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Evolution Markets is publishing today the 34th edition of our Executive Brief. This issue provides a report by Evolution Markets' Ross MacWhinney on the new political dynamics of US climate change legislation. Ross digs into what is becoming the overriding issue in attempts to legislate a national cap on carbon emissions: global competition. This Executive Brief reports on how carbon market design issues have taken a back seat to the US debate on leveling the competitive playing field with major developing economies without carbon reduction targets. Read more. Source: Evan A. Ard, Director, Marketing & Communications, 3/24/08.
Companies operating in the UK will soon have to measure, report and trade their carbon emissions as part of the government's new mandatory carbon cap-and-trade scheme—the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC). This year is the qualifying year for the CRC and a lot of businesses are still in the dark about the scheme. Read more. Source: Corporate Climate Response News, 3/20/08.
The Center for Resource Solutions announced today that Seattle City Light's voluntary green pricing program, called "Green Up," is now Green-e Energy certified Seattle City Light will join the network of renewable energy companies that offer renewable energy products certified by Green-e Energy, the nation's leading certification and verification program for renewable energy.
"Green-e certification demonstrates that Seattle City Light is delivering on its promise of providing Green Up customers with renewable energy from the Stateline wind farm in eastern Washington," the utility's superintendent, Jorge Carrasco, said. "Participation in Green Up not only helps support wind energy: a portion of Green Up revenue supports biomass energy projects in Washington and Oregon as well."
With Green-e Energy certification of Green Up, Seattle City Light can now use the official Green-e Energy logo, which identifies superior certified renewable energy options, to promote Green Up. Customers can use the Green-e Energy logo to quickly identify renewable energy options that meet Green-e Energy's high standards. The Green-e Energy logo is a symbol of the commitment to the high standard of renewable energy Green-e supports and that Seattle City Light is committed to providing.
The renewable energy available to residential and commercial customers through Green Up will be directly supplied from renewable energy facilities in the Pacific Northwest that meet Green-e Energy's eligibility criteria. By signing up to receive renewable electricity from Seattle City Light, customers will support these resources as well as aid the development of new resources to be built in the United States. Seattle City Light is committed to continuing investment in new renewable energy sources to supply Green Up.
"Green-e Energy is pleased to work with Seattle City Light and to see Green Up continue to grow and support local renewables." said Green-e Energy Manger Alex Pennock. "By signing up, Seattle customers can help address the environmental impacts of the electricity they consume."
Green-e Energy is the leading renewable energy certification and verification program in the U.S., with over 175 participating vendors with nearly 10 million MWh of certified renewable energy sales in 2006.
Providers of Green-e Energy certified renewable energy agree to abide by the Green-e Energy Code of Conduct, and meet strict Green-e Energy disclosure and truth-in-advertising requirements. All renewable energy sellers participating in Green-e Energy undergo an annual verification audit to document that the company purchased and/or generated enough quantity and type of renewable energy to meet customer demand and marketing claims.
Contact Scott Thomsen, Strategic Advisor, Seattle City Light, 206-615-0978, or Jeff Swenerton, CRS Communications Director, 415-561-2119. Source: Green-e Energy News Release, 3/19/08.
As energy companies make more electricity from renewable resources or buy it from third-party producers, Ball State could indirectly lower its carbon dioxide emissions by simply continuing to purchase power
Indiana ranked fourth for tons of carbon dioxide released by its power plants in 2007, according to a report released Tuesday.
The Environmental Integrity Project, a Washington-based advocacy group, said carbon dioxide emissions released by the nation's power plants rose nearly 3 percent last year.
A growing number of studies linking carbon dioxide to global warming have pushed energy companies as well as consumers to investigate green energy, which is power from renewable, environmentally-friendly sources that produce little or no pollution.
Robert Koester, director of the Center for Energy Research/Education/Service, said Ball State spends three-quarters of its annual energy costs on electricity.
He said Ball State could easily invest in wind power to generate some of the electricity the university needs by building a series of wind turbines. Read more. Source: DN Online, Nathan Rush, 3/19/08.
