CEDAR FALLS, Iowa, February 24, 2009 (ENS) Although Iowans are concerned about the environment and global warming, the number one reason they conserve energy is to save money, finds the first Iowa Energy Poll, 2008, conducted by the University of Northern Iowa’s Strategic Marketing Services and funded by the Iowa Power Fund.

Vehicle purchases, driving less as gas prices increase, buying appliances and equipping a home with renewable energy sources are all influenced primarily by the wish to save money, the poll found.

The Iowa Energy Poll consisted of three different surveys a general energy survey, a transportation survey and a housing survey. Ten thousand of each were distributed the first week of November 2008.

Strategic Marketing Services received a total of 1,484 completed transportation surveys; 1,215 completed housing surveys; and 1,054 completed general surveys. The results of the poll were released today.

Respondents expressed concern that their best interests as Iowa energy users are not being adequately protected, and 92 percent are concerned that the state will face energy shortages in the future.

Wind farm at the Cerro Gordo Project west of Mason City, Iowa (Photo by Todd Spink courtesy NREL)

Developing new or alternative sources of energy within the state was selected by 71 percent as the one thing that will have the greatest impact on ensuring that Iowa’s energy needs are met over the long term. Yet almost half of the respondents are unwilling to pay more for renewables.

Keeping energy costs as low as possible was ranked more important than ensuring reliable sources of energy and protecting the environment and preventing climate change.

The transportation survey showed that 70 percent of respondents have two to three on-road vehicles. Almost two-thirds reported that public transportation was not available to them. About 80 percent reported driving less as gas prices increased. Half of respondents were not interested in carpooling.

Roughly 47 percent said they were “not at all likely” to purchase a hybrid or electric vehicle in the next three years if the initial cost was five to 10 percent higher than a gasoline powered vehicle; 45 percent were somewhat likely; and nine percent were very likely

Almost all housing survey respondents, 97 percent, believe that being more energy efficient in the home would reduce the amount paid for utilities each month.

Two-thirds believed a highly energy efficient house would cost more to build but would bring a higher selling price than a less-efficient house.

Ninety-three percent would be willing to pay 10 percent more for a home with a high-energy efficiency rating, and 97.6 percent said energy efficiency was important when remodeling their homes.

Most respondents said they would be willing to live near solar and wind farms as compared to nuclear power plants and coal-fired power plants

The survey shows that 61.2 percent are unwilling to live within 10 miles of a nuclear power plant, while 55.4 percent are unwilling to live within 10 miles of a coal-fired power plant. Yet respondents said they preferred to build more nuclear power plants than coal-fired power plants.

“When it comes to what issues must be addressed to ensure a positive future for the state, respondents of the general energy survey ranked education first, followed by economic development and reductions of state government spending,” said Ron Padavich, director of UNI’s Strategic Marketing Services. “Ensuring a safe, clean environment was important to fewer people, but for those few, it was the most important issue.”

“As an energy educator, the results of this poll are very useful,” said Pat Higby, education and outreach coordinator for UNI’s Center for Energy and Environmental Education and a member of the Iowa Power Fund Board of Directors.

“From the results, I can conclude that Iowans want clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency, but they don’t know how to achieve them. The survey helps me gear my educational presentations to fill in the gaps,” Higby said.

The Iowa Energy Poll results showed respondents felt college and university centers and services, like UNI’s Center for Energy and Environmental Education, and their utility providers were the most trustworthy energy efficiency resources, but few were using colleges and universities to get their information.

“It’s our hope that the results can help us determine what is working and what isn’t in regard to energy efficiency, education and policy,” Padavich said. “The results may be used by policymakers, energy providers, consumers, students and educators.”

Click here [www.energy.iowa.gov] to view the complete Iowa Energy Poll, 2008, Final Research & Analysis Report.

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TRENTON, New Jersey, December 18, 2008 (ENS) – New Jersey environmental officials have released a proposal to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark Mauriello has invited the public to comment on the recommendations outlined in a draft report published on the state’s Global Warming website.

“While this plan is still in draft form, it lays out an ambitious vision for New Jersey and what we must do to reduce greenhouse gases for the next 40 years,” said Governor Jon Corzine.

“This draft report outlines a New Jersey where employees commute without the frustration of traffic and the air pollution it causes, where energy is clean, and where waste is a thing of the past,” the governor said. “Such ambitions are the future of our environment and our economy.”

