WaterFurnace is a founding member of the Indiana Renewable Energy Association.
Fort Wayne, IN. – President Obama has signed the Economic Stimulus Package and WaterFurnace International can contribute to the nation’s economic recovery with a plan that will create jobs and save energy.
The stimulus package is intended to create and save 3.6 million jobs and jumpstart the economy with economic recovery tax cuts and targeted investments. In addition to putting money back in the pockets of consumers and businesses, the package also includes provisions that will help achieve long-term goals, such as improving energy efficiency in both the public and private sectors.
Among those provisions, the plan calls for a disbursement of $6.9 billion to state and local governments for energy efficiency upgrades and the reduction of carbon emissions. “This could amount to as much as $100 million in the state of Indiana,” said Bruce Ritchey, CEO of Indiana-based WaterFurnace Renewable Energy, Inc., a leading manufacturer of residential, commercial, industrial and institutional geothermal and water source heat pumps.
By investing a portion of this $100 million in rebates or low interest loans to homeowners who replace their old fossil fuel or straight electric furnaces with geothermal heat pumps the country would definitely make progress toward the goals of the stimulus package. WaterFurnace notes that Indiana and other states in the country that have invested in similar programs were able to create hundreds of “green collar jobs” while significantly increasing energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.
According to Ritchey, a $2,000 rebate on the purchase of a geothermal heat pump or availability of low interest loans, would generate 200 heat pump sales every month in Indiana, or 2,400 unit sales at the end of the first year. “At the same time, every 18 installations would create one new job. At the end of the first year that means we will have created 133 new green collar jobs (2,400 units divided by 18 installations per job). At $2,000 per unit, the total cost of a job creation/energy efficiency rebate program in the state of Indiana would be $4.8 million over the course of a year.”
In addition to creating jobs, the rebate program and the ensuing installation of geothermal heat pumps would cut an average four metric tons of carbon emissions per year per unit.“If you multiply those reductions by the average unit life of 24.4 years, that means that 97.6 metric tons of emissions could be eliminated over the lifetime of each unit, and 234,240 tons over the lifetime of the 2,400 units sold through the rebate program,” said Ritchey.
Looking beyond Indiana to a national rebate program, Ritchey added, “If every state would take just five percent of the funding available through the energy efficiency portion of the stimulus package and invest it in a geothermal incentive, I can’t think of a faster, more cost effective, greener way to put people back to work, save fossil fuel, reduce carbon emissions and save homeowners thousands of dollars per year for the next 24.4 years. It’s the stimulus that keeps on stimulating.”
The heating and air conditioning industry has been hit hard by the recession, the collapse of the new construction market and the lack of consumer financing have slammed the industry over the past two years. Sales of heating systems were down to the levels not seen since 1970. The stimulus package is vital to this industry.
All geothermal heat pumps are built right here in the United States, (Indiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Texas, Florida and New York). Geothermal systems are installed and saving energy and the environment in all 50 states and are being exported around the globe. Every unit requires 24 hours of good paying manufacturing labor and 32 hours of installation labor for the small businesses across the country that install the systems (heating and air conditioning contractors, electricians, plumbers, excavators and drilling machine operators). All of those businesses are hurting right now and are available and able to start installing this green technology in homes across the US immediately.
WaterFurnace International, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of residential, commercial, industrial and institutional geothermal and water source heat pumps. Products from WaterFurnace include energy-efficient and environmentally friendly geothermal comfort systems, indoor air quality products and pool heaters. WaterFurnace (TSX:WFI) was founded in 1983, the company is headquartered in Fort Wayne, Ind.
See http://www.waterfurnace.com/.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Companies Across U.S. Poised for Growth Under Cap on Carbon
Congragulations to InREA member Bill Keith with SunRise Solar for his participation in Vice President Joe Biden's Task Force.
Online Map Unveiled at Vice Presidential Task Force Profiles 1,200 Companies in Manufacturing States, Demonstrates Potential for Massive Jobs Expansion to Build Climate Solutions
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Environmental Defense Fund today released a groundbreaking online map that identifies and profiles more than 1,200 companies in key manufacturing states poised to grow their business and create new jobs when Congress passes a cap on global warming pollution.
