Massachusetts' Energy Plan

With the Massachusetts Solar and Wind Expo only two months away, it is comforting to see that the state has put in place a robust plan for 2020. Having one of the nation's highest energy costs makes Massachusetts a great location for the Solar and Wind Expo. The following graph demonstrates how energy dollars are flowing out of the Commonwealth.

There is lots of room for improvement. Come to the Expo and learn ways to make changes that will impact your wallet as well as your carbon footprint. Visit the Solar and Wind Expo website for more information.

HEADLINES

Information on drilling fluids hard to come by in Pennsylvania

Tribune Review

A Department of Energy shale gas subcommittee report issued this month said a method should be open so the public can study shale gas operations. "There is no economic or technical reason to prevent public disclosure of all chemicals in fracturing ...
 
Governor O'Malley, President Loh, to Shine Light On Massive New ...
RenewableEnergyWorld.com

UMD was selected as a Maryland Energy Administration Project Sunburst Initiative Partner and awarded a grant aimed at promoting the installation of ...
 
Magna invests in electric vehicles

Electronic Technology & Products

The announcement is yet another in this summer's long list of electric vehicle (EV) investments from major automakers including Toyota and General Motors (GM). Toyota announced it would spend $141 million in federal and provincial grants to upgrade its ...
 
Michigan sees future in wind energy

UPI.com

A wind farm is seen outside of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on December 7, 2008. (UPI Photo/Kevin Dietsch) HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich., Aug. 30 (UPI) -- Developing wind energy in Michigan is providing economic stimulus to the state and redefining its workforce ...

HEADLINES

FACTBOX-US energy companies restoring operations after Irene

Reuters

Nearly 5.5 million customers on the East Coast were without power in 14 states on Monday, according to a report from the US Department of Energy. Outages were most severe in New York state, which had about 940000 customers without power, ...
 
German 1st Half Renewable Power Production At Record High

NASDAQ

FRANKFURT -- Renewable energy sources like wind or solar farms produced around 14% more electricity in Germany in the first half 2011 than in the same period a year-earlier, marking an all-time high, the country's energy industry association BDEW said ...
 
Clear the way for a greener electric grid

Baltimore Sun (blog)

By Michael J. Kormos They're part of a growing move to expand the use of renewable energy sources, like wind and the sun, to produce electricity. Examples are everywhere. Construction of a 50-megawatt wind farm was just completed in New Mexico. ...
 
3 Electric Cars You Can Buy Soon (And 3 That'll Blow Your Mind)

TIME

View Comments For American drivers interested in electric vehicles, the options have been limited. The only true EV currently sold in the marketplace is the Nissan Leaf, and until recently it's only ...
 
Solar Stunner: America is a $1.9 Billion Exporter of Solar Products

RenewableEnergyWorld.com

Solar isn't just about the module. When looking at polysilicon production, equipment for manufacturing lines, power electronics, solar hot water tanks, and any number of other domestically-produced products, the US actually offers a good-sized ...
 
SJC To Hear Cape Wind Challenge

Worcester Business Journal

By Livia Gershon Associated Industries of Massachusetts says the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is set to hear its arguments for voiding an agreement between National Grid and Cape Wind on Sept 8. AIM has been a vocal opponent of the 15-year deal ...
 
make green a reality visit http://www.thesolarandwindexpo.com/

THE FORECAST IS IN - MAKE YOUR PREPARATIONS NOW WHILE YOU STILL CAN

It was a thing of beauty how things developed this week. We all got ready way ahead of time and were well prepared for the storm. Everyone helped each other through the preparations and when the storm hit we had plenty of supplies and we were even able to enjoy each others company over drinks while the wind howled.

Now comes the next storm, the one you can't esasily see, but the forecast is in. Peak oil and gas. The supply of oil and gas nomatter how much they produce will never again be enough to satify the thirst that emerging countries are putting on them.

We can choose to get ready for it just as we did this past weekend. Sit back and relax knowing that we are ready for nomatter what happens. Whe the oild and gas wells make that familiar slurping sound, where will you be? In the preparation stage or in the sitting back whith a drink in your hand stage.

Me, I will be in the drink in my hand stage. I hope you will be too. We can hang out together and have a peak oil party.

HEADLINES

Chelsea Rides Again!EV World
By EV World Audio To look at petite Chelsea Sexton with her warm smile and disarming demeanor, you'd never take her for a "rabble rouser. ...

Earthquake-prone Japan looks at geothermal energy
AFP
Although Japanese high-tech companies are leaders in geothermal technology and export it, its use is miniscule in the island nation, which has for decades relied heavily on imported fossil fuels and atomic power. Japan's parliament passed a law Friday ...

DOE out to boost geothermal capacity by 75%
Inquirer.net
The Department of Energy hopes to increase the country's geothermal capacity by roughly 75 percent over the next 20 years given the number of committed and indicative projects now in the pipeline estimated at over P200 billion. ...

AM I A TREEHUGGER?

My new neighbor and I were working on his rainwater drainage system that the previous owner had neglected and allowed to clog. To my surprise the underground drains ran from the house to the bulkhead of his waterfront home and into the bay. I immediately reminded him that some folks might take a dim view of his rainwater disposal methods (meaning me of course).


The next thing that came out of his mouth was eye opening. He said “who the tree huggers?” I almost fell backwards and thought to myself, am I a tree hugger? This can’t be true. No way, I just like renewable energy, and breathing clean air and the trees and the birds and wait, did I say trees? Oh my god, I am a tree hugger.

So the next thing that he asked was “are you a tree hugger?” So I replied without much excuse, “Yes I guess I am”. After a few laughs we began a friendly discussion about the same drainage system that prompted this revelation. He asked “why is it so important to have a rain barrel or a way to filter the water?” He felt the water from the roof was clean enough. What he did not know was that rainwater not only needed to be clean, but it had to be cooled and slowed before it entered the bay and its tributaries. That’s when he almost fell backwards and said “is that why? I never knew that”

It turns out that he loves the trees too and has a cabin in the woods and likes to ride four wheelers, etc. So we talked about electric vehicles and how much more enjoyable it would be for him and his young kids if they could ride four wheelers that did not pollute with sound and smoke and oil. Then he said something that made us both laugh “I guess deep down inside I am a tree hugger too.”

