Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Indiana House Committee Rosters Released

The Committee rosters for the Indiana House of Representatives were released today. The 2009 House Committee that we expect will hear renewable energy legislation is as follows:

2009-10 House Commerce, Energy, Technology
and Utilities Committee Members

Rep. Win Moses, Chair, HD 81 (D-Fort Wayne)
Rep. Matt Pierce, Vice Chair, HD 61 (D-Bloomington)
Rep. Kreg Battles, HD 64 (D-Vincennes)
Rep. Sandy Blanton, HD 62 (D-Orleans)
Rep. Ryan Dvorak, HD 8 (D-South Bend)
Rep. Scott Reske, HD 37 (D-Pendleton)
Rep. Dan Stevenson, HD 11 (D-Highland)
Rep. Jack Lutz, RMM, HD 35, (R-Anderson)
Rep. Eric Koch, HD 65 (R-Bedford)
Rep. Robert Behning, HD 91 (R-Indianapolis)
Rep. David Frizzell, HD 93 (R-Indianapolis)
Rep. Ed Soliday, HD 4 (R-Valparaiso)

Key:
RMM = Ranking Minority Member
HD = House District
E-mail: h#@in.gov,
Note: in place of the "#" symbol, add the legislator's district number (one or two digits)

If your state legislator serves on this committee, we urge you to contact them and to express your support for renewable energy before the 2009 session of the Indiana General re-convenes on January 7, 2009.

Please check back to our blog for more details on renewable energy issues expected to be addressed by the 2009 Indiana General Assembly including net metering and a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES). We would appreciate your sharing with us any feedback you receive from your state legislators on these issues.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Committee Chairs for 2009 Indiana General Assembly

This week Indiana House Speaker B. Patrick Bauer (D-South Bend) released the list of Chairs and Vice Chairs for the upcoming 2009 session of the Indiana General Assembly. Much to the surprise of veteran State House observers, Rep. Win Moses, Jr. (D-Fort Wayne) was named Chair of the House Commerce, Energy, Technology and Utilities Committee and Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington) was named Vice Chair. Neither of these state legislators were even members of this committee during the last session. The complete roster of the membership of the House Committees has not been released yet.

A big CONGRATULATIONS to both Rep. Moses and Rep. Pierce. Also a big THANK YOU to House Speaker Bauer for having appointed these two visionary state legislators to lead the energy discussion in the Indiana House during the upcoming session of the Indiana General Assembly.

Earlier this month Senate Pro Tem David Long (R-Fort Wayne) appointed State Senator Jim Merritt, Jr. (R-Indianapolis) to chair the Senate Utilities and Technology Committee. The members of the Senate Utilities and Technology Committee for 2009 will be as follows:

Sen. James Merrit, Chair (District 31)
Sen. Ed Charbonneau (District 5)
Sen. Beverly Gard (District 28)
Sen. Dennis Kruse (District 14)
Sen. Jean Leising (District 42)
Sen. Marlin Stutzman (District 13)
Sen. Carlin Yoder (District 12)
Sen. Jean Breaux (District 34)
Sen. Bob Deig (District 49)
Sen. Sue Errington (District 26)
Sen. Lonnie Randolph (District 2)

We would also like to CONGRATULATE Sen. Merritt on his new chairmanship and to thank Sen. Long for appointing Sen. Merritt to head this important committee in the State Senate.

If your state legislator serves on these committees, we encourage you to talk to them about your interest and support for renewable energy. More information will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Solar Energy Poised to Put Americans Back to Work

Solar Energy Industries Association Announces Policy Priorities
for Obama Administration, 111th Congress

WASHINGTON, DC – The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) today (12/03/08) outlined the key policies that President-elect Obama and the Congressional leadership must address to expand the use of solar energy and help put over 1 million Americans back to work by 2011.

SEIA released “Solar Energy: A Blueprint for Job Creation and Economic Security,” which recommends that the new Administration and Congress embrace the following policies and programs to expand the creation of clean energy jobs in the United States:

· Improve solar tax credits
· Increase government procurement of solar power
· Create tax incentives for manufacturing
· Pass a national renewable portfolio standard with solar provisions
· Expand and update transmission infrastructure
· Improve access to federal lands to harness our vast solar resources
· Create a federal clean energy bank
· Create the office of Renewable Energy Development
· Establish national standards for interconnection and net metering
· Increase DOE Solar Appropriations
· Enact climate legislation to reduce carbon emissions, stimulate solar generation

SEIA President Rhone Resch said, “President-elect Obama and the new Congress have expressed their commitment to addressing our current economic crisis. Increasing the use of solar energy will create millions of new jobs and put billions of dollars into the U.S. economy, providing a clean, reliable and domestic source of energy while providing a clean, reliable and domestic source of energy,.

“The growth of solar energy will not happen quickly enough without the right federal policies to stimulate the market and remove fundamental barriers that prevent solar from competing in the electricity marketplace.

“To stimulate this growth, the Solar Energy Industries Association is recommending to the Obama Administration and the 111th Congress a number of immediate and near-term policies to stimulate the growth of solar energy, including: improving the solar investment tax credits to ensure that they can be utilized as Congress originally intended, creating a government procurement program that deploys solar on federal buildings and lands, and establishing a national renewable portfolio standard that requires a specific amount of energy come from solar.

“We look forward to working with the new Administration and the 111th Congress to achieve these important goals for growing our economy, improving our energy independence and reducing global warming.”

SEIA Board Chairman Roger Efird of Suntech America said, “For solar energy to reach its potential as an economic engine and become an important part of our national energy portfolio, we need government leaders to continue to enact the right policies. These policies, especially in the current economic crisis, will allow companies like mine to grow and create green jobs that will reverse the trend of sending American jobs overseas. Instead, the U.S. can become a destination for international companies to find the skilled professionals they need to compete in the global renewable energy economy.”

SEIA’s will deliver the “Solar Energy: A Blueprint for Job Creation and Economic Security” to each member of President-elect Obama’s energy and economic transition teams and Congressional leadership.

SEIA is comprised of over 800 member companies that manufacture, distribute, sell, design, own, install and finance solar power plants and systems.

Background Materials

“Solar Energy: A Blueprint for Job Creation and Economic Security"

Saturday, November 15, 2008

RENEWABLE ENERGY INDUSTRIES READY TO LEAD U.S. ECONOMIC RECOVERY

Trade Association Leaders Outline Key Policies Required

The leaders of the American Wind Energy Association, Geothermal Energy Association, National Hydropower Association and Solar Energy Industries Association today (11/13/08) released the following statement:

The fast-growing renewable energy sector is poised to help lead the U.S. economic recovery with millions of new jobs and billions of private investment dollars. However, the new Administration and Congress need to take action to ensure that the renewable industries’ growth continues, given the current economic realities.

President-elect Obama has made a commitment to key policies that will spur substantial growth in America’s clean renewable energy industries and create millions of new jobs.

Building upon these key policies, the renewable energy industries’ top priorities for the Obama Administration and the 111th Congress include:

• Immediate Action:

- Adjust renewable energy tax credit policies so incentives work as intended given current economic conditions.

  • 111th Congress:

- Adopt a national renewable electricity (portfolio) standard to ensure that at least 10 percent of electricity consumed in the U.S. is derived from renewable energy sources by 2012, and at least 25 percent by 2025;

- Approve a minimum five-year extension of the federal renewable energy production tax credit (PTC) and additional funding for the Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs) program;

- Issue an Executive Order expanding federal procurement of renewable energy generation to meet the government’s substantial energy supply needs;

- Launch a major initiative to support investment in our nation’s interstate electrical grid infrastructure and smart-grid technology to deliver green energy from areas with renewable resources to population centers and to support distributed power generation;

- Invest $30 billion in 2009 for financing options that support new project development and installations for all renewable energy technologies as part of the Administration’s commitment to investment of $150 billion over the next ten years in clean energy technologies;

- Adopt a cap-and-trade regime to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that rewards production of clean renewable energy.

If the Administration and Congress can quickly implement these policies, renewable energy growth will help turn around the economic decline while at the same time addressing some of our most pressing national security and environmental problems. Expansion of renewable energy production will mean billions of dollars in economic growth, millions of new jobs, enhanced energy security as we increase domestic energy production, and critically important progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Randall Swisher, Executive Director, American Wind Energy Association, www.awea.org, 202.383.2508

Karl Gawell, Executive Director, Geothermal Energy Association, www.geo-energy.org, 202.454.5261

Linda Church Ciocci, Executive Director, National Hydropower Association, www.hydro.org, 202.682.1700

Rhone Resch, President, Solar Energy Industries Association, www.seia.org, 202.682.0556

Thursday, September 18, 2008

EQSC Hears Testimony on Green Buildings







Members of the Environmental Quality Service Council (EQSC) heard testimony on a variety of topics including including green buildings, the Indiana Energy Code and geothermal energy.






