Deloitte

Renewable Energy: Filling the Megawatt Void

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If any sector would seem unlikely to be singled out for its robust dealmaking outlook, renewable energy might seem to be it. After a surge in investment and in installations over the past decade, renewable energy seemed to run out of road in 2012, undermined by extreme competition, low natural gas prices and limits on government assistance in a budget-constrained environment.

But 2012 proved to be a surprise for analysts of the renewable energy sector, analyst from consulting and accountancy firm Deloitte said in their most recent overview of the sector’s merger and acquisition activity. Keep reading →

Published April 10, 2013 at 8:30 AM

OpEd: Why We Should Pity Utilities

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It’s time for some compassion for the owners of America’s $374 billion power industry – twenty-two of whose member firms appear on the Fortune 500 list.

While the fate of these companies may not automatically tug at the heartstrings of your average American, it deserves our attention – not least because it’s in our nation’s short-term and long-term best interests. These thousands of powerful companies not only keep our lights on and our iPhones charged; they also stand squarely in the path of our clean-energy future. Their ability to adapt to a bevy of unprecedented challenges will determine how well and how quickly the United States succeeds in weaning itself from fossil fuels. They’ll also play a key role in the $268 billion global clean-energy market. Keep reading →

Published March 22, 2013 at 8:30 AM

Cleantech VCs Count Profit and Loss from Investments

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Poor performance for cleantech stocks this year may continue in 2013 despite some silver linings during 2012, a leading analyst and a panel of VCs recently warned.

Kevin Genieser, Managing Director and Global Head of Clean Technology Banking at Morgan Stanley, said that cleantech equities had underperformed this year despite a bright start to 2012 with three IPOs in the sector. Keep reading →

Published December 12, 2012 at 8:30 AM

Experts Say US LNG Export Volumes Could be Limited

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Exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US will raise domestic natural gas prices little – and possibly not at all – because the international market won’t take enough LNG to make a difference.

That was the conclusion of three economists who separately studied international LNG prospects. They presented their results to the International Natural Gas Workshop sponsored by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) in Washington DC recently. Keep reading →

Published August 27, 2012 at 1:30 PM

Power Sector Environmental Regulations Could Cost Consumers $2 Trillion

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It all comes down to the price of natural gas.

Complying with pending mercury and ozone rules, and possibly carbon regulations, will mean replacing substantial amounts of coal capacity, mainly with natural gas, Dale Nesbitt, founder of Deloitte MarketPoint, told a Deloitte Center for Energy Solutions seminar in Washington July 18. Keep reading →

Published July 23, 2012 at 8:30 AM

Electric Vehicle Report Highlights Gap Between Industry And Consumers

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It’s not uncommon in the power sector to hear that executives are simply out of touch with consumers.

A recent IBM report which surveyed 1,716 US drivers and 125 industry executives, shows that this may also be true in the electric vehicle (EV) industry. Furthermore EV executives might not be doing enough to connect with other industries. Keep reading →

Published November 18, 2011 at 6:00 AM

Wind Rush: Wind, Not Solar, Wins In 1603 Program

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How the renewable energy industry copes with the loss of incentives this year will test its maturity and the success of the stimulus funding.

In many ways, the renewable energy industry is facing a pivotal moment as the 1603 grant program is set to expire this year, the $2.3 billion for the 48C advanced manufacturing tax credit has already been allocated and the Department of Energy has completed its work of handing out more than $36 billion in its loan guarantee program. Keep reading →

Published November 16, 2011 at 11:30 AM