China ends wind power subsidies after US challenge

[alp227]

Source: BBC News

China has agreed to halt subsidies to wind power manufacturers that violate World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, according to US Trade Representative Ron Kirk.

The move comes after the the United Steelworkers Union filed a complaint to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

The Chinese currently subsidise wind-power firms that use domestic parts instead of imports.

Mr Kirk said this gives them an unfair advantage over US wind turbine makers.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13692255

[Newest Reality]

1. Well, we have an aweful lot of

wind power going on here. It is blowing in huge gusts from the mouths of politicians and talking media heads and, if we could harness it for anything other than the propaganda to get us all agree to go to an abject and irreversible hell together, it could actually make our electric bills become payable without sacrificing something else.

[napoleon_in_rags]

2. That's good. The last thing we want is Chinese monopoiy on means of alternative energy production.nt

[sofa king]

3. But it's bad because the US no longer has a steel industry.

...Which means that anything the US comes up with is going to be made in China, anyway.

[napoleon_in_rags]

12. I see nothing bad about this, to be honest.

If China wants to subsidize wind, let them. IF they only subsidize domestic made, that's against WTO. IF we don't make anything, they won't be buying from us anyway (maybe that's why they agreed so easy) Anyway, its interesting because its the first time I've seen globalist policies do something for America. Its probably a sign that we are getting poorer as a nation.

[ixion]

4. We defeat ourselves daily with bone-headed crap like this

stifling alternative energy when we should be doing everything in our power to get it out into the world.

Is it any wonder that we're on a brink of a complete breakdown?

[Alamuti Lotus]

5. ... that's a really awful complaint

[A Physicist]

6. The influence of large-scale wind power on global climate

We need to get these greenhouse gas emissions under control but we need to be smart about it and study our options carefully and thoroughly.

"The influence of large-scale wind power on global climate" http://www.pnas.org/content/101/46/16115.full

"Abstract

Large-scale use of wind power can alter local and global climate by extracting kinetic energy and altering turbulent transport in the atmospheric boundary layer. We report climate-model simulations that address the possible climatic impacts of wind power at regional to global scales by using two general circulation models and several parameterizations of the interaction of wind turbines with the boundary layer. We find that very large amounts of wind power can produce nonnegligible climatic change at continental scales..."

[Uncle Joe]

9. I believe this is a good sign, at least climatic studies

are being made on this at a relatively early stage, it's too bad the same can't be said for the use of fossil fuel energy during its' early stage of development and use.

[GeorgeGist]

7. The private sector wins again.

[oNobodyo]

8. You want wind power?

Please take some of ours...we have extra...so much so that the grid can't handle it...seriously...please?

Wind-power producers fight possible shutdown of turbines

Pacific Northwest wind-power producers are battling a proposal that would force them to periodically shut down their plants in the months ahead, potentially costing them millions of dollars in lost revenue.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014756586_windpower13m.html

[Devil_Fish]

10. That is so fucking lame. How about shut down the coal plants, followed by nukes. Dumb Asses all.

They shouldn't be able to legaly do that. CA has Net metering regs. which means if you as a property owner produce more power then you use eaither by wind or solar, the power co. has to buy it from you. They have no choice. Since Corporations are people, then the owner of the wind farms should simple site the net metering regs.

[NickB79]

11. The problem is our antiquated electrical grid

It was never built for an electrical source that constantly ramps up and down like wind does. Without major investments in smart grid technology and some sort of storage capacity for excess wind power, it becomes a logistical nightmare to deliver a steady supply of electricity to your customers. Shutting down coal or nuclear before both of these are in place opens you up to the very real possibility of rolling brown-outs and a very serious backlash against renewable energy.