On the third thwack, the bottle of sparkling wine Teresa Ford banged against the M/V Cape Henlopen broke open, spilling its contents down the hull as onlookers at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal applauded.
The ceremony was a “rechristening” of the vessel, capping off the work of crews who overhauled and modernized the ferry fleet, repainting hulls and installing swanky new seats imported from Australia.
Ferry officials hope the makeover will entice more to take the ferry, which offers a 17-mile crossing between southern Delaware and coastal New Jersey, letting people avoid the tolls, gas costs and traffic headaches of driving all the way around Delaware Bay.
Ferry users say the ships are convenient and pleasant, yet fewer people are choosing to ride. The Cape May-Lewes ferries carried 779,000 passengers in 2011, a third less than its ridership of 1.16 million 10 years earlier.
With that in mind, the Delaware River and Bay Authority sold one of its ferry vessels, the M/V Cape May, last month to Northstar Marine Inc. of Clermont, N.J., a marine services company. The sale price was $750,000, DRBA spokesman Jim Salmon said, and the authority negotiated the right to retain more than $500,000 worth of parts and equipment.
The remaining ferries, which can carry dozens of cars, have Game machines, tabletops for picnic lunches and flat-screen TVs. In time for the ferry system’s 50th anniversary next year, a gift shop on one of the ships will be remade into a bar serving craft beers.
“We have all of the amenities that you expect on a modern airline, but with a little bit more room – quite a bit more room,” said Heath Gehrke, director of ferry operations.
The Cape May, which joined the fleet in 1985, had been up for sale since 2007.
Because the Cape May was the least efficient vessel in the fleet, burning through more fuel per hour than the others, it went on the market – originally valued at $17 million, DRBA officials said in 2007. Salmon said the authority reassessed the vessel’s worth in August 2012 and judged its fair market value to be $1.6 million.
The original steamships that got the ferry service going in 1964 were taken out of service 10 years later in favor of diesel-powered vessels. So the sale of the Cape May leaves four ships in the water: M/V Delaware, M/V Twin Capes and M/V New Jersey, all acquired in 1974, and the slightly newer M/V Cape Henlopen.
The DBRA said in 2010 it would be willing to sell the Twin Capes, and that it could operate at existing service levels with only three vessels. It cost $10 million more to run the ferry system in 2011 than the $13.4 million in revenue it took in, although the DRBA’s overall operating budget, including the Delaware Memorial Bridge and its airports, was still in the black.
Administrators also cut the workforce by a third over the past 10 years, and promoted the terminals as places people can book for weddings or business meetings.
2013年6月25日星期二
Betfred To Add New Gaming Machines
UK gambling company, Betfred will be expanding its betting shop services by adding 1,700 new gaming machines to its retail locations.
The group has signed an exclusive five year contract with Inspired Gaming which will see the games supplier deliver new Category B2/B3 gaming machines to an additional 500 Betfred shops that once served as Tote betting shops. Betfred acquired Tote from the UK government in 2011.
Inspired Gaming will ensure that the new Betfred gaming machines are installed by January 2014, bringing to over 5,100 the number of gaming machines in the group's portfolio.
According to the Managing Director of UK at Inspired Gaming, Lee Greogry, Betfred is well known in the gambling industry for its successful machine businesses and award winning retail marketing campaigns for new game launches.
"We've worked together to accomplish many successes over the past 15 years, from when AWP's were first allowed in bookmakers, and look forward to many more milestones - including a new hardware launch in 2013," said Gregory.
"Inspired UK's business as a whole is going from strength to strength and we anticipate a positive year ahead with the recent launch of Fortune Spins, a new game feature, and the upcoming launch of the next phase of our technology roadmap."
In other Betfred news, the company was told that an email ad put out in March has been banned by the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The ad, according to the authority, was misleading and did not include important information.
The ad was headlined: "Risk free in play offer & double and trebled odds on Champions League action". Players were told that they could enjoy a "risk-free in-play bet".
Complainants argued that the bet was misleading because it wasn't understood from anywhere in the ad that the offer was paid as a 10 bet and not in cash.
Betfred countered that all promotional emails included a clear link to terms and conditions of all offers, including the ad in question.
After lengthy correspondence where Betfred and the ASA referred to all points that the gambling group offered in its defense, it was finally ruled that the ad would be banned.
Betfred has therefore been told that the promotional material may not appear in its current form, and was warned that any future emails would need to contain clear conditions in the actual body of the email and not just as a link. More information about the program is available on the web site at www.happmart.com.
The group has signed an exclusive five year contract with Inspired Gaming which will see the games supplier deliver new Category B2/B3 gaming machines to an additional 500 Betfred shops that once served as Tote betting shops. Betfred acquired Tote from the UK government in 2011.
Inspired Gaming will ensure that the new Betfred gaming machines are installed by January 2014, bringing to over 5,100 the number of gaming machines in the group's portfolio.
According to the Managing Director of UK at Inspired Gaming, Lee Greogry, Betfred is well known in the gambling industry for its successful machine businesses and award winning retail marketing campaigns for new game launches.
