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newsclips -- Newsclips for September 4-7, 2010.
Posted: 08 Sep 2010 14:07:28
California Air Resources Board News Clips for September 4-7, 2010. This is a service of the California Air Resources Board’s Office of Communications. You may need to sign in or register with individual websites to view some of the following news articles. ENERGY COMMISSION Big California Solar Energy Push Moves Forward - California Commission Oks 1st In A Series Of Projects Proposed For State's Deserts. California's long-awaited boom in solar power plant construction took a major step forward Wednesday when state regulators approved the first in a string of projects that will soon blanket thousands of acres of desert with mirrors harnessing the energy of the sun. Posted. http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-08-26/business/22235363_1_renewable-energy-solar-projects-electricity-from-renewable-sources http://inspiredeconomist.com/tag/california-energy-commission/ Solar Projects Still Sorting Out Tortoises' Fate. BrightSource Energy Co. has pounded hundreds of wooden surveyor stakes into the earth in northeast San Bernardino County while awaiting final decisions from state and federal agencies on whether to turn 5.6 square miles of public land into a solar energy plant. With hundreds of millions in federal stimulus dollars at stake, time is critical to BrightSource. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/environment/stories/PE_News_Local_D_solar03.4df0585.html Spotlight On San Diego Gas & Electric - A Q&A With Lee Krevat. Leading up to the Smart Grid Summit next month, this is the first in a series of Q&A interviews I’ll be doing with our speakers. This interview was conducted with one of our featured keynote speakers, Lee Krevat, director of SDG&E’s smart grid programs. ... SDG&E received $10 million in grants from the Department of Energy and California Energy Commission (News - Alert) for a microgrid project in Borrego Springs, a progressive desert community with a high concentration of solar energy. Posted. http://smart-grid.tmcnet.com/topics/smart-grid-fa/articles/99995-spotlight-san-diego-gas-electric-qa-with-lee.htm APPLIANCE REBATE PROGRAM CA’s Cash for Appliances Rebate Program Expanded. The California Energy Commission (CEC) recently voted to expand its Cash for Appliances rebate program, offering savings on a wider range of new, energy-efficient appliances. The expanded program, now called California Cash for Appliances PLUS, adds qualifying energy-efficient dishwashers, freezers, water heaters and heating ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to existing rebates on qualifying refrigerators, clothes washers and room air conditioners. Posted. http://wehonews.com/z/wehonews/archive/page.php?articleID=5298 Funds Still Available In AL's Appliance Rebate Program. If you recently bought or plan to buy a new Energy Star-labeled appliance, you may be eligible for an unexpected bonus: a $25 to $150 rebate. Doni Ingram, director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, said $1.8 million in rebates remain available for residents. The Alabama Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate program was launched in April to encourage residents to replace old inefficient appliances that are costly to operate with new energy-efficient models. Posted. http://www.wsfa.com/global/story.asp?s=13096745 Some Floridians Still Waiting On Appliance Rebates. About 7,000 rebates for appliances Floridians bought in April still have to be mailed, the state said this week. It could be near the end of September before everyone who applied for a rebate toward the cost of refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, washing machines, single-room air conditioners and tankless gas water heaters receives their cash. Posted. http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/03/1806856/some-floridians-still-waiting.html ARRA / GREEN JOBS Fiorina Decides She Has A Position On Prop. 23. Republican Senate candidate Carly Fiorina, who repeatedly refused to take a stand on Proposition 23 during a Wednesday debate, said today she is backing the measure. In a statement, Fiorina called it "a Band-Aid fix and an imperfect solution," but she said she's supporting it anyway. Proposition 23 would suspend implementation of the state's landmark climate change law until unemployment dropped to 5.5 percent or less for a full year. Posted. http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2010/09/fiorina-says-shell-back-prop-2.html http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/04/3005084/fiorina-calls-prop-23-imperfect.html http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9I0M3G00.htm Chevron May Be Seeking Exemption From State Environmental Laws For Its Refinery Rebuilding Project. One of Northern California's largest polluters may be trying to orchestrate a last-minute deal with Sacramento lawmakers to evade state environmental laws, potentially increasing its toxic emissions and skirting two court rulings. For five years, Chevron has been trying to rebuild and upgrade its Richmond refinery in Contra Costa County. But environmental and community groups sued, arguing that the company was concealing plans to process heavier grades of crude oil, which can increase pollution. