Sustainable Energy News Summaries – February 16, 2008

To: Members, Sustainable Energy Network

Below please find summaries of sustainable energy news stories from the past week. The news stories address developments in renewable energy and energy efficiency particularly as they present solutions to climate change, rising energy costs, expanding energy imports, and nuclear power. This compilation was prepared by the SUN DAY Campaign which publishes a longer, daily compilation of such stories. If you are interested in becoming a member of the SUN DAY Campaign, please see the subscription information following the stories below. The news stories summarized below do not necessarily reflect the views of either the SUN DAY Campaign or the Sustainable Energy Network.

# # # # # # # #

1.) Excerpts From President Obama's Press Conference Related to Energy Policy:

White House, February 9, 2009

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/the_first_press_conference/

"We have come together around a plan that combines hundreds of billions in tax cuts for the middle-class with direct investments in areas like health care, energy, education, and infrastructure – investments that will save jobs, create new jobs and new businesses, and help our economy grow again – now and in the future. More than 90% of the jobs created by this plan will be in the private sector. These will not be make-work jobs, but jobs doing the work that America desperately needs done. Jobs rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges, and repairing our dangerously deficient dams and levees so that we don’t face another Katrina. They will be jobs building the wind turbines and solar panels and fuel-efficient cars that will lower our dependence on foreign oil, and modernizing a costly health care system that will save us billions of dollars and countless lives."

=====================================

2.) Obama Stimulus Plan Means Green Jobs:

Environment America, February 9, 2009

http://www.environmentamerica.org/news-releases/new-energy-future/new-en...

The economic recovery bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives invests $80 billion in clean energy, energy efficiency and public transit. One program would put Americans to work weatherizing two million homes. The House’s $6.2 billion in funding for the Weatherization Assistance Program would reduce global warming pollution by 12 million tons per year, provide at least $2.72 in economic benefits for every dollar invested, and create 465,000 new jobs over two years. The House bill contains $12 billion for public transit, which according to the Surface Transportation Policy Project, creates only a third of the pollution of automobile travel and generates 19 percent more jobs than building new highways. Its provisions also would reduce global warming pollution by more than 6 percent, save more than 12 million barrels of oil per year, and create nearly 1.5 million jobs across the country.

=====================================

3.) US Senate Adds Tax Breaks for Plug-In Cars, Smart Meters:

Dow Jones, by Siobhan Hughes, February 6, 2009

http://www.advfn.com/news_US-Senate-Adds-Tax-Breaks-for-Plug-In-Cars-Sma...

By voice vote, the U.S. Senate added the measure to the economic stimulus package more generous tax breaks for the purchase of electric vehicles and equipment to modernize the U.S. electricity system. The number of plug-in vehicles that would qualify for a tax credit of up to $7,500 would double to 500,000 from 250,000. Utilities would also be able to write off investments in so-called smart meters or other smart-grid equipment over five years instead of 10 years. Smart meters provide a two-way communications link between homes and utilities, and can accommodate applications that allow for real-time prices.

=====================================

4.) Auto "Clunker" Proposal Withdrawn from Senate Stimulus Bill:

Reuters, February 9, 2009

http://planetark.org/wen/51526

Sen. Thomas Harkin (D-IA) has pulled an amendment that would have provided $16 billion in rebates to buyers of new fuel efficient vehicles who traded in their old, poor performing models. The provision required that the vehicle be assembled in the United States, a nod to General Motors Corp, Chrysler LLC and Ford Motor Co., all struggling financially and all based in economically hard-hit Michigan. Those companies' domestic operations are unionized. There was no backing, however, for the plan from foreign manufacturers whose operations are clustered in states represented by conservative Republicans.

=====================================

5.) U.S. Senate's Renewable Electricity Proposal Is "Wimpy":

SUN DAY Campaign, February 9, 2009

http://www.earthtoys.com/news.php?section=view&id=7693

The proposed Renewable Electricity Standard being considered by the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources calls for a minimum of 4% of the nation's electricity to come from renewable sources by 2011-2012, gradually increasing to 20% for the period 2021-2039. However, renewables (excluding large hydro and municipal waste) already account for almost 3% of U.S. electricity production. At current growth rates, renewables could easily surpass the committee’s proposed 4.0% target well before 2011-2012. Furthermore, President Barack Obama has proposed a goal of doubling renewable energy within the next three years, which would yield a renewable share of roughly 6% of U.S. electricity supply by the end of 2011. Longer-term, dozens of recent studies suggest that the Senate committee’s proposal for renewable energy’s share of the nation’s electricity supply falls far short of what is technically and economically feasible and likely.

===================================

6.) Countries Turn to Green Jobs for Economic Growth:

Worldwatch Institute, by Ben Block, February 9, 2009

http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6006

Already, more than 2.3 million people worldwide work directly with renewable energy or indirect supplier industries. In the United States, each megawatt of installed wind energy capacity creates 4.85 full-time jobs; a local job is typically created whenever a wind turbine is installed or maintained. However, any U.S. federal policy that aims to simply stimulate the number of wind and solar projects that are placed in the ground has a real chance of leaving 70 percent of the jobs uncaptured; the jobs remain offshore. But since 2005, the U.S. has gone from less than 30 percent of components being U.S.-made to 50 percent today.

=======================================

7.) Attempts Made to Weaken Washington State Renewable Electricity Standard:

Wind Energy Weekly, February 6, 2009

http://www.awea.org/windenergyweekly/WEW1324.html#Article5

Renewables electricity standard (RES) opponents are trying to modify and weaken Washington’s RES by adding amendments that would allow energy-efficiency gains, old renewable resources, and a wider array of sources to count toward the standard. These changes would have the net effect of reducing demand for new renewable energy in the state. The RES requires that 15% of the electricity from the state’s largest utilities come from renewable resources by 2020. Currently, 13 of the 17 utilities that must comply with the RES are clearly on a path to achieving the first benchmark of 3% by 2012.

=======================================

8.) Gainesville Regional Utilities Approves Solar Feed-In Tariff:

SolarBuzz.com, February 6, 2009

http://www.solarbuzz.com/News/NewsNAGO379.htm

and

RenewableEnergyWorld.com, February 9, 2009

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/02/gainesville...

Gainesville Regional Utilities has given unanimous approval to adopt a solar photovoltaic feed-in-tariff — the first of its kind in the nation. Based on highly successful models in Europe, it offers GRU electric customers a chance to invest in solar photovoltaic systems and sell electricity directly to GRU. It guarantees that the utility will buy all of the electricity produced by the PV system at a fixed rate for 20 years. GRU customers can sign up for the feed-in-tariff as of March 1. Participants signing up during the first two years of the program will be guaranteed a fixed rate of $0.32 per kilowatt hour for 20 years. GRU estimates that investors will see a 5-percent return on investment for large-scale projects.

