The FAA currently is evaluating six U.S. sites as potential test flight centers for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), also known as drones (the Wright-Patterson facility in Ohio is a leading contender). Most of our elected representatives in Washington are gung-ho for the idea, especially in districts with manufacturers who would thrive if the demand for “domestic” drones takes off. Thus far, they’ve been stymied by a handful of civil-liberties and air-safety fuddyduddys who wonder whether filling our skies with robot planes will fatally compromise our right to privacy, to say nothing of the occasional commercial airliner they may bump into.

While we’ve been watching the skies, it looks like the ground may have shifted under our feet.

The plans for mass-producing driverless cars aren’t even on the drawing boards of the major automakers, but a new survey shows that an astounding 60 percent of U.S. motorists are ready to welcome robot cars on American roads.

IT networking giant Cisco this week released the results of its study on the importance of high-tech gadgets to today’s car buyers. Not surprisingly, the Cisco survey found consumers completely enamored with the latest computer-driven automotive capabilities, from cars that park themselves to voice-activated menus for nearby Chinese restaurants.

But the real eyebrow-raiser in the survey was the response to Cisco’s question asking drivers whether they’re ready to trust driverless cars to drive them around.

The results are fascinating. Three nations with emerging automotive markets — and, presumably less experience with driving — gave driverless cars the biggest thumbs up. About 95 percent said yes in Brazil, 86 percent in India and 70 percent in China. They were followed by the U.S. at 60 percent, Russia at 57 percent and Canada at 52 percent.

But in Japan, the nation that has the most experience with robots of any kind, only 28 percent of respondents indicated they would be inclined to slide into the passenger seat of a driverless car. Also, when the risk-taking is expanded from the individual to the family, enthusiasm predictably declines for the driverless car. Fewer respondents in the Cisco survey said they were willing to put their kids in a robot vehicle.

The Cisco survey results may reflect the shape of things to come. Driverless cars probably will be tooling down a highway near you sooner than you think.

The psychological roadblock to the driverless vehicle apparently was shattered by the Google car. The Internet search giant’s robot test vehicle thus far has logged more than 300,000 miles without incident. Google says the technology for a true “fully autonomous driverless car” is still about five years away. Motor Trend, the car magazine, predicts that driverless cars will be in mass production by 2025.

The Cisco survey also revealed that consumers’ trust for automated vehicles extends beyond the steering wheel: the study found that 74 percent of drivers would be fine with their car tracking their driving habits if they could save on insurance and maintenance costs; 65 percent said they would be willing to share their height, weight, driving habits and entertainment preferences with car manufacturers in return for a more “custom” driving experience.

In the same week that Cisco’s survey results were released, the National Transportation Safety Board has proposed to lower the federal blood alcohol level threshold for drunk driving from .08 to .05, a drop of more than a third from the current standard.

Coincidence? We think not. Obviously, there’s some sort of a master plan falling into place here:

STEP 1: Track our movements with drones.

STEP 2: Take our car keys away.

STEP 3: Ply us with alcohol and entice us to recline in the ergonomically designed passenger seat of a driverless car that knows we can be lulled into a mindless sense of euphoria by the smell of Corinthian leather and the sound of Bohemian Rhapsody coming out of 16 speakers.

STEP 4: Deposit us at mass “rehabilitation” centers that have secretly been constructed on former ballistic missile launch sites in the Great Plains.

STEP 5:

(transmission interrupted, contact with human terminated)

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

The post They’re Coming to Take Us Away appeared first on Business Facilities.

Posted by Heidi Schwartz

Subaru Canada, Inc. (SCI) announced that its Impreza line of cars will be produced in its North American plant beginning in 2016. Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (SIA), the North American manufacturer of Subaru vehicles, will expand its plant in Lafayette, IN to produce the popular compact sedans and hatchbacks, creating 900 new jobs in the process.

Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd. (FHI) will invest $400 million to build the Impreza at its North American production facility, SIA, and increase the plant’s capacity by approximately 100,000 vehicles annually. The expansion will involve construction to develop SIA’s space by over half a million square feet. The project will also involve the installation of new state-of-the-art equipment—primarily in the paint and body assembly sections—as well as changes to improve overall process flow, including the addition of 900 jobs to its workforce.

“Our associates are very excited about the opportunity to build the Subaru Impreza at SIA and will remain committed to the same high level of quality, safety and teamwork that goes into every Subaru built at SIA,” stated SIA’s executive vice president, Tom Easterday.

“FHI’s decision to move production to SIA illustrates their confidence in Subaru’s North American market ,” said Shiro Ohta, president and CEO of Subaru Canada, Inc.

Construction of the planned expansion is slated to begin this fall and is expected to be completed by the end of 2016. Construction continues on the $75 million expansion project announced last May, which will increase SIA’s capacity from 156,000 to 180,000 Subaru units annually without overtime.

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Photo: Meritor, Inc.

On November 14, 2012, executives at Meritor, Inc. announced that the company plans to consolidate its North American remanufacturing operations and create a center of excellence in Plainfield, IN. The company should be in a position to transfer production operations from its remanufacturing plant in Mississauga, ON, Canada by March 31, 2013. At the same time, it expects to move Canadian customer service and support to its Brampton, ON facility.

