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Comment by J Jay Pirko on February 21, 2010 at 11:55am

To the PickensPlan Leadership Team:

Encouraging energy business news is coming from the Youngstown, Ohio area. Google the Youngstown Business Journal, open the links to the news stories, and read about this hotbed of new energy industries.

For Pickens Plan entrepreneurs, this is a place to find the resources needed to grow a sustainable energy economy.

At our Regional Chamber of Commerce meeting Wed-17-Feb-2010, Congressman Tim Ryan recognized, and expressed his support for the Pickens Plan and HR 1835 (the NAT GAS Act.)

Executives from V & M Star Steel, who are investing $650 MILLION in their Youngstown plant to make gas/oil drilling pipe, were the guests of honor. Attending were a few hundred business and government officials.

This should encourage all Pickens Plan activists, that Boone's vision of American energy independence is becoming reality in the heart of the old "Rustbelt."

J. Jay (Jim) Pirko
Pickens Plan Leader OH-17

Comment by Stephan J van Tonder on December 23, 2009 at 2:01am

Thanks you all, I will follow up on all your comments.
Keep on sending, We dont have acsess to such info ( South Africa)

Comment by J Jay Pirko on December 22, 2009 at 9:20pm

Notice to Entrepreneurs in the New Energy Economy:

ADVANCED-ENERGY BUSINESS INCUBATOR IN WARREN, OHIO

The Youngstown-Warren Ohio region (in northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania) is a hotbed for Green Energy technology and business opportunity.

The Youngstown Business Journal published this article, another example of their outstanding business news coming from the Youngstown region. (I strongly recommend subscribing to the Youngstown Business Journal daily news broadcasts, and in-depth printed newspaper.)

- James Jay Pirko
OH-17 District Leader


NorTech to Help Launch Warren Incubator
-- 12/15/2009
Dec. 22, 2009 6:48 a.m.
By Dennis LaRue
WARREN, Ohio -- Possessed of a vision and fortified with $2.7 million in federal and state grants and another $1.7 million in private funding, a steering committee of 26 will, over the next 10 months, work toward the birth of an advanced-energy business incubator downtown.

Midwife to this birth is Rebecca O. Bagley, president and CEO of NorTech, a consulting firm based in downtown Cleveland whose tagline is “Growing Northeast Ohio’s High Tech Economy.”

Bagley, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-17 Ohio, state Sen. Capri Cafaro, D-32 Hubbard, state Rep. Tom Letson, D-64 Warren, and Mayor Michael O’Brien, outlined their vision Monday of what such an incubator might achieve in the fields of “advanced energy and flexible materials.”

Long on optimism and short on specifics, the four expressed hope the incubator will rejuvenate manufacturing in Mahoning Valley through infant enterprises that one day produce parts for windmills, geothermal, solar and nuclear energy plants and sources of energy other than petroleum, coal and natural gas.

“Four hundred tons of steel go into a windmill,” Ryan noted.

Bagley offered a number of people she expects would be employed in the incubator -- “50 to 70 jobs” – rather the number of companies that would be housed there.

“We have done some market testing,” she said later, reporting that “450 firms” in the region are interested.

The incubator is incorporated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that will be funded by both the public and private sectors.

The site of the incubator, whether it will be a converted building or a brand-new structure, and its design all must be worked out, to be determined by the steering committee that includes “nine CEOs or CEO-level executives,” Bagley said.

Mike Garvey, president of M 7 Technologies, Youngstown, and William Letson, president of the Trumbull 100, were present at yesterday’s press event in Ryan’s Warren office. So, too, were leaders from organized labor such as Gary Steinbeck, Sub-District 1 director of the United Steel Workers of America, and Mark Catello, business manager of Local 573 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Tony Iarusso, executive director of Warren Redevelopment and Planning, “will be involved,” O’Brien promised.

“Our role is facilitation,” Bagley said, “walking the steering committee through the process.”

The steering committee will look closely at the Youngstown Business Incubator, which Ryan called “a successful model [that will help the committee] avoid landmines.” He praised its success, noting it has earned national attention and, he hopes, the Warren incubator will too.

O’Brien voiced great optimism about the incubator, which in conjunction with the main campus of Eastern Gateway Community College to be established in Warren, should boost his city’s economy. Bagley and Ryan expect a partnership will develop between the community college and incubator.

“From North Park [Avenue] to Main Street,” O’Brien predicted, “within the next year, all [vacant buildings] will be filled.”