My point here is that most people in our country do not have any objections to clean renewable energy and to environmentally friendly water systems, etc. It would help them to understand why some of us are fighting for these new systems. When I take the time to explain to people that I too like to drive fast cars and ride four wheelers and water ski and all the stuff that they like to do, then they begin to understand that the only thing I despise is dirty and unsustainable energy. As a matter of fact most people, if not all, disagree with the consequences of choosing dirty energy.

So next time someone calls me a tree hugger I may just have to say, thank you.

By George Lopez

One of the most amazing aspects of WaterShed is that the beautiful structure soon to be on display on the National Mall

once resided simply on a piece of paper; an idea sprung from the collective creativity and ingenuity of a handful of students. One of those students is Lynn Khuu.


The Most Important Natural Gas Story in a Decade

Wyatt Investment Research

Well, the Department of Energy answered that question, saying that they will defer to the USGS. Now, keep in mind, the DOE is a cabinet department of the Executive Branch. The USGS is an offshoot of the Department of the Interior - another cabinet ...
 
EPA meets with Pa. residents over drilling fears

Wilkes Barre Times-Leader

15, 2010 file photo, water plant operator Torrey Jones checks the clarity of a sample of treated water at the Beaver Falls Municipal Authority water treatment plant in Beaver Falls, Pa. A US Department of Energy panel wants energy companies to reveal ...
 
19 Easton traffic lights to get LED bulbs

The Star Democrat

Terry Daly, Loan Program Manager from the Maryland Clean Energy Center, ... by the US Department of Energy through the Maryland Energy Administration. ...
 
GM, LG to Co-Develop Electric Cars

Wall Street Journal

By SHARON TERLEP General Motors Co. and South Korea's LG Group on Thursday disclosed an agreement to jointly develop electric vehicles, a goal increasingly important to auto makers as they work to meet stricter US fuel economy regulations. ...
 
 
 

HEADLINES

U.S. to Slash Marcellus Shale Gas Estimate 80%

Bloomberg

That supersedes an Energy Department projection of 410 trillion cubic feet, said Philip Budzik, an operations research analyst with the Energy Information Administration. “We consider the USGS to be the experts in this matter,” Budzik said in an ...
 
Ranking of renewable energy and nuclear energy use varies by sector
U.S. Energy Information Administration
 
Consumption of primary energy derived from renewables recently exceeded current and historical consumption levels for nuclear energy. In the short term, nuclear outages coincided with the start of the high-water season for hydropower generation in March 2011, pushing renewable energy consumption past that of nuclear. The multi-year upward trend in renewable consumption is driven by increasing consumption of biofuels and wind capacity additions.


It Turns Out Electric Vehicles Are So Fun To Drive, You Won't Want To Go Back

Fast Company

It can seem crazy to think that electric vehicles will replace gasoline engines anytime in the near future: range anxiety, charging times, price, and plain old inertia are all touted as deal-killers. But a new study found that drivers actually ...

Building a Community Wind Project: A Landowner's Perspective

RenewableEnergyWorld.com

Besides farming, we've been in the commercial fertilizing and spraying business for 30 years and have spent many, many hours sitting around waiting for the wind to die down so that we could spray. We've had a long-term interest in wind energy. ...

The Future of Farming in Maryland



Center for Leadership in
Environmental Education (CLEEn)

 The future of farming came to the Eastern Shore of Maryland Monday as a group of farmers accepted the invitation of ATech Energy to see a presentation about small scale wind. The presentation was enlightening, covering everything from how a small wind turbine is built and installed, the footprint it requires on the land, and of course, the combination of state and federal incentives that make this a good financial deal for the farmers.


Of course, sustainability and stewardship of the land are cornerstones of farming so it is no wonder that farmers are interested. The sweetener is that wind power can save them money with an investment that will pay off in a relatively short period of time. Farmers are very financially savvy – they have to be – so they are open to new ideas and new technologies.

ATech is part of the Atlantic Tractor company so farmers are long-time customers anyway and the meeting was replete with easy-going familiarity and common interests.

ATech is in the midst of an installation of a wind turbine at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills, just a few miles from where the presentation was given, in Cambridge. The concrete foundation is currently in its month-long curing process and the turbine should be functional by late September, saving the college money on its utility bill and acting as a focal point for the College’s Center for Leadership in Environmental Education (CLEEn).

The turbine will be a stunning addition to the landscape, visible by Eastern Shore locals and thousands on the way to the ocean on busy Route 50.

Endurance E-3120

The College has ambitious plans for its Center: “A wind and solar education facility, CLEEn … will model emerging renewable energy technologies while providing education and training opportunities for students and small businesses. A leader in energy conservation and sustainability initiatives, Chesapeake College continues to demonstrate with this proposed facility its commitment to environmental sustainability as a global and regional responsibility, and to enhancing economic development on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.”

The ATech presentation focused on “small wind” vs. utility-sized turbines. Small wind turbines are typically 37 meters (approx. 121 feet) high, rather than the 110 meters (approx. 362 feet) high turbines typically seen at the top of ridgelines out West. Small wind turbines are referred to as “distributed wind,” that is, producing electricity that is generated and used on-site, “behind the meter,” offsetting the retail cost off electricity. By contrast “big wind,” projects, such as off-shore turbines, produce electricity that must be transmitted, typically by utility lines, for use on the grid elsewhere.

The presentation answered many questions on the mind of anyone new to the concept of wind power.

For example, how much wind is needed and what if it doesn’t blow all the time? ATech Wind Specialist Gary Sorrelle explained that the company uses scientifically produced wind maps along with ground-truth methods to determine where the turbine would be sited. And not that much wind is needed for these units to generate power. At a height of 10 meters, away from trees, buildings and other obstructions that produce turbulence, even wind at 5 and 10 mph can be put to work. Of course, more is better. The math behind it indicates that a doubling of wind speed results in eight times the power produced. So, each little bit of breeze helps.

What about noise? Will there be a thump-thump sound that will bother people and animals? The answer is that even as close as 66 feet from the base, the sound is no louder than a home air conditioner or ambient noise at a crowded restaurant.