New Jersey’s B.L. England power plant operated
by Rockland Capital Energy Investments burns
coal and oil. (Photo by Curt Bergesen)

The state will host six meetings in January to solicit input on the plan. The draft report is a key requirement of the Global Warming Response Act, signed by Governor Corzine on July 6, 2007, that calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, followed by a further reduction of emissions to 80 percent below 2006 levels by 2050.

The draft report outlines the necessary implementation steps that New Jersey must take over the next 18 months in order to meet the statewide 2020 limit, and put the state on the right path for achieving the statewide 2050 limit.

The plan reinforces three of the state’s core environmental programs that are aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from New Jersey’s largest contributors – the transportation and energy sectors.

The Energy Master Plan establishes the framework for reducing New Jersey’s energy demands through incentives that encourage investment in renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.

The state’s Low Emission Vehicle, which becomes effective on January 1, 2009, will achieve twice the reduction in greenhouse gases as the Federal clean car standards.

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a 10-state northeastern and mid-Atlantic initiative, is reducing carbon output from power plants in the region through a cap-and-trade market-based approach. New Jersey is participating in RGGI’s second carbon auction that took place on Wednesday.

The plan also provides supporting recommendations that include legislative and regulatory actions, as well as additional market-based initiatives that encourage investment in innovative environmentally-friendly technologies.

The draft report and a list of dates and times for the public meetings are listed on the state’s global warming website at: www.nj.gov/globalwarming.

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BRUSSELS, Belgium, December 12, 2008 (ENS) – European leaders today agreed to hold fast to their plan to battle climate change through growth in renewable energy sources and 20 percent cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, and on ways to share the costs.

The plan includes concessions to heavy industry and to countries in Eastern Europe concerned that the cost of curbing greenhouse gas emissions would also curb their economic growth.

“This is really historic,” French President Nicolas Sarkozy, holder of the EU’s rotating presidency, said at the conclusion of the two-day Council meeting in Brussels. “There’s not one continent that has rules as strict as we’re adopting.”

French President Nicholas Sarkozy announces the
outcome of the European Council meeting.
(Photo courtesy French Presidency)

Sarkozy said the decisive breakthrough will allow the European Union to honor its ambitious commitments and retain its leading role in seeking a global agreement at the World Climate Conference that will be held in Copenhagen next year.

EU leaders delayed plans to end after 2012 the free allocation of emissions allowances on which carbon dioxide quotas are based. Instead, the European Council agreed on a compromise setting the auctioning rate to be reached in 2013 at 20 percent.

By 2020 the auctioning rate is set at 70 percent, with a view to reaching 100 percent in 2027, the Council agreed. The agreement should be able to be finalized with the European Parliament by the end of the year.

The leaders of the 27 EU member states said today in a declaration, “The European Council underlines the vital importance of achieving the strategic objective of limiting the global average temperature increase to not more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels. It stresses the need for decisive and immediate action, in order for the challenges of climate change to be tackled effectively. International collective action will be critical in driving an effective, efficient and equitable response in the scale required to face climate change challenges.”

“In this context, agreement on the energy-climate package is a major contribution to safeguard the future of our planet, strengthening the European leading role in the fight against climate change,” the leaders declared.

Half of the revenues generated from the auctioning of allowances in the EU greenhouse gas emissions trading system will be used to reduce emissions, mitigate and adapt to climate change, and for measures to avoid deforestation, to develop renewable energies, energy efficiency and other technologies to move towards a safe and sustainable low-carbon economy, the leaders agreed.

“In the context of an international agreement on climate change in Copenhagen in 2009, and for those who wish so, part of this amount will be used to enable and finance actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change in developing countries that will have ratified this agreement, in particular in least developed countries,” they said.

“The EU climate and energy package will contribute to EU efforts to provide finance for actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change, in particular through the carbon market in the context of a wider international agreement,” they stated.

In Poznan, Poland, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Yvo de Boer welcomed the news that the European Union member states reached an agreement on climate change.

“The European Union’s climate deal sends a clear message to the negotiations in Poznan and onwards to Copenhagen that difficult roadblocks can be overcome and resolved,” he said.

“This is a sign of developed countries’ resolve and courage that the world has been waiting for in Poznan,” de Boer said.

“It shows the world that ambitious emission reduction goals by 2020 are in line with moving economic recovery in a green direction. This will contribute to propelling the world towards a strong, ambitious and ratifiable outcome in Copenhagen in 2009,” he said.

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WASHINGTON, DC, November 28, 2008 (ENS) – In a letter to President-elect Barack Obama, the Western governors are urging swift action in adopting and implementing a national energy plan that would transform the country’s energy infrastructure and economy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The group of 19 governors from both political parties are calling for near-zero greenhouse gas emissions from new coal-fired electricity generation in 10 years and from existing generation no later than 2030.

