Some Good News

From Today's EEI newsletter.

Analysts Say Costs of Solar Systems to Drop Dramatically, Quickly

Worldwatch Institute and the Prometheus Institute of Cambridge, Mass., have developed an assessment that shows the costs associated with bringing solar projects on line will drop dramatically in the next several years, UPI Energy reported. Wrote the newswire: "Global production of solar PV cells, which turn sunlight directly into electricity, has risen six-fold since 2000 and grew 41 percent in 2006. Although grid-connected solar capacity still provides less than 1 percent of the world's electricity, it increased nearly 50 percent in 2006, to 5,000 megawatts, propelled by booming markets in Germany and Japan. Spain is likely to join as a major market in 2007 and the United States soon thereafter."

Janet Sawin, a senior researcher at Worldwatch who wrote the study, was quoted by the newswire as saying: "Solar energy is the world's most plentiful energy resource, and the challenge has been tapping it cost-effectively and efficiently. We are now seeing two major trends that will accelerate the growth of PV: the development of advanced technologies and the emergence of China as a low-cost producer."
UPI Energy, May 22.

and

CO2 Emissions in U.S. Decline for First Time Since 2001, EIA Says

The Energy Information Administration has said that CO2 emissions tied to climate change have declined for the first time since 2001, the Washington Post reported today. The newspaper also said it was the first time that "it has gone down since 1990 while the economy was thriving."

. . .

Wrote the Post: "A number of factors helped reduce emissions last year, according to the government, including weather conditions that reduced heating and air-conditioning use, higher gasoline prices that caused consumers to conserve, and a greater overall reliance on natural gas."

EEI spokesman Dan Riedinger said an increased demand for natural gas could prove costly over the long term, according to the Post. He was quoted as saying: "Investment in advanced coal, carbon capture and storage, and a host of other technologies is essential to making and sustaining significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions."
New York Times , Washington Post , May 24.