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PV Industry Prepares for Steady Growth

The European Photovoltaic Industry Association announced projections for growth of the worldwide solar electric (PV) industry to 2010. Until 2010, EPIA expects the industry to grown by 37% a year given continuing favorable policy conditions. At that time, they estimate the global annual market for solar electricity to reach close to 5-6 GWp. The first market estimations for 2006 show an annual global market growth between 10-15%. The sector is currently in a transitional phase, increasing production capacity to meet growing demand. Germany remains the strongest market, but the European market is diversifying with Spain, Italy, France and Greece recently adopting programs to support growth. EPIA believes subsidies will be necessary for the next 5-10 years to develop new markets and guarantee stable development of the sector. In terms of raw material availability, EPIA expects silicon production volumes to be over 40,000 tons per year in 2010 – sufficient for the production of 6 GWp of silicon-based solar and thus meeting expected growth in demand. The group expects silicon-based solar PV to constitute 80% of the market by 2010 (down from 90% now), with thin-film solar becoming a significant alternative. EPIA believes that solar electricity could compete with peak electricity […]

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China Ends Dog Crackdown

URL: http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/dec2006/2006-12-22-03.asp Website: http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/dec2006/2006-12-22-03.asp     

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MidAmerican Energy Becomes Leader in Wind

MidAmerican Energy’s 99-megawatt Victory Wind Project in Iowa is on-line, making it the owner of more wind facilities than any other regulated electric utility in the nation. The company now owns and operates 459.5 megawatts of wind energy facilities in Iowa. Said Todd Raba, president of MidAmerican Energy, “What’s more gratifying [thank being a wind leader] is that we haven’t raised our customers’ electric rates to build wind generation. The last electric rate increase MidAmerican Energy customers experienced was in 1995. We’ve promised not to raise our Iowa electric rates through at least 2010, and we don’t have any increases planned for our customers in Illinois or South Dakota.” The company’s 66 wind turbines at the Victory Wind Project have the capability to generate electricity for approximately 40,000 customers. The company began building wind projects in 2004, and completed 310.5-megawatt and 50-megawatt wind projects last year. That was in response to a challenge made in 2003 by Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack to regulators, business professionals and utility companies in Iowa to work toward achieving 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy in Iowa by 2010. When Gov. Vilsack issued the challenge, 500 megawatts of new renewable energy was needed to achieve the […]

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