Utah Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., chairman of the Western Governors’ Association, and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, vice chairman, discussed the association’s recommendations with John Podesta, co-chair of Obama transition team.

“The transformation we are talking about is broad based and will require new policies, incentives, market mechanisms and private-public partnerships to be in place by the end of next year,” said Huntsman, a Republican. “We plan to work with the new administration and Congress in addressing the multitude of energy challenges ahead.”

Turbines at Utah’s Spanish Fork wind farm,
dedicated in October 2008 (Photo courtesy
Office of Governor Huntsman)

The 19 Western governors represent many of the nation’s largest energy-producing states such as Texas, which is first in both oil and wind power production, and Wyoming, which ranks first among the states in coal production. They represent California, which leads the nation in electricity generation from non-hydroelectric renewable energy sources – a combination of geothermal power, wind power, fuel wood, landfill gas, and solar power.

The governors’ letter outlines policies and incentives that would help states and the country move more quickly to develop clean and renewable energy resources that include wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydro and fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage.

“Western states are the country’s energy breadbasket, but energy efficiency has also got to play a much bigger role,” said Schweitzer, a Democrat. “That includes everything from manufacturing more fuel-efficient vehicles to changing regulatory structures so they reward utilities for achieving reduced energy usage among their customers.”

In their letter, handed to the transition team late last week, the governors said a national energy policy must promote energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a scale necessary to contribute to climate stabilization.

The Obama administration’s policy must maximize the economic development opportunities offered by clean energy; ensure energy costs are affordable and support a sustainable, growing economy, the governors said.

They urge the incoming administration to increase the proportion of energy supplies that come from domestic resources and friendly trading partners; and minimize adverse environmental impacts.

Within the first 100 days, the governors are calling on the Obama administration to:

* Establish an aggressive and achievable national greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal that will put the United States on a path to contribute to global climate stabilization.

* Propose a mandatory national system for reducing greenhouse gas emissions that makes maximum use of market-based mechanisms. Revenue raised should not be used as a means of sustaining or expanding general governmental operations.

* Pursue a national energy efficiency program to reduce existing and future energy demand and thereby reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

* Establish an oil import reduction goal that strengthens energy security and independence. Since nearly 90 percent of oil is used for transportation, an energy plan must bring more fuel-efficient and near-zero emission vehicles into the market; increase the supply of domestically produced, low-carbon fuels; minimize the economic and technological uncertainties inherent in deploying high efficiency vehicles and developing and using non-petroleum transportation fuels; and reduce vehicle miles traveled and increase mass movement of people and goods.

* Create a substantial, long-term national public investment on the scale of tens of billions of dollars annually, along with a similar investment from the private sector, to support the kind of basic and applied research and deployment of clean energy technology and infrastructure that will result in:
o Near-zero greenhouse gas emissions from new coal-fired electricity generation in 10 years and from existing generation no later than 2030.
o Dramatically increased energy from wind, solar, geothermal, hydro and biomass resources.
o Expansion and upgrade of the electricity transmission grid and storage capabilities
o Advanced vehicle and battery technologies and alternative transportation fuels.
o Next generation energy efficiency technologies and practices.

The governors also urge affordability for lower income energy consumers through energy efficiency and cost assistance programs.

They support workforce development and clean energy jobs, adaptation to climate change impacts, reduced consumer impacts – particularly for low-income consumers – and transition assistance to industries.

“While the first 100 days are critical, these actions only represent the first steps,” the governors say in their letter. “Within the next year, a comprehensive energy plan must be enacted that will set the direction of this nation for the next 50 years. This plan, though adjustable over time, must establish measurable goals, strategies, milestones and funding to ensure that we are moving towards affordable and environmentally responsible energy security and independence.”

“We must not repeat the mistakes of the past,” the governors declared in their letter. “We must have the collective political will and resolve to create and implement a long-term comprehensive energy policy despite short-term political and market fluctuations. The future of our nation depends upon it.”

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TAMPA, Florida, August 6, 2008 (ENS) – Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo is planning to install a solar system that can generate enough clean energy to power the zoo’s Skyfari sky ride and will be connected to the electric grid through the zoo’s main power system.

The zoo will partner with Tampa Electric and the University of South Florida’s Power Center for Utility Explorations to develop, design and test the 15-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system.

