What to expect from greentech in 2009
This column is Ontario-centric, but if you’re interested I list the Top 10 headline-makers that are likely for 2009. Here’s a quick look at the list:
- Obama’s “green stimulus” plan.
- Greentech VC funding survives downturn.
- Peak oil talk goes mainstream.
- Ontario Green Energy Act.
- Offshore wind on the Great Lakes.
- Plug-in vehicles justify auto bailout.
- Smart grid and smart storage.
- Power demand down, nuke costs up.
- Time-of-use, smart meters go live.
- Conservation programs hit their stride.
Tyler Hamilton is associate publisher and editor-in-chief of Corporate Knights magazine and former business columnist for the Toronto Star. This blog is a personal project started in April 2005.
December 31st, 2008 at 10:28 am
I am willing to bet that number 6 will be a big story.
Number 3? Seems unlikely at a time when oil prices have plunged due to falling demand. My tip for 2010.
December 31st, 2008 at 10:57 am
Tylor, why would you think that nucler costs would go up. The costs of construction raw materials has drop dramatically during the last few months, new construction projects are in the tank in North America, lowering Labor cost. New suppliers are beginning to come online, and interest rates are being lowered. This would suggest that near term nuclear cost will probably drop. i’ll bet TVA is projecting lowe construction costs for its Watts Bar Unit to project, the only nuclear construction project underway in the United States. At the same time TVA has reported that its newly reconditioned Browns Ferry Unit 1 reactor brought $800 million to its balance sheets last year. Only the most fanatical opponents of nuclear power are continuing to project increat nuclear construction costs over the short run. What does that make you?
December 31st, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Charles,
Please show me reports that nuclear costs have fallen dramatically. I’m still searching. I’ve seen some evidence of cooling off, but given the specialized nature of the nuclear industry costs are still expected to be high — and we all know lower labour and commodity costs are only expected to last about 18 months, ending well before most of these planned nuclear projects will ever get built.
BTW: I wouldn’t call myself a fanatical opponent of nuclear, or even an opponent at all. I see its value but also its limitations and risks, and like most of us have a preference of some power sources over others.
January 2nd, 2009 at 8:11 am
[...] A cool list put together by Tyler Hamilton of Clean Break of what to expect in the Clean Tech industry this coming year. Some of these I very much look forward too. One of which is Ontario’s Green Energy Act! Read the full article. [...]
January 11th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
When and where is the green energy conference happening in Toronto ?
February 4th, 2009 at 8:24 am
[...] What to expect from greentech in 2009 (cleanbreak.ca) [...]