California has approved the nation’s first carbon fee on polluting industries, as well as the country’s most aggressive energy plan. In a whirlwind of new environmental regulations, it also has adopted a regulation for more stringent controls of chemically-created consumer products such as air fresheners, paint thinners and multi-purpose solvents, and has proposed tighter restrictions [...]
Posts Tagged ‘California’
California Initiates Carbon Fee on Polluting Industries – Nation’s First
Monday, September 28th, 20095 Next Steps for Smart Grid Standards
Monday, September 28th, 2009
In a crucial step for the smart grid industry, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released its smart grid standards road map last week, which revealed close to 80 standards that will serve as the building blocks for the nascent industry. OK, cool…so now what? The 90-page plan is actually just a very early step in the smart grid standardization process. Here are five more steps that need to happen to put the industry on the right path.
1. Certification and Testing: Standards on their own aren’t sufficient, explains the road map — “A testing and certification regime is essential.” In other words, after the proper standards are identified, the industry needs to have a process through which hardware and software are proven to be compatible and based on the individual standards.
Certification and testing groups are common in the Internet and telecom industries. For example, the Wi-Fi Alliance certifies Wi-Fi equipment based on the 802.11 standard to make sure that all wireless gear that says it’s using Wi-Fi is actually based on that industry standard. NIST says it has started work on developing an overall framework for testing and
certification and plans to initiate steps toward implementing that framework in 2010. That development process will include looking at the current organizations that already certify and test gear in the energy and IT industries.
2. Public Comment Period: Now that this initial draft of the smart grid standards road map has been released, the public has 30 days to comment on it and the standards still under consideration. While the road map identifies 77 smart grid standards (31 official standards and 46 still under review), the report notes that there will be hundreds of standards that will eventually guide the industry. In particular, some in the industry have been concerned that some of the 46 standards that were placed on the “under consideration” list for the road map are actually very crucial for the industry. But given the hurried pace and condensed time line of the process, we’re expecting the important industry standards to make it onto the official list eventually.
3. How to Make Energy Info Available to Consumers: The report notes that given that public utility commissions in California and Texas are mandating that consumers have access to their energy information by 2010, a standard format and method for displaying and storing this data are needed quickly. A standard to guide energy information, making sure the data is easy to read and access, could potentially help consumers curb their energy consumption habits more effectively. In the road map, NIST declared that an energy information standard is one of the important areas that needs an action plan, and it expects to create a definition for the standard by October 2009 and an initial specification of the standard by January 2010.
4. Smart Grid Security: Because increasing the complexity, the amount of connections, the number of entry points, and the digital intelligence of the power grid can cause more vulnerabilities, NIST has decided to approach security with additional groups and frameworks. NIST has established the Smart Grid Cyber Security Coordination Task Group, which has over 200 members and is responsible for helping create the NISTIR 7,628 Smart Grid Cyber Security Strategy and Requirements, a 200-page document that is supposed to be available before the end of 2009. The document, which will also under go a public comment period, will look at the risks, definitions and strategies to combat smart grid vulnerabilities.
5. Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Panel: The recently published road map is Phase I of NIST’s three-phase smart grid standards plan. Phase II involves creating an interoperability standards panel, which NIST says will be developed before the end of 2009. NIST says the panel will be responsible for delivering “a more permanent process with stakeholder representation to support the ongoing evolution of the Smart Grid Interoperability Framework.” The group will find and work on holes in the standards framework and help keep the standards updated.
Image courtesy of Flickr creative commons.
Subscribe to GigaOM Pro and gain access to our Webinar, “Biggest Opportunities in the Smart Grid,” on Oct. 7, 2009.
Energy Bill Update: Senate Version Coming This Week, But Pessimism Remains
Monday, September 28th, 2009
The most important U.S. energy legislation, which will put a price on carbon emissions, could be introduced in the Senate as early as Wednesday of this week. Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and California Sen. Barbara Boxer plan to introduce a version of the energy bill into the Senate that will look very similar to legislation the House passed back in June, according to Reuters, which quoted anonymous sources.
But despite the likely introduction of the bill this week, many policy watchers aren’t optimistic that it will pass the Senate and get signed into law before the international negotiations in Copenhagen in early December. The Senate has other issues it’s focusing on like health care, which as the Houston Chronicle notes, is being given a higher priority by “top Democratic leaders.”
Republicans as well as some conservative Democrats in the Senate also appear to be unified in opposition against an energy bill in this economic climate. If the Senate legislation looks similar to the House version, we can expect significant opposition to it, as well as a drawn-out negotiation process.
But the rub is that if the U.S. doesn’t pass this climate legislation in 2009 and before the international climate negotiations, which kick off Dec. 7, the negotiations will be seriously negatively effected. While John Holdren, White House science and technology director, tried to downplay to a group of reporters last week the effect of not passing the bill in time for Copenhagen, the situation is clearly urgent. As Al Gore explained last week at the Clinton Global Initiative’s annual meeting in New York, the success of Copenhagen hinges on the Senate’s progress on legislation that would limit the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. “The road to Copenhagen goes through the U.S. Senate,” Gore said.
Without U.S. legislation that puts a price on carbon, Copenhagen won’t have the teeth that many were hoping it would. European leaders are already upset. The European Union’s ambassador to the U.S., John Bruton, recently accused the Senate of “dragging its feet” and threatening the international negotiations. If the Senate doesn’t act on the energy bill within 2009, it “would open the United States to the charge that it does not take its international commitments seriously, and that these commitments will always take second place to domestic politics,” Bruton told the Wall Street Journal. Harsh, but true.
Subscribe to GigaOM Pro and gain access to our Webinar, “Biggest Opportunities in the Smart Grid,” on Oct. 7, 2009.
Female Bugs ‘Make Out’ to Attract Males That Can Stomach It
Monday, September 28th, 2009The tropical citrus root weevil or sugarcane root stalk borer weevil (diaprepes abbreviatus) is a pest accidentally introduced to the state of Florida in 1964. Since 2005, it’s also been spotted in California not only devouring citrus, avocado and potato roots, but also engaging in some cunning…
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AstroTurf Ordered to Curtail Lead Use
Monday, September 28th, 2009AstroTurf will reduce the lead content in its product as the result of a recent California lawsuit.
Juice Up Your Roadster for Free!
Monday, September 28th, 2009
For the next few months, Tesla Roadster owners can charge their battery for free along California’s Highway 101. Five charging stations between San Francisco and Los Angeles have been installed by SolarCity. Though they are currently only compatible with Roadsters, universal plugs are on their way in the next few months, making Highway 101 an electric highway.
The charging stations are located at Rabobank parking lots in Salinas, Atascadero, Santa Maria and Goleta, and one station is located in a parking garage in San Luis Obispo. The Santa Maria station is powered by a 30 kW solar array, while the rest are grid-powered.
While the stations are only able to service Roadsters, the electricity will be free, but once they’re outfitted with universal plugs, the charge will come at a cost. The stations are fast-charging with 240V, 70 amps and a charge-time of three and half hours for the Roadster.
via Inhabitat
SolarCity announces sun-powered electric vehicle charging network
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Solar
Electric vehicle drivers in sunny California can now look forward to getting some solar-powered juice for their rides. SolarCity and Rabobank are partnering up to install a series of EV quick-charging locations along Highway 101 between San Francisco and Los Angeles, one of which is already solar-powered. Four chargers have been installed – and are in operation – in Salinas, Atascadero, Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo. A fifth charger will be up and running in Goleta by the middle of October. The Santa Maria station is powered by a 30kW solar array. The units are all High-Power Connector fast chargers that provide 240V, 70 amps and can fully recharge a Tesla Roadster in about three-and-a-half hours. Currently, the charging stations will only connect to a Roadster, but SolarCity plans to retrofit these chargers to fit all EVs in the near future.
This is just the beginning of a solar EV charging network that SolarCity and Rabobank want to install in the area. SolarCity owns and operates four of the charging stations in the current network (all installed at Rabobank locations); the San Luis Obispo location is owned by the city and is located at a parking garage.
There’s a reason SolarCity is so interested in making it easier for Roadsters to get from SF to LA. SolarCity is Tesla Motor’s preferred solar partner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk provided the principal financing for SolarCity.
Gallery: Solarcity Rabobank Charging Network
[Source: SolarCity]
Continue reading SolarCity announces sun-powered electric vehicle charging network
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Sungevity Raises Funds, Appoints New Senior Executives to Help Bring Solar Online
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009BERKELEY, Calif., Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ — Leading online solar provider Sungevity announced today that it has raised an additional million led by Greener Capital, a new venture capital firm.
