SUNNY NEW JERSEY PLANS TO STAY THE EAST'S TOP SOLAR PRODUCER-PSE&G's 'Solar 4 All' Program Approved

NEWARK, N.J., July 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PSE&G today received approval from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to invest $515 million in 80 megawatts of solar projects, doubling the state's solar capacity and creating green jobs. Under an agreement reached in its Solar 4 All filing, the utility expects to complete the installations by the end of 2013.

The program has two segments, each 40 megawatts in size. The first segment consists of installing a solar unit (small distributed solar system of approximately 200 watts) on 200,000 utility poles in PSE&G's service territory, which includes the state's six largest cities and roughly 300 rural and suburban communities. It will be the largest pole-attached solar installation in the world. The solar units will be connected directly into PSE&G's electric distribution system and the power will be sold into the PJM wholesale grid.

The second segment will focus on centralized solar, with PSE&G developing solar gardens and roof-top installations on facilities it owns and also at third-party sites.

"Our program will effectively double the size of New Jersey's installed solar capacity," said Ralph LaRossa, president and COO of PSE&G. "That is more solar capacity than currently exists in any state other than California. We have worked with New Jersey regulators and the solar community to develop a program that brings the benefits of solar to all of our customers."

PSE&G also announced today that it awarded the contract for the supply of the 200,000 pole-attached units to New Jersey-based Petra Solar. With headquarters in South Plainfield, Petra Solar has committed to make the solar units in New Jersey and expects to hire more than 100 employees to meet the needs of the contract.

ARTICLE CONTINUES HERE AT PRNEWSWIRE

OPED: ROBERT REDFORD -Why We Need a Bold Vision for Preserving Our Wilderness

I have welcomed several promising signs coming out of the Obama Administration, from the president's push for clean energy to Interior Secretary Salazar's efforts to block oil and gas leasing near some of Utah's most stunning landscapes.

But there is still something I am waiting to see: a bold new vision for preserving America's wilderness.

Why does wilderness matter right now? It matters to me personally because I believe that our last public wilderness areas, with their rugged beauty, uncharted terrain, and ability to test human strength, are essential symbols of the American spirit.

But it also matters legally. According to the Wilderness Act of 1964, once a landscape has been altered by human development--including natural gas pipelines, oil drill heads, or roads for seismic thumper trucks--it can never become a protected wilderness area.

This is exactly the cynical calculus the Bush administration used to convert America's public lands into money-making ventures for a few energy companies.

OPED CONTINUES HERE AT THE HUFFINGTON POST

NAVAJO NATION COUNCIL MAKES HISTORY, Becomes 1st Nation in Indian Country to Initiate Green Jobs

“Once again, the Navajo Nation Council has taken the lead in Indian Country and has displayed a leadership role in paving the way for other Nations and tribes to begin their own initiatives. It’s a good day in Indian Country.”
— Navajo Council Speaker Lawrence T. Morgan

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The Navajo Nation Council made history today by becoming the first Nation in Indian Country to pass legislation promoting green jobs. In a 62-1 vote, the Navajo Council passed the Navajo Green Commission Act that will establish Green Jobs across its sprawling 27,000 square-mile reservation

Legislation No. 0179-09 was sponsored by Navajo Council Speaker Lawrence T. Morgan. On April 22, the legislation was tabled during the Council’s Spring Session to allow more time to educate the Council members about the commission, with a then directive to create an Energy Policy by the Navajo Division of Natural Resources.

In a presentation to the Council, Speaker Morgan urged his colleagues to support the legislation which will have great positive impacts on the Navajo people and the Navajo Nation.

NAVAJO PRESS RELEASE CONTINUES HERE AT NAVAJO.ORG

VIDEO: STEVEN CHU ON THE DAILY SHOW

They talk Cap&Trade, White Roofs and Climate Deniers.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Steven Chu
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Joke of the Day

FEDERALLY FUNDED FUEL CELL FUTURE - Hydrogen fuel cell funding amendment passed in Washington D.C.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Energy and Water Appropriations Act, which includes an amendment to restore $45 million in hydrogen fuel cell research funding, New York Democrats Eric Massa and Steve Israel announced.

Because of the amendment, funding for the Department of Energy’s hydrogen fuel cell budget for 2010 totals $153 million. The initially proposed DOE budget included just $68 million for hydrogen fuel cell research, a substantial decline from this year’s levels.

“I want to thank Congressman Israel for joining me in our effort to make a meaningful investment in zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell technology. My district has a 21st century, state of the art fuel cell research and development center where General Motors has built and is literally driving the cars of tomorrow. By making an investment in this technology today, we are paving the road toward the clean energy economy of the future,” said Massa.