The project, which includes solar panels and an inverter, as well as educational displays that will be installed at the sky ride entrance, will cost approximately $575,000. It will be funded in part by a grant from the Florida High Tech Corridor.

The interactive demonstration project will allow more than one million annual zoo visitors to find out more about solar power and encourage its use.

The skyride at the Lowry Park Zoo
will soon run on solar power.
(Photo by Rene Sanchez)

“All of the zoo’s exhibits and programs are designed to engage and inspire visitors to treasure the natural world and act wisely on its behalf,” said Lex Salisbury, the zoo’s president and chief executive.

“This partnership offers a great opportunity for the zoo to lead by example,” Salisbury said. “By developing and testing a renewable solar energy system, we hope to reduce the impact on the environment by conserving conventional power.”

“Our project seeks to deliver electric power that is not only reliable, but also compatible with a natural environment, in harmony with people and animals,” said Alex Domijan, professor in the USF College of Engineering and director of the Power Center for Utility Explorations.

The partners will also examine ways to strengthen the electric grid to handle the reverse flow of electricity as a result of what could be a significant increase in renewable generation from larger loads or from a number of smaller systems.

These additional loads from individual or business renewable energy sources have the potential to affect the reliability of electric service for neighboring customers.

Domijan explained, “Although the electricity grid has been designed for a one-way transfer of power from central station generators to consumers, with the distributed generation system being developed at the zoo using on-site renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaics, the grid’s controls can be adapted for reverse power flows.”

In Tampa, an increasing number of electricity customers are becoming interested in generating their own power from renewable resources such as the Sun.

In 2008, Tampa Electric customers added more than 110 kilowatts of solar energy to their homes and businesses.

“Tampa Electric is pleased to partner with USF and Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo to study and encourage the use of solar power in our communities,” said Tampa Electric President Chuck Black. “One of our company’s strategic goals is to engage the community while dramatically improving Tampa Electric’s environmental profile.”

Black said the company policy is consistent with Florida Governor Charlie Crist’s policy of developing more renewable energy resources in Florida.

The zoo solar project will allow Tampa Electric and the Power Center for Utility Explorations to train a new high-tech work force in power engineering, the partners said in a statement Monday.

They also view the project as a public education opportunity, saying that the climate change issues that fit within the project framework will be showcased at the zoo for all to experience.

Recognized as the #1 zoo in the United States by “Child” magazine, the 60 acre Lowry Park Zoo displays 2,200 animals in natural habitats, and features water play areas, rides and educational shows.

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LONDON, UK, July 16, 2008 (ENS) – Florida Governor Charlie Crist today met with the Prince of Wales to discuss strategies for addressing global climate change, particularly reducing the impacts of deforestation. They met at Clarence House in London. Governor Crist also met with the Duke of York, Prince Andrew.

“I am deeply grateful to the Prince of Wales and the United Kingdom for working together with Florida to exchange knowledge and expertise to reduce the harmful effects of greenhouse gases,” said Governor Crist. “I look forward to our continued and expanding partnership to learn more about increasing our use of renewable energy and decreasing our carbon emissions.”

Prince Charles has provided leadership for the United Kingdom to partner in Florida’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and direct a cleaner energy future, the Governor’s Office said in a statement.

During the 2008 Florida Summit on Global Climate Change held in Miami last month, the prince addressed business, government and environmental leaders by video and emphasized the effects of deforestation as the third largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

At the first Florida Summit on Global Climate Change in 2007, Governor Crist signed a memorandum of understanding partnering with the United Kingdom to promote initiatives that broaden the Kyoto Protocol and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases beyond 2012.

The memorandum provides for the State of Florida to exchange delegations with the United Kingdom to create a forum for sharing public policy experience and exchanging science and technology, placing a particular emphasis on the sharing of ideas and policies related to energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.

Today’s meeting is part of the Team Florida Trade and Business Development Mission to the United Kingdom, France, Russia and Spain to encourage trade and investment in Florida and its international partners with a focus on aerospace, aviation and alternative energy.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist at
the Farnborough Air Show views
helicopter parts manufactured in
Orlando. (Photo courtesy Office
of the Governor)

The Florida delegation Tuesday visited the 60th anniversary Farnborough Air Show, organized by the Society of British Aerospace Companies where they opened the Florida Pavilion.

Florida and the UK enjoy strong economic ties, with two-way merchandise trade valued at $2.8 billion, making the UK Florida’s 13th largest trading partner.

In total, British-affiliated companies employ more Floridians than companies from any other foreign country, with 335 subsidiaries employing more than 41,000.

