Clean Energy News
Veterans push for clean energy, safer nation
10/20/2009
Several military veterans — part of Operation Free Veterans for American Power — brought their 21 state bus tour Monday to the American Legion Post 44 in Canton. The group supports cheap, domestic and renewable energy and contends drastic changes in our weather climate increase potential for military conflicts.
Sacramento’s clean tech economy makes national ranks
10/16/2009
More than 700 people attended today’s 2009 Clean Tech Showcase “Stimulating the Sacramento Region’s Clean Tech Economy” at Sacramento State University. The latest innovations from 120 Clean Technology companies specializing in solar, wind, biofuel, and energy-efficient technologies were on display. The event brought together the region’s most influential leaders in renewable energy and environmental technology and featured keynote speaker, Dan Sperling, author of Two Billion Cars.
Smarter grid, smaller bills
10/15/2009
Smart meters can send information on electricity consumption to the electric utility department every 15 minutes. And because they are monitored remotely, there’s no need to send out a meter reader.
But the city wants to go from just reading meters from a control room to turning down thermostats and giving customers the ability to identify energy-hog appliances.
Florida opens hemisphere’s largest solar plant, asks for help from legislature
10/14/2009
The road to North America’s largest photovoltaic solar plant passes cows and orange trees before turning to gravel amid a field of 90,000 black panels.
The panels’ neat rows mimic the groves and move in unison with the sun, tilting toward the light like beachgoers angling for the perfect tanning position.
Green New York Act means new jobs for clean energy economy
10/13/2009
Governor David A. Paterson today signed the Green Jobs/Green New York Act, establishing a program that will create green jobs and stimulate investment in weatherization and energy efficiency improvements for residential and commercial buildings.
Energy chief visits Jefferson Lab: Clean energy is key to ‘prosperity’
10/01/2009
From creating jobs to making Earth safe for future generations, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu made his case Tuesday to overhaul the nation’s energy system.
In Newport News to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Jefferson Lab, Chu said the United States risks falling behind other nations, specifically China, by not responding quickly to climate change.
Boxer, Kerry Launch Campaign to Pass Senate Cap-And-Trade Bill
09/30/2009
Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), John Kerry (D-Mass.) and nine Senate supporters kicked off the autumn global warming debate today with a campaign-style rally releasing their comprehensive climate bill.
Stratford gets ‘Clean Energy Community’ designation
09/29/2009
It was announced Monday that Stratford has been designated a “Clean Energy Community” by the nonprofit Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, in recognition of the steps that it has taken over the last two years to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases it produces.
Students hope to shine in solar-house competition
09/29/2009
This week the entry from the Missouri University of Science and Technology and the University of Missouri arrives in Washington, and members of the “Show-Me Solar” team will be getting the house situated and operational for the event’s 10 contests.
BioEnergy gets planning commission approval
08/28/2009
So long as Ohio State University feels similarly to Planning Commission, construction on the first new building at the BioHio Research Park could begin soon.
Clemens Halene, vice president of engineering for Schmack BioEnergy, received the blessing from the city’s Planning Commission for his company’s plans to construct an anaerobic digestion facility in the eastern portion of the research park on Secrest Road, which will take manure, feed stocks and other crops and turn them into electricity.
High-profile visits put focus on clean energy
08/26/2009
Northern Colorado’s important role in clean-energy development will be highlighted Thursday at a forum led by two top Obama administration officials.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley will host a forum at Fossil Ridge High School on the economic impacts of clean energy development. The invitation-only meeting also is hosted by Gov. Bill Ritter and Rep. Betsy Markey and will include business and community leaders focused on the issue.
Clean Energy Patents Set Quarterly Record
08/25/2009
A record 274 U.S. clean energy patents were granted in 2Q09, and Honda (NYSE: HMC) retained its longtime leadership position, according to the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index (CEPGI) published by Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C.
Fuel cells continued to dominate the other technologies while wind and solar patents continued an upswing.
Made in America Jobs Tour Kicks Off in Cleveland, Highlights Clean Energy in Ohio
08/21/2009
Workers, business owners, labor leaders and community members came together Thursday night in Cleveland, Ohio, to launch the Made in America Jobs Tour highlighting the benefits of transitioning to a clean energy economy that will create jobs while reducing harmful carbon pollution and breaking our dependence on foreign oil.
Repower South Dakota tour promotes clean energy jobs
08/21/2009
Repower South Dakota blew into Howard on Thursday to tout Knight & Carver Wind Group’s blade manufacturing plant - as well as the estimated 5,000 clean energy jobs it says can be generated in South Dakota through federal climate legislation.
The American Clean Energy and Security Act seeks to decrease greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent and drop global temperatures by 3.6 degrees by 2050. It also calls for creating green energy jobs to wean the nation off foreign oil.
Governor Rendell: Investing in Clean Energy Projects Creates Jobs, Strengthens the Economy, Cleans t
08/20/2009
Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced $20.7 million of investments in 25 projects to generate and conserve enough energy to power more than 26,000 homes, reducing carbon emissions equivalent to removing more than 17,000 cars from our roadways.
