Sunday, September 26, 2010

The US Military's Two-pronged Renewable Energy Initiative | Renewable Energy World

The US Military's Two-pronged Renewable Energy Initiative | Renewable Energy World

LET THEM BUILD IT



If you cut the power off for a day, it’s a party; blankets, flashlights and huddling around the fire. If you cut the power for 3 days, it’s a slog, grumbling and generally we’re pissed off about how long it’s been. If you cut the power off for 3 weeks there will be blood in the streets. This is what we are dealing with when we talk about energy security. If you think I am exaggerating stop and think about it, in three weeks all your food will have spoiled, so will the grocery stores’, business will be hamstrung and all electronic commerce will have halted. No banks, ATMs, gas pumps, internet, TV the list goes on. I understand the challenges of moving to a renewable energy grid, inconsistent supply, higher perceived cost, more engineering required, more transmission required, it’s tough. What’s tougher is the alternative. This is the greatest society in the history of our planet, American engineers built the 20th century, please don’t tell me we have to leave it to the Chinese to figure out what replaces fossil fuel. It appears to me that the energy policy committee setup by PERC has a difficult road ahead. They are going to talk about economics and DSM and federal loan guaranties and liability costs… or they won’t and they will push for the policy they decided a decade ago based on dated information. American society and brain power are the value of our currency and the definition of our economy. The real expense at stake here is the wrong decision. Let Americans build the 21st century. I would encourage all of you to attend the Oct. 6th meeting at the state house. Email me for details.

andrews@sunstoresolar.com

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Senators talk about Clean energy standard



By Tennille Tracy, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Several influential U.S. senators are introducing a bill to require power plants to generate 15% of their electricity from renewable resources, such as wind and solar power, by the year 2021.

Introduced by Sens. Jeff Bingaman (D., N.M.) and Sam Brownback (R, Kan.) among others, the bill would require power plants to generate 3% of their electricity from renewable resources in 2012 and ramp up their use of renewables until reaching 15% in 2021.

The bill also allows utilities to purchase renewable energy credits or to make alternative compliance payments--worth 2.1 cents per kilowatt hour--to meet the standards.

Power plants that sell less than 4 million megawatt hours would be exempt from the law.

Known as a renewable electricity standard, the requirements have been a source of debate for U.S. lawmakers for several months.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) decided to bypass a renewable standard when pushing a broader energy this bill earlier this year, frustrating renewable energy supporters by saying he wanted to scrap controversial proposals in an effort to pass the measure more quickly.

After the bill failed to gain enough traction, Reid then said he would be willing to include the renewable standard in a future piece of energy legislation that could surface later this year.

Reid said he thought he could recruit at least two Republican votes for a broader energy bill by incorporating renewable electricity standards.

This most recent bill from Bingaman and Brownback--along with Sens. Byron Dorgan (D., N.D.), Tom Udall (D, N.M.), Mark Udall (D., Colo.) and Susan Collins (R., Maine)--marks an attempt to move the renewable energy standard as a stand- alone bill.



Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201009211439dowjonesdjonline000304&title=ussenate-bill-would-make-utilities-use-15renewable-energy#ixzz10PT1DzsJ

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

trifecta of cool for solar


I want solar powered cars,

I want electric cars, electricity is American energy

I want solar power

I want an smart grid that allows modern life and sutains a natural world.


http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/from-the-roof-to-a-battery-to-the-grid/?src=twt&twt=nytimesgreen

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

PERC to decide 25yr energy policy


September 14th 2010 will impact SC for 50yrs. Perc Energy policy committee had its first meeting and it was a 'lovefest' for me. NO ONE FROM RENEWABLE ENERGY SMALL BUSINESS ON the COMMITTEE and yet the overall tone of discussion was how do we make renewable energy work? However, judging by the opening statements you would have thought we had deployed 1000MW of Solar and Biomass and Everyone was GungHo about Solar. the reality is far from this assumption and the state should know that.

This should be a quick process, I can't wait to hear the recommendations.