Japan Spurs solar energy, wind energy with subsidies for renewable energy

26 August 2011, 6: 51 am EDT by Rika Watanabe

(Updates with comments from sharp President in 12 paragraph.)

26 Aug. (Bloomberg)-Japan today a bill approved to subsidize electricity from renewable energy sources, European Nations in the transfer of nuclear energy after the law was undergone reactor Fukushima in March.The, the renewable energies by following upper House approval by the lower Chamber at the Aug. 23 and was one of the last acts of Prime Minister Naoto Kan, their support on his handling of Japan's biggest postwar sagged disaster. He said today that he is his resignation after Parliament passed the law.The law allows incentives, to ensure that the market prices for wind, solar and geothermal energy. The so-called feed-in tariff created a race, solar panels, the implementation in Germany and Spain to install. In Japan, it can help to take Chinese companies like Suntech Power Holdings Co. and Canadian Solar Inc., foot.Japan is about 9 percent of the electricity from CO2 sources. Kan called for this level to increase and for the country to phase out nuclear energy after 11 March earthquake and tsunami Tokyo Electric Power Co. Fukushima crippled nuclear plant. Prior to the crisis delivered nuclear plants had about 30 percent of the electricity of Landes.Sonnenkollektoren capacity of approx. 3.68 gigawatt power at the end of last year in Japan, and the Government aims at 28 gigawatts to 2020. installations can 1.4 gigawatts to 1.6 gigawatts according to London researchers Bloomberg of new energy finance this year as a whole. A new nuclear power plant produces generally more than 1 Gigawatt.Business lobby ObjectsThe is legislation on 1 July 2012, effectively and requiring utilities to electricity generation from renewable energy sources including buy solar, wind and geothermal energy prices on the market. "The Minister of trade and industry decides prices and times after consultation with experts and Ministers."A intensive measure to extend the use of renewable energy sources give special consideration of profit makes Minister to get the suppliers, "is the clean energy Act contained Keidanren, Japan's largest business lobby, the electric utilities among its members one additional Bestimmungen.Kritiker of measures." Legislators agreed to the revision of legislation to grant, a discount of at least 80 percent of the feed-in tariffs are passed the serious power users in electricity bills.Power rate Council for renewable energy sources other than solar will as much as 20 yen (26 cents) a kilowatt hour for about 15 years, trade and Industry Minister said Banri Kaieda in the Parliament on 14 July the rate for solar higher, on a plan, in 2009 buy excess solar energy can be established. "Currently the tariff for excess solar energy is generated by houses 42 yen per kilowatt-hour, while electricity produced by companies and schools compares 40 Yen.Dies with the price of grid electricity from 13.77 yen per kilowatt hour for commercial users, according to Japanese Agency for natural resources and energy."The rate must be high "said Mikio Katayama, Chairman of the Japan photovoltaic energy Association, reporters in Tokyo today." enough, to encourage investment,For the continuous growth of the industry, there should be no sudden changes in the system such as reduction of tariffs and stop, ", said Katayama, also President of average household because of the new rules, an additional 180 yen per month can pay sharp, Japan's largest manufacturer of Solarzellen.Ein, said Nobumori Otani, a Democratic Party of Japan's legislature, which the ruling party leads to renewable energy team."Hydro power and biomass also benefit from the subsidies.

-With the help of Sachiko Sakamaki in Tokyo. Editor: Alex Devine, Tony Barrett

The reporter on this story contact: Rika Watanabe in Tokyo, cwatanabe5@bloomberg.net

The editor for this story contact: Reed country mountain at landberg@bloomberg.net

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Obama: Oil and gas subsidies no sense

(WASHINGTON, May 14, UPI) - US - President Barack Obama demanded Saturday an end that $4 billion in annual subsidies to the oil industry, said they are not fair and not make sense.

"In the last months the largest oil companies made $4 billion in profits every week." And yet, they have $4 billion in taxpayer subsidies every year. 4 Billion dollars at a time when Americans to fill their tanks hardly. "Four billion dollars at a time when we try to reduce our deficit, said Obama in his weekly radio and Internet address, outlining steps that takes place his Government curb the rising cost of gasoline."

"It is not fair, it makes no sense." Before I was President, the CEOs of these companies also acknowledged that the tax subsidies made no sense. Now, next week, it a vote in Congress this oil company of giveaways a for once stop. And I hope that Democrats and Republicans come together and get this done.

"The American people should be not oil companies subsidies at a time when she make profits in the next record." As a nation, we should be in the clean, invested in renewable energy sources, which are the ultimate solution for high gas prices. The is why we are investing in clean energy technology, help companies, the production of solar cells and wind turbines, and to ensure that our cars and trucks on a container of Gases--a step further can, the families could save as much as $3,000 at the gas pump. "

The President announced the formation of a task force, led by Attorney General Eric holder, with the express purpose rooting out fraud and market manipulation. He led also to the "safe and responsible" domestic oil production, including leasing annual sales in Alaska National Petroleum Reserve, the acceleration of the offshore oil and gas exploration in the Central and Southern Atlantic Ocean and the extension of all leases in the Gulf of Mexico of last year's deepwater horizon oil spill affected.