The projects will produce or save 2.2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity over their lifetimes, or 110 million kilowatt hours per year. These projects will create 430 permanent green jobs, 1,068 construction jobs and help to retain 4,110 manufacturing jobs by stabilizing energy costs with on-site renewable energy systems.
MidAmerican, others order study of wind energy transmission line
08/20/2009
MidAmerican Energy of Des Moines and other power and transmission companies have commissioned a study of a major transmission line to move wind energy from Iowa and the Midwest to larger cities.
The group includes American Electric Power of Columbus, Ohio, which has a joint venture with MidAmerican for transmission planning; Northwestern Energy, which serves electric customers in Montana, Nebraska and South Dakota; American Transmission Co. and Excelon Corp., a major owner of electric generators.
North Koreans Want to Discuss Clean Energy With Richardson
08/19/2009
One of the topics a North Korean delegation hopes to discuss with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is clean energy, a Richardson aide says.
Alarie Ray-Garcia, a spokeswoman for Richardson, said the exact agenda hasn’t been formalized. But she said in an email that the delegation “expressed a strong interest in New Mexico’s clean energy projects.”
Clean energy taking root in Connecticut
08/19/2009
Early next month, when the students of Avon Old Farms School return for their fall semester, an image of a new Connecticut will greet them as they arrive on campus.
There, covering almost the entire south roof of the Jennings Fairchild hockey rink, students will see a $1.4 million array of solar panels — one of the largest on any school in New England — that two renewable-energy firms built at Old Farms. The school estimates that the project will save about $250,000 a year in electrical bills and provide about 75 percent of the school’s needs on its main campus
South America to host international solar congress in October
08/19/2009
In just over 50 days, South Africa will host the International Solar Energy Society’s (ISES’s) 2009 Solar World Congress, which will take place in Johannesburg in October, with the theme ‘renewable energy: shaping our future’.
Clean Energy Jobs Plan Would Create Thousands Of Jobs In MN Tools
08/18/2009
A Minnesota coalition including labor, faith and environmental interests is coming together to back what’s called a “clean energy jobs plan” that supporters say will create thousands of jobs, reduce pollution and lower oil imports.
New Priorities For Our Energy Future
08/17/2009
Renewable energy and clean-burning natural gas are the basis of a new strategy the world needs to create a cleaner and more secure future. And the global transformation to a clean-energy economy may be the greatest economic opportunity of the 21st century. According to the authoritative Potential Gas Committee (administered by the Colorado School of Mines), the U.S. sits on top of massive reservoirs of natural gas—an estimated 2,000 trillion cubic feet—that contain more energy than all the oil in Saudi Arabia.
Ohio coalition pushing for clean energy jobs plan
08/17/2009
About two months after plans were unveiled for a Clean Energy Park Alliance centered around a proposed new nuclear power plant in Piketon, a diverse coalition is strongly urging Congress to pass a comprehensive clean energy jobs plan.
The coalition has released a set of studies underscoring how comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation can renew Ohio’s economy with new clean energy jobs.
Making a Down Payment on a Clean Energy Economic Recovery
08/17/2009
An unprecedented amount of federal stimulus funding - more than $10 billion - to retrofit homes, businesses and government buildings to be more energy efficient is starting to hit the streets in communities around the country. This is good news from an economic as well as an environmental perspective, because building energy retrofits reduce pollution at the same time they save families money and put people to work.
New Jersey reaches renewable energy milestone
08/14/2009
Ranking as second in the nation for “solar, renewable energy advancement,” New Jersey celebrates a major achievement this summer with the 4,000th solar installation, which carries more than 90 megawatts statewide.
“New Jersey continues to be ahead of the curve on energy preservation, implementation of innovative approaches to energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources,” Governor Jon Corzine said.
Camden plant to trade on clean energy
08/14/2009
CAMDEN, Ark. (AP) — A $180 million wood pellet plant to be built in Camden could chart a green future for the city still working to overcome the loss of its biggest employer nearly a decade ago.
The Phoenix Renewable Energy facility is to occupy the site of the former International Paper mill. Though the plant would employ only a fraction of the people who worked at the mill, it will generate hundreds of other jobs in support industries.
Clinton expands his clean energy challenge
08/14/2009
Four years after former President Bill Clinton challenged the Las Vegas business community to lead the nation in conservation and renewable energy, he challenged the rest of the nation.
“Let’s take what Nevada is doing and put it on steroids,” he said.
N.J. environmental groups voice support for federal clean-energy bill
08/13/2009
New Jersey’s environmental groups have come out to support federal legislation aimed at reducing carbon emissions, which they say would create 47,000 clean energy jobs in the state.
Energy Summit 2.0 Leaders Spotlight CityCenter as “Future of Clean Energy”
08/13/2009
Monday, as part of the National Clean Energy Summit 2.0 held in Las Vegas, MGM MIRAGE welcomed the country’s energy leaders to tour CityCenter, one of the world’s largest green developments, highlighted by the Summit as a project contributing to the future of clean energy.
Reid leads tour of Nevada’s clean energy potential
08/12/2009
One of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s mantras is that the emerging clean energy industry will create valuable and desperately needed jobs. On Tuesday, in the wake of his National Clean Energy Summit, he staged a short road show to illustrate his point.