=======================================

9.) Study Confirms Benefits of Transmission Investment:

American Wind Energy Association, February 9, 2009

http://www.awea.org/newsroom/releases/awea_statement_on_JCSP_transmissio...

A Joint Coordinated System Plan (JCSP) study concludes that an investment in the power grid to enable wind to supply 20% of the electricity needs of the Eastern U.S. would save consumers $12 billion annually, recovering capital costs in as little as seven years while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and making the power grid more reliable. The wind resources brought online by the upgraded transmission network would reduce CO2 emissions in the Eastern U.S. by almost 3 billion tons per year, savings potentially worth tens of billions of dollars under a carbon tax or cap-and-trade system. The study also found that the need for new coal-fired, baseload power plants would be cut in half under the wind and transmission scenario--dispelling the outdated assumption that renewable energy cannot reduce the need for such power.

=======================================

10.) Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Buys Mexican Geothermal Energy:

Power Engineering, February 4, 2009 --

http://pepei.pennnet.com/display_article/352501/6/ARTCL/none/none/1/LADW...

The Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) will provide geothermal power to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), enabling the agency to reach 10 percent renewable power supply. The city power agency said it is on track to hit 20 percent renewables by 2010. The supply agreement lets LADWP make wholesale purchases of up to 100 MW from CFE's Cerro Prieto Geothermal facility in Mexicali, Baja Calif., depending on availability. The agreement is good for three years.

=======================================

11.) Ball State University OK's $66 Million Geothermal Project:

Associated Press, February 9, 2009

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-in-ballstate-geother,0,1183334...

Ball State University plans to drill 3,750 wells, each 400 feet deep, to tap the earth's nearly constant temperature for campus heating and cooling. The geothermal conversion project will eliminate the university's coal-fired boilers, which currently produce 85,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year. The geothermal wells will create an estimated 870 jobs. The university plans to start drilling on May 9. The $66 million project was approved by the university's board of trustees on Friday. Ball State plans to ask the legislature for $40 million, which was originally approved to replace the boilers.

====================================

12.) Obama Seeks Tougher Controls on Mercury Emissions:

Associated Press, by Dina Cappiello, February 6, 2009

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h776EhBm9MT8AWmnULEB5j...

The Obama administration signaled Friday that it will seek more stringent controls on mercury pollution from the nation's power plants, abandoning a Bush administration approach that the industry supported. The Justice Department on Friday submitted papers to the Supreme Court to dismiss the Bush administration's appeal of the rule, which a lower court struck down last year. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency said it would begin crafting a new rule limiting mercury emissions from power plants.

======================================

13.) Obama Says Renewable Energy Key to Economic Future:

Reuters, February 9, 2009

http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE51876P20090209?fee...

Speaking at a townhall meeting in Elkhart, Indiana, U.S. President Barack Obama pushed for more investment in solar and wind energy, saying the country that can make renewable energy sources price-competitive with traditional fossil fuels will become the economic superpower of the future. He said renewable energy companies needed tax breaks and loan guarantees to provide incentives for firms to manufacture and customers to purchase solar and wind energy. He added that he wanted the government to invest every year in new technologies to drive down renewable energy costs over the long term. In addition, he called on Congress to require U.S. utilities to generate a certain amount of their electricity supplies, such as 15 to 20 percent, from renewable energy sources.

=====================================

14.) Clean-Energy Efforts a High-Stakes Bet for U.S. - Increasing Renewable Sources Will Be Expensive, Complex:

Chicago Tribune, by Jim Tankersley, February 7, 2009

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/politics/bal-te.cleanenergy07feb...

President Barack Obama's goal, which past presidents have spent more than $100 billion chasing with limited success, is to replace imported oil and other fossil fuels with a so-called "clean energy economy" powered by the wind, the sun and bio-fuels. The stakes are high. If Obama succeeds, he could spark a domestic jobs boom and lead an international fight against climate change. If he fails, he could cripple existing industries and squeeze cash-strapped Americans with higher energy prices. By the end of this year, the Energy Department's spending on 35 years of clean energy research will exceed the total inflation-adjusted cost of the Apollo program, which sent Americans to the moon, and the Manhattan Project, which developed the nuclear bomb. The private sector spends more than $1 trillion a year on clean energy research but has only begun to outpace government spending in the past year. Yet, renewable sources comprise about the same sliver of America's energy portfolio as they did three decades ago, while the nation's reliance on imported oil has doubled.

=====================================

15.) Secretary Salazar Details Strategy for Comprehensive Energy Plan on U.S. Outer Continental Shelf - Incorporates Renewable Energy:

U.S. Department of Interior, February 10, 2009

http://www.doi.gov/news/09_News_Releases/021009.html

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has announced his strategy for developing an offshore energy plan that includes both conventional and renewable resources. It calls for extending the public comment period on a proposed 5-year plan for oil and gas development on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf by 180 days, assembling a detailed report from Interior agencies on conventional and renewable offshore energy resources, holding four regional conferences to review these findings, and expediting renewable energy rulemaking for the Outer Continental Shelf. Salazar directed the United States Geological Survey, the Minerals Management Service, and other departmental scientists to assemble within 45 days all the information available about the offshore resources – conventional and renewable – along with information about potential impacts. The Secretary also will build a framework for offshore renewable energy development, so that the Department can incorporate the significant potential for wind, wave, and ocean current energy into its offshore energy strategy.

===================================

16.) Wind Industry Praises Senate-Approved Stimulus Package:

American Wind Energy Association, February 10, 2009

http://www.awea.org/newsroom/releases/awea_praises_stimulus_package_10Fe...

The Senate-passed stimulus legislation includes a $7 billion renewable energy loan guarantee program (an amount that is $1 billion less than the level provided in the House version of the bill), a 3-year extension of the federal production tax credit (PTC), an additional year of bonus depreciation for 2009, elimination of the cost caps for the small wind investment tax credit, and targeted provisions to encourage construction of new transmission lines to deliver electricity generated from renewables.

====================================

17.) Solar Industry Is Ready to Put America Back to Work With Passage of Economic Recovery Package:

Solar Energy Industries Association, February 10, 2009

http://seia.org/cs/news_detail?pressrelease.id=341

The House and Senate conferees should include the following critical solar provisions:

* Offer DOE grants equal to 30 percent of the cost of solar property placed in service during 2009 and 2010, an alternative to tax credits that are not functioning as Congress intended. Also allow the grant program to support critical utility-scale projects (more than 25 MW electric and more than 10 MW thermal) in 2011 and 2012.

* Allow the federal government to enter in to 30-year PPA’s to secure long-term, competitive rates for solar on federal buildings and land. (Current limit is 10 years.)

* Repeal a penalty for subsidized financing for solar projects, allowing for businesses and individuals to qualify for the full amount of the solar tax credit.

* Create a new loan guarantee program to support financing of renewable energy systems. Allow ‘new or significantly improved’ renewable energy equipment, allowing advanced solar technology to qualify.