What about maintenance? The expected life of a small wind machine is 25 to 30 years if yearly maintenance is done conscientiously. Think of it as you would your car. You have to take care of it to keep it running.

Andrew Gohn, Clean Energy Program Manager of the Maryland Energy Administration discussed net-metering legislation, which is county-by-county in Maryland. That is the legislation that allows private entities such as farms to sell back excess energy produced to the utility. The formulas are too complex and county-specific to go into here, but the presentation showed that money can be made from this process.

State and federal incentives were discussed as well. In Maryland in particular, the incentives are very favorable. Some of the biggest federal incentives, however, are about to expire so farmers would be wise to get projects started before the end of the calendar year to take full advantage of what’s available. The estimated payback period for a typical wind turbine installation, with all available incentives in place today, could be as little at four to six years.

The point of the story is that farmers are seeing that Now is the Time to invest in renewable energy. It just makes sense, from an environmental stewardship point of view and a financial point of view. And frankly, it makes a lot more sense than giving up acres of land to the installation of a Marcellus shale fracking operation. And wind will blow forever… long after the gas in the shale has run out. Plus, a wind turbine will not poison your drinking water. Now, there’s something to think about.

By Elvia Thompson

HEADLINES

Air Force doubles awards earned for energy savings

Air Force Link

by Margaret Breihan 8/23/2011 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Leading the pack, team-driven excellence and noteworthy individual efforts from Air Force people earned recognition by the US Department of Energy through its annual Federal Energy and Water ...
 
Renewable Energy Bill Clears Japan's Lower House

Wall Street Journal

By Mitsuru Obe Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES TOKYO (Dow Jones)--The end of Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan's term in office moved a step closer Tuesday as a landmark bill to promote renewable energy in the wake of the March 11 disasters passed through the ...
 
Grants program to improve energy efficiency re-upped

Gazette.Net: Maryland Community News Online

In 2011, the program, which is managed by the Maryland Energy Administration, awarded $2 million. In 2010 and 2009, it awarded $3.2 million and $3.5 million ...
 
US Department of Energy confirms $134m support for Abengoa ethanol plant

Business Green

By BusinessGreen staff The US Department of Energy has continued its drive to dish out financial support for cutting-edge clean tech projects ahead of swingeing budget cuts expected to take effect from next year, announcing the conditional approval of ...
 
BMW to Develop Two New Electric Cars

Haute Living

BMW's high-efficiency i range will be adding two new cars to its ranks: the i4 and i5. Earlier this month, the German automobile giant unveiled the i3, an electric car tailored for urban travel, and the i8, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle – both of ...
 
To make green a reality visit http://www.thesolarandwindexpo.com/

New Jersey SREC Market Faces Possible Crash



New Jersey Governor Chris Christie

 Since New Jersey first began to put together a Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard in 1999 the state’s solar industry has been growing. Growth expanded into full-on boom as the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities successively increased the size of the solar carve-out over the past decade. This past month New Jersey reached 10,000 solar installations statewide. The only other state with more solar is California.


However, there is an important market factor to consider in the New Jersey solar bonanza. As solar became successful, New Jersey SREC prices soared to over $600 per REC. With the boom in solar installation the amount of renewable energy being generated by solar panels is now exceeding the Renewable Portfolio Standard’s requirement. This means that there is an excess of RECs and consequently the once high prices have steeply declined and there is substantial volatility in the market.

This is to be expected to a degree, as it conforms to the universal economic law of supply and demand. Most experts believe that following the correction, the market will stabilize over the next couple of years. On the other hand, there are steps state governments can take to ease the financial burden of homeowners who are counting on SRECs to help pay for their solar systems. Some legislators in New Jersey are now pushing for measures similar to those in Massachusetts that create a “floor” for SREC prices. However it is unclear how successful these efforts will be.


Pennsylvania's Tom Corbett, which
way will he go.

 While he is not as overtly hostile to renewable energy as his shale-rich counterpart in Pennsylvania, Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey has taken some steps that alarm those in the renewable energy industry. As part of his “common sense” government solutions, Christie has unilaterally decided to withdraw the state from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, claiming that New Jersey has already done its part. In a 2010 Executive Order, Governor Christie also created a “Department of Environmental Protection Waiver Program”. This allows the state’s Department of Environmental Protection to disregard environmental regulations that it deems “overly burdensome” to the business community. This has been criticized by some as the “ultimate pay-to-play loophole”.

So while the SREC market will likely stabilize in the future, New Jersey’s highly admirable position as a renewable energy powerhouse is precarious at best right now. Hopefully the Governor and legislature will see the benefits of keeping their state as a beachhead of renewable energy on the East Coast and a center of green jobs. Only time will tell.

by Richard Harrod


California Hits a Renewable Energy Home Run

Motley Fool

By Travis Hoium
More Articles The California Public Utility Commission may be redefining the way we view subsidies for renewable energy. Instead of a government defined feed-in tariff, which is often slow to react and leads to wild swings in demand, ...
 
Where Will We Plug In?

Wired News

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn boldly predicts battery electric vehicles will comprise 10 percent of the global market by 2020. This is not an insignificant question, but neither is it the major hurdle some suggest. We'll plug in mostly at home, often at work ...
 
Ford, Toyota Plan Collaboration for Hybrids

Bloomberg

Ford is joining forces with the Toyota City, Japan-based automaker, maker of the best-selling Prius gasoline-electric car, as the US automaker plans to triple North American output of electric vehicles and hybrids to more than 100000 by 2013. ...
 
The value of being greener

Boston Globe

“We rely on electricity to run everything: pumps to circulate water, oil to run the boilers,'' said the plainspoken cheese maker, chatting on the porch of his country store. “We are heating a lot of milk and need hot water for sanitation. ...
 
Suntech sees margins, shipments improving sequentially

Reuters

Suntech expects photovoltaic shipments to rise 15 percent this quarter from the previous three months, but improved demand for solar panels will come at a cost. Solar subsidy cuts in Germany and Italy earlier this year triggered a global glut of solar ...

Mondays Headlines

Pennsylvania Clean Energy Industry Endangered

EarthTechling

Programs created by previous administrations have been eliminated while key agencies such Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Energy and Technology Deployment and the Office of Energy Management have had their directors reassigned and ...
 