Please find below testimony presented by Bill Brown on behalf of the Indiana Chapter of AIA and the Indiana Chapter of the US Green Building Council. Others testifying included Fred Gray with Green Way Supply, Tim Maloney with the Hoosier Environmental Council, Tony Cooper with Water Furnace as well as several students with the DePauw University Environmental Policy Project. Testimony was also presented by the Indiana Association of Counties, the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns, the Indiana Builders Asociation as well as Hoosier Energy and Randy Stair with Stair Associates.






Rep. Dave Wolkins also distributed a report from the National Center for Policy Analysis by Todd Myers entitled, "Green Schools Don't Make the Grade". See http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba/ba622/






Testimony before the Environmental Quality Service Council (EQSC)
September 16, 2008
William M. Brown, AIA, LEED AP

Mr. Chairman, Members of the Council, my name is Bill Brown and I am an architect representing the American Institute of Architects, Indiana Chapter and U.S. Green Building Council, Indiana Chapter. Both organizations support the Governor’s Executive Order No. 08-14, entitled "Energy Efficient State Building Initiative” and we are prepared to support legislation that moves the state towards more sustainable buildings and communities.

Sustainable building initiatives using the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED benchmark, including legislation, executive orders, resolutions, ordinances, policies, and incentives are found in 44 states, including 159 localities (105 cities, 29 counties, and 25 towns), 31 state governments, 12 federal agencies or departments, 15 public school jurisdictions and 38 institutions of higher education across the United States.
Since Indiana has not updated its energy code, new public buildings may be built to the lowest energy standards in the country and all Hoosier taxpayers pay for that mistake as long as those buildings stand. Any initial savings are erased after a year or two of paying the utility bills and then it is all downhill from there. With energy costs predicted to rise significantly in coming years, this mistake will be become increasingly more apparent.
What the Governor’s executive order mandates that we turn that around and make a sound investment up front that pays increasing dividends for the life of the building. Green buildings have an average return on investment of 25 to 40 percent and the typical payback for the extra initial investment is 3-5 years and falling rapidly (Kats Group). Compare that dividend to other investments the state might make on behalf of taxpayers today. A major cost study by The Langdon Group, Cost of Green Revisited: Reexamining the Feasibility and Cost Impact of Sustainable Design in the Light of Increased Market Adoption showed that there is now “no significant difference in average cost for green buildings as compared to non-green buildings.“
Another study by New Buildings Institute of 1,300 LEED certified and Energy Star buildings showed that new buildings certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED certification system are, on average, performing 25 to 30% better than non-LEED certified buildings in terms of energy use. Gold and Platinum LEED certified buildings have average energy savings approaching 50%.
Under construction now in Indiana are over 125 projects seeking LEED certification totaling over $1 billion in construction cost. These projects range from affordable housing to the new Midfield Terminal. They include new construction, interior remodels, major renovations, factories, warehouses, office buildings and taxpayer-funded public facilities.
Ten buildings have been certified in Indiana at all levels from Certified to Platinum, including five state-funded projects. Leading architects, engineers, contractors and suppliers have learned how to use the system in a manner that is cost effective and economical.
Buildings account for 39% of the total energy use and nearly 70% of the electricity in the United States. Buildings also account for 12% of water use, 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, and 65% of waste output.
Certified green buildings go beyond energy savings, however. A study of certified green buildings by Capital E revealed average energy savings of 30%, carbon savings of 35%, water savings of 30 to 50% and waste cost savings of 50 to 90%.
Sustainable building design incorporates features that reduce overall infrastructure costs for cities, counties and the state by encouraging smarter site selection, reduced water, storm water and sewer needs and less landfill space. Sustainable building rating systems encourage preservation of open space for local agriculture.
Examples:
Five blocks from where you sit is the first LEED certified building in Indianapolis, the headquarters of i.d.o. Incorporated, at 601 North Capitol Avenue. This remodel of an existing building cost a total of $325,000. According to the owner’s records, their additional investment for high performance LEED Silver elements of the building cost an extra $5,850 or 1.8% of the total cost. Their annual return on that investment was 9% for the first year for electricity cost savings alone and that savings is expected to grow as energy costs grow, for the life of the building.
Their return on investment for energy savings are just the beginning. The improvements in comfort, indoor air quality, daylight and view in a certified green building have demonstrated employee productivity gains of 5% to 15% in various studies. Other documented dividends from the investment in green buildings include lower absenteeism, higher employee retention, faster student learning, lower health insurance costs and easier recruiting of new hires.
Improved employee health and productivity are primary reasons why 12 Federal agencies require a LEED Silver or equivalent certification for all major building projects. In the private sector, developers of office buildings have found gains in employee productivity, health and retention to be a driving factor in the exponential growth in the number of LEED certified commercial buildings. McGraw Hill Construction Research predicted that by 2009, 82% of the nation’s 500 largest corporations will have certified at least 16% of their real estate portfolios. It’s time for the state of Indiana to catch this wave.
Chrisney Branch Library, under construction in Spencer County, will be the state’s first net-zero-energy public building. It bid under budget for $140 per square foot. Using a highly efficient building envelope, daylighting, geothermal heating and cooling and an 8.9kW solar photovoltaic array, this public building is designed to have virtually no operating costs and it will be immune to future energy cost increases for the next thirty years. Why aren’t all public buildings built that way?
Existing buildings can also be renovated green with outstanding financial and environmental benefits. Adobe software’s massive office complex recently achieved the highest level LEED Platinum certification for existing buildings. They spent $1.4 million on improvements and received $389,000 in rebates and incentives from their local utility company. They realize $1.2 million in annual savings, a 9.5 month payback and a 121% return on their investment. What if the State of Indiana did that with some of their existing buildings?
I think we can all agree that Indiana public buildings could use some improvement with respect to energy efficiency and sustainability. With any successful improvement process, there is a need for benchmarks, for clear indicators of success. The Governor’s Executive Order and HB1280 contain benchmarks for success. Energy Star is an almost universally accepted benchmark for energy efficiency created by the Department of Energy. USGBC’s LEED rating system incorporates Energy Star and is a more comprehensive benchmark that includes site, water, materials and indoor air quality measures as well. We urge you to tie any legislation for change to a specific benchmark to measure success and avoid charges of greenwashing. The most widely accepted and most comprehensive such benchmark is the LEED rating system, but we also support giving implementers a range of other recognized third-party verification systems.
In closing, on behalf of the American Institute of Architects Indiana Chapter and the U.S. Green Building Council Indiana Chapter, I ask for your support of this important legislation to invest in sustainable buildings for the benefit of all current and future Indiana taxpayers and all those people who will live, learn and work in state buildings. The two organizations I represent will be happy to offer their member’s expertise in further refining legislation that is simple, effective, fair and affordable. I appreciate the opportunity to address you and I will be happy to respond to any questions.

Additional resources:
http://www.aia.org/
http://www.usgbc.org/
Others testifying in favor of Green Buildings.






Fred Gray with Green Way Supply.























Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Bloomberg Offers Windmill Power Plan; What Are Indiana Mayors Proposing?

I applaud New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's bold plan to put wind turbines on the city's bridges and skyscrapers. Although the City of Indianapolis and other municipalities throughout the State of Indiana may not have the unique perches available in the Big Apple, Indiana Mayors including Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard could learn a thing or two from this bold move.

What do you think?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/nyregion/20windmill.html?ex=1376971200&en=ee19d617dadbcc53&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

August 20, 2008

Bloomberg Offers Windmill Power Plan

By MICHAEL BARBARO

In a plan that would drastically remake New York City’s skyline and shores, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is seeking to put wind turbines on the city’s bridges and skyscrapers and in its waters as part of a wide-ranging push to develop renewable energy.

The plan, while still in its early stages, appears to be the boldest environmental proposal to date from the mayor, who has made energy efficiency a cornerstone of his administration.

Mr. Bloomberg said he would ask private companies and investors to study how windmills can be built across the city, with the aim of weaning it off the nation’s overtaxed power grid, which has produced several crippling blackouts in New York over the last decade.

Mr. Bloomberg did not specify which skyscrapers and bridges would be candidates for windmills, and city officials would need to work with property owners to identify the buildings that would best be able to hold the equipment.

But aides said that for offshore locations, the city was eyeing the generally windy coast off Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island for turbines that could generate 10 percent of the city’s electricity needs within 10 years.

“When it comes to producing clean power, we’re determined to make New York the No. 1 city in the nation,” Mr. Bloomberg said as he outlined his plans in a speech Tuesday night in Las Vegas, where a major conference on alternative energy is under way.

He later evoked the image of the Statue of Liberty’s torch, saying he imagined it one day “powered by an ocean wind farm.”

But the mayor’s proposal for wind power faces several serious obstacles: People are likely to oppose technologies that alter the appearance of their neighborhoods; wind-harnessing technology can be exceedingly expensive; and Mr. Bloomberg has less than 18 months left in office to put a plan into place.

Turning New York City into a major source of wind power would likely take years, if not decades, and could require a thicket of permits from state and federal agencies. Parts of New York’s coastline, for example, are controlled by the federal government, from which private companies must lease access.

Mr. Bloomberg is known for introducing ambitious proposals that later collapse, as did his congestion-pricing plan for Manhattan.

