COLUMBUS, Ohio, January 13, 2009 (ENS) – After he takes office on January 20, President Barack Obama has said he will seek congressional approval to invest $150 billion over 10 years on clean energy initiatives. This would fund next-generation biofuels and fuel infrastructure, advance the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, develop renewable energy, invest in low-emissions coal plants, and begin the transition to a new digital electricity grid.

Today, the nonprofit advocacy group Environment Ohio issued a report that estimates the environmental benefits to the state and the nation of such a $150 billion investment.

America can reduce greenhouse gases by nearly 10 percent annually, reduce oil consumption by more than 25 million barrels annually, and create or sustain more than three million jobs by making investment in clean energy and transportation a cornerstone of our economic recovery plan, finds the report, “Clean Energy, Bright Future.”

The investments will reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the leading cause of global warming, by 670 million tons per year when fully implemented, the report estimates.

“Our nation can no longer afford the toll dirty energy is exacting on our environment and economy,” said Amy Gomberg, program director with Environment Ohio. “Clean energy can protect our environment and rev our economic engine to generate a brighter future for Ohio.”

Among the recommendations in the report are weatherizing U.S. homes and businesses, training workers for new, clean energy industries, and increasing public transportation capacity to meet growing demand.

Dozens of Ohio companies are gearing up to be a part of this green economic recovery plan, the report finds.

Mike Foraker is CEO of Jennings Heating and The Energy Factory, an energy consulting company that identifies energy saving improvements for corporations.

“Jennings Heating has been in the energy business for over 70 years, and we have been and continue to be successful because we help people find the best answer to their energy needs, not the familiar one,” Foraker said from his office in Akron. “I hope that Congress will look to green energy solutions as well.”

The Environment Ohio report and its recommendations were well received by Ohio’s congressional representatives.

Wind turbines on a farm in Bowling Green, Ohio (Photo courtesy Ohio Office of Energy Efficiency)

“It is critical to get our nation’s economy moving again and to ensure that those that have lost their jobs or can’t find work can do so as soon as possible. A great way to stimulate the economy is by creating green jobs and promoting environmentally friendly development,” said Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy, a Democrat. “I appreciate the efforts of Environment Ohio to highlight what can be done in Ohio to stimulate the economy in a green way.”

“It is clear that our country should move away from foreign sources of energy and increase our domestic production of alternative renewable power. I am proud that innovators throughout our region are developing the next generation of clean, American made energy and paving the way for energy independence,” said Congresswoman Betty Sutton, a Democrat. “This is the kind of innovation and growth that will create good-paying green jobs, help protect our environment and bring renewed economic vitality to our region.”

Congressman John Boccieri, a Democrat, has a laundry list of things that can be done in Ohio to further the green economy.

“We need to create an Apollo program that would revolutionize our energy sources and free us from our dependence on foreign oil, support fuel cell research at Stark State, invest in emerging technologies like plug-in hybrid cars that are being researched at the EBO Group in Medina County, support agriculture as Ohio’s number one industry with research being conducted at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wayne County, and invest in sustainable biofuels that can be grown out of Ashland County,” said Boccieri.

Ohio Republican Congressman John Boehner, who serves as House Minority Leader, did not comment directly on the Environment Ohio report, but he has said that he is committed to “a comprehensive energy reform policy that will boost supplies of all forms of energy right here at home to reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy, protect us against blackmail by foreign dictators, create American jobs and grow our economy.”

“This includes increasing the supply of American-made energy in an environmentally sound way, improving energy efficiency and encouraging investment in groundbreaking research in advance alternative and renewable energy technologies,” Boehner said.

“With 21st century technologies and the strictest environmental standards in the world, America must produce more of our own energy right here at home and protect our environment at the same time,” said Boehner.

Akron Mayor Donald Plusquellic is behind the green investment plan. “This means that funding for projects that conserve energy, promote alternative fuels and clean our environment must be a priority,” he said. “Green jobs can’t be outsourced, and Ohio can be a leader in this area.”

Cities across Ohio have identified over 100 “shovel-ready” green economic development projects.

The mayor said, “I have pledged to work with Governor Strickland to ensure that Ohio and its cities receive a fair share of funds and that they are invested wisely.”

“If we continue with business as usual, dirty energy and highways to nowhere, we will be laying the groundwork for decades of increased carbon pollution,” said Gomberg. “Green infrastructure means more and better jobs now, as well as less global warming pollution, fewer asthma attacks from air pollution, more clean lakes and rivers for drinking water, swimming and fishing, and more secure energy in the long term.”