* Create a 30-percent investment tax credit for facilities engaged in the manufacture of renewable energy property or equipment.

====================================

18.) Sierra Club Praises Senate for Passage of Recovery Package - Looks Forward to Conference Improvements:

Sierra Club, February 10, 2009

http://action.sierraclub.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=90302.0

Sierra Club is urging Congress to address the following issues in Conference before the bill is sent to the President:

* $50 billion in loan guarantees that could go to risky investments like nuclear power plants, liquid coal and other coal facilities that were included in the Senate bill should be eliminated because they will not provide short-term economic stimulus, are harmful to the environment, and place taxpayers at significant and unnecessary financial risk.

* Only the House version provides clean energy developers the opportunity to trade the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for Department of Energy grants at a reduced value. Providing this flexibility is critically important in the current financial climate. Congress must retain this crucial provision from the House bill.

* The Senate version reduced funding for public transportation despite the higher number of jobs created by transit. Congress should again defer to the House version.

* The Nelson-Collins amendment cut funds for efficiency, a smart electricity grid, weatherization and retrofitting of federal buildings. Full funding for these kinds of job-creating and money-saving programs should be restored.

=====================================

19.) Senate Economic Recovery Bill "Another Major Step" Towards Using Energy Efficiency to Create Jobs, Protect Environment:

Alliance to Save Energy, February 10, 2009

http://www.ase.org/content/news/detail/5379

The Senate bill is disappointing compared to the House bill. Areas where the House-passed funding levels should be supported include:

* The Senate level of $2.9 billion is too low to achieve the president’s commendable goal of weatherizing one million homes a year. The Alliance advocates WAP funding at the House level of $6.2 billion.

* With $8 billion in “shovel-ready” projects in the 56 state and territorial energy offices managing SEP, the Senate’s funding of $500 million falls far short of realizing this program’s potential. The Alliance supports the House level of $3.4 billion for SEP.

* The Senate bill does not include a $300 million House-passed ENERGY STAR appliance rebate program for consumers. The Alliance urges that conferees include this provision in the final bill.

* The Alliance also urges conferees to include the House-passed $500 million for waste energy recovery incentive grants and $100 million for grants and loans for combined-heat-and-power and waste-heat-recovery technologies.

* The Alliance also has called for funding missing in both bills, notably $100 million to enlarge the EPA ENERGY STAR Program.

=====================================

20.) House Stimulus More Effective Fighting Climate Change - Energy Package Could Save $3 Billion More a Year Than Senate Version in Utility Costs:

Greenpeace, February 10, 2009

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/press-center/releases2/energy-package-coul...

A new ICF analysis commissioned by Greenpeace shows that the House version of the stimulus package would be more effective in fighting global warming, cutting approximately 12 million metric tons more greenhouse gas emissions than the Senate version. Furthermore, the House version’s energy package would save government and consumers approximately $3 billion more in utility bills annually. See original release below for details on the provisions studied and methodology. For a side-by-side comparison of the two bills’ carbon impact, visit:

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/press-center/reports4/side-by-side-compari...

=====================================

21.) Room for Algae in Green Stimulus?

The Hill, by Jim Snyder, February 9, 2009

http://thehill.com/business--lobby/room-for-algae-in-green-stimulus-2009...

One of the big winners in the stimulus bill is likely to be the coal industry, which may need carbon sequestration and other clean-coal research programs to succeed. The House measure would provide around $2.4 billion. The Senate bill, meanwhile, would offer $4.6 billion for three separate research efforts. However, Ternion Bio, a San Jose-area startup that uses a process that siphons off carbon dioxide emissions to grow algae which is then converted into a biofuel for cars, may be out of luck. The money for carbon sequestration, which would be distributed by the Department of Energy, would likely go to projects that store the carbon dioxide in geologic formations that lie underground, and not algae farms that lie above it.

====================================

22.) Helping Power Companies Go Green:

U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources, February 10, 2009

http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detai...

and

Reuters, February 10, 2009

http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE5195A820090210?fee...

The past four Congresses have passed a requirement that utilities provide a specified percentage of their electricity from renewable resources again and again. In the 107th, 108th and 109th the Senate passed it but the House would not accept it. In the 110th the House passed it but the Senate couldn’t get a vote on it. The majority staff draft now being considered by the Senate Energy Committee is similar as to its mechanics to the provisions passed before, with some major differences. First, the requirement is raised from 15 percent by 2020 to 20 percent by 2021. Second, the resources that can be used to comply have been expanded. Up to one-quarter of the requirement can come from energy efficiency. In addition, new hydropower at existing dams that currently do not have generation is included.

=====================================

23.) New Manhattan Project Reintroduced in U.S. House of Representatives:

SustainableBusiness.com, February 10, 2009

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/17642

U.S. Representative Randy Forbes (R-VA) has reintroduced legislation, House Resolution 513, which would challenge the United States to reach 50% energy independence in 10 years and 100% energy independence in 20 years. It would award cash prizes to whomever first reaches each of the following goals:

* Double Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards to 70 miles per gallon while keeping vehicles affordable

* Cut home and business energy usage in half

* Make solar power work at the same cost as coal

* Make the production of biofuels cost-competitive with gasoline

* Safely and cheaply store carbon emissions from coal-powered plants

* Safely store or neutralize nuclear waste

* Produce usable electricity from a nuclear fusion reaction.

=====================================

24.) The United States Has Some of the Best Untapped Solar Resources in the World:

Solar Energy Industries Association, February 10, 2009

http://seia.org/cs/news_detail?pressrelease.id=342

The United States has some of the best solar resources in the world – resources that are more than double that of Germany, the current world leader in solar. In the Southeast, 24 percent of electricity could come from rooftop solar alone. After the Southwest, the Southeastern United States boasts some of the best solar resources in the country. North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia have solar resources 60 percent better than Germany and are home to hundreds of companies that manufacture and install solar energy equipment. Likewise, Florida has several hundred solar manufacturers, installers and project developers and solar resources that are 70 percent better than Germany – the world’s leader in solar power development. When several projects now under development are completed and brought online, they will make Florida the country's second-largest solar energy producer.

=====================================

25.) Public Service Electric and Gas Company Proposes $773 Million Solar Energy Program - 120-Megawatt Program to Bring Solar Panels Into Every Town and Neighborhood in Service Territory; Includes Largest Pole-Mounted Solar Project in U.S.:

Public Service Electric and Gas Company, February 10, 2009

http://www.pseg.com/media_center/pressreleases/articles/2009/2009-02-10.jsp

Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) today asked New Jersey regulators to approve a $773-million proposal to bring the benefits of 120 megawatts of solar power directly to communities and customers throughout its service territory. The initiative will satisfy nearly 7 percent of the state’s renewable portfolio standards requirements through 2020. The 120 megawatts of solar capacity will eliminate 1.7 million tons of CO2 emissions, which is the equivalent of removing nearly 310,000 cars from the road for one year. Installation costs are expected to be $6.44 per watt of installed solar capacity. The impact on a typical residential customer is forecasted to be 10 cents per month in the first full year of the program and increases up to 35 cents per month in 2013.

