Jim Pierobon is Founder and principal writer of The Energy Fix. He is a policy, marketing and social media strategist who has reported on, testified and consulted about smarter grids, cyber-security as it affects the power grid, fossil fuel shortages, price spikes, energy efficiency and the rise and fall -- and the rise again of nuclear and renewable energy sources.Tariffs on China’s solar panels don’t change what’s needed from U.S. energy and industrial policies
Of all the assertions made by parties on both sides of the heightening debate about China’s subsidies of its solar panel manufacturing companies one reality should be more clear with each passing day: At the heart of the race for solar manufacturing leadership are the shortcomings of energy policies that could help consumers invest more [...]
Guest Opinion: Jigar Shah makes the case against a tariff on imported Chinese solar panels
By Jigar Shah, Chair, Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy Below The Energy Fix shares the case AGAINST a tariff on solar panels imported from China. The case FOR a tariff was published here February 14. Last October the US subsidiary of German-based SolarWorld, a manufacturer of polysilicon solar cells, filed a complaint with the U.S. [...]
Guest Opinion: SolarWorld states its case for tariffs on Chinese solar panel imports as Xi Jinping visits the U.S.
The visits this week in Washington, Iowa and Los Angeles by the presumed next general secretary of the Chinese Communist party, Xi Jinping, underscore the stakes for solar energy companies that buy panels from Chinese companies and companies with operations in the U.S. whose prices are being undercut by China’s subsidies. The U.S. Commerce Department [...]
Rather than trying to match China on solar panel prices, U.S. should better incentivize domestic demand
Conversations with analysts and advocates on both sides of SolarWorld’s anti-dumping suit against China lead me believe the U.S. cannot beat its communist counterparts on cost. What it CAN do is set policies that convince U.S. financiers that solar energy is worth investing in. This way, fresh capital can flow to U.S. companies so they [...]
Try your hand at National Geographic’s 2011 Energy News Quiz
Time for something different . . . from a source you may not be familiar with, at least about energy: hat’s off to National Geographic magazine. Try your own hand at these 10 questions, without searching for the answers. “Great Energy Challenge” 2011 News Quiz questions (answers at the end of this post): 1. How [...]
How much do U.S. energy consumers lose if SolarWorld secures solar panel import fee? Preliminary duty decision expected late March
With the unanimous 6-0 decision by the U.S. International Trade Commission December 2 enabling a thorough probe of claims that Chinese solar panel manufacturers are ‘dumping’ their products in the U.S. market at below the cost of making and marketing them, an all-out trade war looms. Without long-term, innovative thinking by both sides, the ultimate [...]
Best chance for successful climate treaty: leadership by China or environmental emergency
As the next round of international negotiations about a possible climate change treaty — the 17th to be exact since the Kyoto Treaty was signed in 1992 — get up to speed in Durban, South Africa, it’s becoming increasingly clear that an environmental emergency stands the best chance of compelling industrialized countries to act. That’s [...]
EVs, efficiency, offshore wind are driving U.S. clean tech job creation
With a bit of interpretation from yours truly, here’s a quick read on this year’s Clean Edge report on ‘Clean Tech’ job trends: 1. Clean-tech jobs are spouting in Mexico, not just China. It’s proximity to North American markets begs for more investment there. 2. Feed-in-fariffs are boosting renewable energy apptetites, but payment formulas can make progress unsustainable. Check out [...]