Trains That Run Like, and on, the Wind

New York Times

By ERIK KIRSCHBAUM
REUTERS BERLIN — It will not be easy to run a national railroad on renewable energy like wind, hydro and solar power, but that is what Deutsche Bahn of Germany aims to do, for one simple reason: It is what consumers want. ...
 
DOE advisory board releases shale gas recommendations

American City & County

A subcommittee of an advisory board for the US Department of Energy (DOE) is recommending several new regulations for the natural gas industry, including requiring full disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing. ...
 
VW to unveil single-seat electric car

Financial Times

VW wants to capture a lead in electric cars and other new technologies as it aims to become the industry's largest carmaker by 2018. On Friday the company said it delivered 4.75m vehicles in January to July, bringing it closer to its goal of overtaking ...
 
Greenacres couple pay almost nothing for electricity

Palm Beach Post

By Julie Patel That's Willever's payoff for spending more than $60000 — after tax credits and expected rebates — to install a solar water heater, 51 solar panels and foam attic insulation in his three-bedroom Greenacres home. Until they made the ...
 
SoloPower Gets Its DOE Loan Guarantee

EarthTechling

by Pete Danko, August 19th, 2011 With time running out on a key federal loan guarantee program intended to boost renewable energy production and technologies, the US Department of Energy (DOE) today finalized another loan deal, backing $197 million for ...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

EVERGREEN SOLAR AND THE FUTURE OF SOLAR IN THE U.S.

By Richard Harrod

In recent days many pundits and right-leaning economists have seized upon the bankruptcy of Massachusetts-based Evergreen Solar as an indication that solar is not viable without government subsidies. Some have gone the extra step and written off solar power entirely as a gimmick. Online business forums are abuzz with discussion of “Who’s next?” among the American PV panel manufactures to go out of business. While this is to be expected it has placed the solar industry on the defensive and some are saying that subsidies for renewable energy ought to be abandoned altogether.

It is understandable to be upset when a bad investment is made and it’s even more frustrating when it is done using public funding, but to say that this is proof that solar is worthless is untrue. All new industries have growing pains. When the petroleum industry was first beginning to take off in the second half of the 19th century there was an explosion in oil prospecting, particularly in western Pennsylvania. Prices soared and suddenly people were travelling from miles around to get involved in oil. Whole towns devoted to drilling sprung up overnight.

As a result of this glut, a crash was inevitable. Prices collapsed and thousands lost money and jobs. Many declared oil a dead industry. Around this time an enterprising businessman decided to get into petroleum. By the time he died he was the wealthiest American to ever live and his company controlled over 80% of the market. That man’s name was John D. Rockefeller.

Each day the sun comes up and makes its passage across the sky it creates enough energy to power all the needs of the entirety of humanity for one year. At this point photovoltaic panels can capture only a small portion of this energy, but that will change. In spite of what the naysayers and paid stooges from the oil and natural gas companies will tell you, solar is making leaps and bounds in technology every year. To simply give up, walk away, bury our heads in the sand and put blind faith in dirty energy to miss out on the power of the future. We cannot afford to not invest in renewable energy. To those who say that photovoltaic is a nonviable, “dead” industry I say this: Somewhere out there is the John Rockefeller of Solar.



HEADLINES

Cadillac confirms luxury electric vehicle

The Independent

General Motors has confirmed that an electric vehicle under the Cadillac brand is to enter series production. The Cadillac ELR will be a luxury sibling for the Chevrolet Volt, an extended-range electric vehicle which General Motors launched last ...
 
US PV Installations Forecast to Rise 166% in 2011

Solar Novus Today

While a downturn is expected for Europe in 2011, growth in the US will be healthy due to loan guarantees from the US Department of Energy (DOE). Among US states, California will be the leader in solar power by a wide margin this year, accounting for ...
 
Kentucky to receive more than a half million dollars in rural energy grants

The Lane Report

(August 17, 2011) – Governor Steve Beshear today announced that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $500000 in grants to 43 Kentucky farm families and rural small businesses to implement renewable energy and energy efficiency measures ...
 
Interior secretary sees Maine wind energy center

Boston Globe

A one-third scale turbine is scheduled for deployment next July off Monhegan Island, and full-size turbines -- about the size of the Washington Monument -- would gradually be built. Salazar last year promised to spur offshore wind projects in the ...

 

Canton firm lobbies for federal support of wind energy

Hometownlife.com

Bill Bresler

staff photographer By Matt Jachman A Canton Township company making inroads in the wind energy industry has enlisted help from the dean of the US House of Representatives. Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, who has been in the House since ...

 

Solar power plant switches to PV from thermal

CNET

Another solar project developer has decided to scrap plans to use concentrating solar thermal technology for photovoltaic panels, such as these. Developers of the giant Blythe Solar Power Project in California have switched from solar thermal ...

 

O'Malley fills vacancies on Public Service Commission

Baltimore Sun

Speakes-Backman, the clean energy director at the Maryland Energy Administration, will finish the term of Therese Goldsmith, who left to become the state's Insurance Commissioner. Speakes-Backman has worked in the areas of sustainability and renewable ...

 

German 'guzzler' sets new record for electric cars

Deutsche Welle

The previous record for electric car travel on a single charge, on a circuit track, was 1003 kilometers, set by the Japan Electric Vehicle Club in May last year. The Schluckspecht record was made at the German industrial company Bosch's circuit track ...
 
Why electric vehicles are so important to the United States

Mass High Tech

Let's not miss Round 2 – the electric vehicle. Electric vehicles are creating too big of an economic opportunity for our country to miss. Think of the Chevy Volt. This vehicle — released in 2011 — is already ranked as car of the year by Motor Trend ...

Thursday Headlines

NRG to buy Energy Plus for $190 million

BusinessWeek

... Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Illinois. The company also sells electricity in Texas and natural gas in New York and New Jersey. The deal requires regulatory approvals from the Justice Department and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ...
 
Pa. shale gas production increasing

UPI.com

HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Natural gas production from the Marcellus shale gas play in Pennsylvania increased substantially during the first six months of 2011, the government said. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection ...
 