He could have taken his five guests on a tour of the Ausra solar manufacturing plant near McCarran International Airport, or the green building and design exhibits at the Springs Preserve or the hundreds of acres of solar thermal and photovoltaic fields in the Eldorado Valley.
Group Rallies To Gain Support For Clean Energy Bill
08/11/2009
Outside of Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s Little Rock office, folks supporting the clean energy and green jobs bill voiced their opinions. Supporters say this legislation is one of the biggest environmental bills in our nation’s history.
Renewable power industry says U.S. moving too slowly
08/11/2009
Executives from wind and solar, and other industries in the expanding world of “cleantech” argued utilities should be required to buy much more renewable energy and warned that unless the federal government closes a hole in climate legislation, the energy can’t reach homes that need it.
Local agriculture should drive the transition to a clean-energy economy
08/11/2009
Science tells us that unmitigated climate change will cause shifts in growing seasons, crop yield reductions, increasingly stressed and unreliable water supplies and decreased livestock growth rates, reproduction and milk productivity. Failing to act on climate change will have a drastic impact on our agriculture industry, the families that depend on farming and consumers’ access to affordable food. This issue cannot be ignored.
Climate Change Seen as Threat to U.S. Security
08/10/2009
The changing global climate will pose profound strategic challenges to the United States in coming decades, raising the prospect of military intervention to deal with the effects of violent storms, drought, mass migration and pandemics, military and intelligence analysts say.
Such climate-induced crises could topple governments, feed terrorist movements or destabilize entire regions, say the analysts, experts at the Pentagon and intelligence agencies who for the first time are taking a serious look at the national security implications of climate change.
In Pa. House, heavy debate over clean-energy bill
08/10/2009
Wind energy is still cleanest resource out there
08/10/2009
Wisconsin has a vast, largely untapped resource and disagreements about how to tap that resource. A bill making its way to the state Senate could help resolve some of those disputes.
The resource is wind, which rushes across the Niagara Escarpment with a fury that produces a viable source of electricity. Hundreds of wind turbines are being constructed along the escarpment, and several alarmed communities have been throwing up roadblocks to slow or halt their development.
League of Conservation Voters wants you at Nevada Energy Summit
08/07/2009
Friends,
Last year, Americans voted overwhelmingly for change, including an energy policy for the 21st Century.
Members of Congress are working to jumpstart our economy and create new, green jobs in Nevada by passing a historic Clean Energy Plan. Unfortunately, big oil and gas companies are using scare tactics to stall this work and are organizing a protest Monday against any sensible reform to our nation’s outdated energy policy.
PLEASE JOIN US—Monday, August 10, at 8:30 a.m. on the steps of the Cox Pavilion of the UNLV campus—to let our elected officials know we need green jobs and a Clean Energy Plan now! It’s important that we show our support for a Clean Energy Plan.
Join other Nevadans to send a public “thank you” to Sen. Harry Reid for the work he is doing to support a Clean Energy Plan in Congress and call on other senators to vote in favor of jobs that can’t be exported overseas. Sen. Reid recognizes that we must harness Nevada’s vast solar, wind and geothermal energy potential to stabilize our energy costs and create much-needed jobs!
Free parking is available in the Cox Pavilion parking lot on the UNLV campus at Swenson and Tropicana. For more information, please go to http://www.rebuildnevada.org. To rsvp, please email info@rebuildnevada.org.
Chu, Markey Make Argument for Clean Energy Bill at Kennedy School Forum
08/07/2009
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu presented a compelling argument for a renewed national energy policy during an appearance Thursday (August 6) at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum. Using Power Point charts and extensive data to supplement his address, Chu outlined to an overflow audience both the global warming challenge and potential strategies that could provide solutions.
Energy grant to put fleet of electric cars in Tennessee
08/06/2009
Tennessee is one of five states that will take part in a $100 million experimental electric vehicle program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.
The states, which also include Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington, will get electric vehicles charged with Nissan batteries, to be used by government and commercial fleets and individuals, as well as charging stations for the cars.
Clean energy will create jobs
08/06/2009
American ingenuity is second to none. Pair that with the world-class work force that we have in Michigan, and you’re talking about an unstoppable alliance between business and labor that can help make Michigan a leader in the 21st century. That’s why I take issue with naysayers who claim moving toward clean energy won’t create jobs.
Renewable energy in all its forms—from the solar industry to wind farms and biomass to hydro—is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy, both here in Michigan and globally, expanding by 25 to 30 percent each year.
Clean Energy Key in Windpower Case
08/06/2009
This state ranks second in the country - behind Texas - in wind generation. Iowa also has great potential to export more wind energy beyond our borders - opening up economic opportunities and helping move the country toward using more renewable energy.
Producing clean energy
08/06/2009
Bill Gross unveiled a 20 acre, 5-megawatt solar plant in Lancaster, CA Wednesday, that uses thousands of mirrors to create an innovative source of carbon-free electricity. The CEO of eSolar has been looking toward this day for 25 years.
