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India Opposes Binding Emissions Cuts

With explosive economic growth, highly publicized environmental woes and prominence in global politics, China generally receives more attention from the environmental press than neighboring India. But that could change as negotiations heat up in the years ahead to create a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. India, like China, seems firmly set in opposition to any binding commitments on developing nations to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Newspapers reported yesterday that India rejected the latest U.N. Human Development report that called for developing nations to cut GHG emissions 20% by 2050. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of India’s national policy making body was quoted as saying, “Its recommendations look egalitarian, but they are not.” He continued, “This is the first time I have seen a United Nations report talk of developing nations to take up commitments. I challenge the research team to supplement their research.” Ahluwalia spoke at the Indian launch of the report, which also calls for rich, developed nations to cut emissions by 80% by 2050. India’s stance on the issue is of critical importance, for two reasons. The country is poised to overtake Russia as the third largest global polluter of GHG in the next decade, according to […]

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VeraSun Energy and US BioEnergy To Merge

VeraSun Energy Corp. (NYSE:VSE) and US BioEnergy Corp. (NASDAQ:USBE) plan to merge in Q108, according to an announcement made by the two companies today. Under the merger agreement, 0.81 share of VeraSun common stock will be issued for each outstanding share of US BioEnergy common stock, representing a premium of approximately 11% based on November 23, 2007, closing prices. The existing VeraSun shares will remain outstanding and will represent approximately 60% of the shares outstanding after the merger. VeraSun Chairman, CEO and President Donald L. Endres will remain CEO of the combined company, and US BioEnergy President and CEO Gordon Ommen will serve as chairman following the closing of the merger. VeraSun Senior Vice President and CFO Danny C. Herron will become president of the combined company. The combined entity will retain the VeraSun name and trade under VeraSun’s existing NYSE ticker symbol, VSE. The companies say the merger is expected to create a stronger business platform by improving access to capital and allowing the combined company to leverage technology and operating experience across its entire plant fleet. The merger is also expected to be accretive to VeraSun’s earnings in the first full fiscal year of combined operations, and the […]

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SunOpta Acquires Tradin Organic Agriculture

SunOpta Inc. (NasdaqGS:STKL Toronto:SOY.TO) has announced that it will acquire Amsterdam-based The Organic Corporation B.V., operating as Tradin Organic Agriculture B.V. Tradin was founded in 1985 and provides globally sourced organic food ingredients. According to a release, the company has annual revenues of approximately EUR 85 million, and is positioned as a “one-stop shop” for organic ingredients. Tradin operates a number of wholly owned and partially owned companies based in the Netherlands, China, Serbia and Ethiopia. In addition, the Company maintains sales and sourcing operations in the United States, Germany, Austria, France and Thailand, which source and procure key organic ingredients from areas around the globe. Steve Bromley, President and CEO of SunOpta said, “We are most pleased to have reached an agreement to acquire the outstanding shares of The Organic Corporation (Tradin). The management of Tradin share SunOpta’s strong values and commitment to the development of sustainable organic foods ingredients to meet growing demand around the world. The combination of SunOpta’s global organic sourcing and processing operations with Tradin’s extensive and complementary operations, positions SunOpta as a global leader in the provision of organic ingredients in the world, and is consistent with our strategy to become the leading global […]

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Energy Conversion Devices: An Amorphous Gem

URL: http://seekingalpha.com/article/55607-energy-conversion-devices-an-amorphous-gem?source=yahoo Website: http://seekingalpha.com/article/55607-energy-conversion-devices-an-amorphous-gem?source=yahoo     

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Google Gets Serious About Clean Energy

Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), the company that built an internet empire by becoming the most-recognized search engine on the web, says it wants to make renewable energy more cost effective than coal. In 2008, Google said it expects to spend tens of millions on a venture dubbed Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Coal. The collaboration between Google, Inc. and the company’s philanthropic organization, Google.org will initially focus on advanced solar thermal power, wind power technologies, enhanced geothermal systems and other potential breakthrough technologies, according to a release. The company says in the years ahead it intends to invest hundreds of millions of dollars on breakthrough renewable energy projects that promise to generate positive returns. “Our goal is to produce one gigawatt of renewable energy capacity that is cheaper than coal. We are optimistic this can be done in years, not decades,” Larry Page, Google’s co-founder and president of products, said in a statement One gigawatt would be enough electricity to power a city the size of San Francisco. Google, which says it is on track to be carbon neutral for 2007, first ventured into the renewable energy field to bring efficient design to its energy intensive data centers. The company also installed […]

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CA Adopts Low-Income Solar Program

The California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has instituted the California Solar Initiative Single-Family Low-Income Incentive Program. The $108 million program provides incentives to low-income, single-family homeowners under the California Solar Initiative program, and is the first statewide low-income solar program to be implemented at this scale. The program will provide fully subsidized 1 kW photovoltaic systems for approximately 1,800 homeowners who qualify with incomes up to 50% of the area median income. Incentives will range from $4.75 to $7 per watt. The program will help achieve the 10-year installation goal of 3,000 megawatts of new solar capacity set by the California Solar Initiative. The California Solar Initiative program, provides subsidies of $2.50 per watt, roughly equivalent to 50% to 75% of the general-market cost of a residential photovoltaic system. This level of incentive is expected to be available to approximately 5,000 qualifying homeowners.

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