The interactive map, online at LessCarbonMoreJobs.org, was released at the first meeting of Vice President Joe Biden's task force on middle class jobs in Philadelphia. It highlights hundreds of companies and communities in coal country, the rust belt and other manufacturing regions poised to benefit from demand for clean energy technologies created by a cap on carbon.
Vice President Biden hosted EDF President Fred Krupp and a range of experts to highlight new ways to increase renewable energy jobs and improve America's energy efficiency. Krupp said EDF's map shows that a carbon cap will create new markets and new customers for companies in the supply chain for low-carbon energy technologies and services.
"Our nation is rich with a skilled and dedicated workforce waiting for the economic opportunity that comes with a cap on carbon, especially in the current economy," said Krupp. "A cap creates customers for U.S. manufacturers, and new customers mean new jobs. If there was ever a time we needed new customers at home and abroad, that time is now."
LessCarbonMoreJobs.org identifies the locations, products, and services as well as select case studies and worker profiles for companies in 12 states: Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, New Hampshire, Arkansas, Tennessee, Colorado, Georgia, Missouri, Virginia and Florida.
Jackie Roberts, Director of Sustainable Technologies for EDF, spearheaded the research behind the website. "These maps tell the story of how a cap can fuel economic growth in the heartland while reducing America's global warming pollution," Roberts said. "There is a manufacturing boom ready to happen, and a cap will help ignite that spark."
LessCarbonMoreJobs.org allows visitors to search by state, Congressional district and media market to find companies manufacturing windmill components, shipping solar panel equipment and installing energy efficient building materials. The site also provides business details and contact information for companies in each profiled state.
Among the business leaders highlighted is Jeff Metts, owner and president of Dowding Industries, a Michigan-based manufacturer of large-scale machinery and parts that is hiring laid-off auto workers to build wind turbine components.
"This business is growing exponentially," Metts said. "I don't come here as the owner of a company that last year employed 250 people, I come here excited about being the owner of a company that will create hundreds of jobs for our community and the possibility of thousands of jobs for our state in this new energy market. We've tapped into a workforce eager to apply their skills from previous jobs to our new ventures, and the result has been incredible. We're ready to do much more."
Abe Breehey, Director of Legislative Affairs for the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, said, "The demand for climate solutions will create job opportunities across the economy. We can put American ingenuity and skills to work to reduce emissions, with all the necessary labor and materials to make it happen. With the right market signals, we can turn the jobs union members do everyday into the environmental solutions our nation needs to meet this enormous challenge."
Bill Keith, president of the St. John, Indiana-based Sunrise Solar, Inc., echoed Breehey's comments.
"We're producing solar-powered attic fans, trying to keep up with a demand that's skyrocketing," Keith said. "We saw a market for energy efficient products and technologies that help consumers reduce their energy consumption, and we've been greeted with overwhelming support and demand. But we know there's much more to do. We are hoping that Congress finally puts the economy on a path to embrace these technologies. My operation is ready to grow, and I know others companies like mine are ready too."
Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.
Bill Keith, President of SunRise Solar Inc., is a founding member of the Indiana Renewable Energy Association. See www.sunrisesolar.net.
Online Map Unveiled at Vice Presidential Task Force Profiles 1,200 Companies in Manufacturing States, Demonstrates Potential for Massive Jobs Expansion to Build Climate Solutions
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Environmental Defense Fund today released a groundbreaking online map that identifies and profiles more than 1,200 companies in key manufacturing states poised to grow their business and create new jobs when Congress passes a cap on global warming pollution.
The interactive map, online at LessCarbonMoreJobs.org, was released at the first meeting of Vice President Joe Biden's task force on middle class jobs in Philadelphia. It highlights hundreds of companies and communities in coal country, the rust belt and other manufacturing regions poised to benefit from demand for clean energy technologies created by a cap on carbon.
Vice President Biden hosted EDF President Fred Krupp and a range of experts to highlight new ways to increase renewable energy jobs and improve America's energy efficiency. Krupp said EDF's map shows that a carbon cap will create new markets and new customers for companies in the supply chain for low-carbon energy technologies and services.
"Our nation is rich with a skilled and dedicated workforce waiting for the economic opportunity that comes with a cap on carbon, especially in the current economy," said Krupp. "A cap creates customers for U.S. manufacturers, and new customers mean new jobs. If there was ever a time we needed new customers at home and abroad, that time is now."
