Offshore wind farm is a good idea that should not be killed

In response to Jay Hancock’s piece in the Baltimore Sun this past Sunday, I say you are totally wrong, Mr. Hancock. I have been critical of Governor O’Malley’s ideas on how to accomplish the important mission of installing offshore wind in Maryland. I do agree with Mr. O’Malley’s staff that being first would be a great achievement for Maryland and everyone that breathes our air. And there is nothing wrong with a little friendly competition between states.

However, I object to the conclusion Mr. Hancock makes in his story. He uses cost overruns in Massachusetts as the reason for not establishing offshore wind farms in Maryland. He says natural gas should be our new and cleaner way of making electricity. If cost overruns were a reason not to do things, we would not have a baseball or football stadium and many other things.

Let’s look at the current cost of natural gas for a moment, and I emphasize current. Back in 1995 when I built my first home, it was touted to me that natural gas was plentiful and that it was cheap. So I installed the best Trane heating system available. But my happiness did not last long. BGE was touting the same thing to everyone and before long the demand for natural gas was so high that its cost had gone through the roof and other ways of heating were cheaper.

Mr. Hancock then makes a comparison between nuclear, of all things, and wind energy. It’s as if he hasn’t been watching television for the past month. He does not prefer nuclear but he says the cost is similar. It isn’t. Nuclear waste is a big problem, as are issues of manmade or natural disasters. What do we do with the waste? We have a disposal issue today, and that’s before we ramp up nuclear to never before seen levels. Nevada and other states have repeatedly refused to have that stuff dumped in their backyards. The true cost of nuclear never ends since waste sites have to be maintained forever and guarded against terrorist threats.

Mr. Hancock also talks about the environmental benefits of natural gas because it emits 40 percent less carbon dioxide than coal, and 80 percent less nitrous oxide and negligible amounts of mercury. If his theory is correct, that leaves 60 percent carbon dioxide, 20 percent nitrous oxide and as far as the mercury goes, I think that the fish in the ocean would rather we keep that to ourselves. So his argument is that it is less bad? Mr. Hancock talks about a growing need for electricity. So it stands to reason that the number of pollutants under a natural gas scenario will surely grow.

I propose that whether we build offshore or not is not the question. We have to build. The question is how to keep the cost down. The demand for clean electricity will likely grow and the competition for those dollars will make it easier and cheaper to attain investment dollars, if we just allow markets to work without hindrance. In Europe and other parts of the world these clean offshore wind farms work. They are great wonders. Why can’t we build them? That, to me, is the question that needs to be answered.

How much longer can we continue to complain about pollution without doing anything about it? Tearing down mountains and drilling wells through our drinking water should no longer be on the table. Just build the wind farms, keep the competition open to all who want to bring this type of energy to us and let the public choose how their energy will be brought to them. I will choose clean energy and I bet enough others will too.

Energy independence will not be easy but it is attainable. Our infrastructure is old so new transmission lines need to be built. Let’s make them capable of bringing clean power to our homes and enough clean power to charge our electric cars too. Let’s disagree on the cost but let’s follow Governor O’Malley lead and make it happen.

by George Lopez
Executive Director
The Solar and Wind Expo

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SEMINARS FOR CONSUMERS & PROS

Whether you can afford alternative energy in this economy or whether a wind turbine will work in your situation are just two of the many topics to be covered by experts in solar and wind energy at the upcoming Solar and Wind Expo at the State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Md., running May 13-15, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily.

“The Solar and Wind Expo is bringing the public the latest news and information regarding green energy,” said Solar and Wind Expo Executive Director George Lopez. “There will be something for everybody. Your questions will be answered and you’ll learn about affordable new technologies on the market now.”