Business Leaders Urge the U.S to Get Serious about the Clean Energy Race
08/05/2009
U.S. business leaders John Doerr (from Kleiner Perkins) and Jeff Immelt (CEO of GE) became part of the growing chorus calling on the nation’s leaders to prepare America for the clean-energy race. They warn that the U.S. is quickly falling behind in "the next great global industry"-green technology-with the risk of damaging America’s economic competitiveness.
http://manchestertimes.micromediapubs.com/news/2009/0805/community_news/029.html
08/05/2009
New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program (NJCEP) launched the Refrigerator/ Freezer Recycling program at an event that showcased the first refrigerator rolling down the conveyer belt at a new demanufacturing facility in East Brunswick. Under the new recycling program, New Jersey residents can turn in old working refrigerators and freezers and in return receive $30, plus free removal of the old appliance.
Colorado solar plant generates jobs and energy
08/05/2009
Abound Solar Inc., which carries out commercial scale manufacturing of next-generation thin-film solar photovoltaic modules, started with four employees in 2007 as a spinoff from Colorado State University, which developed the technology. It has created 200 jobs in Colorado in two years and expects to have 420 employees by 2010. At capacity, the plant manufactures 3 million modules per year – enough to provide renewable energy to 40,000 homes. In addition, one of the company’s clients recently relocated some of their operations to Colorado so they can be closer to Abound.
Idealab rebounds with recent focus on clean technology
08/05/2009
Idealab, which has counted director Steven Spielberg and actor Michael Douglas among its backers, has been spreading its reach to the green technology sector.
In the last three years, it has created RayTracker Inc., a solar tracking solution for photovoltaic systems; Distributed World Power, which designs solar systems for developing countries; Aptera Motors, which designs fuel-efficient cars; and ESolar.
Solar plant to be built at CSU site
08/04/2009
A 2-megawatt solar power plant to be built at Colorado State University’s Foothills Campus this fall will generate enough power to meet more than 10 percent of the campus’s electricity demand, the university said Monday.
The 15-acre array of solar panels is expected to be one of the largest solar power systems at a U.S. university when it’s done. Completion is expected before year’s end, the university said.
Clean-energy projects must move forward
07/30/2009
We must move forward on renewable energy now. The state and country can’t afford to wait until fossil fuel prices hit record highs again before we start moving down the green road toward energy independence in earnest. PSE&G says consumers initially will pay $1.28 extra a year to fund the project. That will increase to $4.08 by 2028. Still, that’s a small price to pay to help reduce pollution, lessen our country’s dependence on imported oil and do our part to reduce climate change.
China, U.S. Sign Cooperation Accord on Clean Energy, Climate
07/28/2009
China and the U.S. signed a memorandum of understanding today that they will cooperate on clean-energy technology and work to reverse climate change.
Clean-Energy Investments Create Jobs
07/26/2009
Clean-energy investments in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the American Clean Energy and Security Act recently passed by the House will generate millions of new jobs in a variety of industries across all 50 states. These new clean-energy jobs can help jumpstart our struggling economy and expand and strengthen America’s shrinking middle class. The need has never been greater for a new economic growth strategy powered by clean and efficient energy.
Entrepreneurs learn about clean energy
07/23/2009
About 25 veteran entrepreneurs with successful track records and an interest in new energy ventures peppered UMass Dartmouth scientists with questions Wednesday during official opening ceremonies for the Advanced Technology & Manufacturing Center’s Clean Energy Lab.
The group was the perfect audience for the newly opened lab, which looks to support the transformation of new energy ideas into marketable technology.
Stimulus will help small manufacturing companies diversify into renewable energy
07/23/2009
The Michigan Clean Energy Advanced Manufacturing initiative will help eligible businesses hit hard by the downturn in automotive production to transition into fields like wind, solar, biomass or geothermal.
The goal is to create new markets for manufacturers, support renewable energy companies and their tier-one suppliers and create anchor companies to attract renewable energy companies to Michigan.
Climate change could put the heat on California crops
07/22/2009
Fruit and nut orchards in the Central Valley rely on winter chilling hours, but those are in decline, according to a UC Davis study.
Solar Power Generation Capacity May Double in 2010
07/20/2009
New solar power generation may double next year, recovering from low capacity utilization caused by the global financial crisis, as China and the U.S. increase demand for clean energy, a fund manager said.
Hillary Clinton talks climate change in India
07/20/2009
Hillary Clinton, in her first visit to India as secretary of state, said Sunday that the United States and India can work together to combat global warming and at the same time spark economic growth and generate new jobs.
“I am very confident the United States and India can devise a plan that will dramatically change the way we produce, consume and conserve energy, and in the process spark an explosion of new investment and millions of jobs,” she told reporters in New Delhi on the third day of a five-day visit to India.
Asian Nations Could Outpace U.S. in Developing Clean Energy
07/17/2009
The leaders of India, South Korea, China and Japan may have different answers. Those Asian nations are pouring money into renewable energy industries, funding research and development and setting ambitious targets for renewable energy use. These plans could outpace the programs in Obama’s economic stimulus package or in the House climate bill sponsored by Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.).
With Push Toward Renewable Energy, California Sets Pace for Solar Power
07/17/2009
A decade ago, only 500 rooftops in California boasted solar panels that harvest the sun’s energy. Today, there are nearly 50,000 solar-panel installations in the state.