=====================================

26.) Here Comes the Sun Shower:

New York Times, by Larry Hunter, February 9, 2009

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/opinion/10hunter.html?ref=opinion

After energy efficiency, one of the most effective and efficient steps the government can take is to encourage the use of solar hot-water systems. Three 4-foot-by-8-foot panels can, in full sunlight, deliver about 4.5 kilowatts of heat — enough to heat about 50 percent to 80 percent of the water used by a family of four. The cost to install such a system, including the panels, a water storage tank, piping, a pump and control electronics is usually less than $10,000. In comparison, a photovoltaic system that can produce 4.5 kilowatts in full sun requires 11 like-sized panels and costs about $40,000. The hot water system pays for itself in 13 years, while the photovoltaic system takes about 50. A conventional coal-fired power plant delivering the same amount of energy would emit about five tons of carbon dioxide.

=====================================

27.) New Rocky Mountain Institute Report Finds Efficiency Alone Could Cut 30 Percent of U.S. Electric Use and Avoid Need for 60 Percent of Coal-Fired Generation:

Rocky Mountain Institute/PRNewswire-USNewswire, February 9, 2009

http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/02...

and

http://ert.rmi.org/research/cgu.html

A new Rocky Mountain Institute report, "Assessing the Electric Productivity Gap and the U.S. Efficiency Opportunity," concludes that if laggard states achieved the electric productivity of the top ten performing states through energy efficiency, more than 60 percent of coal-fired generation could be displaced in the country. The electric productivity of top performing states, such as New York, Connecticut, and California can serve as examples of how to overcome barriers to efficiency practices, regulate utilities, and implement technologies. Lower performing states, like Kentucky and Mississippi, have a huge opportunity to build on the success of higher performing states by closing their electric productivity gap using known and tested technology and policy. The report can be found at: http://ert.rmi.org/files/documents/CGU.RMI.pdf

====================================

28.) Senate Passes Stimulus Package - Clean Energy, Efficient Tax Incentives Would Create Jobs; Loan Guarantees for Nuclear and Coal Would Create Problems:

Union of Concerned Scientists, February 10, 2009

http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release/senate-passes-stimulus.html

The U.S. Senate's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 includes such green initiatives as tax incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency investments, funding to modernize the nation's electricity grid, and support for research and development of advanced vehicle and battery technology. The bill also includes a special $50 billion addition to the Department of Energy's loan guarantee program, much of which is likely to go to such technologies as nuclear power, liquid coal and coal-gasification power plants. The House passed a recovery plan last week that did not contain that provision and provided more funding to invest in job-creating clean energy projects. UCS is urging conferees to adopt the stronger renewable energy and energy efficiency levels in the House bill.

===================================

29.) Stimulus Bill Conferees Urged to Adopt Best Transportation Provisions in Senate and House Bills:

Environmental Defense Fund, February 10, 2009

http://www.edf.org/pressrelease.cfm?contentID=9239

The stimulus bill conferees should adopt the best transportation provisions in the Senate and House bills. The Senate bill provides $2 billion for high-speed rail and $1.1 billion for intercity rail, including Amtrak. It also includes a $5.5 billion competitive grant program for road, transit, rail and port projects. The Senate bill also ensures that local governments would get at least 40 percent of “formula” highway funding under the Surface Transportation Program. The House bill provides $12 billion in transit funding, including $2.5 billion in funding for new projects and $2 billion to modernize existing subways, light rail, and similar facilities.

===================================

30.) Southern California Edison and BrightSource Energy Sign 1.3 GW Solar Deal:

SolarBuzz.com, February 11, 2009

http://www.solarbuzz.com/News/NewsNAPR1404.htm

Southern California Edison and BrightSource Energy have reached agreement on a series of contracts for 1,300 megawatts of solar thermal power, enough to serve nearly 845,000 homes. The agreement, which now requires approval from the California Public Utilities Commission, calls for a series of seven projects totaling 1,300 megawatts. The first of these solar power plants, sized at 100 megawatts and located in Ivanpah, Calif., could be operating in early 2013 and is expected to produce 286,000 megawatt-hours of renewable electricity per year. BrightSource will build and place in commercial operation each of its plants as quickly as permitting and infrastructure allow. The full 1,300 megawatts of projects will produce 3.7 billion kilowatt-hours of clean energy and avoid more than two million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually – the equivalent of removing more than 335,000 cars from the road.

===================================

31.) "Green Power Express" Project Aims to Harness South Dakota Wind:

World of Renewables, February 11, 2009

http://www.worldofrenewables.com/index.php?do=viewarticle&artid=3004&tit...

Novi, Michigan-based ITC Holding Company hopes to construct the "Green Power Express" - a network of transmission lines spread across the Midwest that would surge with 12,000 megawatts of wind-generated power. The grid would cross the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. It eventually would include 3,000 miles of 756,000-volt transmission lines to deliver wind power to Chicago and points east. Just 1 megawatt of generated power can supply 300 homes; the Green Power Express promises to deliver wind-generated power to 3.6 million homes. ITC on Monday filed its application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for rate and incentives to help build the $10 billion to $12 billion network, which could come online by 2020.

===================================

32.) Biofuels to the Rescue — If the Recipe Is Found:

New York Times, by Matthew L. Wald, February 10, 2009

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/biofuels-to-the-rescue-if-t...

The United States has enough land, water and transport capability to make cellulosic ethanol that could displace one-third of its gasoline needs in 2030, according to a study by Sandia National Laboratories, in partnership with General Motors’ research and development center. They conducted a seven-month study that concluded that production of 90 billion gallons – equivalent to 60 billion gallons of gasoline – was possible by 2030, and that the investment requirement was about the same as for producing that much gasoline. But the study does not say how to actually make the fuel. The study assumed that “energy crops” — including fast-growing trees — would be planted, but that these would not impinge on land used for food crops. The study "90-Billion Gallon Biofuel Deployment Study" can be found at: http://hitectransportation.org/news/2009/Exec_Summary02-2009.pdf

===================================

33.) VeraSun To Sell All Assets:

SustainableBusiness.com, February 11, 2009

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/17644

VeraSun Energy Corporation last week signed an agreement to sell substantially all of its production facilities to Valero Energy Corporation. The ethanol company and 24 of its subsidiaries filed petitions for relief under chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in Delaware on October 31, 2008.

=====================================

34.) Anti-Ethanol PR Campaign Continues...Day 342:

Renewable Fuels Association, February 11, 2009

http://renewablefuelsassociation.cmail1.com/T/ViewEmail/y/65EC5F052697B6...

Some key facts about the benefits of American ethanol production:

* Ethanol production and use today reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to gasoline by up to 59%.

