Maria Energia

Reports from the Clinton Global Initiative

2010-09-27T06:37:00.003-05:00

My posts from the Clinton Global Initiative are up on EarthandIndustry.com, as well as a repost at the Timberland corporate blog. (that's TimbERland, not TimBAland, as I had to clarify for a really excited friend).

Climate Change, Energy and Waste Take Center Stage at Clinton Global Initiative

CGI Commitment to Clean Cookstoves Means Healthier Women, Climate

Making Market-Based Solutions, Green Solutions at CGI

Group Therapy at the Clinton Global Initiative

The Three Tools to Transform the Developing World

Clinton Global Initiative: Landfills and Energy (video)

2010-09-22T11:50:00.005-05:00

I'm here at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City - below is my quick video recap of yesterday's discussions. Check out Earth and Industry for my full posts.

Secretary Clinton announcing the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves

Things get crowded in the press pen - the roped-off area where we stand during the sessions.

Packing up for the Clinton Global Initiative

2010-09-19T16:48:00.003-05:00

I'm nearly packed - Tomorrow I head to the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York City, where I'll be covering the event for Earth & Industry, as well as here at Maria Energia and Twitter. CGI brings together heads of state, CEOs, and the best entrepreneurs from all over the world who are committed (financially committed, not just in theory) to solving the worlds most pressing problems like education, environment/energy, economic empowerment, and health.

Below is a clip of President Clinton discussing the relevance of CGI. Courtesy of the Huffington Post.

Headed to the Clinton Global Initiative!

2010-07-30T10:35:00.002-05:00

I am PUMPED to be heading to the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York City in September. You'll see posts and updates here at Maria Energia and at Earth & Industry. Stay tuned!

Latest Earth & Industry Podcast

2010-07-30T10:30:00.003-05:00

You know it's been awhile since you've blogged when it takes you 10 minutes to figure out your passwords to log in! But I do continue to record podcasts with some of the smart folks over at Earth & Industry. Here's our latest podcast, talking about the BP oil spill. We taped this hours before it was capped.

Colbert's Climate Change "Catfight"

2010-04-08T10:38:00.003-05:00

Stephen Colbert let a climatologist and...some guy...duke it out on climate change. Bottom line: Climate is not the same thing as weather!

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Science Catfight - Joe Bastardi vs. Brenda Ekwurzel

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Reform

Podcast: 2010 Clean Energy Predictions from the Gang of Four

2010-01-28T11:44:00.002-06:00

David Wescott, Tim Hurst, Jeff McIntire-Strasburg and I got together again for our Gang of Four Earth & Industry podcast (we're even on iTunes).

Check out our clean energy predictions for 2010.

Podcast: Our Reactions to Copenhagen

2009-12-23T15:09:00.002-06:00

My cohorts over at the Earth and Industry blog - David Wescott, Tim Hurst and Jeff McIntire-Strasburg - and I got together discuss the results of the Copenhagen climate talks. Check out our podcast at Ecopolitology.

Copenhagen: Dr. Suess Style

2009-12-21T11:10:00.003-06:00

I'm slowly starting to emerge from maternity leave and getting back on the blogging wagon (it helps when you sleep completely through the entire night for the first time since July). Tip of the hat to ecopolitology for the link to this spoof on the Copenhagen negotiations by BBC Radio's "Now Show."

Maria Energia's Personal Sustainability Plan

2009-10-03T15:03:00.004-05:00

Baron Edward Manka was born Tuesday, September 29 at 2:47PM. He was 7 lbs., 2 oz. and 21 inches long. My husband and I are getting to know the little man and enjoying every second of it.

Still Composting (I Think) and Company Review

2009-09-27T12:42:00.016-05:00

I started composting about a month ago, when a company called Algreen Products sent me a compost bin to review.

While I think the bin is working fine so far, I'm less than thrilled about the customer service from Algreen. For starters, the instructions for the compost bin were very vague: the brochure suggested watering and aerating the bin, but never said how often to do it. So I emailed the rep that contacted me in the first place. I asked:

Should I be mixing my browns and greens in the bin? If so, how often do I do that? Also, how often should I water the mix? More details like these would be helpful in your instruction manual.

I don't think anything got lost in translation between me (in Minnesota) and the rep (in Ontario, Canada), but he answered my email with instructions on how to make compost tea...

So I emailed him again, clarifying what I was asking - that was 27 days ago and I haven't heard anything back. Although I can't yet comment on how well the compost bin works (my materials haven't composted yet and with the days becoming so cool, I'm skeptical I'll get anything yet this year), I would not recommend this $200 product based on the vague instruction manual (especially frustrating if you've never composted before) and the lack of customer service from Algreen.

Wind vs. Solar: If I Had a Million Dollars...

2009-09-21T07:30:00.000-05:00

David Wescott, Tim Hurst, Jeff McIntire-Strasburg and I got together again recently to debate which industry - wind or solar - we would invest in if we had a million dollars. Check out the podcast here on Earth & Industry.

What I'm Reading...

2009-09-16T08:39:00.002-05:00

Planet Green's "Know the 7 Key Senators in the Climate Bill Battle." You should know them too, especially if one of them represents your state.

New Blog Recommendation: Earth and Industry

2009-09-14T16:17:00.003-05:00

I feel fortunate to be part of the green blogosphere, as there is no shortage of smart, informed and thoughtful sites to visit. And here's another to add to your reading list: Earth and Industry.

Earth and Industry was started by Tim Hurst of ecopolitology and Green Options. The site is a discussion about the intersection of people, planet and profit and how these drivers can lead companies to maximize profits while being responsible and helpful citizens of the planet. It's sure to keep you well-informed, so check it out.

(I am a contributing writer to the site (first post: "What Ever Happened to the Climate Bill?") - although I was a reader of it before I was asked to write for it! Check out the other contributing writers here.)

Midwest Renewable Energy News

2009-09-09T07:44:00.000-05:00

New: Energy Star Toolkit for Houses of Worship

2009-09-08T15:30:00.003-05:00

The EPA now provides Energy Star toolkits to help houses of worship become more energy efficient. (it was news to me that the EPA already has free Energy Star toolkits for other facilities like schools, retail businesses and the healthcare industry).

The toolkit helps building managers track energy usage, climate change emissions, set goals for emissions cuts and energy efficiency, and prioritize investments in efficiency upgrades. They also get:

Technical support from Energy Star
“How-to” guide for analyzing and upgrading the facility (including a detailed Building Upgrade Manual)
Energy equipment and service contractors and utilities
Information about Energy Star labeled products
National and local recognition
Public relations materials to promote your efforts
Marketing Resources

There are about 370,000 houses of worship in the U.S.; if they improved their energy efficiency by 10 percent, they would prevent more than 1 million tons of climate change emissions and represent a cost savings of about $315 million a year.

Houses of worship that use the Energy Star toolkit and meet standards for the program could earn a performance rating and the Energy Star label for their congregation buildings.

via Energy Star and GreenerBuildings.com

New Tool: Climate Wizard

2009-09-02T14:07:00.005-05:00

I'm checking out a new tool called the Climate Wizard, which lets you look at temperature and precipitation projections on a state-by-state or nation-by-nation basis under different climate change scenarios. You can look at past and projected climate data and even break down the data by month.

It's pretty interesting - and a useful tool too: The Nature Conservancy (which developed the Wizard with the University of Washington and the University of Southern Mississippi) is using it to help predict how plants from around the world will behave in other locations: “I can look at the home temperatures of these aquatic plants to see if the climate ranges overlap with Florida and use that as one predictor of whether they might become invasive and cause problems in our habitats," noted Doria Gordon, TNC's director of conservation science.