After nearly 30 years of neglect from Washington and Columbus, he rejoiced in the funding for the incubator and the development of the community college campus.

O’Brien pronounced himself “thoroughly impressed by the connectivity” of the Ohio House of Representatives, Ohio Senate and Congress that allowed the public funding of the incubator.

Before founding NorTech, Bagley served as deputy secretary for the Technology Investment Office of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development under Gov. Ed Rendell, says the biography provided by NorTech. There she “was responsible for the administration of several major state programs and initiatives, including the Life Sciences Greenhouse Initiative, the Ben Franklin Technology Partners, the Keystone Innovation Zone program, the research and development tax credit program and the manufacturing strategy.”

In that role, she managed “more than $1.7 billion in investments for Pennsylvania.”

Before that she was an investment banker in New York City where she was involved in oil and gas mergers and raising capital for various energy ventures.

She earned her baccalaureate in marketing at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Copyright 2009 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.

Comment by John R Cogar, Oregon 2nd. Congressional District Leader on December 4, 2009 at 1:05pm

However today I sent a letter to Boone asking for his help in locating a Commercial wind turbine for an Community College here in Oregon that trains students to become wind energy technicians...

This is the letter:

Dear Mr. Pickens,

I am the Second Congressional District chairperson for your group here in Oregon. I have a webpage based on using renewable energy resources for economic development for my area. A Community College here in Oregon has a program educating its students to be wind turbine technicians.. The turbine they have now is over 20 years old and outdated. Vestas has donated a hub to the college but they need to update the rest of the systems and have a small grant to help cover some costs of getting a newer machine.


They are looking for something that has perhaps been damaged somehow that might still be serviceable for their educational purposes that they could buy or that would be donated to them....



Kind of a long shot, but thought you might like to be involved in finding that turbine.. It would be some great publicity for the Pickens Plan if we could be of assistance.



Sincerely,

John R Cogar


If anyone here has any information about locating a turbine please contact me at jc@sustainablelakecountyoregon.com

Comment by Michael on October 14, 2009 at 6:45am

CAPITAL AVAILABLE TO DEVELOP ENERGY PROJECTS WORLDWIDE.
For details contact me at: michael@wantedpatents.com or
send your contact info at www.wantedscientists.com
Michael

Comment by Michael on October 13, 2009 at 3:44pm

George Soros to Invest $1 Billion in Green Energy
Posted by: Mark Scott on October 12

The upcoming climate talks in Copenhagen are less than two months away, and everyone is looking to throw in his/her two cents. On Oct. 10, it was billionaire George Soros’ turn to get in on the act. Giving a speech in Denmark, the man who famously ‘broke the Bank of England’ in the early 1990s now plans to invest $1 billion in clean energy technology. Another $100 million — doled out in $10 million increments annually over ten years — will fund the newly-created Climate Policy Initiative, a foundation targeted at environmental policy.

That’s a sizeable amount of cash, though Soros didn’t specify where the $1 billion would be spent other than saying ‘stringent conditions’ will be used to evaluate potential investments. And in an ironic twist, Soros, who made a sizeable chunk of his fortune through currency speculation, put his support behind carbon taxes, not cap-and-trade systems. His reason? Financial investors can too easily manipulate carbon markets.

Soros is wise to keep his cards close to his chest. With so much money on the table, potential deals could be given a ‘Soros premium’ if the billionaire focuses on a too-narrow clean energy brief. But some of his likes/dislikes are already known. Soros, for instance, has invested in clean coal technology, including Portsmouth (NH)-based Powerspan Corp that specializes in carbon capture technology.

Yet before we start speculating too much on where Soros will spend his cash, a word of caution is merited.

Other high-profile figures, such as T. Boone Pickens, have made similar promises of multi-million dollar investments. Often, though, their plans have come to nothing. That obviously doesn't mean Soros won't go ahead with his $1 billion scheme. But until concrete plans are announced, I'll reserve judgment. As Rod Tidwell (from Jerry Maguire fame) once said: 'show me the money.'

Indeed, the more important figure -- for me -- is $25.9 billion. That's the amount of money invested in green energy projects in the third quarter of 2009, according to New Energy Finance. After a shaky start to the year, investors are now more willing to fork out for clean energy projects. The gradual thawing of the credit markets certainly has helped. So have government-sponsored funds -- like renewable feed-in tariffs or other subsidies for green technologies -- that were included in global stimulus packages.

So with investment returning to the sector, maybe Soros has picked a good time to buy in. Other investors will keep a close eye where he puts his money.