LessCarbonMoreJobs.org identifies the locations, products, and services as well as select case studies and worker profiles for companies in 12 states: Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, New Hampshire, Arkansas, Tennessee, Colorado, Georgia, Missouri, Virginia and Florida.
Jackie Roberts, Director of Sustainable Technologies for EDF, spearheaded the research behind the website. "These maps tell the story of how a cap can fuel economic growth in the heartland while reducing America's global warming pollution," Roberts said. "There is a manufacturing boom ready to happen, and a cap will help ignite that spark."
LessCarbonMoreJobs.org allows visitors to search by state, Congressional district and media market to find companies manufacturing windmill components, shipping solar panel equipment and installing energy efficient building materials. The site also provides business details and contact information for companies in each profiled state.
Among the business leaders highlighted is Jeff Metts, owner and president of Dowding Industries, a Michigan-based manufacturer of large-scale machinery and parts that is hiring laid-off auto workers to build wind turbine components.
"This business is growing exponentially," Metts said. "I don't come here as the owner of a company that last year employed 250 people, I come here excited about being the owner of a company that will create hundreds of jobs for our community and the possibility of thousands of jobs for our state in this new energy market. We've tapped into a workforce eager to apply their skills from previous jobs to our new ventures, and the result has been incredible. We're ready to do much more."
Abe Breehey, Director of Legislative Affairs for the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, said, "The demand for climate solutions will create job opportunities across the economy. We can put American ingenuity and skills to work to reduce emissions, with all the necessary labor and materials to make it happen. With the right market signals, we can turn the jobs union members do everyday into the environmental solutions our nation needs to meet this enormous challenge."
Bill Keith, president of the St. John, Indiana-based Sunrise Solar, Inc., echoed Breehey's comments.
"We're producing solar-powered attic fans, trying to keep up with a demand that's skyrocketing," Keith said. "We saw a market for energy efficient products and technologies that help consumers reduce their energy consumption, and we've been greeted with overwhelming support and demand. But we know there's much more to do. We are hoping that Congress finally puts the economy on a path to embrace these technologies. My operation is ready to grow, and I know others companies like mine are ready too."
Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.
Bill Keith, President of SunRise Solar Inc., is a founding member of the Indiana Renewable Energy Association. See www.sunrisesolar.net.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Federal and State Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) Bills to be Heard Today
Members of the House Commerce, Energy, Technology and Utilities Committee will hear testimony on HB 1305 establishing a state Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) today (2/10/09) upon adjournment in the House Chambers. What's "upon adjournment"? The Indiana House of Representatives is scheduled to go into session on the floor at 1:00 pm today. Here is a link to their calendar http://www.in.gov/legislative/reports/2009/BCALH.PDF. So how much of this calendar will they attempt to address before the committee hearing on HB 1305 "upon adjournment"? Who knows for sure but I would tune in around 3:00 pm to see where they are on their calendar.
To watch HB 1305 this afternoon visit http://www.in.gov/legislative/session/video.html
The hearing on the federal Senate RES bill starts this morning at 10 AM.
For details on this federal committee hearing see: http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=3de47fcb-99e4-e0fd-c5e6-52532f60f256
To watch the committee hearing click the link above and then. or http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.LiveStream
News Release
U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE’S PROPOSAL FOR A NATIONAL RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY STANDARD IS “DOWNRIGHT WIMPY” – GOAL SHOULD BE MUCH HIGHER
For Immediate Release: Monday - February 9, 2009
Contact: Ken Bossong, 301-270-6477 x.23
Washington DC – The proposed Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) to be considered by the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources at a hearing on February 10 falls far short of what is doable and needed according to the SUN DAY Campaign.
The Senate committee will meet on Tuesday morning at 10:00 am (in Room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building) to take testimony on the Democratic staff draft for Chairman Jeff Bingaman’s Renewable Electricity Standard. The amendment requires sellers of electricity to retail consumers to obtain certain percentages of their electric supply from new renewable energy resources.
