just to make sure that it gets one comment.

Strong rumor from an electric wholesaler to electrical co-ops in the Pacific NW that the California legislature is going to revisit carbon credits this session. Could be a somewhat big deal for start-up clean-energy generating facilities.

Solar has the inside track there without doubt. One of the factors that is currently worrying U.S. utilities is that some big corporate energy users - Google and MS for two - are planning to invest many US dollars in both generation and storage at their main facilities. Again, primarily solar-based on the generating side.

paul spencer

Haven't written my thoughts on the RMI brief yet, because the fight is so great here at the moment. The utilities have beaten back all manner of renewable support, while at the same time importing the dirtiest MTR (Mt. Top Removal) coal.

EU utilities, green groups clash over RET

Leaders of six green energy firms challenged big utilities on Wednesday by advocating a tougher EU renewable goal to save billions in fossil fuel imports and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.
....
The companies are among 91 firms and organisations taking on the big utilities, whose business model has been shaken by the uptake in renewable power, spurred by a mandatory 2020 goal to get 20 percent of energy from green sources.
....
"Renewables came into the market in a disruptive manner and there is fight between the two sectors," said Rafael Mateo, CEO of Spain's Acciona Energia, which describes itself as the only utility 100 percent reliant on renewable energy.
....
Hans-Dieter Kettwig, managing director of German wind turbine maker Enercon, said utilities needed to be "more proactive" and "accept a new industry is coming".

Executives from utilities including Germany's E.ON , RWE and GDF Suez, formed what became known as the Magritte Group last year to lobby for an end to subsidies for wind and solar.

I've publicly disagreed with Amory since the late 70's on the role of utilities in the renewable revolution, believing that the evidence showed they were far more an obstacle, with green-washing at best. But Amory seems to be coming around, arguing that it's wrong to keep the dinosaurs propped up, with some strong arguments.

What Amory didn't write about (though he might well understand) is that most governments are currently hostage to the Magritte Group, worst in Spain, Germany and formerly great Britain.

We'll see how far renewables can push when the revised German Energiewende is presented around Easter. I'm predicting serious tension between the States (Bundesrat) and the Coalition, to the degree that there will be disagreement even within the parties, none of which Frau Mutter can control.

On the other hand, most of Germany just wants things cheap, whether it's food, clothes or dirty electricity.

Setting Amory's Ft. Collins utility-business model in Yurp would be a plus, for sure.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

It's a very persuasive article.

The author has clearly drunk deep of the unbundling koolaid. And spiked it with some bad acid if he thinks that profit-and-loss statements have any place in the planning of strategic infrastructure like electricity provision. But despite that, it's a good article.

- Jake

Friends come and go. Enemies accumulate.

I haven't been looking at the Worldwatch Institute for quite a while because I found that so much of their stuff was behind a paywall (not because I thought it was bad).

This is a good overview and rebuttal of the Economist article. The description of the European scene seems correct. There's just a feeling, though, of time-lag. As CH points out, incumbent utilities in Europe are not just whining, they're organising an onslaught against renewables, and currently making considerable headway.

There's strong utility pushback here, too, but it's falling on its face on the west coast - or perhaps hoist on its own enviro-petard.

It just seems out here on the west coast that we (youth in particular) enjoy the Super Bowl, like the clever ads, and shun their message. As a result, miles driven, electrical power used, traffic accidents (speed-related in particular), and bar fights are all declining. Maybe it's the circles in which I circulate, but I rarely find anyone who does not 'get' renewable energy. And I do maintain rather wide circles. (Recently, I had to congratulate the Republican against whom I ran for state leg in 2010  for being the primary sponsor of an amazingly collaborative water management plan for the Yakima River watershed.)

CH - I too dismissed Lovins for many years, but, as I wrote above, this RMI is taking the kind of leadership role that can actually accomplish things.

paul spencer