Want to see a model for successful and rapid environmental action? Don't look to the federal government—check out your own town. Here, our list of the 50 communities that are leading the way. Does yours make the cut?
In the international alliance to fight climate change, the United States is considered the sullen loner. But in the seven years since we rejected Kyoto, changes have begun. Not at the federal level, however. It's the locals who are making it happen.
In everything from emissions control to environmental stewardship, cities across the country are far ahead of the Federal government, and they're achieving their successes with ready-made technology. Austin has pledged to meet 30 percent of its energy needs with renewable sources by 2020, aided by planned wind-power installations that will surpass their predecessors in efficiency. Seattle has retrofitted its municipal heavy-duty diesel vehicles with devices that will reduce particulate pollution by 50 percent. Boulder has enacted the country's first electricity tax to pay for greenhouse-gas emission reductions. Something about the comparative speed of city government—a city-council member can green light a project and be cutting the ribbon a year later—leads to bold action, and as cities trade ideas, a very positive sort of mimicry is spreading.
The 10 trailblazing civic projects profiled in our list of the top green cities in America are among the most impressive success stories to date—examples of what's possible when elected officials and local business leaders back up their green visions with scientific know-how, clout and creative funding. Read more. Source: Elizabeth Svoboda, with additional reporting by Eric Mika and Saba Berhie, 3/19/08.
Steelcase Inc., a maker of office furniture, said it had pledged to buy all the renewable energy credits generated by a Texas wind farm for at least five years, as part of its plan to reduce its carbon impact by 25 percent.
This is the first time a U.S. company has agreed to purchase all the RECs from a wind farm in the financing stage, according to Steelcase, and represents a growing effort by corporations to develop alternative ways of either powering their operations or offsetting their environmental impact.
RECs are tradable commodities that represent green energy that has been fed into the electrical grid. They can be bought or sold and are becoming a popular way for companies and individuals to say they have purchased renewable power amid concerns of global warming and other environmental problems.
Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Steelcase, which makes office chairs, tables and cubicles, has set a goal of cutting its carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent by 2012. Read more. Source: Chelsea Emery, 3/18/08.
Visit U.S. DOE EERE Green Power Network for more information.
Lured by the prospects of reducing energy costs and becoming a "greener" community, Norwell is exploring the potential siting of wind-powered turbines in town.
With the support of the Board of Selectmen, a town committee is preparing to submit an application with the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative for the agency to provide a free preliminary assessment of six to seven town-owned sites the panel has identified as possible wind-turbine locations.
If the assessment finds any of the sites merit further analysis, the town could apply to the collaborative for a comprehensive feasibility study.
Members of the Wind Turbine Committee, appointed by the selectmen last November to look at wind turbine opportunities in town, say it is too early to tell where that exploration will lead. But they say the effort is worthwhile.
I think it's very exciting," said Tricia Lederer, the committee's chairwoman. "It's important for the town of Norwell to look into this for the cost savings, but also because we need to be looking at more renewable energy in this country." Read more. Source: Boston Globe, 3/24/08.
Stan Raddon points at a mound of what looks like a tornado-destroyed home. Broken pallets, discarded lumber and construction waste. Then he walks to a small chip pile - the size of a car. It's what he has to turn the mound into. But making the chips that will be used to fuel an $8.3 million Carson City plant is not something he or any company can do without a higher pay rate. "It's drained us here," said Raddon, owner of Carson City Renewable Resource. "It's been really difficult for us."
Costs tied to transportation and production have been the problem. They have kept Raddon and other suppliers from giving the Nevada Department of Corrections the wood it needs to run a plant expected to replace electrical and natural gas energy at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center and the neighboring Stewart Conservation Camp. The plant, however, has not run more than three days straight since it opened more than six months ago. But the plant, said Lori Bagwell, department director of support services, is a "very viable project" and will be running full-time within a year.
She acknowledged the plant has had a slow start, but said a $250,000 grant to the Nevada Division of Forestry for equipment will make it easier to move wood created by forest-thinning projects, bringing in at least one-third of the needed wood. Read more. Source: Nevda Appeal, Dave Frank, 3/24/08
Homebuilder Sonoma Builders, Inc. announced that its newest development, Autumn Ridge, in Dover, will be New Hampshire's first subdivision equipped entirely with geothermal heating/cooling systems in Energy Star certified homes.