"We've worked together to accomplish many successes over the past 15 years, from when AWP's were first allowed in bookmakers, and look forward to many more milestones - including a new hardware launch in 2013," said Gregory.
"Inspired UK's business as a whole is going from strength to strength and we anticipate a positive year ahead with the recent launch of Fortune Spins, a new game feature, and the upcoming launch of the next phase of our technology roadmap."
In other Betfred news, the company was told that an email ad put out in March has been banned by the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The ad, according to the authority, was misleading and did not include important information.
The ad was headlined: "Risk free in play offer & double and trebled odds on Champions League action". Players were told that they could enjoy a "risk-free in-play bet".
Complainants argued that the bet was misleading because it wasn't understood from anywhere in the ad that the offer was paid as a 10 bet and not in cash.
Betfred countered that all promotional emails included a clear link to terms and conditions of all offers, including the ad in question.
After lengthy correspondence where Betfred and the ASA referred to all points that the gambling group offered in its defense, it was finally ruled that the ad would be banned.
Betfred has therefore been told that the promotional material may not appear in its current form, and was warned that any future emails would need to contain clear conditions in the actual body of the email and not just as a link. More information about the program is available on the web site at www.happmart.com.
2013年6月18日星期二
Japanese Toys are Serious Business
The International Tokyo Toy Fair was held at Tokyo Big Sight on was held from June 13th to 16th. This is the big industry toy show for Japan, and it is always interesting to see the trends and new products that are emerging in the market. Being Japan, Characters play a big part in the show, the usual suspects from TV, anime and manga are present – Ultraman, Pretty Cure, Anpanman, One Piece and many many more.
However it is very interesting how there has been a trend to dig into stranger sources for new character ideas. Yuru-chara and Local Heros, which are the promotional characters for various cities and regions across Japan, have proven to be very popular. Also the original characters from Mobile Applications like LINE and Mobile Games like Puzzles & Dragons have made the jump into new toy product lines. One of the funnest things for me about Toy show are some of the innovative applications of character designs to unexpected products – a Sailor Moon cosmetics line, Bikkuriman iPhone covers, the Toyota Gundam concept car.
Technologically advanced Smart Phone style toys for boys and girls that feature Games, Messaging, and many more “Apps” were everywhere. Miniaturization was another trend – the Nano Copter – recognized by Guinness as the worlds smallest remote control helicopter; Nanoblocks – miniature Lego-like building blocks; even scaled-down realistic construction vehicle riding toys.
While Japan is well-known for realistic plastic food for restaurant displays, surprisingly there are now many toys and games that incorporate Hyper-realistic food. There was an abundance of non-digital physical games including a surprising number of skill games involving chopsticks. At the other end of the spectrum there were some amazingly complex gaming systems like Bandai’s Buttoburst involving physical toys, collectable cards, and arcade machines.
There was so much to take in at the Toy Fair, from innovative capsule toys to the truly bizarre and weird, but since I am a big fan of the Tokusatstu (live-action superhero) shows, my first stop at the show was Planet Bandai – home to Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and the Super Sentai.
Under the terms of the five-year deal, Inspired will deliver Game machines to an additional 500 Betfred shops that were previously Tote betting locations. Betfred acquired the Tote from the UK government in 2011.
The bookmaker’s estate now totals over 5,100 machines, making it one of the largest companies in the market. Inspired will install the additional 1,700 gaming machines in January 2014.
“Betfred is well known for its successful machines business and award-winning retail marketing campaigns for new game launches,” said Lee Gregory, managing director of the UK at Inspired. “We’ve worked together to accomplish many successes over the past 15 years, from when AWPs were first allowed in bookmakers, and look forward to many more milestones – including a new hardware launch in autumn 2013.
“Inspired’s UK business as a whole is going from strength to strength and we anticipate a positive year ahead with the recent launch of Fortune Spins, a new game feature, and the upcoming launch of the next phase of our technology roadmap.”
However it is very interesting how there has been a trend to dig into stranger sources for new character ideas. Yuru-chara and Local Heros, which are the promotional characters for various cities and regions across Japan, have proven to be very popular. Also the original characters from Mobile Applications like LINE and Mobile Games like Puzzles & Dragons have made the jump into new toy product lines. One of the funnest things for me about Toy show are some of the innovative applications of character designs to unexpected products – a Sailor Moon cosmetics line, Bikkuriman iPhone covers, the Toyota Gundam concept car.
Technologically advanced Smart Phone style toys for boys and girls that feature Games, Messaging, and many more “Apps” were everywhere. Miniaturization was another trend – the Nano Copter – recognized by Guinness as the worlds smallest remote control helicopter; Nanoblocks – miniature Lego-like building blocks; even scaled-down realistic construction vehicle riding toys.
While Japan is well-known for realistic plastic food for restaurant displays, surprisingly there are now many toys and games that incorporate Hyper-realistic food. There was an abundance of non-digital physical games including a surprising number of skill games involving chopsticks. At the other end of the spectrum there were some amazingly complex gaming systems like Bandai’s Buttoburst involving physical toys, collectable cards, and arcade machines.
There was so much to take in at the Toy Fair, from innovative capsule toys to the truly bizarre and weird, but since I am a big fan of the Tokusatstu (live-action superhero) shows, my first stop at the show was Planet Bandai – home to Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and the Super Sentai.