But aides said he was committed to developing alternative energy sources in the city, and wanted to jump-start the discussion now.

“In New York,” he said in his speech, “we don’t think of alternative power as something that we just import from other parts of the nation.”

Asserting the seriousness of his intentions, aides said, Mr. Bloomberg met privately with T. Boone Pickens, the oil baron who is trying to build the world’s largest wind farm in Texas, to discuss possibilities for such technology in New York.

And on Tuesday afternoon the city issued a formal request to companies around the country for proposals to build wind-, solar- and water-based energy sources in New York. “We want their best ideas for creating both small- and large-scale projects serving New Yorkers,” Mr. Bloomberg said.

Rohit Aggarwala, the director of the city’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, said that turbines on buildings would likely be much smaller than offshore ones. Several companies are experimenting with models that look like eggbeaters, which the Bloomberg administration says could be integrated into the spires atop the city’s tall buildings. “”You can make them so small that people think they are part of the design,” Mr. Aggarwala said.

“If rooftop wind can make it anywhere, this is a great city,” he said. “We have a lot of tall buildings.”

Creating an offshore wind farm, he said, requires “pretty much the same level of difficulty as drilling an oil rig, but you don’t have to pump oil.”

“You could imagine going as much as 15, 20, 25 miles offshore, where it’s virtually invisible to land,” he said.

Mr. Aggarwala said that developing renewable energy for New York would take considerable time. “Nobody is going to see a wind farm off the coast of Queens in the next year,” he said.
But “the idea of renewable power in and around New York City is very realistic,” he said. “The question is what type makes the most sense and in what time frame. That is what we are trying to figure out.”

The city has experimented with wind power before. It put a turbine on city-owned land at 34th Street and the East River several years ago, but found that the technology was not efficient enough to expand.

The mayor’s plan includes the widespread use of solar panels, possibly on the roofs of public and private buildings. One proposal is to allow companies to rent roofs for solar panels and sell the energy they harvest to residents.

The city is already using tidal turbines under the East River that provide energy to Roosevelt Island. That technology could be widely expanded under the mayor’s proposal.

Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Democratic Candidate for Governor Announces Net Metering Policy

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jill Long Thompson held a series of news conferences throughout Indiana on Wednesday, July 30, 2008, announcing her Green Jobs Initiative. She was joined by her candidate for Lt. Governor, Dennie Oxley.

You need to go to the campaign website to find the real meat on the bones. See http://jill.3cdn.net/898798a861e1e9d879_2ym6ivndc.pdf

Indiana Renew readers will be pleased to find the following statement on Net Metering:

Modernize the Net Metering Rules. Net metering refers to a billing process by which customers realize savings from generating their own power. It essentially enables customers to put more power back on the grid and run their meters backward. According to a 2007 report by the Network of New Energy Choices, Indiana has one of the worst net metering rules in the nation.19 The report contends that our state’s net meting rules are among the most restrictive of all states. This must change. As Governor, I will convene a work group immediately upon taking office and direct them to review the following issues and make recommendations for change:

  • Expand the net metering rules to include commercial and industrial customers as well as rural electric cooperatives in order to increase the supply of power from renewable energy resources;
  • Broaden the definition of eligible renewable resources20 to include other resources;
  • Increase the net metering cap – the amount of electricity customers can put back on the grid –to a level that either exceeds or is consistent with levels set by neighboring states; and
  • Work with Hoosier utility companies to promote our net metering rules once they have been updated so customers are aware that this option exists.

    The work group will be required to provide me with their recommendations within 6 months of being formed. Failure to act on this important issue could mean that manufacturing and technology companies, in particular, could experience an increase in their operational costs if they are unable to benefit from net metering in the near future, which is unacceptable. In addition, by enhancing our net metering rules it will allow Hoosiers to save on their electric bill as well as create jobs for the production, installation, and service of these consumer renewable energy products.

This statement by Thompson dovetails remarks made by several individuals on 07/08/08 in Ft. Wayne on net metering made at the public field hearing in the Indiana and Michigan Electric Company rate increse request in Cause No. 43306. See http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080709/NEWS/807090303.

This morning’s Indianapolis Star article that describes her initiatives as well as the response of Republican candidate and incumbent Governor Mitch Daniels can be found at:

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080731/NEWS0502/807310449/1008/LOCAL19

The Indianapolis Star article also lists a variety of energy initiatives taken by the Daniel’s administration including the Executive Order he issued last month on energy efficiency standards for state buildings. This Executive Order does appear as a reaction to HB 1280 filed by State Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington). The bill was gutted and enacted merely as a study.

See previous posts:

http://indianarenew.blogspot.com/2008/01/hb-1280-to-require-energy-efficient.html


See Governor Mitch Daniels Issues Executive Order on LEED Silver Standards for State Buildings on June 24, 2008. http://www.in.gov/gov/files/EO_08_14.pdf




The complete text of the news release is posted below and can be found at:

http://www.hoosierpoliticalreport.com/2008/07/release-long-thompson-oxley-an.html



NEWS RELEASE



For Immediate Release: July 30, 2008



Media Contact: Jeff Harris or

Jason Tomcsi, 317-635-5455


LONG THOMPSON, OXLEY ANNOUNCE GREEN JOBS INITIATIVE


Plan focuses on creating jobs through clean energy investment and reform



INDIANAPOLIS - In a sweeping proposal designed to reinvigorate Indiana by growing a cleaner and greener economy, today Jill Long Thompson and Dennie Oxley unveiled their "Green Jobs Initiative" in stops around the state.



The proposal centers on the creation of new, good-paying jobs through targeted investments and an increased commitment to new environmental and energy standards. It is the first in a series of policy proposals the Democratic candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor will introduce as a part of their "One Indiana Plan" to create an economy that works for all Hoosiers.



"Hoosiers need a responsible, rational approach to harness our clean energy potential," said Long Thompson. "By implementing my plan we will be able to tap into our highly skilled workforce to create thousands of green jobs, which are desperately needed to replace the ones that we have lost. These jobs will reignite our economy and put Indiana on a solid path of economic growth."



A study by the Blue Green Alliance found that nearly 340,000 existing Hoosier jobs could benefit from investments in clean energy. In the manufacturing sector alone, the same report found that Indiana has the potential to create as many as 25,180 new jobs from wind turbine manufacturing and an additional 7,485 new jobs in solar component manufacturing.



"Energy improvements save money, reduce consumption, and when done right, can also stimulate the economy and lead to the creation of more jobs," said Oxley. "The lack of leadership from this administration has caused Indiana to waste an historic opportunity to not only help address the global energy crisis, but to improve our environment and create thousands of good-paying jobs."



According to a recent ranking by Forbes Magazine of the "Greenest States" in the nation, Indiana received the dubious ranking of 49th. The ranking also showed that Indiana has the 6th highest carbon footprint of all states. Long Thompson and Oxley's plan has three major components to grow a cleaner, greener economy and achieve greater energy independence.



Growing Green Jobs


  • Implement a "Green Boost": An extension of their "Economic Tiers" proposal, a Long Thompson/Oxley administration would create a Green Boost incentive to encourage the further development of a green economy. Under the plan, companies eligible for assistance under the tiers program could receive an additional one-time $500 tax credit for any new green job created. Businesses that purchase equipment to lessen its environmental impact or energy usage would also be provided with an additional 3 percent tax credit.

  • The economic tiers program, which was unveiled earlier this year, directs the state's resources to struggling counties. Under the Long Thompson/Oxley plan, each of the state's 92 counties would be categorized into three different tiers with graduated job growth incentives distributed based on several economic indicators, including unemployment rate, median household income, population growth and assessed property value per capita in the county.

  • Increase Funding for Research and Technology: As Governor, Long Thompson would direct half of the nearly $35 million in funding from the 21st Century Research & Technology Fund to start-up businesses developing new technology and conducting energy and environmental research and development in Indiana.

  • Create a Clean Energy Fund: A clean energy fund will provide the opportunity for a funding stream to achieve our energy, environmental, and economic goals. Research shows that states investing in clean technology and renewable energy are better positioned to receive federal funding and private research dollars. Jill Long Thompson would direct $10 million per year from existing incentive programs to create a Clean Energy Fund to invest in innovative clean technology and renewable energy projects.

  • Direct Investments to Sustainable Energy Technology and Environmentally Responsible Companies: Following the lead of several other states, the Long Thompson/Oxley administration would work with the trustees of the Public Employees' Retirement Fund and the Teachers' Retirement Fund to devise a strategy to invest in Indiana companies that are developing alternative energy and clean technology to help provide additional support to these growing companies.

  • Modernize Indiana's Net Metering Rules: To encourage the increased use of alternative energy sources - like solar or wind power -the Long Thompson/Oxley administration would enhance the state net metering guidelines. Under their plan, those that generate more power than required to operate their homes or businesses and add energy to the power grid would have their utility bills reduced. In addition to providing Hoosiers with cost-savings, the move could create additional jobs as the demand for green technologies increase.

Energy Efficiency in Government



  • Set New Building Standards: Long Thompson would require that all new state facilities meet Leadership in Energy Efficiency Design (LEED), Green Global, or other comparable standards to ensure maximum environmental and efficiency performance.