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HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, January 6, 2009 (ENS) – Pennsylvania has signed a letter of agreement with 10 other eastern states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels and other sources by developing a regional low carbon fuel standard.

Vehicles using low carbon transport fuels include cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells; electric cars such as plug-in hybrids; cars fueled with ethanol, especially cellulosic ethanol made from non-food plant materials; and cars fueled with biodiesel.

“This partnership will work closely on a standard for the entire region,” said Governor Ed Rendell on Monday, announcing the agreement. “In conjunction with Pennsylvania’s energy policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase clean energy development, this work done by this partnership will ultimately grow our economy and protect our planet by fostering a cleaner environment.”

The other states in on the agreement are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

The 11 states already are partners in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, RGGI, the first mandatory, market-based effort in the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The push towards a regional low carbon fuel standard started in June 2008 when Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick sent a letter to the governors of all 10 RGGI states inviting them to cooperate on a standard that would apply to the entire region. Massachusetts committed to developing a low carbon fuel standard for the state last April.

“The response to Governor Patrick’s call for a regional low carbon fuel standard by our neighbor states has been tremendous,” said Massachusetts Energy Secretary Ian Bowles.

“Working together, the 11 states from Maine to Delaware will cut greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks, spur the development of clean energy technologies like advanced biofuels and electric cars, and reduce our dependence on petroleum,” said Bowles.

Ron Yerxa, center, and wife Annette Ballester get a lesson from Tim Cunningham, Honda fuel cell vehicle program consultant, on how to refuel
their new hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle, July 2008 in West Los Angeles. (Photo courtesy Honda)

“After power generation, transportation is the next logical target for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and a low carbon fuel standard gives us a market-based mechanism to get the environmental results we need,” said Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Laurie Burt.

The 11 states will collaborate with the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management, which has been studying a low carbon fuel standard for the region. The eastern states also have agreed to work cooperatively with other states and the federal government, and to influence the design of any federal standard or other proposed fuel policy.

In January 2007, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger established the world’s first low carbon fuel standard by Executive Order.

“I applaud these 11 Eastern states for recognizing the power of California’s groundbreaking low carbon fuel standard to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and oil dependency while rewarding innovation and expanding consumer choice,” Schwarzenegger said Monday.

“Like California, these other states are leading the way in recognizing that we must take action now to fight global warming, and I look forward to working together to find additional solutions like the LCFS that both protect our environment and grow our economy at the same time.”

Once the low carbon fuel standard is developed for the eastern region, governors from participating states will have the opportunity to consider implementation.

Fuels that may reduce greenhouse gas emissions include advanced biofuels like cellulosic ethanol, which have lower lifecycle carbon emissions and may be less likely to cause indirect effects from crop diversion and land use changes than biofuels on the market today such as ethanol made from corn.

Many of the 11 states in the partnership have set individual policies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Pennsylvania enacted the Climate Change Act last year, establishing an advisory committee to create a report on potential climate change impacts and economic opportunities for the commonwealth.

The committee also will write an action plan for cost-effective strategies to reduce or offset the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and help the Department of Environmental Protection, DEP, compile an annual inventory of the sources and amounts of greenhouse gas emissions generated within the state.

DEP Acting Secretary John Hanger said, “By implementing the Climate Change Act, investing in alternative energy, and generating more of our energy needs from clean energy sources, Pennsylvania can reduce the air pollution emissions that lead to climate change.”

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GAINESVILLE, Florida, December 15, 2008 (ENS) – The gas price roller coaster and climate change concerns are making plug-in hybrid-electric cars look increasingly attractive to many people. Now, a new University of Florida partnership is testing to determine if they are in fact a cleaner, cheaper and more reliable choice than other cars.

Pierce Jones, a researcher with the university’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, is working with North Carolina companies Progress Energy, Advanced Energy and Duke Energy to test a Toyota Prius modified to use electricity delivered through a regular household electrical outlet.

“This isn’t a new idea, but it is one that now has to be closely examined because it’s likely to be a reality in just a few years,” said Jones, who is participating in the research as part of UF’s Program for Resource Efficient Communities.

“There are a lot of questions to be asked and a lot of details that have to be ironed out beforehand,” he said.