Calendar Year: .......................... Minimum annual %:
2011 through 2012 .................................... 4.0
2013 through 2015 .................................... 8.0
2016 through 2018 ................................... 12.0
2019 through 2020 ................................... 16.0
2021 through 2039 ................................... 20.0
Qualifying renewables (including distributed generators) are wind, solar, ocean, geothermal, biomass, landfill gas and incremental hydropower. Existing hydropower generators and municipal solid waste generators are excluded from the base amount from which the percentage requirements are calculated.
However, according to statistics compiled in its “Electric Power Monthly” the Energy Information Administration reports that renewables (excluding large hydro and municipal waste) already account for almost 3% of U.S. electricity production. Moreover, in recent years, solar and wind have been expanding by more than 30% annually while geothermal is poised to double its current contribution within the next several years. Biomass and incremental hydropower are also expanding. In fact, in 2008, renewable energy accounted for the largest share of new electricity capacity additions.
Consequently, at current growth rates, renewables could - and probably will - easily surpass the committee’s proposed 4.0% target well before 2011-2012. Furthermore, President Barack Obama has proposed a goal of doubling renewable energy within the next three years, which would yield a renewable share of roughly 6% of U.S. electricity supply by the end of 2011.
“In light of present trends, the Senate committee’s proposed standard is well below what is realistically doable and likely over the next several years - even at only very modest ‘business-as-usual’ growth rates,” said Ken Bossong, Executive Director of the SUN DAY Campaign. “Assuming there is a significantly more aggressive national commitment to developing sustainable energy technologies, then the Senate proposal is downright wimpy.”
Longer-term, dozens of recent studies suggest that the Senate committee’s proposal for renewable energy’s share of the nation’s electricity supply falls far short of what is technically and economically feasible and likely. (A compilation of 2008 news stories that discuss the findings of these studies is available upon request from the SUN DAY Campaign.)
At a minimum, a target of 25% of U.S. electricity supply from renewable energy sources (excluding large hydro and municipal waste) by 2025 is achievable. This is roughly equal to the goal set by the European Union for its member nations. It is also consistent with a resolution unanimously adopted by the Members of the U.S. Senate in June 2007.
However, if matched by an aggressive campaign to substantially improve energy efficiency and reduce total electric demand - particularly in light of the threat of climate change, renewable energy’s share could be significantly higher. Given the right mix of tax policy, access to financial credit, R&D funding, government procurement, transmission grid development, interconnection standards, and other forms of public sector support, renewable energy sources conceivably could account for at least half - and maybe significantly more - of the nation’s electricity supply within the next quarter-century.
“The Senate committee should be designing a renewable electricity standard that envisions near-term targets at least twice as high as now proposed,” concluded Ken Bossong. “If the United States fully committed itself to sustainable energy development and discontinued squandering resources on dead-end nuclear and fossil fuel options, a national electricity generating system based 100% on renewable energy sources could become a reality.”
The SUN DAY Campaign is a non-profit research and educational organization founded in 1993 to promote sustainable energy technologies as cost-effective alternatives to nuclear power and fossil fuels.
SUN DAY CAMPAIGN, Ken Bossong, 6930 Carroll Avenue, Suite #340; Takoma Park, MD 20912, 301-270-6477 x.23 sun-day-campaign@hotmail.com
To watch HB 1305 this afternoon visit http://www.in.gov/legislative/session/video.html
The hearing on the federal Senate RES bill starts this morning at 10 AM.
For details on this federal committee hearing see: http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=3de47fcb-99e4-e0fd-c5e6-52532f60f256
To watch the committee hearing click the link above and then
News Release
U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE’S PROPOSAL FOR A NATIONAL RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY STANDARD IS “DOWNRIGHT WIMPY” – GOAL SHOULD BE MUCH HIGHER
For Immediate Release: Monday - February 9, 2009
Contact: Ken Bossong, 301-270-6477 x.23
Washington DC – The proposed Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) to be considered by the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources at a hearing on February 10 falls far short of what is doable and needed according to the SUN DAY Campaign.
The Senate committee will meet on Tuesday morning at 10:00 am (in Room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building) to take testimony on the Democratic staff draft for Chairman Jeff Bingaman’s Renewable Electricity Standard. The amendment requires sellers of electricity to retail consumers to obtain certain percentages of their electric supply from new renewable energy resources.