Charles Finnie, managing partner in Greener Capital, said. “This is the best business model we have seen in the residential solar space. Sungevity’s unique web-based direct selling model has enabled the potential for rapid deployment, great customer service and scalability at the lowest installed cost in the industry. We are excited to invest in Sungevity, as solar power becomes competitive with grid electricity across the US.”
Finnie will join the Sungevity Board. The company has also added three key members to its executive team, doubled its salesforce, and plans to enter three new geographies by the end of the year.
“We’re very pleased to welcome such a remarkable group to Sungevity,” said Danny Kennedy, president and cofounder of the company. “We believe that the support from Greener Capital and our growing world class team will be a tremendous boost to our mission of giving more customers greater access to solar electricity. We’re making going solar easy, an excellent investment and a smart way for you to reduce carbon pollution.”
Joining Sungevity are:
- Charles Ferer, CFO. Most recently Ferer served as CFO for SolarCity, the US’s largest solar installer, where he helped raise over M in tax equity and launch a successful solar leasing program. He has more than 20 years of experience for companies including Gap and PepsiCo. Ferer has a B.A. in Economics from the University of Puget Sound, and an MBA in Finance from Indiana University.
- Daphne Li, COO. Li has held key leadership positions in marketing, product management, strategy and M&A at ADP and Apple. As Chief Strategy Officer and VP, Marketing for DoveBid, she helped start up business online auctions and grew revenue from M to 0M. She currently sits on KQED’s board. Li has a B.A. in Economics and an MBA, both from Stanford.
- Ariel Tseitlin, VP, Technology and Product Development. Tseitlin was most recently the Founder & CEO of CTOWorks, a software consultancy advising early-stage start-ups on their technology strategy. Prior to CTOWorks, Tseitlin was the VP of Engineering at Playboox, a SaaS CRM start-up. Tseitlin has also held senior management positions at Oracle and Siebel Systems. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from UC Berkeley and an MBA with Honors from Wharton.
“With our easy online service, we have the lowest-cost way of getting solar power into American homes,” said Andrew Birch, CEO and cofounder of Sungevity. “Now we have the team and resources to make sunshine online available to millions of home-owners.”
Sungevity launched to the public in April of 2008 and has quickly become a leading provider of residential solar in California with its unique online solar sales offering. It is the only company to provide firm online quotes and make sales a site visit. Sungevity’s solar sales process reduces costs by around 10% by removing the need for technicians to visit a home, enabling consumers to go solar more efficiently than ever before. Sungevity has provided thousands of solar quotes to homeowners across the state, offering a more affordable way for consumers to reduce their carbon emissions with a positive long-term investment.
Get a quote by going online to www.Sungevity.com or by calling 877.257.8648.
Ethos Green Energy Asset Finance Announces First Renewable Energy Loan Secured Primarily by Newly Created Federal Grant Payments
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ethos Green Energy Asset Finance LLC, the leading collateral-based lender serving a niche market of renewable energy developers, today announced an agreement to extend a 0,000 loan to Solar America LLC, the first renewable energy loan secured primarily by newly available federal grant payments made in lieu of tax credits.
On July 30, 2009 the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Energy began accepting applications to pay renewable energy developers 30 percent cash back on the entire value of the system once installed. The program converts an already existing federal tax credit into direct cash payments in the form of a non-qualifying grant. This program is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
“Ethos was created to offer collateralized loans to bundled residential and commercial renewable energy developers of 10-200 kilowatt (kW) systems in rebate-rich West Coast markets,” said Adam Boucher, founder of Ethos Green Energy Asset Finance. “We have been eagerly anticipating Treasury’s announcement regarding the procedures for renewable energy developers to apply for these cash payments so that we could begin making this type of loan.”
Solar America LLC, in a joint venture with Broadstreet Energy Corp., will use the Ethos loan to support its development of residential and commercial solar initiatives and extend its capacity in the Los Angeles market. Solar America’s current installations and future projects include a combination of residential, non-profits (churches, synagogues, mosques, etc.), and commercial (manufacturing facilities) across the greater Los Angeles region, including the San Fernando Valley, West L.A. / Hollywood, and Northridge.
“Our focus is the City of Los Angeles utility customers and these funds help us to install solar systems with almost no upfront cost to the customer,” said Ahmad Yakub, founder and CEO of Broadstreet Energy Corp.
“This loan is an industry first and reflects Ethos’ innovative lending model, which we believe will play a critical role in addressing America’s energy, economic and environmental challenges,” noted Boucher.
Operating on the cutting edge of the ARRA legislation, Ethos aims to provide financing for a diversified portfolio of niche market bundled residential and commercial renewable energy producers in areas such as solar, solar thermal, waste energy recovery, biomass and small wind. Since Ethos accepts these new federal payments as a source of collateral for renewable energy loans, Ethos can now help many small energy developers overcome the lack of funding for renewable energy projects that require loan amounts from 0,000 to million.
Historically, the niche market that Ethos serves — renewable energy producers building systems between 10 kW and 200 kW — has been underserved by the financial industry. The typical developer in this area of the green energy marketplace lacks the capital to deploy its renewable energy systems, a necessary step to qualifying for rebates and other government backed financial incentives. Banks will not extend loans without proof of historical cash flow, venture capital and hedge funds generally seek more volatile growth potential, and large private lenders seldom consider loan requests under million.
By loaning against a new class of assets — the credits and rebates available for renewable energy production in the federal government’s recent energy incentive package, combined with existing incentives offered by states such as California, Arizona and Oregon — Ethos can, in some cases, finance up to 100 percent or more of the cost of a renewable energy project.
BrightSource Plans for Larger Buildout in Nevada
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009BrightSource Energy has
struck a preliminary deal with Coyote Springs Land Co. in Nevada to
expand a previous land lease agreement and increase the size of its
solar thermal power development to 960 megawatts from 600 megawatts.
The latest deal calls for building solar thermal power plants in a
12-square-mile zone within Coyote Spring’s property in Lincoln County.
Back in March this year, Oakland, Calif.-based BrightSource had signed a deal with the same landowner to build 600 megawatts within a 6-square-mile area.
BrightSource declined to disclose the financial terms of the deal.
Land is a hot commodity among solar thermal power developers, who
typically build large projects with hundreds of megawatts in generation
capacity in one location. Properties managed by the federal Bureau of
Land Management in eastern California, Arizona and other southwestern
states have been popular choices.
The rush to develop on BLM land, which typically comes with cheaper
leases than renting or buying private properties, has elicited strong
opposition from environmental and recreational activities groups.
Environmentalists have pushed for the development of power plants on
previously tilled or otherwise used properties instead of pristine
sites.
BrightSource was embroiled in such a dispute when it previously
proposed to build on a site in eastern Mojave Desert that was part of
600,000 acres a nonprofit conservation group bought and donated to the
Interior Department for preservation.
The conservation group, the Wildlands Conservancy, has since turned
to U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) for help. Feinstein has
indicated she would introduce a legislation to turn the property into a
national monument, a designation that would prevent any renewable
energy development.
BrightSource abandoned its plan in
that eastern Mojave location a few months ago. It has another project
on public land in the Mojave, in Ivanpah, that is still under
development. The plan to is to start building the project, which has a
total generation capacity of 400 megawatts, in early 2010.
The company has been keen on finding project sites on both public
and private properties. It plans to build power plants on Coyote
Springs land and sell the electricity to Coyote Springs as well
utilities/communities in southern Nevada and California.
Sungevity Raises $6M
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009
Sungevity has raised million in equity and hired new executives to help it expand its business. Greener Capital led the round, said the Berkeley, Calif.-based installer of solar energy systems. Sungevity also hired Charles Ferer as chief financial officer. Ferer
served the same role at SolarCity, one of California’s largest
installer headquartered in Foster City. Daphne Li also is joining Sungevity as its chief operation officer.
Li was the chief strategy officer and vice president of marketing at
DoveBid, which helps companies assess and sell their assets. Li helped
launched an online auction business there and grew the sales from
million to 0 million, according to Sungevity.
The solar installer also has hired Ariel Tseitlin as its vice
president of technology and product development. Tseitlin came from
CTOWorks, a software consulting firm he founded and headed as chief
executive. Aside from selling its installation services to residential customers, Sungevity has devoted resources into developing software and services to generate a list of potential customers for other installers. The company uses satellite images of those likely customers’
rooftops to help layout the design of a solar energy system in order to
provide a cost estimates. This approach saves the time and money
involved in sending staff for a site visit. Most of the site visits
don’t generate contracts because consumers tend to shop around.