Geo-thermal heating/cooling systems operate by using a heat exchanger to heat and cool air using water taken from a well, which remains at a constant temperature year-round.
Homeowners never have to buy oil or gas, and the system will reduce annual service and operating costs. There is no flame, no odors and the system is virtually silent.
Bill Goldstein, owner of Sonoma Builders and a longtime Strafford County real estate developer, believes the environmentally friendly geothermal systems are the answer to today's high oil and gas prices.
The Autumn Ridge development will offer a variety of floor plans priced from $299,900. Goldstein said, "The response has been overwhelming. We've sold five homes in the first week and we haven't even advertised yet."
The homes will qualify for a subsidized electrical rate through a PSNH program, known as HEATsmart, which will further reduce operating costs. The homes are estimated to cost 70 percent less annually to heat and cool than homes using traditional methods.
Autumn Ridge homes will be qualified as Energy Star homes under the federal government's certified rating system. This means Autumn Ridge homes will have highly efficient insulation, tight construction, tight ductwork, high performance low-E windows, efficient heating and cooling equipment, Energy Star qualified lighting and appliances and excellent Indoor Air Quality (ventilation). Qualifying for an Energy Star rated home requires an independent energy analysis and inspections during the construction process from an accredited Home Energy Rating Provider.
The homes are marketed by Jeff Paolini at the Dover office of The Masiello Group. Complete homes will be available as soon as June.
Further information is available from Gail Curley, Sonoma Builders. Source: Fosters.com, 3/24/08.
Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd., a major manufacturer of solar photovoltaic cells, announced a $631 million silicon supply deal today with a South Korean chemical company.
Under terms of the agreement, Seoul-based DC Chemical Co. Ltd. will supply Wuxi, China-based Suntech (NYSE: STP) with an undisclosed amount of polysilicon between 2009 and 2016. Suntech, which generally does not make public supply and demand projects for more than a year in advance, has at least 750 MW of silicon secured for 2009, with prices that are at least 20 percent below the average cost the company paid for silicon last year, said Rory Macpherson, Suntech's investor relations manager.
Suntech, which has a North American subsidiary based in San Francisco, is the No. 3 exporter of PV cells to the United States, behind SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWR) and privately held Sharp Electronics Corp.
The United States ranks as Suntech's third-largest export market, behind Spain and Germany, said Sanjay Hurry, a company spokesman. In late-morning trading today on the New York Stock Exchange, Suntech rose $2.88 a share, or 9.4 percent, from the previous close of $30.70. Source: Michael Burnham, Greenwire senior reporter, 3/24/08.
Utah is taking the first step toward building the 139-mile Lake Powell pipeline to bring more water to rapidly growing communities in the state's southwestern corner. The Division of Water Resources said Tuesday it had filed for a federal permit to generate hydroelectric power from the pipeline. The pipeline will climb 2,500 feet, then drop 3,000 feet into Washington County's Sand Hollow Reservoir, where the water will be distributed to communities around St. George.
The hydropower would be sold to offset uphill pumping costs, said Larry Anderson, the pipeline's project manager. A second pipeline that has yet to be mapped would take water to Cedar City, 50 miles northeast of St. George. In all, the pipeline will deliver 100,000 acre-feet of water a year, drawing on Utah's share of the Colorado River. An acre-foot is 326,000 gallons of water, the amount used by a typical household in a year. The Colorado River Compact gives Utah 1.4 million acre-feet of water, but the state takes only about 1 million a year from the Colorado River, said Dennis Strong, director of the Division of Water Resources. Strong said his division plans to start delivering the Lake Powell water by 2020, but Utah legislators haven't decided how to pay for the $600 million project. Read more. Source: Associated Press, Glenwood Springs, Colo., 3/19/08.
The latest issue of the RE Weekly News e-newsletter is now available. Source: RenewableEnergyWorld.com , 3/18/08.