  • Conduct Energy Audits: The Long Thompson/Oxley administration would conduct full-scale energy audits of all state government facilities to benchmark energy usage. In addition to serving as the basis for usage reduction plans, the assessments would guide future maintenance priorities.

  • Purchase Flex Fuel Vehicles: As Governor, Long Thompson would ensure that new vehicles purchased by the state are capable of running on E-85 gasoline blends or diesel vehicles that can operate on biodiesel, making certain that state vehicles are fueled with cleaner burning E-85 and biodiesel fuels whenever possible.

  • Establish a Green Purchasing Policy: The Long Thompson/Oxley administration would put in place state purchasing guidelines to ensure state dollars are spent responsibly with minimal impact to our carbon footprint.

"Not only will this green strategy create jobs and reduce our environmental impact, it has the potential to reshape Indiana's future," said Long Thompson. "These are not just goals - this is a clear plan of action for creating new jobs and new opportunities for all Hoosiers."


Known for her ability to get things done, Jill Long Thompson is an accomplished public servant. She has served as a city councilor, a Congresswoman and as Under Secretary for Rural Development at the United States Department of Agriculture. Long Thompson grew up on her family's farm in rural Whitley County and was the first in her family to go to college. She received her undergraduate degree from Valparaiso University and went on to earn a master's and Ph.D. in business from Indiana University. A farmer and college professor by trade, Long Thompson lives with her husband Don Thompson, a commercial airline pilot, on their farm in Marshall County.


Dennie Oxley is a 10-year veteran of the state legislature, currently serving as the Majority Whip in the Indiana House of Representatives. A former high school math teacher, school administrator and businessman, Oxley brings a wealth of public and private sector experience to the team. Oxley is a graduate of Indiana University Southeast, where he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in education. A lifelong resident of English, a small community in Crawford County, he resides there with his wife, Jayme, and their two young daughters.


For more information about Jill Long Thompson, Dennie Oxley or their campaign to restore Indiana's promise, please visit www.hoosiersforjill.com or call 317-635-Jill.
###

GREEN JOBS FACT SHEET:


Green Trades in Indiana (Source: www.bluegreenalliance.org/gjfa)



  • Carpenters will be needed to make buildings more energy efficient. There are nearly 24,000 carpenters in Indiana, paid an average of nearly $18 per hour.

  • Electricians are essential to expanding mass transit solutions. There are 15,000 electricians in Indiana, paid an average of nearly $24 per hour.

  • Operations managers are needed to manufacture energy-efficient automobiles. There are nearly 25,000 operations managers in Indiana, paid an average of nearly $42 per hour.

  • Machinists craft essential components for wind power. There are nearly 15,000 machinists in Indiana, paid an average of over $17 per hour.

  • Welders are vital to solar power manufacturing. There are over 12,000 welders in Indiana, paid an average of over $15 per hour.

  • Industrial truck drivers transport supplies and fuels for the cellulosic biofuels sector. There are nearly 22,000 industrial truck drivers in Indiana, paid an average of over $14 per hour.

Green Opportunities in Indiana Agriculture


(Source: www.apolloalliance.org/resources_rural.php)



  • Alternative energy sources provide many opportunities for agricultural and rural communities to take advantage of their assets, including the availability of crops and open land to generate energy.

  • If farmers dedicated land to a variety of crops such as corn, soybeans and switchgrass which can be turned into electricity and fuel, biomass has the potential to provide 14% of electricity and 13% of motor fuel use.

  • The Department of Energy estimates that if wind power comprised just 5% of the U.S. electricity market, $60 billion in capital investment would be poured into rural communities.

  • These investments would provide $1.2 billion to landowners and farmers, and create 80,000 new jobs.

Other type of Green Jobs


(Source: www.bluegreenalliance.org/gjfa)



  • Building Retrofitting: Electricians, heating/air conditioning installers, carpenters, construction, equipment operators, roofers, insulation workers, carpenter helpers, industrial truck drivers, construction managers, building inspectors.

  • Mass Transit: Civil engineers, rail track layers, electricians, welders, metal fabricators, engine assemblers, production helpers, bus drivers, first-line transportation supervisors, dispatchers.

  • Energy Efficient Automobiles: Computer software engineers, electrical engineers, engineering technicians, welders, transportation equipment painters, metal fabricators, computer-controlled machine operators, engine assemblers, production helpers, operations managers.

  • Wind Power: Environmental engineers, iron and steel workers, millwrights, sheet metal workers, machinists, electrical equipment assemblers, construction equipment operators, industrial truck drivers, industrial production managers, first-line production supervisors.

  • Solar Power: Electrical engineers, electricians, industrial machinery mechanics, welders, metal fabricators, electrical equipment assemblers, construction equipment operators, installation helpers, laborers, construction managers.

  • Cellulosic Biofuels: Chemical engineers, chemists, chemical equipment operators, chemical technicians, mixing and blending machine operators, agricultural workers, industrial truck drivers, farm product purchasers, agricultural and forestry supervisors, agricultural inspectors.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Al Gore Calls for 100% Renewable Energy in 10 Years

"America must commit to producing 100% of our electricity from cheap, clean renewable energy sources like solar and wind within 10 years." said Al Gore.



To view and/or read Al Gore's complete speech please visit http://www.wecansolveit.org/



Quite frankly, I find Gary Varvel's editorial cartoon running in the Indianapolis Star on Saturday, July 19, 2008, insulting.

See http://blogs.indystar.com/varvelblog/archives/2008/07/the_joker.html

What do you think?

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Climate Change Bill Dead for This Year, Bayh Votes "Yes" & Lugar Votes "No" on Cloture Motion

Thanks everyone for your efforts to get the U.S. Congress to enact the Climate Change Bill. Unfortunately, the cloture vote on Friday (6/6/08) failed. The nail in the coffin was a procedural motion to close debate or a motion to invoke cloture on the Boxer Amdt. No. 4825. For an explanation of cloture see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloture.

For more details on what happened please see yesterday's article from the New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/washington/07climate.html?ex=1370577600&en=b14db6a2211e58f1&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Also the NYT article states: "But even after the vote, it was hard to discern where many lawmakers stood, with 10 Democrats among the 48 senators who voted to close debate saying they would have opposed the bill had it come to a final vote."

So how did our U.S. Senators from Indiana vote on this issue? Well, Sen. Evan Bayh voted "YES" and Sen. Dick Lugar voted "No". Would Sen. Evan Bayh have been one of the 10 Democrats who would have voted "No" if the bill had come to a final vote? What do you think?

I recently discovered a great website called GovTrack. Their website states: "An independent, non-partisan, non-commercial website founded in September 2004, GovTrack.us was a 2006 Webby Award nominee and has been mentioned in both The New York Times and The Washington Post. GovTrack was inspired by other websites, such as Project Vote Smart, OpenSecrets, and the commercial CapWiz, but was the first website to provide comprehensive legislative tracking for everyday citizens and the first congressional transparency website to embrace Web 2.0 and principles of open data."

Checkout their analysis of the Roll Call vote in the U.S. Senate on this issue. See
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?&vote=s2008-145.

The vote was 48 to 36 with 16 not voting. Of the 48 Senators voting "Yes", 39 were Democrats, 7 were Republicans and 2 were Independents. Of the 36 Senators voting "No", 4 were Democrats and 34 were Republicans.

I don't completely understand the Senate rules on a cloture vote but GovTrack indicates that in order to prevail it required 3/5 of 84 votes or 51 votes. Therefore, it was three (3) votes shy.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

New Ohio Law Expected to Spawn 5,000-7,000 MW Wind Market

April 29, 2008 from American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)


by Hans Detweiler, AWEA Washington, D.C., United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]


Following unanimous Senate concurrence with an Ohio House bill, legislation to establish a 12.5%-by-2025 renewable electricity standard (RES) is headed to the desk of Governor Ted Strickland (D). The governor is expected to sign the bill on May 1st, but has offered no public statement regarding the final legislation.


"As Ohio goes, so goes the nation."
-- Erin Bowser, Environment Ohio

Assuming that wind energy constitutes 75%-95% of the 12.5% standard, the bill would establish a market for between 5,000 MW and 7,000 MW of new wind capacity by 2025. Annual mandatory benchmarks begin with 0.25% in 2009 and 0.5% in 2010, then add 0.5% per year through 2014, followed by an additional 1% per year through 2024. In terms of early-year impact, a reasonable estimate for new megawatts induced by the legislation for 2012 (ostensibly built by end of 2011) would be 650-750 MW.


Inclusion of specific annual requirements in the bill was a major accomplishment for the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and AWEA members, as an earlier bill that passed the Senate last fall included no such benchmarks. Following the advocacy of the wind industry, strong early-year benchmarks became a priority for Speaker Jon Husted (R), who then championed them and ensured their inclusion in the final bill. Companies particularly active in the effort included Babcock & Brown, Gamesa, GE, Horizon, Iberdrola, Invenergy, JW Great Lakes, Owens-Corning, and Webcore. "Early year benchmarks were not in the picture when we engaged this legislation in February," said an AWEA state legislation and policy spokesperson. "Industry did a great job of coming out publicly to support the early annual standards, and that public involvement paid off."