Drumbeat: September 23, 2009
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009Michael Klare: Life after the Age of Oil
There can be no question that Barack Obama and many members of Congress would like to accelerate a shift from oil dependency to non-polluting alternatives. As the president said in January, “We will commit ourselves to steady, focused, pragmatic pursuit of an America that is free from our [oil] dependence and empowered by a new energy economy that puts millions of our citizens to work.” Indeed, the 7 billion economic stimulus package he signed in February provided billion to modernize the nation’s electrical grid, billion in tax incentives to businesses to invest in renewable energy, billion to states for energy efficiency initiatives, and billions more directed to research on renewable sources of energy. More of the same can be expected if a sweeping climate bill is passed by Congress. The version of the bill recently passed by the House of Representatives, for example, mandates that 20% of US electrical production be supplied by renewable energy by 2020.
But here’s the bad news: even if all these initiatives were to pass, and more like them many times over, it would still take decades for this country to substantially reduce its dependence on oil and other non-renewable, polluting fuels. So great is our demand for energy, and so well-entrenched the existing systems for delivering the fuels we consume, that (barring a staggering surprise) we will remain for years to come in a no-man’s-land between the Petroleum Age and an age that will see the great flowering of renewable energy. Think of this interim period as — to give it a label — the Era of Xtreme Energy, and in just about every sense imaginable from pricing to climate change, it is bound to be an ugly time.
Dust storm blankets Sydney as drought bites
SYDNEY (Reuters) – A huge outback dust storm swept eastern Australia and blanketed Sydney on Wednesday, disrupting transport, forcing people indoors and stripping thousands of tonnes of valuable farmland topsoil.
The dust blacked out the outback town of Broken Hill on Tuesday, forcing a zinc mine to shut down, and swept 1,167 km (725 miles) east to shroud Sydney in a red glow on Wednesday.
By noon on Wednesday the storm, carrying an estimated 5 million tonnes of dust, had spread to the southern part of Australia’s tropical state of Queensland.
Burgan, fabled Kuwait oil field in irreversible decline with high water cut
Production from the world’s second-largest oil field may decline without the help of international oil companies. Kuwait, which produces 2.2 million bbl/day, has failed to renew agreements with several international oil companies including BP and Chevron. The Burgan, second in size only to Ghawar in Saudi Arabia, has an estimated capacity of 1.4-1.5 million bbl/day. It possibly could have been maintained for more than 10 years. Without expertise the production will decline in five years.
Report: China selling fuel to Iran
A newspaper report says Chinese state companies are supplying petrol to Iran, a development that could undermine US-led efforts aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
The report is based on unnamed oil traders and bankers.
Total May Get Russian Bids for European Refineries, Chief Says
(Bloomberg) — Total SA, the French oil refiner seeking to reduce surplus capacity, said Russian companies may bid for European plants as they pursue expansion abroad.
“They have a market to develop in Europe and may be interested to buy when we are interested to sell,” Chief Executive Officer Christophe de Margerie said today in a Bloomberg Television interview in New York. “We could do win- win deals with companies like Russians.”
Asheville to lead goal of averting another gas crisis
ASHEVILLE — Fear of gas shortages similar to 2008, when Western North Carolina motorists sat in line for hours sometimes only to find empty pumps, is now spurring counties and towns to create a regional supply plan.
U.K. Reaches Deal on Ivory Coast Toxic Waste Claim
LONDON (AP) — A British court approved Wednesday the settlement of thousands of claims against oil-trading company Trafigura Beheer BV related to the dumping of toxic waste around the Ivory Coast’s main city of Abidjan.
As part of the settlement, Leigh Day & Co., the law firm that represented some 30,000 Ivorians, withdrew allegations that a number of deaths and miscarriages had resulted from the incident three years ago.
Batteries approach energy density limit
Existing battery chemistries are approaching the limits of their energy densities, creating the potential for a “power shortage” as increasingly smaller portable electronics products make growing demands on cells, says analyst NextGen Research.
Power pooling can aid Africa economies: African Union
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Power must be shared across Africa so the world’s poorest continent can beat an energy crisis that is costing its economies billions of dollars, the African Union (AU) energy chief said on Wednesday.
Power shortages are common in many African nations and can shut down industries and hamper investment, even though the continent is sitting on abundant resources of solar, hydro, oil, gas, coal and geothermal power.
“We are strongly encouraging strategies of interconnectivity that can help economies grow more quickly,” said Elham Ibrahim, infrastructure and energy commissioner of the 53-member state pan-African organisation.
Tom Friedman’s Idiocy Atomique
France’s atomic power industry is a failed radioactive flame. Its 58 reactors are unpopular, unsafe, uneconomical, dirty, direct agents of global warming, weapons proliferators and major generators of atomic waste for which there is no management solution.
But self-proclaimed “green advocate” Thomas Friedman seems to think otherwise. In his just published New York Times op ed “Real Men Tax Gas” Friedman applies the term “wimp” to those who fail to fight global warming. But in true corporate style, he can’t face the hard truths about France’s industrie atomique.
Our emotions can lead us astray when assessing risks, says new CU-Boulder study
If you find yourself more concerned about highly publicized dangers that grab your immediate attention such as terrorist attacks, while forgetting about the more mundane threats such as global warming, you’re not alone.
And you can’t help it because it’s human nature, according to a new study led by University of Colorado at Boulder psychology Professor Leaf Van Boven. That’s because people tend to view their immediate emotions, such as their perceptions of threats or risks, as more intense and important than their previous emotions.
Obama wants worldwide end of fossil fuel subsidies
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is calling on the world to end massive government subsidies that encourage the use of fossil fuels blamed for global warming.
The president, who is set to host the G-20 economic summit opening Thursday in Pittsburgh, will propose a gradual elimination, with the time frame to be determined, according to White House officials.
“Later this week, I will work with my colleagues at the G-20 to phase out fossil fuel subsidies so that we can better address our climate challenge,” Obama said Tuesday at the United Nations global warming summit.
Mike Froman, Obama’s national security adviser for economic affairs, said the main value of the proposal would be if it were multilateral. He declined to say if Obama was willing to go it alone and try to eliminate such subsidies just in the United States.
Major Oil Discoveries Spur Energy Outlook Debate
Massive new oil discoveries have enthused investors and analysts alike, but with oil’s near-term supply at multi-decade highs and its price climbing above a barrel, energy faces mixed signals.
The finds have oil enthusiasts debating the theory of peak oil. But no matter the future, several companies stand to benefit.
Anadarko Petroleum Corp.’s (APC) discovery off the coast of West Africa last week marks the third major find this month, following BP PLC’s (BP.LN) discovery in the Gulf of Mexico and Petroleo Brasileiro SA’s (PBR) off the coast of Brazil.
The discoveries will take years to cultivate and develop but are a welcome sign to those who feared a supply shortage could ensue if the global economy recovers faster than anticipated.
Chinese takeaway is paid for with American dollars
The Chinese understand the “peak everything” argument. They are not just worried about peak oil, they are concerned about the fact that the world has run up against the limits of its resources. Their officials were shaken by the spike in oil and food prices last year before the financial crisis hit. In comparison, they seemed to be quite unfazed by the financial crisis. They were much more concerned with the prospect of the world — and therefore China — running out of the hard material which makes the economy tick.
Speaking to some of its top officials, it was evident that they had thought about how they might secure resources and after a few hours talking to them, the strategy became clear.
Something every American should realize: the end might be near
Aside from the climate change debate, it is a fact that sooner rather than later a world wide shift in energy policy is inevitable as many experts foresee peak oil merely years away, if not already reached.
China has already made it possible for a solar energy industry to thrive economically in its borders. Not only that the developing nation has committed to increasing the use of non-fossil fuels and nuclear power to 15 percent in 10 years.
Who’s Looking At Natural Gas Now? Big Oil
In the energy world, Big Oil has long been the key player — with one notable exception: The natural gas business in the United States is dominated by small, independent companies. More than 80 percent of U.S. natural gas supplies are produced by companies with a market capitalization of less than 0 million. On average, these companies have only a dozen employees.
But their business is booming. New production techniques in recent years have enabled companies to extract natural gas from shale rock formations deep underground. As a result, estimates of accessible natural gas reserves have been revised dramatically upward. Small gas producers can justifiably take the credit for the transformation of their industry.