Additional renewable energy and related topics seminars for consumers:

• The Consumer’s Checklist for Saving Energy and Sustaining our Environment

• Financing Programs Available Right Now

• Electric Vehicles are Here: Learn All About Them

• Benefits of Switching to Renewable Energy

• Solar, Wind and Geothermal Power and Why Now is the Time

• Community-Initiated Solar PV Systems Using a Power Purchase Agreement

• Green Building Design

• Design, Procure, and Construct an Innovative Renewable Energy System

Chelsea Sexton, the electric vehicle’s top advocate and star of the popular “Who Killed the Electric Car” documentary film, will present the keynote address. She will update Expo attendees on the future of electric vehicles. Sexton is a veteran clean transportation and energy advocate. She has served as Director of the Automotive X PRIZE, Senior Advisor to VantagePoint Venture Partners’ Cleantech practice, and co-founder of Plug In America, the largest consumer-oriented electric drive advocacy group. She founded the Lightning Rod Foundation, an advisory and educational organization. Sexton is a Consulting Producer on Chris Paine’s next film, “Revenge of the Electric Car.”

Topics covered in the professional seminars:

• Engage and Educate Employees

• Green Building Design

• Overview of Passive House Energy Performance Standard & Methodology

• Electrifying Your Fleet Charging Stations

• Turbine Basics & Installation Techniques

• Start-Up Workshop: Where to Find Technical Skills & Funding Sources

• Geothermal Basics & Installation Techniques

• The Latest Info. & Incentives That Increase Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Production

The Solar and Wind Expo received accolades from Expo attendees and exhibitors in May 2010 when it brought top-quality clean energy advocates to consumers in the east coast region. This year’s Expo promises to do so again and to reach out to professionals in the field as well.

Information is available at www.thesolarandwindexpo.com.

Maryland Home Energy Loan Program Commits First $100,000 for Homeowners' Efficiency Improvements

Two months after its introduction, the Maryland Home Energy Loan Program (MHELP), which enables Marylander homeowners to access unsecured, low-cost, funds for efficiency upgrades, has cleared its first $100,000 in loan commitments.

“These measures not only help save on energy costs but could also make for a more comfortable home during heating and cooling seasons.”

“Ultimately, the goal is to help consumers reduce the cost of their power bills. We understand that most families don’t have extra money to make an investment in home improvements that an energy auditor might recommend, but might be inclined to implement the recommendations if the money was available. This program allows a consumer to borrow money for efficiency improvements at a very attractive rate without racking up high interest credit card debt or tying up the equity in their home,” said I. Katherine Magruder, Executive Director of the Maryland Clean Energy Center, which administers the MHELP program with funds from the Maryland Energy Administration and the federal 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

MHELP is designed to help achieve Governor O'Malley's four-pronged energy strategy that includes reducing per capital peak demand for energy 15% by 2015 (from a 2007 baseline). Efficiency improvements also reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, help create green jobs by boosting demand for more certified energy auditors and contractors and, where appropriate, identifies where renewable energy systems that can supplant homeowners' need for electricity supplied by the power grid.

Homeowners interested in exploring a loan from MHELP need to complete a home energy audit by a certified auditor if they haven't done so within the past six months. The resulting assessment is likely to recommend several ways a home can save energy. Thus far, the Maryland Clean Energy Center has committed about $120,000 for loans to homeowners throughout the state.

As expected, most home improvement applications since the MHELP program launched in late December encompass upgrading insulation, plugging air leaks, sealing ducts and replacing furnaces, heat pumps and/or air conditioners that are at least 10 years old. “These measures not only help save on energy costs but could also make for a more comfortable home during heating and cooling seasons,” Magruder said.

With audit recommendations in hand, Marylanders can go to http://mcecloans.org/ to apply. These loans do not need to be secured by the owner's home or other large asset. The clean energy loan amounts are capped at $20,000. The rate is 6.99%. Most unsecured loans at commercial banks carry interest rates at twice that rate. Some interest rates are rising as the economic recovery picks up momentum.

The approval process typically takes a few days. Improvements need to be performed by contractors with a Maryland Home Improvement Certification. Lists of both qualifying auditors and contractors are available at http://www.mdhomeperformance.org/findacontractor.php.

Homeowners with proof of a qualifying audit within the past six months can proceed immediately to the application.