The legislation also has national significance. Ohio, as a major industrial state, ranks fourth in power consumption (behind only Texas, California, and Florida) and this market will move the needle nationally for renewable energy. The legislation can also be expected to jump start interest in wind manufacturing in Ohio's world-class manufacturing sector, which may bring advantages of scale and cost to the whole industry. Furthermore, 25 states plus the District of Columbia have previously enacted mandatory renewable energy standards, so Ohio's addition to this group means that a majority of all states now have such standards. "As Ohio goes, so goes the nation," said Erin Bowser of Environment Ohio.


The renewable energy provisions are generally consistent with national best practices following efforts by Speaker Husted to improve the bill. The bill contains strong enforcement provisions, including "alternative compliance payments" of not less than $45 per megawatt hour (MWh), and requires that at least half of the energy used to satisfy the standard be generated in Ohio (the other half can be from outside Ohio if delivered into the state). The bill also includes a force majeure clause patterned on Pennsylvania's, a small solar set-aside that ramps up gradually to 0.5% by 2025, and a 3% cost cap provision. The wind industry's only reservation with the bill was the cost cap provision, which may require close attention during regulatory implementation.


To find the actual legislation, go to Section 4928.64 of the bill, available at: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_SB_221


Hans Detweiler is manager of state legislation and policy at the American Wind Energy Association.

This article first appeared in Wind Energy Weekly.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

INDIANA SURVEY: HOOSIERS WOULD PULL PLUG ON DUKE ENERGY’S PROPOSED COAL-FIRED POWER PLANT IN EDWARDSPORT

Survey of 600 Indiana Adults Shows Strong Preference for Clean Energy, More Conservation & Energy-Efficiency; About 6 in 10 State Residents Would Be More Likely to Support Political Candidate Who Opposes Edwardsport Plant.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN.///April 22, 2008///Support in Indiana for plans by Duke Energy to build a dirty coal-fired power plant at Edwardsport is weak, according to a scientific survey of 600 state residents conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) for the independent Civil Society Institute, a nonprofit and nonpartisan think tank located in Newton, MA.

The survey found that four out of five Indiana residents (80 percent) – 76 percent of Republicans, 85 percent of Democrats and 81 percent of Independents -- agree that “Indiana should focus on increased energy efficiency and conservation steps and more use of sustainable energy to reduce demand for electricity before it goes ahead with a new coal-fired power plant.” Fewer than one in four (18 percent) disagree.

Other key Indiana survey findings include:

  • Three out of four Indiana residents (75 percent) would pick clean wind or solar energy if they “could decide where to invest money in new electric power generation for Indiana.” Fewer than one in five (16 percent) would pick nuclear and just 7 percent favor coal as the power source.
  • About six out of 10 Indiana residents (58 percent) -– including an equal number of likely voters --would be more likely to vote for “a candidate for public office who spoke out against Duke Energy's planned coal-fired plant for Indiana.”This support for power plant opponent candidates includes majorities of Republicans (50 percent), Democrats (66 percent) and Independents (57 percent).
  • Nearly three out of four Indiana residents (75 percent) would oppose “the building of another coal-fired power plant in Indiana if they knew it would result in additional mercury contamination and carbon dioxide pollution, which scientists believe contribute to global warming.” Over half (53 percent) of residents would strongly oppose such construction, which would be favored by only one in four state residents. Only 31 percent of Republicans, 16 percent of Democrats and 22 percent of Independents would support such construction.

Civil Society Institute Senior Fellow Gail Pressberg said: “Duke Energy clearly does not have the support of Hoosiers when it embraces a 19th Century solution like coal to deal with the challenges of a 21st Century world that requires clean energy solutions that create new jobs and cut global warming pollution. Indiana residents know that Jim Rogers is on the wrong track in relying on a dirty power source at the same time that more far-sighted utilities and the state governments that regulate them are canceling plans for coal-fired power plants.”


Grant Smith, executive director, Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, Indianapolis, IN., said: “The public understands that going forward with construction of the Edwardsport coal gasification plant would be a financial disaster for ratepayers and an ecological travesty. It is simply unethical and irresponsible for Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers to pursue completion of the Edwardsport plant due to extravagant costs to ratepayers in these difficult economic times, the lack of any technology that can control carbon dioxide emissions, and the availability of cheaper, cleaner options that can easily meet electric demand in Duke’s monopoly territory and create many more jobs than a coal plant. The public just isn’t buying Rogers’ self-serving coal-now-and-forever spin.”


OTHER SURVEY FINDINGS


Opinion Research Corporation Senior Researcher Graham Hueber said: “It is clear from the survey that Indiana residents are looking ahead to a future of cleaner energy. For example, nearly nine out of 10 Hoosiers (86 percent) agree with the following statement: ‘A national energy strategy based on a 'phasing in' of new technologies and a phasing out of carbon based energy sources would require specific actions. America should commit to a five-year moratorium on new coal-fired plants and, instead, focus on aggressive expansion of wind, solar and other renewable energy sources. Tax and other incentives should be provided for all new construction to help reduce energy consumption. Homeowners should get incentives to make their homes more energy efficient to help reduce energy demands.’”


Other key Civil Society Institute survey findings for Indiana include the following:

  • Likely voters favor more conservation/energy efficiency over power plant construction by a margin of 79 percent to 19 percent.
  • Four out of five Indiana residents (80 percent) say they are “concerned about the possible ill health effects -including asthma, heart problems and mental retardation in children --that could be experienced by you, your family members and others as the result of increased pollution from a new coal-fired power plant in Indiana.”Fewer than one in five state residents (19 percent) say they are not concerned by such health issues.
  • About nine out of ten Indiana residents (84 percent) – including a bipartisan 80 percent of Republicans, 88 percent of Democrats and 87 percent of Independents -- agree with the following statement: "A sound energy policy is central to solving some of the most urgent problems facing our country. An energy policy that promotes energy efficiency and sustainable power would encourage innovation, create new green jobs and make for a stronger economy. It also allows the U.S. to disentangle itself from unstable and hostile regions of the world while also reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions.“
  • Roughly nine out of 10 Indiana residents (89 percent) “think it is time for the leaders of our nation to start thinking in terms of the concept of a ’new industrial revolution, ’one that is characterized by the orderly phasing out of fossil fuels and the phasing in of clean, renewable energy sources -many of which are available now, such as wind and solar for electricity, hybrid and clean diesel technologies for cars.”
  • Over four out of five Indiana residents (81 percent) agree that “the effects of global warming require that we take timely and decisive steps for renewable, safe and clean energy sources. We need transitional technologies on our path to energy independence. There are tough choices to be made and tradeoffs. We cannot afford to postpone decisions since there are no perfect options."
  • Over four-fifths of Indiana residents (83 percent) have little (15 percent) or no (68 percent) awareness of “plans by Duke Energy to build a new coal-fired power plant at Edwardsport in Indiana.” Only 17 percent say they are aware, with just 4 percent “very aware.”

For full findings from the new survey, go to http://www.civilsocietyinstitute.org/.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

Results are based on an Opinion Research Corporation survey for the Civil Society Institute consisting of telephone interviews conducted among a representative sample of 602 adults age 18 and over, living in private households, in the state of Indiana. Interviewing was completed during the period of April 4-7, 2008. All completed interviews were weighted by two variables: age and gender, to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the adult population. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points for the sample of 602 adults. Smaller sub-groups will have larger error margins.

ABOUT THE CIVIL SOCIETY INSTITUTE


The nonprofit and nonpartisan Civil Society Institute (http://www.civilsocietyinstitute.org/) is a Newton, Massachusetts-based think tank that serves as a catalyst for change by creating problem-solving interactions among people, and between communities, government and business that can help to improve society. Since 2003, CSI has conducted more than 15 major national and state-level surveys on energy and global warming issues. The Civil Society Institute also is a of the Citizens Lead for Energy Action Now (CLEAN) campaign at http://www.cleanenergyaction.net/. CSI is the organizer of both 40MPG.org (http://www.40mpg.org/) and the Hybrid Owners of America (http://www.HybridOwnersofAmerica.org).

CONTACT: Ailis Aaron Wolf, (703) 276-3265 or aawolf@hastingsgroup.com.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A streaming audio replay of the news event will be available on the Web at http://www.civilsocietyinstitute.org/ as of 5 p.m. CDT/6 p.m. EDT on April 22, 2008.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Cantwell-Ensign Clean Energy Amendment Derailed

From Solar Nation

Clunk! Roller Coaster off the Rails
The House puts its foot down

Roller coasters have, by design, a multitude of ups and downs, but it's comforting even to thrill-seekers to know they rarely become completely derailed. The roller coaster that represents the latest iteration of the Congressional energy bill, however, has finally done that.

The news from Washington is that the House of Representatives has no intention of moving forward with the "Cantwell-Ensign" clean energy provisions that the Senate made part of their comprehensive housing bill in early April. House Democratic leadership does not believe:

  • that energy provisions should be included in housing legislation;
  • that energy matters should be part of any future 'Economic Stimulus'-type legislation; and
  • that bills with tax titles should be passed with no identified source of funding.