China Builds High Wall to Guard Energy Industry
07/16/2009
When the United States’ top energy and commerce officials arrive in China on Tuesday, they will land in the middle of a building storm over China’s protectionist tactics to become the world’s leader in renewable energy.
Britain presents plans to cut emissions, add jobs
07/15/2009
The British government detailed ambitious plans Wednesday to cut carbon emissions substantially by 2020, and said 40 percent of the country’s electricity by then would come from renewable sources.
A government study predicts that 1.2 million Britons will be working in "green" energy jobs by 2020.
US Agency Moves Toward Smart-grid Road Map
04/09/2009
The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded a US$1.3 million contract to the Electric Power Research Institute to help the agency determine the architecture and initial standards for an electric-power smart grid.
EPRI, a nonprofit research and development group, will help NIST create an interim road map for the smart grid, a nationwide network that will use information technology with the goal of helping U.S. utilities deliver electricity more efficiently and reliably. NIST and EPRI announced the contract Wednesday.
A $787 billion economic stimulus package passed by the U.S. Congress in February includes $4.5 billion for smart-grid projects across the U.S. President Barack Obama and other backers of a smart grid say an upgrade of the aging U.S. electricity system is needed in order to use energy more efficiently and to make use of alternative energy sources.
‘Smart grid,’ big savings
04/09/2009
It’s the principle behind every clearance sale: The less a product is in demand, the less it sells for. So why can’t we extend the same principle to one of the most basic commodities of all - electricity?
The demand for electricity fluctuates every day. It tends to be highest in the afternoon (when people are at work and when lights, computers and heating and cooling are running at full blast) and lowest at night. But most people can’t take full advantage of the lowest-demand hours, because homes can’t "talk back" to utilities. Your home and your utility still have a primitive way of communicating: a meter that can’t do more than spin faster or slower.
Imagine, though, that your home knew the cost of power from second to second. Imagine that it could tell you that power’s source, from a coal-fired plant to a wind farm. Imagine that you could sell electricity back to the grid. Those steps add up to one of the biggest energy innovations on the horizon: the "smart grid,"
Salazar says wind power could replace coal power
04/09/2009
Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Department of the Interior, announced a new direction in energy policy this week. Salazar says he accepted his appointment largely due the role he would be able to play in forging a new energy future. This week at a public hearing in Atlantic City, Salazar presented a bold plan to change the direction of energy production in the US. One of the most controversial assertions he made was that offshore wind power could tapped to replace most of the nation’s coal-burning power. "The idea that wind energy has the potential to replace most of our coal-burning power today is a very real possibility," he said. "It is not technology that is pie-in-the sky; it is here and now." Coal industry leaders doubt this claim.
Join Senator Reid’s Clean Energy Town Hall April 14th
04/07/2009
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is leading the charge in Washington to pursue a clean energy economy. Sen. Reid was one of the first in Nevada to speak out against three proposed dirty coal plants — two of which have since been postponed. He is a dogged advocate for pursuing renewable energy nationwide that will create jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and stabilize utility bills.
On Tuesday, April 14th, Sen. Reid will hold a town hall discussion on clean energy in Las Vegas. You can join him for this important discussion by watching a live online webcast of the event at www.reid.senate.gov.
Salazar: Wind power can replace 3,000 coal plants
04/07/2009
Windmills off the East Coast could generate the same amount of electricity as 3,000 coal-fired power plants, but oil and natural gas drilling will continue to be part of the nation’s energy equation, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Monday.
The secretary spoke at a public hearing in Atlantic City on how the nation’s offshore areas can be tapped to meet America’s energy needs now that a moratorium on offshore oil drilling has expired. A decision on whether to allow drilling for oil and gas off the East Coast still has to be made.
"We know there are some people who want us to close the door on that," he said. "We need to look at all forms of energy as we move forward into a new energy frontier."
Creating ‘green’ jobs
04/07/2009
At 6:30 p.m. on a winter weekday, the parking lot of Richmond’s Adult Career Development Center is filling up fast. An icy wind sweeps the sidewalk, but in the crowded cafeteria, people are sweating. Some came straight from work, others from a job hunt. While they wait, two young women pass out stickers that read “Green Jobs Now.”
They’ve gathered at this town hall-style meeting to hear U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott (D-3rd District) and a panel of experts discuss opportunities for clean energy and green jobs in President Barack Obama’s $789 billion stimulus package. One by one the panel members explain why the creation of green jobs is vitally important to the economy’s recovery.
More states want solar power to be option on new homes
04/06/2009
A growing number of states are moving to require home builders to offer solar electricity and hot-water systems in new homes, right alongside more traditional options such as fancy kitchen countertops and special window treatments.
"It’s just like the granite countertop upgrade or the two-car garage or the larger closet — these are options the homeowner can choose to purchase," said Jeff Lyng, the renewable energy program manager for Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter’s Energy Office.
This Old Wasteful House
04/06/2009
NEVER before has America had so many compelling reasons to preserve the homes in its older residential neighborhoods. We need to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. We want to create jobs, and revitalize the neighborhoods where millions of Americans live. All of this could be accomplished by making older homes more energy-efficient.
Let’s begin with energy consumption and emissions. Forty-three percent of America’s carbon emissions come from heating, cooling, lighting and operating our buildings.