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16002145 Report Says Heat, Not Smart Meters, Hiked Bills. After Pacific Gas & Electric, the giant California utility, began installing smart meters in the state’s Central Valley, the company was swamped with complaints from residents that their utility bills had increased. But an independent review of the smart meters released Thursday found that the devices were functioning properly and attributed the high charges to a heat wave last year that coincided with their installation as well as poor customer service by P.G.&.E. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/report-says-heat-not-smart-meters-hiked-bills/ OIL/ GASOLINE / ALTERNATIVE FUELS Gas Prices Headed Lower. The expected post-Labor Day drop in gasoline prices may have started early. The average retail price of gas in Sacramento fell 4.2 cents to $2.96 per gallon over the past week, according to data released today by SactoGasPrices.com, a GasBuddy.com website. The local price was 7.7 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago and 15.4 cents lower than a month ago. Nationally, the average price edged down 0.2 cents a gallon to $2.68, down 9.3 cents from last month. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/07/3010719/gas-prices-headed-lower.html http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/08/30/daily74.html Crude Oil Falls for a Second Day on Speculation U.S. Fuel Demand Will Drop. Oil dropped for a second day in New York on speculation fuel demand will decline as the U.S. summer peak consumption season ends. Yesterday’s Labor Day holiday marked the end of the peak driving season. Refiners often idle units for maintenance in September and October as gasoline demand drops and before heating-oil use increases. U.S. crude inventories last week rose to the highest level since June, the Energy Department said. Motor fuel supplies are about 10 percent higher than last year. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-07/crude-oil-falls-for-a-second-day-on-speculation-u-s-fuel-demand-will-drop.html BP Oil Well Declared To Be No Longer A Threat To Gulf. With the replacement of the failed blowout preventer and a cement plug in place, the well's seal is almost permanent, the federal spill response chief says. The final step will be to plug the well from the bottom. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-oil-spill-20100905,0,449685.story TRANSPORTATION U.S. Plays Catch-Up On High-Speed Rail. Spanish trains whisk passengers from Madrid to Barcelona in little more than two and one-half hours. Japan has bullet trains. China is building a vast network of high-speed rail routes, including the recently opened line between Guangzhou and Wuhan, which covers 1,070 kilometers at the world’s fastest average speed. Soon, perhaps, the United States, with the world’s largest economy will also clamber on board. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/06/business/energy-environment/06green.html When It Comes to Car Batteries, Moore’s Law Does Not Compute. Silicon Valley may be an epicenter of the nascent electric car industry, but don’t expect the battery revolution to mimic the computer revolution, one of I.B.M.’s top energy storage scientists advises. “Forget Moore’s Law — it’s nothing like that,” said Winfried Wilcke, senior manager for I.B.M.’s Battery 500 project, referring to the maxim put forward by Gordon Moore, an Intel founder, that computer processing power doubles roughly every two yearsPosted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/06/when-it-comes-to-car-batteries-moores-law-does-not-compute/?pagemode=print RENEWABLE ENERGY / ENERGY EFFICIENCY California Agency Approves Grants Aimed at Adding Solar, Cutting Costs. The California Public Utilities Commission has approved nine grants totaling up to $14.6 million to improve solar photovoltaic manufacturing and development and to promote solar-related business innovation. The projects include work focused on integrating more solar electricity into the state's grid and reducing the cost of solar energy. Posted. http://sunpluggers.com/news/california-agency-approves-grants-aimed-at-adding-solar-cutting-costs-0897 Solar Ranking Shines Brighter - SMUD Adds 20 Megawatts To U.S. Database, Making Region Tops In Per-Capita Capacity. Leaders behind a movement to strengthen the Sacramento region’s clean-energy technology industry are celebrating a power boost this week. Additional solar systems in Sacramento County, with a capacity of 20.2 megawatts, that had not been accounted for were added to a national database this week. That put the six-county region’s solar capacity ahead of the seven-county Bay Area in per-capita installed photovoltaic capacity. Posted. http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/09/06/story2.html?b=1283745600^3896651 Greenest State Behind The Waste-To-Energy Race. Government officials from around the world used to come to this port city to catch a glimpse of the future: Two-story piles of trash would disappear into a furnace and eventually be transformed into electricity to power thousands of homes. Nowadays, it's U.S. officials going to Canada, Japan and parts of Western Europe to see the latest advances. The Long Beach plant, for all its promise when it began operations roughly 20 years ago, still churns out megawatts. Posted. http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/09/05/1156982_california-falls-behind-in-waste.html Consumer Reports