As a result of these actions, Meritor anticipates investing approximately $1.4 million in its Plainfield facility while creating approximately 82 new jobs during 2012 and 2013. The company has already invested more than $8 million in process upgrades to its global operations in the past five years, including $2.7 million earlier this year in new equipment for its Plainfield plant, which remanufactures commercial truck components while preserving raw materials.

“We believe this investment will help us improve efficiency while better serving our customers in today’s competitive landscape,” said Doug Wolma, general manager, Global Aftermarket Operations. “At the same time, this move will strengthen our global remanufacturing footprint.”

Meritor’s global remanufacturing operations currently include eight sites in five countries producing a portfolio of drivetrain and wheel-end components. More than 30,000 tons of metal are recycled annually in Meritor’s remanufacturing operations worldwide, and the company recycles 90 percent of all waste from its operations. More than 40,000 tons of cores, or original components, are processed at Meritor remanufacturing facilities annually.

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Elliott Gue

By Elliott Gue
Energy & Income Advisor

In a stunning turnaround, manufacturers here and abroad are building new plants in the U.S. due to America’s low energy costs and near-limitless domestic reserves. Since China must import much of its energy, manufacturing costs there continue to escalate.

Meanwhile, the U.S. looks “cheap” to manufacturers that are building energy-efficient plants fired by our low-cost natural gas. Recent shale oil and gas discoveries in the U.S. have sent natural gas prices to the floor, while natural gas costs in countries around the globe are up to three times higher.

And manufacturers are waking up to the fact that U.S. energy production costs are now lower than anywhere else. After years of shifting their operations to Asia, Dow Chemical and other multinational chemical producers are building new plants in the U.S. Mega steelmaker Severstal recently expanded its Mississippi and Michigan plants and Airbus unveiled plans for a giant new factory in Alabama.

This new American manufacturing renaissance will be fueled by the ongoing development of domestic shale plays, which, according to estimates from the Energy Information Administration, could contain up to 862 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas.

It’s projected that lower U.S. energy costs could save manufacturers as much as $12 billion in the next 10-12 years — and create as many as 1 million jobs in 12 years.

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For as long as most people can remember, Ontario has been Canada’s mining and manufacturing center, with a heavy emphasis on exports.

But as the continued strength of the Canadian dollar has created a trade deficit, Ontario is aggressively moving to diversify its economic base with new high-growth sectors like information communications technology (ICT) alternative energy and digital media.

Ontario has become a North American hot spot for ICT. We offer everything leading ICT companies need to succeed: a smart, skilled workforce, outstanding researchers and research facilities, exceptional R&D tax credits, the lowest business costs in the G7 and an enviable quality of life that is needed to attract top talent. The provincial government is making ICT research and commercialization a priority.

Maryland-based Ciena is investing $900 million to expand its R&D operations in Ontario. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), headquartered in California, is investing $376 million+ in the province to accelerate the development of a revolutionary new family of processors, while French gaming giant Ubisoft is spending more than $500 million to open a new studio here.

Ontario’s Green Energy and Green Economy Act (GEA), passed in 2009, places a priority on establishing Ontario as the North American leader in producing and using clean and renewable sources of energy including wind, water, solar, biomass and biogas power.

Ontario also is a center for research and development and manufacture of bio-based technologies, processes and products. Companies like LANXESS, The Woodbridge Group, Stemergy, Lorama, Iogen and Anaergia are here, taking biomass and turning it into green energy, chemicals and materials for rapidly expanding global markets.

And Ontario is attracting more international companies all the time. The latest is Plymouth, Minnesota-based BioAmber, which is building its first North American renewable chemical plant in Sarnia.

The demand for alternative energy in North America is growing—and Ontario is in a prime position to meet that demand, given its establishment of North America’s first comprehensive Feed-In Tariff Program for energy generated from renewable sources.

This combined with Ontario’s strategic location in North America, long-term government support for alternative energy generation and advanced and diverse manufacturing capabilities, position Ontario as a preferred location for manufacturers of sustainable, alternative energy technologies and related components, service providers and project developers.

The province’s Green Energy Act, introduced in May 2009, and the Water Opportunities and Water Conservation Act, introduced in November 2010, provide investors, communities and companies the tools they need to create a cleaner, greener future.

Brampton: A Center of Growth
The City of Brampton, located in the western GTA (Greater Toronto Area) is the 9th largest city in Canada and the 3rd largest in the GTA. With a population of 523,911, Brampton is the 2nd fastest growing city in Canada, averaging growth of 4.2% per year (or approximately 18,000 new residents per year) made up of more than 175 distinct ethnic backgrounds speaking more than 70 different languages. The Province of Ontario has designated Brampton as an urban growth area and by 2031, the City’s population is expected to grow to 725,000.

Brampton has positioned itself as a global economic contender. Home to the largest intermodal railway terminal in Canada and with immediate access to an extensive network of trans-continental highways, it is also located just north of Canada’s largest international airport, Toronto Pearson International serving 34 million passengers annually.

Brampton’s diversified economy is represented by more than 8.000 businesses, 153,000 workers and has an economic base comprised of 72% services-producing sector and 28% goods producing sector.

• A $650 million (CDN) municipal organization. Achieved a ‘AAA’ credit rating designated by Standard & Poor’s.
• Voted in Top 10 Cities in North America for Foreign Direct Investment—Best Infrastructure Large City 2011/12
• Designated as a World Health Organization International Safe Community
• Over 6,000 acres of vacant employment lands available for development and revitalization

The City’s major business sectors include Manufacturing, Retail and Wholesale Trade, Food and Beverage, Information and Communication Technology, and Life Sciences. The manufacturing industry remains the City’s largest employer.

