Renewable energy remains at core of GCC's long-term energy and sustainability strategy

DUBAI, UAE: OGS 2009, the 16th edition of the premier oil, gas, renewable energy and automation event, has launched the Alter Energy Convention 2009 as a conference-led exhibition dedicated to the management of carbon and water footprints in the Middle East using alternative energies.

The Alter Energy Convention 2009 will be held Oct. 27-29 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and aims to leverage the increasing role of renewable energy in the long-term strategy of GCC countries, as several billion dollars worth of projects have been earmarked to enable the energy supply to keep pace with the rate of economic development.

The Convention will focus on how alternative energies can reduce carbon footprints while meeting growing energy needs.

Statistics from the Emirates Energy Award have revealed that between $160 to $200 billion will be invested across the GCC in various energy projects, including several projects in renewable energy resources such as solar, wind and hydrogen.

In Abu Dhabi alone, a total of $15 billion in renewable investments have been launched, aiming not just to develop conventional renewable energy sources but also to focus on carbon reduction and management, sustainable development, education, manufacturing and research and development.

Numerous initiatives in the Middle East, such as the MASDAR Initiative and the Mediterranean Solar Plan, have also put renewable energies and green technology investment high on public and private sector agendas.

Anselm Godinho, managing director, International Conferences and Exhibitions (IC&E), the organizers of OGS, said: "Renewable energy continues to account for a small fraction of the total energy resources of the region and around the world. At the same time, new technologies are allowing industry the leeway to become more productive while being greener.

"There are many possibilities and opportunities in renewable fuels, sustainable energy and green technology, and it is the intention of the Convention to create the ideal platform to cultivate new ideas and promote business-to-business activities.

"The Alter Energy Convention is the event where international experts, regional decision-makers and suppliers of ‘green’ technology and renewable energy infrastructure meet and debate the relative merits of alternative energies versus fossil fuels from both a business and ethical vantage point."

The Alter Energy Convention is being held in conjunction with OGS 2009, which will feature its traditional oil and gas focus, as well as offer a trading platform for automation, industrial, infrastructural and manufacturing and process control technologies. OGS 2009 will be held concurrently with the Emiratization Forum 2009, which invites senior HR leaders to interact with public and private sector policy-shapers on the benefits of Emiratization.

The event will also be co-located with the Engineering Careers Expo 2009 and the Excellence in Engineering Forum 2009, where young engineers will meet with industry leaders to secure employment and internship opportunities.

NV Energy seeks short-term renewable energy

LAS VEGAS, USA: NV Energy announced that it has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for short-term renewable energy resources. The company desires proposals for deliveries of renewable energy beginning on or after October 1, 2009. Energy deliveries may be for a minimum of one month up to three years.

Proposals will be considered for the following types of renewable energy resources: solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and other resources eligible for portfolio energy credits under the Nevada renewable portfolio standard. Responses to the RFI are due by September 2, 2009.

"Nevada’s tremendous renewable resources make our state a focal point in the industry," said Tom Fair, vice president renewable energy, NV Energy. "We are currently involved in hundreds of megawatts of renewable energy projects, but need to increase our portfolio to maintain our position ahead of Nevada’s Portfolio Standard (PS)."

This request is consistent with the company's ongoing plan to surpass the goals of Nevada's Portfolio Standard that requires an increasing percentage of the electricity provided by NV Energy to its customers be from renewable sources. The Standard, which was recently increased by the 2009 Legislature, calls for 25 percent of all the company's energy to come from renewable resources or energy efficiency measures by 2025.

Parties interested in submitting a response to the RFI, or those seeking more information related to the RFI or renewable energy laws contact NV Energy at: ShortTermRFI@nvenergy.com

World Bank's support to increase electricity access in rural Bangladesh

WASHINGTON, USA: The World Bank recently approved a $130 million IDA credit to Bangladesh, designed to increase access to electricity through the installation of affordable solar home systems in rural areas.

This credit is additional financing for the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Development Credit, a project that since 2003 has connected 600,000 consumers to the electricity grid, constructed about 8,500km of new distribution, and provided 320,000 consumers with solar home systems.

Despite advances, access to electricity in Bangladesh remains low, currently around 40 percent. Power shortages and load shedding are severe, especially in rural areas, which hurt economic growth and industrial development.

In addition, population growth, increased industrialization, additional connections, and rise in the use of modern, electrical appliances have boosted demand for electricity, currently growing at a rate of over 500MW a year.