Under the terms of the five-year deal, Inspired will deliver Game machines to an additional 500 Betfred shops that were previously Tote betting locations. Betfred acquired the Tote from the UK government in 2011.
The bookmaker’s estate now totals over 5,100 machines, making it one of the largest companies in the market. Inspired will install the additional 1,700 gaming machines in January 2014.
“Betfred is well known for its successful machines business and award-winning retail marketing campaigns for new game launches,” said Lee Gregory, managing director of the UK at Inspired. “We’ve worked together to accomplish many successes over the past 15 years, from when AWPs were first allowed in bookmakers, and look forward to many more milestones – including a new hardware launch in autumn 2013.
“Inspired’s UK business as a whole is going from strength to strength and we anticipate a positive year ahead with the recent launch of Fortune Spins, a new game feature, and the upcoming launch of the next phase of our technology roadmap.”
Five things next-gen consoles should learn from PC gaming
With E3 finished, the industry has the chance to take a deeper look into the next-gen consoles. Some questions have been answered but many remain, particularly pertaining to how next-gen publishers and hardware makers plan to battle tablet gaming and welcome more independent developers and secure more content.
If console gaming is going to maintain the presence it once had, the developers are simply going to have to learn some lessons from the world of PC gaming, which has done an excellent job of keeping up with the changing online community and its increasingly user-centric demands.
With this in mind, here are five things console gaming could stand to learn from their PC cousins:
1. Openness to Publishers and Patches
A patch is a downloadable file that fixes or adds to a game after it's been released. Most people don't know that it can cost something to the tune of $40,000 to get a patch up for an Xbox 360 or PS3 because of internal certification processes. These outlandish costs can make it tough for even the most successful game development companies to afford regular patches and fixes.
This is discouraging to the developers, who may be able to identify bugs within days or weeks of a release, but won't issue patches because of the giant financial burden. Even worse, this leaves the actual players by the wayside, without the fixes the developers want to give them — held up only by the pricing determined by the console makers.
PC gaming is almost entirely opposite, with developers naming their own prices for rolling out patches, and some games taking on user-generated patches.
2. Fewer "Gates"
Why do console games have such proprietary membership systems, and why do they stand in the way of other services gamers may want to use? If people are already paying for a Netflix subscription and internet access, why also require them to pay for another online membership through their consoles?
This kind of "double charging" is already annoying to console users, and something PC users don't have to worry about at all.
3. Don't Ignore the Independents
If Minecraft is any indication of how successful an independent game maker can be, why wouldn't console companies be going out of their way to nurture the careers of up and coming developers?
It seems as though Sony is doing a decent job of incorporating indie games, even sending out free Vita development kits to independents to help fill their game roster. It still isn't a perfect environment for independents, but at least Sony (and to some degree, Nintendo) are recognizing the need to open the doors to independent development — something that has been happening in PC gaming all along.
4. Cater to the Hardcore Gamers
As consoles continue to become more sophisticated, they are starting to function more and more like personal computers — without the customization or range of capabilities. Instead of just playing games, consoles have all sorts of "media center" functions that are easily (and more effectively) met by other devices.
With iPads and smartphones, we don't necessarily need our consoles to stream music or access our Youtube accounts; we can already do these things on the fly, and easily connect with whatever screen or device we choose.
If people are gaming on a console, chances are they want to use it for gaming, not as a replacement for all of the other devices they use. What resources are being wasted turning consoles into multipurpose media centers, instead of powerful, consistently functional game machines?
If console gaming is going to maintain the presence it once had, the developers are simply going to have to learn some lessons from the world of PC gaming, which has done an excellent job of keeping up with the changing online community and its increasingly user-centric demands.
With this in mind, here are five things console gaming could stand to learn from their PC cousins:
1. Openness to Publishers and Patches
A patch is a downloadable file that fixes or adds to a game after it's been released. Most people don't know that it can cost something to the tune of $40,000 to get a patch up for an Xbox 360 or PS3 because of internal certification processes. These outlandish costs can make it tough for even the most successful game development companies to afford regular patches and fixes.
This is discouraging to the developers, who may be able to identify bugs within days or weeks of a release, but won't issue patches because of the giant financial burden. Even worse, this leaves the actual players by the wayside, without the fixes the developers want to give them — held up only by the pricing determined by the console makers.
PC gaming is almost entirely opposite, with developers naming their own prices for rolling out patches, and some games taking on user-generated patches.
2. Fewer "Gates"
Why do console games have such proprietary membership systems, and why do they stand in the way of other services gamers may want to use? If people are already paying for a Netflix subscription and internet access, why also require them to pay for another online membership through their consoles?
This kind of "double charging" is already annoying to console users, and something PC users don't have to worry about at all.
3. Don't Ignore the Independents
If Minecraft is any indication of how successful an independent game maker can be, why wouldn't console companies be going out of their way to nurture the careers of up and coming developers?
It seems as though Sony is doing a decent job of incorporating indie games, even sending out free Vita development kits to independents to help fill their game roster. It still isn't a perfect environment for independents, but at least Sony (and to some degree, Nintendo) are recognizing the need to open the doors to independent development — something that has been happening in PC gaming all along.