The tool has also found that if emissions continue to rise unchecked over the next 100 years, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa would heat up the most, followed by South Dakota, Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois.

via The Nature Conservancy and Climate Wizard

David Wescott and I Talk Greenwashing

2009-08-31T14:35:00.002-05:00

Last week, David Wescott of It's Not a Lecture and I had a conversation on "greenwashing" - when companies attempt to make their products or practices look greener, cleaner, or more efficient than they really are. We also touch on how the media covers green issues and the burgeoning world of online environmental thought leaders. Fun stuff!

You can listen to the podcast below - it runs just under 24 minutes.

Maria Energia Learns to Compost

2009-08-25T19:53:00.006-05:00

Yes, it's my dark, dirty secret: I don't compost. It seemed complicated, I wasn't sure how, and hesitant to spend the money on a bin.

But now I've taken the plunge, thanks in great part to Algreen Products, a Canadian company that sent me their Terra 45-gallon composter to test out.

I got it today in the mail and - not knowing anything about composters - was impressed with how little it weighed and how easy it was for a woman who's 9 months pregnant to haul around. The instructions could've used some more detail, but I put the bin and accompanying shovel together eventually. Then I threw in some dirt, a bag of leaves that have been sitting in my garage for a year, and grass clippings in the 3:1 brown to green recommended ratio.

The holes in the side are for aeration and watering (not sure how you're supposed to water sideways...stick a hose in the holes or just spray down the sides?). I've seen other composters that you turn to get everything mixed together and decomposing...but I guess I don't need to do any mixing with this type of barrel? Any advice is appreciated!

More to come on how this product performs. I hope to get some good stuff out of it before the snow flies in a few months, but the instructions say that it will keep working throughout the winter (which surprises me...even when it's 10 below and everything is frozen?).

If you're interested in getting your own Algreen composter, you can buy one at Garden SuperMart, Home Depot or Amazon.

Random Find: WePlayGreen.org

2009-08-24T13:51:00.003-05:00

Hat tip to colleague Bill Brozak for this interesting find:

WePlayGreen.or g is a group started by Chris Dickerson from the Cincinnati Reds and Jack Cassel from the Cleveland Indians to promote how professional athletes live green and inspire fans to do the same. Athletes from any professional sport can join (see the list here) and many of the testimonials talk about the basics, like recycling.

But they don't just play it safe with easy issues like recycling, they actually have opinions, like limiting the amount of plastics used during sports seasons and this Tweet from Friday: "Bioplastics is really just replacing one problem for another and doesn't address what is wrong with our throw-away culture."

Check them out.

Friday Fun: "In My Prius" Video

2009-08-14T11:48:00.005-05:00

Hat tip to @Treehugger for the link to this hilarious video "In my Prius" by Casual Mafia. I especially love the dancer holding a latte, listening to an iPod with a baby carrier strapped to him.

A Great Resource to Stay on Top of Climate Policy

2009-08-11T11:55:00.003-05:00

VanNess Feldman's Weekly Climate Change Policy Update. I highly recommend it for getting the details on federal climate legislation (VanNess Feldman is a Washington DC law firm).

Midwest Monday: Renewable Energy Degrees Expand

2009-08-03T16:23:00.003-05:00

The renewable energy industry may be struggling in this tough economy like everyone else, but that doesn't mean it's going away anytime soon. In fact, technical colleges are continuing to expand programs to train workers in the industry.

One of the most recent ones in my neck of the woods is St. Cloud Technical College, which will begin offering a two-year degree in energy technology this fall. It is believed to be the first of its kind in the United States and is being launched with a three-year, $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Students who earn the associate degree will be able to work in renewable and traditional energy fields and earn certification in specialty areas like ethanol production, biodiesel production, wind turbine maintenance or solar-energy assessment.

via the St. Cloud Times

Midwest Monday: Renewable Energy News

2009-08-03T16:22:00.000-05:00

Dept of Energy Releases Wind Technologies Market Report

2009-07-27T11:44:00.003-05:00

The U.S. Department of Energy just released its “2008 Wind Technologies Market Report.” It provides a comprehensive overview of trends in the U.S. wind power market. Some highlights:

For the fourth consecutive year, the U.S. was home to the fastest-growing wind power market in the world in 2008, capturing roughly 30% of the market.

U.S. wind power capacity additions increased by 60 percent in 2008, representing a $16 billion investment in new wind projects.

Wind projects accounted for 42% of all new electric generating capacity added in the U.S. in 2008 and wind now delivers nearly 2% of the nation's electricity supply.

Soaring demand for wind has spurred expansion of wind turbine manufacturing in the United States. The share of domestically manufactured wind turbine components has grown from less than 30% in 2005 to roughly 50% in 2008, and that roughly 8,400 new domestic manufacturing jobs were added in the wind sector in 2008 alone.

Texas led all states with 7,118 MW of total wind capacity installed, followed by Iowa (2791 MW) and California (2517 MW). Seven states now have more than 1,000 MW installed, and 13 have more than 500 MW.

Iowa and Minnesota have the highest levels of wind penetration.

Wind power remained competitive in wholesale power markets in 2008, with average wind power prices at or below the low end of the wholesale power market price range.

Find the report here.

Green Blogger Podcast: ACES Bill

2009-07-27T06:57:00.000-05:00

David Wescott of It's Not a Lecture is launching a semi-regular podcast on enviro topics and invited me, Tim Hurst of Red, Green and Blue and Ecopolitology, and Jeff McIntire-Strasburg of Sustainablog to participate in the first one.

In the podcast below, we discuss the question of whether the ACES bill (aka Waxman-Markey climate bill) is a "good start" or whether Congress needs to go back to the drawing board and work out tougher regulations.

We know the audio quality isn't top-notch. We hope to improve this with future podcasts. Many thanks to David for the invitation to participate and to Tim and Jeff for being smart cohorts. Hear the podcast below - it's about 26 minutes. Details and downloads can be found here.

Los Angeles to Dump Coal Use by 2020

2009-07-13T15:03:00.017-05:00

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has announced that his city will completely eliminate coal from its electricity use by 2020.

The L.A. Department of Water and Power (LADWP) currently gets 40% of its electricity from coal plants outside of the state (California itself doesn't have any). With this move, the LADWP expects to cuts its carbon dioxide emissions by up to 60% from 1990 levels (with 1.45 million electricity customers, it's the largest city-owned utility in the nation).

Instead, about 40% of the power the city currently gets from coal will be replaced with renewable energy sources like solar and wind. The other 60% will come from natural gas, nuclear and hydro.

As a result of this decision, a proposed coal plant in Utah was canceled, as the LADWP was to be its biggest customer.

Why now?
The city decided to make the switch to avoid paying more for fossil fuel electricity in the future, when carbon regulations (both California's state regulations and federal ones, like a cap-and-trade policy) increase the cost of doing business with fossil fuels. Not to mention the "costs to society," like higher medical bills for lung-related diseases such as asthma.

However, the Mayor's office noted that eliminating coal power will mean higher electricity rates in the short-term (although LADWP expects its rates to remain competitive with the rest of Southern California). Deputy Mayor David Freeman explained:

"The rates are going to go up. There is no way you can bring in renewable energy and not have some rate impact when you replace coal. But the value to society even aside from global warming is going to be positive."

