Wind

A new report has demanded that Japan's regional power monopolies must give way to competition and promote greener energy. The draft conclusion from an expert panel, set up after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, says that the overhaul of the electricity network is necessary to stabilize the nation's supply.

The China CleanTech Index has reported an 8.1 per cent loss in June, a worse performance than all its benchmarks and it was down 10.8 per cent for the year. Only days after Bloomberg New Energy Finance reported  that China was driving global growth in the clean energy sector with a 92 per cent surge in investment in the second quarter of 2012 over the first quarter, the Index showed that investor confidence is still shaky.

China will launch its first spot trading platform for rare earth metals on August 8, the Shanghai Securities News reported

Several years after the implementation of the Philippines Renewable Energy Act, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is finally looking to issue the much-awaited feed-in tariff (FiT) rates by the end of this month, which would allow dozens of long delayed renewable energy projects to move forward. The Renewable Energy Act, also known as Republic Act 9513, aims to increase the country's renewable energy capacity to 15.3-GW from the current 9.8-GW. To help spur renewable energy demand, the law calls for the Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC) to establish a FiT system, as well as specific RPS targets for utilities.

HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA), Europe’s largest bank, is advising on potential acquisitions of renewable-energy companies as an oversupply of equipment in the wind and solar industries drives down prices, according to a Bloomberg report today.

China continues to expand its global new energy footprint with the announcement of a USD3 billion loan by the China Development Bank Corp to an Argentinean renewable-energy developer to build Latin America’s biggest wind-power project.

Spain's grid operator and China's energy regulator are planning a 500-MW experimental wind plant in China, using with Gamesa’s new 4.5-MW turbines.

Goldwind Science and Technology Co Ltd, China's largest wind turbine maker, said it has received approval to connect turbines of the Gullen Range project to the Australia grid, according to a company statement yesterday.

Japan opened several solar energy parks on Sunday as its new feed-in tariff (FiT) law came into force, requiring the country’s 10 regional electricity companies to purchase renewable energy at a fixed prices in a push for alternatives to nuclear power. Ahead of the start of its new FiT regime the Japanese government held a press conference on Friday to present three long-term energy policy options for public debate. It aims to select one of the three in August, officially shifting the country away from its previous goal of raising the share of power generated by nuclear energy to at least 50 percent by 2030.