Clipmarks | egoldstein's 'alternative energy' clips

When will Congress act to promote alternative energy?

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 03:49:01 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: They talk a good game, but the tax credits needed to boost the industry in a massive way are being held up. If and when Congress gets serious about removing our dependence on foreign oil we'll know it...they'll extend the tax credits that are set to expire this year.

This would not only be a major shot in the arm for the industry, but for our entire economy as well!!!

Clip Source: www.fool.com

Our politicians like to talk a good game about helping wean us off our dependence on foreign fossil fuels, but they won't let something like that get in the way of good partisanship.

T. Boone Pickens has been expending a lot of energy boosting the "Pickens Plan" to invest in natural gas and wind power. He might get more mileage if he devoted some of that time to persuading Congress to extend the tax credits that have helped fuel growth in the alternative energy field. If the credits are allowed to expire at the end of the year, the wind and solar industries may end up being as limp as a ship's sails on becalmed seas.

Tags: alternative energy, congress, solar, tax credits, wind

The key to oil independence is a new electrical grid

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:17:49 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: It seems that with alternative sources of energy, such as wind and solar, the United States has the potential means to substantially reduce our dependence on oil - especially once plug-in cars are on the market.

But until we substantially upgrade our nation's electrical grid with modern technology that will enable the energy created by these sources to be transmitted intelligently around the county, their impact will be limited.

It's going to take a greater commitment from Congress to jump start this. Making it happen will provide a huge boost to our economy, environment and political leverage with the Middle East, Russia, Venezuela and more.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

The dirty secret of clean energy is that while generating it is getting easier, moving it to market is not.

The grid today, according to experts, is a system conceived 100 years ago to let utilities prop each other up, reducing blackouts and sharing power in small regions. It resembles a network of streets, avenues and country roads.

“We need an interstate transmission superhighway system,” said Suedeen G. Kelly, a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

“The windiest sites have not been built, because there is no way to move that electricity from there to the load centers,” he said.

Tags: alternative energy, grid, electricity, wind, solar

Green technology creating 'green collar' jobs

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:37:42 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: I stand strongly behind my belief that if this country committed ourselves to becoming energy independent with the same determination that we committed to putting a man on the moon, that we could do it and we could create millions of new jobs in the process. It would be an enormous driver of economic growth and strengthen our leverage in the Middle East because we would no longer be reliant on their oil.

Clip Source: greenwombat.blogs.fortune.cnn.com

As Detroit automakers shutter SUV and truck factories, the decades-long de-industrialization of the Midwest continues apace. But amid the idled assembly lines, a new wave of manufacturing has taken root as solar energy companies set up shop in the heartland.

In fact, nearly all the United States’ current solar manufacturing capacity is in the Midwest, save for Silicon Valley company Ausra’s factory in Las Vegas. (Thin-film startup Nanosolar is building a factory in San Jose, Calif.)

“Our processes really require high productivity, so what makes it competitive here in the Midwest is that we have a great labor force that is eager to work and well-trained already,” ECD chief executive Mark Morelli told Green Wombat on Monday.

Tags: alternative energy, solar, green energy, jobs

Mayor Bloomberg advocating alternative energy for NYC

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:11:34 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: This is an example of the forward thinking, innovative leadership that Mayor Bloomberg has provided to New York City. I'm certainly a fan of term limits, but this is one person i sure hate to see move on...although i would love to see him be a major player in the next president's cabinet. I imagine that if Obama wins, that is a very real possibility.

Clip Source: biz.yahoo.com

New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg has proposed putting windmills on city bridges and rooftops as part of an ambitious push for renewable energy.

On Tuesday, the city also issued a formal request to companies around the country for ways to build wind, solar and water-based energy sources in the city.

Tags: mayor bloomberg, alternative energy, wind, solar, new york city

Alternative energy needs help from Congress

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:12:37 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: It's crazy to me to see the Bush administration and many members of Congress focusing on drilling for oil with such passion, yet you hear next to nothing from them about investing whatever resources are necessary to jump start a brand new industry that could significantly lessen our dependence on oil.

Seeing what Russia is doing in Georgia should make the U.S. government's desire to aid the development of alternative sources such as solar and wind even that much greater.

Clip Source: www.forbes.com

Key to that mission: a more vigorous role for the U.S. government. "There is no way that we can change the energy resources in our society without real leadership from the government," says van Mierlo. "The current administration, it's sad to say, has not provided that leadership."