This is a straightforward message that people will need to hear as cities and states continue to replace their dirty electricity sources with clean ones. There may be modest, short-term increases in electricity costs, but the long-term savings from cleaner, unlimited energy and a healthier, cleaner society will outweigh those costs - especially when combined with energy efficiency improvements (as Los Angeles is doing) to further drive down energy demand.

via VanNess Feldman Law Firm and Reuters

Midwest Monday: Renewable Energy News

2009-07-13T15:03:00.003-05:00

Scientific American Podcast: Wind Power Potential Quantified

2009-07-01T14:02:00.005-05:00

From Scientific American's handy "60-second science" podcast comes data from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Click the link to hear about calculations that U.S. wind turbines could produce 16 times the electricity we now use.

Hat tip to Dave Erickson again for this one!

Details on Climate Change Bill

2009-06-30T11:31:00.005-05:00

By now, I'm sure you've heard that sweeping climate change legislation (the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES)) passed the House last Friday 219-212. Eight Republicans voted in favor of it and 44 Democrats voted against. The bill will gradually lower climate change emissions to 83 percent below 2005 levels by 2050.

For more detail on how members voted and the compromises made, here are some helpful resources I've found:

See how your Rep voted (via Grist)

Details on the compromises made to pass ACES (via VanNess Feldman Law Firm)

A state-by-state impact of cap-and-trade's cost (via FiveThirtyEight)

Video: Nonprofits Partnering with Business on Conservation

2009-06-29T16:36:00.001-05:00

This is an interesting video featuring one way nonprofits are partnering with big companies on energy/conservation issues (via Fora.TV).

Hat tip to Dave Erickson for the link.

House to Vote on Climate Change Bill this Week

2009-06-23T14:08:00.003-05:00

The American Clean Energy and Security Act (aka "ACES" aka the "Waxman-Markey bill") may get a vote on the House floor this week, surprising many of us who thought the road from committees to the floor would be a much longer one.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said the vote will likely happen Friday. Meanwhile, supporters are still working out deals with detractors like Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN), who opposes parts of the bill that he says put a disproportionate burden on farmers.

One of the most significant details so far, reports Climate Progress, is a concession to Rep. Peterson that gives the country's electric co-ops that have under 4 million MW of capacity (so some of the smallest electricity producers) a free 0.5 percent of the cap-and-trade program's valuable emission allowances. Thanks to this, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association said they are "not going to stand in the way of the passage of the bill."

More negotiations are happening throughout the week, including around issues like the definition of "renewable biomass" and the EPA's authority to consider indirect emissions (such as land-use changes) when calculating biofuels' impact.

Pelosi and others seem confident they'll have the votes they need by Friday. Stay tuned...

via Politico and Climate Progress

Duke Energy CEO on Colbert Report

2009-06-17T11:48:00.005-05:00

Duke Energy's CEO, Jim Rogers, was on the Colbert Report yesterday to talk about "clean" coal technologies. He didn't directly answer Colbert's question as to how many clean coal plants Duke Energy currently has (answer: they don't exist yet), but he did explained how carbon sequestration works and why it is an important part of cutting climate change emissions.

As President Obama and Congress get closer to an agreement on regulating carbon, look for more utility CEOs and others from the fossil fuel industry in the media, positioning themselves as part of the solution to the climate problem. Which is fine - we need everyone at the table and coal is certainly going to be a part of the energy mix for years to come - but let's not forget about the proven technologies we already have in front of us: energy efficiency and renewables.

Wind power companies investing heavily in America, like Vestas, and associations like the American Wind Energy Association and the Solar Energy Industries Association had better be positioning their experts and solutions in the media as well: One fight is in Congress to get climate legislation passed, but the other is with the mainstream public to support that change; educating us that renewable energy is not "alternative" or hippie, but is already a viable and reliable industry.

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Jim Rogers

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Stephen Colbert in Iraq

Americans' Six Views on Climate Change

2009-06-15T07:11:00.000-05:00

Yale University and George Mason University recently released a study of 2,129 Americans ("Global Warming's Six Americas 2009") that categorizes the country's view on climate change into six categories:

The Alarmed (about 18% of the population): Fully convinced of the reality and seriousness of climate change and are already taking individual, consumer, and political action to address it.
The Concerned (33% and the largest group): Also convinced that global warming is happening and a serious problem, but have not yet engaged in the issue personally.
The Cautious (19%): Global warming is indeed a problem, but are unsure whether the problem merits immediate attention, or whether it is as widespread as stated. They don't see it as a personal threat at all.
The Disengaged (12%): Do not know too much about the issue and have never taken any kind of interest in it. Relatively oblivious to the debate.
The Doubtful (11%): Not exactly sure that global warming is happening, but if it is, it certainly isn't caused by humans (i.e. it is a natural occurrence).
The Dismissive (7%): Very sure climate change is not happening and are actively involved as opponents of a national effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Interestingly but not surprisingly, these groups tend to behave in similar ways when climate change solutions are presented that also have personal financial benefits. For example, all categories of those surveyed support actions that save them money; the Dismissive group is just as likely to make energy efficiency improvements on their home as the Alarmed group. All six groups also support rebates for the purchase of energy technologies like solar panels and fuel-efficient cars.

These past few years have seen the pragmatic environmental community get more sophisticated in its messaging of climate change solutions, and this study supports those efforts to move away from "sky is falling" rhetoric and more towards commonsense actions and policies that are beneficial to the planet, the economy and people's wallets.

via Softpedia, Yale University and Global Warming's Six Americas 2009

Midwest Monday: Utility Uses Psychology to Save Energy

2009-06-01T07:37:00.000-05:00

Residents of the southern Minnesota city of Owatonna are playing keeping up with the Joneses...on their electric bills.

Owatonna is the fourth city in the United States to send its ratepayers something called a Conserve and Save Home Energy Use report with each gas, water and electric bill. The report not only shows how much energy the residence uses, but includes charts that compare the usage to the previous year and how the residence compares with the energy usage of 100 neighbors with the same sized home.

Sacramento was first city to test these "behavior reports" as a way to encourage energy efficiency. The city deemed the program "very successful" compared to other efforts to encourage efficiency and Owatonna is starting to see residents make changes too: Requests for home energy audits and meters that track appliances' energy use are both up.

via Fresh Energy and Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy. The home energy reports were developed by Positive Energy of Arlington, VA.

Climate Bill Voted Out of Energy Committee

2009-05-22T11:04:00.002-05:00

By a vote of 33 to 25, the House Energy Committee passed a climate bill last night that establishes a cap-and-trade program to cut emissions 17% below 2005 levels by 2020 and 83% by 2050, sets new efficiency standards for buildings, lighting and industrial facilities, and sets a national renewable energy standard.

The bill still has a long road to travel - there a several more House committees that must review and vote on it before it hits the House floor later this year. If passed there, it then moves on to the Senate, where leaders say they lack the votes to pass the bill as it is now written.

More details at the New York Times

Maria Energia Talks Wind Power on Minnesota Public Radio

2009-05-22T08:40:00.004-05:00

Jeff and Sanden, the fab guys over at MPR's In the Loop produce a weekly podcast and invited me over to talk about what I saw and learned at the American Wind Energy Associaton's WINDPOWER conference earlier this month. My segment starts at about 35:30, but listen to the whole thing to hear "Are companies using the economy to take advantage of us?" "Is it time to go back to Sri Lanka?" and "Can old people learn to podcast?" - including some great user-generated content.

I Love EcoGeek's New YouTube Channel

2009-05-21T10:03:00.003-05:00

I've never subscribed to a YouTube channel, but I LOVE EcoGeek's new YouTube channel, staring EcoGeek founder Hank Green. It's pithy, relevant, informative and entertaining. Check out a show below.