“Hydrogen fuel cell development is driving our auto industry into the future. New York is already home to important hydrogen fuel cell research and development centers. We can’t let Japan and Germany leap frog the United States in the implementation of this promising technology. That’s why I restored federal funding for hydrogen fuel cell research,” said Israe

ARTICLE CONTINUES AT THE ELMIRA STAR GAZETTE

URANIUM MINING HALTED NEAR GRAND CANYON - Salazar moves to block new mining claims

By David O. Williams 7/20/09 10:25 AM

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today issued a notice of withdrawal of nearly 1 million acres of Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service land around the Grand Canyon from new mining claims for the next two years to allow for more study and analysis.

The move drew the praise of conservation groups such as the Pew Environment Group, which has been hammering on the antiquated 1872 mining law and the pressing need for reform in light of thousands of new mining claims for minerals such as uranium, copper and gold in and around some of the nation’s most treasured national parks.

“We are pleased that the Obama administration has encouraged Congress to protect our national parks and other special places by modernizing the country’s 1872 mining law,” Jane Danowitz, U.S. public lands program director at the Pew Environment Group, said in a release. “Clearly a law that is powerless to prevent mining just outside one of the most iconic treasures in the world needs to be reformed.”

ARTICLE CONTINUES AT THE COLORADO INDEPENDENT

YOUR PUBLIC LANDS WILL BE USED FOR LARGE SCALE SOLAR PROJECTS AND THE BLM SEEKS YOUR INPUT

The federal Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on its proposed designation of federal acreage in Colorado and neighboring states for large-scale solar energy development.

The land management agency announced June 29 that 24 large tracts of federal land in the West — including nearly 21,000 acres in Colorado’s San Luis Valley — would be studied for their solar power potential.

Other states involved are California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. The goal is to speed project permitting for utility-scale solar power projects.

The 24 tracts — known as Solar Energy Study Areas, totaling 670,000 acres — will be evaluated for their environmental and resource suitability for large-scale solar energy production.

In Colorado, the three areas in the San Luis Valley that will be part of the study could generate up to 4,182 megawatts of solar power if fully developed, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees BLM.

Areas deemed suitable for large solar power projects would be available for companies to build installations with a capacity of 10 megawatts or more. Companies proposing projects in these areas would be eligible for faster permit processing, the department said.

Click here to download maps of the study areas in PDF format.

Click here to submit comments. The public comment period ends July 30.

THIS ARTICLE CONTINUES AT BIZJOURNALS.COM

3.6F MAX RISE IN EARTH'S TEMPERATURE IS ACCEPTABLE FOR G8

L'AQUILA, Italy, July 8 -- The world's leading industrial nations tentatively agreed Wednesday to try to prevent global temperatures from rising above a fixed level, after a more far-reaching proposal to slash production of greenhouse gases fizzled, according to U.S. and European negotiators.

Leaders meeting here for the Group of Eight summit said they would pledge to keep temperatures from rising more than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above average levels of more than a century ago, before large-scale industrial pollution occurred.

Temperatures have already risen by nearly half that amount, leaving little wiggle room. It was unclear what mechanisms, if any, would be adopted to enforce the target.

Some environmental groups saw the announcement as a weak nod at the obvious.

"This was such an opportunity," said Tobias Muenchmeyer, a Berlin-based activist with the group Greenpeace. "We are very disappointed that the result is so limited."

For other groups, the best that could be said of Wednesday's declaration was that, although it did not commit countries to specific cuts in greenhouse gases, it appeared to create a moral imperative to do so eventually.

"It may be symbolic now," said David Hamilton of the Sierra Club. But, he added, "if we have a commitment to a temperature goal, then you're actually going to figure out how we're going to get there."

ARTICLE CONTINUES AT THE WASHINGTON POST

PV DISCREET - Santa Monica wants property owners to hide solar panels

Santa Monica has held itself up as a model of innovative energy policies, but now the city may be moving to hide away some of its solar technology.

Solar equipment must be installed "in the location that is least visible from the street" on certain properties, according to a 4-1 decision by the city council on Tuesday. The measure provides exceptions for when energy production would be decreased by more than 10% or the cost would go up significantly. It passed as part of an ordinance specifying standards for solar permits.

"From my perspective, the ordinance will simplify permitting for the installation of solar panels, and it still respects reasonable aesthetic concerns," said Mayor Ken Genser in a phone interview Thursday.