Commods rally won’t last unless demand recovers
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Commodities have outperformed the expectations of many analysts who bet on an anemic recovery after last year’s crash, but the climb could start slowing if investors seek more proof the recession is over.
A declining dollar and rallying equities markets have sparked wariness about potential inflation and drawn investors into commodities.
But many wonder whether actual demand for commodities will materialize with the United States losing hundreds of thousands of jobs a month. Investors may want to see improvement in the U.S. employment market, vital to the global economy, before pushing prices of raw materials higher.
Total Targets Petrobras Partnership for Brazil Growth
(Bloomberg) — Total SA, Europe’s third-largest oil producer, is studying expansion in Brazil as part of a plan to reverse falling output by developing new projects.
Decision due soon on Arctic Ocean oil drilling
A group of more than 400 scientists also is joining the public push against Arctic drilling. In a letter to the president timed to the deadline for offshore oil comments, a large group of biologists, oceanographers and other scientists warned that profound physical and biological changes in the Arctic Ocean connected to the rapid shrinking of sea ice leave too many unanswered questions to proceed with new oil and gas development.
Seismic surveys disturb blue whales: biologists
PARIS (AFP) – Seismic surveys used for oil and gas prospecting on the sea floor are a disturbance for blue whales, the world’s biggest animal and one of its rarest species, biologists reported on Wednesday.
Emphasis on Growth Is Called Misguided
Among the possible casualties of the Great Recession are the gauges that economists have traditionally relied upon to assess societal well-being. So many jobs have disappeared so quickly and so much life savings has been surrendered that some argue the economic indicators themselves have been exposed as inadequate.
In a provocative new study, a pair of Nobel prize-winning economists, Joseph E. Stiglitz and Amartya Sen, urge the adoption of new assessment tools that incorporate a broader concern for human welfare than just economic growth. By their reckoning, much of the contemporary economic disaster owes to the misbegotten assumption that policy makers simply had to focus on nurturing growth, trusting that this would maximize prosperity for all.
France against fuel sanctions on Iran: foreign minister
PARIS (AFP) – France’s foreign minister said in an interview Wednesday he was not in favour of plans mooted by some US lawmakers to impose fuel sanctions on Iran to make it come clean on its nuclear programme.
“I think this is a bit dangerous,” Bernard Kouchner told the International Herald Tribune.
Baluchistan violence thwarts gas prospects
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (UPI) — Guerrilla attacks in the Pakistani province of Baluchistan targeting the gas sector are responsible for a declining regional economy, a study shows.
A government economic report on Baluchistan province obtained by the Pakistani Daily Times describes a declining security situation as the primary factor to obstacles in the exploration of gas productivity.
Kurdistan Oil Spat With DNO Signals New Risk to Iraq Projects
(Bloomberg) — DNO International ASA’s suspension from producing oil in Iraq highlights the risks for explorers seeking to tap the world’s third-largest reserves.
The Kurdistan regional government shut down operations at Oslo-based DNO, the first foreign company to pump crude in Iraq since the 1970s, for as many as six weeks after its role in a share transaction was disclosed by the Oslo exchange amid an investigation of the deal. The government said on Sept. 21 that DNO must act to repair the damage to its reputation after it was fined by the bourse for a delay in providing information.
Iraq in danger of missing Shell deadline: spokesman
BAGHDAD (AFP) – Iraq risks missing a one-year deadline to strike a deal with energy giant Royal Dutch Shell for a four-billion-dollar gas production deal in southern Iraq, a government spokesman told AFP on Tuesday.
Utility Snubbed by Banks Shows States Pay Too Much for Credit
(Bloomberg) — East Bay Municipal Utility District in Oakland, California, which hasn’t missed a bond payment in 86 years, is being told by banks that its credit isn’t as good as companies that Moody’s Investors Service says are 90 times more likely to default.
While the public utility serves more than 1 million residents and has the highest AAA debt rating, lenders for a 0 million credit line want to charge East Bay as much as triple what banks are seeking from California Water Service Group on a similar facility. The investor-owned company’s bonds are ranked AA-, three levels lower.
The search for funds by East Bay is an example of how state and local governments, which almost never default because they can raise taxes and fees, routinely allow taxpayers to pay more than they have to when borrowing. The utility’s operating revenue rose about 6 percent to 0 million in the year ended June 30 after a 3.75 percent water-rate increase and drought surcharge, according to its annual report.
St Petersburg OKs skyscraper by Russian gas giant
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – Russia’s state natural gas giant Gazprom has won approval to build a skyscraper in St. Petersburg that critics say will ruin the city’s protected skyline.
The city council on Tuesday approved plans for building the 400-meter (1,300-foot) structure — more than three times as tall as the St. Peter and Paul Cathedral that now is the city’s tallest building.
Sustainable investment seen gaining momentum
LONDON (Reuters) – Investing in socially and environmentally responsible companies or sectors which tackle climate change or resource scarcity is gaining momentum as it offers a unique diversifying opportunity, fund manager RCM says. Sustainability investment is an approach designed to pick companies which manage environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks.
U.S. awards 0 million in renewable energy grants
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. government on Tuesday awarded 0 million in grants to develop renewable energy projects to help double U.S. renewable energy production over the next few years, an Obama administration goal.
The grants will pay cash to companies in lieu of tax credits to support solar, wind, biomass and other renewable energy production facilities.
Canada’s wind industry aims high
TORONTO (Reuters) – Canada’s wind energy sector has the lofty goal of supplying 20 percent of the country’s electricity by 2025, but that target is out of reach without better financial and policy support, say industry executives.
There is more than mounting concern for the environment at stake, say wind companies attending the Canadian Wind Energy Association conference in Toronto this week.
Canada must bolster its wind business now because the cost of power from aging coal- and natural gas-fired generators is likely to climb with a move to carbon taxes, while the economic of wind energy are seen improving.
German Nuclear Plants’ Future at Stake in Merkel Election Fight
(Bloomberg) — Angela Seidler, a 41-year-old tour guide at E.ON AG’s Grafenrheinfeld nuclear-power plant in southern Germany, may have to find a new career before she retires.
“There are about six years of work” until the plant reaches a government-mandated production limit, Seidler said. After that, she said, “it’s over for Grafenrheinfeld” — unless voters grant a reprieve in Sept. 27 elections.
Italy Nuclear Power Plan May Cost EU40 Billion, Sole Reports
(Bloomberg) — Italy’s plan to increase nuclear power may cost 40 billion euros ( billion,) Enel SpA Chief Executive Officer Fulvio Conti told daily Il Sole 24 Ore.
Italy will probably need about eight reactors that will cost as much as 5 billion euros each, Conti said, according to the newspaper.
New Russian nuclear plant worries residents
SOVETSK (AFP) – Russia’s plans to build a nuclear power plant in its Baltic territory of Kaliningrad, hemmed in between Poland and Lithuania, has local residents and environmentalists worried.
Silicon Valley reinvents the lowly brick
NEWARK, California (Reuters) – Forget microchips.
Silicon Valley sees a profitable future in the humble brick thanks to a low-energy production process that illustrates the greening of the U.S. technology capital.
Senator would drop land-use from U.S. biofuels rule
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A senator from the U.S. Corn Belt filed an amendment on Tuesday that would bar federal regulators from considering how land is used overseas when they write rules to expand use of biofuels.
The home of America’s worst commute
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Of all the commuters in America, residents of a small town in eastern Pennsylvania spend the most time behind the wheel, according to the Census Bureau.
Commuters living in the area of East Stroudsburg, a town near the New Jersey border, averaged 40.6 minutes from home to work or vice versa, according to the 2008 Census report released Monday.
Ford Motor Unveils First Small Car In India
NEW DELHI -(Dow Jones)- Ford Motor Co. Wednesday unveiled the Figo – its first small car to be produced in India – as the U.S. automaker seeks to gain a foothold in the emerging South Asian car market and make the country a global production hub for small cars.
The four-door hatchback will be produced at Ford India’s factory in the port city of Chennai, the company said.
Ford said the Figo – which is colloquial Italian for “cool” – will be sold in India and exported to international markets.
D.C. train crash probe prompts nationwide rail alert
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Federal safety investigators said Tuesday they fear flaws found in Washington’s Metro subway system after a deadly crash this summer may endanger other transit systems, and they sent out an urgent recommendation asking that other rail operators check for similar problems.