WINDPOWER 2009: Recap of Posts

2009-05-21T08:52:00.003-05:00

For your reading ease and enjoyment, here are all the posts from the the American Wind Energy Association's WINDPOWER conference that I attended in Chicago earlier this month.

Heading to AWEA WindPower Conference Next Week

Opening Session

Best Quote from WINDPOWER So Far

Governors' Roundtable Discussion

Industry Discussion

Photos from WINDPOWER 2009

Exhibitors

Conversation with T. Boone Pickens

Small Wind Turbine Designs

What's Needed for Federal Policies

Best Swag for this Blogger

Waxman-Markey Bill Update

2009-05-19T12:58:00.004-05:00

Some environmental groups are coming out against the Waxman-Markey bill (aka American Clean Energy and Security Act), saying it's too weak to really do anything to address global warming and ramp up renewables (others, like Environmental Defense, still support it). President Obama also supports the bill, despite the fact that it doesn't reflect his original, more aggressive emissions and energy targets.

I think there's definitely an element of perfect being the enemy of good in this debate. It's certainly not a perfect climate bill (with the weakened renewable energy standard and giving away CO2 allowances to industries instead of making them pay) but at this point, we need to take action and do something, without further delay. Paul Krugman put it this way:

"The legislation now on the table isn’t the bill we’d ideally want, but it’s the bill we can get — and it’s vastly better than no bill at all...After all the years of denial, after all the years of inaction, we finally have a chance to do something major about climate change. Waxman-Markey is imperfect, it’s disappointing in some respects, but it’s action we can take now."

I'd recommend reading his full column and thoughtful discussion on the bill here.

Terminology Tuesday: "Smart Grid"

2009-05-19T07:04:00.000-05:00

A "smart grid" refers to the transmission grid - the highway that delivers our electricity. Making it "smarter" means a total modernization of the transmission and distribution of our energy, from using cleaner sources like renewables to energy efficiency upgrades like meters that tell homeowners their real-time energy use.

Eventually, the hope is that we energy users will be able to interact with the smart grid like we do with the internet - getting the most up-to-date information to make informed choices about when and how we use electricity.

Some utilities and cities have already begun experimenting with smart grids. For example, Xcel Energy is working with the city of Boulder, Colorado to construct more than 100 miles of fiber optic cables and install 15,000 smart meters. Once the system is in place, 10,000 Boulder residents will be able to track their energy use online. They will even be able to time the use of their electricity for when the power is the least expensive (typically at night).

via Inhabitat

Energy Committee May Vote on Climate LegislationThis Week

2009-05-18T16:55:00.019-05:00

The climate change legislation being debated on Capitol Hill is shifting every day, but here's the latest:

The House Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired by Rep. Henry Waxman (D), is considering a climate change bill called the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which includes a cap-and-trade system to reduce emissions and a renewable energy standard that would require the U.S. to get a certain percentage of its energy from renewable sources.

The 932-page bill has been debated up and down by Democrats and Republicans. Unfortunately, taking action to cut climate change emissions, get us off foreign oil and further spur a renewable energy market has turned into a bitter partisan debate, with Republicans arguing that it will hurt the economy and Democrats arguing that standing still will hurt the economy further. Chairman Waxman - who believes he has enough votes to pass it out of his committee - put it this way:

"Our economy is suffering, we are squandering billions of dollars to feed our addiction on foreign oil and our environment is overheating...I believe we'll have a majority to report the bill out."

The bill has had many makeovers, but today its details include a requirement to cut climate change emissions 17 percent from 2005 level by 2020 by using a cap-and-trade system. It also includes a renewable energy standard that would require large electric utilities to get 15% of their energy from renewables by 2020 and save 5% of their energy via energy efficiency improvements by 2020.

If a state governor determines that the state’s utilities cannot meet the 15% renewable mandate, the governor may decrease it to 12% and increase the energy efficiency improvement mandate to 8%.

This renewable energy standard has been cut way back from the original requirement of 25% renewables by 2025 (which President Obama called for). In fact, wind power interests like GE Energy, Vestas Americas, Gamesa and the American Wind Energy Association sent a letter to the Energy and Commerce Committee that stated:

“We are concerned that the significantly lower renewable targets currently being discussed, as compared to proposals from President Obama, Chairman Bingaman and Chairman Markey, will severely blunt the signal for companies like ours that manufacture turbines and components to invest billions of dollars to expand production and our workforces in the U.S. America is on the verge of losing the wind manufacturing industry to Asia and Europe. There is significant international trade in wind turbines and the competition to host this industry is intense. America trails its competition in passing stable renewable energy policy commitments.”

If the bill is voted out of Waxman's committee this week, it would move on to various other House committees. Democrats want a full House vote on the bill by August, after which the bill would move on to the Senate, where it would face another fight. President Obama wants to see progress on climate legislation by December, when he will meet with other world leaders in Copenhagen to discuss global agreements on climate change.

via Reuters, Van Ness Feldman Law Firm and the American Wind Energy Association

WINDPOWER 2009: Best Swag for this Blogger

2009-05-12T09:03:00.000-05:00

There was a lot of free stuff at a conference and tradeshow as enormous as WINDPOWER 2009, and a lot of it was the typical pens, paper pads and candy. But the coolest and most useful swag I got is this wood-looking jump drive (well, the neatest swag probably would've been the free booze that appeared at all the booths at 3PM, if I weren't pregnant).

The drive comes courtesy of Green Energy Technologies, an Ohio company that unveiled a new type of urban wind turbine called the WindCube.

The WindCube kind of looks like a giant box fan. Green Energy Technologies says because of their product's shape, it can be set up in more diverse types of urban areas (like large buildings), compared to a traditional small wind turbine.

Source: Port Clinton Town Herald

WINDPOWER 2009: What's Needed for Federal Policies

2009-05-12T07:34:00.001-05:00

AWEA's WINDPOWER conference included a great breakout session on federal wind policy. Kevin Lynch of Iberdrola moderated the panel of Ryan Wiser of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Walter Short of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, William Massey of Covington and Burling LLP (I'm not linking to the site because it's frozen my computer twice) (and former FERC commissioner) and Seth Dunn of GE Energy.

The stimulus package has some great things for wind. But as Dunn of GE put it, think of the remaining policy items needed as a trip around a baseball diamond; wind power’s own “Field of Dreams:”

1st Base: Financing. Restore the flow of project financing. The PTC’s been renewed for several years and that will be good when the capital returns, but we have to get financing right before any other policies can be effective.

2nd Base: A national renewable energy standard (RES): 80% of wind manufacturing facilities that were expanded or announced in 2008 happened in a state with an RES. Now that the PTC is taken care of for a few years, the wind industry’s focus is on getting an RES. Dunn added than an RES shouldn’t weaken or get in the way of existing state regulations and should include bankable renewable energy credits (RECs) to reward companies who are ahead of the game (like GE).

3rd base: Transmission. Infrastructure is needed to support and move the power.

Home plate: Climate policy. A price on carbon will send a signal to the markets that it’s time to invest in renewables.

Dunn saw two possible scenarios with his Field of Dreams:

In 2009, the financing programs are up and running. A national RES, transmission and climate legislation passes.
In 2010, financing programs begin a slow implementation. A national RES, transmission and climate legislation are delayed until 2010.

When the panel was asked whether the wind industry would favor a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade policy, most agreed that the effect on wind would be effectively equivalent. Massey preferred a cap-and-trade policy because it lets the markets decide the price and, he believes, is the best long-term route to take. But the biggest detail is what the price of carbon will be. This distinction will drive the wind market, regardless of the specific policy implemented.