To see entire piece go to Businesswire

They Make My Job Promoting Clean Energy So Easy And Necessary

"The U.S. Department of Environmental Protection has ordered Chesapeake Energy to stop work on a natural gas drilling well pad in Pennsylvania for failure to comply with regulations and contaminating a water source". according to a Reuters report. The Galeton Borough Water Authority serves a population of about 1,400 through about 600 metered connections. The authority has been now forced to use another permitted water source to serve its customers.The order to cease comes after Chesapeake did not respond to Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection's notice of violation for several violations of the Clean Streams Law and Oil and Gas Act. DEP met Chesapeake on March 10 after a routine site inspection on March 8. As reported on Reuters

Around the country there is a race for energy. Every where you look someone is working to make energy available to needy customers. The previous report by Reuters emphasizes the need for clean energy sources such as Ohio's first commercial wind farm – a project that will result in numerous jobs and a significant contribution to the local economy, as recently reported by Horizon Wind Energy, the company responsible for the project.

Horizon Wind Energy's
Kittitas Valley Wind Farm

The 99 megawatt Timber Road II Wind Farm currently employs over 200 construction workers and is expected to generate tens of millions of dollars in landowner royalties and property tax payments over the life of the project. This is the first of three phases of this wind farm that Horizon plans to construct in northwestern Ohio.

Horizon has been working with over 100 local landowners since 2007 to develop the wind farm that consists of 55 wind turbines which will produce enough electricity to power more than 27,000 homes. The wind farm will bring cleaner, homegrown electricity to Ohio's power lines. Horizon has also made a $100,000 contribution to the Paulding County Soil & Water Conservation Office and the Agricultural Extension Office and plans on partnering with Vantage Career Center to educate and train employees for careers in the renewable energy industry.

These good and bad scenarios are playing out all around the country and the world. If we continue to keep score, the good vs. bad comparison will no longer be needed because the winner will undoubtedly be Clean Energy.

Make it Happen!

by George Lopez

NABCEP-Certified PV Technical Sales Professionals Set a New Standard of Quality Assurance

Bryan Hacker, solar analyst of local business Solar Energy World, is one of the first solar professionals in the country to pass the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) Photovoltaic (PV) Technical Sales Exam. This achievement sets Mr. Hacker at the top of his profession. NABCEP's new certification has been developed to ensure quality assurance throughout the entire sales process and, as such, offer consumers a new level of confidence when they seek quotations, proposals, and energy and financial production estimates for potential solar electric projects.

NABCEP is the most respected and well-established national certification organization for renewable energy professionals. Designation as a NABCEP-Certified PV Technical Sales Professional is an important and meaningful certification in the renewable energy industry.

"Passing NABCEP's PV Technical Sales Exam and achieving certification is personally very satisfying," said Hacker. "More important, it means we can offer our customers the added confidence of knowing he or she is being handled by someone who is fully qualified to a full representation of the potential of the proposed PV system."

To earn his NABCEP certification, Hacker was required to demonstrate his knowledge on subjects as diverse as qualifying the customer; site analysis; conceptual design; financial costs, incentives, and savings; financial benefit analysis and financing; non-financial benefit analysis; performance analysis; and proposal preparation.

"One thing you can be assured of with NABCEP-Certified PV Technical Sales Professionals is that your sale won't be their first," said Ezra Auerbach, executive director of NABCEP. "Anyone who makes the considerable effort required to earn NABCEP PV Technical Sales Certification has been required to document his experience and education as part of the eligibility process."

"Make Green a Reality" visit http://www.thesolarandwindexpo.com/

There’s No Fallout from Clean Energy

The horrific news out of Japan continues to worsen and has put a spotlight on the downside of nuclear energy. For years we’ve been hearing that clean solar and wind energy is “not ready yet” but we know that’s not true. At this time, when there is growing concern about disasters --- natural and man-made -- that can come from oil and gas exploration and now, nuclear, we’re here to tell you, we ARE ready. Now is the time to increase demand for clean energy so that more is invested in research and costs will go down.

Proponents of clean energy need to educate the public about how this reliable power differs from fossil fuel and nuclear in that it poses no hardship to nearby communities. The danger from nuclear power is real. It’s not only Japanese authorities who are worried about the aftermath of the earthquake. Radiation can move with the wind. A US naval warship floating 100 miles from one of the Japanese nuclear power plants had to move because of radiation readings and is now in scrub-down mode.

The fish we eat, the air we breathe, the land we cultivate and our oceans are too important to leave to chance.