“Investing in grid electricity alone will not realize the Government of Bangladesh’s goal of universal access to electricity by 2020,” said Rob Floyd, Acting World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh.

“This additional financing will be used to provide electricity to 300,000 households through solar home systems. Many of these households in poor areas are too remote to connect to the electricity grid and would never receive electricity through conventional electrification methods.”

A part of the additional financing will be used to purchase and install about 10 million energy efficient compact fluorescent lamps in densely populated areas in the country. These will replace an equivalent number of incandescent lamps.

“Lighting coincides with the peak load hours and contributes over 20 percent of the demand,” said Raihan Elahi, Senior Energy Specialist and Task Leader for the project. “Replacing these lamps, which will be free of charge for residential consumers, is expected to reduce the peak demand by about 360MW.”

The project will support an ongoing renovation of the electricity distribution network as well as provide financing for renewable energy projects such as biomass and biogas power plants, solar water pump for irrigation, and solar mini grids.

The credit from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s concessionary arm, has 40 years to maturity with a 10-year grace period; it carries a service charge of 0.75 percent.

Geothermal energy most efficient renewable energy alternative

NEW YORK, USA: As the Obama Administration pushed the energy bill through the House, government organizations and corporations are assessing renewable energy alternatives. Which are the most efficient and improving the fastest?

According to a new study from NYU Stern, geothermal and wind energy are more efficient, and are yielding greater returns on the R&D invested in them, than most other renewable energy alternatives.

NYU Stern Professor Melissa Schilling, an expert in strategic management and technology and innovation management, finds that the cost of generating electricity with geothermal or wind energy is a fraction of the cost of solar energy.

More important, the performance of both is improving much more per dollar of R&D invested in them than solar technologies. This is the first study to explore the trajectory of performance improvement of renewable energy alternatives.

She examined data on government R&D investment and technological improvement and found:

* Geothermal energy is the most efficient renewable energy alternative and is improving the fastest. Wind energy is second.
* Fossil fuel technologies are no longer improving (in terms of efficiency) much –- if at all. These technologies have likely reached their performance limits, though the government still spends far more on them.
* Geothermal energy could become cheaper than fossil fuels with R&D spending of as little as $3.3 billion.
* Both geothermal and wind energy technologies have been underfunded by national governments relative to funding for solar technologies, and government funding of fossil fuel technologies might be excessive given their diminishing performance.

The full paper was recently published in Energy Policy and is available at: http://w4.stern.nyu.edu/news/docs/JEPO_Technology_S_Curves.pdf.

Masdar City, UAE, wins IRENA headquarters

ABU DHABI, UAE: Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has been selected to house the secretariat of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), marking the first time an international organization has chosen a Middle East city for its headquarters.

IRENA will be located in Abu Dhabi's Masdar City, the world's first carbon-neutral, zero-waste city powered entirely by renewable energy.

In securing the location for IRENA the UAE faced stiff competition from Germany, Austria and Denmark, all recognized leaders in renewable energy. Since the establishment of IRENA in January, the candidate nations have been locked in a hard-fought competition.

However, the UAE's ability to serve as a bridge between the developing and developed world; the allure of the world's first carbon neutral city; and a generous commitment of financial and political support won over a significant following among member states of the new organisation.

"This is a great achievement for the United Arab Emirates, but more importantly it is a testament to the strength of the relationships we have established throughout our campaign. It was very important for us to offer IRENA a value proposition that would help the agency achieve its goals by engaging with developing and developed nations alike," said His Highness Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates.

"The UAE is committed to working with each of the member countries and meeting the immediate needs of IRENA to ensure its successful launch," added the Foreign Minister.

The UAE's bid for IRENA's headquarters is the first time the country has engaged in such an ambitious endeavor on the international stage. "This has been a tremendous educational experience, and has strengthened bonds with our IRENA co-members that will allow us to collectively advance the benefits of renewable energy on all continents," said Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar and a key architect of the UAE's bid.

He added that the efforts by the UAE to encourage non-signatory nations to join IRENA not only strengthened the UAE bid but also strengthened the organization itself, which grew from 75 member states at the time of its foundation in January to over 130 countries to date.

As part of its commitment to IRENA, the UAE offered to support the agency with a grant of $136 million over a six year period, while also covering all operational costs in perpetuity. Moreover, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development created a special endowment of up to US $50 million annually to be used for loans in support of renewable energy projects in the developing world.