Sungevity launches renewable energy tax equity fund, expands headquarters

solarserver.com

On August 15th, 2011, Sungevity Inc. (Oakland, California, US) and Citigroup Inc. (Citi, New York, New York, US) introduced a new renewable energy tax equity fund to support over USD 50 million in new residential solar lease projects. ...
 
Koch Brothers Fund Bogus Study Bashing Offshore Wind in New Jersey

Think Progress

This report isn't BHI's first foray into the admittedly complex world of offshore wind. A 2003 report from BHI on Cape Wind's proposal to build America's first offshore wind farm used similarly deceptive tactics, suggesting the project could cost the ...
 
Rooftop Solar Is Experiencing a Boom in California

Care2.com (blog)

Rooftop solar panels do more than just eliminate the need for traditional power sources. They help keep a building cooler, according to a report released by the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering in America. Researchers used thermal imaging to ...
 
Solar Geothermal Hybrid Gets Go-Ahead in Nevada

Reuters

By SustainableBusiness.com at SustainableBusiness.com Enel Green Power North America is combining solar and geothermal at its Stillwater Geothermal plant in Churchill, County, Nevada. This is the first renewable energy project in the US that combines ...
 
Energy Savings From Below

AOL Energy

Part of the series of "101" introductions to energy from the US Department of Energy, this video, like its predecessors, has something to teach even the energy expert for whom geothermal may not be a focus. For those interested in the basics of solar, ...
 
DOE gets an earful on uranium mine leasing program near Telluride, Montrose

The Colorado Independent

Depends where you were last week when the US Department of Energy (DOE) took feedback on its uranium mine leasing program in southwest Colorado. In some places like Telluride, according to media reports, ...
 
O'Malley appoints 2 to state's Public Service Commission

The Republic

She most recently worked as the clean energy director at the Maryland Energy Administration. She also has worked in the private sector for 20 years. The PSC, which had two vacancies on the five-member commission, regulates gas, electric, telephone, ...
 
Aspen Hill school soaks up solar energy

Gazette.Net: Maryland Community News Online

The solar panels will not only provide green energy for the building, but also will give students a unique opportunity to soak up scientific knowledge, she said. The initial cost of the system will be paid for by a $50000 Maryland Energy Administration ...
 
 
 
 

A WOLF IN FOX CLOTHING

Rupert Murdoch claimed that he did not know what was going on in his British tabloid and that the folks that were under him ran amuck. Well Rupert you may want to look at FOX television and .COM because it’s not much better here.

This story came out yesterday in fownews.com “Energy in America: Dead Birds Unintended Consequence of Wind Power Development”. Really Rupert? Really? If there was a line of turbines that stretched from Canada to Mexico with no gaps in between, then maybe we could say we have a problem. But with these types of stories, we may never have enough turbines in the country to make the evils of gas and oil go away. Oh, wait maybe thats just fine by some.

It’s is unbelievable to me that someone would be so gullible that this story would make them choose oil or gas over turbines. From the story: "The cumulative impacts are huge," said Shawn Smallwood, one of the few recognized experts studying the impact of wind farms on migratory birds. "It is not inconceivable to me that we could reduce golden eagle populations by a great deal, if not wipe them out."

I guess we should not be surprised, it is the same argument that environmentalist have used against oil and gas. But there is a big difference. Such as the amount of evidence available to proof that oil and gas production has killed humans, birds, mammals and has destroyed drinking water supply and laid land to waste.

If anyone creates a situation that is dangerous to any one species then they should answer to the general public and the law. But to say that wind should be stopped because of more test results are needed is ridiculous to say the least. Okay then let’s stop Marcellus Shale drilling right away and all energy development until the results are in. Hey I’m okay with that. I’ll just use solar power until the results are in.


Here is what the oil industry has done to birds



Sustainable Energy Master's Degree Offered
Reuters
By EarthTechling at EarthTechling by Kristy Hessman Students of Santa Clara University School of Engineering can now earn a master's degreein sustainable energy. The newly created program focuses on training students in the renewable energy and science ...

Latest Pennsylvania BusinessWJTV
(AP) The Corbett administration is defending its policies on renewable energy and conservation, and says it's not putting aside those efforts in favor of Pennsylvania's booming natural gas industry. Gov. Tom Corbett's energy executive Patrick Henderson ...

Briefly... CITY/REGION | Philadelphia Daily News | 2011-08-16
Philadelphia Daily News
Corbett's energy czar, said that the Office of Energy and Technology Deployment in the state Department of Environmental Protection was renamed, not disbanded, and that the Guaranteed Energy Savings Act program, which helps school districts and local ...

'The Last Mountain' Brings a Kennedy and the Appalacian Mountains to Chilmark
Patch.com
However, those attending the Martha's Vineyard Film Festival's (MVFF) screening of "The Last Mountain," a documentary by Bill Haney, may find the Island's debate for and against Cape Wind comes full circle. "The Last Mountain" focuses on the ...

Turbine maker moving to Delaware
The News Journal
A maker of small wind turbines plans to move its operations from Arizona to Delaware, aided by a $1.2 million state grant, Delaware economic development officials say. It's the latest in Delaware's push to attract jobs to the state with generous ...

Geothermal Industry Continues To Struggle for Acceptance

RenewableEnergyWorld.com
By Marc Favreau, Contributor Stamford, Conn., USA -- Last March, Renewable Energy World covered the 2011 version of the Annual US Geothermal Power Production and Development Report that was released by the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA). ...

Tuesdays Headlines

Record Hill Wind snags $102M wind power loan guarantee

VentureBeat

Wind power providers typically face “not-in-my-backyard” complaints from residents in rural areas. Residents argue sounds from the wind turbines are disruptive, and that the turbines make for flickering lights because they block out the sun. ...
 
Recharge Your Electric Car With Your Own Personal Wind Turbine

Fast Company

Now your EV can have its very own dedicated wind turbine--designed by Yves Behar, no less--to combat NIMBYs everywhere. Want to stay ahead of the Jones' who drove home a new electric Ford Focus with its own solar unit last weekend? ...
 