Comment by Gary Fosburg on September 24, 2009 at 2:55pm

If the Pickens plan (which I support) supported a National Energy Lottery (see blog below) proposal and the 4 million followers donated 5 bucks a week for this Energy Raffle, there would be 800 winners a week or 41,600 winners a year
of a $25,000 voucher good only for Renewable products, ie; solar, wind, hybrid, energy green appliances, etc...and be fully transferrable as well. Take advantage of the Fed's energy credit and it would buy around $32,000 worth of Green product/s.

If the Pickens Plan ran this program and retained 10% for operations, not only would it generate further income for the cause but the donators would have some fun with the potential of winning this voucher and 25,000 to 1 odds. Better than a money lottery that doesn't promote going green.

At $20,000,000 a week @ 10%, that's $2,000,000 for the Pickens Plan for operations. Would certainly be enough for expanding the mission. That's over a Billion for the year! Maybe take that money and invest in a windmill anufacturing company that is owned by the workers. Spread the prosperity and have it Made in USA by the owners/workers.

Comment by allen bauman on August 28, 2009 at 6:51pm

If Carolyn McCarthy is your Congresswoman please add district group NY-04 to your list of groups.
Fall will be here soon and we know where the politicians will be.
We need to be organized and available in larger numbers to get our message across. Please join District Group NY-04 today!!!!!!
Allen Bauman
District Leader NY-04

Comment by allen bauman on August 26, 2009 at 12:00am

PLEASE READ ENTIRE POST.

Below is a letter written to my Senators and Congresswoman. Within the letter is an article from the New York Times concerning underhanded Chinese tactics to become the world leader in solar panel manufacturing.

PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AND SEND SIMILAR LETTERS TO YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES. I BELIEVE THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE AND MUST BE ADDRESSED BY OUR GOVERNMENT IMMEDIATELY. COPY AND PASTE IF YOU WANT TO THEN POST ANY RESPONSES YOU RECEIVE.

Allen Bauman
District Leader NY-04

The following article is from the New York Times. It is outrageous that China be allowed to use any back handed behavior necessary to capture the solar panel market without serious admonition from the American Government. As my Senator I insist that you light a fire under any and every agency involved in trade with China, contact the Chinese government and let them know in no uncertain terms that what they are doing is unacceptable and we will do what is necessary to protect this fledgling industry which I believe is critical to the future health and well being of the American economy. I am not a protectionist and I believe in global free trade, as long as there is a level playing field. I will also be sending this article to Senator Gillebrand and Congresswoman McCarthy imploring them to take action as well. It is my hope that you will meet with them and as many NYS Representatives as you can muster. This issue directly affects Long Island which has the potential to become a research, development and manufacturing center for solar technology. This also has the potential to affect upstate New York as well. Its a perfect lower wage, educated area which could benefit from new green industry. SUNY Binghamton is doing cutting edge research in this technology.


China Racing Ahead of U.S. in the Drive to Go Solar
Ryan Pyle for The New York Times

Suntech, China’s biggest solar panel maker, has reduced the price of panels sold in America to build market share.

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By KEITH BRADSHER
Published: August 24, 2009

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Ryan Pyle for The New York Times

Chinese companies like Suntech, above, plan to build assembly plants in the United States.
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WUXI, China — President Obama wants to make the United States “the world’s leading exporter of renewable energy,” but in his seven months in office, it is China that has stepped on the gas in an effort to become the dominant player in green energy — especially in solar power, and even in the United States.

Chinese companies have already played a leading role in pushing down the price of solar panels by almost half over the last year. Shi Zhengrong, the chief executive and founder of China’s biggest solar panel manufacturer, Suntech Power Holdings, said in an interview here that Suntech, to build market share, is selling solar panels on the American market for less than the cost of the materials, assembly and shipping.

Backed by lavish government support, the Chinese are preparing to build plants to assemble their products in the United States to bypass protectionist legislation. As Japanese automakers did decades ago, Chinese solar companies are encouraging their United States executives to join industry trade groups to tamp down anti-Chinese sentiment before it takes root.

The Obama administration is determined to help the American industry. The energy and Treasury departments announced this month that they would give $2.3 billion in tax credits to clean energy equipment manufacturers. But even in the solar industry, many worry that Western companies may have fragile prospects when competing with Chinese companies that have cheap loans, electricity and labor, paying recent college graduates in engineering $7,000 a year.