* The production and use of 6.5 billion gallons of ethanol in 2007 displaced 228 million barrels of imported oil valued at $16 billion. The use of 9 billion gallons of ethanol in 2008 will have displaced an even larger volume and created more impressive savings.

* During that same year, ethanol production helped support more than 260,000 jobs across the economy. With ethanol production expanding to 9 billion gallons in 2008, the job creation benefits of ethanol will no doubt have grown.

* The production of ethanol yields 1.5 units of energy for every unit of energy used in the production of corn and ethanol.

* Since 2001, the ethanol industry has reduced water use by 26% and overall energy use while increasing ethanol yields per bushel.

* Since 1978, America’s ethanol industry has added more than $34 billion of new revenue for the federal government and reduced America’s foreign oil tab by nearly $100 billion. All told, the return on investment in America’s ethanol industry since 1978 is an astonishing 5 to 1.

=====================================

35.) Water Efficiency Key to Saving Energy:

Worldwatch Institute, by Ben Block, February 11, 2009

http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6007

In California, water transportation, storage, and treatment account for about 19 percent of the state’s electricity. In regions where pumping and distributing water requires significant electricity use, policies that lead to reduced water consumption could address climate change more efficiently than requiring businesses and households to use less energy. For example, it may be cheaper for consumers to reduce the overall hot water usage in their homes than to replace their incandescent light bulbs with more energy-efficient alternatives.

=======================================

36.) USDA Chief Advocates Allowing More Ethanol in Gasoline:

Dow Jones, February 10, 2009

http://www.cattlenetwork.com/content.asp?contentid=289942

Gasoline producers in the U.S. should be allowed to blend more ethanol into the fuel mix than the current 10% limit, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, although he didn't specify how high the cap should be. An increase in the percentage that can go into gasoline would be a way to stimulate the corn-based ethanol industry and that is why he said he is advocating a shift and talking about options together with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson. The EPA will play a key role in the process of deciding whether or not more ethanol can be added to the gasoline on which most cars in the U.S. run, but the agency depends heavily on data provided to it by car manufacturers and the Department of Energy.

====================================

37.) DOE Awards $40 Million for Industrial Use of Alternative Fuels, Combined Heat & Power:

EERE Network News, February 11, 2009

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/news_detail.cfm/news_id=12235

DOE announced in late January its award of nearly $40 million to support the industrial use of alternative fuels and combined heat and power (CHP) technologies. The two separate award announcements included $30.7 million over the next four years, subject to congressional appropriations, for cost-shared research and development of industrial systems capable of using alternative fuels. The seven alternative fuel projects selected for more than $9 million in funding this year primarily involve the development of fuel injectors, nozzles, fuel-handling systems, and entire integrated systems for gas turbines, boilers, and other combustion systems. Such alternative fuel systems can also function as CHP systems by producing both electrical power and industrial process heat. Compared to the separate generation of electricity and heat, which typically achieve efficiencies of 45%, CHP systems can operate at more than 80% efficiency. DOE has selected six CHP projects for $9.1 million in funding over the next three years.

====================================

38.) Stimulus Bill’s $7.7 Billion for Clean Energy Withers:

Bloomberg, by Jim Efstathiou Jr. February 11, 2009

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aEZb0m.Rx9.Y

U.S. congressional negotiators may drop $7.7 billion that had been planned for renewable-energy grants in the economic stimulus legislation. Democrats are likely to accept the Senate’s removal of aid for wind and solar energy investments from the final bill. The House stimulus bill would have turned tax credits available only to investors with financial gains into grants for financiers who are losing money. The credits were part of a $700 billion bank rescue law that took effect on Oct. 3. The incentives for solar power allow investors with tax gains to recover 30 percent of the cost of a project. Wind developers can get 2.1 cents for every kilowatt hour of energy produced.

===================================

39.) Senate Votes to Cut Green Building Cash:

EDIE, by Kate Martin, February 11, 2009

http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?src=nl&id=15987

The US Senate has voted to pass an $830bn bill to boost the economy and create millions of jobs - but has trimmed planned investment in green building. The Senate bill has eliminated $19bn for green school construction which had been part of the House version of the bill. Another spending package for green buildings has also been trimmed from $6 billion to $4.5 billion.

====================================

40.) 'Nuclear Pork' Cut Out of Final Recovery and Reinvestment Package:
Environment News Service, February 12, 2009
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2009/2009-02-12-094.asp
Many environmental groups are relieved that a provision in the Senate's version of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that could have been used to fund new nuclear reactors has been cut from the final text. The conference committee axed a proposal to include $50 billion in federal loan guarantees that could have been utilized by the nuclear and coal industries as well as for renewable energy projects. Called Title 17, the Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program, the provision would have put aside $50 billion to guarantee loans under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 for eligible projects, to remain available until committed.

====================================

41.) Congress Seen Backing Renewable Energy Standard:

Reuters, by Tom Doggett, February 11, 2009

http://planetark.org/wen/51545

There is enough support in the U.S. Congress to pass legislation requiring utilities to generate a portion of their electricity supplies from wind, solar and other renewable energy sources, according to U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The committee held a hearing on draft legislation, under which the amount of the U.S. electricity supply coming from renewable energy sources would gradually increase to 4 percent in 2011-12, 8 percent in 2013-15, 12 percent in 2016-18, 16 percent in 2019-20 and 20 percent in 2021-39.

====================================

42.) U.S. Senator Murkowski Statement on Renewable Portfolio Standard:

U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources, February 11, 2009

http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detai...

"Today, 29 states, plus the District of Columbia have fashioned their own renewable energy programs. States, of course, are in a far better position than Congress to determine what resources and timetables work best for them. A one-size-fits-all national standard raises serious concerns with about regional disparities. While some parts of our nation are blessed with abundant renewable resources others – particularly the Southeast – lack renewable resources other than biomass needed to reach a 20% requirement. I have a number of questions on the feasibility of the Southeast using biomass as the sole means to meet this requirement, including the land use needs, carbon emissions, and environmental impacts. One thing people do agree on is that the RPS, as drafted, is not a climate change solution. [Moreover] if the necessary transmission is not put in place it will be impossible to reach this new federal mandate and the customer will end up paying the cost of non-compliance."

====================================

43.) Feed-In Tariffs Contemplated in the U.S.:

New York Times, by Kate Galbraith, February 9, 2009

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/09/feed-in-tariffs-contemplate...

Policymakers in several states are considering a new tool to boost renewable energy production: feed-in tariffs. Last week, the city of Gainesville, Fla., approved what the local paper called the “nation’s first solar feed-in tariff ordinance.” Gainesville residents with photovoltaic panels on their roofs will get 32 cents a kilowatt-hour when they produce energy. Other states are investigating feed-in tariffs — including Indiana, Minnesota and Michigan. A bill recently introduced in the Washington state legislature would clear the way for feed-in tariffs modeled on Germany’s. California’s public utility commission approved a limited feed-in tariff last year and is reported to be looking to expand it. And Oregon’s governor is also reportedly interested in the concept.