The UAE bid attracted wide spread international support by key figures, including Ban Ki Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Dr. Rajendra K Pachauri, Nobel laureate and Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC).

Renewable energy sustains growth in European solar thermal systems market

DUBLIN, IRELAND: Research and Markets has announced the addition of Frost & Sullivan's new report "European Solar Thermal Heating Systems Market" to its offering.

The market for solar thermal systems (STS) in Europe has witnessed major developments at all levels in the last four years. Policy makers, market participants and end users have given greater attention to STS, ensuring a high growth potential. Due to its tremendous long-term growth prospects, this market has attracted several new participants that are playing a central role in promoting the industry.

"Currently, the key driver for the market in Europe is government support for STS in the form of financial subsidies, tax credits, and regulatory reforms," says the analyst of this research. "The market for STS is highly responsive to fluctuations in the provision of governmental support."

For instance, the Italian market witnessed strong growth levels following increased government subsidies for STS. On the other hand, the German market declined significantly as a direct result of a temporary disruption to these subsidies and recovered as soon as they became available again.

High growth in the STS market, particularly over the last four years, has attracted several new participants that are promoting the industry and making STSs accessible to a wider customer base.

Develop low-cost, STS to curb prices
Cost is the primary hurdle confronting the STS market. Despite the financial incentives that the solar thermal installations receive, the overall price is still high and the recoup period can go up to 20 years in some regions.

Additionally, a STS is only a complementary alternative and not a substitute for a traditional hot water system. Therefore, it is not a viable investment option for most end users, especially in countries where conventional energy prices are low. "In many countries, particularly in northern Europe, the solar yield can be as little as 40 per cent," explains the analyst. "Additionally, the up-front cost of a solar thermal system continues to be expensive."

Companies should work on developing low-cost and effective solar thermal systems, particularly in the current economic conditions in Europe. On the whole, with escalating competition, both manufacturers and installers will be forced to reduce prices and the overall price of STS will go down.

President Obama's remarks on renewable energy -- We come for the sun!

Here's the release on US President Barack Obama's remarks on alterative energy. It is also posted on the White House web site.


NEVADA, USA: Thank you so much. Everybody please have a seat. Thank you so much.

I've got some special acknowledgments that I have to make. First of all, we've got some members of the congressional delegation Nevada who are doing outstanding jobs not only for Nevada but also for the men and women in uniform. So please give a warm welcome to Congresswoman Shelley Berkley. Congresswoman Dina Titus. And we're in his district, he couldn't be here, but Congressman Dean Heller, please give him a big round of applause.

I also want to thank the State Controller, Kim Wallin, for her great work. The Nevada Secretary of State, Ross Miller. Nevada State Treasurer, Kate Marshall. I want to thank the Brigadier General, Stanley Kresge, for the wonderful, outstanding work that he does, as well as Colonel Dave Belote, who just gave me an outstanding tour of the solar panel facility out here.

But mainly I want to thank all of you, the men and women in uniform, for your service to our country. We're grateful to you. Thank you.

I just spoke to a handful of your commanders here. I know some are about to be deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, many have just come back. The fact that you serve each and every day to keep us safe is something that every American is grateful for. And so if I don't do anything else as your Commander-in-Chief, I'm going to make sure that we're there for you just as you've been there for us. So thank you very much.

Finally, let me acknowledge Senator Reid, not just for the generous introduction, not only because he's been a great friend, not only because he's been an outstanding Majority Leader, but also because of everything that he's done for the people of Nevada and for the armed services. He is somebody who has never forgotten his roots. After all these years, he still brings the voices and values of Searchlight, Nevada to the nation's most important debates in Washington, D.C. -- and we are better off because he does. So please give Harry Reid a big round of applause.

You know, it's always a pleasure to get out of Washington a little bit. Washington is okay, but it's nice taking some time to talk to Americans of every walk of life outside of the nation's capital. And there's nothing like a quick trip to Vegas in the middle of the week. Like millions of other Americans, we come to this beautiful city for the sights and for the sounds -- and today, we come for the sun.

Because right now, we're standing near the largest solar electric plant of its kind in the entire Western Hemisphere -- the entire Western Hemisphere. More than 72,000 solar panels built on part of an old landfill provide 25 percent of the electricity for the 12,000 people who live and work here at Nellis. That's the equivalent of powering about 13,200 homes during the day.