4. Cater to the Hardcore Gamers
As consoles continue to become more sophisticated, they are starting to function more and more like personal computers — without the customization or range of capabilities. Instead of just playing games, consoles have all sorts of "media center" functions that are easily (and more effectively) met by other devices.
With iPads and smartphones, we don't necessarily need our consoles to stream music or access our Youtube accounts; we can already do these things on the fly, and easily connect with whatever screen or device we choose.
If people are gaming on a console, chances are they want to use it for gaming, not as a replacement for all of the other devices they use. What resources are being wasted turning consoles into multipurpose media centers, instead of powerful, consistently functional game machines?
2013年6月12日星期三
Wind developer taking West Grey to court
According to a letter from a company lawyer NextEra is asking the courts to quash the March 18 additions to the bylaw which relate specifically to wind energy projects.
“We are not opposed to paying proper fees for application and permits at the municipal or any other level, we just felt this was above and beyond the general fees that would be required normally of an company for what we’re doing,” company spokesperson Adam Rickel said from his office in Juno Beach, Fla.
He believes West Grey is unfairly targeting NextEra with unusually high fees.
“We’ve compared it to other fees that we’ve seen in other jurisdictions and there is not much clarity in the West Grey bylaw for backup for the fees.”
The request to quash the bylaw follows a warning by a company lawyer, who appeared before council on March 18 asking councillors not to approve amendments which included hefty fees under the municipal fees and charges bylaw for wind turbines.
Under the changes, industrial wind developers have to post a $100,000 performance bond for each turbine to cover costs that might accrue to the municipality during and after the introduction of the machines.
The municipality also requires a $6,500 permit for each turbine to carry out work along the municipal roadways. NextEra plans to bury its power lines carrying electricity between the project’s transformer station and Hydro One transmission lines. West Grey wants a security deposit of $20,000 for each kilometre of connecting line located on its property. That’s in addition to an entrance permit of $5,000 per turbine site.
Wind energy developers must also deposit $50,000 for a peer review of reports generated in the renewable energy application process. Other security deposits include $50,000 for use of a municipal roadway by heavy equipment during installation nd maintenance of the turbines. For a municipal road with a box culvert, the security deposit increases to $125,000 and it goes up to $200,000 for a municipal road with a bridge.
West Grey Mayor Kevin Eccles said in an interview following a special meeting of council on Monday that this is the first time West Grey has had an application for wind turbines and the municipality requires adequate fees to reflect the scope and size of the development.
“We’ve got fees and charges for any other development, it’s not like we’re just picking on wind turbines. This is the first one we’ve had for wind turbines and this is where we’re setting the fees,” said Eccles.
Following Monday’s closed door session, Eccles announced the municipality would not back down in the face of NextEra’s court challenge.
“It may be a David and Goliath scenario but I like the chances of David again,” Eccles said.
The application filed in the Superior Court of Justice in Kitchener on June 6 alleges that the municipality doesn’t have the jurisdiction to assess such exorbitant fees that specifically target the wind industry.
The lawyer for NextEra argues the fees subvert the intent of the REA process, which has as its aims the facilitation of wind energy in Ontario, and frustrates the purpose of the provincial laws.
The court documents state the West Grey bylaw “sets out fees and security requirements that are unreasonable, unsubstantiated and punitive and contemplate significantly more in fees than any other fee requirements” in the fees and charges bylaw.
NextEra also claims the security deposits required bear no relation to the actual cost to West Grey and are in fact taxes intended to discourage wind projects.
Eccles said the deposits and securities are only intended to protect the municipality and will be returned once the project is complete — provided no damage has been done to West Grey roads and infrastructure. More information about the program is available on the web site at www.happmart.com.
“We are not opposed to paying proper fees for application and permits at the municipal or any other level, we just felt this was above and beyond the general fees that would be required normally of an company for what we’re doing,” company spokesperson Adam Rickel said from his office in Juno Beach, Fla.
He believes West Grey is unfairly targeting NextEra with unusually high fees.
“We’ve compared it to other fees that we’ve seen in other jurisdictions and there is not much clarity in the West Grey bylaw for backup for the fees.”
The request to quash the bylaw follows a warning by a company lawyer, who appeared before council on March 18 asking councillors not to approve amendments which included hefty fees under the municipal fees and charges bylaw for wind turbines.
Under the changes, industrial wind developers have to post a $100,000 performance bond for each turbine to cover costs that might accrue to the municipality during and after the introduction of the machines.
The municipality also requires a $6,500 permit for each turbine to carry out work along the municipal roadways. NextEra plans to bury its power lines carrying electricity between the project’s transformer station and Hydro One transmission lines. West Grey wants a security deposit of $20,000 for each kilometre of connecting line located on its property. That’s in addition to an entrance permit of $5,000 per turbine site.
Wind energy developers must also deposit $50,000 for a peer review of reports generated in the renewable energy application process. Other security deposits include $50,000 for use of a municipal roadway by heavy equipment during installation nd maintenance of the turbines. For a municipal road with a box culvert, the security deposit increases to $125,000 and it goes up to $200,000 for a municipal road with a bridge.