====================================

44.) US Wind Demand to Exceed $10 Billion in 2012:

Renewable Energy Focus, February 9, 2009

http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/articles/windother/bus_news/090209_f...

Demand for wind turbine systems and components is expected to increase 6.8% a year to US$10.1 billion in 2012, according to industry research firm Freedonia Group in its study "Wind Turbine Systems." However, this rate is a sharp deceleration from the extremely rapid pace of the period 2002-2007, during which demand increased nearly 16-fold. Following this explosive growth, some moderation is to be expected from the high base as the market begins to mature and problems such as inadequate electric grid capacity still need to be addressed. Through 2012 public utilities - as opposed to independent power producers - are expected to post the strongest growth.

====================================

45.) Groundbreaking But Controversial Wind Farm Project Moves Forward in Santa Barbara County:

World of Renewables, February 12, 2009

http://www.worldofrenewables.com/index.php?do=viewarticle&artid=3013&tit...

With a vote of 4-0, the county Board of Supervisors approved to move forward with a wind turbine project. It would include up to 65 wind turbine generators stretched over about 3,000 acres near Vandenberg Air Force Base. This is the first "green" and renewable power generating facility in the county's history. The project, proposed by Acciona Wind Energy USA, can provide electricity to as many as 40,000 homes. Supporters are excited, but some do not want to look up in the sky and see the nearly 400-foot-tall turbines in their backyard.

====================================

46.) Ethanol, Just Recently a Savior, Is Struggling:

New York Times, February 12, 2009

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/business/12ethanol.html?hp

The goals Congress set for the ethanol industry are in serious jeopardy. The Energy Information Administration recently projected that the industry would fall short of the targets for expanded use of ethanol and other biofuels that Congress set in a 2007 energy law. With motorists driving less in the economic downturn, the industry is burdened with excess capacity, and plants are shutting down virtually every week. In the meantime, plans are lagging for a new generation of factories that were supposed to produce ethanol from substances like wood chips and crop waste, overcoming the drawbacks of corn ethanol. That nascent branch of the industry concedes it has virtually no chance of meeting Congressional production mandates that kick in next year.

====================================

47.) Klamath Dam Removal Bill Clears Oregon Senate Committee:

The Oregonian, by Matthew Preusch, February 10, 2009

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/02/klamath_dam_remo...

A legislative committee on Tuesday approved a plan to pay for removing Klamath River dams with a surcharge on Oregon ratepayers -- a step supporters say is necessary to salve long-running disputes over water, salmon and other resources in the Klamath Basin. Senate Bill 76, which is supported by Gov. Ted Kulongoski, would permit PacifiCorp to charge its Oregon customers an additional $1.50 a month for a dam removal fund, capping the state's contribution at $180 million. The agreement is part of a larger compromise supported by an array of farmers, fishers and environmental groups that hinges on the removal of Pacificorp's four power-generating dams on the Klamath River.

====================================

48.) Ford Jumps Back Into Green Car Fray:

Reuters, by David Bailey, February 12, 2009

http://planetark.org/wen/51569

A renewed commitment to build more fuel-efficient and battery-powered cars and hybrids has become central to the high-stakes turnaround plan at Ford Motor Company. It has detailed an aggressive plan to roll out electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles over the next three years. It plans to introduce a battery-powered commercial van in 2010, a battery-powered small car the following year and a plug-in hybrid to challenge the Volt starting in 2012. The new Fusion hybrid sedan going on sale next year can accelerate to up to 47 miles per hour and remain on electric power. Ford also has made its standard gas engines more efficient.

====================================

49.) New US Building Standard Will Rival LEED:

EDIE, by Sam Bond, February 5, 2009

http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?src=nl&id=15956

The US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) has long been the recognized standard for rating a building's environmental credentials but now the American National Standards Institute - the country's version of BSI - has approved another version. The National Green Building Standard, drawn up by the National Association of Home Builders, will cover all residential construction work, from new build to renovation. Whether competition will help the market or simply confuse it remains to be seen.

==================================

50.) U.S. Electricity Demand Seen Dropping 0.8% in 2009:

U.S. Energy Information Administration, February 10, 2009

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/steo/pub/contents.html

U.S. electricity demand is expected to drop 0.8% this year, pushed lower by declining industrial demand, according to the Energy Information Administration. Driving the forecasted drop in power demand is an expected decline of nearly 5% in industrial demand. The EIA said power consumption, which was nearly flat last year, will rebound 1.3% in 2010 as the economy improves. That's slightly lower than last month's forecast of a 1.5% increase.

====================================

51.) Coal Industry To Obama - Friend Or Foe?:

Reuters, by Steve James, February 12, 2009

http://planetark.org/wen/51570

President Obama appears committed to developing clean coal technology and his administration might not be as opposed to the fossil fuel as the industry feared. The $800 billion economic stimulus package pending in Congress includes funds -- $2.4 billion in the House version and $4.6 billion in the Senate version -- for carbon capture and sequestration technology to reduce emissions from coal-fired power plants. That might also mean the administration could restore funding for the $1.8 billion FutureGen clean-coal plant planned for Illinois that was yanked last year.

=====================================

52.) Clean, Efficient, American Energy:

U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources, by U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman, February 13, 2009

http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detai...

Included in the economic recovery bill is a clean-tech manufacturing credit that would establish a 30 percent investment tax credit to start to address problems faced by a stressed domestic renewable energy industry. This $2.3 billion investment in clean energy will pay significant dividends. Also in the measure:

· Three-year extension of Production Tax Credit.

· Removal of caps on residential solar water heaters.

· $6.3 billion for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Grants to States.

· $6 billion for new loan guarantees aimed at renewable projects such as wind or solar projects and for electricity transmission projects.

· $5 billion to increase Low-Income Weatherization funding.

· $4.5 billion to increase energy efficiency of Federal buildings.

· $3.4 billion for Fossil Energy research and development.

· $2.5 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy research.

· $2 billion for Science at Department of Energy, including $400 million for the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy.

· $2 billion in grant funding for the manufacturing of advanced batteries systems and components and vehicle batteries.

· $1 billion for other energy efficiency programs, including alternative fuel trucks and buses, transportation charging infrastructure, and smart and energy efficient appliances.

===================================

53.) U.S. Senator Murkowski Criticizes Wasteful Spending in Stimulus Package:

U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources, by Senator Lisa Murkowski, February 13, 2009

http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detai...

