ENERGY-THE FOURTH FACTOR OF PRODUCTION

Burning fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, oil) supplies most of the energy in the industrial economies. The use of this chemical energy in economic production is one of the key characteristics of the industrial nations. The use of non-human and non-animal energy is so important to industrial societies that energy, itself, is now an additional factor of production. This was not explicitly observed in the pre-industrial era. Energy must now be added as a fourth factor to the three classical factors of economic production; land, labor and capital. Because energy is a factor of production in industrial society, its production and use is complicated.

Source: Stavy, Michael, The Effect That the Kyoto Protocol Will Have on the Cost of Wind Power in the Signatory Countries, Global Windpower 2002 Conference, 2-5 April 2002, Paris, France

• Strategic consulting in renewable energy (wind, solar thermal, PV) economics.
  
• Strategic consulting to help governments, corporations and NGO deal with climate change mitigation (cap and trade, carbon tax).
  
• Advise clients on the subtle yet important complex details of renewable energy economics and climate change mitigation.
  
• Facilitate investor efforts to finance renewable energy/distributed generation projects with equipment leases, debt and tax equity.
  
• Assist renewable energy/distributed generation project owners get equipment leases, debt and equity financing.
  
• Help clients develop their renewable energy projects from concept through operations management.
  
• Specialize in renewable energy projects from 1-50 MW.
  
• Also help clients (small business) with renewable energy projects under 1 MW.
  
• Work with clients in the Midwest (IL, WI, IA, MI, MN, IN), nationally and internationally.
  
• Help clients purchase electric, hybrid and alternative fuel vehicle fleets. Check out these French electric and hydrid vehicles at My VISIT to PARIS, 26 March - 15 April 2008
  
• Help clients buy electricity in Illinois, Massachusetts and other competitive electric markets.
  
• Help clients buy natural gas in Illinois, Massachuesetts and other competative competitive natural gas markets.
  

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Put your mouse pointer over the image of the 5 MW European wind plant above and see what will benefit from renewable energy in Europe.

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I presented my paper, The Effect that President Obama and the new Congress Will Have on the American Wind Market, at the European Wind Energy Conference 2009 (EWEC 2009), Marseille, France, 16-19 March 2009. I forecast that in 2009 there would be 6,050 MW of new US wind installed. On a quarterly basis, I forecast 1,250 MW for 1qt; 1,460 MW for 2qt; 1,670 MW for 3qt and 1,670 MW for 4qt. To learn more about my EWEC 2009 paper go to PRESENTATION at the EWEC 2009 Marseille, France 16 - 19 March 2009


The Reuters' 24 Sept 09 article, Recession Slows US Wind Power Growth Rate, stated that the US is projecting to have 6,000 MW of additional wind generation in 2009. This is a 30% decrease from 2008. My EWEC 2009 paper projected 6,050 MW or a 28% decrease from 2008.

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) 3rd Quarter 2009 Market Report (October, 2009) stated that the US wind energy industry installed 1,649 megawatts (MW) in the 3rd qt of 2009.  This AWEA report is at http://www.awea.org/publications/reports/3Q09.pdf

WINDPOWER 2009 was in Chicago, IL USA. 

I wrote the Chicago Edition of my EWEC 2009 paper for distribution at Windpower 2009.  To learn more about WindPower 2009 go to  WINDPOWER 2009, May 4-7, Chicago, IL USA