West Grey Mayor Kevin Eccles said in an interview following a special meeting of council on Monday that this is the first time West Grey has had an application for wind turbines and the municipality requires adequate fees to reflect the scope and size of the development.
“We’ve got fees and charges for any other development, it’s not like we’re just picking on wind turbines. This is the first one we’ve had for wind turbines and this is where we’re setting the fees,” said Eccles.
Following Monday’s closed door session, Eccles announced the municipality would not back down in the face of NextEra’s court challenge.
“It may be a David and Goliath scenario but I like the chances of David again,” Eccles said.
The application filed in the Superior Court of Justice in Kitchener on June 6 alleges that the municipality doesn’t have the jurisdiction to assess such exorbitant fees that specifically target the wind industry.
The lawyer for NextEra argues the fees subvert the intent of the REA process, which has as its aims the facilitation of wind energy in Ontario, and frustrates the purpose of the provincial laws.
The court documents state the West Grey bylaw “sets out fees and security requirements that are unreasonable, unsubstantiated and punitive and contemplate significantly more in fees than any other fee requirements” in the fees and charges bylaw.
NextEra also claims the security deposits required bear no relation to the actual cost to West Grey and are in fact taxes intended to discourage wind projects.
Eccles said the deposits and securities are only intended to protect the municipality and will be returned once the project is complete — provided no damage has been done to West Grey roads and infrastructure. More information about the program is available on the web site at www.happmart.com.
Urgent plea to build wind farm factories in the UK
THE UK must seize a "once in a generation" opportunity to build factories to supply offshore wind farm developments, the Government has been told.
A failure to attract major companies to set up facilities to support Europe's fast-growing offshore wind sector will see the UK losing tens of thousands of jobs and investment to other countries, an industry body has warned.
A report by RenewableUK suggests that in order to deliver planned wind farms Europe will need 64 major manufacturing facilities, but less than a quarter of the working or planned facilities are in the UK.
Between now and 2030 as many as 7,930 turbine towers could be needed for UK offshore wind farms, along with 23,790 turbine blades and more than 9,000km (5,600 miles) of cables, the industry body also said.
The UK would need dozens of factories to supply the sector and more than 20 huge seagoing vessels for installation and 230 ships to carry workers to and from working turbines, but it is not yet clear if the facilities will be constructed in this country.
RenewableUK's chief executive Maria McCaffery said: "This is a once in a generation opportunity. If we don't seize it, the large-scale offshore wind farm supply chain factories of the future, making the enormous blades, towers and foundations that we'll need to retain the UK's global lead in offshore wind, will be sited elsewhere.
"The potential to create tens of thousands of green-collar manufacturing jobs hangs in the balance. We are determined to work with government to ensure that the UK capitalises on this chance to build an industry which will be the envy of the rest of the world."
The UK is a world leader in offshore wind but the domestic market has lost momentum and the industry needs certainty from government over the sector's long-term future in order to invest in supply chains, which will be critical to bringing down the cost of the technology.
Energy Minister Michael Fallon said: "Offshore wind is a British success story. We already have more installed offshore wind than anywhere else in the world and this brings enormous benefit to our shores, supporting thousands of skilled jobs.
"This report sets out the enormous potential of this dynamic industry which makes a crucial contribution to our clean energy mix."
Under Government plans for renewables, there is potential for up a huge increase in offshore wind farms to be installed by the end of the decade.
However, the report follows the news that planning guidance in England will be changed to ensure local opposition can override national energy targets.
Local communities are to be given more powers to block wind farms, but also offered greater incentives to accept them, the government has said.
A failure to attract major companies to set up facilities to support Europe's fast-growing offshore wind sector will see the UK losing tens of thousands of jobs and investment to other countries, an industry body has warned.
A report by RenewableUK suggests that in order to deliver planned wind farms Europe will need 64 major manufacturing facilities, but less than a quarter of the working or planned facilities are in the UK.
Between now and 2030 as many as 7,930 turbine towers could be needed for UK offshore wind farms, along with 23,790 turbine blades and more than 9,000km (5,600 miles) of cables, the industry body also said.
The UK would need dozens of factories to supply the sector and more than 20 huge seagoing vessels for installation and 230 ships to carry workers to and from working turbines, but it is not yet clear if the facilities will be constructed in this country.
RenewableUK's chief executive Maria McCaffery said: "This is a once in a generation opportunity. If we don't seize it, the large-scale offshore wind farm supply chain factories of the future, making the enormous blades, towers and foundations that we'll need to retain the UK's global lead in offshore wind, will be sited elsewhere.
"The potential to create tens of thousands of green-collar manufacturing jobs hangs in the balance. We are determined to work with government to ensure that the UK capitalises on this chance to build an industry which will be the envy of the rest of the world."
The UK is a world leader in offshore wind but the domestic market has lost momentum and the industry needs certainty from government over the sector's long-term future in order to invest in supply chains, which will be critical to bringing down the cost of the technology.