Businesses continue to show significant confidence in Brampton’s economy.  In 2011 national statistics elevated Brampton to the 6th most active construction market in Canada, ahead of Vancouver, Winnipeg, Quebec City and Hamilton. Employment rose by 31% on the strength of 242 new businesses.
In 2012, Air Canada announced the construction of their Systems Operations Control Centre (SOC) which will open in 2014 and essentially be the new “nerve centre” of the airline. The Air Canada facility will translate into 500 knowledge-based jobs in addition to millions of dollars in capital investment.

Toronto’s Pearson International is Canada’s largest airport, serving more than 34 million passengers annually.

In 2011, Canadian Blood Services opened a state-of-the art blood processing and distribution centre in Brampton. The centre, as part of an $83 million capital investment by Canadian Blood Services, serves about 100 hospitals in southern and central Ontario. Their reason to choose Brampton was location, and at the centre of Canada’s major transportation corridors— and close to Toronto Pearson International Airport. Blood products can be shipped easily to and from other parts of the country.

Headquartered in Brampton, Gamma-Dynacare is Canada’s largest provider of laboratory services and have just completed a multimillion dollar expansion to their head office and laboratory facility. With 700 employees, Gamma-Dynacare is Brampton’s seventh largest employer.

Overall, Brampton is a well-planned city with a rich history and cultural heritage, offering an unparalleled quality of life with access to excellent health care, education, transit, recreation and arts and cultural opportunities.

Port Colborne: Gateway to Ontario
The City of Port Colborne, Ontario, is located in the Niagara region of the province, where the Welland Canal opens up into Lake Erie. The canal is a key part of the St. Lawrence Seaway System. “Any vessel that passes from the Atlantic Ocean through Lake Ontario and into the upper Great Lakes needs to pass right through our community,” says Stephen Thompson, general manager, Port Colborne Economic Development Tourism Corp.

The port is managed by the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp., and the City of Port Colborne manages other assets. The port provides several strategic advantages. It is within 20 minutes of the border crossing at Buffalo, N.Y., and 30 minutes from the border crossing at Niagara Falls, N.Y. What’s more, Toronto is located just an hour away from the city.

The port offers a niche in the movement of bulk goods such as aggregates and grains. A public grain elevator acts as a storage facility and intermediary location to move bulk product from smaller ships to larger ships.

Thompson says Casco, Inc., a biotech company that provides product derived from corn to food companies and others, has its own private dock. It can bring ships into the canal during the three month shut down, from January to mid to late March, “which creates other unique opportunities for our port and our community,” he says.

Ships come in during the winter months for routine maintenance, ship repair and ship building activities. “We are able to support these activities because of our strong manufacturing base, particularly in fabricated metals,” Thompson says.

Any vessel that passes from the Atlantic Ocean through Lake Ontario to the Upper Great Lakes goes through Port Colborne and the Welland Canal.

The port also features a short-line rail connection, which continues to expand, and is run by the city. A private rail operator, located adjacent to the community, offers rail service into the port and a number of its private facilities. This rail line connects directly to both the Canadian National and the Canadian Pacific main lines.

Thompson notes ongoing activities include building and enhancing warehouse and distribution space at the port. A couple of facilities are nearing completion, which range in size from 50,000 to 100,000 square feet. The facilities can be divided, if needed. “We are also working with the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. to bring more land to market along the Welland Canal,” Thompson says.

The city of Port Colborne is a key multi-logistics hub in southern Ontario with highway, rail and port infrastructure. On Niagara’s South Coast, Port Colborne is just minutes away from one of the principal border crossings between Canada and the United States. Port Colborne is a location of choice for the transportation and logistics industry; the city is where the the Welland Canal connects to Lake Erie, and is serviced by two of the largest railway networks in North America.

Port Colborne is part of Ontario’s new Gateway Economic Centre and includes an area designated as Niagara’s Economic Growth Zone. Projects are already well underway to expand transportation links and expedite the movement of goods.

Due to the Gateway Economic Centre’s proximity to the United States, import/export industries, distribution centres, and logistics hubs are choosing this strategic location. Canada’s Foreign Trade Zone flexibilities are available in Port Colborne creating an opportunity for facilities located in the Gateway Economic Centre to import and reprocess goods with reduced or eliminated tariffs, as well as programs to offset sales taxes.

Port Colborne is linked to a sophisticated highway network, with three main highways providing irect access to Port Colborne. Several highways are currently being expanded, and a new highway is being developed which creates a second connection from Port Colborne to the US border.

In addition, the Port Colborne Harbour Railway serves many industrial sites in Port Colborne, connecting its clients to CP and CN mainlines adjacent to the community.

Three international airports and four regional airports are within a two-hour drive of Port Colborne. Located within a day’s drive half of North America’s purchasing power, Port Colborne is perfectly positioned to serve Canadian and U.S. markets.

The post LOCATION FOCUS: Ontario is Green, Growing, and Diversifying appeared first on Business Facilities.

City of Brampton

By Jenny Vickers
From the January/February 2012 issue

The Canadian province of Ontario, which sits right across the border from one of the world’s biggest clean energy markets, is fast becoming a vanguard for renewable energy. But this hasn’t occurred by chance; it is the result of two very significant factors: generous green investment incentives offered through Ontario’s Green Energy Act and a high feed-in tariff to accelerate investment in renewable energy technologies.