Ikea Buys Scottish Wind Farm, Solar Installations

SustainableBusiness.com

The array of seven wind turbines is expected to produce the equivalent of 30% of Ikea's electricity usage in the UK, and a company spokesperson said additional wind power purchases could be in the works. The remaining 70% will be partially produced by ...
 
How Will U.S. Army Energy Initiatives Affect Expansion of Solar Energy?

ThomasNet Industrial News Room

The US Army this month established an Energy Initiatives Office (EIO) Task Force, which could have a significant effect on the growth of the solar energy industry. I first studied solar energy in junior high school in the mid-1960s (the Bell Labs “From ...
 
Sungevity socks away cash for solar leasing

CNET

Part of Sungevity's marketing efforts in the east coast--an ice cream truck decked with solar panels. Sungevity has secured $50 million worth of solar leases and expects to have the financing to continue expanding into other states. ...
 
Achieving net zero with geothermal systems

Consulting-Specifying Engineer

Geothermal systems are one option to achieving this net zero goal. The Dept. of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) has established aggressive energy goals for new schools, including several “net zero” facilities in 2011. According to the Dept. of ...
 
Geothermal system will heat and cool new Science Center

Connecticut College

Engineers installed a 500-foot test well in the northeast corner of Tempel Green to confirm that a geothermal system was an option for the new Science Center. Tempel Green, with its stunning view of Long Island Sound, has always been one of Connecticut ...
 
New Army Task Force Will Push for Renewable Energy

CleanTechnica

In the latest stage of the historic battle between renewable energy and fossil fuels, the US Army has taken the gloves off: Army Secretary John McHugh announced the launch of the Army's new Energy Initiatives Office Task Force at the GovEnergy ...
 
Testing underway to explore energy from ocean currents

Boston Herald

State officials and UMass Dartmouth scientists also plan on Monday to outline plans for a first-in-the-nation marine renewable energy test site in Muskeget Channel, located in federal waters between Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. ...
 
Green Car People: Who Buys Electric And Plug-In Vehicles?

Green Car Reports

More Once upon a time, people who bought (or built) electric vehicles were often science-minded, forward-thinking, eco-conscious drivers who sometimes had a hippie past. Today, there are several motivations for buying a car that plugs into the electric ...
 
 

Mondays Headlines

International Power nears construction of 99MW wind farm in Canada

Energy Business Review

International Power Canada said it is preparing for construction of the 99MW Cape Scott wind farm located 25 miles west of Port Hardy on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The company plans to begin civil construction ...
 
The Party's Over for Big Wind (I do not agree with the premise of this article but I posted it any way, it's just more reasons to fight harder) 

Huffington Post

The US has about 170 anti-wind groups. AWEA doesn't want you to know that a number of towns in New York state have prohibited the construction of industrial wind turbines. In April, the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts enacted a year-long moratorium on ...
 
Deadlines loom for Crisfield grants

Delmarva Now

The proposed wind turbines are expected to take a huge financial burden off the city, which currently pays about $20000 per month on electricity at the sewer plant. Crisfield officials have already met with representatives of companies hoping to get a ...
 
How LinkedIn's social media guru became a solar panel evangelist

ITworld.com

Crane's suitor was Sungevity, a solar-panel leasing company based in Oakland, Calif. Before agreeing to sign on, however, Crane decided to check out the company in a more fundamental way -- as a customer. As SolveClimate News's Maria Gallucci writes: ...
 
UMass Lowell, MassArt Students to Compete in Solar Decathlon

UMass Lowell (press release)

The 4D Home features photovoltaic panels to generate electricity, a solar-thermal water heater to provide hot water, thick walls to allow for more efficient insulation, a heat pump and exchanger for cooling/heating the house in summer and winter, ...
 
Public hearing set on solar facility

Tasley Eastern Shore News

The solar photovoltaic farm if approved will consist of 20 one-megawatt blocks, each containing about 4750 solar panels, along with a 200 by 200 foot substation. The land where the solar farm is proposed to be built is zoned agricultural. ...
 
Corbett quietly turning off the lights on renewable energy

Pittsburgh Post Gazette

... of Environmental Protection's Office of Energy and Technology Deployment ... "In the past 12 years, Pennsylvania has gone from having virtually no clean ...
 
US Army Plans To Invest $7.1 Billion In Renewable Energy

GreenAnswers

By Kristen Metz on Sun, 08/14/2011 - 9:15am In an effort to combat rising fuel prices, the US Army has announced plans to invest a substantial amount of money in renewable energy sources. The creation of the new Energy Initiatives Office Task Force ...
 
Christie's energy plan a step backward, opponents say

Power Engineering Magazine

"All of these things combined will lead us to a future here in New Jersey where we have lower-cost energy but also are leading the way on renewable energy," Christie said when he presented the plan in June. Richard Colby, a professor of natural ...
 
Natural gas drilling leaving East Tenn. for Northeast

Knoxville News Sentinel

(J. MILES CARY/NEWS SENTINEL ) The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection reported 76 wells dug into Marcellus Shale areas by the end of 2007. In 2010, the department reported 1440 such wells were drilled during the year. ...

RENEWABLE ENERGY, IT’S TIME TO TAKE THE GLOVES OFF!

Okay, so all’s fair in love and war. The latest advertising incarnation for the oil companies is a pleasant, almost jolly and good looking (Ladies, correct me if I’m wrong.) mid-50s man talking about how science does some extraordinary research that leads to finding energy underground. With a smile he professes that this great work creates jobs and runs clean vehicles and babies are born and the sky parts and we all live happily ever after (of course i'm partly kidding). Hallelujah!

In my opinion this is a bunch of $#!+. The sad part about this form of advertising is that it is effective. Just the same way we continue to elect worthless individuals during elections, this message will be drilled into the mainstream mind and perfectly sane individuals will have arguments over what’s better, clean energy or filthy disgusting polluting energy. It’s crazy to think that this stuff will work, but it will.

Until the renewable energy industry gets its act together and spends money to counter the message being served by the non-renewable energy industry we will not see considerable gains on the renewable energy side. From the beginning of time communication has been twisted to serve one cause or another.