But Mary Luevano, policy director for Global Green, a Santa Monica-based advocacy group, said: "It creates what we think is unnecessary bureaucratic red tape. There are cities outside the state that are looking at Santa Monica, because they have been a leader for years."

Luevano said the decision is puzzling given that Santa Monica is "a progressive, environmentally conscious city."

ARTICLE CONTINUES AT LA TIMES

CONNECTICUT FUELS SMALL SCALE SOLAR - reopens solar rebate program with new funds

The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund is once again accepting applications to its solar rebate program thanks to $3.1 million in fresh funding.

The rebate program, which provides rebates of up to 40 percent for installation of small solar photovoltaic systems, had been closed since November because all previous funding had been allocated. The new funding comes from a mix of federal stimulus funds and electricity ratepayer charges.

“We are delighted to be able to offer this program once again to Connecticut homeowners,” said Lise Dondy, president of Connecticut Clean Energy Fund in a statement. “It has been a highly popular program, enabling the purchase and installation of more than 1,000 small, solar PV systems statewide since the program was first introduced in late 2004.”

Officials estimate the funding will provide rebates to an additional 325 projects and should last until 2010.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AT MASS HIGH TECH

DEFENSE DEPT GETS SERIOUS ABOUT SOLAR - $100million for US NAVY SOLAR PROJECTS

Atlantic Contingency Constructors in Norfolk, VA received 3 task orders totaling up $100 million to install solar energy systems at U.S. Navy shore facilities in the United States. The task orders were awarded under a Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic multiple-award global contingency construction contract (N62470-06-D-6007).

All of the task orders involve installation of solar energy systems that will be tied to the electrical distribution grid. Altantic Contingency Constructors expects to complete work on the task orders by Sept. 30/10. Funds are provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

DID has more details on each of the task orders…

A breakdown of the individual task orders follows:
ARTICLE CONTINUES AT DEFENSE INDUSTRY DAILY

SALAZAR PAVES WAY FOR LARGE SCALE SOLAR PROJECTS IN THE WEST

Sun, wind and geothermal energy development are on a fast track for development on public lands in the West, including Nevada, federal officials announced today.

Federal agencies will work with western leaders to designate tracts of public lands in the western states to develop utility-scale solar energy generators, wind farms and geothermal sources, said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Speeding reviews and identifying prime zones for such renewable energy development are part of the plans, Salazar and Reid said.

For example, Nevada has 40 applications for solar energy development, enough to generate 19,000 megawatts of electricity, second only to California with 72 applications and a potential 48,000 megawatts.

Under one initiative, 24 tracts of Bureau of Land Management sites in six western states will be known as Solar Energy Study Areas, fully evaluated for their environmental and resource suitability for large scale solar energy production.

Companies that propose projects on a grander scale in areas already approved for such solar development would be eligible for priority processing, the secretary and senator said.

In addition, Nevada will host a new Interior Department renewable energy coordination office, the first of four. The others will be in Arizona, California and Wyoming.

VIDEO: San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom talks solar with CURRENT TV

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is interviewed by Current Green's Leah Lamb on his run for Governor and his take on solar energy. The question was submitted by sbove, topics covered included: solar incentive programs, solar map, solar installation, urban wind task force, solar portfolio, green renewable energy.



ARTICLE AT CURRENT.COM

AUSTIN MANDATES ENERGY AUDITS TO PREVENT BUILDING POWER PLANT

By Shonda Novak
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Come Monday, many Austin home sellers will have one more chore, along with touching up the paint and sprucing up the yard, before putting their house on the market.

That's when a new city ordinance kicks in that requires sellers of homes older than 10 years to get an energy audit and disclose the results to prospective buyers.

City leaders who approved the audits last year said it was one more way to reduce Austin's energy consumption and make Austin greener, although sellers are not required to make any improvements as a result of the audit. The idea is to encourage sellers or buyers to make their houses more energy-efficient.

But with the requirement taking effect in a slower housing market, some real estate agents say it could delay or torpedo sales and will add costs for sellers.

"There's never a good time to add fees to a transaction," said City Council Member Mike Martinez, "but I think this requirement is a good thing. It allows the consumer to fully understand the purchase they're about to make. If you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on an investment, you would want to know how efficient that investment is going to be for you."

ARTICLE CONTINUES AT THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS SHOULDN'T STAY IN VEGAS - President tours Vegas solar power facility, discusses stimulus efforts

LAS VEGAS - President Barack Obama on Wednesday hailed solar energy as a cost saver for a major Air Force base, one stop on a Western trip devoted to raising political money and promoting his economic policies.