Enacted in May 2009, Ontario’s Green Energy Act legislation was passed to expand Ontario’s production of renewable energy, encourage energy conservation and promote the creation of clean-energy jobs. The law created new energy-efficiency standards and a “one-stop” streamlined approvals process for renewable energy projects. It is also helping Ontario move towards its goal of replacing coal-fired generation by the end of 2014, which is expected to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 30 megatons—the single largest GHG reduction initiative in Canada.

A critical component of the Act is its feed-in-tariff (FIT) program. Considered one of the strongest programs in North America, the FIT program offers a guaranteed long-term pricing structure many times the current market value for electricity for producers building wind farms, solar power, renewable biogas, and water power.

Since the launch of the Green Energy Act and FIT program, the province has created more than 20,000 jobs and attracted more than US$19.5 billion in renewable energy investment commitments.

The largest single commitment is a US$6.8 billion investment by South Korea’s Samsung C&T Corp that will generate 2,500 megawatts of wind and solar power and lead to more than 16,000 new green energy jobs. In addition to Toronto, Windsor and Tillsonburg, where Samsung will produce solar inverters, wind turbines and blades, the company announced it would manufacture solar modules in London, Ontario, creating 200 new green energy jobs in that city.

Thanks to these announcements, the province is fast outpacing other renewable energy markets. In just over two years, Ontario has almost doubled its wind generation and become second in North America, just behind California and ahead of New Jersey, for solar generation—and a number of new announcements are expected to help the province soar to number one.

In July 2011, MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. and Sun Edison, North America’s largest solar energy service provider, announced the creation of approximately 400 new manufacturing jobs at a facility in Newmarket, Ontario. The town of about 75,000 is located about 25km north of Toronto.

Flextronics International Ltd., the Singapore based electronics maker that owns the plant, will use the expanded workforce to build solar panel components for SunEdison and its partners.

“We are very pleased to be expanding the number of green jobs in the Town of Newmarket through the partnership with global leaders in renewable energy such as MEMC and SunEdison,” said E.C. Sykes, President, Industrial and Emerging Industries at Flextronics. “We are committed to providing clean tech manufacturing solutions and we look forward to contributing to the growth of the Cleantech industry here in Ontario.”

The decision to base photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing in Ontario as opposed to southeast Asia, where SunEdison and Flextronics have a preexisting manufacturing partnership, was made in part to be compliant with the domestic content requirements of Ontario’s FIT program.

In May 2011, Magnum Pv announced it will partner with Schmid Technology Systems to bring the world’s most advanced solar manufacturing technology to Ontario. Magnum Pv began production of high-efficiency solar photovoltaic (PV) modules on its state-of-the art manufacturing line in Brampton, Ontario in October.

Brampton is a critical player in Ontario’s green industry, with 94 companies employing 4,046 people in its Green Sector, over 2,100 employees in the Green Service Provider sector, and over 1,700 employees in the Green Manufacturing and Development sector.

“Brampton has proved an ideal location for us in the past thanks to its logistical and economic advantages,” said Andre Nazarian, president CEO of the Magnum Group of Companies. “Magnum Pv sees new opportunities for local partnership with the City of Brampton and its local utilities for developing clean energy in our community.”

Magnum Pv and Flextronics International join a host of other solar projects that are helping to create thousands of green energy jobs in the province including Ontario Solar Provider (OSP), which provides businesses and farms with solar arrays; ATS Automation Tooling Systems, which produces solar panels for residential, commercial and industrial customers; and Celestica, which supplies solar panels to solar power developer Recurrent Energy.

Brampton is also becoming a hotbed for the development of environmentally friendly vehicles. In August 2011, Magna International Inc., the largest automotive supplier in North America and a top five global supplier, announced it is spending $430 million to research and develop electric-vehicle technology in Brampton, a move that will create more than 700 jobs. Ontario is contributing $48 million to help fund 19 R&D projects over the next six years. The projects include developing concept electric cars, parts for hybrid vehicles, metallic components, alternative energy and ways to improve fuel efficiency.

“We are delighted to receive support from Ontario to pursue our goal of transitioning Canada’s automotive design, engineering and manufacturing toward the clean economy,” said Don Walker, CEO of Magna International.

Magna, which is well known for the development of the battery-powered compact Ford Focus, joins several other green vehicle companies that are helping to kick-start the electric vehicle industry in other parts of Ontario, including Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc., which is building the electric version of its RAV4 crossover in Woodstock, Ontario and Dana Holding Corp., which is investing $37 million to build heat exchangers for batteries at a plant in Cambridge.

According to the provincial government, Ontario’s vision is to have one out of 20 cars in Ontario electrically powered by 2020.

Ontario is also working to establish itself as a global smart grid market leader. Ontario’s smart grid will enable the more sophisticated use of the electricity system, improve service and enhance reliability. In early 2011, the province launched a $50 million Smart Grid Initiative to enable research, capital and demonstration projects. The Smart Grid Initiative will help grow even more clean technology jobs across the province while attracting companies offering complimentary technologies.

In March 2011, GE Canada, a recognized leader in the development of innovative clean energy technologies, announced it is building a $40 million R&D center in Markham, Ontario, to create smart grid technologies for use in Ontario and around the world.