Although people often talk about being more "self-reliant" and achieving "energy independence," Wendy Milne says her experience with renewable energy has been that it becomes a community effort, with friends and family eager to learn more about these sustainable technologies.
We began our journey toward household energy independence about eight years ago, and we now rely almost exclusively on wood, wind and solar energy to power and heat our home, offices and workshop. We still have grid electricity available at the flip of a switch, but we avoid using it unless we have to. This is a report from the front lines of our transition to renewables. Over the last eight years we've spent a lot of money and made some big mistakes. On the other hand, we've found that the challenges offer great learning opportunities, and the journey to energy self-sufficiency is endlessly engaging and deeply rewarding. Read more. Source: Mother Earth News, 4/08
Learn more about renewable resources.
The second in a series of webcasts reaching out to the agricultural community will take place on Thursday, May 8, at 9:00 a.m, PST. "Wind Farming" is sponsored by U.S. DOE's Wind Powering America program, and will feature nationally-recognized, renewable-energy consultant David Kolsrud. The presentation will last about one hour, and conclude with a half-hour Q&A session.
Kolsrud, who will be talking about developing wind farms from conception to completion, has more than 13 years' experience in developing, organizing and funding renewable energy projects. DAK Renewable, the company he launched in 2006, manages 11 LLCs with investments in multiple renewable projects. Kolsrud advocates for community ownership of biofuels plants, pointing to significant positive benefits which can be repeated or enhanced using wind energy.
Join the event online, referencing conference number PG4463689 and participant passcode 3358785. You can also join online directly. For audio access, call 888-790-1765. Reference participant passcode 3358785 and conference leader Larry Flowers.
For more information, contact Corrie Christol, NREL National Wind Technology Center, 303-384-6962.
All utilities interested in wind energy are encouraged to attend WINDPOWER 2008 in Houston, Texas, taking place June 1-4, 2008. There is no better event to learn about the latest wind industry developments and new technology advances than at WINDPOWER 2008.
Attendees can also participate in several day-long pre-conference seminars for a more in-depth education on various topics of interest to utility personnel:
Again this year, there will be a special Utility Track focusing on issues directly related to electric utilities and their use of wind power, watch for more details on these sessions and other special utility events at WINDPOWER 2008 next month. Source: AWEA, 4/7/08.
The 28th Annual Utility Energy Forum will be held April 30-May 2, 2008, at the beautiful Granlibakken Conference Center in Tahoe City, Calif. This year's Forum explores how utilities in California, Nevada, and the Pacific Northwest are integrating energy efficiency and demand response with growing concerns about carbon footprint and other global climate change messages. Source: Western, 4/1/08.
Western Area Power Administration and the U.S. DOE GeoPowering the West initiative are conducting two more geothermal technology workshops. They are patterned after three very successful events held in Bismarck, N.D.; Redwood Falls, Minn.; and Sioux Falls, S.D.; which focused on geothermal heat pumps (GHP). These two workshops include information on geothermal power and other power resource options to help utilities plan their resource portfolios.
The workshops are sponsored by the American Public Power Association, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and the Utility Geothermal Working Group. The workshops’ major supporters include the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office, Snohomish Public Utility District and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association (Tri-State G&T). They will be held June 10-11 at Tri-State G&T’s office in Westminster, Colo., and August 11-12 at SNOPUD’s offices in Everett, Wash.
The workshop agenda is tailored to utility professionals who are interested in learning about geothermal technologies—including GHP and geothermal power production—who want to compare resource options and who want to improve on existing programs. Through class presentations, case histories and demonstrations, attendees will learn about:
Registration fees are $90 for one day and $130 for two days. Reduced rates are available for members or customers of sponsoring organizations. The fee covers workshop materials, meals and refreshments. Continuing education credits are available. There are also a limited number of display tables available. Questions? Contact Guy Nelson at 541-994-4670. Source: Guy Nelson, 4/18/08.
The U.S. Department of Energy has recently produced a new publication entitled Wind Energy Guide for County Commissioners. It is now available on the National Association of Counties (NACO) Web site. Source: NREL, 3/1/08.