The renewable energy industry is not without resources or organizations to represent it. I don’t mean to pick on any one group, but it comes to mind that the American Council on Renewable Energy, United States Green Building Council, and Interstate Renewable Energy Council, to name a few, have a mission to grow renewable energy. But I see no national campaigns to counter the oil companies. Yes, the oil companies have huge amounts of cash and will counter any campaign with even more ads. But, man, this is competition and you have to make your case in the minds of the people.

My message is that we should stop making apologies, take the gloves off and start using television to get the renewable energy message out. That is, if you want to stand for what you believe in. As a matter of fact, let me take the first to place an ad on behalf of renewable energy. The following demonstrates the jobs that are being created by clean renewable energy and by dirty un-renewable oil and gas (Enjoy!):



Renewable Jobs



Non-renewable jobs



Renewable jobs



Non-Renewable clean up Jobs



Renewable Jobs

 

Non-Renwable Jobs

Renewable Jobs

No caption needed

These are just a few examples of what can be used to combat the PR campaign that big oil is bringing. When the renewable energy industry organizes and fights back, the sky will be the limit.

By George Lopez

Headlines

Department of Energy Pushes for Baseline Water Testing

StateImpact Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania may be the only state that has no regulations regarding private drinking water wells. That means well location, construction, testing and treatment are all up to the individual landowner. So the Department of Energy's Shale Gas Production ...

 

Pennsylvania Groups Respond to Department of Energy Fracking Report

StateImpact Pennsylvania

By Scott Detrow As expected, the Department of Energy's fracking report is dominating today's drilling news. Here's some Pennsylvania-based reaction to the document. PennFuture's John Quigley calls it a “must-read.” Air quality, methane emissions, ...

 

Pennsylvania Wants Beacon Power's Flywheel Energy Storage

CleanTechnica

In addition to the $5-million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program state grant, the $53-million Hazle Township plant was also awarded a $24-million Smart Grid stimulus grant from the US Department of Energy...

 

Japan parties reach agreement on renewable energy bill

Reuters

TOKYO Aug 11 (Reuters) - Japan's ruling Democratic Party reached an agreement with the main opposition parties on Thursday to pass a bill designed to promote renewable energy, an opposition lawmaker said, setting the stage for unpopular Prime Minister ...

 

Billionaire Donald Trump's anger at Scottish wind farm decision

Environmental Data Interactive

The host of the US original version of the Apprentice, who is almost as famous for his hair as he is for his business ventures, issued a statement criticising plans for 11 wind turbines. A consortium consisting of Vattenfall, Technip and the Aberdeen ...

 

Wind energy now generates 20 percent of Iowa's electricity

REVE

Terry Branstad (R-Iowa) and other state officials will join the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) in sharing wind's powerful message this week in Ames: wind farm works for Iowa, which has become a national leader since adopting the first ...

 

Ford Offers Solar Charging For its EVs and Hybrids

Hybrid Cars News

SunPower, which is based in San Jose, Calif., says the photovoltaic cells in its SunPower® E18 Series solar panels are highly efficient, and take up less space than some other systems. The Ford program calls for 11 panels totaling about 147 square feet ...

 

Inexpensive catalyst that makes hydrogen gas 10 times faster than natural enzyme

PhysOrg.com

"This nickel-based catalyst is really very fast," said coauthor Morris Bullock of the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. "It's about a hundred times faster than the previous catalyst record holder. And from nature, we knew it ...

 

Geothermal system may provide heating, cooling for 750 condos

Niagara Advance

That was the beginning of a seed that was planted that he hopes will come to fruition—the use of relatively inexpensive geothermal energy to heat and cool the entire project. Racioppo explains that in discussion with Suzanne Wiltshire, an ...

 

Metro Vancouver is in hot water - and happy about it

Vancouver Sun

The regional district installed glass tubes on the roof of the 20-storey building in Burnaby in December 2009 to collect solar heat to augment the building's hot water system and gauge the effectiveness of reducing GHGs in commercial highrises. ...

 

To make green a reality http://www.thesolarandwindexpo.com/

 

Headlines

Ford EVs to come with household solar-panel option

CNET

Buyers of Ford's electric vehicles will have an option to have SunPower's rooftop solar panels installed for about $10000 after a federal tax rebate. The companies estimate that the 2.5-kilowatt array will generate enough juice, ...
 
India Plans to Relax Solar Rules

Wall Street Journal

He said the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is planning to increase the size of the projects that will be awarded and also extend the timeline for arranging finances by one month to seven months. "If the size goes up, more time is needed to tie-up ...
 
Renewable Energy Consumption Passes Nuclear

EarthTechling

Renewable energy consumption in the United States recently exceeded current and historical consumption levels for nuclear energy, a government study reports. According to the US Energy Information Administration, during the first quarter of this year a ...
 
A Fifty Million Dollar Tipping Point?

InvestorIdeas.com (press release)

August 10, 2011 (Investorideas.com renewable energy/green newswire) At a press conference on July 21, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that he was contributing $50 million to the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign. ...
 
MEA Lawton Loan Recipient Receives High Performance Building Awa

Citybizlist (press release)

BPG financed the energy efficiency improvements with a low-interest loan from the Maryland Energy Administration's Jane E. Lawton Conservation Loan Program and a rebate from Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE). "Energy efficiency is a smart investment ...
 
Detroit's Big Three win Energy Department grants

The Detroit News

Washington -- The Energy Department said Wednesday it is awarding more than $175 million over the next five years to 40 projects for advanced technology vehicles. The projects were selected out of 400 applicants are in 15 states and include about $40 ...
 
Scientists slam US DOE fracking panel make-up on eve of release of report


Platts

The scientists said that the experts EPA chose for its study were vetted to ensure those scientists had no ties to industry, "we would like to see similar standards for the Energy Department's Natural Gas Subcommittee." They called for Deutch, ...
 
Dow Corning Sponsoring U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 To Help ...

MarketWatch (press release)

MIDLAND, Mich., Aug 10, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- To spur growth of the solar industry and support education, Dow Corning has announced that it is a sustaining sponsor of the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011, which will be held Sept. ...
 

Examining Solar Renewable Energy Credits

As the interest and commitment to renewable energy continues to grow across the country, many states are creating Renewable Portfolio Standards or RPS. These standards mandate that a certain portion of the electricity produced by utility companies must come from renewable sources. This has created the “solar carve out” in many states which has given birth to the SREC market.