Calendar Year: .......................... Minimum annual %:
2011 through 2012 .................................... 4.0
2013 through 2015 .................................... 8.0
2016 through 2018 ................................... 12.0
2019 through 2020 ................................... 16.0
2021 through 2039 ................................... 20.0
Qualifying renewables (including distributed generators) are wind, solar, ocean, geothermal, biomass, landfill gas and incremental hydropower. Existing hydropower generators and municipal solid waste generators are excluded from the base amount from which the percentage requirements are calculated.
However, according to statistics compiled in its “Electric Power Monthly” the Energy Information Administration reports that renewables (excluding large hydro and municipal waste) already account for almost 3% of U.S. electricity production. Moreover, in recent years, solar and wind have been expanding by more than 30% annually while geothermal is poised to double its current contribution within the next several years. Biomass and incremental hydropower are also expanding. In fact, in 2008, renewable energy accounted for the largest share of new electricity capacity additions.
Consequently, at current growth rates, renewables could - and probably will - easily surpass the committee’s proposed 4.0% target well before 2011-2012. Furthermore, President Barack Obama has proposed a goal of doubling renewable energy within the next three years, which would yield a renewable share of roughly 6% of U.S. electricity supply by the end of 2011.
“In light of present trends, the Senate committee’s proposed standard is well below what is realistically doable and likely over the next several years - even at only very modest ‘business-as-usual’ growth rates,” said Ken Bossong, Executive Director of the SUN DAY Campaign. “Assuming there is a significantly more aggressive national commitment to developing sustainable energy technologies, then the Senate proposal is downright wimpy.”
Longer-term, dozens of recent studies suggest that the Senate committee’s proposal for renewable energy’s share of the nation’s electricity supply falls far short of what is technically and economically feasible and likely. (A compilation of 2008 news stories that discuss the findings of these studies is available upon request from the SUN DAY Campaign.)
At a minimum, a target of 25% of U.S. electricity supply from renewable energy sources (excluding large hydro and municipal waste) by 2025 is achievable. This is roughly equal to the goal set by the European Union for its member nations. It is also consistent with a resolution unanimously adopted by the Members of the U.S. Senate in June 2007.
However, if matched by an aggressive campaign to substantially improve energy efficiency and reduce total electric demand - particularly in light of the threat of climate change, renewable energy’s share could be significantly higher. Given the right mix of tax policy, access to financial credit, R&D funding, government procurement, transmission grid development, interconnection standards, and other forms of public sector support, renewable energy sources conceivably could account for at least half - and maybe significantly more - of the nation’s electricity supply within the next quarter-century.
“The Senate committee should be designing a renewable electricity standard that envisions near-term targets at least twice as high as now proposed,” concluded Ken Bossong. “If the United States fully committed itself to sustainable energy development and discontinued squandering resources on dead-end nuclear and fossil fuel options, a national electricity generating system based 100% on renewable energy sources could become a reality.”
The SUN DAY Campaign is a non-profit research and educational organization founded in 1993 to promote sustainable energy technologies as cost-effective alternatives to nuclear power and fossil fuels.
SUN DAY CAMPAIGN, Ken Bossong, 6930 Carroll Avenue, Suite #340; Takoma Park, MD 20912, 301-270-6477 x.23 sun-day-campaign@hotmail.com
Friday, February 6, 2009
Markey-Platts RES Bill Filed in US Congress
R-E-S ... P-E-C-T
Bipartisan duo introduce renewable-electricity-standard bill in House
Posted by Kate Sheppard at 9:08 PM on 04 Feb 2009
Reps. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Todd Platts (R-Pa.) on Wednesday introduced legislation in the House to create a federal renewable electricity standard (RES) that would require the United States to draw a quarter of its electricity from clean sources by 2025. Markey also introduced a second bill that would require the country to reduce energy consumption 15 percent by 2020.
The American Renewable Energy Act [PDF] would put an RES in place starting in 2012. The legislators estimate that it would help create more than 350,000 new jobs over the next 10 years. Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia already have RES's in place, including both Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, the legislators' home states.
Markey and Platts helped get an RES passed in the House last Congress as part of the 2007 energy bill, but the provision didn't make it through the Senate.
"With our economy in crisis, renewable energy can create hundreds of thousands of new green jobs, revitalize declining manufacturing sectors, and decrease global warming pollution," said Markey, who chairs the Select Committee for Energy Independence and Global Warming and the energy and environment subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
"Establishing a federal renewable electricity standard will help to protect our environment as well as promote economic development and energy security," said Platts.