In terms of tourism, the United Kingdom is Florida’s top overseas tourism market, with 1.34 million United Kingdom arrivals for 2006. On average, travelers from the UK spend nearly two weeks in Florida, with 72.5 percent traveling to Orlando, 15.3 percent to Miami and 12.5 percent to the Tampa/St. Petersburg area.

During the remainder of the United Kingdom portion of the Florida trade trip, the governor will meet with Environment Minister Phil Woolas and participate in a Visit Florida marketing campaign kick-off.

In France, he will meet with senior government officials, visit a nuclear facility, and visit the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.

Then, the governor will travel to Russia to meet with government and business leaders to promote Florida-Russia economic relations.

Governor Crist then will visit Spain, meeting with government officials and private sector representatives to discuss Florida-Spain trade and investment, and visit the world’s largest photovoltaic solar facility. With an installed peak power of 23 megawatts, the solar park at Jumilla, Murcia in southeastern Spain is the world’s current highest capacity PV plant and the most efficient to date.

Coordinated by Enterprise Florida Inc., the Team Florida delegation includes business and government leaders, as well as representatives from economic development organizations and state research institutions. This will be the Governor’s third business development mission since taking office in 2007.

Most recently, last November the Governor led the largest single-state delegation to Brazil in United States history, which generated more than $300 million in actual and anticipated sales.

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NEW YORK, New York, July 8, 2008 (ENS) – Texas billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens is throwing his influence and money behind a campaign to wean America from its dependency on petroleum and shift to renewable energy sources, particularly wind.

“I’ve been an oil man all my life, but this is one emergency we can’t drill our way out of,” Pickens says on his website. “But if we create a new renewable energy network, we can break our addiction to foreign oil.”

T. Boone Pickens (Photo
credit unknown)

Pickens, 80, threw a press conference in New York today to bring attention to the energy crisis, which he called the single biggest problem facing the country today.

To make his point, Pickens and his staff cited a panoply of worrisome statistics:

* In 1970, the United States imported 24 percent of its oil. Today, it’s nearly 70 percent and growing.

* At current oil prices, the United States will spend $700 billion on oil exports this year along, more than four times the annual cost of the Iraq war.

* Every day, 85 million barrels of oil are produced around the world, and 21 million barrels are used in the United States. That’s 25 percent of the world’s oil demand used by four percent of the world’s population.

To keep the public’s attention on the issue and push it to the forefront in the presidential campaign, Pickens is funding a media blitz to advance “The Pickens Plan,” which he said could reduce America’s demand for foreign oil by one-third within 10 years.

The plan calls on private industry to build wind farms across the Midwest. Calling it the nation’s “wind corridor,” Pickens said the region has the potential to meet at least 20 percent of the country’s electricity needs with energy generated by wind turbines.

The United States currently meets less than 10 percent of the country’s electricity demand using all renewable energy sources – solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, biomass and wind – combined.

By boosting the contribution from wind, America could divert for transportation use the natural gas that’s now used to generate electricity, according to The Pickens Plan. Currently, 23 percent of the nation’s electricity demand is met by burning natural gas, a source of energy that is produced largely domestically, and is less carbon-intensive than gasoline.

Pickens is already invested in the Pampa Wind Project, a $2 billion windfarm in the Texas Panhandle that is anticipated to be the world’s largest windfarm when completed in 2014. The 1,700 to 2,000 wind turbines at Pampa are expected to generate more than 4,000 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 1.3 million households.

Pickens is also a major shareholder in Clean Energy, the largest provider of vehicular natural gas in North America.

Because of his investments, “there is obvious conflict of interest in what Pickens has suggested,” says Tom Bemis, assistant managing editor of Market Watch, in a commentary.

All the same, Bemis calls Pickens’ plan “commendable, to the extent that it forces politicians to confront the unpleasant energy choices facing the U.S. … Absent any political leadership whatsoever on energy policies from Washington, Pickens’ ideas deserve a shot.”

Wind turbines generate power at Dyess
Air Force Base near Abilene, Texas.
(Photo by George Denslow
courtesy NREL)

The American Wind Energy Association today welcomed Pickens’ campaign and confirmed that ramping up wind power quickly on a large scale is feasible if the government enacts the correct policies, starting with renewal of the production tax credit that is currently stalled in Congress.

“Of equal importance will be longer-term policies to plan for more transmission to bring large amounts of wind power from windy areas to population centers,” said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher.

“Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Energy, in a major technical report, confirmed that wind can generate 20 percent of U.S. electricity supply by 2030, while providing benefits that far outweigh the cost,” Swisher said.