The UF car is one of 12 plug-in hybrids that will be deployed throughout Florida and North Carolina. The researchers will chart basic use patterns, such as how much gasoline and electricity are consumed per mile traveled. Jones says similar vehicles can travel more than 100 miles on a gallon of gas.

Researcher Pierce Jones demonstrates how to charge
the experimental plug-in hybrid electric car at
the University of Florida, Gainesville. (Photo
by Thomas Wright courtesy University of Florida)

Jones is helping to test the vehicle’s efficiency, which may someday keep widespread use of electric cars from overburdening local electrical grids. For years, one concern about electric cars is that too many of them plugged in at the same time could cause power failures.

“Developing the necessary infrastructure to enable widespread use of electric vehicles is part of our balanced strategy to address the challenge of global climate change, while meeting growing energy needs,” said Bill Johnson, CEO of Progress Energy. Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, Progress is a Fortune 250 energy company serving 3.1 million customers in the Carolinas and Florida.

The test hybrid car is equipped with new smart-charging hardware that moderates the time and pacing of the charging.

Additionally, Jones’ test car will be using a technology dubbed Vehicle-to-Grid, or V2G, functionality.

V2G allows the car’s charging system to synch with the local electrical grid. Not only does this stop the car from drawing on an overtaxed grid, it could contribute small amounts of electricity back in, helping the entire electrical grid become more reliable and earning a few dollars for the car’s owner.

The plug-in hybrid test project also will document drivers’ patterns, to help determine how charging stations and billing should be implemented.

“It used to be that electric vehicles were rare, but I think they’re going to be here before we know it,” Jones said. “That means that we’ve got to figure out the tricky details of how they’re really going to work so we can make the best use of this new technology.”

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SAN JOSE, California, July 22, 2008 (ENS) – General Motors and 34 utilities have agreed to collaborate with the Electric Power Research Institute on research and development to facilitate integration of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles into the power grid. Plug-in hybrids can average nearly 100 miles per gallon using a combination of electricity and gasoline.

The collaboration was announced today in San Jose at the Plug-in 2008 Conference – the first convention and expo to explore technical advances, challenges and market research on electric transportation.

The partners agreed to accelerate large-scale deployment of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, or PHEVs, and to create a blueprint for an electric fuel infrastructure.

An independent, nonprofit organization, the Electric Power Research Institute, or EPRI, conducts research and development for the global electric power industry.

Arshad Mansoor, EPRI’s vice president of power delivery and utilization, said, “Seamless integration of PHEVs into the electric grid will require close collaboration between the automobile and electric sectors.”

A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle shares the characteristics of both conventional hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles, having an internal combustion engine as well as batteries for power.

A plug-in hybrid makes the
most of every gallon of gas.
(Photo by Steve Jurvetson)

The cost for electricity to power plug-in hybrids for all-electric operation in California has been estimated at less than one quarter of the cost of gasoline.

Compared to conventional vehicles, PHEVs can reduce air pollution and dependence on petroleum, and lessen greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.

Research released last year by EPRI and the Natural Resources Defense Council showed the potential of PHEVs to lower greenhouse gas emissions. The PHEV environmental assessment is available on the EPRI website at www.epri-reports.org

“Electrically powered vehicles are going to provide tremendous benefit and excitement for the customer, while also hastening the move to a more diverse choice of energy alternatives,” said Jon Lauckner, General Motors vice president of global programs.

“But we know that there are some key elements that need to be understood and put in place so customers can enjoy those benefits and get maximum use of these vehicles when we bring them to market,” said Lauckner. “That’s why this relationship with EPRI and the utility partners is so important.”

The collaborating partners also will address issues that ensure safe and convenient vehicle charging, public education, and public policies requirements to enable a smooth introduction of PHEVs as a transportation alternative to conventional vehicles.

“This research program will help link a low-carbon generation portfolio and a smart grid, which in turn will facilitate widespread adoption of electricity as an alternative transportation fuel,” Mansoor said.

“PHEVs have the potential of creating tremendous value for society by use of lesser emitting and lower cost electricity,” he said.

Exhibitors at the conference are showcasing the latest innovations associated with PHEVs and supporting electricity infrastructure – vehicles, batteries, powertrains, smart meters and grid management tools, and vehicle-to-home applications.