WINDPOWER 2009: Small Wind Turbine Designs

2009-05-11T12:32:00.007-05:00

There wasn't a shortage of unique small wind turbine designs at AWEA's WINDPOWER conference last week in Chicago. Here are a few I came across - some are from what appears to be newer wind companies, while others are more established (to learn about more conventional turbine designs, see Tim Hurst's Top 5 Micro Wind Turbines).

HelixWind's vertical access turbine:

A company called Mecaro created this Spiral Magnus wind turbine:

Chicago's own Aerotecure International created this turbine style, which has been installed on buildings in the Chicago area, as well as in California, New Jersey and New York.

A company called Tangarie designs this patriotic turbine:

WINDPOWER 2009: Conversation with T. Boone Pickens

2009-05-07T06:52:00.002-05:00

T. Boone Pickens was the clear star of yesterday's morning session. The 80-year-old Texas oilman/billionaire-turned-wind power-advocate was funny, sharp, and clearly had the crowd's attention.

Pickens discussed his support of wind power, which is a pillar of his Pickens Plan. The Plan calls on the U.S. to generate at least 20% of its electricity from wind power, build a "21st century backbone electrical grid," provide incentives for homeowners and owners of commercial buildings to implement energy efficiency upgrades and use America's natural gas to replace imported oil as a transportation fuel (this is an apparent expansion of his original Plan launched last year, which only included the wind and natural gas pieces).

The thrust behind Pickens' mission is national security - getting us off foreign oil and onto homegrown energy. He sees wind as critical to that effort and will do whatever it takes to get us there. When his interviewer - famed A&E documentary host and former CBS news anchor Bill Kurtis - asked him about controversial wind projects, like Cape Wind out East, he replied:

"If they don't want it, don't build it. I'm interested in building wind where people want it...millions of jobs will be created with the wind corridor from Texas to Canada...and I’m convinced the Obama Administration wants all of this, and that’s good."

When someone argues against the Pickens Plan, Pickens asks them what their plan is to get off foreign oil. If they don't have one, he explained, "then their plan is foreign oil. If a congressman runs [for office] and doesn’t have an energy plan, he should be labeled 'foreign oil.' I don’t care if they’re a Democrat or a Republican."

Kurtis asked Pickens about some landowners' opposition to transmission lines, which are desperately needed to move the power from the windy plains to the city centers that need the power. As an owner of a huge amount of land himself, would Pickens oppose giant transmission lines crossing it?

"My friend, Ted Turner, and I talked about this recently and I asked Ted that same question. He said, 'If it’s good for the country, then it’s good for Ted Turner.' I have the same answer. I have a feeling that we’re going to have a lot of landowners in the U.S. who say that too. This is for the security of the country."

Press Conference
Later that morning, Pickens held a press conference on his Plan and the promise of wind power. One reporter asked Pickens what he thought about the oil companies' slow action on renewables. For example, BP and Shell have cut or are pulling out of wind power research. What can we do about that? Pickens response:

"We don’t need oil companies. Why do we need Shell and BP? I’m serious. This can all be done without them. Shell and BP are international oil companies and I don’t know what their agenda is, but I know my agenda and what the American people want and we’re in sync...This administration is clear they want an RES. Just give it a little bit of time...I’m very optimistic. We’ve cleared every other hurdle as we’ve gone down the track and this is all going to look very different six months from now."

On the likelihood of Congress and the President taking action on renewables this year, he was also optimistic:

"The challenges wind companies talk about now are going to get cleared up this year. You’re going to know by the end of this year what you’ve got. By the end of the year, legislation will be passed that’s beyond any sort of energy legislation you’ve seen to get us off foreign oil. People want this energy issue fixed and I believe this Congress is going to make that happen."

Photo credit: Joshua Lott

WINDPOWER 2009: Exhibitors

2009-05-06T20:14:00.002-05:00

Before my feet gave out from walking around the huge convention center, I took an initial jaunt through the tradeshow floor to learn about some of the companies exhibiting. I didn't notice as many flashy booths and set-ups as last year (like Acciona's full-sized nacelle you could tour in '08), but there was lots of good information and friendly people were ready to talk about what's next in the wind business.

Mariah Power designs and constructs residential wind turbines, but they're hardly conventional looking. Below is their WindSpire model. It's about 30 feet high and two feet in radius, and the company says it can produce up to 2,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of power per year. The average home uses uses 800-1000 kwH per month, so it's not going to eliminate your electric bill, but it may help reduce it a bit (as always, you should make sure your home is as energy efficient as possible before investing in a wind turbine or a solar panel).

In this pod, Vestas showed us a short, futuristic-style film of how its newest wind turbines was made (completely fictional, but it was supposed to give you a sense of the technological advantages of the new V112 3-MW turbine (click on the link to get a flavor of the type of video we saw).

I'd heard that one wind company had a 3-D movie going, and I found it at the Gamesa booth. I put on some big glasses and watched a 3-D movie that took us through the anatomy of a wind turbine. Very interesting, even if felt like you were on a rollercoaster at points.

There are a lot of companies here from my home state of Minnesota. I visited with one today, called Midwest Wind Finance (MWF). The Minneapolis company finances community wind projects all around the country, ranging from $5 million - $10 million in size. Judging by the number of project developers looking for financing at this convention, it was no wonder that MWF's booth was swamped with people. Their vice president, Jeff Wright, explained to me that MWF helps finance projects during the siting and permitting stages of a wind farm - a time at which many projects have a hard time finding financing (compared with when they're ready to put up the turbines, for example). So while it's easy to get excited about the newest turbine design, only sufficient and stable financing will make those blades turn.

Photos from WINDPOWER 2009

2009-05-06T19:08:00.002-05:00

View of the 1,200 exhibitors from above.

Entrance to the main ballroom, where the morning panel discussions are held.

WINDPOWER 2009: Industry Discussion

2009-05-06T18:04:00.001-05:00

This morning was a panel discussion on the industry outlook for wind power, with input from the top wind power companies and minds in the world:

Vic Abate, VP of renewables for General Electric
General Wesley Clark of Emergya Wind Technologies and Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
Ditlev Engel, President and CEO of Vestas
Jim Walker of enXco and outgoing AWEA president
Michael Polsky – President and CEO of Invenergy
Declan Flanagan, CEO of E.On Climate and Renewables, the largest investor-owned utility in Europe.

For almost all of the questions, the panelists reiterated the importance of passing a federal renewable energy standard (RES) (reminding me of Governor Chet Culver's call yesterday for the wind industry to be on message).

Last year at WINDPOWER 2008, the industry discussion was very PTC-centered. But now, as Vic Abate of GE said:

"The PTC worked for its time, but the next phase of this industry needs to be built around a renewable energy standard...the market needs that signal. The US is the only major country without a long-term energy strategy."

General Clark pleaded with the audience to contact their members of Congress and tell them how important it is to create a long-term, federal policy. The PTC has caused a "Stop. Go." problem in the wind industry, meaning that projects are built quickly when the PTC is in place, die down when the PTC expires or gets close to expiring, then ramps back up again after it's renewed. That's not good financial planning.

To those who argue that the government should stay out of energy policy and that the "free market" should be allowed to determine the best energies, Michael Polsky of Invenergy replied:

“We need policies because the free market isn’t going to solve this. The free market can execute, but it doesn’t work on long-term strategy. That’s where policy comes in.”

Despite the roadblocks and challenges of unstable policies and an economic recession, all of the companies represented were very confident that the U.S. wind market would continue expanding and that goals like 25 percent wind by 2025 can be reached. As Abate of GE put it, "[with the right policies] there's not a technical challenge we can't solve."