It's a project that took about half a year to complete, created 200 jobs, and will save the United States Air Force, which is the largest consumer of energy in the federal government, nearly $1 million -- $1 million a year. It will also reduce harmful carbon pollution by 24,000 tons per year, which is the equivalent of removing 4,000 cars from our roads. Most importantly, this base serves as a shining example of what's possible when we harness the power of clean, renewable energy to build a new, firmer foundation for economic growth.

Now, that's the kind of foundation we're trying to build all across America. One hundred days ago, in the midst of the worst economic crisis in half a century, we passed the most sweeping economic recovery act in history -- a plan designed to save jobs, create new ones, and put money in people's pockets. It's a plan designed not only to revive the economy in the short term, but to rebuild the economy over the long term. It's a plan that we passed thanks to the tireless efforts of Harry Reid and Congresswoman Berkley and Congresswoman Titus and all the other outstanding public servants in Washington.

But if it hadn't been for Harry Reid -- because the Senate is tough -- moving this Recovery Act through Congress with the skill and tenacity and urgency of somebody who knows the struggles that millions of people are going through, we would have not gotten it done. So I am eternally grateful to him and the other members of the congressional delegation for helping to pass this plan.

And 100 days later, we're already seeing results. And today, we're releasing a report that details the progress that we've made in every region of the country.

In these last few months, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has saved or created nearly 150,000 jobs -- jobs building solar panels and wind turbines, making homes and buildings more energy efficient. They're the jobs of teachers and police officers and nurses who have not been laid off as a consequence of this Recovery Act. They're the jobs fixing roads and bridges, jobs at start-ups and small businesses, and jobs that will put thousands of young Americans to work this summer.

Also in the Recovery Act, by the way, is all sorts of construction taking place on bases just like Nellis to support military families, and I know that that is something that Michelle Obama has taken a lot of time looking into; that's something that I'm spending a lot of time thinking about. We want to make sure that our bases and our facilities are the best in the world for our best troops.

Ninety-five percent of all working families saw their take-home pay increase because of the tax cut that we provided in the Recovery Act. Fifty-four million seniors received $250 extra in their Social Security checks. Laid-off workers have received greater unemployment benefits and paid less for their health care.

For the thousands of families whose homes have been made more energy efficient, it's also saved them about $350 on their energy bills. Other Americans saved thousands by taking advantage of the tax credits the Recovery Act has provided for the purchase of a new home, or a new fuel-efficient car, or energy-efficient cooling and heating systems, windows, and insulation. And all of this has helped to fuel demand that is helping businesses put more Americans back to work.

But this is just the beginning. There are still too many Americans out of work, and too many who still worry that their job may be next. There are still too many families struggling to pay the bills, and too many businesses struggling to keep their doors open. And that's why we will continue to implement the Recovery Act as quickly and effectively as possible over the next two years.

We're just at the start of this Recovery Act. We are going to keep on going through this year and into next year, because we are going to make sure that not only are we putting people back to work, but we're laying the foundation for a better economy. And that's why my administration will continue an unrelenting, day-by-day effort to fight for economic recovery on all fronts.

Now, I just want to emphasize, even as we clear away some of the wreckage and debris of this extraordinary recession, I've also said that our next task is making sure that this doesn't happen again. We can't return to the same bubble-and-bust economy, borrow-and-spend economy based on maxed-out credit cards and overleveraged banks and financial profits that were only real on paper -- see, that young lady agrees with me. We have to lay a new foundation for prosperity -- a foundation constructed on the pillars that will grow our economy and help America compete in the 21st century.

And a renewable energy revolution is one of those pillars. We know the cost of our oil addiction all too well. It's the cost measured by the billions of dollars we send to nations with unstable or unfriendly regimes. We help to fund both sides of the war on terror because of our addiction to oil. It's the cost of our vulnerability to the volatility of the oil markets. It's the cost we feel in shifting weather patterns that are already causing unprecedented droughts and more intense storms. It's a cost we can't bear any longer.

Today, projects like the one at Nellis are still the exception to the rule, unfortunately. America produces less than 3 percent of our electricity through renewable sources of energy like wind and solar -- less than 3 percent. In contrast, Denmark produces 20 percent of their electricity through wind. We pioneered solar technology, but we've fallen behind countries like Germany and Japan in generating it, even though they get less sun than we do. They certainly get less sun than Nevada.