There is a wealth of information about the downside of nuclear. If the public truly knew some of the issues surrounding this form of power I think that the conversation would not even start and no more plants would be built. The thing about nuclear energy is that even if the plants are well-built and well-run and no disasters affect their safety, the waste will be a threat forever. No wonder Nevada and other states refuse to have that stuff dumped in their backyards. Even France, a country that claims to have perfected this form of energy, is actually dumping its radioactive waste in Siberia. As Linda Gunter of Beyond Nuclear put it, “You can actually see the Siberian nuclear waste site on Google Earth.”

The subject of capacity is always mentioned when comparing nuclear and fossil fuel energy to clean energy. Renewable energy has solar, wind, geothermal and hydro capabilities. If all of these were brought to their maximum capacity with today’s and tomorrow’s technologies, we would have more than enough to supply every household in America, especially if conservation took hold in the public’s consciousness. How about some out-of-the-box thinking? What if we treat electricity like a valuable commodity that should not be wasted? If we spent our money building efficient homes or retrofitting the existing housing stock with six- and eight-inch, properly insulated walls, better windows, and better insulated roofs, the amount of electricity needed would be much less.

It’s a shame that the public needs constant reminders like the oil spill in the Gulf and the earthquake in Japan to remember that clean energy is the real deal. Those reminders almost always cost pain and agony for someone. It’s up to us to continue to do our part to expand the market for clean energy so cost will not be an issue anymore and to lobby our elected officials to increase research money and provide financial incentives to producers and consumers. If politics runs on money, then clean energy needs to be the highest bidder.

It is unfair to judge renewable energy by today’s standards when we have yet to make the proper investments in the technology. Fossil fuels have had a 100-year run. And we still feel as though we are still living in the past. Efficiency hasn’t increased enough to make the good outweigh the damage it’s done to our environment and our foreign policy. With renewable energy the conversation is about capacity, not about where to get it, or about balancing energy against the environment. In fact, developing nations will benefit by being able to power themselves to same extent as developed nations. Clean energy is a key component to taking us out of the current economic downturn while helping create economic equality and political stability.

To me, clean energy is good energy and the time for it is now. We can make it happen!

by George Lopez
http://www.theslarandwindexpo.com/

The Solar and Wind Expo helps Tsunami victims

Our hearts go out to the people of Japan who late last week suffered enormous losses at the hands of one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded and which sparked a massive tsunami wave that deepened the agony. We stand together with our government in committing to help in any way we can. Please go to the American Red Cross special website to make any donation you can to help feed and clothe the survivors. We are working with the Red Cross to provide a special collection area at the Solar and Wind Expo for donations to the victims and will soon have a link on our own website for donations.


The news coming out of Japan is horrific. As if the damages from the earthquake and tsunami aren’t enough, there is now the specter of indeterminate, long term and worldwide damage from radiation seeping from one of the country’s nuclear power plants. This very real threat has naturally put a spotlight on the woes of nuclear energy.

All of us as proponents for clean energy should educate ourselves in all the ways that clean energy can help prevent unnecessary hardship to communities around these power plants. But radiation can damage not just the surrounding areas. A naval warship floating one hundred miles from one of the Japanese nuclear power plants had to move and is now on scrub down mode as a result of high radiation levels.

The fish that we eat, the air that we breathe, the land that we cultivate and the environment that we live in are critical to our survival and well-being and can’t be left to chance. The organization Beyond Nuclear has a wealth of information about the downside to nuclear. I was mesmerized by some of the issues surrounding this form of power. The plants can be as safe as they need to be, but the waste will be a threat forever. No wonder Nevada and other states refuse to have that stuff dumped in their backyard. Even France, who continues to claim that they have perfected this form of energy, is actually dumping it in Siberia. As Linda Gunter of Beyond Nuclear put it, “You can actually see the Siberian nuclear waste site on Google Earth.”

It’s a shame that the public needs a constant reminder that clean energy is the real deal, here and immediately available. Those reminders almost always cost pain and agony for someone. But I know that we are all up to the challenge and will continue to do our part to point these shortcomings out, to continue to expand the clean energy market so cost becomes a non-issue, and to lobby to grease the wheels of congress. To me there is no lack of reasons to feel good about clean energy.

Make it happen!