The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) invites you to present your latest technical work in geothermal research, exploration, development and utilization at the GRC 2008 Annual Meeting on Oct. 5-8, 2008 at the Peppermill Resort Hotel in Reno, Nevada.
The Draft Paper deadline is approaching fast. Use the Author Instructions to prepare your Draft Paper for the GRC 2008 Annual Meeting.
This year's theme is Geothermal — Gaining Steam. With its technical program and other events, the GRC 2008 Annual Meeting will also provide a unique opportunity for exhibitors to showcase their projects, equipment and services at the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) Trade Show. In addition, the 2008 Annual Meeting will feature distinguished international keynote speakers at its opening session, as well as technical workshops, field trips to nearby geothermal projects, the GRC banquet and our annual membership meeting and awards luncheon.
GRC 2008 Annual Meeting participants will enjoy reasonable rates and excellent accommodations at the Peppermill. Complete guest information will be included in this year's GRC Annual Meeting Registration Brochure, which will be available on our Web site and distributed worldwide by mail and email in mid-2008. If you have any questions, please contact our office: 530-758-2360. Source: Geothermal Resources Council, 3/20/08.
The Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC) 2008 was a resounding success. Conference highlights including video clips, photos and media articles on the largest all-renewable energy event in US history are available online. Source: ACORE, 3/20/08.
The Center for the Study of Energy Markets (CSEM) publishes a semi-annual newsletter that summarizes recent CSEM Working Papers in lay person terms and discusses the policy implications of the research. The goal is to facilitate access to CSEM research and communicate the policy relevance of the research. Articles in this issue:
Source: UC Energy Institute, 3/19/2008.
Solar photovoltaic products, wind power, biofuels, and fuel cells collectively experienced a 40 percent growth in revenues in 2007, according to a new report from Clean Edge, Inc.. Global revenues for the four clean energy markets increased from $55 billion in 2006 to $77.3 billion in 2007. And although the fuel cell and distributed hydrogen market remains relatively immature, with revenues of $1.5 billion in 2007, the three other renewable markets each exceeded $20 billion in revenue. Of the four energy markets, wind power earned the highest revenue, at $30.1 billion. In terms of production, the biofuels industry produced 13 billion gallons of ethanol throughout the world, as well as 2 billion gallons of biodiesel, while solar photovoltaic system installations fell just short of 3,000 megawatts.
The Clean Energy Trends 2008 report (PDF 1.9 MB) looks ahead ten years and predicts that global installed solar photovoltaic capacity will increase eightfold, to 22,760 megawatts, global wind power capacity will nearly quadruple, to 75,781 megawatts, and biofuel production will nearly triple, to 45.9 billion gallons. It also projects a tripling of the three clean energy markets over the next ten years, with the largest growth rate in the nascent fuel cell and distributed hydrogen market, which grows more than tenfold to $16 billion. But for biofuels, wind power, and solar photovoltaic products, the projection actually represents slower growth compared to recent years. For instance, the solar photovoltaic increased fivefold in the past four years and is projected to increase by a factor of 3.6 over the next ten years. That's a 13.8 percent average annual growth in the coming decade, compared to 50 percent average annual growth over the past four years.
The report anticipates continued revenue growth in 2008, and highlights five major trends: the growing participation of overseas companies in the U.S. wind power market; a renaissance for geothermal energy; the launch of new electric vehicles by relatively small startup companies, rather than the large automakers; the use of new, clean technologies for oceangoing ships; and the design and construction of entirely new sustainable cities.
Regarding that final trend, the leader in building new sustainable cities is the United Arab Emirates, which broke ground in February on Masdar City. The new city, developed by the government's $15 billion Masdar Initiative, aims to be the world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste, car-free city. The Masdar Initiative plans to contribute $4 billion toward the city's architecture, with private investment and other financing providing an additional $18 billion. Masdar City is actually a 2.3-square-mile district on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi that will be built in seven phases over the next eight years. The first phase will include the Masdar Headquarters, which will produce more energy that it uses, and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, a graduate university dedicated to renewable energy. Source: EERE Network News, 3/18/08.