Conversation continued
Later this morning, the panelists, along with AWEA President Don Furman (also of Iberdrola Renewables), held a press conference. Many of the same messages were repeated, but a few questions from the audience provided additional insight into the U.S. wind markets.

Answering the question of whether the wind industry can be competitive without government assistance, Abate of GE explained that his company and others are constantly researching how to make the manufacturing and operating processes more efficient. But as Engel of Vestas pointed out, it's hard to compare the government R&D money spent on wind with the other forms of energy that have received much larger amounts of money:

"...we're doing a lot with the little that's been given to us. We’re at the end of the beginning [of the wind industry]. The question is – how much further can we bring the cost per kilowatt hour down? CO2 also needs to be factored into the cost of energy and the cost of water associated with the generation [of other types of energy]. Wind is the only energy that doesn’t consume any water to make electricity."

When asked to respond to opponents who don't think a push for renewables is the right path to a better energy system, Polsky of Invenergy summed it up nicely:

"...with renewables, what you build produces energy forever. The fuel never runs out. When you have something [like renewable energy] that’s so good, plus so good for economic development, you have to do it."

WINDPOWER 2009: Governors' Roundtable Discussion

2009-05-05T15:41:00.000-05:00

Governors from around the Midwest participated in an energy roundtable this morning at AWEA's WINDPOWER conference.

From left to right: Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio, Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, Governor Jim Doyle of Wisconsin, Governor Chet Culver of Iowa and AWEA's CEO, Denise Bode.

These governors and 22 others form the Governors' Wind Energy Coalition, which Governor Culver chairs. They're focused on creating green jobs and pushing Congress and the administration to move proactively on renewable energy policies, like a renewable energy standard (RES).

The governors discussed the great work their states are doing with renewables, from tax incentives to a technically trained workforce to outreach internationally. The biggest marketer by far was Governor Granholm of Michigan:

"We're playing offense in Michigan!"

"We have to go from a Rust Belt to a Green Belt!"

"I'm meeting with Obama administration officials this week and I'm going to talk to them about a Michigan company putting a wind turbine on the White House!"

"Go to MichiganAdvantage.org to learn how great it is to do business in Michigan - we are willing, ready and able to do business with you!"

I was about ready to do business there after this session.

The Governors agreed that good renewable energy policy is where the changes have to start, but transmission is universally critical. Culver has worked with the Upper Midwest Transmission Development Initiative (which includes the governors of MN, WI, SD and ND) to begin regional transmission planning.

There's also a need to move faster: there are 300,000 MW of wind projects waiting in queue to get permits. That amount alone could get the U.S. to 25% of its energy from wind. The red tape has to be trimmed.

The issue of siting is a big issue for transmission as well. As Governor Doyle pointed out, "This is a very difficult issue when you get to the ground and have to decide where the lines go." Regional and federal planning is needed, but it can't be a case where the federal government comes in and says, "These lines are going through your backyard." That will only harm the reputation of the wind industry. The balance, as Granholm added, is the need for community buy-in while also giving some certainty to the wind industry that projects will move forward.

The Governors also discussed the cost of renewables. Governor Culver believed the more renewables produced, the better deal it is for taxpayers, noting that Iowa is one of the top wind producers in the nation and its largest utility hasn't had to raise rates since 1995.

Governor Doyle: "If you compare wind to the cost of a old coal plant, the old plant does better. If you compare wind to a new coal plant it’s about a wash. And when you factor in the cost of carbon – we which we all know is going to come eventually – then there’s no contest and wind wins."

Strickland pointed out that we need to factor in externalities as well, like the cost of maintaining an oil pipeline or the cost of posting our armed forces overseas to protect our energy interests. "Those who are concerned about the cost of renewables should take the larger view of what it’s really costing us now to live as we’re living and to rely on our current energy sources."

Concluding the session, Governor Culver encouraged state and regional policymakers to be coordinated when communicating to the federal government: "...that's probably the most important thing for renewables, to have a coordinated ask and message. To make progress, we must be asking for the same thing from government agencies, the Congress, and the President."

Best Quote from WINDPOWER So Far

2009-05-05T12:51:00.002-05:00

Governor Doyle of Wisconsin, referring to wind power: "Wisconsin doesn't have oil, coal or natural gas. So we don't care when people say 'Drill, baby, drill.' But if it's 'Turn, baby, turn,' we're interested!"

Live Blogging from AWEA WINDPOWER: Opening session

2009-05-05T11:26:00.009-05:00

I was invited back to blog at the American Wind Energy Association’s WINDPOWER conference this year, this time in the Windy City itself, Chicago. The conference is almost twice as big it was in 2008, with 17,000 attendees and 1,200 exhibitors from 48 states and 46 countries. It looks to be a higher percentage of men this year, too (that’s my own unofficial stat).

Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), welcomed the thousands of us this morning at the McCormick Center. She's a huge force of energy and enthusiasm - even if most of the crowd this morning this wasn't quite ready to stomp and shout "YES RES!" like she asked (referring to a national renewable energy standard).

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley boasted about the great strides their state and city have made in renewables and pitched all the companies in the crowd to do business in their state.

The crowd seemed to get a bit more animated for the U.S. Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar, who declared "For the first time, you have a friend in the Interior with respect to renewable energy." He assured us that it will not be business as usual in Washington; the backlog of getting projects permitted was "not acceptable" and President Obama's 2010 budget creates four renewable energy offices across the West specifically to get these projects moving and built.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chair, Jon Wellinghoff, offered a frank and realistic assessment of balancing the nation's energy portfolio with more renewables:

"It takes time...I know we can pass a renewable energy standard in this country. But what happens once we get one? We can’t stop there; there’s more we have to consider.”

He then outlined the next steps the country needs to take:

Transmission: A renewable energy standard - which requires the nation to get a certain amount of its energy from renewables by a certain date - will not get us the transmission that is critical to making this happen. The highest-stressed areas of the grid are in the West and East, and we cannot continue to incrementally add renewables to that infrastructure. (for some great maps of the U.S. electrical grid and its power sources, check out National Public Radio)
Understand the use and integration of the demand side: We waste a tremendous amount of energy in this country. We need demand response, distributed generation and storage.
Smart grid: We have to enable consumers - and their plug-in electric vehicles and refrigerators - to communicate with the grid. This will make the grid more robust, efficient and allow more wind on the grid.

Thanks to AWEA and the friendly McCormick Center folks for a great start to the conference.

Heading to AWEA WindPower Conference Next Week

2009-05-01T13:20:00.003-05:00

I've been invited back to blog at the American Wind Energy Association's annual conference. This year it's in Chicago and they're expecting 15,000 attendees and 1,200 exhibitors, so it'll be massive.

If you're going to be there too, leave a comment and let me know your booth number and/or Twitter handle! I'll be live blogging and Tweeting May 5-7 (Twitter: @mariaenergia).

UK Says No New Coal Without Carbon Sequestration

2009-05-01T09:08:00.003-05:00

The UK has unveiled new regulations - in effect immediately - that ban any new coal-fired power plants from being built unless they have carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) capabilities.

To start, any CCS plant must capture at least 400 megawatts of its carbon dioxide (CO2) output. In 2025, the requirement incfreases to capturing 100% of CO2 (provided the technology to accomplish this exists by then).

Ed Miliband, Climate Change Secretary, said in a statement:

"In the UK, a third of our existing coal-fired power stations are due to close in the coming decade...In order to ensure that we maintain a diverse energy mix, including maximising our domestic fuel supply, we need new coal-fired power stations but only if they can be part of a low carbon future."