According to the DOE technical report, achieving a 20 percent wind contribution to the U.S. electricity supply by 2030 would reduce carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation by 25 percent in 2030.

The 20 percent wind power supply would support roughly 500,000 jobs in the United States, with an average of more than 150,000 workers directly employed by the wind industry.

It would increase annual revenues to local communities to more than $1.5 billion by 2030, the DOE said in its technical report, and would also reduce water consumption associated with electricity generation by four trillion gallons by 2030.

Supplying 20 percent of U.S. energy demand with wind power would reduce natural gas use by 11 percent, said the DOE report, which would in turn lower the pressure on natural gas prices.

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WASHINGTON, DC, January 31, 2008 (ENS) – Overturning all previous records, the U.S. wind energy industry installed 5,244 megawatts of power in 2007, expanding the nation’s total wind power generating capacity by 45 percent in a single calendar year and injecting an investment of over $9 billion into the economy, according to the American Wind Energy Association, AWEA.

The new wind projects account for about 30 percent of the entire new power-producing capacity added nationally in 2007 and will power the equivalent of 1.5 million American households annually.

“This is the third consecutive year of record-setting growth, establishing wind power as one of the largest sources of new electricity supply for the country,” said Randall Swisher, executive director of the AWEA, which represents more than 1,200 member companies.

“This remarkable and accelerating growth is driven by strong demand, favorable economics, and a period of welcome relief from the on-again, off-again, boom-and-bust, cycle of the federal production tax credit for wind power,” he said.

But, Swisher warns, the production tax credit and tax incentives for other renewable energy sources could lapse at the end of 2008, and the association is urging Congress and the president to extend the production tax credit in order to sustain this remarkable growth along with the manufacturing jobs, fresh economic opportunities, and reduction of global warming pollution that it provides.”

The Senate Finance Committee Wednesday included an extension of the expiring tax credits for wind, solar, and other renewable energy technologies as part of its economic stimulus package now working its way through Congress.

The Finance Committee approved an amendment by Senator Maria Cantwell, a Washington Democrat, to provide for a one-year extension of expiring clean energy and energy efficiency tax credits.

“Today, the Finance Committee took real steps to not only give consumers the immediate financial relief they need, but also to address the underlying reasons for the weakness in our economy by including clean energy tax incentives in the stimulus package,” said Cantwell.

“These incentives fit the very definition of stimulus – they are targeted and timely and will lead to tens of billions of dollars in investment and more than a 100 thousand new jobs in 2008,” she said. “Only by accelerating our investment in clean sources of energy and energy-saving technologies can we get people and businesses real relief from crushing energy costs.”

Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican and ranking member of the Committee on Finance, said, “Renewable energy production depends on investment. Investors need certainty. They won’t put their money out for a wind energy facility unless there’s a reasonable expectation that tax incentives will continue into the future.”

“Production has to meet demand and alternative energy has never been in such demand as it is right now,” Grassley said. “The high price of oil helped to start the economic downturn. The stimulus package should underscore the nation’s commitment to energy efficiency and alternative energy.”

Both senators represent states among the top five wind power producers in the country.

Clipper Windpower of Carpinteria,
California, opened a new wind
turbine manufacturing facility in
Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 2007.

Texas has the most installed wind generating capacity, with California in second place and Minnesota in third, with Iowa close behind. Washington rounds out the list of top five states.

GE Energy continued to lead in wind turbine sales, with 45 percent of the market in terms of new capacity installed.

FPL Energy remained atop the list of wind project developers, with 956 megawatts of new development in 2007 alone.

The U.S. wind power fleet now numbers 16,818 megawatts across 34 states, according to the latest AWEA data, released in a year end market report.

American wind farms will generate an estimated 48 billion kilowatt-hours of wind energy in 2008, just over one percent of U.S. electricity supply, powering the equivalent of over 4.5 million homes.

Swisher says that by reducing the need for other fuels used for electricity generation, lowering the pressure on their price, wind can save consumers money, even in regions with low or no wind resources.

Wind power’s strong performance is expected to continue this year. AWEA estimates that 2008 could equal 2007 in new wind capacity installed.

Developers report that with strong demand for wind power across the country, wind turbines are sold out for the year. Still, AWEA projects that with more companies entering the market, more turbines will become available.

“The pace of growth in 2008 and beyond is expected to largely depend, not on turbine availability, but on the timing and duration of an extension of the federal production tax credit,” the association said.

Wind power reduces global warming emissions, and wind farms help conserve water as they do not require water for steam or for cooling as other forms of power generation do.