There’s no question that we must facilitate the development of renewable resources, increase energy efficiency, and pursue innovative solutions to the many challenges we face. However, this package made no effort to increase domestic production of traditional resources such as oil and natural gas. Clean energy is viewed as the only viable option for energy development and job creation, when in fact it may not even be our most effective option. The full development of domestic oil and gas resources could generate up to $1.7 trillion in revenues for the federal government and create as many as 161,000 new jobs by 2030. It is also highly uncertain that the funds provided by it can be spent in a rational, cost-effective manner. The most unprecedented amount is the $4.95 billion allocated to the Weatherization Assistance Program, which represents a nearly twentyfold increase from the past fiscal year. This is a good program, but how do you ramp up to spend almost twenty times more money over the course of two years? Nearly every senator in this body supports the development of renewable resources and the more efficient use of energy. However, the Senate bill simply did not chart the right course.

===================================

54.) U.S. Representative Waxman Announces Energy & Commerce Provisions of the Economic Recovery Package Conference Agreement:

U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy & Commerce, February 13, 2009

http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090212/economiceecoverysumma...

U.S. Representative Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) announced the key provisions of the economic recovery package conference agreement in the area of energy:

The energy package will accelerate deployment of smart grid technology, dramatically expand the national effort to weatherize homes, offer support for the nation’s governors and mayors to tackle their energy challenges, and establish a new loan guarantee program to keep renewable energy on track during the economic crisis.

** Reliable, Efficient Electric Grid: The bill provides $4.5 billion for this effort.

** Renewable Energy Loan Guarantees: The legislation creates a temporary program to provide loan guarantees for renewable energy systems, electric power transmission systems that begin construction by September 30, 2011. The bill is making available $6 billion for use by this program.

** Home Weatherization: The Appropriations bill is providing a landmark $5 billion for this program.

** Study of Electric Transmission Congestion: Requires the Secretary to include an analysis of the transmission issues facing renewable energy in the pending study of electric transmission congestion due to be issued August 2009.

** Encourages Governors to Promote Energy Efficiency: Includes $3.1 billion for state energy program funds.

===================================

55.) House Approves Investments in Science and Technology to Create Jobs, Ensure Competitiveness:

U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science & Technology, February 13, 2009

http://science.house.gov/press/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=2358

HR 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes $400 million to establish the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy at the Department of Energy. The funding for the Department of Energy Office of Science will put scientists and engineers to work advancing U.S. energy independence and protecting the nation's environment by researching materials science, climate science, carbon sequestration, biofuels, advanced computing, fusion energy, high-energy physics, and nuclear physics. The package will fund renewable energy technology development, standards-setting and deployment of smart grid technologies, demonstration of carbon capture and storage, grants for companies producing advanced batteries, and loan guarantees for the deployment of existing clean technologies. The package also includes funding for NASA to support Earth science climate research missions and includes funding for the National Ocean Atmospheric Administration to address critical gaps in climate modeling and establish climate data records for continuing research into climate change.

===================================

56.) Energy Provisions in Final Recovery Package Will Create Jobs, Lay Groundwork for Energy Revolution:

U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Energy Independence & Global Warming, February 12, 2009

http://globalwarming.house.gov/mediacenter/pressreleases_2008?id=0089#ma...

U.S. Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA) praised the conference report of the economic recovery package as the first forward-looking energy and climate package and pushed for several initiatives that are included, including:

--Increased investments in building weatherization projects totaling $5 billion.

--Grants for state energy programs totaling $6.3 billion.

--Grants and loans totaling $2 billion for advanced hybrid battery and clean car technology.

--Investments totaling $11 billion to create a smart grid that delivers electricity more securely and efficiently.

===================================

57.) U.S. Senator Mark Udall Introduces Renewable Electricity Standards Bill - Increases to 25% Renewable Energy in Retail Energy Mix by 2025:

Office of U.S. Senator Mark Udall, February 13, 2009

http://markudall.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=308245

U.S. Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) today joined Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) to introduce legislation to establish a federal Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) that would require electric utilities to produce 25% of their electricity from wind, solar and other renewable energy sources by 2025. The bill would initiate a federal minimum standard mandating retail energy suppliers to diversify their portfolios with the first requirement of 6% for 2012, and consistently increase thereafter until meeting the 2025 goal. The legislation is based on legislation introduced in the House of Representatives in 2002 by a bipartisan team led by the two Udalls and Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA). Their work helped build a coalition in the House that won passage of an RES amendment in 2007. Unfortunately, that amendment stalled in the Senate later in 2007.

=======================================

58.) Senators, Greens Spar Over Energy Bank:

Politico, by Erika Lovley, January 13, 2009

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/18796.html

In a hearing Thursday of his Energy and Natural Resources Committee, U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) asked Energy Department officials whether creating a separate “clean energy bank” would fix the staffing shortages and regulatory roadblocks that have plagued the "clean energy" loan guarantee program since its inception in 2005. Officials say the department was not prepared to deal with the complications of making loan guarantees. He plans to address the issue in an energy bill due out this spring that would create a clean energy bank, which would make the program its own separate entity. But the program is already predicted to be a risky investment for taxpayers. The Congressional Budget Office recently determined that nuclear loans’ average default rate is 50 percent — positioning taxpayers to potentially lose as much as $25 billion. Consequently, some environmental groups are expected to launch a full-blown campaign aimed at keeping nuclear power out of the energy bill.

===================================

59.) Green Recovery Bill Will Deliver Less Pollution, More Jobs through Clean Energy:

Environment America, February 13, 2009

http://www.environmentamerica.org/news-releases/new-energy-future/new-en...

Congress' final economic recovery package invests $32.80 billion in clean energy, $26.86 billion in energy efficiency, and $18.95 billion in green transportation:

• Extending and “recession proofing” the renewable energy incentives, which will prevent 55.8 million tons of global warming pollution per year by the end of the three year extension and create or protect 254,000 jobs in the near term;

• Creating a renewable energy manufacturing tax credit;

• Fully funding the Green Jobs Act at $500 million over 2 years which will train 70,000 workers in renewable energy and energy efficiency jobs;

• Investing $4.5 billion to upgrade our electricity transmission system to better take advantage of renewable energy and improve efficiency;

• Providing $5 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program, enough to prevent 9.7 million tons of global warming pollution and create 375,000 jobs;

• Providing $4.5 billion in green building funding to improve energy efficiency of the federal government, the nation’s biggest energy user;

• Funding the State Energy Program at $3.1 billion to help citizens and businesses save energy;

• Providing $3.2 billion in block grants for local government energy efficiency and renewable energy projects;

• Providing $8.4 billion in public transit, which will save 10.3 million barrels of oil and create or preserve 252,000 jobs, with $1.5 billion set aside for expanding capacity and upgrades to existing transit systems;

• Investing $8 billion for new high speed rail projects.

====================================

60.) Solar Industry Poised to Create 119,000 Jobs Over the Next Two Years With Economic Recovery Package:

Solar Energy Industries Association, February 12, 2009

http://seia.org/cs/news_detail?pressrelease.id=344

Three provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 are critical for solar:

* Renewable Energy Grant Program: Offers Dept. of Energy grants equal to 30 percent of the cost of solar projects started in the next two years, including large-scale utility projects. This is a critical alternative to solar tax credits that are not functioning as Congress intended in the current economic climate.