The government will encourage CCS projects to be developed in clusters, in order to share infrastructure. The North Sea is expected to be the storage unit of much of the captured CO2.

via Cleantech Group

A Seventh Sin of Greenwashing is Added

2009-04-28T15:45:00.006-05:00

If you follow anything related to energy or the environment, you're probably familiar with the term "greenwashing." Greenwashing is an allegation that someone or something (like a company) is making exaggerated or misleading claims about its environmental initiatives, the greenness of its products, energy use, services, or technology. Basically, the company is trying to appear more environmentally friendly than it truly is.

A few years ago, TerraChoice Environmental Marketing created a list that we green communicators and marketers should have taped next to our computers: the Six Sins of Greenwashing:

Hidden Trade-Off: “Efficient electronics” made of toxic materials.
No Proof: “Certified organic” shampoos, but with no verifiable certification.
Vagueness: Claiming “100% natural” when many natural substances are hazardous, like arsenic.
Irrelevance: Claiming to be CFC-free, even though CFCs were banned 20 years ago.
Fibbing: Falsely claiming to be certified by an environmental standard, like Energy Star.
Lesser of Two Evils: Organic cigarettes (still not healthy!)

Now, TerraChoice has added a new, seventh sin of greenwashing to the list: The Sin of Worshiping False Labels.

This happens when a company mimics a third-party certification label to try to get consumers to buy their product. TerraChoice gives an example of an aluminum foil with "certification-like images" with the name of the company’s own in-house environmental program - but with no further explanation.

So with many consumers turning to third-party endorsements to help them determine the best green products, now we have to be even more vigilant as to which certification labels are on the products. Some tried-and-true third party labels include the Forest Stewardship Council, Energy Star, and USDA Certified Organic. If in doubt, I found a handy website called EcoLabeling.org, which aims to list and describe all the green certifications, accreditations and seals in one place. You can search by country and type of product you're researching. It's handy, but consumers will no doubt have to be even more discerning when a green seal is spotted.

Via GreenBiz.com and TerraChoice

Piceance Basin: Distributing and Recycling at the Gas Plant

2009-04-27T08:19:00.000-05:00

Our final stop on the Piceance Basin tour (sponsored by the American Petroleum Institute) was a trip to a gas plant, where the gas is cleaned and piped out to places all over the country (87% of Williams’ gas is sold outside the Rockies).

The amount of technical work involved in not only the “cleaning” and prepping of the gas, but the coordination of how much gas needs to go where along the pipeline system is truly astounding: Williams must coordinate with other natural gas makers in the area to determine how much of their gas is needed, when it is needed and on which lines.

The company has some control over the quantity of their gas supply by using pumps to “push” the gas back up their pipelines and compress it further, but by and large the coordination of distributing the gas requires careful planning and timing with the drilling of the energy and the demand around the country for it.

Recycling at the Gas Plant
Carbon dioxide (CO2) occurs in natural gas but must be pulled out before the gas is sent through the pipelines and to people’s homes. At the plant station we visited, about half of the CO2 pulled out of the gas is purchased by a company called Solvay, which adds the CO2 to its sodash to make food-quality baking soda.

I asked whether any of the waste heat from the gas plant is reused. The plant manager said that some of the heat is captured and added to their heating oil, which helps augment their heating requirements, but most of the heat is not captured (I was told that little heat is actually wasted, as there aren’t any generators on site). A new plant coming online soon, called Willow Creek, will have large turbines and more waste heat, and there are plans to recycle that heat by using it to power other parts of the plant.

Earth Day Open Thread

2009-04-22T13:17:00.003-05:00

I have no mind-blowing Earth Day post, but a simple request for reader insight. I'm going to be a new mom in October (!) and have started the cloth vs. disposable diaper debate in my head. Frankly, I feel kinda guilty considering disposables, but then cloth diapers take lots of water to clean, right?

So, if this conundrum has ever applied to you, let me know why you chose one type of diaper over the other and how that worked out for you. Thanks!

Jim Carrey Video: How Not to Act if You're an Environmentalist

2009-04-20T15:42:00.003-05:00

It's a gray, rainy afternoon here in Minneapolis. This clip from Jim Carrey on In Living Color brightened it up (hat tip to Ecorazzi).

Midwest Monday: Minneapolis Could Get Region's Largest Urban Solar Project

2009-04-20T13:12:00.007-05:00

Minneapolis' convention center is in need of a new roof, but the City Council hopefully won't settle for just any roof: The new one may include a four-acre, 600-kilowatt solar array to help offset the building's energy costs.

If the project is approved by the Minneapolis City Council in May, it would be the largest urban solar array in the Upper Midwest and provide more than 50 times the total kilowatt generation capacity of Minneapolis' existing three solar projects. Any extra power generated could be sold back to Xcel Energy for other needs in the city.

Helping the project along are the solar incentives included in the bailout bill earlier this year, including a 30 percent tax credit on the purchase of solar energy equipment. Xcel is also providing a $2 million energy grant.

via Finance and Commerce

Piceance Basin: After the Drill

2009-04-20T07:18:00.000-05:00

The wells we saw being drilled by rig 278 are expected to produce for 30-40 years.

Used drilling pipes:

Once the wells are drilled and operational, the rig and other equipment will be moved off site. What typically remains are the well heads, monitoring equipment, and tanks to capture the water and other particles that come to the surface with the gas, but can’t be used for energy.

Passing a current wellhead - solar panels are used to help power monitoring equipment.

When a well runs dry, it is plugged with cement and some equipment (hand rails around the site, for example) remain to identify the space as a former well. The rest is removed and the land can be reclaimed for uses like ranching, farming, etc.

The folks at Williams told us that natural gas production is down in the U.S. this year, thanks to the recession and falling demand. But the past several years have seen a boon for the industry; about half of the gas used in the U.S. today comes from wells drilled less than four years ago.

Despite the downturn, Williams and other companies haven't stopped exploring for more gas. The Rocky Mountains are considered an "immature" source for gas - in other words, there is much more to be found and drilled.

Piceance Basin: Learning How to Drill for Natural Gas

2009-04-17T12:31:00.002-05:00

The tour of natural gas operations in the Piceance Basin, Colorado was a whirlwind one. It was organized and paid for by the American Petroleum Institute and there were about 11 of us bloggers and traditional media in attendance: Brad Jones (Face the State), Bob McCarty (Bob McCarty Writes), Andy Kear (The Oil Drum), Tim Hurst (Red, Green and Blue), Judith Kohler and David Zalubowski (Associated Press, Denver bureau), Dennis Webb (Grand Junction Daily Sentinel), Josh Nichols (Grand Junction Free Press), Guntis Moritis (Oil and Gas Journal), Susan Klann (Oil and Gas Investor).

Not knowing much at all about natural gas, this was quite an education for me. And I’ll admit, some of the technical drilling and geological information was Greek to me but everyone was patient enough to put the processes into layfolk terms for those of us not schooled in natural gas technicalities.

The tour was hosted by Williams Companies, the largest natural gas producer in Colorado, with other operations around the country. The Piceance Basin (pronounced “Pea-aunce”), where I was, has one of the biggest accumulations of natural gas on the entire continent. Williams is also one of the most technologically advanced producers. They were the first to apply offshore drilling technology to land for some of their operations – specifically, “S” shaped drilling that allows for up to 16 natural gas wells to be drilled from one rig, compared to the traditional four wells. It also means a smaller footprint, using 75% less surface than traditional methods of drilling.

How natural gas is drilled
A rig is used to drill natural gas wells - the one we saw uses a 6½ inch pipe to hit a natural gas well 7,000 - 8,000 feet underground and fifty feet in diameter . The rig we toured is also able to “skid” – move forwards and backwards, side to side – on tracks. This allows the rig to drill many wells and in an “S” shape. That is, the rig doesn’t drill straight down, but drills at an angle for about 1,000 feet or so and then down another approximate 7,000 feet to the natural gas reserve.

