What's New List Serve Post Display

What's New List Serve Post Display

Below is the List Serve Post you selected to display.
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

ARB What's New

preload