It’s a price, not a tax
04/06/2009
Republican tax rhetoric veered in a perilous new direction recently when party leaders began attacking efforts to address climate change as an “energy tax” on American families and businesses.I am sure some messaging wonk thought characterizing climate legislation as a tax increase would score political points in a bad economy, but it is exactly this kind of shortsighted thinking that has eroded public faith in Republicans’ ability to recognize and solve the nation’s problems.
By framing the costs associated with reducing greenhouse gas emissions and lowering America’s dangerous dependence on oil as a tax, Republicans are boxing themselves firmly into the corner of climate change skeptics and forgoing any role in—or credit for—solving the problem.
Support carbon cap and trade system
04/05/2009
In January of this year, Kevin Parker, global head at Deutsche Asset Management, wrote to President Barack Obama and stated that “the economic downturn provides a historic opportunity for government to take charge of the fight against climate change rather than being a reason to put off action.”
Parker recognizes that our government plays a major role in the fight against global warming. It is the government’s job to provide the organizational structures that help national goals become a reality.
Government establishes the consistent framework for businesses and institutions to operate within and standards consumers can rely on.
Toward a clean-energy future
04/05/2009
Administration proposals should lay the cornerstone for new technologies.
If President Barack Obama has his way, research funded by taxpayer dollars will yield advances as important to clean-energy production as the Internet has been to communication. His energy proposals are eye-popping, both in the extent of their far-reaching goals and in their immediate cost.
Obama proposes to spend about $59billion in stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on clean-energy projects and tax incentives, and his budget proposal includes $150billion to promote clean energy and energy efficiency - no small amounts, to be sure. But, if the plan were to meet its ambitious goals of U.S. energy independence, the creation of more than 300,000 jobs and substantial reduction in global warming, it would be a bargain.
The American Clean Energy And Security Act
04/03/2009
Following President Obama’s call for investment in a clean energy economy, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chair Ed Markey (D-MA) this week unveiled green economy legislation.
The 648-page "discussion draft" of the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act sets national standards for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and global warming pollution, but it does not specify whether industry will be subsidized to achieve those standards.
Wind turbines could more than meet U.S. electricity needs, report says
04/03/2009
Wind turbines off U.S. coastlines could potentially supply more than enough electricity to meet the nation’s current demand, the Interior Department reported Thursday.
Simply harnessing the wind in relatively shallow waters—the most accessible and technically feasible sites for offshore turbines—could produce at least 20% of the power demand for most coastal states, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said, unveiling a report by the Minerals Management Service that details the potential for oil, gas and renewable development on the outer continental shelf.
Google maps draw a line in sand for clean energy
04/03/2009
A new set of layers for Google Earth is trying to make it easier for solar and wind farm developers to figure out where they are least and most likely to be challenged.
The Path to Green Energy, as the Google Earth tool is called, provides information on lands legally prohibited from commercial development, on natural habitats of endangered species, and on lands proposed for inclusion into the federal wilderness system.
The tool was developed by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the National Audubon Society with sponsorship from Google.org’s Geo Challenge Grants. The grants program provides nonprofits with money to develop Google Earth tools.
Clean energy center headquarters to be in Rockville
04/02/2009
State officials chose Rockville on Tuesday for the headquarters of a new agency dedicated to making Maryland a national leader in renewable energy production and job creation.
The Maryland Clean Energy Center will foster development of green technologies statewide, including at an industrial park near Annapolis, a demonstration site in Frederick and an incubator in Baltimore, president Kenneth M. Connolly said.
A five-member staff, assisted by student interns and volunteers, will be based at the Camille Kendall Academic Center at the University System of Maryland’s Shady Grove campus just outside Washington.
Wind business opening in town
04/01/2009
Two local businessmen are opening a wind turbine manufacturing company in the township, a move that should save 100 Ohio jobs and could create more.
Fellhauer Mechanical Systems owner John Fellhauer and Oak Harbor resident Curtis Stokes are teaming up to open SUREnergy—which stands for Sustainable Use of Renewable Energy—in the building behind Fellhauer’s showroom on Gill Road.
The company will help customers through the entire windmill process from applying for state rebates to the turbine installation, Fellhauer said.
Details trickle out on House’s climate and energy plan
03/31/2009
Two senior House Democrats will unveil a 600-page draft global warming and energy bill today that they hope will prompt an intense round of internal negotiations, culminating with passage out of the Energy and Commerce Committee before June, according to several lawmakers and off-the-Hill sources briefed on the measure.
The bill from Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Ed Markey (D-Mass.) includes four separate titles aimed at overhauling U.S. climate and energy policy, starting with a cap-and-trade program that sets mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions over the next four decades.
Dems pressed on health, energy
03/31/2009
President Barack Obama warned a closed meeting of House Democrats that Congress has to pass health care reform and major energy legislation this year “or it will not get done,” according to people in the meeting.
Obama visited the Democratic caucus in the new Congressional Auditorium on Monday evening to shore up support for his $3.6 trillion budget, but he made a strong push for Congress not to back down from the big ticket items on his agenda, including health care, energy and education.