Markey's second bill, the Save American Energy Act [PDF], would create an energy-efficiency resource standard that mandates a 15 percent reduction in electricity demand by 2020. Markey estimates that the measure would reduce peak electricity demand by 90,000 megawatts and eliminate the need for 300 new medium-size power plants.
The Union of Concerned Scientists put out a statement in support of the RES bill, noting that it would increase power generation from renewable sources by 135 percent and provide enough clean electricity to power 150 million homes, according to its analysis.
"This electrifying standard would provide a smart, proven, cost-effective strategy to ramp up our clean energy use, create tens of thousands of jobs, and lower consumer utility bills," said Alan Nogee, director of the UCS Clean Energy Program. "The clean energy tax incentives that Congress is finalizing will get us moving in the right direction in the near term, and the renewable energy standard makes sure we stay on that path for the foreseeable future."
League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski also praised the bill. "This bill will create an economic demand for wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources that will create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the coming years," he said. "It will help establish a powerful, productive, and profitable clean energy industry that will employ generations of Americans."
Printer friendly version for: http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2009/2/4/15920/44544
Grist: Environmental News and Commentary©2007. Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Gloom and doom with a sense of humor®.
Bipartisan duo introduce renewable-electricity-standard bill in House
Posted by Kate Sheppard at 9:08 PM on 04 Feb 2009
Reps. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Todd Platts (R-Pa.) on Wednesday introduced legislation in the House to create a federal renewable electricity standard (RES) that would require the United States to draw a quarter of its electricity from clean sources by 2025. Markey also introduced a second bill that would require the country to reduce energy consumption 15 percent by 2020.
The American Renewable Energy Act [PDF] would put an RES in place starting in 2012. The legislators estimate that it would help create more than 350,000 new jobs over the next 10 years. Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia already have RES's in place, including both Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, the legislators' home states.
Markey and Platts helped get an RES passed in the House last Congress as part of the 2007 energy bill, but the provision didn't make it through the Senate.
"With our economy in crisis, renewable energy can create hundreds of thousands of new green jobs, revitalize declining manufacturing sectors, and decrease global warming pollution," said Markey, who chairs the Select Committee for Energy Independence and Global Warming and the energy and environment subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
"Establishing a federal renewable electricity standard will help to protect our environment as well as promote economic development and energy security," said Platts.
Markey's second bill, the Save American Energy Act [PDF], would create an energy-efficiency resource standard that mandates a 15 percent reduction in electricity demand by 2020. Markey estimates that the measure would reduce peak electricity demand by 90,000 megawatts and eliminate the need for 300 new medium-size power plants.
The Union of Concerned Scientists put out a statement in support of the RES bill, noting that it would increase power generation from renewable sources by 135 percent and provide enough clean electricity to power 150 million homes, according to its analysis.
"This electrifying standard would provide a smart, proven, cost-effective strategy to ramp up our clean energy use, create tens of thousands of jobs, and lower consumer utility bills," said Alan Nogee, director of the UCS Clean Energy Program. "The clean energy tax incentives that Congress is finalizing will get us moving in the right direction in the near term, and the renewable energy standard makes sure we stay on that path for the foreseeable future."
League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski also praised the bill. "This bill will create an economic demand for wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources that will create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the coming years," he said. "It will help establish a powerful, productive, and profitable clean energy industry that will employ generations of Americans."
Printer friendly version for: http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2009/2/4/15920/44544
Grist: Environmental News and Commentary©2007. Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Gloom and doom with a sense of humor®.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Indiana Feed-in Tariff Proposal Scheduled for Hearing 2/12/09 at 8:30 AM
AGENDA FOR: Commerce, Energy, Technology and Utilities Committee
MEETING: February 12, 830AM, 156C State House, Indianapolis
CHAIR: Representative Moses Jr.
VICE CHAIR: Pierce
MEMBERS: Battles, Blanton, Dvorak, Reske, Stevenson. Lutz R.M.M., Behning, Frizzell, Koch, Soliday.
AGENDA:
HB 1622 Advanced renewable energy tariffs aka Feed-in Tariffs (Pierce)
MEETING: February 12, 830AM, 156C State House, Indianapolis
CHAIR: Representative Moses Jr.