Unfortunately, those three characteristics well describe the clean energy amendment that Senators Cantwell and Ensign succeeded in attaching to the housing bill.

This is, to say the least, a disappointment, particularly after the efforts of solar citizens helped to produce the overwhelming (88-8) Senate passage of the amendment. But for the short term, it seems there will be no useful activity on Capitol Hill that will promote the tax credits for clean energy or energy efficiency that we know are so important. And that doesn't mean these measures will never again be a part of the economic equation; what it means is that those congresspersons who firmly believe the measures are necessary must find other legislative vehicles to carry them through the House, Senate and the White House.

Will this happen this year? At this point we can't tell you. There is talk of lumping the clean energy tax credits in with other credits and deductions in a broad-based 'extenders' bill, but nothing concrete has yet emerged. We do know that the attention of Congress in an election year tends to veer toward campaigns and polls instead of legislation as November approaches, so we're hoping for action earlier rather than later.

As always, we'll keep you posted.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

RENEWABLE ENERGY: Senate passes bill with tax credit extensions, but endgame uncertain

Reprinted from Greenwire.

RENEWABLE ENERGY: Senate passes bill with tax credit extensions, but endgame uncertain (04/10/2008)

by Ben Geman, Greenwire senior reporter
(See http://www.eenews.net/gw/)

The Senate voted 88-8 today to include roughly $6 billion worth of renewable energy and efficiency tax credits in a major housing bill the chamber passed shortly thereafter, but it remains unclear how or when a deal with the House may emerge.

The amendment, sponsored by Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and John Ensign (R-Nev.), extends credits for wind, solar and other renewable energy projects that are set to expire at year's end.

The Cantwell-Ensign plan was included in a bill aimed at addressing the subprime mortgage crisis that the Senate passed 84-12. However, the White House yesterday attacked several provisions in the Senate plan, and the House is crafting its own housing bill.

The bill includes a one-year extension of the renewable power production tax credit that wind developers call essential to continued growth and an eight-year extension of the solar investment tax credit. It also provides one- or two-year extensions of credits for efficient homes and buildings, and several years' worth of credits for the manufacture of energy-efficient dishwashers, clothes washers and refrigerators.

But the measure does not include revenue-raising provisions to offset the costs, which sets up a potential collision with House Democrats who want to adhere to pay-as-you-go rules. Cantwell, speaking before the vote, urged colleagues in the other chamber to adopt the Senate plan and referred to it repeatedly as a "stimulative" measure.

Congress approved -- and President Bush signed -- an economic stimulus plan earlier this year that was not offset. Cantwell wants colleagues to see the renewable energy credits in the same light, arguing they will preserve and create "green jobs" and prevent billions of dollars in renewable-sector investments from drying up.

The House in late February approved a much larger energy tax package that included renewable power, efficiency, biofuels and other provisions. The costs are offset by repealing tax breaks for large oil companies. But this approach -- which the House has endorsed repeatedly over the past year -- has faltered in the Senate amid GOP-led filibusters and faces White House veto threats.

"This is our bipartisan chance to have renewable energy in this country in a big way," Ensign said before the vote.

Nonetheless, earlier this week, a spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in an e-mail, "We are committed to pay-as-you-go in our effort to restore our nation's fiscal responsibility and strongly support the House-passed legislation."

Cantwell, before the vote, said continued wrangling over offsets would jeopardize renewable energy projects by creating uncertainty about the tax credits. Investment in wind power projects has plunged in the past when lawmakers have allowed the production tax credit to lapse.

She argued that passage of the current plan would provide breathing room to work on revenue sources to support longer-term extension of renewable energy and efficiency incentives. "We have plenty of time for the rest of the year to really talk about how we are going to make green energy tax credits a priority in our nation's tax code so this industry can really take off and provide the certainty and predictability we need," she said.

Before approving the Cantwell-Ensign plan, lawmakers rejected a proposal by Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) to extend the renewable production tax credit for two years, rather than one, but lower the value of the credit for wind projects. The vote was 15-79.

Meanwhile, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) told reporters Tuesday that he will probably unveil an energy tax package he is crafting next week. The senator -- who wants to include as-yet-unspecified offsets -- said the package would be "significant" when asked about the size. Baucus said it will probably be included in a broader tax package he is preparing.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Solar Nation Asks for Calls to Sen. Lugar & Sen. Bayh to Co-Sponsor Cantwell-Ensign Clean Energy Tax Stimulus Act of 2008

FROM SOLAR NATION--

Yesterday (Thursday, April 3, 2008), Senators Cantwell and Ensign introduced a bipartisan bill, the Clean Energy Tax Stimulus Act of 2008 into the U.S. Senate. It contains much of what we've been fighting for, over the past year, and by TODAY (Friday, April 4, 2008) it needs a total of 61 senators to co-sponsor it, to ensure passage.

Wait a minute--haven't we been here before? If you follow Solar Nation, you'll remember there's already a bill answering to this description that passed the House in February and is waiting its turn in the Senate.


This is true, but the chances are that that bill won't pass the Senate, since funding for it is still slated to come from the oil and gas industry, a feature that has doomed similar bills twice before.
The Cantwell/Ensign bill, on the other hand, is a pared-down version with a much smaller price tag of $7 billion, which:

  • extends the investment tax credit for commercial solar power installations for 8 years
  • extends the residential solar investment tax credit for one year and
  • removes the current $2000 credit cap
  • removes the exemption on utilities for claiming these tax credits
  • allows the tax credit to offset alternative minimum tax
  • extends incentives for energy efficiency improvements

This is the bill that has the best chance of keeping Solar alive until (and if) Congress can pass a stronger bill next year; in fact, among the 23 co-sponsors it already has, there are some senators who have been steadfast hold-outs to past energy bills.

Please call :

Sen. Lugar's office 202-224-4814; and

Sen. Bayh's office 202-224-5623.

Ask them to sign on to the Cantwell/Ensign bill as a co-sponsor.

Can you make a call to their office TODAY and urge them to get on board?

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Business & Environmental Groups Urge Sen. Lugar to Support Tax Incentives for Renewable Energy

3 April 2008

SENT VIA E-MAIL

The Honorable Richard Lugar
U.S. Senate
306 Hart Senate Building
Washington, DC 20510-1401

Dear Senator Lugar:

As a coalition of businesses and environmental organizations, we urge you to pass bipartisan legislation as soon as possible that extends federal tax incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and consumer purchases of energy efficient products. These critically important incentives have expired or will expire at the end of this year and must be extended immediately to avoid significant harm to the developing clean energy industries in the United States.

We urge extension of incentives for renewable energy production, energy efficiency in commercial buildings, investment in solar electric systems, use of efficient home heating and cooling equipment, production of efficient home appliances, construction of efficient new homes, efficiency retrofits to existing homes, and consumer purchases of energy efficient products. The technologies produced by these industries play a vital role in reducing global warming pollution, creating new high-wage American jobs, spurring economic growth and saving consumers and businesses money on their energy bills.

It is essential for the development of clean technology industries that extensions of the efficiency and renewable energy tax incentives remain effective for multiple years. Congress has historically extended the clean energy incentives in one or two-year increments, which creates a boom-bust cycle for the technologies covered by the incentives. This cycle undermines the efficient development of the clean energy technology industries into mature industries.

It is critical for the sustained development of the clean energy technology industries that efficiency and renewable energy tax incentives be promptly extended. The delay in extending these provisions is already discouraging investment decisions today for clean energy projects that will be completed in 2009 or later. According to a recent study by Navigant Consulting, failure to promptly extend renewable energy tax incentives places at risk 116,000 jobs in the wind and solar industries and more than $19 billion in clean energy investment.

America is on the cusp of a new, clean energy economy. Extending efficiency and renewable energy tax incentives is critical to promoting the transition to this economy. They will help get us started on solving the global warming problem, reduce energy prices for consumers and create new high-wage jobs. We urge you to do everything you can to ensure prompt passage of legislation with significant bipartisan support that adopts long-term extensions of the efficiency and renewable energy tax incentives and can be enacted into law this spring.

Sincerely,


Laura Ann Arnold, President
Indiana Renewable Energy Association

3M
AIA Indiana Chapter
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
American Solar Energy Society
BOSCH
Bright Idea Energy Services, Evansville, IN
Dow Chemical Company
Duke Energy
ECI Wind & Solar, Fairmount, IN
Green Way Supply, Indianapolis, IN
Home & Mobile Energy, Middlebury, IN
Hoosier Chapter of the Sierra Club
Hoosier Environmental Council
Horizon Wind
Indiana Wildlife Federation
Indy Solar Works, LLC, Indianapolis, IN
Inovateus Development, South Bend, IN
Inverde, Fishers, IN
Johnson Controls
Kyocera
Macy's
Morton Energy, Evansville, IN
National Association of State Energy Officials
National Small Business Association
Oerlikon
Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association
PPG Industries
Reinforcing Services, Markle, IN
Solar Systems of Indiana, Bloomington, IN
SPI Industries, South Bend, IN
Spirax Sarco, Inc
Sun Rise Solar, St. John, IN
Sun Wind Power Inc., Floyds Knobs, IN
Sunvention, Greencastle, IN
US Green Building Council - Indiana Chapter
USA Solar & Wind Inc.
WaterFurnace

If you agree with us, please send your own letter to Sen. Richard Lugar.
senator.lugar@lugar.senate.gov

Monday, March 31, 2008

Indiana General Assembly Adjourns Sine Die Without RES

The 2008 session of the Indiana General Assembly adjourned on Friday, March 14 without enacting a state Renewable Electricity Standard or RES for Indiana electric utilities. Yup, that makes three years in a row that our state legislators were not able to bring us in line with more than half of the other states in the United States that have already adopted an RES.