“I don’t see Europe or the United States becoming major producers of solar products — they’ll be consumers,” said Thomas M. Zarrella, the chief executive of GT Solar International, a company in Merrimack, N.H., that sells specialized factory equipment to solar panel makers around the world.

Since March, Chinese governments at the national, provincial and even local level have been competing with one another to offer solar companies ever more generous subsidies, including free land, and cash for research and development. State-owned banks are flooding the industry with loans at considerably lower interest rates than available in Europe or the United States.

Suntech, based here in Wuxi, is on track this year to pass Q-Cells of Germany, to become the world’s second-largest supplier of photovoltaic cells, which would put it behind only First Solar in Tempe, Ariz.

Hot on Suntech’s heels is a growing list of Chinese corporations backed by entrepreneurs, local governments and even the Chinese military, all seeking to capitalize on an industry deemed crucial by China’s top leadership.

Dr. Shi pointed out that other governments, including in the United States, also assist clean energy industries, including with factory construction incentives.

China’s commitment to solar energy is unlikely to make a difference soon to global warming. China’s energy consumption is growing faster than any other country’s, though the United States consumes more today. Beijing’s aim is to generate 20,000 megawatts of solar energy by 2020 — or less than half the capacity of coal-fired power plants that are built in China each year.

Solar energy remains far more expensive to generate than energy from coal, oil, natural gas or even wind. But in addition to heavy Chinese investment and low Chinese costs, the global economic downturn and a decline in European subsidies to buy panels have lowered prices.

The American economic stimulus plan requires any project receiving money to use steel and other construction materials, including solar panels, from countries that have signed the World Trade Organization’s agreement on free trade in government procurement. China has not.

In response to this, and to reduce shipping costs, Suntech plans to announce in the next month or two that it will build a solar panel assembly plant in the United States, said Steven Chan, its president for global sales and marketing.

“It’ll be to facilitate sales — ‘buy American’ and things like that,” Mr. Chan said, adding that the factory would have 75 to 150 workers and be located in Phoenix, or somewhere in Texas.

But 90 percent of the workers at the $30 million factory will be blue-collar laborers, welding together panels from solar wafers made in China, Dr. Shi said.

Yingli Solar, another large Chinese manufacturer, said on Thursday that it also had a “preliminary plan” to assemble panels in the United States.

Western rivals, meanwhile, are struggling. Q-Cells of Germany announced last week that it would lay off 500 of its 2,600 employees because of declining sales. It and two other German companies, Conergy and SolarWorld, are particularly indignant that German subsidies were the main source of demand for solar panels until recently.

“Politicians might ask whether this is still the right way to do this, German taxpayers paying for Asian products,” said Markus Wieser, a Q-Cells spokesman.

But organizing resistance to Chinese exports could be difficult, particularly as Chinese discounting makes green energy more affordable.

Even with Suntech acknowledging that it sells below the marginal cost of producing each additional solar panel — that is, the cost after administrative and development costs are subtracted — any antidumping case, in the United States, for example, would have to show that American companies were losing money as a result.

First Solar — the solar leader, in Tempe — using a different technology from many solar panel manufacturers, is actually profitable, while the new tax credits now becoming available may help other companies.

Even organizing a united American response to Chinese exports could be difficult. Suntech has encouraged executives at its United States operations to take the top posts at the two main American industry groups, partly to make sure that these groups do not rally opposition to imports, Dr. Shi said.

The efforts of Detroit automakers to win protection from Japanese competition in the 1980s were weakened by the presence of Honda in their main trade group; they expelled Honda in 1992.

Some analysts are less pessimistic about the prospects for solar panel manufacturers in the West. Joonki Song, a partner at Photon Consulting in Boston, said that while large Chinese solar panel manufacturers are gaining market share, smaller ones have been struggling.

Mr. Zarrella of GT Solar said that Western providers of factory equipment for solar panel manufacturers would remain competitive, and Dr. Shi said that German equipment providers “have made a lot of money, tons of money.”

The Chinese government is requiring that 80 percent of the equipment for China’s first municipal power plant to use solar energy, to be built in Dunhuang in northwestern China next year, be made in China.

Dr. Shi said his company would try to prevent similar rules in any future projects.

The reason is clear: almost 98 percent of Suntech’s production goes overseas.
Sign in to Recommend More Articles in Business » A version of this article appeared in print on August 25, 2009, on page A1 of the New York edition.

Comment by Gary Fosburg on July 30, 2009 at 8:54pm

http://nationalenergylottery.blogspot.com/

I added a blog for the National Energy Lottery proposal should anyone be interested.
Best Regards,
Gary

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