The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) publishes three newsletters. Source: IREC, 3/19/08.
Learn more about educational resources.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc., (ERCOT) filed a 115-page transmission study with the Public Utility Commission (PUC) today, which provides transmission plans for four scenarios of wind generation ranging from 12,000-24,000 megawatts (MW).
Texas Senate Bill 20 (2005) directed the Public Utility Commission (PUC) to designate Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZs), after consultation with ERCOT and Southwest Power Pool, in areas with sufficient renewable resource potential and financial commitment from developers and to designate a plan for transmission to the areas. The PUC issued an interim order in July 2007 designating CREZs in five areas of the Panhandle and West Texas. The PUC directed ERCOT to perform optimization and reliability studies and recommend a transmission plan for four different levels of wind capacity from the designated zones.
The transmission optimization study evaluated a variety of transmission solutions and hundreds of individual plans, using three overarching criteria: system reliability, sufficient transfer capacity, and how "beneficial and cost-effective to consumers" each plan would be.
The estimated costs, excluding collection costs, of the transmission proposal that best meets the criteria for each are:
Each scenario includes 6,903 MW of existing wind generation (in service or with interconnection agreements as of fall 2007).
In ERCOT's deregulated market, transmission and distribution providers are still regulated by the Public Utility Commission. The cost of transmission is "uplifted to load;" it is rolled into costs that all ratepayers pay (also known as a "postage-stamp" transmission rate because – like stamps – it's the same access fee no matter where the location is).
"Collection costs" refers to the estimated cost of equipment to connect the wind generation to the new CREZ facilities. The costs are based on assumptions of average length of transmission lines from the wind facilities to the collection substation (10 Miles); average amount of wind generation on each new circuit, and voltage level for lines connecting the wind farms to the collection. Source: Theresa Pugh, Director, Environmental Services, American Public Power Association (APPA), 4/4/08.
It is not just the poorest households who are struggling to pay their energy bills or who are affected by government energy policies, says Americans for Balanced Energy Choices (ABEC).
A new study(1) reveals individuals and families making less than $50,000 per year will pay 22 percent of their after-tax income for energy, double the burden of just a decade ago. That means 2.4 million households in Pennsylvania are using nearly $1 of every $4 in net earnings for energy, with energy costs now approaching the proportion for housing.
Poorest families suffer the most, using more than half (54 percent) of their after-tax income for transportation and personal energy, such as home heating and lighting. It is only when families earn more than $50,000 a year that energy purchases become a manageable part of the family budget, dropping to just 9 percent of after-tax income.
Energy prices have increased almost 19 percent in the past year.(2) To compound the household budget problem, food prices have gone up more in the past year than they have in nearly 20 years, including an 18 percent increase in milk prices and a more than 30 percent hike in egg prices.(2) "Part of the inflation in food costs is being attributed to encouragement of ethanol as an alternative fuel, which may be helping drive up prices for animal feed and some foods consumed by people," notes Joe Lucas, ABEC executive director. "This is an example of how energy policy can affect other parts of our economy and the family budget."
"That's why ABEC is fighting to keep coal a part of the mix of our energy resources. It is much more affordable as a source of electricity compared to natural gas or oil, which can cost much more to produce each kilowatt hour of electrical power."
Since 2001 the increases in the costs of fuels for electricity are:
For consumers, the increases in the costs of their energy sources since 2001 have been:
"As we work for energy independence and environmental improvements, we should remember that electricity, produced mainly from domestic coal—including coal from Pennsylvania—has offered the most stable price over the past decade," Lucas noted. "One can only imagine what would happen to electricity prices and the total energy cost burden if ill-considered public policy drives unnecessary inflation in the cost of coal."
ABEC is crossing the nation, taking its message to urban, rural and suburban areas, that coal needs to remain one of our energy fuels to keep energy as affordable as possible for homes and businesses. ABEC supports cleaner and more efficient coal technologies, with Lucas pointing out that the industry has reduced emissions by a third even though coal use has doubled during the past 30 years.