So we've got a choice. We can remain the world's leading importer of oil, sending our money and our wealth away, or we can become the world's leading exporter of clean energy. We can hand over the jobs of the future to our competitors, or we can confront what they've already recognized as the great opportunity of our time: The nation that leads the world in creating new sources of clean energy will be the nation that leads the 21st-century global economy. And that's the nation I want America to be and I know that's the nation you want America to be.

Already, we've made more progress on this front in the last four months than we have in the last three decades. Last week, I brought auto executives, labor unions, environmental groups, Democrats, and Republicans together to set the toughest-ever national fuel-efficiency standard for our cars and trucks -- a standard that will save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of the vehicles sold in the next five years.

In Congress, leaders like Harry Reid are also working to pass a historic energy plan that will help end our dependence on foreign oil while preventing the worst consequences of climate change. It's a system -- it's a plan that will create a system of clean energy incentives that will create good, American jobs and crack down on polluters who pollute the air we breathe and the water we drink.

Finally, by the end of the next two years, the Recovery Act will have enabled a doubling of our nation's capacity to generate renewable energy by investing in projects just like the one on this Air Force base. And today, I'm announcing the availability of funding for two Recovery Act programs that will help us reach that goal.

The first is a solar energy technologies program that will help replicate the success of the Nellis project in cities and states across America -- because in this case, what happens in Vegas should not stay in Vegas. We want everybody to know what we're doing here in Vegas. We'll invest in the development and deployment of solar technology wherever it can thrive and we'll find the best ways to integrate solar power into our electric grid.

The second program I'm announcing will help develop the use of geothermal energy in America. As many of you in Nevada know, geothermal energy is literally defined as "heat from the earth." This heat can then be harnessed as a clean, affordable, and reliable source of energy.

And already, Nevada has 17 industrial scale geothermal plants, and your capacity to generate this type of power is expected to increase in the next few years. The program we're announcing will help accelerate this process -- here, and across America. So this is something that we expect will -- (applause.) -- this will create more jobs, it will create more businesses, and more affordable electricity for the American people.

Now, from where we stand today, the road to economic recovery is still long. We've got a lot of work to do. There are a lot of folks who are still hurting out there. And the road to a new, clean energy economy is even longer. We're not going to do it overnight. But after four months of this administration and 100 days of this Recovery Act, we have carved out a path toward progress. It's a path that begins in places just like this Air Force base, where ordinary citizens tap into their sense of innovation and ingenuity to reinvent the world around them.

This base has been known as "The Home of the Fighter Pilot." Now it's the home of the largest solar energy installation of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. And by the way, the two concepts are connected because it is good for our national security if we've got more control over our own energy use.

And that's the story that will be told all across America, in cities and towns, where a shuttered factory reopens to build wind turbines; where a hospital treats patients with new technology and pulls up their history with new electronic records; where a young entrepreneur with a nest egg and a good idea starts a business and creates more jobs.

That's how we move America forward. This is how we've always moved forward. It happens slowly, in fits and starts, but it always happens surely when we are dedicated to bringing about change. It happens not by chance or by luck, but because the American people keep pushing ahead -- persevering through hardship, growing through challenge, building something firmer and stronger in place of what was.

That's the work we've begun in these last few months, and with your help, this is the work we will continue to do in the days and months ahead.

For all of you who are serving in our armed forces, we want to make sure that our civilians are mobilizing and working on behalf of this country just as ably as you are. We salute you, we thank you. Thank you, everybody. God bless you, God bless the United States of America. Thank you.

Great River Energy issues RFP for renewable energy resources

MAPLE GROVE, USA: Great River Energy has issued a request for proposals for renewable energy resources (RFP) and other power generation resources with low or no net carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Great River Energy is subject to the Minnesota Renewable Energy Standard, which requires electric utilities to supply an increasing percentage of their energy sales from renewable energy, reaching 25 percent by 2025. Eligible energy technologies include: wind, solar, hydroelectric of less than 100 megawatts (MW), biomass, municipal solid waste, landfill gas and anaerobic digesters, and hydrogen produced from any of the previous resources.

Great River Energy would need about 1,200 MW of wind resources by 2025 to meet the new standard entirely with wind energy resources. Great River Energy currently has slightly more than 300 MW of wind resources in its energy portfolio, which is sufficient to meet the standard through approximately 2013.

“We’re issuing this RFP to bring value to our member cooperatives and to stay well ahead of the Renewable Energy Standard requirements,” says Glen Skarbakka, Great River Energy manager of resource planning.

Great River Energy is seeking approximately 1,600,00 megawatt hours per year of new resources from eligible energy technologies.