With help from a $7.9 million grant from the province, GE plans to spend $18.5 million to develop next generation smart grid devices at its new 200,000 square-foot facility, creating 150 new jobs.

“The jobs will be a combination of research and development, commercialization and manufacturing. We also expect additional jobs to be created for suppliers and in construction,” said Elyse Allan, president and CEO of GE Canada.

The smart grid center is intended to become a Canadian destination for companies and countries seeking to upgrade their energy systems. The center will also include expanded manufacturing facilities for GE’s Smart Grid Automation products, which will relocate from Calgary, Canada.

“Through this important partnership, we are creating jobs and establishing centers of excellence for Ontarians in high-growth sectors of the economy,” said Sandra Pupatello, Minister of Economic Development and Trade. “The global demand for clean technologies is increasing and today, we’re taking another step forward in establishing Ontario as a market leader.”

Overall, Ontario has created a business-friendly climate chock full of green incentives that are not only benefitting the environment, but also attracting significant investment and creating thousands of jobs.

The post BUSINESS REPORT: Ontario’s Thriving Green Economy appeared first on Business Facilities.

Nissan Decherd, TN plant. (Photo: Nissan.)

By Ed Felton
From the January/February 2012 issue

The burgeoning renewable energy industry has reached a crossroads this year which promises to bring into focus the elements of the emerging green economy that are ready for prime time—that is, ready to prove their bones as sustainable growth centers for manufacturing as a well as power generation—and those which are on a much more evolutionary trajectory as new power sources are integrated into the national grid.

In the depths of the Great Recession, alternative/renewable energy widely was seen as a panacea that would drive new growth. Massive government stimulus was earmarked for almost every conceivable project that possessed a green-energy cachet, assuming a built-in global market in a world confronted with the compelling need to transform a carbon-based economy to a model that will not condemn future generations to the ravages of climate change.

These high hopes now have been pulled back down to Earth by the inexorable gravity of real-world market dynamics. As the folks at Solyndra painfully discovered, when a global surge in solar-panel production is enveloped by a heavily subsidized industry in the world’s largest and lowest-cost producer (China), prices collapse and world-class facilities become white elephants.

The hot air of expectations that spawned ambitious plans for forests of wind turbines on the High Plains and an armada of offshore windmills has felt a shiver from a cool breeze reminding us that we still have to figure out an economic way to hook all of these fancy wind machines into a coal-fired power grid. Grid connections aside, the brass at the Pentagon also is grumbling that the radar profile of mega-turbines pose a hazard to national security.

Meanwhile, the carbon-based energy industry has made it abundantly clear that it has no intention of going quietly into the tar pits of history. To the contrary, new technology has put vast deposits of natural gas in huge shale formations and oil from Canadian tar sands into play, from the humongous Marcellus Shale formation in the Northeast to the ocean of oil being pulled out of the Bakken field in the Dakotas. Ironically, global warming itself has created an oil rush in the Arctic as the nether regions of the polar ice cap suddenly are accessible to drill rigs and tankers.

Last, but certainly not least, the science of climate change itself has come into question, not so much as scientific fact, but rather as an economic priority when jobs, jobs, jobs are at the top of the national agenda.

All of the above has forced locations that have tailored a big part of their growth strategies around renewables to be smarter and to steer their efforts towards the types of projects that not only will guarantee largest return on investment in the short run but also can stand on their own legs as government stimulus expires in coming months. Here are some examples of locations that are meeting this challenge with innovation and moxie.

Oswego, NY Is Growing Green Energy On The Farm

More and more farmers in New York state are using renewable energy to help power their farms. According to the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA), in the three and a half years from 2007 to mid-2010, the authority’s wind turbine program received 60 turbine applications and 19 were from farms. From October 2010 to December 2011, there were 65 applications and 35 of them came from farms; of the 35 farm applications, most were from Central and Western New York.

A recent feature in the Post-Standard of Syracuse detailed how onion farmer Nick Gianetto of Oswego, NY recently contacted consultant Jeff Wallace about installing a wind turbine on his farm. Wallace, an Oswego resident and consultant with both Pyrus Energy and New York Bold onions. After Wallace helped Gianetto navigate the applications and grant process, Gianetto installed a 147-foot-tall wind turbine to generatie electricity for the grading and packing area of his onion farm on County Route 7.

Wallace told the Post-Standard that Pyrus will install wind turbines at two other onion farms in the near future and solar energy panels at another—all in Oswego County.

Pyrus Energy, of Weedsport, is a two-year-old company specializing in all types of renewable energy sources, from solar and wind to geothermal and solar hot water and hydroelectric. It deals primarily with farms, homes and small businesses.

The farmers are harnessing the wind coming off nearby Lake Ontario. Gianetto uses about 26,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year to run the conveyors and machines in his packing and grading barn. The project on the onion farm reportedly cost about $130,000, about 80 percent of which was is covered by $53,000 in grants from NYSERDA and $20,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s REAP program.

Gianetto’s turbine was the first commercial wind unit in Oswego County and one of only 70 in the world that can be lowered for easier repairs.

The Oswego onion farm was eligible for the REAP grant because the property was located in an agricultural district. The farm also is eligible for a one-time payment in lieu of a tax credit from the federal government and is applying for a National Grid agribusiness grant. For every 1,000 kilowatt hours generated on the farm, Gianetto receives a Renewable Energy Certificate, valued at about $200 to $250 each. Large companies buy up RECs as energy credits.