Tags: alternative energy, solar, wind, congress, oil

GM says Chevy Volt is on track for 2010

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:18:32 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: I sure hope they can pull this off. The introduction of a rechargeable electric car has the potential to be a game changer for our economy and global dynamics. I would imagine that the response to this in the market would dwarf that received thus far by hybrids.

We are talking about truly revolutionizing one of the most important industries in the world. And don't forget the ripple effect this will have by creating the need to make enormous investments in our national electricity grid.

Clip Source: biz.yahoo.com

Early versions of the Chevrolet Volt's battery packs are powerful enough to run the high-stakes rechargeable car, but dozens of issues remain before General Motors Corp. can start selling the revolutionary vehicle in 2010 as planned.

The Volt will be able to travel 40 miles on a full charge, and a small gasoline engine will recharge the batteries to keep it rolling on longer trips. GM says the vehicle will get the equivalent of 150 miles per gallon.

Tags: chevy volt, electric car, alternative energy

Obama's tire pressure remark - fact vs fiction

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:07:28 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: McCain has responded to Obama's suggestion that we better maintain our cars in ways that promote fuel efficiency with childish (yet somehow effective) criticism.

The amazing thing these days is that facts don't seem to matter. McCain is jumping on Obama with lies and accusations that, in my opinion, discredit his own reputation for running clean, dignified campaigns.

Clip Source: www.time.com

The Bush administration estimates that expanded offshore drilling could increase oil production by 200,000 barrels per day by 2030. We use about 20 million barrels per day, so that would meet about 1% of our demand two decades from now. Meanwhile, efficiency experts say that keeping tires inflated can improve gas mileage by 3%, and regular maintenance can add another 4%. Many drivers already follow their advice, but if everyone else did, we could reduce demand several percentage points immediately. In other words: Obama is right.

Tags: politics, alternative energy, oil, obama, mccain

A compromise? Drilling for alternative energy tax credits

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:10:21 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: Seems like an interesting possibility here. Give the Republicans what they want (more drilling) in exchange for what the Democrats want (extension of tax credits for wind, solar, etc.). You would think that this combination would show that the U.S. government is truly committed to doing whatever it takes to bring down our reliance on foreign oil.

Clip Source: ap.google.com

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., offered to take up four Republican proposals as part of the oil market speculation measure, including a GOP drilling provision. Republicans first rejected the overture, but on Wednesday said they wanted to accept the offer.

But by then, Reid said he did not want to discuss the amendments any longer until Republicans agreed on a compromise on extending a variety of tax credits for wind, solar and other alternative energy programs. An attempt to advance the tax extensions bill failed Wednesday, 51-43, as Democrats fell nine votes short of getting the 60 needed to overcome a GOP filibuster.

Tags: alternative energy, oil, drilling, wind, solar, congress, tax credits

The Energy Technology Revolution

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:13:14 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: Tom Friedman is so right (shocker) about this. I find it to be insane that this is not THE ISSUE of the presidential election. T. Boone Pickens gets it. Tom Friedman gets it. Europe and Asia seem to get it. When will Washington get it???

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Anyone who looks at the growth of middle classes around the world and their rising demands for natural resources, plus the dangers of climate change driven by our addiction to fossil fuels, can see that clean renewable energy — wind, solar, nuclear and stuff we haven’t yet invented — is going to be the next great global industry. It has to be if we are going to grow in a stable way.

Therefore, the country that most owns the clean power industry is going to most own the next great technology breakthrough — the E.T. revolution, the energy technology revolution — and create millions of jobs and thousands of new businesses, just like the I.T. revolution did.

Tags: alternative energy, solar, wind, green energy, tom friedman

The market for plug-in cars is fast approaching

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:20:33 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: Very exciting stuff. This is no longer the talk of what's ifs and hypotheticals...it's reality and it's coming soon.

In my opinion, the introduction of plug-in cars will be a major catalyst for the development of additional sources of energy - including more wind and solar generated. It will also be the tipping point for allocating the massive resources needed to upgrade our nation's power grid.

Clip Source: www.mercurynews.com

When hundreds of experts gather in San Jose this week for the country's first and biggest plug-in hybrid conference, the tone of the gathering will reveal a dramatic change.

Automakers, utility representatives and policy-makers will be talking when, not if, at Plug-in 2008.

At this point, the consensus is that GM and Toyota will be offering plug-in hybrids by late 2010 or early 2011. Other automakers are expected to follow.

