The annual Wind Turbine Market Share Update created by Cambridge, Mass.-based Emerging Energy Research has revealed that 2008 was a great year for the global turbine market.  The updated indicated that both established companies and newcomers benefited from the high demand and supply chain backlogs.  In fact, some of the newcomers to the wind turbine business saw installations jump by 100% or more.  And even the established companies saw installation growth by at least 50%.

The established companies - Vestas, GE, Gamesa, Enercon, Suzlon, and Siemens - collectively accounted for 70% of the installations.  However, that did leave room for new competitors like Sinovel, Dongfang, and Clipper to emerge.

The update also stated that nearly 30 GW of energy was activated in 2008, which was nearly double the energy activated in 2006. 

For more details on this article, click here or visit North American Wind Power.

        

In this dismal economy, the unemployment rate has certainly shot up - 7.2% in December 2008, to be exact.

Obviously, that percentage is an average across the nation, so some states do have a lower unemployment rate.  According to the most recent numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Jan. 27, 2009, 22 states record measurably lower unemployment rates than the national average.

Here are those 22 states:

1. Wyoming - 3.4%
2. North Dakota - 3.5%
3. South Dakota - 3.9%
4. Nebraska - 4.0%
5. Utah - 4.3%
6. Iowa - 4.6%
7. New Hampshire - 4.6%
8. New Mexico - 4.9%
9. Oklahoma - 4.9%
10. West Virginia - 4.9%
11. Kansas - 5.2%
12. Montana - 5.4%
13. Virginia - 5.4%
14. Hawaii - 5.5%
15. Maryland - 5.8%
16. Louisiana - 5.9%
17. Texas - 6.0%
18. Colorado - 6.1%
19. Arkansas - 6.2%
20. Delaware - 6.2%
21. Wisconsin - 6.2%
22. Vermont - 6.4%
    

        

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced yesterday that it will acquire rival Wyeth for $68 billion.  The acquisition is an attempt to soften the blow of its biggest product ever, Lipitor, going generic.

According to Yahoo.com, Pfizer agreed to pay $50.19 -- $33 in cash and 0.985 share of its stock -- for each Wyeth share. That represents a 29 percent premium over Wyeth's closing share price last Thursday, before news of the talks began to leak.

This all comes in the wake of a disappointing 2009 profit forecast for Pfizer as well as the announcement that they would cut 15 percent of the company's combined workforce.

But according to Andre Bakhos, president of the Princeton Financial Group, "Deals of this quality and this magnitude will rekindle enthusiasm and hope about equity markets. In the midst of a global recession, here is Pfizer, hopefully spending their dollars wisely."

Image of Jeffrey Kindler (L), Chairman and CEO of Pfizer, and Bernard Poussot, Chairman and CEO of Wyeth courtesy of Yahoo.com

        

Times are tough right now, we get it.

And yet, with unemployment up and consumer spending down, applications for state rebates to install solar panels in California hit their highest level ever in December in California. 

According to the LA Times, The California Public Utilities Commission reported that residents filed a record 1,215 applications seeking solar subsidies in December (and this information doesn't even include the last few days in December). 

Why the surge in applications?  For starters, new federal tax breaks have made going solar more enticing to homeowners.  As of this month, homeowners will be eligible for tax breaks of up to 30% of the entire cost of their projects (a benefit that had once been capped at $2000 per system). 

For others, new financing models that allow homeowners to buy these solar systems for little to no money down has made the decision easy.  Californians pay some of the highest electricity rates in the country and some residents have decided that enough is enough. 

For those that don't want to or can't afford to buy the solar panels, California-based SolarCity has a residential leasing option that allows residents to put solar panels on their roofs without the upfront costs.  With this plan, residents are able to cut their electricity bills all the while sending their rebates and tax credits to SolarCity - they maintain ownership of the panels. 

Even though it seems rather gloomy these days, there is some sunshine we can count on.

        

Frey Search would like to wish you a happy and prosperous 2009. 

We look forward to helping you with all your talent and search needs.

        

In a time of lay-offs and corporate bail-outs, wind energy still seems to have a positive future. 