Obama's aides had mocked reporters for making a fuss over his first 100 days in office, but the president was eager to assess the first 100 days of his $787 billion economic stimulus package.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

CNN VIDEO: Obama says U.S. must get in front on green energy

President Obama said Wednesday the United States must take the lead on energy, citing the "enormous job creation potential that exists."

Obama's remarks came at the end of his first quarterly meeting with the Economic Recovery Advisory Board, which was created in February to provide the administration with independent, nonpartisan advice on how to promote economic growth and stability.

The focus of Wednesday's meeting, which was streamed live on the White House Web site, was job creation and green energy.

Read the full article at CNN.COM »

15% RENEWABLE BY 2020-House Dems edge closer to consensus on climate and energy bill

House Democrats are within sight of an agreement on key pieces of a major energy and climate change bill as the Memorial Day deadline for an Energy and Commerce Committee markup draws near.

Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) is trying to produce a draft of the legislation this week, and Democratic aides said Friday that the first of several consensus points may be unveiled as early as today. But they also urged caution considering several false alarms late last week when similar deals appeared imminent.

"We're moving well, making a lot of progress on these issues," Waxman said Thursday. "We're getting very, very close."

ARTICLE CONTINUES AT THE NY TIMES

Chu Announces $193 Million For Renewable Energy Research

Senior Scientist Miguel Contreras shows U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, center, a solar battery charger that was developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory during a tour of the center near Golden, Colo., on Wednesday, April 29, 2009. Chu announced that more than $100 million for the Recovery Act would be used to support wind energy projects at NREL. Others looking on are Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, left, NREL Director Dan Arvizu, second from left, and research fellow Art Nozik, right. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

GOLDEN, Colo. — The primary U.S. lab for renewable energy will receive $110 million in federal stimulus funds and another $83 million will go toward wind energy and other alternative power and efficiency projects, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Wednesday.

"Wind energy will be one of the most important contributors to meeting President Obama's target of generating 10 percent of our electricity from renewable sources by 2012," Chu said.

Also on the administration's priorty list is making buildings more energy efficient.

NREL, in Golden, will get $68 million for an energy-efficient office building, with the goal of creating a design process for use on other construction projects. NREL will also receive $19.2 million for solar, geothermal and fuel cell equipment to produce electricity for its labs and $13.5 million for upgrades to its biorefinery research facility.

NREL will get another $10 million for testing and evaluation of wind technology at the Energy Department's Wind Technology Center in Colorado.

ARTICLE CONTINUES HERE AT THE HUFFINGTON POST

VIDEO - OBAMA Close to Making Changes to Bush's Horrific Mountaintop Removal Policy

In only hours, we expect President Obama's agencies to decide whether to keep his campaign promise and end mountaintop removal mining—a devastating practice that has destroyed hundreds of mountains and thousands of miles of streams in Appalachia.

This is one of the most critical moments in our years-long fight to stop this environmental tragedy.

But, even as you read this, the powerful lobbying forces of King Coal are banging on the White House door, urging Obama to break his promise. Coal's forces run deep and are gathering. They know that Obama is about to make a decision. Their voices are loud.

We need to be louder.

But we must act fast. Decisions are expected as early as tomorrow, and Tuesday is a big day in court.

Please act now. Tell President Obama not to support Bush administration policies that continue the irreversible and destructive practice of mountaintop removal. Urge President Obama to keep his promise to enforce the Clean Water Act and let science lead policies on coal mining.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AT CURRENT.COM

RIGHT vs WRONG, CLIMATE FIGHT TODAY AT CONGRESS - GORE Overcomes Objections, GINGRICH Looks Foolish

Gore’s testimony will be followed today by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who plans to blast the bill. Photo: AP photo composite by POLITICO

Former Vice President Al Gore pushed Congress to find the “moral courage” to create a cap-and-trade system, endorsing a sweeping climate change proposal as “one of the most important pieces of legislation ever introduced in the Congress.”

“I believe this legislation has the moral significance equivalent to that of the civil rights legislation of the 1960s and the Marshall Plan of the late 1940s,” he said in testimony delivered to the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Friday morning.

Gore’s testimony will be followed today by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who plans to blast the bill as “wrong for our national security ... wrong for our economy,” while detailing his own 38-point climate change plan — which he pitches as “green conservatism.”

The two party leaders are testifying back to back after days of hearings that included dozens of witnesses from business, government and environmental groups to testify on the controversial legislation. Friday’s panel included former Republican Sen. John Warner of Virginia, who supported taking action on climate change but cautioned against moving too quickly.

ARTICLE CONTINUES HERE AT POLITICO