The last time I wrote about this subject for this blog I described the initial conference committee report offered by Rep. Russ Stilwell for HB 1117. During the final days of the session alternative conference committee report was circulated on behalf of Sen. Brandt Hershman. Most observers believe that Sen. Hershman’s proposal reflected the position of Ed Simcox and the Indiana Energy Association. See www.indianaenergy.org.

The RES portion of this conference committee report was as follows:

Each electricity supplier shall supply electricity that is generated from, or otherwise qualifies as, a renewable energy resource or an advanced energy resource to Indiana customers as a percentage of the total electricity supplied by the electricity supplier to Indiana customers a follows:

2% by 2011 (as compared to 2% by 2010);
4% by 2015 (as compared to 5%);
6% by 2020 (as compared to 8%); and
10% by 2025 (as compared to 12%).

Ok so not as good as the proposal offered by Rep. Stilwell but it was still a start you might think. Yes, but the real debate was over other issues in the bill such as “trackers”.

HB 1280 addressing energy efficient buildings was enacted during the 2008 session, however, it was basically stripped of its original content and was turned into a study committee topic assigned to the Environmental Quality Service Council or EQSC. After a rather lively and lengthy debate --for the short session--, in the Senate Energy & Environmental Affairs Committee chaired by Sen. Beverly Gard (R-Greenfield), HB 1280 was amended to become merely a study committee topic. Sen. Gard did indicate a willingness to amend the bill in Conference Committee and to allow the parties to the discussion to continue negotiations. So HB 1280 was passed by the Senate and then House author Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington) dissented on the bill to allow it to be considered in Conference Committee. A Conference Committee hearing was held during the last week of the session; however, a resolution of differences was not reached. During the waning hours of the session, Rep. Pierce withdrew his dissent motion and thereby allowing the House to vote on a concurrence motion to agree with the changes made to the bill in the Senate.

Those interested in learning more about EQSC and its activities during the 2007 interim should visit-- http://www.in.gov/legislative/interim/committee/eqsc.html

Monday, March 10, 2008

Rep. Stilwell Released HB 1117 Proposed Conference Committee Report March 6

The Conference Committee on HB 1117 met on Thursday, March 6, 2008. Conference Committee Chairman Rep. Russ Stilwell (D-Boonville) distributed a proposed conference committee report with the following new language establishing a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) for the State of Indiana:

Each electricity supplier shall supply electricity that is generated from renewable energy resources to Indiana customers as a percentage of the total electricity supplied by the electricity supplier to Indiana customers during a calendar year as follows:

  • Two percent (2%) by 2010,

  • Five percent (5%) by 2015,

  • Eight percent (8%) by 2020, and

  • Twelve percent (12%) by 2025.

The Conference Committee Report specifies that an electricity supplier may not use a renewable energy resource described in section 5(a)(5) of this chapter to generate more than twenty percent (20%) of the electricity that the electricity supplier is required to supply. Section 5(a)(5) refers to clean coal and energy projects (as defined in IC 8-1-8.8-2).

A full copy Rep. Stilwell's proposed HB1117 Conference Committee Report is not currently available on-line.

To receive a copy of the proposed HB 1117 conference committee report, please send an e-mail to: lauraarnold@indianarenew.org.

Since our last post on this issue, Sen. Richard Young (D-Milltown) has replaced Sen. James Lewis (D-Charlestown) as a Senate conferee. Sen. Lewis is now an advisor to the HB 1117 Conference Committee.

The revised list of HB 1117 Conferees is as follows:

House conferees appointed:

*Rep. Russ Stilwell (D-Boonville), h74@in.gov

*Rep. Eric Koch (R-Bedford), h65@in.gov

House advisors appointed:

Rep. Kreg Battles (D-Vincennes), h64@in.gov

Rep. Jack Lutz (R-Anderson), h35@in.gov

Rep. Dale Grubb (D-Covington), h42@in.gov

Senate conferees appointed:

*Sen. Brandt Hershman (R-Monticello), s7@in.gov

*Sen. Richard Young (D-Milltown), s47@in.gov

Senate advisors appointed:

Sen. Thomas Wyss (R-Ft. Wayne), s15@in.gov

Sen. James Lewis (D-Charlestown), s45@in.gov

*denotes voting member of the Conference Committee


Wednesday, March 5, 2008

HB 1117 Conference Committee Meeting 03/06/08, 9:30 AM, Rm 156-A State House

A Conference Committee meeting on HB 1117 has been scheduled for Thursday, March 6, 2008, at 9:30 AM in Room 156-A of the State House. There are no further details at this time. HB 1117 was amended in the Indiana Senate to add a weak Renewable Electricity Standard provision.

The HB 1117 Conferees are as follows:

House conferees appointed:
*Rep. Russ Stilwell (D-Boonville), h74@in.gov
*Rep. Eric Koch (R-Bedford), h65@in.gov

House advisors appointed:
Rep. Kreg Battles (D-Vincennes), h64@in.gov
Rep. Jack Lutz (R-Anderson), h35@in.gov
Rep. Dale Grubb (D-Covington), h42@in.gov

Senate conferees appointed:
*Sen. Brandt Hershman (R-Monticello), s7@in.gov
*Sen. James Lewis (D-Charlestown), s45@in.gov

Senate advisors appointed:
Sen. Thomas Wyss (R-Ft. Wayne), s15@in.gov
Sen. Richard Young (D-Milltown), s47@in.gov

*denotes voting member of the Conference Committee

To call Representatives while the Legislature is in session, telephone
(317) 232-9600 or 9700; 1-800-382-9841 or 9842.

To call Senators while the Legislatire is in session, telephone
(317) 9400 or 9500; 1-800-382-9467.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Senate Conferees Named for HB 1280

Yesterday (03/03/08) the Senate appointed Conference Committee Conferees for HB 1280 on energy efficient buildings as follows:

Senate conferees appointed: Sens. Hershman and Simpson
Senate advisors appointed: Sens. Gard and Breaux

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Indiana General Assembly Enters the "Twilight Zone"; HB 1117 and HB 1280 Conferees Named

We are now moving into the final two weeks of the 2008 session of the Indiana General Assembly. State legislators at this stage of the game only address bills that have already passed both the House and the Senate. Conference Committees are appointed to work out the differences between the versions or the variations of the proposed legislation.

Quite frankly, I refer to this period of the session addressing Conference Committees as the "Twilight Zone".

Wikipedia says this: "The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created (and often written) by its narrator and host Rod Serling. Each episode (156 in the original series) is a self-contained fantasy, science fiction, or horror story, often concluding with an eerie or unexpected twist."

It's the eerie or unexpected twist I guess that causes me to think of Conference Committees as sometimes taking place in the "Twilight Zone". Anything can and does happen during this part of the session. Just remember that this episode of the bizarre fantasy known as the 2008 session of the Indiana General Assembly will conclude March 14th! Of course, there is the possibility that Governor Mitch Daniels will call state legislators back to the State House for a Special Session, however, that is not likely unless they fail to act on property tax relief.

HB 1117 addresses a variety of coal issues including coal gasification. Sen. Hershman added an amendment in the Senate that establishes a weak renewable electricity standard.

For more information see these recent articles:
from the Speedway Navigator http://www.speedwaynavigator.net/V3I1/a24.html
and from the South Bend Tribune http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080223/BIZ/802230442.

Renewable energy advocates will want to watch HB 1117 closely during conference and to communicate with conferees, advisors and their own state legislators to urge that the renewable electricity standard language be strengthened in the bill.

The conferees and advisors appointed for HB 1117 last week (02/28/08) are as follows:

House conferees appointed: Reps. Stilwell and Koch
House advisors appointed: Reps. Battles and Lutz
Representative Grubb appointed as House advisor
Senate conferees appointed: Sens. Hershman and Lewis
Senate advisors appointed: Sens. Wyss and R. Young

HB 1280 as introduced set out procedures for energy efficient buildings. In the Senate Energy and Environmental Affairs Committee, the bill was amended to require the Environmental Quality Service Council (EQSC) to study whether public entities should be required or encouraged to seek to achieve energy and environmental design ratings in the construction and renovation of buildings and structures. Sen. Gard, Chairman of the Senate Energy and Environmental Affairs Committee, agreed to allow HB 1280 to go to a conference committee to allow parties an opportunity to continue to work on compromise language to address concerns expressed by the Indiana hardwood lumber industry.