ARC’s ‘green’ transport plan ignores reality
Regional transport strategists aim to reduce private car use by developing a “more sustainable urban form”. Their first stated goal is to “support and contribute to a compact and contained urban form consisting of centres, corridors and rural settlements”. Their other goals and priorities flow from that fundamental mistake.
Auckland is not and never will be a “compact and contained urban form”. Its environment and terrain invite sprawl. The regional plan has been trying for 10 years to contain coastal ribbon development and force population growth into higher-density concentrations near railway stations.
Aucklanders have resisted for good reason. They have come to the region for its coastlines and climate. Planners of land use and transport need to work with the demonstrable demand, not against it.
Energy Security and Climate Change
The shorter the timeframe for reducing fossil fuel dependence of the economy and society, the higher the costs and greater the complexity. Large spending on energy transition, added to current and massive deficit spending to bail out the bank, finance and insurance sector (and other industries), appears convergent, and coherent to political deciders.
High oil prices are held to be bad for inflation and economic growth; the fossil fuels are not only declining and higher cost, but also high carbon; renewable and alternate energy sources and systems are local, more secure, and in some cases may be less expensive than fossil energy; the green economy may be able to generate more jobs than are destroyed by winding down the fossil-based economy, and so on.
I wondered, then, whether the environmental debate could truly be taking this direction, and, if it were not, whether this might be an opportune time to turn it this way. It was nearly five years ago that I discovered the peak oil debate, and at the time, it was all doom and gloom. In fact, Matt Savinar’s primer, The Oil Age Is Over (sadly now out of print), ends with a discussion about the depression one typically suffers after the penny drops about peak oil. Arguably, though, the debate is still one of doom and gloom today, and the purists among us are only too ready to howl down anything touted as a solution.
We can do better.
Local Dirt aims to help focus on local food
SAN DIEGO–Earlier this summer, I wrote about the blossoming transition movement, in which local communities around the country and the world are beginning to prepare themselves for a post-peak oil world.
One of the best ways for communities to do this is to focus on local food supplies. With oil prices at peak prices, it won’t be economical to truck in food from around the country, and those that do continue such a dependence are likely to experience major financial problems.
But those towns and cities that do put an emphasis on building more sustainable local food infrastructures are the ones that are going to be in the best position to take care of themselves with as little outside assistance as possible.
Halt the sprawl once and for all and we’ll be able to protect and restore the ragged biodiversity and watersheds surrounding our cities. The reckless paving-over of essential peri-urban agricultural land can also come to an end as we recall farmers and market gardeners to their central place in community life.
Electrifying public transport by installing light rail along strategic corridors will lighten our vulnerability to rising oil prices and help prevent the horror of future oil wars. Demoting private cars from their pre-eminent position in the planning hierarchy will improve public health and reduce obesity, because every public transport trip starts with a walk or a cycle.
Brazil plants trees as Rio mounts ‘green’ Olympics bid
RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) – Brazilians have planted more than 3,000 trees in Rio de Janeiro to offset carbon dioxide emissions as the city goes green in its bid to host the 2016 summer Olympics.
Poland, Estonia Win Challenge to CO2-Emission Limits
(Bloomberg) — Poland and Estonia won court challenges to European Union limits on carbon-dioxide emissions for energy and manufacturing companies, pulling down the price of EU pollution allowances as much as 5 percent.
The European Court of First Instance in Luxembourg said today that the European Commission has “very restricted” authority to review national plans for allocating CO2 permits in the EU emissions-trading system, the world’s biggest greenhouse- gas market. The commission set stricter CO2-allowance limits on Poland and Estonia than the two countries sought.
Deal on climate change is elusive
Two years ago, more than 180 nations made a bold promise: By the end of 2009, they would draft a sweeping treaty to slow climate change.
Yvo de Boer, the United Nations’ top climate-change official, called the agreement “a real breakthrough,” and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown expressed confidence it would produce “a deal … in 2009 to address the defining challenge of our time.”
Now the deadline is nearing, and hope is fading. The treaty is supposed to be finalized at talks that start Dec. 7 in Copenhagen, but diplomats have made almost no progress toward an agreement — a point made repeatedly by world leaders Tuesday at the U.N. climate summit in New York.
Climate change – where the centre leads
Analysis by Lord Stern and many others has shown that the economic case for taking measures now to mitigate and adapt to climate change is overwhelming.
The meetings this month in New York and Pittsburgh should focus on this.
The importance of these meetings can hardly be overstated. Success at December’s UN climate meeting in Copenhagen, where leaders will gather with the hope of reaching a new global agreement, will be determined in no small part on the progress made now.
China keeps ‘room to manoeuvre’ on climate change
BEIJING (AFP) – Chinese President Hu Jintao offered few details in his UN speech on climate change, but the lack of specifics could just mean he wants to keep some room for manoeuvre, observers said Wednesday.
A Wind Shift in Global Warming Debate?
Negotiations over a new global climate change treaty to replace the expiring and flawed Kyoto Protocol – meant to culminate at the U.N. climate change summit in Copenhagen at the end of the year – have all but ground to a halt in recent months. Despite the election of U.S. President Barack Obama, who pledged to reverse eight years of climate inaction by former President George W. Bush’s Administration, developed and developing nations remain gridlocked over who should be cutting carbon emissions – and who should be paying for it. Yvo de Boer, the head of the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC), told reporters on Sept. 21 that the wording for a new agreement now being negotiated is “an absolute mess” so full of contradictions U.N. staff said it couldn’t even be translated. “Climate change policy tends to be a roller-coaster ride, but it seems to be getting rougher and rougher,” he said.
Collapse or survive: the stark choice facing our species
Every continent has the same option. The entire energy needs of the US could be met by covering 200 square kilometres of its empty deserts with solar plants: it would cost about 10 years’ worth of oil purchases, with none of the wars, tyrannies, or blowback Islamism. China and India have similar options. It is achievable, with the kind of great effort we made to defeat the Nazis. We too could be a great generation – one that came close to the brink, but then came together in a great collective effort to change course. We would leave a lean, green civilisation that will run for millennia.
But instead, our leaders are fiddling with the old dirty technologies, too addicted and too addled to move us on and up. In Britain, we are actually turning back to coal, mining 15 per cent more this year than last. Professor Jim Hansen, the head of Nasa and the world’s leading climatologist, calls coal power stations “death factories” that condemn millions to drown, or starve, or burn. Across Europe, solar power is being allowed to wither: Germany’s biggest solar company, Q-Cells, has seen its stock fall from €100 to €10 in a year. The other market-leader, Spain, has seen a similarly disastrous fallback.
Warming ocean melts Greenland glaciers
Curry and her colleagues from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts zigzagged between majestic icebergs in the Sermilik fjord last month in search of proof that waters from warmer latitudes, or subtropical waters, are flushing through this remote and frigid region.
They found it — all the way up to the base of the outlet glaciers that spill into the ocean like tongues of ice from Greenland’s massive ice sheet.
Utility Quits Alliance Over Climate Change
Amid a growing split in the business community over climate policy, Pacific Gas and Electric, a major California utility, is withdrawing from the United States Chamber of Commerce, citing “fundamental differences” with the chamber’s approach to global warming.
“We find it dismaying that the chamber neglects the indisputable fact that a decisive majority of experts have said the data on global warming are compelling and point to a threat that cannot be ignored,” Peter A. Darbee, the chairman of PG&E, wrote in a letter to the chamber.
Book Review – Crude World: The Violent Twilight of Oil
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009
Introduction
It succors and drowns human life. And for the last eight years, oil — and the people and places that make it — was my obsession. – Peter Maass
Today a new book by Peter Maass was released. The book is called Crude World: The Violent Twilight of Oil.
I thought Maass’ 2005 article was well-researched, and it was a captivating read. So when Mr. Maass e-mailed and asked if I would like a copy of his new book, I thought it would probably be a book I would enjoy. I still have a stack of books that have been sent to me to review, but I jumped this one to the front of the queue. I hadn’t really intended to, as I am working on two other books right now*, and would normally finish those before starting another. But once I picked this book up and started thumbing through it, I couldn’t put it down.
The subtitle of the book is The Violent Twilight of Oil. The book talks about the twilight of oil, but as the chapter titles imply the focus is less on the twilight and more on the seedy side of the business. The book notes that there are some countries like Norway, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Brunei to which oil appears to have generally benefited the population as a whole. But then there are also many cases in which the discovery of oil seems to have brought many problems to the population. (The book suggests that countries with established democracies and strong self identities are less likely to suffer following the discovery of oil).