Energy Minister Michael Fallon said: "Offshore wind is a British success story. We already have more installed offshore wind than anywhere else in the world and this brings enormous benefit to our shores, supporting thousands of skilled jobs.
"This report sets out the enormous potential of this dynamic industry which makes a crucial contribution to our clean energy mix."
Under Government plans for renewables, there is potential for up a huge increase in offshore wind farms to be installed by the end of the decade.
However, the report follows the news that planning guidance in England will be changed to ensure local opposition can override national energy targets.
Local communities are to be given more powers to block wind farms, but also offered greater incentives to accept them, the government has said.
2013年6月6日星期四
Microsoft's Shortsighted Approach Might
With Microsoft having made it official that the new Xbox One will have draconian limitations on playing used games, sharing games and being played without an internet connection, the question now is whether the console is dead on arrival with gamers. Given that the Xbox division has been one of the bright lights at Microsoft in recent years (even though its profit contribution is fairly small), this is no small act of self-immolation by the software giant. Is it too soon to write the obituary of a console that hasn’t even been released to the public yet? Perhaps, but perhaps not.
Consider that Xbox One and Playstation 4 from Sony are going to launch at almost exactly the same time with almost exactly the same hardware inside. Sony has already staked out a marketing position targeting the hardcore gaming constituency. By contrast, Microsoft clearly downplayed that message at its launch announcement, touting the console’s ability to act as a TV companion at least as much as a Game machines.
With the E3 gaming conference coming Monday, perhaps Microsoft hoped to gain gamers’ attention then, but today’s news is likely to be so off-putting, it’s not entirely clear Microsoft will ever be able to change the perception around Xbox One. That perception: It’s only a part-time gamer’s machine with things like Kinect that hardcore players don’t much care about and a lot of money-grabbing features and “Big Brother” surveillance built in. This is supposed to be the future of entertainment, it’s worth mentioning.
The negatives have been detailed well in fellow Forbes’ contributor Dave Thier’s post that I linked above, but specifically, Microsoft is absolutely going to war with a couple of key features people have taken for granted since almost the days of Atari:
Your right to buy used games is no longer absolute. Publishers can simply make titles unavailable for resale or can possibly charge fees to allow you to “reactivate” a used game — even up to the original price of the game. There is a $2 billion used game market for a reason: Games are expensive. Who wins here? The publishers have railed against the used-game market for years because they don’t like not receiving a cut on secondary sales. But realistically, someone buying the first Call of Duty for $15 in the used bin is a potential customer for the newest version at $60 this Christmas. There was a marketing benefit that publishers received for free even without a piece of the action.
Game rentals as we know them are effectively dead. For the admitted minority of people who enjoyed services like Gamefly or borrowed a title for a day or two from Redbox, the restrictions on one’s ability to share games mean there will be no more of that. While there are some new sharing features built into Xbox One, they in no way replace the ability to just bring a disc over to a friend’s house and play the game whenever you want to. That behavior is more or less over. Perhaps new rental models will emerge, especially with all games having an option to download them. But make no mistake, this is war on discs and your rights of ownership. It hasn’t gone entirely well for music, movie and book lovers when it’s been declared in the past and it looks ugly here.
Consider that Xbox One and Playstation 4 from Sony are going to launch at almost exactly the same time with almost exactly the same hardware inside. Sony has already staked out a marketing position targeting the hardcore gaming constituency. By contrast, Microsoft clearly downplayed that message at its launch announcement, touting the console’s ability to act as a TV companion at least as much as a Game machines.
With the E3 gaming conference coming Monday, perhaps Microsoft hoped to gain gamers’ attention then, but today’s news is likely to be so off-putting, it’s not entirely clear Microsoft will ever be able to change the perception around Xbox One. That perception: It’s only a part-time gamer’s machine with things like Kinect that hardcore players don’t much care about and a lot of money-grabbing features and “Big Brother” surveillance built in. This is supposed to be the future of entertainment, it’s worth mentioning.
The negatives have been detailed well in fellow Forbes’ contributor Dave Thier’s post that I linked above, but specifically, Microsoft is absolutely going to war with a couple of key features people have taken for granted since almost the days of Atari:
Your right to buy used games is no longer absolute. Publishers can simply make titles unavailable for resale or can possibly charge fees to allow you to “reactivate” a used game — even up to the original price of the game. There is a $2 billion used game market for a reason: Games are expensive. Who wins here? The publishers have railed against the used-game market for years because they don’t like not receiving a cut on secondary sales. But realistically, someone buying the first Call of Duty for $15 in the used bin is a potential customer for the newest version at $60 this Christmas. There was a marketing benefit that publishers received for free even without a piece of the action.
Game rentals as we know them are effectively dead. For the admitted minority of people who enjoyed services like Gamefly or borrowed a title for a day or two from Redbox, the restrictions on one’s ability to share games mean there will be no more of that. While there are some new sharing features built into Xbox One, they in no way replace the ability to just bring a disc over to a friend’s house and play the game whenever you want to. That behavior is more or less over. Perhaps new rental models will emerge, especially with all games having an option to download them. But make no mistake, this is war on discs and your rights of ownership. It hasn’t gone entirely well for music, movie and book lovers when it’s been declared in the past and it looks ugly here.