Thus far, only House conferees and advisors for HB 1280 have been appointed as follows:

House conferees appointed: Reps. Pierce and Wolkins
House advisors appointed: Reps. Austin and Friend

Stay tuned for the next episode of the "Twilight Zone"!

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Solar Nation: Renewable Energy Bill Passes U.S. House

This report from Solar Nation. See http://www.solar-nation.org/.

Funding will be an Issue for the U.S. Senate

Thousands of solar citizens sent messages to their U.S. representatives in the last few days to urge support for the House bill that would create tax credits for renewable energy.

Here's what happened:

A few minutes ago (late afternoon on 02/27/08), the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax of 2008 (H.R. 5351). The final vote was 236 - 182 with 11 members of the House not voting, and was largely split along party lines.

See http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll084.xml

In a joint statement, Speaker Pelosi, House Majority Leader Hoyer and sponsor of the bill Rangel said: "The bill extends and expands tax incentives for renewable electricity, energy and fuel, as well as for hybrid cars, and energy efficient homes, buildings, and appliances. It does not add to our deficit, but rather repeals $18 billion in tax subsidies for Big Oil companies."

"The bill extends and expands tax incentives for renewable electricity, energy and fuel, as well as for hybrid cars, and energy efficient homes, buildings, and appliances," the Democratic leaders' statement continued. "It does not add to our deficit, but rather repeals $18 billion in tax subsidies for Big Oil companies. By strengthening our renewable energy sector, the bill will help create the next generation of good-paying, green collar jobs and bring down energy prices in the long term.”

House Democrats spoke out in favor of the bill, saying that it will help push the U.S. toward energy independence. On the other side of the aisle, House Republicans spoke out against it on the grounds that it would do nothing more than single out America's domestic oil industry with higher taxes that will hurt the economy and the pocket books of consumers.

H.R. 5351 will increase investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency and will pay for that investment by repealing unnecessary tax breaks to traditional energy companies. It is similar to the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act (H.R. 2776) that passed the House as part of a bipartisan energy package in August 2007 but was stripped in order for the package to pass in the Senate.

The Bush Administration has already issued a letter indicating that the president will veto a bill that rolls back tax breaks for the oil and gas industry, so all eyes are now on the Senate, to see whether the Finance Committee can find less objectionable sources of revenue.

U.S. House Passes Renewable Energy Bill

STATEMENT BY RHONE RESCH WITH SEIA ON HOUSE PASSAGE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY BILL, H.R. 5351

U.S. House Hits a Home Run for Solar and Other Renewable Energy; U.S. Senate is Up to Bat

"With opening day for ballplayers only 33 days away, the U.S. House of Representatives stepped up and hit a home run for consumers by passing an energy bill that shifts our economy towards production of clean, reliable, domestic renewable energy. Citizens and business leaders across the country are calling out for change and today Congress listened. This legislation is supported by hundreds of the top U.S. corporations, utilities, environmental groups, labor, and public health groups in the U.S. These leaders, including The Home Depot, Wal-Mart Stores, Best Buy Co., Target, Florida Power and Light, Pacific Gas & Electric, Physicians for Social Responsibility, National Resources Defense Council, and the United Steelworkers have come together to support passage of this historic legislation.

"The incentives in this legislation will greatly expand the use of solar energy, and we estimate solar power will provide 50 percent of all new electricity generated in the U.S. within eight years. During this growth, the solar energy industry will become an economic engine, creating tens of thousands of high-tech jobs and billions in investment throughout the nation. It will also help our country achieve national energy security and save American taxpayers billions in energy costs.

"Now, the Senate is up to bat and we are cheering in the stands. It's up to Senate leaders to step up to the plate and find a workable path to pass this important bill. They must decide if they stand with the 85 percent of Americans who want clean energy and a more secure America or if they will maintain the status quo. It’s time for the Senate to listen to business leaders and the American public and pass legislation that creates a market for solar energy in the U.S."

###See Feb. 26 Coalition Letter: http://www.seia.org/HR5351StakeholdersSupportLtr.pdf

Summary of Renewable Energy Bill, H.R. 5351:
http://www.seia.org/HouseEnergyTaxBillSummary2-12-08.pdf

Full Text of Bill, H.R. 5351:
http://www.seia.org/HouseEnergyBillText2-12-08.pdf

SEIA Press Contact: Monique Hanis 202.682.0556, ext. 4202.236.8220 cell
Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is the national trade association of solar energy manufacturers, dealers, distributors, contractors, installers, architects, consultants and marketers. Established in 1974, SEIA works to expand the use of solar technologies in the global marketplace, strengthen research and development, remove market barriers, and improve education and outreach for solar.

To see how your Member of Congress voted see:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll084.xml

The Indiana Congressional Delegation voted as follows:

Voting "YES" were: Donnelly, Ellsworth, Hill and Viscloskey.

Voting "NO" were: Buyer, Burton, Pence and Souder.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Indiana Senate Passes Renewable Electricity Standard in HB 1117 by Vote of 33 to 12

Around 2:30 pm yesterday afternoon (02/19/08) the Indiana State Senate passed HB 1117 by a vote of 33 to 12. The bill contains the weak Renewable Electricity Standards (RES) language that was originally in SB 224. Chapter 37 contains the language regarding Renewable Energy Development.

To see how your State Senator voted please see:
http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2008/PDF/Srollcal/0209.PDF.pdf

HB 1117 specifies that each Indiana electricity supplier shall supply electricity that is generated from a renewable energy resource or an advanced energy resource to Indiana retail customers as a percentage of the total electricity supplied as follows:

  • 2% by 2011;
  • 4% by 2016; and
  • 6% by 2020.

An electricity supplier may not use an advanced energy resource to supply more than 50% of the electricity. The bill exempts municipal electric utilities as well as rural electric co-ops or REMC's.

The bill defines "renewable energy resources" as alternative sources of renewable energy, including the following:

  • wind energy;
  • solar energy;
  • photovoltaic cells and panels;
  • dedicated crops grown for energy production;
  • organic waste biomass;
  • hydropower from existing dams;
  • fuel cells;
  • energy from waste to energy facilities that produce steam that is not used for the production of electricity;
  • methane systems that convert waste products including animal, food, and plant waste, into electricity;
  • methane recovered from landfills or underground coal mines; and
  • ocean current or wave energy.

A renewable energy resource does not include energy from the incineration, burning, or heating of the following:

  • tires;
  • garbage;
  • general household, institutional, or commercial waste;
  • industrial lunchroom or office waste.; and
  • feedstock that is municipal, food, plant, industrial, or animal waste from outside Indiana.
The bill defines "advanced energy resources" as the following sources and programs for the production or conservation of electricity:
  • combined heat and power systems that: (A) use natural gas or renewable energy resources as feedstock; and (B) achieve at least seventy percent (70%) overall efficiency;
  • demand side management or energy efficiency programs that: (A) reduce electricity consumption; or (B) implement load management or demand response technologies that shift customers' electric load from periods of higher demand to periods of lower demand;
  • waste coal;
  • clean coal and energy projects (as defined in IC 8-1-8.8-2); and
  • other non-carbon dioxide emitting or low carbon dioxide emitting electricity generating technologies, including integrated gasification combined cycle generation with the capability for carbon capture and sequestration through: (A) storage; or (B) enhanced oil recovery.
To view the bill in its entirety see: http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2008/PDF/EH/EH1117.1.pdf.

So what happens next? The bill returns to the House with amendments. The House author Rep. Russ Stilwell (D-Boonville) has two choices: 1) file a motion to concur with the amendments added to HB 1117 in the Senate and then a roll call vote is required on the House floor or 2) file a dissent motion and request that the bill be appointed to a Conference Committee. I expect HB 1117 will go to a Conference Committee.

When a bill goes to a conference committee to work out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill, four legislators are appointed to work out the differences. Normally, there are two House members--a Democrat and a Republican usually selected from the House authors and two Senators--a Republican and a Democrat. Since the Conference Committee is for a House Bill, a House Democrat will be named to chair the Conference Committee on HB 1117. It is likely that Rep. Stilwell will be named as the Chairman of the Conference Committee. All four members of the Conference Committee must agree to further changes to the proposed legislation. After all four conferees sign a Conference Committee Report, the bill returns to both the House and the Senate for roll call votes by all members of the Indiana General Assembly. If the members of the Conference Committee cannot reach agreement, conferees may be removed by legislative leadership and they can try again.

At this point, the concept of a Renewable Electricity Standard or RES is still alive but just about anything can happen. Again, the deadline for the 2008 session of the Indiana General Assembly to adjourn is March 14th.

I would strongly urge that you carefully review the language in Chapter 37 on Renewable Energy Development. If you have any questions and/or concerns about what is included or excluded, I strongly urge that you convey your sentiments to Rep. Stilwell, h74@in.gov or stilwell1130@yahoo.com His phone number at the State House is (317) 232-9798 or at home in Boonville on the weekend at (812) 897-1211.