The Chapters
The chapters read like the Seven Deadly Sins: “Plunder”, “Rot”, “Fear”, “Greed”, and “Desire” are a few of the ’sins’ covered in various chapters. Within each chapter, Maass then takes a look at an example that embodies that particular “sin.” That sort of style reminded me of a really good book I read a few years ago written by Matt Ridley. It was called Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters.
The book picked up where the New York Times story left off. In fact, Chapter 1 – Scarcity – was mostly about Saudi Arabia and incorporates much of that 2005 story. And if you liked his New York Times story, you will probably enjoy the book as the same style is evident. But I use the word “enjoy” loosely, as it is a sober read. You will find yourself shaking your head at some of the things that have been carried out as a result of the world’s desire for oil.
In Chapter 2 – Plunder – the book covers the case of Equatorial Guinea. The oil wealth was plundered, with the help of international oil companies, banks that looked the other way as government officials brought suitcases of money in for deposit, and governments eager for access to the resource. While he was investigating the oil story in Equatorial Guinea, Maass was accused of being a spy and kicked out of the country.
Chapter 3 – Rot – was all about Nigeria. I won’t tell you how that one turns out, but I am amazed at the (dangerous) lengths Maass went to for the story. Rot describes his journey deep into the Niger Delta in a leaky canoe, courtesy of one of the local warlords. It is well known in the oil industry that Nigeria is a dangerous place to operate. Oil companies generally pay very big premiums to get workers to agree to an assignment in Nigeria. Oil workers are kidnapped in Nigeria regularly (but rarely harmed) and held for ransom from the oil companies operating there. Warlords are constantly doing battle there, and Maass described his visit to one village that had been attacked. Shell also featured prominently in this chapter.
Chapter 4 – Contamination – tells the story of Ecuador, with special focus on the Chevron lawsuit. Maass notes the irony that California – one of the most environmentally conscious states – receives the largest portion of Ecuador’s exports.
The rest of the book’s ten chapters covers a litany of oil-induced miseries. Iraq, Russia, and Venezuela are all profiled. Former ExxonMobil CEO Lee Raymond is presented as the face of “Greed” (albeit it in the “Fear” chapter). There is an interesting explanation in “Greed” on why companies function as they do. Maass discusses a court case between Henry Ford and the Dodge brothers, in which the court ruled that a company’s mission “is organized and carried on primarily for the profit of its shareholders.” Thus, Maass argues that if Mr. Raymond had decided to run ExxonMobil in a more altruistic manner, the board would have removed him for not operating in the best interests of the shareholders.
The complaint that some will have about the book is that it isn’t balanced. There are a number of villains portrayed, but the oil companies really stand out. It seems that those who are telling the tales of misdeeds are generally trusted in the book, but those who are interviewed for balance are treated with suspicion. For instance, in the chapter on Nigeria, the author interviewed the director of Shell’s operations in Nigeria. The interview appears to proceed like a cross-examination. A Nigerian warlord’s words, on the other hand, seem to be taken mostly at face value.
But this is not intended to be a balanced book. It is a book designed to highlight the downside of our oil dependence. We can all think about ways in which oil has made our life better, but in the Western world we are generally spared from the nasty side of the business. In this book, Maass brings that message home loud and clear.
Conclusion
Crude World was released today, September 22, 2009. The general theme of the book is that the world’s dependence on oil has come at a very high price. This is not a book on peak oil, climate change, or renewable energy. It is not a technical book on the oil industry (for that see Morgan Downey’s Oil 101
Footnote
* The other books I am working on right now are Axis
Sungevity Raises $6M
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009Sungevity has raised million in equity and hired new executives to help it expand its business. Greener Capital led the round, said the Berkeley, Calif.-based installer of solar energy systems. Sungevity also hired Charles Ferer as chief financial officer. Ferer
served the same role at SolarCity, one of California’s largest
installer headquartered in Foster City. Daphne Li also is joining Sungevity as its chief operation officer.
Li was the…
go to solarfeeds for the rest of this story>>>>>
OPDE & Sacramento-Yolo Port Plan To Build 24-MW PV Project
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009OPDE U.S. Corporation and the Sacramento-Yolo Port District have entered into an agreement to develop a 24-megawatt (MW) solar power generation facility using Mecasolar single axis tracking arrays. The project will be located on 160 acres in Yolo County, California.
Electric Car Roadtrip! Courtesy of SolarCity
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009
Ready to make that grueling San Francisco to Los Angeles roadtrip . . . in an electric vehicle? Yeah, that doesn’t sound so great given the current limited range of EVs, but solar installer SolarCity has decided to lend a hand and has built a set of four solar electric-car charging stations along U.S. Route 101. SolarCity is calling the project the world’s first solar-powered electric-car charging corridor, and the stations have been built in parking lots belonging to Rabobank, the California subsidiary of the Dutch banking group, in Salinas, Atascadero, Santa Maria and Goleta. The project was built using funds from the California Air Resources Board as well as grid electricity and space donated by Rabobank.
The stations start to address what has been a major deterrent with electric vehicles -– the fact that they have ranges much smaller than that of gasoline cars. While some advocates scoff at the issue, pointing out that most Americans commute less than 35 miles per day, car companies worry that mainstream drivers will be reluctant to buy cars that they can’t take on road trips. As it is, electric-car drivers are afraid to drive far from their chargers.
One solution is to build many more charging stations, so that electric-car drivers -– like their gasoline-vehicle counterparts today –- can be confident that they will be able to find one. “We really need to build out our electric-vehicle-charging infrastructure,” SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive said. “Fast forward five years from now, it would be great if every store, every location, had a vehicle-charging station so drivers never have to think about where to get charged.”
The SolarCity stations each can charge one electric vehicle at a time for now, although Rive said the company plans to expand its efforts if more stations are needed. Each station comes equipped with a 29-kilowatt solar-power system that’s connected to the electrical grid, so that drivers can charge their vehicles even when the sun isn’t shining.
The stations are fast-charging, meaning that they feed electricity into the vehicles more speedily than standard wall outlets. But they still will take more than three hours to fully charge an electric car, said Rive, who added that most cars will only be half or two-thirds empty and will charge in an hour or an hour and a half. Tesla Roadsters, for example, can travel about 220 miles on a single charge. The charging stations are all located near shops and restaurants, so that drivers will be able to find things to do while waiting to tank up, he added.
The solar part of the equation helps to tackle a concern about the potential impact of vehicle charging on the grid. Fast-charging is tougher on the grid than regular charging, because more electricity is drawn out of the grid in a short amount of time, potentially causing instability.
Utilities fear these chargers could burden the already-strained grid, especially if electric vehicles are charging during the day, at times of peak demand. But drivers don’t want to be restricted from charging when they’re en route. The idea is that solar power would help the grid by generating electricity during those peak hours, eliminating any impact from the vehicle charging at critical times, Rive said. At night, the grid has surplus energy, so car charging wouldn’t be a problem.
The move could also help connect solar with the small but growing electric-vehicle market. While Rive said he doesn’t see electric vehicles as driving the solar market, he hopes that electric-vehicle owners will chose solar for their homes, as well as for their businesses. (SolarCity finances solar installations for homes and businesses, which agree to buy the resulting electricity for a fixed rate lower than their current electricity rates.) “The focus is adding all the ingredients to live a carbon-free lifestyle,” he said. “If every car was an electric vehicle, it would help the problem, but not solve it. We need electric vehicles combined with solar to solve it.”
Subscribe to GigaOM Pro and gain access to our Webinar, “Biggest Opportunities in the Smart Grid,” on Oct. 7, 2009.
Sungevity Raises $6M to Bring More Solar to the Golden State
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009
Sungevity, a Berkeley-based startup that uses Internet and satellite images to reduce the cost of installing solar power on homes, says it’s ready to take on the rest of the state. The company, which has focused mainly on installing solar in Northern California so far, announced Tuesday it has raised million to expand its business in Southern California and the Central Valley.
Greener Capital, a new cleantech venture capital firm, led the round. Sungevity, which launched last year, previously raised .5 million from German solar companies Isolventures and Solon, as well as angel investors including actress Cate Blanchett.
Sungevity uses satellite images — and proprietary software — to create online estimates for potential customers without expensive home visits, a process that it claims can cut approximately 10 percent of the cost of selling solar systems. The company has installed 220 systems since its launch, Sungevity President Danny Kennedy told us.