2013年6月2日星期日
Abbott strangles $20bn green investment
The first story was mostly symbolic in nature. The Newcastle Herald reported that the only wind turbine in Newcastle, the 600kW Kooragang turbine that was constructed in 1997 to “promote the emerging green energy market” is to be removed by Ausgrid - to make way for a new coal loader.
It is just a single turbine but, amazingly, apart from a small demonstration turbine at the CSIRO energy centre nearby, it is the only one in NSW north of Sydney. In fact, going north, you need to travel 2,000kms to the Atherton Tablelands before coming across another commercial wind turbine, 20 small towers amounting to 12MW at Windy Hill in the Atherton Tablelands. There are two other small turbines on Thursday Island, at the tip of the country and that is it – just 12.45MW of wind energy north of Sydney, out of a total of 2,500MW across the country.
How many other turbines are built in NSW will likely be influenced by key decisions being made by NSW Cabinet as early as today about rules governing wind farm developments and the state’s renewable energy plans. That, of course, and the fate of the large-scale renewable energy target – a federal decision.
The second story was not just one, but a barrage of media placements from Queensland Premier Campbell Newman and others seeking to lay the blame for the state’s stunning 22.5 per cent average rise in electricity costs in 2013/14 on green energy schemes, glossing over the fact that the overwhelming majority of the bill increases come because the cost of the billions of dollars of network upgrades is being borne by the consumer.
These are dangerous times for the renewables industry in Australia, particularly those looking to construct some $20 billion of utility-scale installations – be they wind or solar. Newman threw in large-scale renewables as part of the cause of rising prices, but the analysis by the Queensland Competition Authority shows that only 3.5 per cent of the average customer bill of $1451 a year will go to support the renewable energy target, including the small and large-scale schemes. That’s less than $1 a week for the average household.
Australia’s largest utility Origin Energy has virtually declared war on renewables, arguing again on Friday that they are becoming a costly burden on households. It’s an argument that the state governments such as Newman’s have been keen to embrace.
For the record, the Climate Change Authority, in its review completed late last year, said the large-scale renewable energy target would add between $12 and $64 to the average household’s annual bill. The upper range assumed there was no impact on wholesale prices from the “merit order” effect, where prices on the energy market are forced down by the presence of more wind power. It said even slashing the RET target from 41,000GWh to 26,400GWh would only save around $17 a year from consumer bills, but would cause huge damage to the renewables industry.
It’s bitterly ironic because Australia last week was rated as the fourth most attractive destination for renewable energy investment in the world by Ernst & Young. But that was based on the policies that are currently in force – such as the renewable energy target, and the presence of the Clean Energy Finance Corp and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.
The federal Coalition is also promising to abolish the CCA, the independent body that ruled in favour of maintaining the fixed 41,000GWh renewable energy target. Not that it has been bothered by such independent advice before. Ian Macfarlane, who is likely to be the new energy minister, brought the Howard’s government’s modest renewable energy target to an abrupt and damaging close when he was in the same role a decade ago, despite the recommendations of the Tambling inquiry to extend it.
That decision brought the Australian wind industry to a halt, forcing the closure of several newly created manufacturing plants. Many of those manufacturing jobs – in wind and solar – are now going to other countries such as South Africa, Brazil, Malaysia and Thailand which have much stronger and consistent support for large-scale renewable generation.
It is just a single turbine but, amazingly, apart from a small demonstration turbine at the CSIRO energy centre nearby, it is the only one in NSW north of Sydney. In fact, going north, you need to travel 2,000kms to the Atherton Tablelands before coming across another commercial wind turbine, 20 small towers amounting to 12MW at Windy Hill in the Atherton Tablelands. There are two other small turbines on Thursday Island, at the tip of the country and that is it – just 12.45MW of wind energy north of Sydney, out of a total of 2,500MW across the country.
How many other turbines are built in NSW will likely be influenced by key decisions being made by NSW Cabinet as early as today about rules governing wind farm developments and the state’s renewable energy plans. That, of course, and the fate of the large-scale renewable energy target – a federal decision.
The second story was not just one, but a barrage of media placements from Queensland Premier Campbell Newman and others seeking to lay the blame for the state’s stunning 22.5 per cent average rise in electricity costs in 2013/14 on green energy schemes, glossing over the fact that the overwhelming majority of the bill increases come because the cost of the billions of dollars of network upgrades is being borne by the consumer.
These are dangerous times for the renewables industry in Australia, particularly those looking to construct some $20 billion of utility-scale installations – be they wind or solar. Newman threw in large-scale renewables as part of the cause of rising prices, but the analysis by the Queensland Competition Authority shows that only 3.5 per cent of the average customer bill of $1451 a year will go to support the renewable energy target, including the small and large-scale schemes. That’s less than $1 a week for the average household.
Australia’s largest utility Origin Energy has virtually declared war on renewables, arguing again on Friday that they are becoming a costly burden on households. It’s an argument that the state governments such as Newman’s have been keen to embrace.