The full AWEA annual report is online at: www.awea.org and a state-by-state listing of existing and proposed wind energy projects is online at www.awea.org

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HONOLULU, Hawaii, January 23, 2008 (ENS) – Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle has unveiled a plan to develop large solar power arrays at 12 locations around the sunny state, highlighting what she calls “her administration’s commitment to developing renewable energy in Hawaii.”

Under the plan, the state Department of Transportation, DOT, Airports Division is soliciting proposals from private companies to develop photovoltaic systems that could generate as much as 34 megawatts of electricity at 11 DOT sites, as well as the Hawaii Foreign-Trade Zone in downtown Honolulu.

All 12 systems are scheduled to be completed and operational within the next 24 months.

The project originated when the DOT researched possible renewable energy sources for Kona International Airport on the Big Island in order to take advantage of the location’s year-round sunny weather to help reduce electricity costs.

The solar power project was then expanded to other DOT sites. Installation work is now scheduled at Honolulu International Airport and airports on all the other main islands; at Honolulu harbor and at Nawiliwili harbor on Kauai; and DOT Highway Division district offices on Oahu and Kauai.

One of the solar arrays is
planned for sunny Honolulu
International Airport. (Photo
courtesy SOEST)

“This is one of the largest, if not the largest, state government solar initiatives in the nation,” said Ted Liu, director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

A 34-megawatt photovoltaic system will reduce Hawai‘i’s need for approximately 130,000 barrels of fuel oil per year and would generate enough power to supply about 9,000 homes per year.

The added power will be welcome as the island state is 92 percent dependent on fossil fuel, all of it imported.

“Our administration is committed to developing renewable sources of power to reduce our reliance on imported oil, increase our energy independence and stabilize energy costs,” said Governor Lingle.

“Constructing large solar power arrays at DOT sites and in downtown Honolulu capitalizes on one of Hawai‘i’s most abundant natural resources and produces energy without polluting the environment,” she said. “This project also shows that state government is leading by example in the critical areas of energy and the environment.”

The plan is based on a public-private partnership where private companies construct the photovoltaic systems and then enter into an agreement for the state to purchase all power produced for a minimum of 20 years.

This allows the state to avoid construction and operating costs while also establishing a stable, long-term power budget. There are also substantial benefits for the private sector.

“Any private company would be able to reduce project costs by taking advantage of state and federal energy tax credits not otherwise available to government agencies,” Liu said.

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DALLAS, Texas, January 21, 2008 (ENS) – Dallas city officials are encouraging residents to make a commitment to “go green” and play an active role in building a greener city.

To inspire change, the city has launched www.GreenDallas.net, a new website that focuses on green initiatives such as saving energy and water; recycle; keeping the air clean; and cultivating a green home and lawn. And the site lets visitors know how green the city has become in the past year or two.

“People understand how important it is to address the environmental issues, and they also understand that that’s the way to continue to build Dallas as a great place to live and a great place to do business,” said Mayor Tom Leppert. “The city of Dallas is proud to be building a greener city.”

Dallas has taken a leadership role in developing green initiatives, according to Director of Environmental Quality Laura Fiffick. “The city has to be an environmental leader because we need to show our residents that we are committed to conserving water, to recycling and to reducing emissions if we expect residents to do these things,” she said.

Fiffick says that long before there was a “green movement,” the City of Dallas was taking steps to protect the environment. The city purchased its first alternative fueled vehicle more than 15 years ago, in 1992. Ten years later, Dallas was the first city in Texas to use biodiesel.

Today, Dallas is proud to have nearly 2,000 cars and trucks (41 percent of its fleet) running on alternative fuels or a hybrid mix – the largest fleet in Texas and one of the largest in the United States.

Dallas was ranked fifth out of the 50 largest cities in the nation for its Alternative Fueled City Fleets by SustainLane, an online media company empowering people, businesses, and government to go green.

The city has made a decision to purchase 40 percent of its power in 2008 from renewable energy sources, primarily wind.

Although Dallas air quality still does not meet federal standards, the city’s air is improving.

Dallas is the only city in the nation to partner with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, on Sustainable Skylines, a pilot program focusing on improving air quality by reducing emissions. If this initiative is successful, it could become a model for other cities across the nation.

“Dallas has been a leader among cities and stands ready to be a model for the rest of the nation,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard Greene. “We hope more cities across the nation will take up the challenge of making cleaner air and healthier communities a reality.”

The city has embraced the Environmental Management System, EMS, enabling the setting of environmental goals; tracking regulatory compliance and creating initiatives to improve overall environmental performance.