The next step will be to add customer financing to make it easier for new customers to pay for their solar-power systems, he said, adding that Sungevity is aiming to offer financing next year. “We would like to offer them an interactive quote, a box they can click for a pay-as-you-go option to pay monthly,” so that customers could find out online exactly how much they would pay — and how much they could expect to save — each month, he said. After Sungevity pins down this financing, “the brakes are off and the rocket ship takes off,” Kennedy said, referring to the company’s potential growth.
Setting up this financing will be one of the first tasks for Chief Financial Officer Charles Ferer, one of three new hires Sungevity also announced Monday. Aside from Ferer, who previously held the same position for SolarCity, California’s largest solar installer, the other new executives include Chief Operating Officer Daphne Li, formerly of ADP, Apple and DoveBid; and Vice President of Engineering Ariel Tseitlin, the founder and former CEO of software consultancy CTOWorks. Sungevity earlier this year launched a new line of business in selling its software as a service to other installers.
In addition to the new executives, the company on Monday announced it has doubled its sales team, growing from 15 employees at its launch to 32 today. While some of Sungevity’s new money will be paying for its new hires, most of it will go toward marketing and expanding sales throughout the state, Kennedy said. “We’re making good revenues and growing well on our own steam,” he said. Kennedy didn’t disclose the company’s latest revenue figures, but the San Mateo County Times in October reported the company had earned .5 million in annual revenue.
One potential shadow over Sungevity’s plan to expand in California could be the uncertainty over net metering in the state. Net metering, a policy that enables utility customers to feed solar electricity back into the grid, offsetting their electricity bills, is limited to 2.5 percent per utility in the Golden State, and one utility, Pacific Gas and Electric, is approaching that cap.
Advocates say rooftop solar projects for homes, businesses, schools and municipalities will stall if the policy isn’t extended. Kennedy agreed that net metering is critical to the solar industry, but says he’s confident that state politicians will raise the cap. He also added that Sungevity would easily be able to shift to other states if that didn’t happen.
Subscribe to GigaOM Pro and gain access to our Webinar, “Biggest Opportunities in the Smart Grid,” on Oct. 7, 2009.
Energy and Global Warming News for September 21st: Obama to shift focus as climate talks approach
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009
Obama to Shift Focus to Climate Change
After months of almost single-minded focus on healthcare, President Obama is about to shift the White House spotlight to global warming — first with a speech to the United Nations in New York on Tuesday, then later in the week at the G-20 economic conference in Pittsburgh.
The renewed emphasis on climate change and reducing carbon dioxide emissions comes at a crucial time: Negotiators are entering the home stretch in a drive to unveil a comprehensive international agreement to curb rising temperatures at a December conference in Copenhagen.
With key divisions remaining among the major industrialized nations, as well as with developing industrial powers and poorer nations, there is concern that negotiations leading up to Copenhagen could be bogging down. Obama administration officials, while admitting the seriousness of the challenges, hold out hope for a deal.
Here are nine hurdles facing Obama and his counterparts….
And here’s some good news that the administration is also working the issue behind the scenes:
White House Quietly Lobbies Senate on Climate Bill
Climate-change legislation has stalled on Capitol Hill, but the White House’s unofficial “Green Cabinet” is quietly trying to revive the effort by lobbying dozens of senators.
President Obama has dispatched Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson to Capitol Hill. White House aides said that they and other executive branch staffers, such as climate-change czar Carol Browner, have met with “dozens” of senators.
They are working to assure key senators – ranging from Senate Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman, New Mexico Democrat, to John Kerry, Massachusetts Democrat – that a climate-change bill is viewed as a “priority” by the administration, Capitol Hill sources said.
A White House aide said the “Green Cabinet” is asking senators to support a comprehensive plan – though some vulnerable lawmakers would prefer that the bill be split into more politically tenable pieces – and is asking them to share ideas for what to include in the legislation.
As those meetings take place behind closed doors, some senators are striking deals on individual bits such as coal and nuclear issues, sources on Capitol Hill and in environmental groups say.
Cap and Trade Proves Popular in Some Conservative Democratic Districts
It appears that cap-and-trade legislation is turning out to be popular in the states of some conservative Democrats, according to a new poll that Democratic firm Garin Hart Yang conducted on behalf of the Environmental Defense Fund.
In Blue Dog Dem Heath Shuler’s North Carolina district, cap and trade is supported by 55% of voters, versus 29% opposed.
In Blue Dog Dem Baron Hill’s Indiana district, cap and trade is supported by 45%, versus 30% opposed.
In Dem Rep. Tom Perriello’s conservative Virginia district, cap and trade is supported by 42%, versus 25% opposed.
All three voted for the House climate bill, which makes the results not quite as surprising. More interesting would be the results in the districts of the 44 Dems who voted against it.
Climate Change to Take Center Stage at U.N.
U.S. President Barack Obama promised strong action on climate change from his first day in office, but he is heading into a series of meetings with other world leaders this month under growing pressure to deliver on his rhetoric.
More than 100 world leaders, including Mr. Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao, are scheduled to meet Tuesday at the 64th United Nations General Assembly to talk about fighting climate change, in a prelude to the Pittsburgh Group of 20 meetings starting Thursday.
While the talk will be about the environment, the substance will be about money. Poor nations say that if rich nations want them to stop burning coal or cutting down forests, they should be willing to pay.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has made global warming a focus, and he is worried that the meeting won’t move the ball forward toward a new global climate-change treaty in Copenhagen this December to succeed the Kyoto Protocol.
“We want world leaders to show they understand the gravity of climate risks, as well as the benefits of acting now,” Mr. Ban said. “We want them to publicly commit to sealing a deal in Copenhagen.”
While he said Tuesday’s closed-door meeting was “not a negotiation forum,” Mr. Ban said he expected the leaders to “to give their negotiating teams marching orders to accelerate progress toward an…ambitious global climate agreement.”
Everest Memento for Obama to Show Climate Change Impact
Nepal’s sherpa community is sending a piece of rock from Mount Everest to U.S. President Barack Obama to underscore the impact of global warming on the Himalayas.
Environmental group WWF said Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal had promised to carry the “memento” and give it to Obama when world leaders meet in New York next week as “a symbol of the melting Himalayas in the wake of climate change.”
The rock was collected from the 8,850 meter (29,035 feet) Mount Everest by Apa Sherpa, who climbed the mountain for a record 19th time in May.
Sherpas, mainly living in Nepal’s Solukhumbhu district, home to the world’s tallest peak, are known for their climbing skills.
A WWF-Nepal statement said more than 200,000 youth had also signed a petition to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon demanding action on global warming ahead of crucial climate talks in Copenhagen.
Experts say mountainous Nepal, home to eight of the world’s 14 tallest peaks, including Mount Everest, is vulnerable to climate change despite being responsible for only 0.025 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, among the world’s lowest.
Average global temperatures are rising faster in the Himalayas compared to most other parts of the world, according to the Kathmandu-based International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
Supporters Rally for Climate Change Action
Reports, pictures, and articles are streaming in from around the world as the more than 2,400 Global Wake Up Call events happen. They are taking place in more than one hundred and twenty countries and we are watching pictures of everyday citizens making the call in Beijing, in monasteries in Nepal, and from rural towns in Australia.
The diversity of the participants and the response they are getting from their calls is truly awe inspiring.
State Forest Restoration Plan Fights Global Warming
From planting seedlings to acquiring entire groves, forest restoration projects in state parks and on federal lands could soon spring from California’s aggressive initiatives to reduce emissions linked to global warming.
Under the state’s landmark program, companies looking to offset their climate-change effects for the first time will be allowed to receive credits for financing plantings and restoration in state and federal forests.
The California Air Resources Board on Thursday is expected to endorse those new rules of voluntary participation for all parties: landowners, public agencies and industry.
“There’s nowhere else in the world where this type of protocol has been established,” said Dave Bischel, president of the California Forestry Association, a timber group.
The campaign to arrest climate change is increasingly enlisting forests, because trees soak up carbon dioxide, a predominant greenhouse gas emitted by factories and cars. The wood continues to store the carbon for decades after being milled into homes or desks
Kirk Beset From Left and Right Over Climate Vote
Senate candidate Mark Kirk’s changing positions on a “cap and trade” environmental bill are inspiring angry boos from some fellow Republicans and accusations of flip-flopping from Democrats.
Democrats on Friday challenged Kirk, who’s serving his fifth term in the U.S. House, to explain why he now opposes a measure that he said three months ago was good for national security.