VICE CHAIR: Pierce
MEMBERS: Battles, Blanton, Dvorak, Reske, Stevenson. Lutz R.M.M., Behning, Frizzell, Koch, Soliday.
AGENDA:
HB 1622 Advanced renewable energy tariffs aka Feed-in Tariffs (Pierce)
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Renewable Energy Bills to be Heard in Indiana House on Feb. 10th
Please read these bills carefully and contact your state legislator if they are a member of this committee BEFORE the committee hearing.
Check this website around 2:30 or 3:00 pm to watch the hearing on-line. http://www.in.gov/legislative/session/video.html
AGENDA FOR: House Commerce, Energy, Technology and Utilities
MEETING: Tuesday, February 10, 2009, House Chamber, Upon Adjournment
CHAIR: Representative Moses Jr.
VICE CHAIR: Pierce
MEMBERS: Battles, Blanton, Dvorak, Reske, Stevenson.
Lutz R.M.M., Behning, Frizzell, Koch, Soliday.
AGENDA:
HB 1305 Renewable energy. (Grubb) Renewable Electricity Standard (RES)
HB 1360 Alternative energy incentives for REMCs. (Battles)
HB 1438 Renewable energy investment tax credit. (Grubb)
Check this website around 2:30 or 3:00 pm to watch the hearing on-line. http://www.in.gov/legislative/session/video.html
AGENDA FOR: House Commerce, Energy, Technology and Utilities
MEETING: Tuesday, February 10, 2009, House Chamber, Upon Adjournment
CHAIR: Representative Moses Jr.
VICE CHAIR: Pierce
MEMBERS: Battles, Blanton, Dvorak, Reske, Stevenson.
Lutz R.M.M., Behning, Frizzell, Koch, Soliday.
AGENDA:
HB 1305 Renewable energy. (Grubb) Renewable Electricity Standard (RES)
HB 1360 Alternative energy incentives for REMCs. (Battles)
HB 1438 Renewable energy investment tax credit. (Grubb)
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
US Senate Panel To Review Draft Renewable Energy Bill-Sources
What impact should this have on the numerous renewable electricity standard bills filed during the 2009 session of the Indiana General Assembly? Tell us what you think? Should Indiana try to pass a state Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) again or just sit back and see if a federal RES will pass this year?
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., whose committee is responsible for writing energy legislation, will next week review a draft bill that could require that 20% to 25% of the nation's electricity comes from renewable energy sources, according to aides and people close to the matter.
Analysts say an increased Democrat majority means Congress stands an excellent chance of passing such a renewable mandate, which would give the wind, solar and other alternative industries a major financial boost.
President Barack Obama has already pledged to push for a 25% mandate, with a 10% standard achieved early in the next decade, and enacting such a standard would help Democrats accelerate their clean energy program they say is essential not only for cutting greenhouse gases and reducing the nation's dependence on oil imports, but also to stimulating an ailing economy.
Senate officials and lobbyists close to the matter say the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will review next Tuesday draft legislation to create a standard.
Although the House of Representatives has passed a renewable portfolio standard, or RPS, the Senate failed to by a small number of votes. Many of those "no" votes have been replaced, however, by Democrats who support the measure.
"In the coming Congress, I think we finally have the opportunity to see such a policy adopted and implemented," Bingaman said late last year. "It will start preparing our electricity sector for the inevitable requirements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
With strong support from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., Bingaman's also drafting measures that would reform the nation's transmission infrastructure.
The Energy Policy Act Congress passed in 2005 authorized the Department of Energy to designate national power corridors that would relieve power- transmission bottlenecks and prepare for new high-voltage lines across the country to connect new generations to demand centers. However, a host of planning and siting obstacles have prevented much progress.
That's why momentum is growing on Capitol Hill to establish federal planning and siting authority, and develop cost-allocation strategies to encourage transmission for renewables.
The current high-voltage power grid simply transmits electrons from generation to demand. Alternative sources of power like wind and solar don't produce steady streams of electricity like nuclear or coal plants. A "smart" grid, using advanced technology to balance the load from such intermittent power sources, would manage transmission much more efficiently.