The onion farm turbine was manufactured by ReDriven, a company in Iroquois, Ontario. The company can adjust the turbine daily through wireless connections hooked up through Gianetto’s computer at the farm, the Post-Standard reported. Pyrus has installed other turbines throughout the state, from the Hudson Valley to Jefferson County to Chemung County to Buffalo.

Memphis, TN: Building EV Charging Infrastructure

Memphis, TN is the latest major city to join to the EV Project, the largest rollout of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure in the United States. The project is spearheaded by ECOtality, a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies. The company also revealed that residents throughout the entire state of Tennessee are now eligible to receive $2,500 in state funded vehicle incentives for participating in The EV Project, making the state the project’s largest geographical region.

“The state of Tennessee is pleased by the strong level of interest from Memphis and other West Tennessee communities regarding The EV Project,” said Ryan Gooch, director, Energy Policy, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. “This announcement demonstrates there is truly widespread statewide interest in EV technology and that bodes well for expanded adoption in the future.”

As the 18th region to join the project, ECOtality will work closely with local stakeholders, including the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), to determine the best sites for public charging station locations. As part of its Micro-Climate™ process, ECOtality will take into account the location of major regional employers, transportation corridors, commercial centers and area attractions to develop a plan that best manages the rollout of public charging infrastructure. ECOtality has already completed the planning process for three other Tennessee cities—Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga.

“We are very excited to be included in this progressive initiative. The Memphis area is so integral to the commerce and transportation needs of the entire country, which means we have an environmental, economic, and moral imperative to be a civic leader in advancing the deployment of electric vehicles throughout our community,” stated Memphis Mayor AC Wharton, Jr. “My thanks to Nissan North America, MLGW, TVA, and ECOtality for their partnership and support on this effort.”

“Expansion of the EV Project to Memphis is good news for the city, the state of Tennessee, and for TVA,” said Kim Greene, TVA group president of Strategy and External Relations. “Electricity as a transportation fuel can reduce emissions and provide other benefits that are important to TVA’s renewed vision to be among the nation’s leading providers of cleaner and low-cost energy by 2020.”

Tennessee is an original pilot launch market for The EV Project, and in recent months has made major strides in EV adoption. Last year the state of Tennessee contributed additional funding to The EV Project to support its expansion in the state and maximize the amount of commercial charging stations deployed in the four project cities and along major connecting transportation routes.

“Nissan is thrilled The EV Project will now include Memphis,” said Tracy Woodard, director, government affairs, Nissan North America Inc. “The Nissan LEAF is the world’s first affordable, all-electric vehicle available to the mass market, and will meet the daily driving needs of many residents of Memphis and Shelby County.”

Tennessee is an initial launch market for the Nissan LEAF, and will be the manufacturing home of the vehicle in 2012. With the statewide expansion of EV Project, all Tennessee LEAF customers who qualify to participate in the EV Project will receive a free Blink Level 2 wall mount charging station and either a free or substantially subsidized residential installation. In addition, the first 1,000 qualifying purchases of the Nissan LEAF in Tennessee will be eligible to receive an additional $2,500 in vehicle incentives.

“The state of Tennessee has emerged as a critical proving ground for electric vehicles, and we are excited to electrify the streets and neighborhoods of Memphis,” said Jonathan Read, CEO of ECOtality. “With the largest geographic footprint of any region in The EV Project, we will provide the rich charging infrastructure necessary to spark the consumer adoption of EVs statewide—and deploy the hundreds of miles of electric freeway needed to take EVs beyond their 100-mile radius.”

As the project manager for The EV Project, ECOtality will oversee the installation of commercial and residential charging stations in 18 cities and major metropolitan areas in six states and the District of Columbia. The project will provide an EV infrastructure to support the deployment of 8,300 EVs.

The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through a federal stimulus grant of $114.8 million, made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The grants are matched by private investment, bringing the total value of the project to approximately $230 million.

Tennessee Valley Authority Prepares For The Big Switch

The TVA and participating local public power companies, working with input from the environmental community, have created a program called Green Power Switch to produce electricity from renewable sources and add it to TVA’s power mix.

Under Green Power Switch, for as little as $4 a month customers can do their part to support renewable electricity such as wind, solar and bio-energy.

Renewable energy still costs more than traditional energy; Green Power Switch purchases help cover the difference in the cost. Each $4 block of Green Power Switch ensures 150 kilowatt-hours of electricity is generated in the Tennessee Valley region by a renewable resource. This is in addition to the renewable and clean energy already included in the standard energy supply. 150 kilowatt-hours is slightly more energy than the average monthly output of a typical solar panel (averaged over the course of a year)1. Neither TVA nor the local power companies in the region profit from Green Power Switch.

Renewable energy for Green Power Switch comes from a growing number of sources. Wind energy comes from the first commercial wind-powered turbines in the southeastern U.S. on Buffalo Mountain in Anderson County, Tennessee.

Solar generation sites are located in the service areas of participating local power companies—at visible public locations like the Adventure Science Center in Nashville, the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge, and several other locations across the Tennessee Valley region. A landfill gas-to-energy project is located at Middle Point, TN and methane from a wastewater treatment plant in Memphis is being co-fired at the Allen Fossil Plant.