* Loan Guarantee Program: Creates a new, streamlined loan guarantee program to support financing of renewable energy systems, including solar energy technology.

* Manufacturing Investment Credit: Creates a 30-percent investment tax credit for facilities engaged in the manufacture of renewable energy property or equipment.”

====================================

61.) Unprecedented Infusion of $20+ Billion in Recovery Package Is Focused on Making U.S. Economy More Energy Efficient:

Alliance to Save Energy, February 13, 2009

http://www.ase.org/content/news/detail/5389

Congress’ unprecedented infusion of more than $20 billion into energy efficiency programs will create jobs and cut carbon emissions while helping to lift the faltering U.S. economy. The energy efficiency measures in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 could create more than 100,000 jobs over the next two years and, over the life of the measures, reduce U.S. carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 200 million metric tons. The following provisions do the most to advance energy efficiency:

* $5 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program, which will go a long way in meeting President Obama’s goal of weatherizing one million homes per year while creating an estimated 32,000 jobs in the auditing and retrofitting industries;

* $4.5 billion to make 75 percent of federal buildings more energy efficient;

* $3.1 billion for the State Energy Program (SEP), which delivers important energy efficiency services and innovations in every state; the language contains incentives for states to adopt utility regulatory reform and stronger building energy codes; this program has the needed infrastructure to quickly absorb the new funding and create new jobs;

* $300 million for state matching grants for rebates to consumers who purchase higher-tier energy-efficient appliances;

* $3.2 billion for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) that will allow state and local governments to aggressively implement energy efficiency programs;

* $400 million of the EECBG funds to be awarded on a competitive basis; and

* More than $8 billion for state and local government investments in public transportation.

====================================

62.) U.S. Senator Bingaman's Renewables Bill Needs Strengthening to Realize Clean Energy Development Potential:

Union of Concerned Scientists, February 13, 2009

http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release/bingaman-renewables-bill-0196.html

U.S. Senator Bingaman's proposed renewable electricity standard, which would require utilities to generate 20 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2021, does not go far enough to realize the nation's potential for renewable energy generation. The Bingaman bill, for example, would exempt small- and medium-sized electric utilities from meeting the standard. In addition, the bill would allow utilities to meet as much as 25 percent of their requirement through potentially meaningless energy efficiency credits. Meanwhile, Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Todd Platts (R-Penn.) last week introduced a 25-percent-by-2025 renewable electricity standard that would add 135 percent more clean, renewable power in the United States above and beyond current state and federal policies.

===================================

63.) Clean Energy Patents at New High in 2008:

Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C., February 12, 2009

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/heslin-rothenberg-farley...

Patents in wind, fuel cells, hydroelectric, tidal and geothermal were up in 2008 over 2007 with hydroelectric and tidal patents being at all time highs as depicted. In contrast, solar patents decreased slightly in 2008 and continued at a relatively steady pace since 2005. Hybrid/electric vehicle and biomass/biofuel energy patents also fell in 2008. Honda again claimed the Clean Energy Patent crown in 2008 by edging General Motors out by two patents, and Honda leads overall since 2002.

===================================

64.) Western Massachusetts Electric Company to Launch Solar Energy Plan for Western Massachusetts:

SolarBuzz, February 13, 2009

http://www.solarbuzz.com/News/NewsNAGO381.htm

WMECO yesterday filed with the Department of Public Utilities a plan to implement an integrated, large-scale solar energy program in its service area that can begin to generate power from photovoltaic facilities as early as 2010. Under the Green Communities Act, ground-breaking legislation passed in 2008, electric distribution companies like WMECO are authorized to play a critical role in meeting the state's solar energy goal of developing 250 megawatts of installed solar by 2017. Under the Green Communities Act, WMECO is allowed to own up to 50 MW of solar facilities.

===================================

65.) Transmission for 20% Wind Would Save Consumers $12B Annually:

Wind Energy Weekly, February 13, 2009

http://www.awea.org/windenergyweekly/WEW1325.html#Article2

A study by the Joint Coordinated System Plan (JCSP) found that an investment in the power grid to enable wind to supply 20% of the electricity needs of the eastern U.S. would save consumers $12 billion annually, recovering capital costs in as little as seven years while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and making the power grid more reliable. The wind resources brought online by the upgraded transmission network would reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the Eastern U.S. by almost 3 billion tons per year—savings that would potentially be worth tens of billions of dollars under a carbon tax or cap-and-trade system. The study also found that the need for new coal-fired, baseload power plants would be cut in half under the wind and transmission scenario—dispelling the outdated assumption that renewable energy cannot reduce the need for such power. However, the cost of transmission needed under a scenario of only 5% wind energy penetration is still $50 billion.

===================================

66.) New Guide to Geothermal Energy Available:

Geothermal Energy Association, February 13, 2009

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/geothermal-energy-associ...

According to a new 50-page report "Geothermal 101: Basics of Geothermal Energy Production and Use," the U.S. now has about 3,000 MW of geothermal electricity connected to the grid. In addition, as of August 2008, almost 4,000 MW of new geothermal power plant capacity is under development. Worldwide, geothermal energy supplies more than 10,000 MW to 24 countries and now produces enough electricity to meet the needs of 60 million people. The report is currently available on the Geothermal Energy Association’s web site in parts at http://www.geo-energy.org/aboutGE.asp and is available to download in PDF format at http://www.geo-energy.org/publications/reports.asp.

=====================================

67.) United States Considers Ethanol Blend Increase:

Worldwatch Institute, by Ben Block, February 13, 2009

http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6017

The United States, the world's largest ethanol producer, is weighing options to boost domestic use of the controversial fuel, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Vilsack said he is discussing an increase in the blend target with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the department that controls the nation's biofuel standard. Ethanol demand has fallen since oil prices plunged following a peak last summer. Several ethanol producers have struggled ever since. An estimated 21 percent of U.S. ethanol production capacity is currently shut down. The United States currently allows gasoline to contain a maximum of 10.2 percent ethanol, most of which is produced from corn. Industry groups suggest that the EPA increase blend rates to 15-20 percent to expand demand.

=====================================

68.) U.S. Corn For Ethanol To Rise, Growth To Slow:

Reuters, February 13, 2009

http://planetark.org/wen/51599

U.S. corn used to produce ethanol will increase in 2009/10, but beyond that, growth is forecast to slow with demand mirroring changes in gasoline consumption, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA projected 4.2 billion bushels of corn will be used to produce ethanol in 2009/10, an increase from 3.6 billion bushels forecasted for the current year. Overall, ethanol is forecast to command about 33 percent of the corn crop compared to 30 percent in 2008/09. The projection assumes a tax credit is available to ethanol blenders and a 54-cent-per-gallon tariff on imported ethanol remains.