“An EMS is not a static device, but rather a living and dynamic tool designed to allow for gradual changes to be made over long periods of time in order to achieve realistic and measurable goals,” said City Manager Mary K. Suhm.

The city has reduced per capita water consumption through leak detection, main repair, audits of irrigation systems at city facilities, educational initiatives, and a xeriscape program.

In April 2005, the city began sending treated wastewater from one of its treatment plants to the links at Cedar Crest Golf Course. In 2005 alone, this new system irrigated Cedar Crest with 81.7 million gallons of treated wastewater, leaving 81.7 million gallons of drinking water for use by local residents.

The city has reduced its overall energy use by five percent for each of the last five years by using lighting upgrades, solar panels, high efficient heating and air conditioning systems and automated building controls. Nearly half of the street lights in Dallas are now lit by renewable energy.

Regular incandescent traffic signals cost Dallas about $2.1 million annually for electricity. By converting to energy efficient LED traffic lights at 11,000 city intersections, energy consumption has been cut by 14.5 million kilowatt hours per year, equaling 1.56 million in savings, city officials say.

Between three and four million cubic feet of methane gas is captured every day at the McCommas Bluff Landfill. The gas is then purified and sold to Atmos Energy to heat homes and businesses in place of more costly, deep well drilled natural gas.

Last year, 994.7 million cubic feet of renewable energy was captured from the Landfill – enough to heat every home in University Park, Highland Park and Duncanville for a year.

Over the next three to five years, the city plans to increase its capture of methane by as much as 300 percent. If this much methane is either transformed into or swapped for electricity, managers believe it can save the city between 30 and 50 percent of its current electricity purchases.

Dallas City Hall (Photo by Miguel
Casanova courtesy City of Dallas)

In 2003, Dallas started its Green Building Program, with construction of the Jack Evans Police Headquarters. The program requires all municipal buildings over 10,000 square feet to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, LEED, Silver Criteria. These facilities are built to save energy, water and other resources.

“Designing a building that uses less energy and less water lowers operating costs and also allows us to receive the environmental benefits of having a green building,” said Assistant City Manager Jill Jordan.

All new city buildings over 10,000 square feet are being constructed according to standards set by the LEED program. The city has completed or will complete more than 25 green facilities through 2010, including 10 libraries, seven police and fire stations, a cultural center, three recreation centers, three service centers, an animal services center and shelter, and a homeless assistance center.

A companion to the Green Building Program is Dallas’ Green Renovation Program. The idea is to replace regular roofs with green roofs planted with vegetation that promote energy savings by cooling the buildings’ interiors.

Buildings also are being retrofitted with high-efficiency heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and lighting systems. Even Dallas City Hall is not exempt. There, a comprehensive energy project has resulted in annual savings of about $1.49 million.

View This Story On Eco-mmunity Map.

In a world where nothing seems to happen unless somebody, somewhere, gets really rich for signing papers, there is finally hope for global environmental health. A new joint report has been released by the European Renewable Energy Council and Greenpeace. This report states, among other things, that the U.S. could create electricity consistent with rising demand and save $180 billion annually by building infrastructure for renewable energy sources. Globally, this would require an annual $22 billion investment increase for renewable energy infrastructure. This all makes so much sense one wonders why the financial backing is not there already.

It is important for humanity at large to consider renewable electricity now. This decade, emerging economies found in China, India and Brazil are rapidly requiring new energy infrastructure to power the growth of their countries. Everyone else in the world should want these emerging economies to be powered on renewable energy sources rather than coal and fossil fuel energies.

Without a real commitment to renewable energy technologies, this planet will pay a dire financial cost in addition to the incredible cost in human lives. Imagine coast lines disappearing, the disruption of hundreds of coastal ports and communities, massive influxes of environmental refugees fleeing floods, and of course, all the rioting and lawlessness that would erupt. Take all that in, sit back in your chair and think about how much money would be lost in financial markets in that situation.

There is hope to mitigate this situation by beginning the switch to real renewable energy infrastructure. This will lessen the global warming trend in the short term and reverse it in the long term. The financial benefits will be real because countries like North America will not have have to import as much foreign oil, which will keep more money and investment potential in our country rather than giving it away to other countries.

If you want to read this report and find out about the organizations that sponsor it, then please visit Energy [R]evolution [www.energyblueprint.info]. Also, you may consider writing your representatives and asking them to make renewable energy happen. You might find that promising your vote in return for action on renewable energy is a very persuasive argument.