To date, plug-in hybrid passenger vehicles are not yet in production. However, Toyota, General Motors, Ford, Chinese automaker BYD Auto, California startups Fisker Automotive and Aptera Motors, and Volkswagen have announced their intention to introduce production PHEV automobiles.

Most PHEVs on the road in the United States are conversions of 2004 or later Toyota Prius models, which have had plug-in charging added and their electric-only range extended.

Most PHEVs are passenger cars, but there are also PHEV versions of commercial passenger vans, utility trucks, school buses, motorcycles, scooters, and military vehicles.

Participants in the newly announced collaboration include Alabama Power, American Electric Power, Austin Energy, BC Hydro, CenterPoint Energy, Consolidated Edison of New York, Dominion, DTE Energy, Duke Energy, FirstEnergy Corp., Georgia Power, Great River Energy, Hydro-Québec, Manitoba Hydro, Nebraska Public Power District, New York Power Authority, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Progress Energy, Public Service Electric & Gas Co., Sacramento Municipal Utility District, San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison Co. and Southern Company.

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We started our peek into our bright green [www.sundancechannel.com]
future by looking at two very big, very large scale hurdles to clear: zero carbon and zero waste. Today, we’ll focus on more tangible ideas that are easier to put in to everyday context, since they’re things we use every day: sustainable transport [www.sundancechannel.com] and local/sustainable [www.sundancechannel.com] materials.

We have a huge opportunity to make both our day-to-day and longer-term (like holiday airplane travel) transportation more sustainable. You already know the story with cars: internal combustion engines pollute [www.sundancechannel.com], bottom line, so for all the talk about hybrids and plug-in hybrids [www.sundancechannel.com] and flex-fuel and biofuel [www.sundancechannel.com], we have to get beyond using fossil fuels in our engines, and, ultimately, get beyond internal combustion to use things like batteries [www.sundancechannel.com] and hydrogen fuel cells [www.sundancechannel.com], where emissions will not only be reduced, but can be absolutely zero. Of course, these options already exist (in prototype form, at least) with Tesla’s sexy roadster [www.sundancechannel.com] and the Hypercar [www.sundancechannel.com] (here’s part two [www.sundancechannel.com] of that series).

Flying is a bit more of a trick, because few viable options exist for replacing fossil fuel-derived jet fuel just yet; with careful travel management (and careful carbon offset purchasing [www.sundancechannel.com]) we can help first reduce our air miles and second make our flying carbon neutral.

As with much of this list, the benefits (and need for) local, sustainable materials are intertwined with other facets of the top 10. The impetus for sustainable materials comes from the destructive patterns of resource exploitation and use of non-local materials in construction and manufacture that increases environmental harm and reduces gains to the local economy; that means that not only do non-sustainable resources deplete resources, but shipping them from across the globe increases carbon footprints and, in some cases, can exploit labor and human capital. What do we do about it? Well, the green future will include more sustainable labeling schemes [www.sundancechannel.com] for materials — like the Forest Stewardship Council for wood — and more sustainable materials in general — like bamboo [www.sundancechannel.com]. Where possible, we’ll look to use local, reclaimed, renewable and recycled materials in construction and products, which minimizes transport emissions, spurs investment in local nature [www.sundancechannel.com] stocks and boosts the local economy. We’ll be revisiting the local theme again, several times, so stay tuned for more on that.

Up next: local and sustainable food and sustainable water.

Earlier this week, we mentioned [www.sundancechannel.com] plug-in hybrids as a way to greener transportation, and they’re a good goal for the short term. Ultimately, though, to achieve truly green transportation, we need to get off of fossil fuels and in to a renewable option. Biofuels [www.sundancechannel.com] are one possibility; battery-powered electric cars [www.sundancechannel.com] are another, but one that could really revolutionize how we drive is hydrogen and hydrogen fuel-cells.

The advantages are many: available from renewable sources with (in principle) no net carbon dioxide emissions; produces only water vapor as exhaust; a limitless supply of cheap, easy-to-get fuel. The technology is definitely not without drawbacks, however; most stem from the fact that it’s a new technology and very few parts of the process — from creating the fuel to creating engines that run on it — are economically feasible. For all (or most) cars to run on hydrogen fuel (similar to our gasoline-powered cars of today, but with fewer greenhouse gas emissions), we’d need a whole new infrastructure of fuel stations, as well as new engines to burn the fuel. Switching to fuel-cell-powered cars wouldn’t require as much infrastructure (since, technically, they could run on water), but would require more than just new engines; a whole new way of designing and building cars would have to be conceived, planned and implemented. While the ideas are out there (see our discussion of the Hypercar [www.sundancechannel.com] for an example), these are huge hurdles to a hydrogen-powered future.