Americans for Balanced Energy Choices is a non-profit, non-partisan group that promotes a dialogue with community leaders across the nation to discuss balancing America's growing demand for electricity with the need to protect the environment. ABEC counts more than 150,000 members nationwide, with 9,000 living in Pennsylvania. Because of its prominence in the nation's energy mix, electricity from coal is a major focus of the dialogue. (1) $100 Oil Crushes American Family Budgets, March 2008. (2) United States Department of Agriculture, Consumer Price Index. SOURCE: Americans for Balanced Energy Choices, 3/24/08.
Washington Governor Chris Gregoire approved a climate change bill on March 13 that will reduce the state's greenhouse gas emissions to half of its 1990 emission levels by 2050. The bill also includes interim limits of returning to 1990 emission levels by 2020 and reducing emissions to 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2035. The bill, House Bill 2815, leaves most of the details to the state's Department of Ecology, which has until Dec. 1 to create a greenhouse gas reduction plan that achieves the bill's emissions targets. The department also has to develop a system for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions.
The bill does help out the Department of Ecology with regard to vehicle emissions by setting benchmarks for reducing vehicle miles traveled within the state. The benchmarks lower the annual per capita vehicle miles by 18 percent by 2020, 30 percent by 2035, and 50 percent by 2050. Again, the department has until December 1 to figure out how to meet those benchmarks. The bill also acknowledges Washington's current commitment to the Western Climate Initiative, which has set a regional goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, and the bill aims to take advantage of that initiative through participation in its regional market-based mechanism to reduce emissions. The initiative is currently planning to create a market-based mechanism, such as a cap-and-trade system, by August. Read more. Source: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 3/19/08.
Residents and businesses with electrical generators powered by renewable sources, such as solar or wind energy, will be allowed to generate more power under a recent ruling by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission.
The ruling doubles the limit on net energy metering generators to 100 kilowatts for customers on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island. Current limits of 50 kilowatts remain for Kauai.
Net energy metering enables customers with renewable generating units to be connected to the power utility grid. When renewable generators produce more power than a customer needs, that electricity can then be fed back to the grid. Customers are credited when the surplus is fed back, reducing their overall electric bill.
Under the law, the PUC has the discretion to set the limits on net energy metering generators.
"By increasing the limits on net energy metering generators, the PUC has supported an important part of the state's energy policy of promoting clean, renewable energy and reducing the state's dependence on imported fossil fuels," PUC Chairman Carlito Caliboso said in a news release.
Read more Source: Star Bulletin, B.J. Reyes, 3/22/08.
With the US getting more and more dependent on foreign oil, its time to think outside the box. As a country, we need to consider ways to increase conservation, and therefore reduce our need for foreign oil.
Here is a solution that would help lead us in that direction. Have a SOLAR POWER LOTTERY!
Most states have education lotteries where there is only one tremendous prize. It is not unusual for this prize to be many millions of dollars. The prize is taxable to the winner.
Currently the Federal Government does not have a lottery. Now its time they did—but a different kind of lottery, one that would benefit many residents instead of just one.
The Federal Government could run the lottery—and instead of having one big winner, have 10.000 (or more) monthly winners who each win a tax-free solar power installation!
The decreased costs should also increase the installation of solar power by individuals who have wanted to do this, but have been waiting since the price has been too high. The lottery proceeds would be used to pay for the prizes, there would be no cost to the taxpayers. To help increase the incentive to buy tickets, non-homeowners could transfer their winning tickets to homeowners.
With 10,000 monthly tax-free prizes, instead of one taxable prize, there would be a greater incentive to buy lottery tickets, since there would be a greater chance of winning. And, since there would be no cost to the consumer (not even taxes) for the solar installation, every installation would benefit him—and everyone else—in future years. All in all, it would be a win, win situation.
Now, it's possible you might think 10,000 solar powered homes would not make much of a dent, but it would be a start. Then again, imagine having this lottery every month—then we might be talking about 120,000 homes in a year. Now maybe we have your attention.
Again, this is an unusual idea—but it is time to start thinking outside the box.
