| Renewable energy firm MAKE Consulting has increased its US wind power outlook for the 2015-2017 period by 3.7 GW. The company says it issued the upgrade due to a surge in demand for wind power as key policies are set to expire. The increase begs the question whether South Africa too could benefit from such reforms?According to the report, US utilities are moving aggressively to lock in low power prices from production tax credit (PTC)-eligible wind projects ahead of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan. At the same time, commercial and industrial (C&I) firms, such as Amazon, Procter and Gamble, and Hewlett Packard, are following Fortune 500 pioneers to secure direct long-term off-take agreements for wind power. MAKE says firms with targets to increase their procurement of renewable energy and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions will drive significant demand for new wind power capacity, as well as for solar power, through 2020. The role of politics MAKE says the state of federal politics in Washington, DC, has evolved substantially in terms of a PTC extension. Divisions of opinion within the Republican Party have led MAKE to expect a substantial upside for wind power in the near term if Congress approves either a one-year or a two-year PTC extension. Source: North American Windpower (www.nawindpower.com ) Edited by Frances Ringwood |