Energy Investigation: Five Steps to Make the U.S.A. Global Leader in Energy Efficiency. The U.S. energy consumption per capita was at its lowest level in 41 years last year. Americans have bought more energy efficient lightbulbs and appliances, run their air conditioners less and even line dry their clothes. So why does the U.S. use more energy than most other countries? Consumer Reports surveyed more than 1,500 American homeowners about their experiences of becoming more energy efficient over the past 12 months - turns out that it's harder than it should be. Posted. http://www.bradenton.com/2010/09/07/2555670/consumer-reports-energy-investigation.html WATER ISSUES Suits Fight Pumping From Kern Water Bank. A story worthy of Hollywood will soon unfold in California courtrooms - allegations of government corruption and corporate greed to rival the infamous Los Angeles water grab that inspired the film "Chinatown." Call it "Chinatown II," a tale beginning 15 years ago - when, according to lawsuits filed in the past three months, the state illegally turned over the publicly owned Kern Water Bank to an agency controlled by giant corporations in a backroom deal. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/06/3008084/suits-fight-pumping-from-kern.html GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS / CLIMATE CHANGE Initiative To Suspend State Climate Law Gets $1 Million. An oil company headed by conservative billionaires David and Charles Koch has contributed $1 million to the campaign to suspend the state's landmark climate change law. Flint Hills Resources does not have any oil interests in California but is a big opponent of climate change legislation around the country. On Thursday, the Kansas-based refining and chemicals manufacturer threw its weight behind Proposition 23, the ballot initiative that seeks to suspend California's greenhouse gas reduction law until the economy improves. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/04/3004941/initiative-to-suspend-state-climate.html http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-prop-23-koch-20100904,0,969078.story EDITORIAL / OPINION / COMMENTARY EDITORIAL: Wind Farms And The Radar Problem. Wind farms interfere with commercial and military radar systems. That's stalling some projects, but it doesn't have to. Increasing the amount of electricity we get from renewable sources such as the sun and wind is a national priority and a state mandate. Among the many obstacles to getting that done — opposition to new transmission lines, worries that solar plants will harm endangered species, conflicts over land use — one has until recently remained largely off the public radar screen. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-radar-20100907,0,1881109.story Editorial: Unsolved Coal Ash Problem. In December 2008, a gigantic storage pond belonging to the Tennessee Valley Authority near Kingston, Tenn., effectively burst at the seams, spilling a billion gallons of mainly toxic coal ash from a T.V.A. power plant into surrounding lands and rivers. It was the perfect moment to right a long-festering environmental wrong. The Environmental Protection Agency promised tough new regulations governing the disposal of coal ash. Industry complained. The White House hesitated. Nothing happened. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/06/opinion/06mon4.html?th&emc=th EDITORIAL: A Necessary Moratorium. Last Thursday’s fire on a shallow-water oil production platform in the Gulf of Mexico claimed no lives and has caused no environmental damage. It was, however, a nerve-racking reminder that extracting fossil fuels is an inherently dangerous business. As such, it was a very good argument for maintaining the present moratorium on deep-water drilling in the gulf and removing it only when industry has met the standards the administration set forth in the spring. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/opinion/07tue1.html?th&emc=th OPINION: California Water War Still Unsettled. Any claim by Capitol politicians that the just-concluded 2009-10 session of the Legislature was a success rests on a complex water package that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislators hammered out late last year. Schwarzenegger praised it effusively, saying he was "so proud of the Legislature" and hailing it as an example of bipartisanship. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/05/3006707/dan-walters-california-water-war.html OPINION: U.S. Banks On Clean Energy To Restore Our Industrial Leadership. For decades it has been clear that the way Americans produce and consume energy is not sustainable. Our addiction to foreign oil and fossil fuels puts our economy, our national security and our environment at risk. The nation that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st century. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_15980634?nclick_check=1 COMMENTARY: California's Prop. 23, Backed By Oil Giants With A Lot To Lose, Needs To Go Down In Flames. It's up to voters to save the state from big oil interests. I don't mean to disturb your holiday weekend just when you're trying to scrub that grease off the barbecue grill. But I thought now was a good time to remind you that in two months, you'll have an important choice to make about the air you breathe. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0905-lopezcolumn-20100905,0,2384559.column