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EGEB: $245 million a year for wind land leases, Utilities trying to increase fixed fees to attack solar, more

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U.S. Wind Energy Installations Surge: A New Turbine Rises Every 2.4 Hours – According to the 2016 annual market report, wind now pays over $245 million per year in land-lease payments to local landowners, often farmers and ranchers. $245M in revenue to land owners isn’t a joke. In Massachusetts, land leases for solar power were making $1000-4000/acre per year. The renewable energy revolution will win because the people will make significant chunks of money.

In Q1 2017, 46 utilities in 23 states and Washington D.C. attempted to increase home solar charges on all customers by at least 10% – The biggest theme of the Q1 report is more attempts by utilities to increase fixed charges or minimum bills on customers. The power companies want to stick it to you. Obviously though, it’s because you want their money. You should check out this site linked to in this article to better understand the laws in your state – it’s a great, constantly updated resource. Additionally, if you have any questions on certain laws and how they might affect you personally – post a comment linking to the law, and the group will help out. Until then – watch what your local politicians are doing.

Trump appoints fossil-fuel apostle to head renewable energy office – The individuals prior employment was at the The Institute for Energy Research. A group founded by the Kochs – before that he worked for another scummy group – ALEC. Simmons is the author of such great intellectual writings as, ‘Taxpayers—Hide Your Wallets, the DOE is Giving Out Loan Guarantees.’ Of course, this was a program that made tax payers money and helped Tesla get off the ground. The fundamental of this choice is that a person who is not educated in an area very well and ideologically against, is now being told to run the government department. This is dumb.

REC Silicon sees hope under Trump administration to end US Polysilicon ban in China – REC is hoping the Trump administration will get the Chinese to drop tariffs and bans on US polysilicon. Remember that China has only done this to US polysilicon because the US has put multiple taxes on Chinese solar panels. This conversation is even more interesting consider a failed solar panel manufacturer is now pushing Trump to further DOUBLE the price of solar panels globally (not just from China). Does REC have insight to the administration’s thinking?

California is about to revolutionize climate policy … again – 1. Carbon tax has a minimum price, always increasing that is affected by the market. 2. Tax also has a cap – so the market can increase the price of carbon too much. 3. California will tax imports based upon their CO2 in order to protect in state industry. 4. 50-90% of the money will be returned to California citizens – the rest for infrastructure (maybe). 5. California will align with areas outside of the USA. There’s a lot more to this than my few sentences – but it’s really interesting to see the changes in this law relative to, and benefiting from the experience of, past laws.

A tweet from a few days ago adding to the utility rate increase article – 134 actions in quarter 1. The utilities are coming out swinging.

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