The Council of State suspends the feed-in tariff for wind power THE WORLD | 09.08.08
The Council of State canceled the ministerial decree fixing the price of repurchase by EDF of the wind energy. Made public on August 6, this decision is a setback for the development of wind turbines. In fact, they only find their profitability for the moment by the obligation that EDF is made to buy back the electricity they supply. A decree of July 10, 2006 set the price of this buyout at 8,2 cents per kilowatt hour for the first 10 years of operation. This text was attacked in 2006 by the association Vent du Bocage, opposed to the development of wind energy. The Council of State suspended the order because of a formal defect, the administration not having, during the preparation of the text, consulted the appropriate bodies. (Hu?)
If this decision does not call into question the operation of wind turbines already installed, it should block the opening of new parks. Indeed, operators cannot operate without entering into a contract with EDF, which the latter, without an order fixing the price, cannot sign. "It is likely that the contracts which should have been signed in the coming weeks risk being delayed," said André Antolini, president of the Renewable Energies Union. For Jean-Louis Butré, president of Vent du Bocage, "the decision of the Council should normally lead to the suspension of the construction program requested by the promoters lobby that is currently making a fortune on tariff bases that no longer exist."
LACK OF TRANSPARENCY
At the Ministry of Ecology, it is stressed that the Council of State ruled that there was a technical defect, but did not question the method of calculating the tariff. A new decree, essentially incorporating the provisions of the previous one, will be quickly prepared, and "should be ready in September," said the minister's office.
This "unpleasant twist", to use the term of Mr. Antolini, comes at a time when the economic interest in the development of wind power in France has been questioned by the Institut Montaigne, of neoliberal inspiration. In a study published at the end of July, this institute concludes that a large-scale development of wind power "does not meet a need in France and that it would induce additional costs for the community that could exceed 2,5 billion euros per year by 2020 ". The institute points in particular the tariff of repurchase, judging that "a price too high generates undue rents to the detriment of the general interest".
The Renewable Energy Union is preparing a response to this analysis. He should emphasize that public aid mechanisms "are necessary to give long-term visibility to investors". This debate is however rather difficult to disentangle, for lack of transparency, and the conclusion of the Montaigne Institute should be able to be shared by all:" The official data on the cost of the development of the wind power in France are sorely lacking. For the sake of transparency, it would be useful for an official assessment to be published of the objectives set by the Grenelle de l'Environnement with regard to wind power. "
Hervé Kempf
http://www.lemonde.fr/sciences-et-envir ... _3244.html
Sorry but an investor has no need of public aid ... An investor must invest in profitable ("all alone") ... especially if it is in sustainable !!! This is econology!
In addition, other projects would need it much more ...So now that the French wind is sunk, I hope one thing: that it makes a transfer on the development of other technologies!
ps: and when is photovoltaic? 2009? 2010? it will purify the market very well ... we will finally have money for the BTL!