A senior administration of official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Friday the plans of the Government to speed up the environmental assessment in the Gulf of Mexico lease to facilitate sales in the Western and Central Gulf by mid 2012. The official said leases in Alaska Orlik for potential activity that happened in the last year "to ensure companies not by, that are corrupted", add the Government is "tailor-made" lease conditions and the introduction of fee structures to early development to promote and further incentives already rented lands access to Castle.

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Top 5 myths about subsidies for oil companies

This is a cross post from transition voice. Written by Erik Curren

The President can the Osama bin Laden now killed to big oil get up?

Comments by House Speaker John Boehner, the subsidies for oil and gas companies on the table, Democrats led by Montana Senator Max Baucus should cut through encouraged last week again stalled efforts handouts to the largest oil companies billions a year in taxpayer.

No wonder big oil will gently into the good night, not even after the message only gains 30% over the previous year. At the same time are ordinary families who do not have, that much touted recovery experience now to pay $4 a gallon or more at the pump.

But that hasn't stopped, the oil and gas lobby from firing back. The American Petroleum Institute has already set, robust lobbying efforts by complement its member companies with their own pressure campaign to Congress.

Meanwhile, API Chief Economist John Felmy said that "If about gasoline prices seriously, he would concentrate Senator Baucus on the further development of our vast resources here at home the much-needed American would create jobs, revenue for the Government to erhohenund strengthen our energy security."

Of course, America needs the oil. But to assert that the industry is much more for the domestic economy in exchange for the taxpayer is only one of the myths that has spun the oil lobby in the support that they enjoy.

Is to set the record straight, here our take on all the things that the industry warns that we lose when we finally cut their handouts of this time.

Don't be scared. Instead, you are very, very un-scared.

Claim: "What is the oil companies - what does each company - when your taxes rise?" asks Conservative commentator Keith Koffler, echo the Orwellian industry's line, that subsidies cut is actually a form of tax increase. "PASS IT THE COST ALONG TO THE CONSUMER." "That is, higher gas prices."

Reality: In 2006, now on course for peak oil there can do to stop not much anyone to gas prices rising. Crude oil and gas prices will be a nasty BREW of declining supply and demand volatile, but the trend in the coming years only up, up, up. Briefly as they tell us for years, ExxonMobil, Chevron and the other oil majors have little control over prices. US gas prices are driven mostly by global crude oil prices. And crude oil are set on the world market. A joint Economic Committee report says, "the removal or alteration is one to have little effect on consumer prices for oil and gas [these subsidies]."

Claim: "The Administration continues to ignore the fact that largest job creator, is this industry in the nation", said CEO Jack Gerard API in February, claimed that cut oil subsidies "Thousands of potential jobs." would eliminate the industry to support claims to 9.2 million American workers.

Reality: What is the harm in a little exaggeration? Now, if you actually employ less than 10% of employees claim, then Houston we have a problem. According to the Bureau of economic analysis, in 2009 the industry directly employs only 800,000 in the United States, comparable to the number of clerks, commercial employees, the work in sporting goods, hobby, book and music - and much less than 1% of the entire American jobs. Studies have consistently, that new shown labour-intensive energy sources like solar and wind create far more jobs per dollar as mature industries such as drilling and mining costs have to rely increasingly on machines to work.

Claim: Cutting subsidies "would actually lower revenue to the Government of many billion dollars due to a lost revenue from projects that [aka, cut subsidies] would prevent the tax increases going forward," says the API of Gerard.

Reality: The true effective tax rate which is oil industry, a topic of debate, with some analysts claim that petroleum and pipeline pays only about a third of the statutory corporate income tax rate of 35%. If, in the current overheated oil market, projects to find and oil are not value without subsidies do, then these projects were a waste of money probably from the outset. And is prepared not after almost a century of public support, this age industry that still take off wheels? Or have the world's most profitable companies are addicted to corporate welfare?

Claim: "America needs policies, promoting more supply of petroleum and natural gas, not policies, which hinder the industry's ability consumers which require energy, that you need." The United States much energy security could improve that access to domestic oil and gas resources, "says API-funded website energy morning."

Reality: Myth # 3. Here, drilling, drill now, dream on. Or in the words of radio host Cenk Uygur "are not U.S. property multinational corporations such as ExxonMobil." They sell to the world and their component parts to corporate profits. So, if they drilling, drilling for the whole world, not just us. "Some might find the heart warming, but it has certainly nothing to do with the United States having more oil or lower prices."

Claim: The oil and gas industry is already supports clean energy and green jobs more efficiently than the Obama administration, according to the API ", with less burden on the American taxpayer by its own green investment."

Reality: How stupid think oil lobbyists really we are? Despite cheery advertising campaign with solar panels and sunflower not expand achievement industry into green energy far beyond the field of marketing clearly. It is true that the industry spent $98 billion for "renewable, alternative and advanced emerging energy technologies" from 2000 to 2005. But 0nly about 1%, went into clean energy including solar, wind and geothermal energy, while a whopping $86 billion went one in "refine heavier sources of crude oil, including tar and oil sands and oil shale, and turn of waste and residues hydrocarbons into useful products" - more or less the opposite of clean energy - loud a report of the Senate.

President Obama devoted his April 30 weekly address cutting oil subsidies. "We should in the future instead of subsidising the yesterday's energy invested."

Let us hope that meet its deeds to its words. Big oil is undoubtedly a formidable enemy, even if they are perforated in a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. But when the President finally used his pulpit really clean energy and conservation advocate, who takes care of itself to America's future with him should be.

: Erik Curren

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