This idea can be discussed further on my blog. Select the link for "Solar Power Lottery." Source: News from Australia, 3/24/08.
Oregon and South Dakota are the latest states to encourage renewable energy development in their state through tax incentives. Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski approved a bill (PDF 25 KB) on March 11 that allows tax credits of up to $40 million for manufacturers of renewable energy equipment. House Bill 3619 (PDF 49 KB) is clearly aimed at drawing economically beneficial facilities to the state, as it includes measures to reduce the tax credit if the credit is unlikely to draw a new or expanded business to the state, if the new facility is unlikely to provide a significant number of new jobs, or if the facility or the company building it appear unlikely to succeed.
While the Oregon act intends to encourage new manufacturing facilities within the state, the new South Dakota act provides tax incentives for wind energy facilities and the transmission lines that serve them. House Bill 1320, approved by Governor Mike Rounds on March 14, waives all state and local property taxes for wind energy facilities with a capacity of at least five megawatts. Instead, the owners of the facilities have to pay a tax of $3 per kilowatt of capacity plus 2 percent of the gross receipts of the wind facility.
The wind facility developers can also earn rebates for up to half the cost of underground distribution lines, substations, and transmission lines built to support the wind power facility. The rebates can equal 90 percent of the taxes paid for the first 5 years and 50 percent of the taxes paid for the following five years. The remaining tax proceeds will be divided among the state and the county and local governments where the wind facility is located. Source: EREN Network News, 3/18/08.
The next 15 years could see great gains in solar power, but Washington must extend an investment-tax credit to make it happen. That's according to a panel that addressed a congressional subcommittee Monday in Tucson. Plans to build the world's largest solar-generating station outside of Gila Bend were put forth by utility company Arizona Public Service and Abengoa Solar, a Spanish company. The proposed plant would generate enough energy to power 70,000 homes, but the Solana plant won't happen without the tax credit.
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords hosted the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee hearing. The Arizona Democrat said from the outset that the opportunity was too great to pass up. "Imagine what would happen if every time it rained, it rained oil," Giffords said. "Don't you think we'd find a way to catch some of that bounty from the sky?"
A panel of experts implored representatives to extend the tax credit on 30 percent of solar investment before it reverts to 10 percent at the end of the year. "The industry will lose momentum and no large-scale projects will be completed," said Barbara Lockwood, renewable-energy manager at APS. Abengoa's vice president, Kate Maracas, said the tax credit's extension must cover enough years to create security for companies to invest in solar facilities, which are now more costly than traditional power-generating plants. Read more. Source: The Arizona Republic, Blake Morlock, 3/19/08
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DOE will invest up to $13.7 million over the next three years in 11 projects run by 9 universities that will develop advanced solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing processes and products. With a minimum university and industry cost share, up to $17.4 million will be invested in these projects. The chosen universities include Arizona State University, the California Institute of Technology, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, North Carolina State University, Pennsylvania State University, the University of Delaware, the University of Florida, and the University of Toledo. Each of the 11 universities will work with an industry partner that will help transition the discoveries to the marketplace.
All of the projects will involve researching ways to make high-performance solar cells more effective by using different metals, alloys, and cell designs. One project will try to reduce bottlenecks in the qualification testing for concentrating solar cells, two will explore better methods of building crystalline silicon solar cells, four will explore solar cells built from thin films of semi-conducting materials, one will combine an organic (plastic) semiconductor with arrays of titanium dioxide nanotubes, and two will try to create multi-junction solar cells by depositing thin layers of materials (amorphous silicon and indium phosphide) onto silicon solar cells. Multijunction solar cells convert more sunlight into electricity by employing multiple layers of photovoltaic material, with each layer capturing a different part of the solar spectrum. While current commercial multi-junction solar cells have three active layers, the project conducted by North Carolina State University and Spectrolab, Inc. will involve building a four-junction solar cell with a targeted efficiency of 45 percent, that is, the cell would be able to convert 45 percent of the sunlight hitting it into electricity. Source: EERE Network News, 3/19/08.
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This news item comes to you as a service of Western's Renewable Resources Program.
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