“We are most interested in projects entering commercial operation late in the 2010-2012 timeframe,” says Skarbakka. “Proposals for resources qualifying as Community-Based Energy Development (C-BED) are particularly encouraged, as are proposals from our member cooperatives.”

In addition to renewable energy projects, Great River Energy is interested in proposals for other resources with low or no net carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions relative to coal or natural gas fueled resources. Related resources will also be considered; these include wind turbine generator supply, wind power related development assets and renewable biomass fuel supply.

Solar energy: A bright spot in renewables

MENLO PARK, USA: Solar energy is gaining market share, as interesting new technologies are being developed to drive this renewable energy source forward.

The oil price fluctuations and global warming concerns have sparked a concentrated interest in promoting solar energy applications. In fact, the outlook for the global solar energy market is projected to more than double to reach $70 billion by 2013.

SRI Consulting (SRIC) has published its new Materials and Technologies for Solar Energy report that details the solar materials and technologies used in 1st through 4th generation photovoltaic applications, including an overview of solar thermal.

Solar power, like so many new energy processes, makes demands of chemicals during equipment manufacturing or operations. The 1st and 2nd generation photovoltaic cells require different forms of silicon, rare transition metals and metalloid elements. As a result of increased silicon costs, the 3rd and 4th generation technologies are focusing on organic polymers or nanomaterials and the lower manufacturing costs they offer.

Bob Davenport, Director of the Safe and Sustainable Chemicals series at SRIC said: "Developments in organic photovoltaic technology have made significant improvements in recent years, with cell efficiencies reaching over 5 percent. However, silicon based cells in the commercial photovoltaic industry are still the predominant technology because of higher efficiencies reaching over 25 percent."

The Materials and Technologies for Solar Energy report explores new applications where solar energy is being applied. Many opportunities exist for companies in the solar energy area from material research to manufacturing where breakthrough developments are being made at a surprising rate. The developments in organic manufacturing pose promising synergies with the printed electronics industry.

The number of specific technologies for producing photovoltaic solar cells is almost as numerous as the number of companies participating in the industry, especially with newer generation technologies. In addition, manufacturers are coming together and establishing standards. The Materials and Technologies for Solar Energy report includes information on key manufacturers and major technologies.

Obama strikes right chords for science and technology!

Finally, the USA has Barack Obama as its 44th president! There are bound to be lots of expectations from the new president of the United States.

Very interestingly, and aptly, Obama referred to science and technology in his inaugural speech. Surely, it is not a place for any US president to detail his policy, but from what everyone heard, the new President struck the right chords.

Savor some of these extracts from his inaugural speech:

"The state of the economy calls for action—bold and swift—and we will act, not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids, and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together."

"We will restore science to its rightful place and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost."

"We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories."

Wonderful! The US President clearly hinted at the role science will play during his tenure. Also, his suggestion of 'harnessing the sun and the winds' points to the growing importance of renewable energy, hybrid cars, and of course, solar photovoltaics.

I've indicated in an earlier blog post that Obama's, New Energy for America Plan could have a significant impact on the US solar industry.

The plan's provisions include:
• A federal renewable portfolio standard (RPS) that requires 10 percent of electricity consumed in the US to come from renewable sources by 2012.
• A $150 billion investment over 10 years in research, technologydemonstration and commercial deployment of clean energy technology.
• Extension of production tax credits for five years to encourage renewable energy production.
• A cap-and-trade system of carbon credits to provide an incentive for businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The focus on healthcare could see more attention on medical electronics -- just my guess -- and use it to provide affordable healthcare services.

I'd be very interested to see even more activity on hybrid cars. Closer to home we have had two great prototypes of hybrid/fuel-efficient cars last year -- the Chimera, said to be India's first plug-in hybrid car, and the Garuda.

As I am about to unwind for the day, I received a press release from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), USA, where the CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro congratulated Barack Obama on becoming the 44th President of the United States of America, saying: "On behalf of its 2,200 consumer technology member companies, CEA congratulates President Obama, our first digital president, on his inauguration."

Indeed, Obama is the USA's and the world's first digital president! I'd go on to add that he's the world's first Web 2.0 president! For instance, the amount of activity on Facebook has been overwhelming. Take a look for yourself!

Oh, in case you happen to visit the White House web site, it's brand new! The site says: "WhiteHouse.gov will be a central part of President Obama's pledge to make his the most transparent and accountable administration in American history."