), SolarWorld (73) and REC (71).

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Energy

America Can Nearly Quadruple Its Renewable Electricity By 2030

A recent Union of Concerned Scientists (USC) study found that America can nearly quadruple its renewable electricity in the next 15 years, reaching 23% by 2030. This comes in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal that America set a modest goal of 12% renewable energy by 2030. Rachel Cleetus, Senior Climate Economist of UCS, referred to the EPA’s goal as just a fraction above “business as usual.” The UCS found raising this target, to +23% of the nation’s electricity from non-hydro renewable sources by 2030, would cost the average household only about 18 cents per month. Cleetus described this as a realistic and affordable goal: “Looking at the way renewable energy is ramping up and costs are falling dramatically, there is a real opportunity to go farther.”

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Energy, Environment

Fracking’s threat to Water Quality

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Dr Allan Hoffman recently compared the fracking boom to the market for illegal drugs. Regardless of the problems, there is simply too much money to be made. He expects the boom to continue for several decades. Together with Professor EM Gustav Olsson, of Lund University, and Andreas Lindström, of Stockholm International Water Institute, Hoffman has just written a report entitled, “Shale Gas and Hydraulic Fracturing: Framing the Water Issue.” As the title suggests, the focus is fracking’s threat to water quality.

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