Obama spent about 14 minutes talking to the caucus, then took questions from lawmakers.
Renewable energy will boost software demand
03/27/2009
As countries restructure their electricity sector to include more renewable resources, there will be a higher demand for management software, throwing up opportunities for software and services companies worldwide, according to a Greenpeace spokesman.
Managing a single point supply like a coal plant involves fewer challenges than managing a distributed energy supply system consisting of conventional power stations and renewable energy systems spread across a number of locations, said Sven Teske, Director of Greenpeace’s Renewable Energy Campaign, on Friday.
Over 440 Businesses in Ohio Contributing to Growing Ohio’s Green Energy Economy
03/26/2009
Columbus, Cleveland, Newark, Ohio – Over twenty green energy businesses, elected leaders, and energy experts stood with Environment Ohio as they released a new report “Growing Ohio’s Green Energy Economy.” The report shows that Ohio is home to more than 440 businesses and research institutions in the solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, and fuel cell industries.
“Growing Ohio’s green energy economy will create jobs and reduce pollution,” stated Amy Gomberg, Program Director with Environment Ohio. “Passing pro-renewable energy policies are a win for the environment and the economy.”
The report looks at each of these renewable energy industries to show how many businesses and research institutions, and other auxiliary services in Ohio are contributing to growing these green energy sectors.
Stimulus bill to boost Colo.‘s new energy economy
03/26/2009
Business and political leaders are banking on Colorado’s new energy leadership to give it a big edge in the competition for billions of federal stimulus dollars promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Colorado expects $130 million for weatherization of homes and the state energy program. Communities are in line for block grants. And businesses and researchers will compete for undetermined grants and loan guarantees.
President Barack Obama’s $787 billion package includes about $50 billion for renewable energy and efficiency programs.
Colorado’s Democratic leaders estimate the package will create or save about 59,000 jobs in the state. There’s no estimate for energy industry jobs, but state officials say $80 million earmarked for weatherization and new eligibility requirements will nearly triple the Colorado homes in the program.
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Oilman makes case for renewable energy
03/25/2009
He was promoting his "Pickens Plan" and welcoming a new corporate sponsor of the proposal: Columbus-based American Electric Power.
Pickens spoke at a town-hall-style meeting at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. He was joined by Michael Morris, AEP’s chairman, president and CEO.
"The security of America is at stake because of dependency on foreign oil from people who hate us," Pickens said.
Politics As Usual Could Put Hawaii and Its Clean Energy Future at Risk
03/24/2009
The people of Hawai‘i want and deserve an end to our dependence on imported oil. However, politics-as-usual could put our state and its clean energy future at risk.
We have been here before. Following the1973 oil embargo, our state was at a crossroads. The choices were clear: move toward greater self-reliance and use of our abundant natural resources, or let special interests and near-sighted politics give us more of the same.
Though “more of the same” would have dire consequences in terms of our environment and our energy and economic security, it now looks as if we may go down this same path again.
Obama highlights clean energy
03/23/2009
In a weeklong blitz for his ambitious, but somewhat beleaguered budget, President Obama today is highlighting "clean energy" proposals.
In advance of a meeting with entrepreneurs and research leaders, the White House released a "fact sheet" saying that the $787 billion stimulus bill includes $39 billion in energy investments at the Department of Energy and $20 billion in tax incentives for clean energy.
Catch the clean-energy vision
03/22/2009
In these gloomy economic times, we can at least take solace in the fact that filling up the gas tank doesn’t require emptying our wallets, as it did last summer.
But just as the economy will eventually rebound, so, too, will the price of gasoline. And that’s one of the reasons I’m looking forward to the 2009 National Hydrogen Association Conference that’s coming to Columbia March 30-April 3.
Hundreds of hydrogen industry exhibitors and visitors are expected for this event, which will showcase the latest technology in hydrogen fuel cells.
Coalition visits Va. to push Obama’s budget
03/20/2009
A coalition of union, environmental and community-organizing groups will go door-to-door throughout Virginia this weekend to push for President Barack Obama’s proposed $3.6 trillion budget.
Jessica Lee with the Virginia League of Conservation Voters said yesterday that the budget "is the blueprint for transformational change, which Americans voted for in November."
She was joined yesterday in the General Assembly Building by representatives of the Virginia AFL-CIO, the Virginia Education Association, the Service Employees International Union, the Virginia Green Jobs Coalition and the Sierra Club.
Raleigh rally backs Obama budget
03/19/2009
Supporters of the President’s three and a half trillion dollar budget rallied in downtown Raleigh Thursday.
Members of the Conservation Council of NC, Environment NC, The Arc of NC, Black Women’s Caucus, ACORN, NC State AFL-CIO, and some state legislators took part.
They say the plan will rebuild and renew America by pumping money into healthcare and education.
Carbon trading vital - US scientist
03/19/2009
Creating a fair carbon trading system or emissions tax is important in the climate change battle, but funding is also needed for vital research into alternative energy, a United States expert told politicians today.
Stanford University environmental scientist Professor Stephen Schneider told a select committee set up last year to look at climate change policy that it was vital people had incentives to reduce carbon emissions.
If there were no legislative changes in the way countries went about reducing emissions, people would not work as hard to invent alternatives or would do it with impunity.