SRECs or Solar Renewable Energy Credits are a quantitative unit that can be bought, sold and traded by owners of solar systems. This is one of the ways in which Solar is made affordable since selling SRECs allows the home or business owners to recoup some of their initial cost incurred installing a solar PV system. SRECs have no set price. They “float” like any traded stock or commodity and are subject to market forces – much like the Dow, Nasdaq or S&P 500. Currently seven jurisdictions have developed SREC markets (Massachusetts, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and the District of Columbia). Many more are in the process of developing Renewable Portfolio Standards or some form of Renewable Energy Credit. As interest in renewable technology expands, so will the markets.

Of the states with extant SREC markets, Massachusetts is unique. The state has set up a controlled marketplace that allows SREC prices to fluctuate between $300 and $600 per SREC. The state maintains this “floor” price by holding an auction at the end of the year to sell off unwanted SRECs. If the state cannot sell the remaining SRECS it will adjust the capacity requirement for the coming year and also extend the life of the SRECs. This managed approach prevents a glut and gives the Massachusetts SREC market a stability that is unseen in other states.

In the end, all SREC markets will fluctuate and no market is recession proof. However, the return on investment that solar provides can never be taken away. Regardless of SRECs, solar systems inevitably provide clean, efficient and free electricity from the sun. Their benefit to the environment by reducing our use of fossil fuels is also well established. Inevitably oil and natural gas are going to run out. We should not wait until that happens to make our decision on whether we want to live with our planet or against it.

By Richard Harrod


Researching Safer Nuclear Energy or show lack of vision?

New York Times (blog)

On Tuesday, the Energy Department, handing out research grants in all kinds of energy fields that are low in carbon dioxide emissions, is announcing that it will give $39 million to university programs around the country to try to solve various nuclear ...
 
Verizon will be proving ground for energy efficiency, green power

ZDNet (blog)

By Heather Clancy
August 9, 2011, 9:50am PDT Summary: Along with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the giant telco plans to publish a series of blueprints for energy efficiency across buildings, data centers and the smart grid. ...
 
Wind News: Major investments Underway in US and Abroad

SustainableBusiness.com

According to a new manufacturer survey of the German wind energy institute DEWI, a total of 356 wind turbines with an overall capacity of 793 MW have been installed in Germany in the first half of 2011. This is a 20% increase compared to last year's ...
 
 
US invests more cash into solar power

UPI.com

"The Agua Caliente Solar project will bring hundreds of jobs to Arizona, while helping increase the reliability of renewable solar power," Chu said in a statement. The Energy Department said the United States had a dominant position in the solar energy ...
 
Clean Energy Stocks Fall as Solar Sector Hit by 'Triple Whammy'

Bloomberg

Renesola Ltd. (SOL), a Chinese maker of solar panels, led declines in solar stocks, closing down 18 percent at $2.76, after the US credit rating downgrade caused investors to retreat from riskier assets. Yingli Green Energy Holding Co., a China-based ...
 
Home turbines might churn soon in Brandon

Sioux Falls Argus Leader

He already has a 4200-watt photovoltaic solar system on his roof and a geothermal pump in the basement, and he's begun using natural gas to power his energy-sucking appliances. He wants to install a 200-watt, 48-volt wind turbine that weighs 13 pounds ...
 
Is This Audi's All-Electric City E-Tron? We Think So (Video)

All Cars Electric

But spy-shots, and a few interesting YouTube videos tell us all we need to know: Audi is working on an all-electric pod car which certainly offers more protection from the elements than Renault's crazy Twizy urban electric vehicle. It looks better too, ...
 
Campaign launched to protect clean energy jobs in Pennsylvania

BrighterEnergy.org

Clean energy campaigners in Pennsylvania have warned that programs supporting ... (DEP) Office of Energy and Technology Deployment is set to be disbanded, ...

Maryland Govenor Martin O'Malley attended the launch of Maryland’s first solar tracking electric vehicle charger

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley,
Rob Lundahl, V.P. of Energy Systems
of ATR Corp and other dignitaries
at yesterday's dedication 

ATR continued it's tradition in innovative engineering yesterday when it launched Maryland's first tracking solar car charging station in Bethesda. The Solar Car Charger incorporates a 1,410 watt sun tracking array to supplement electric vehicle charging requirements. Standard Level II Car Chargers are mounted to the base of the tracking pole and conveniently situated to service two vehicles at once.



The new charging station
with a Nissan Leaf and
a Chevy Volt waiting
for charging. 



Sun Tracking provides up to 30% more power which is converted to AC and fed into the utility grid for generation credit. Car chargers are similarly connected to the local power grid and maintain 100% availability.

The solar power production and power suppied to EV's is monitored for a complete energy system accounting and analysis and it is available to the owner over the internet.




Tuesday's Headlines

Why are the big banks getting off scot-free?
Salon.com by Yves Smith

For most citizens, one of the mysteries of life after the crisis is why such a massive act of looting has gone unpunished. We've had hearings, investigations, and numerous journalistic and academic post mortems. We've also had promises to put people in jail by prosecutors like Iowa's attorney general Tom Miller walked back virtually as soon as they were made.


Yet there is undeniable evidence of institutionalized fraud, such as widespread document fabrication in foreclosures...

Duke Energy to Sell Renewable Power from New Texas Wind Farm to CPS Energy

PR Newswire (press release)

Duke Energy Renewables, a commercial business unit of Duke Energy, will build, own and operate the 200-megawatt (MW) Los Vientos I Windpower Project in Willacy County, approximately 120 miles south of Corpus Christi and 20 miles inland from the Gulf of ... 

Underwater 'windmills' may feed power grid

Boston Globe

The equipment looks like a jet engine, but uses technology similar to what's in windmill-powered electric generators, such as those proposed for Cape Wind, the energy project planned for Nantucket Sound. Free Flow has also applied for more than 150 ...
 
Yosemite Installs Largest National Park Solar Array

EcoGeek

The whole system is made up of 2800 solar PV panels. The $4.5 million installation will save the park $50000 a year on energy costs and the park also expects to receive $700000 in energy rebates from PG&E over the next five years. ...