For the record, the Climate Change Authority, in its review completed late last year, said the large-scale renewable energy target would add between $12 and $64 to the average household’s annual bill. The upper range assumed there was no impact on wholesale prices from the “merit order” effect, where prices on the energy market are forced down by the presence of more wind power. It said even slashing the RET target from 41,000GWh to 26,400GWh would only save around $17 a year from consumer bills, but would cause huge damage to the renewables industry.
It’s bitterly ironic because Australia last week was rated as the fourth most attractive destination for renewable energy investment in the world by Ernst & Young. But that was based on the policies that are currently in force – such as the renewable energy target, and the presence of the Clean Energy Finance Corp and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.
The federal Coalition is also promising to abolish the CCA, the independent body that ruled in favour of maintaining the fixed 41,000GWh renewable energy target. Not that it has been bothered by such independent advice before. Ian Macfarlane, who is likely to be the new energy minister, brought the Howard’s government’s modest renewable energy target to an abrupt and damaging close when he was in the same role a decade ago, despite the recommendations of the Tambling inquiry to extend it.
That decision brought the Australian wind industry to a halt, forcing the closure of several newly created manufacturing plants. Many of those manufacturing jobs – in wind and solar – are now going to other countries such as South Africa, Brazil, Malaysia and Thailand which have much stronger and consistent support for large-scale renewable generation.
North Dakota officials celebrate wind energy project
North Dakota Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley joined U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp and other state officials Thursday celebrating the completion of a major wind energy farm north of New Salem, northwest of Bismarck, by Allete, Inc. parent company of Duluth-based Minnesota Power.
"With the completion of this major project, North Dakota's wind energy farms have the capacity to generate about 1,600 megawatts of electricity," Wrigley said, according to a news release from the governor's website. "That's good news for North Dakota and the entire nation. I applaud Minnesota Power's investment in North Dakota's wind energy industry and I look forward to the continued development of all of our energy resources."
Industry experts say the total of 991 wind turbines now operating in North Dakota produce about 40 percent of capacity in terms of megawatt-hours of electrical power.
Wrigley says the state's wind power capacity has spiked with the addition of new turbines placed in south-central North Dakota by Allete. Most of the power goes to northern Minnesota.
Since 2010, the company has installed 101 turbines with the capacity of 292 megawatts of electricity. A megawatt is roughly enough electricity to power 1,000 homes.
By neglecting to discuss the main threat to the biodiversity on this planet — climate change — the recent article by Associated Press reporter Dina Cappiello ("Wind farms get pass") offered an incomplete analysis of the interaction between wind power and wildlife.
As a nonpolluting electricity source, wind energy is one of the most readily available, easily scalable solutions for mitigating climate change. Having studied the interactions between avian populations and wildlife for two decades in over 20 states, I can say that the article ignored multiple sources that accurately estimate the wind industry's impact on birds and neglected to place wind power-related avian fatalities in the context of other anthropomorphic sources of bird deaths.
No human activity is free of environmental impacts. Although wind power's net benefit is overwhelmingly positive, the wind energy industry has set itself apart from other energy industries by working with environmental groups, as well as government, to reduce its impacts. Any wildlife effects wind turbines do have can be limited through responsible siting, habitat conservation and managing wind farms according to the best science.
Unlike other, larger sources of eagle mortality, the industry is acknowledging its impacts and is working with stakeholders on a sustainable path forward. If we are going to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change, responsibly sited and operated wind power must be part of the solution.
"With the completion of this major project, North Dakota's wind energy farms have the capacity to generate about 1,600 megawatts of electricity," Wrigley said, according to a news release from the governor's website. "That's good news for North Dakota and the entire nation. I applaud Minnesota Power's investment in North Dakota's wind energy industry and I look forward to the continued development of all of our energy resources."
Industry experts say the total of 991 wind turbines now operating in North Dakota produce about 40 percent of capacity in terms of megawatt-hours of electrical power.
Wrigley says the state's wind power capacity has spiked with the addition of new turbines placed in south-central North Dakota by Allete. Most of the power goes to northern Minnesota.
Since 2010, the company has installed 101 turbines with the capacity of 292 megawatts of electricity. A megawatt is roughly enough electricity to power 1,000 homes.
By neglecting to discuss the main threat to the biodiversity on this planet — climate change — the recent article by Associated Press reporter Dina Cappiello ("Wind farms get pass") offered an incomplete analysis of the interaction between wind power and wildlife.
As a nonpolluting electricity source, wind energy is one of the most readily available, easily scalable solutions for mitigating climate change. Having studied the interactions between avian populations and wildlife for two decades in over 20 states, I can say that the article ignored multiple sources that accurately estimate the wind industry's impact on birds and neglected to place wind power-related avian fatalities in the context of other anthropomorphic sources of bird deaths.
No human activity is free of environmental impacts. Although wind power's net benefit is overwhelmingly positive, the wind energy industry has set itself apart from other energy industries by working with environmental groups, as well as government, to reduce its impacts. Any wildlife effects wind turbines do have can be limited through responsible siting, habitat conservation and managing wind farms according to the best science.
Unlike other, larger sources of eagle mortality, the industry is acknowledging its impacts and is working with stakeholders on a sustainable path forward. If we are going to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change, responsibly sited and operated wind power must be part of the solution.
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