Green Power Switch also uses the renewable energy generated through the Generation Partners program, which has installations throughout the greater Tennessee Valley region. Based on its successful strategy to balance consumer demand for renewable energy through Green Power Switch with renewable generation from the Generation Partners initiative, TVA plans to develop a new long-term initiative that will balance costs with TVA’s vision for cleaner generation in the future.

TVA’s Generation Partners pilot has successfully encouraged consumer-owned renewable generation and jump started the market for local renewable power. As TVA looks to the future, balancing the directive of competitive rates with the need for a program that is paid for by voluntary consumer contributions will be critical to the program’s success,.

As a pilot, Generation Partners is limited to a total of 200 megawatts of qualifying renewable generation, not to exceed $50 million in power purchase expenditures. The pilot was designed to be paid for by the consumers who voluntarily support the Green Power Switch program through their participation.

The Generation Partners pilot project supports renewable energy, offering homeowners and businesses financial incentives for solar, wind, biomass and small hydroelectric systems of less than 200 kilowatts.

TVA pays each new participant in Generation Partners $1,000 to offset startup costs and agrees to buy 100 percent of the green power each system produces. TVA pays the retail electric rate and any fuel cost adjustment, plus a 12-cent premium per kilowatt- hour for solar and 3 cents per kilowatt-hour for wind, biomass and hydro.

For projects between 201 kilowatts and 20 megawatts in size, TVA accepts proposals under its Renewable Standard Offer, which offers set prices based on the season and time of day. This initiative is limited to 100 megawatts, with no single renewable technology exceeding more than 50 percent of the 100-megawatt total. Since introduced in October 2010, the Standard Offer has attracted five projects with nine megawatts of new renewable generation.

Mesa, AZ: Powering Up With Solar Arrays

As detailed in our Economic Development Deal of the Year cover story, Mesa, AZ is on the verge of becoming a leader in the production of thin-film PV with First Solar’s modular plant, our Bronze Award winner.

The Arizona city also is taking a leadership position in the installation of solar arrays to meet its growing energy needs.

The City of Mesa entered into an agreement with SolFocus, Inc. to build 11 concentrating photovoltaic solar arrays, which will help the  city meet its energy needs, foster the development of solar technologies and invest in Mesa’s economy.

Next generation Concentrating Photovoltaic arrays have been built alongside four existing demonstration arrays that are located adjacent to the Red Mountain Softball Complex. These arrays interconnect with the Salt River Project’s electric distribution system meter that serves the park, providing 92 kilowatts of electricity.

SolFocus has developed concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) technology which combines high-efficiency solar cells and advanced optics to provide solar energy solutions which are scalable, dependable and capable of delivering on the promise of clean, low-cost, renewable energy.

“By entering into a strategic alliance with a local business like SolFocus, the City can help expand solar technology, enhance the local economy and improve the quality of life for the people of Mesa, Director of Economic Development Bill Jabjiniak said. “Mesa is fortunate to have a business community that works together, in partnership with City staff, to create a sustainable environmental and economic future.”

Mesa expects to save $16,000 to $20,000 per year, based upon the rates SRP applies and the energy production from the arrays. The projected cost of the project, $558,180, is contingent on funds being granted by the Economic Stimulus program under the Community Block Grant portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

“This showcase of our SF-1100 Concentrator Photovoltaic technology is an example of how business and government can work collaboratively to provide significant benefits to the community, both in terms of clean energy and economic development,” SolFocus CEO and President Mark Crowley said.  “The support of the City of Mesa has been important to SolFocus as we have worked together to manufacture, test, and deploy this innovative technology.”  The SolFocus CPV systems are targeted for high solar resource regions such as Arizona.

The 70.4-kilowatt, dual-tracking concentrated photovoltaic system is expected to produce more than 168,000 kilowatt hours a year, supplying nearly 80 percent of the energy needs for the four softball fields.

SolFocus uses a reflective design involving mirrors and an optical system to concentrate sunlight onto solar cells. This technology, along with dual-axis tracking to follow the sun’s path, allows higher energy production than traditional systems.

“The Red Mountain Park solar installation serves as an important and useful symbol of Mesa’s commitment to sustainable and economically viable projects that benefit our community,” said District 5 Councilwoman Dina Higgins, whose district includes Red Mountain Park. “This is a great opportunity for our residents and visitors to play softball at a facility under lights powered by Mesa sunshine.”

The solar panels, which are at the Central Arizona Project Water Treatment Plant across the street from the park, are expected to save more than $40,000 annually.

The $350,500 cost of the project is funded by federal stimulus dollars from the Department of Energy under the Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant.

Guaranteed Pricing: A Good FIT In Ontario

The electricity generation industry in Ontario is in the midst of a green transformation, aided by 2009 implementation of the Ontario Green Energy and Green Economy Act. The Act spells out specific incentives offered to electricity generators who exploit renewable energy sources, namely wind, solar, hydro, biogas and biomass. Ontario’s feed-in tariff (FIT) program is the first program of its kind in North America and represents the largest green energy investment of its kind in Canadian history.

By encouraging the development of renewable energy in Ontario, the FIT program is designed to help Ontario phase out coal-fired electricity generation by 2014 – the largest climate change initiative in Canada, boost economic activity and the development of renewable energy technologies and create new green industries and jobs. The Ontario Power Authority is responsible for implementing the program.

