NEW ENERGY MONEY TO DOUBLE

Report: Non-nuclear clean energy to double by 2020
Wendy Koch, march 14, 2011 (USA Today)

"As concerns mount over nuclear power safety in the aftermath of Japan's massive earthquake, a new report says other energy sources not derived from fossil fuels are expanding and will likely double market share within a decade.

"Global revenue for solar photovoltaics (PV), wind power and biofuels jumped 35% last year, compared with 2009, growing from $139.1 billion to $188.1 billion, according to [the 10th annual Clean Energy Trends] by Clean Edge Inc...Most of this growth was due to a doubling in solar PV installations and steady growth in the biofuels sector. For the first time in a decade, however, the wind market showed a slight decline."

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"The global market for solar PV skyrocketed from $2.5 billion in 2000 to $71.2 billion in 2010 and that for wind power surged from $4.5 billion in 2000 to more than $60.5 billion today...[O]verall growth [is] slowing but...solar PV, wind and biofuels [are expected to] nearly double their combined global market value from $188.1 billion this year to $349.2 billion in 2020. The report projects the biofuels sector will more than double, from $56.4 billion this year to $112.8 billion in 2020."

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"The report says China, the global leader in new wind installations for the third year in a row, posted a 27% increase last year. The United States, the world's second-largest market, declined after record growth in 2009, adding only half as much capacity as the prior year...[N]ew solar installations reached more than 15.6 gigawatts of power worldwide in 2010, a more than doubling from 7.1 gigawatts in 2009, representing the largest year-over-year increase on record. Strong growth occurred in the U.S. solar market as well.

"President Obama has touted nuclear power as a non-polluting energy source and has sought tens of billions of dollars in government insurance for new plant construction...Yet, some members of the U.S. Congress are now holding back their support as they wait to see what happens at Japan's nuclear power plants, now at risk of a meltdown..."