Alternate Energy Secrets

Here’s some positive news on Eastern Canada taking some steps to harness Free Wind Power.

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Nova Scotia Power has signed a deal to buy energy from a wind power project on the Tantramar Marsh on the province’s border with New Bruswick.

It is hoped the Amherst Wind Energy Project will produce about 100 gigawatt hours of energy annually by 2007. That’s enough to supply 10,000 homes.

The turbines will be situated alongside the Trans-Canada Highway.

Nova Scotia Power has awarded contracts for 100 megawatts of wind energy from independent power producers in the last 16 months includeing this latest project.

Article published on cbc.ca by MSN News as reported by CBC News on August 18 2005

If we are going to realize the dream of main stream society using alternate energy resources, we have to make adjustments in attitude in small steps and continually. If our governments do not assist the will of the people, we will never get the ball rolling and the momentum building. Have a read on the following situation in Canada and the Candian Federal and Provincial Governments lack of action on encouraging alternate solutions in comparison to the U.S. and Europe. Escpecially as they pertain to non-big business. What about the individuals who can collectively make a major impact? Or, are the policies in place becuase the big business wants it just the way it is? What do you think?
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Speakers at the Canadian Wind Energy Association’s national conference have called on the federal and provincial governments to provide greater financial incentives to subsidize small scale wind energy production.

Association policy adviser, Sean Whitaker said a rebate program would encourage farmers, small businesses and communities to set up small wind turbines by offsetting the high capital costs.

“If you look at the United States and certain jurisdictions in Europe and the incentives that exist for small wind, there’s a number of rebates, buy-downs, production expenses, tax breaks and here in Canada. We really have none,” Whitaker said.

“In order to really put in place a really solid small wind market, those incentives have to be there.”

Small wind turbines produce under 300 kW of power. Between 600 to 800 such turbines are sold annually in Canada, far behind the 13,400 sold in the U.S.

Financial incentives are only available in Canada for generating projects that are connected to the power grid and that produce more than 500 kW.

Federal officials say focusing on larger commercial projects will lead to cheaper and more efficient technology for small wind turbines.

Ottowa’s Wind Power Production Incentive program has funded the construction of 13 wind farms across the country, and will invest at least $920 million in promoting wind power over the next 15 years.

Wind energy comprises. .3% of the country’s total energy consumption, with 590 MW of wind capacity installed in Canada.

That total is projected to rise to 7,000 MW.

Article published in the Business Edge, October 27, 2005, taken from The Canadian Press

As the acceptance of alternate energy from renewable resources is realized, the market must adjust to the new realities. Putting that ethanol blend gasoline in your car’s tank, may just cause you to buy one less bottle of Coca-Cola. Read the article below, and tell me if you see this as a positive or negative development.
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Ethanol powering sugar price rush. Prices could rise to a 24-year high in 2006, traders, analysts and buyers say.
Sugar prices may rise to a 24-year high in 2006 as Brazil, the world’s biggest producer, uses more of its crop to make automotive fuels and demand for sweeteners rebounds in the U.S.

Raw sugar will average 14.74 US cents a pound on the New York Board of Trade this year, up from 10.03 cents in 2005, based on the median estimate of 17 traders, analysts and buyers surveyed by Bloomberg. Prices probably will touch 18 cents or more, the highest since 1981, a majority of respondents said.

Brazil is converting more sugar into ethanol after gasoline prices jumped to a record. A drought in Thailand, once the world’s second biggest exporter, and the prospect of reduced European Union exports are adding to the supply squeeze, raising costs for companies including cereal maker Kellogg Co. and Coca-Cola Co., the world’s largest producer of soft drinks.

“The markets got legs, no question about it,” said Edward Makin, chief executive officer of the Rogers Sugar Income Trust, a Montreal-based company that controls Canada’s biggest sugar refining group. “I don’t know if we’ll see $.25, but I’m hearing a lot of people talk about $.20.”

While crude oil prices made headlines in 2005, New York sugar futures jumped 62%, second only to a 94% surge in natural gas. Sugars gain accelerated late last year after the U.S. increased imports because of damage to domestic crops and refineries from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Above article appeared in the Edmonton Journal on July 17, 2006 and was taken from the Bloomberg News feed reported from New York