Southern utility companies, including Duke Energy Corp. (DUK) and Southern Co. (SO), have lobbied against a federal renewable portfolio standard, though some encourage state mandates, saying it would put an unfair burden on states and consumers that aren't endowed with the same renewable energy resource bases others are.
Wind turbine manufacturers such as GE Energy, a unit of the General Electric Co. (GE), India's Suzlon Energy (532667.BY) and Denmark's Vestas Wind Systems ( VWS.OS), as well as solar firms such as Norway's Renewable Energy Corp. ASA ( REC.OS), and U.S.-headquartered First Solar Inc. (FSLR) and Evergreen Solar Inc. (ESLR) would benefit under a renewable portfolio standard.
Many lawmakers are likely to try to include provisions that would allow utilities to supplant a certain percentage of the mandate with projects that increase energy efficiency.
The industry is already likely to get a major fiscal boost from a stimulus bill lawmakers are seeking to pass, providing at least $13 billion in extended production tax credits, tens of billions of dollars in loan guarantees and grants, and more than $30 billion for a 30% tax credit for domestic manufacturing of renewable energy projects.
-By Ian Talley, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9285; ian.talley@dowjones.com
Dow Jones Newswires
02-03-09 1435ET
Copyright (c) 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., whose committee is responsible for writing energy legislation, will next week review a draft bill that could require that 20% to 25% of the nation's electricity comes from renewable energy sources, according to aides and people close to the matter.
Analysts say an increased Democrat majority means Congress stands an excellent chance of passing such a renewable mandate, which would give the wind, solar and other alternative industries a major financial boost.
President Barack Obama has already pledged to push for a 25% mandate, with a 10% standard achieved early in the next decade, and enacting such a standard would help Democrats accelerate their clean energy program they say is essential not only for cutting greenhouse gases and reducing the nation's dependence on oil imports, but also to stimulating an ailing economy.
Senate officials and lobbyists close to the matter say the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will review next Tuesday draft legislation to create a standard.
Although the House of Representatives has passed a renewable portfolio standard, or RPS, the Senate failed to by a small number of votes. Many of those "no" votes have been replaced, however, by Democrats who support the measure.
"In the coming Congress, I think we finally have the opportunity to see such a policy adopted and implemented," Bingaman said late last year. "It will start preparing our electricity sector for the inevitable requirements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
With strong support from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., Bingaman's also drafting measures that would reform the nation's transmission infrastructure.
The Energy Policy Act Congress passed in 2005 authorized the Department of Energy to designate national power corridors that would relieve power- transmission bottlenecks and prepare for new high-voltage lines across the country to connect new generations to demand centers. However, a host of planning and siting obstacles have prevented much progress.
That's why momentum is growing on Capitol Hill to establish federal planning and siting authority, and develop cost-allocation strategies to encourage transmission for renewables.
The current high-voltage power grid simply transmits electrons from generation to demand. Alternative sources of power like wind and solar don't produce steady streams of electricity like nuclear or coal plants. A "smart" grid, using advanced technology to balance the load from such intermittent power sources, would manage transmission much more efficiently.
Southern utility companies, including Duke Energy Corp. (DUK) and Southern Co. (SO), have lobbied against a federal renewable portfolio standard, though some encourage state mandates, saying it would put an unfair burden on states and consumers that aren't endowed with the same renewable energy resource bases others are.
Wind turbine manufacturers such as GE Energy, a unit of the General Electric Co. (GE), India's Suzlon Energy (532667.BY) and Denmark's Vestas Wind Systems ( VWS.OS), as well as solar firms such as Norway's Renewable Energy Corp. ASA ( REC.OS), and U.S.-headquartered First Solar Inc. (FSLR) and Evergreen Solar Inc. (ESLR) would benefit under a renewable portfolio standard.
Many lawmakers are likely to try to include provisions that would allow utilities to supplant a certain percentage of the mandate with projects that increase energy efficiency.
The industry is already likely to get a major fiscal boost from a stimulus bill lawmakers are seeking to pass, providing at least $13 billion in extended production tax credits, tens of billions of dollars in loan guarantees and grants, and more than $30 billion for a 30% tax credit for domestic manufacturing of renewable energy projects.
-By Ian Talley, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9285; ian.talley@dowjones.com
Dow Jones Newswires
02-03-09 1435ET
Copyright (c) 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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