Renewable energy’s fortunes in Canada lean heavily on government support, making 2011 a particularly crucial year in places like British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario where political leadership changes are underway and elections are scheduled.

As in the United States, renewable energy in Canada depends largely on public policy goals set not at the federal level but at the provincial and territorial levels. And on that score there’s a mixed bag of support and initiatives across Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories.

“The federal government has an extremely limited role,” said Robert Hornung, president of the Canadian Wind Energy Association.

Canada’s dominant energy resource (renewable or otherwise) is hydroelectric power, much of it generated in the sparsely populated and water-rich north for transmission to the more urbanized south and, in the case of Quebec especially, exported to the U.S.

Playing a smaller but growing role in the country is wind, solar, biomass and geothermal. By the numbers, Canada’s installed generating capacity in 2009 was 125,485 MW with 60 percent derived from renewable resources, most of it hydro. In British Columbia and Quebec, hydro generation meets around 90 percent of electricity demand. But BC is a net importer of electricity while Quebec is a net exporter. Alberta and Saskatchewan are rich in oil and natural gas resources while coal is an abundant natural resource in Manitoba and northern Ontario. Nationally, nuclear generation comprises 20 percent of installed capacity, coal 15 percent and natural gas 5 percent.

Wind and solar are gaining footholds in Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, through FIT. The tariff has propelled Ontario to trailing only California in North American solar energy market activity. Investors favor feed-in tariffs because they are sure of the money that will be flowing upfront into a project, according to the Canadian Solar Industries Association.

In 2005, the government said Ontario would stop using coal for electricity in 2007, but later said that target was unrealistic and that some units were needed for grid stability. In 2006, the province pushed back the deadline to close 6,400 MW of coal-fired capacity until 2014. Four units, representing 2,000 MW of capacity, were shut last October.

The federal government committed to seeing 90 percent of Canada’s electricity generated by non-emitting sources by 2020. It also committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. That goal grows to 60 to 70 percent below 2006 levels by 2050.

Ontario’s FIT program aims to build popular support because it contains a local content requirement. For wind projects, 25 percent of total project content were required to originate in Ontario in 2011; that level rises to 50 percent in 2012. For solar, the domestic content requirement rose from 40 percent in 2010 to 50 percent in 2011 and is to reach 60 percent in 2012.

Designed to promote job creation in an area hard hit by declines in traditional manufacturing such as autos, the local content mandate has led dozens of manufacturers to set up shop in the province. The province now has 18 solar panel and 15 inverter manufacturers. Prior to the FIT the province counted one manufacturer each for solar panels and inverters.

Through the province’s FIT program, the Ontario Power Authority (OPA)  has approved 40 new large-scale renewable energy projects including solar, wind and water that will attract Can$3 billion (US$3.04 billion) in private sector investment, according to the Ontario Ministry of Energy.

These projects represent more than 872 MW of renewable power, including 35 solar projects totaling 357 MW, four wind projects totaling 615 MW and one 500 kW water project. The government said these projects will result in at least 240 more wind turbines and at least one million more solar panels in Ontario.

Canada’s wind industry installed 1 GW of generating capacity in 2011. Commitments suggest an additional 4,000 to 12,000 MW could be installed by 2015. What may happen after 2015 is unclear because, aside from Nova Scotia, no province has set a formal goal beyond that date. As a result, few signals exist to encourage long-term planning, although developers need to be working now on projects that will sustain growth after mid-decade.

Ontario’s photovoltaic market is expected to reach cumulative installations of 2,650 MW by 2015, according to a February report by ClearSky Advisors. In 2011, 455 MW of new PV installations are expected to be added. Delays during the permitting process will push most FIT utility-scale demand back into 2012 and 2013, the report said. An increasing number of suppliers along with reduced global costs and delayed demand have combined to drive down the expected cost of modules in Ontario. By the second half of 2011, module supply constraints likely will be eliminated.

With around 2,450 MW of existing solar contracts, Ontario’s PV market will “experience strong growth from 2011-2012,” the report said. After 2013, the market will “shrink significantly” in response to ratepayer concerns, transmission constraints and the limited size of Ontario’s electricity market (the province’s population of 13 million is less than one-third that of California).

Domestic content requirements restrict the amount of equipment available to developers in Ontario. Though there has been concern that development would be limited by supply shortages, sufficient supplies likely will be available to meet demand from 2011 to 2015.

As for wind power in the province, the Ontario government announced earlier this year it is not proceeding with proposed offshore wind projects to allow time for further scientific research to determine their impact on the environment. In a statement, the government said no renewable energy approvals for offshore have been issued and no offshore projects will proceed. Furthermore, applications for offshore wind projects in the FIT program will no longer be accepted and current applications will be suspended.

Onshore wind energy produced 1,056 MW of power during the 9:00 P.M. hour on Oct. 26, 2010, an all-time record, according to the Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator. Over the course of the day, wind supplied more than 5 percent of the province’s electricity demand.

Canada ended 2010 with 754 MW of new wind energy capacity, representing $1.7 billion in new investment, according to CanWEA. This brings Canada’s total installed wind energy capacity to 4,073 MW.

Canada currently has 3,549 MW of installed wind capacity. Ontario represents 1,248 MW, or one-third, of the country’s total wind energy development. Another one-third comes from Quebec and Alberta with 663 MW and 656 MW, respectively. The remaining seven provinces account for the final one-third. CanWEA said wind energy has increased tenfold over the last six years.

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