Kansas triples wind farm capacity in last 15 months
03/19/2009
Kansas has tripled its wind generating capacity in the last 15 months, and wind power supporters are hoping that is just the beginning.
Flat Ridge Wind Farm in Nashville, about 60 miles southwest of Wichita, began operations recently and will generate about 100 megawatts of power a year. And the Central Plains Wind Farm in Marienthal, just east of Leoti, is partially online. It will produce 99 megawatts when fully operational.
‘Smart grid’ gains momentum
03/19/2009
The idea that the nation needs to develop a "smart grid" has flooded Washington and is now regularly mentioned as a key priority among policy makers and energy leaders
Renewable energy: Homeowners can start saving today
03/19/2009
“On Nov. 12, 2008, the International Energy Agency released its World Energy Outlook,” Jeffrey W. Lakatos, master electrician/NABCEP certified installer of solar for Hartland Electric LLC, Hartland, said.
“This is the world’s most authoritative source of global energy trends that provides energy projections to 2030. In this report, the IEA stated in very clear terms that renewable energy will soon become the second largest source of electricity,” Lakatos said. “Because the day that report came out, the IEA officially confirmed that every fossil fuel resource we rely on today will simply not be able to keep pace with demand.”
Power in numbers: Green energy could fuel the Northwest
03/19/2009
OK, everybody thinks clean energy is a good idea. But with electricity demand rising, new technology expensive and ever-increasing challenges to existing renewables like hydropower, can we afford it?
Yes. Dirty coal plants can be mothballed while providing more electricity for homes, businesses and public transport by asking consumers to pay less than a penny more per kilowatt hour, says a new report from the Northwest Energy Coalition.
The key is energy efficiency.
Green Energy: Nebraska expecting explosion of wind development
03/16/2009
Stimulus creates opportunities for unions in the new clean-energy economy
03/15/2009
Down payment on a clean future
03/15/2009
The challenge is the economy. The opportunity is clean energy.
More and more Americans realize the challenges we face are connected. Our over-reliance on fossil fuels is the leading source of global warming emissions, pollutes our air and water, and exposes consumers to the price spikes of a global fuel market.
Efficiency: not glam but good at saving energy
03/14/2009
Kevin Surace’s peers in the world of alternative energy make solar cells, wind turbines and exotic biofuels. He makes windows and drywall.
Glamorous, it isn’t. But his Sunnyvale company, Serious Materials, represents one of the most important elements of the country’s clean energy future - efficiency.
Surace’s windows and insulated drywall can slash energy bills in homes and offices.
Stimulus Package Has Green for Clean Energy
03/13/2009
The government is pulling out all the stops to get the economy’s heart beating again, including a large clean energy investment that’s part of The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009—the stimulus package. It provides about $80 billion altogether for renewable energy, energy efficiency, mass transit, updating the electrical grid and research. The hope is that investing in solar power and other forms of renewable energy will create jobs, help businesses grow, make our economy more productive, and create a cleaner world for the future.
The Solar Surge in Colorado
03/13/2009
The check that landed in my family’s mailbox recently wasn’t much in monetary terms—just $9.73—but to us it was huge in other ways.
The payment from Xcel Energy, Colorado’s largest utility, meant that the grid-tied solar photovoltaic system we installed a year and a half ago on our home in the foothills west of Denver had produced about 200 kilowatt hours more power than we consumed in 2008. At least as far as home electricity is concerned we are slightly better than net zero, both in carbon emissions and costs.
Energy Efficiency Grants Slated for Md.
03/12/2009
Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) applauded the Administration’s announcement today that the State of Maryland will receive $113 million in weatherization and energy efficiency funding – including $61,441,745 for the Weatherization Assistance Program and $51,772,000 for the State Energy Program. This is part of a nationwide investment announced today of nearly $8 billion under the President’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
America at crossroads on energy
03/11/2009
The challenge is the economy; the opportunity is clean energy.
More and more Americans realize the challenges we face are connected. Our overreliance on fossil fuels is the leading source of global warming emissions, pollutes our air and water and exposes consumers to the price spikes of a global fuel market.
We need to repower America by shifting to 100 percent homegrown clean electricity, cut our dependence on oil in half and dramatically cut global warming pollution - moves that will create millions of new green jobs.
Iowa part of giant wind energy grid proposed for 2020
03/11/2009
A giant electricity transmission grid with about 3,000 miles of lines is proposed to harvest wind energy across the Midwest.
Expected to cost $10-12 billion, the proposed Green Power Express would run lines through seven states, including Iowa, drawing wind power from less populated areas to larger cities.
Starting in wind-rich areas in Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas, the grid is intended to move energy for a very long distance, according to a proposal unveiled earlier this year by ITC Holdings, of Michigan.
So. Nevada at the forefront for renewable energy
03/11/2009
Renewable energy organizations are convening this week at the RIO to discuss energy stratagies under the new administration. Las Vegas is the right place for such a gathering, as Nevada is promoting itself as a "green" leader.
Environmental advocacy groups are joining with legislators to promote Nevada as a leader in the race to harness renewable energy sources.
Southern Nevada could be a huge winner in the renewable energy sweepstakes.