That’s not to say that no one is trying, though. Here are the models, ideas and prototypes that have caught TreeHugger’s eye to this point:
1) Honda’s FCX [www.treehugger.com] (a fuel cell vehicle) will apparently be road-ready in just a few years. We like this one; it’s been featured here [www.treehugger.com], here [www.treehugger.com] and here [www.treehugger.com] and is pictured above as well.
2) BMW’s Hydrogen 7 [www.treehugger.com] (which runs on hydrogen fuel, not a fuel cell) claims to be “paving the way to the future” — is it really? We aren’t so sure…
3) We caught GM’s Hy-wire [www.treehugger.com] hydrogen car on video, and caught wind of their delivery of a Sequel [www.treehugger.com] fuel cell vehicle to Camp Pendleton, for test-driving by the Marines there.
4) GM also pledged to build 100 fuel cell vehicles [www.treehugger.com] during 2007; will they make it?
5) Morgan, the producer of legendary British sports cars, has started developing a fuel cell car, too [www.treehugger.com].
6) If it’s good enough for a car, why not a bike? Two-wheeler enthusiasts can hop on this hydrogen-powered bike [www.treehugger.com].
7) For a fuel-cell bike you don’t have to pedal, check out the ENV fuel cell motorcycle [www.treehugger.com].
To get a feel for how the fuel-cell technology works (and it really does!), and to have some fun doing it, check out the H-racer [www.treehugger.com], the world’s smallest fuel cell vehicle.

So, hydrogen is getting out there. Will we see it change the way we drive this decade? Doesn’t look good. In our lifetimes? Eh, maybe… It’s going to take some doing, some luck and some green, earnest work to get it done, but if we do, the planet will thank us for doing it.

Though TreeHugger tends to prefer things like walking and electric bicycles [www.sundancechannel.com] to car-centric transportation, automobiles are a way of life for many of us. While burning gasoline and creating emissions are not a good thing for the planet, thankfully, there are some forward-looking automakers and cars that are testing prototypes that have the potential to change our collective driving from dirty and polluting to clean and green.

Technologies like plug-in hybrids, diesel-electric hybrids, all electric cars and fuel cell-powered vehicles have turned a lot of heads to this point, and for good reason; they represent a future in which petroleum-based fuels are no longer viable and car powerplants produce little or zero emissions.

Here are some of TreeHugger’s favorites:

[*]The one making the biggest splash during the past year or so is the Tesla Roadster [www.treehugger.com] (top image, left), the all electric convertible two-seater that’ll do 0-60 in about four seconds, gets 250 miles per charge, and costs about one penny per mile to operate — that’s the equivalent of 135 miles per gallon! Perhaps the best news is that the first ones will hit the road later this year.
[*] Honda’s FCX fuel cell vehicle [www.treehugger.com] (top, center) has been making headlines and turning heads for awhile, but word on the street is that it’ll go into production in two-three years.
[*] Not to be outdone, General Motors will lease 100 fuel cell vehicles [www.treehugger.com] to lucky customers this year, to get the technology some practical, real-world experience.
[*] Earlier this year, Chevy introduced the prototype for the Volt [www.treehugger.com] (top, right), a plug-in hybrid with an all-electric range of 40 miles and the option to switch out the gasoline-driven generator engine for an engine that runs on E85, diesel, bio-diesel, pure ethanol or even a hydrogen fuel cell; this gives buyers the choice of different engines based on fuel availability and prices in their region.
[*] The XR3 hybrid [www.treehugger.com] (above, left) is a three-wheeled diesel/electric hybrid “motorcycle” that will supposedly get 125 mpg, top out at 85 mph and be available in just a few months [www.treehugger.com].
[*] Similarly, the Aptera [www.treehugger.com] prototype (above, right) was recently unveiled [www.treehugger.com] with drool-inducing performance numbers, including fuel efficiency of 230 miles per gallon while humming along at 55 miles per hour. Of course, biodiesel [www.sundancechannel.com] is the way to go when it comes to these diesel-powered beauties.

TreeHugger is fond of saying that “the future is green.” As long as we see some of these rides on the roads before too long, there’s no limit to how green the future will be.