“It appears that he wants to win an election and he’s willing to do that even if it means we have to keep fighting over foreign oil,” said Jill Morgenthaler, Illinois’ former director of homeland security and an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for Congress in 2008.
Kirk was one of just eight House Republicans to vote for the bill in June.
Kirk told the crowd that he supported the cap-and-trade bill because it was the right thing for his congressional district in Chicago’s northern suburbs, but that he would oppose it as a senator representing the entire state.
Japan Eyes Mandatory Cap-and-Trade
Japan’s new government wants to introduce a compulsory cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emissions as early as the year to March 2012, the Nikkei business daily said on Sunday.
The scheme would be a key part of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama’s goal to cut such emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020, the paper reported on its website without citing sources.
A government panel on the environment is likely to discuss the plan at a meeting later on Sunday, the paper said.
Under the scheme, the government would issue emissions quotas to companies. Firms emitting less than their quotas would be able to sell the surplus, the Nikkei said.
Hatoyama’s Democratic Party has said the 25 percent emissions target — tougher than the last administration’s — is needed for Japan to play a bigger negotiating role at U.N.-backed climate talks in Copenhagen in December, so that emerging nations such as China and India join a new climate pact that goes beyond 2012.
U.K. Official Confident U.S. Will Act on Climate Change
Even though climate change legislation has stalled in Congress, a senior British official who is working with U.S. policymakers expressed confidence that the bill’s prospects are bright.
In an interview with The Hill, United Kingdom Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband said U.S. lawmakers and the White House are committed to moving the bill this year.
Miliband, who met with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) this week, said, “The [climate] bill is being worked on as I understand it, and it will emerge soon.”
While acknowledging that President Barack Obama’s number one priority in 2009 is healthcare reform, Miliband said, “My sense from talking with the administration is there is a significant amount of commitment to the December deadline.”
This piece originally appeared on Climate Progress
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(Posted by Joe Romm in Politics at 2:47 PM)
Schwarzenegger’s Executive Order Raises California RPS to 33% by 2020
Monday, September 21st, 2009California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger this week signed an Executive Order (EO) directing the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to adopt regulations increasing California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to 33 percent by 2020 – first established by the Governor’s directive last year.
Bekaert Specialty Films Launches Solar Gard® High-Performance Photovoltaic Backsheets
Monday, September 21st, 2009SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Bekaert Specialty Films LLC today announced new products in its family of Solar Gard® specialty films: laminate backsheets for photovoltaic (PV) modules. Solar Gard PV T series is manufactured in San Diego by Bekaert Specialty Films, a leader in the business of flexible films for more than 30 years. These backsheets leverage the company’s combined expertise in solar products, coating and laminating and give solar crystalline silicon PV module manufacturers a new source for PVF/PET/PVF backsheets.
Solar Gard PV T backsheets are designed to insulate electronics and protect photovoltaic cells from the environment; they provide an excellent moisture barrier, solar resistance and dielectric strength. For ease of manufacturing, Solar Gard PV backsheets are available in roll form that fits a wide range of photovoltaic panel sizes and configurations.
“Our products play an increasing role in the renewable energy market,” said Christophe Fremont, president of Bekaert Specialty Films. “As a leader in specialized industrial films, our entry into this sector raises the competitive bar and brings module manufacturers a choice of suppliers. Our commitment to environmental stewardship, which includes a published carbon footprint, accolades from the California Climate Action Registry and ISO 14001:2004 certification, makes us an ideal partner for manufacturers and assemblers of solar cells.”
Product Size and Availability
BSF’s ISO 9001:2000 certified facility has multiple coating lines and the capacity to produce more than 4 million square meters per year (400MW). Solar Gard PV T is offered in two thicknesses that offer different electrical insulation performance. Three laminating lines will ensure timely production. Call 858-614-1206 or visit the industrial film site for more information.
Solar Gard PV T series will be unveiled at the 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference in Hamburg, Germany, booth # B2G/42.
About Solar Gard®
Solar Gard films are manufactured by Bekaert Specialty Films LLC, www.bekaertfilms.com, a global leader in the development, manufacture and distribution of specialty films for use as solar control and safety window films and for industrial applications. The company delivers solutions for safety, security, glare, energy savings and C02 emission reduction through a network of independent certified dealers and distributors in more than 60 countries under the Solar Gard®, Panorama®, Quantum® and Solar Gard® Armorcoat® brands. Bekaert Specialty Films also manufactures industrial films for the electronics, medical, graphic arts and imaging, automotive and aerospace industries. ISO 14001:2004 certified, the company is the first in the industry to certify its carbon footprint, is a Climate Action Leader and is committed to environmental responsibility. Headquartered in San Diego, Bekaert Specialty Films LLC is a subsidiary of the Bekaert group (Euronext Brussels: BEKB), a global company headquartered in Belgium with annual combined sales of €4 billion, more than billion.
Schwarzenegger’s Executive Order Raises California RPS to 33% by 2020
Monday, September 21st, 2009California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger this week signed an Executive Order (EO) directing the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to adopt regulations increasing California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to 33 percent by 2020 – first established by the Governor’s directive last year.
Schwarzenegger’s Executive Order Raises California RPS to 33% by 2020
Monday, September 21st, 2009California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger this week signed an Executive Order (EO) directing the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to adopt regulations increasing California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to 33 percent by 2020 – first established by the Governor’s directive last year.
Schwarzenegger’s Executive Order Raises California RPS to 33% by 2020
Monday, September 21st, 2009California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger this week signed an Executive Order (EO) directing the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to adopt regulations increasing California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to 33 percent by 2020 – first established by the Governor’s directive last year.
Wind energy weekly intelligence brief: 11-18 September
Monday, September 21st, 2009Schwarzenegger’s Executive Order Raises California RPS to 33% by 2020
Monday, September 21st, 2009California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger this week signed an Executive Order (EO) directing the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to adopt regulations increasing California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to 33 percent by 2020 – first established by the Governor’s directive last year.
Schwarzenegger’s Executive Order Raises California RPS to 33% by 2020
Monday, September 21st, 2009California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger this week signed an Executive Order (EO) directing the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to adopt regulations increasing California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to 33 percent by 2020 – first established by the Governor’s directive last year.
Green Talk Radio: Go Green for Free with CA Youth Energy Services
Monday, September 21st, 2009
Sean Daily, Green Living Ideas’ Editor-In-Chief, talks with David Kram, Energy Specialist for the Rising Sun Energy Center of the California Youth Energy Services about how California residents can get free home energy audits as well as energy-efficient lightbulb replacements and other energy-saving devices.
[Courtesy of our friends at GreenLivingIdeas.com]
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Governor’s Executive Order Boosting Renewable Energy to 33% Will Work for California and the West, Industry Association Says
Monday, September 21st, 2009
Representing the US geothermal power industry, the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) supports Governor Schwarzenegger’s Executive Order to boost California’s renewable energy power standard to 33% by 2020. “GEA fully supports the Governor’s initiative to boost the state’s renewable energy goal,” Karl Gawell, GEA’s Executive Director said. “We believe that the Governor has crafted an RPS strategy that avoids the unnecessary delivery restrictions and complexity of the bills that he has vetoed. As a result, the Governor’s Executive Order works not just for California, but also for all the other western states that are trying to bring more renewable energy online in the next 10 years.”
BrightSource Debacle in the Desert: Can Solar Power, Conservation, and Sustainability Co-Exist?
Monday, September 21st, 2009On Thursday, September 17, BrightSource
formally announced that they are abandoning efforts to build a solar
farm on 5,000 acres of public land in the Mohave desert near Ludlow,
California. Though the announcement ended months of contentious – and at times, bitter – conflict between a well funded and well managed solar venture and a committed and respected conservation non-profit, the underlying issues are far from resolved.
The Mohave…
go to solarfeeds for the rest of this story>>>>>
BrightSource Debacle in the Desert: Can Solar Power, Conservation, and Sustainability Co-Exist?
Monday, September 21st, 2009On Thursday, September 17, BrightSource
formally announced that they are abandoning efforts to build a solar
farm on 5,000 acres of public land in the Mohave desert near Ludlow,
California. Though the announcement ended months of contentious – and at times, bitter – conflict between a well funded and well managed solar venture and a committed and respected conservation non-profit, the underlying issues are far from resolved.
The Mohave…
go to solarfeeds for the rest of this story>>>>>