Tags: alternative energy, chevy volt, electric cars, electricity, phev, plug-in hybrids

White House schizophrenia over global warming

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:23:30 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: Very interesting clip that highlights to tension within the Bush administration. There seems to be a strong division between those who see reality and those who see whatever the oil companies want them to see.

Let's pray that our next president will err on the side of humanity.

Clip Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Climate change will pose "substantial" threats to human health in the coming decades, the Environmental Protection Agency said yesterday -- issuing its warnings about heat waves, hurricanes and pathogens just days after the agency declined to regulate the pollutants blamed for warming.

A former EPA official told a House panel this week that senior administration officials and several Cabinet members supported regulating the emissions before the White House changed course and barred the EPA from concluding that they endanger public welfare.

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs the House panel, said in a statement: "Today typifies the climate-change schizophrenia in the Bush administration. On one hand, government scientists are saying that global warming poses grave threats to our health and our welfare, and, on the other hand, [there] are White House political hacks following the oil industry's bidding to do nothing."

Tags: global warming, climate change, alternative energy, bush

PSE&G announces solar loan program for homeowners

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:15:07 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: Man, the writing is on the wall - or on the roof in this case - it is the dawn of a new day. By the time my daughters are old enough to read this, the idea of solar and wind power will be commonplace. So exciting!!

Clip Source: www.forbes.com

Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) today announced that it will begin offering its innovative solar loan program to residential customers tomorrow.

The program, the first of its kind in the country, will help homeowners install solar energy systems on their homes, enabling them to take an active part in greening their homes and reducing greenhouse gases.

A total of $105 million in loans is available to PSE&G's electric customers. After obtaining agreement from a collaborative stakeholder group on loan documents for the residential customers, PSE&G is now ready to begin accepting residential applications.

Tags: solar, alternative energy, pse&g

Major solar initiative in California

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:16:48 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: This is a huge deal - highlighting the opportunity for utilities to embrace alternative sources of energy (such as solar and wind) to meet their customer's energy needs.

“By harnessing the clean, renewable energy of the sun that is abundant in California, these innovative solar projects are helping to meet our long-term energy and climate change goals,” Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said. “These projects are evidence that California’s ingenuity is spurring a clean tech boom that will bring companies and investment dollars to California while reducing the state's carbon footprint.”

Why in the world don't words like that come from our President??? All he wants to talk about is drilling for more oil!

Clip Source: biz.yahoo.com

irst Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR - News) announced today that Southern California Edison (SCE) has selected First Solar to engineer and supply the PV power plant system for a 2 megawatt project to be installed on the roof of a commercial building in Fontana, CA. This is the first installation in SCE’s plan to install 250 megawatts of solar generating capacity on large commercial rooftops throughout Southern California over the next five years.

In addition, on July 10, 2008, the CPUC approved project terms of a 20 year power purchase agreement between First Solar and SCE for the sale of electricity generated by a PV power plant.

Tags: solar, alternative energy, california

The Pickens Plan

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:55:53 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: Could this man single-handedly lift the United States out its dependence on oil and inspire the type of commitment and innovation needed to make it happen? I know that sounds crazy, but this type of high profile exposure is absolutely invaluable to the birth of a new industry.

Like going to the moon in the 60s, it's time to devote whatever resources are needed to enter the alternative energy era.

Clip Source: www.pickensplan.com

America is in a hole and it's getting deeper every day. We import 70% of our oil at a cost of $700 billion a year - four times the annual cost of the Iraq war.

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

On January 20, 2009, a new President gets sworn in. If we're organized, we can convince Congress to make major changes towards cleaner, cheaper and domestic energy resources.

Tags: boone pickens, oil, alternative enegy, wind, solar

General Motors builds massive rooftop solar array

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:10:32 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: This is the type of high profile event that could represent a tipping point. Someday, i imagine that all rooftops will be solar powered - and many cars too for that matter - and this type of announcement could be looked at as a catalyst for many more companies to get in the game.

Unfortunately, the U.S. government isn't being nearly as supportive of wind and solar as European and Asian governments - but again, that's something that will hopefully change after the upcoming election.

Clip Source: www.clusterstock.com

A Michigan company, Energy Conversion Devices, plans to announce Tuesday that it is providing the solar electric system for what it says will be the world’s largest rooftop array, on a General Motors assembly plant in Zaragoza, Spain.

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, a trade group based in Washington, the largest installation planned in the United States... [is] about one-fifth the size of the installation to be completed in Spain.

Tags: solar, alternative energy, general motors, gm, spain