Since 2000, wind power production has grown fivefold, according to greenchipstocks.com.  Maybe that is why billionaire T. Boone Pickens has plans to spend approximately $10 billion to build the world's biggest wind farm.  When completed by 2014, the wind farm is expected to be capable of producing 4,000 megawatts.  That is enough energy to power 1.2 million U.S. homes.


Image courtesy of Instablogimages.com

        

It was announced today that the US unemployment rate is at 6.5%, as of the end of October - the highest it has been since 1994. 

And while this number sounds bleak, there is still hope out there.

One industry hasn't seen much of a downturn in job opportunities - renewable energy.  In fact, many of these companies continue to post a continuous stream of job openings on their websites. 

Contact us at info@frey-search.com for more information.

        

As we all know by now, Barack Obama made history last night, becoming the first African American President-Elect.  Throughout their campaigning, both candidates touted "change." 

But what does that mean, especially when it comes to alternative energy?

Here is an excerpt from Barack Obama and Joe Biden: New Energy for America and what change means for our natural resources as well as jobs:

Invest in Our Secure Energy Future and Create 5 Million New Jobs

Barack Obama and Joe Biden will use a portion of the revenue generated from the cap‐and‐trade permit auction to make investments that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and accelerate deployment of low‐carbon technologies. The investments will focus on three critical areas: 1) Basic Research; 2)Technology Demonstration and 3) Aggressive Commercial Deployment and Clean Market Creation.

• Invest In A Clean Energy Economy and Help Create 5 Million New Green Jobs. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will strategically invest $150 billion over 10 years to accelerate the commercialization of plug‐in hybrids, promote development of commercial scale renewable energy, encourage energy efficiency, invest in low emissions coal plants, advance the next generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure, and begin transition to a new digital electricity grid. The plan will also invest in America's highly‐skilled manufacturing workforce and manufacturing centers to ensure that American workers have the skills and tools they need to pioneer the green technologies that will be in high demand throughout the world. All together these investments will help the private sector create 5 million new green jobs, good jobs that cannot be outsourced.
  
• Create a “Green Vet Initiative”. The renewable energy economy is exploding in the United States. In terms of venture capital alone, private investment in the sector topped $2.6 billion dollars in 2007. At the same time, more than 837,000 troops who served in Iraq or Afghanistan are now veterans. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will ensure that more of our veterans can enter the new energy economy. They will create a new “Green Vet Initiative” that will have two missions: first it will offer counseling and job placement to help veterans gain the skills to enter this rapidly growing field; second, it will work with industry partners to create career pathways and educational programs.
  
• Convert our Manufacturing Centers into Clean Technology Leaders. America boasts the highest‐skilled manufacturing workforce in the world and advanced manufacturing facilities that have powered economic growth in America for decades. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that America companies and workers should build the high‐demand technologies of the future, and he will help nurture America’ success in clean technology manufacturing by establishing a federal investment program to help manufacturing centers modernize and help Americans learn new skills to produce green products. This federal grant program will allocate money to the states to identify and support local manufacturers with the most compelling plans for modernizing existing or closed manufacturing facilities to produce new advanced clean technologies. This investment will help provide the critical up‐front capital needed by small and mid‐size manufacturers to produce these innovative new technologies. Along with an increased federal investment in the research, development and deployment of advanced technologies, this $1 billion per year investment will help spur sustainable economic growth in communities across the country.
  
• Create New Job Training Programs for Clean Technologies. The Obama‐Biden plan will increase funding for federal workforce training programs and direct these programs to incorporate green technologies training, such as advanced manufacturing and weatherization training, into their efforts to help Americans find and retain stable, high‐paying jobs. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will also create an energy‐focused youth jobs program to invest in disconnected and disadvantaged youth. This program will provide youth participants with energy efficiency and environmental service opportunities to improve the energy efficiency of homes and buildings in their communities, while also providing them with practical skills and experience in important career fields of expected high‐growth employment. Participants will not only be able to use their training to find new jobs, but also build skills that will help them move up the career ladder over time.

        

Welcome to the official Frey Search blog. 

Stay tuned for updates on what is new with Frey Search as well as interesting industry happenings.

Please feel free to share your insight on any of our posts.  The more we know, the more we can help you!