It takes about two weeks to drill a 7,000 foot well, and then another few weeks to get all the equipment for extracting and cleaning the natural gas up and running.

Controlling the rig:

A worker ads another length of pipe to complete the last few hundred feet of an 8,000-foot well:

Next, Williams pumps cement down the well, which fills up and around the outside of the pipe casing. Then what takes place is a process called “fracing” (no, it’s not what you Battlestar Gallactica nerds think it is…).

Fracing is what a company does to create fractures in the natural gas well. A line with an explosive is dropped down the well and the charge is set off, perforating the well and the cement casing, fracturing the surrounding “zone.” Gas is then freed up to enter the pipeline from many paths in the zone and carried to the surface.

Fracing has been a controversial process, as there are chemicals and large amounts of water involved that are pumped into the well after the explosives are set off. Williams told us that there is a very small amount of chemicals used compared with the amount of water pumped down the well. One chemical is like a soap, the other is a lubricant, another is a bug killer (likened to what you would use in a pool to keep algae away), and other is a cleaner (likened to what is used in a wastewater treatment facility). Also pushed down the well are sand particles ("proppant") that will hold open the cracks in the sandstone caused by the explosives.

The water used to pump these materials down comes back up the pipe under its own pressure. That water is then dumped into a holding pond like the one below and reused on other wells:

In other areas of the country like Wyoming, companies use diesel in the fracing process and there have been concerns about ground water contamination. Williams explained that in Colorado, diesel is not used in fracing. Furthermore, the potable water in the area only goes down about 400 feet and fracing begins around 5,000 feet.

The well site we toured is expected to produce for 30-40 years.

It should be noted, too, that Williams made it very clear that the rig we toured was a state-of-the-art, super-efficient machine. Not every natural gas operation is like this. Every well is different, every company is different, and while the general processes may be similar, the technology and use of materials will vary.

Stay tuned for next posts: What happens after a well runs dry and the recycling of waste heat/CO2 at the gas plant.

Piceance Basin: Photos

2009-04-16T18:42:00.000-05:00

I'm still sorting through the massive amount of information from my tour of Williams' natural gas operations. In the meantime, here are some photos from the trip.

Rig 278: A hybrid rig that uses offshore drilling technology for land use. Williams was the first company to use this type of technology, which allows the rig to move on a track and drill diagonally, drilling up to 16 wells in one spot rather than the traditional four.

Hard hats, safety goggles and steel-toed boots were required around the drilling equipment. I didn't have steel-toed boots, so they gave me these gadgets to strap onto my boots.

A foreman at the rig shows us two types of drill bits. The brown drill on the left is used to start the natural gas well and cut through the boulders that typically lie near the surface in this area. The yellow bit on the right has diamonds in it (the black spots, caused by a chemical reaction) and retail for about $45,000 (Williams leases them). One bit doesn't equal one natural gas well: For a typical 7,000 foot well, 2-3 yellow bits are needed.

Live Blogging from Piceance Basin

2009-04-14T17:52:00.003-05:00

Arrived this afternoon in lovely Grand Junction, Colorado (early morning bonus: went through airport security at MSP with Senator Al Franken). Met Brad Jones from Face the State and Tim Hurst from EcoPolitology is out here somewhere too. Looking forward to meeting the other bloggers and getting a history/overview of the basin from Williams Energy tonight.

Live Blogging/Tweeting on Natural Gas This Week

2009-04-13T11:00:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow and Wednesday, I'll be live blogging and Tweeting from the Piceance Basin near Grand Junction, Colorado. The American Petroleum Institute has invited me out to tour natural gas operations there (and is sponsoring the trip) - apparently the area also has one of the richest deposits of oil shale in the world, so I hope they discuss this too.

Specifically, I'll be touring the Roan Plateau operations with a company called Williams. Other local and national bloggers will be in attendance, but I'm not sure who yet.

Check back soon for updates and follow me on Twitter.

Maria Energia Talks Cap-and-Trade with the Uptake

2009-04-09T11:56:00.003-05:00

The fine folks at The Uptake (a citizen-driven, online video news site in Minneapolis/St. Paul) invited me over to talk climate change policy, specifically cap-and-trade. Here's the clip:

AWEA Launches Wind Blog

2009-04-03T11:25:00.001-05:00

The fine folks over at the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) have launched a new blog called "Into the Wind." Check it out for wind power news and policy updates.

Midwest Renewable Energy News

2009-03-24T08:21:00.001-05:00

Americans Support Action on Climate Change - Question is, How?

2009-03-23T07:07:00.002-05:00

Yale and George Mason Universities released survey results last week that showed more than 90 percent of Americans believe "the United States should act to reduce global warming."

But although most Americans want action on climate change, their opinions on how to best achieve that end remain mixed. Among the findings:

92% support funding for renewable energy
85% support tax breaks for people who buy fuel-efficient cars or solar panels
80% support regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant
67% support unilateral action to reduce emissions
53% support a national cap-and-trade system
34% believe a "large scale effort" is needed regardless of economic costs

The survey of 2,164 Americans was conducted last fall, at the start of the economic downturn - and some of this support has likely eroded with the worsening crisis. But it should be noted that respondents believed national action was needed, in part, to free the U.S. from its dependence on foreign oil. This message of national security and other messages of economic stability and job creation - as well as straightforward talk of costs - will be critical to moving climate change solutions forward.

via ScienceDaily and mongabay.com

Maldives Wants to be First Carbon Neutral Nation

2009-03-22T19:53:00.003-05:00

The Maldives is a low-lying archipelago of less than 400,000 people in the Indian Ocean - a prime target for rising sea waters that could come with climate change. Recently, it vowed to get all of its energy from renewables in the next 10 years and to become the first carbon neutral nation.

President Mohamed Nasheed said in a statement:

"Climate change threatens us all. Countries need to pull together to de-carbonise the world economy. We know cutting greenhouse gas emissions is possible and the Maldives is willing to play its part."

Specifically, the Maldives will rely on solar and wind power - 155 wind turbines and a half square kilometer of solar panels. Battery backups will be installed if renewables are inadequate.

The Maldives will also buy and destroy carbon credits from the European Union. The carbon credits will be purchased to offset emissions from tourists flying to the nation, and destroying the credits will ensure the amount of pollution they represent is permanently removed from trading.

Policymakers who developed the $1.1 billion plan say it could pay for itself in 10 years, thanks to savings on oil imports.

via Reuters

EPA May Require Emissions Reporting

2009-03-20T07:04:00.000-05:00

This week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a plan for a national greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting framework beginning in 2011.

Specifically, suppliers of fossil fuels, industrial greenhouse gases, manufacturers of vehicles and engines, and facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons or more per year of GHG emissions would have to submit annual reports to the EPA. This would impact roughly 13,000 facilities, like car manufacturers, power generators, chemical suppliers, cement producers, and others that emit up to 90 percent of the U.S.'s climate change pollution.

The gases covered by the EPA's proposal are carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC), sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆), and other fluorinated gases including nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃) and hydrofluorinated ethers (HFE).

Only the largest emitters from the agriculture sector would need to report - those emitting more than 25,000 metric tons of CO2. The EPA estimates fewer than 50 of these large livestock operations exist.

Why the requirement? Measurement: The U.S. needs comprehensive data on climate change emissions in order to measure the progress towards the policies and cuts likely to be implemented by Congress soon.

via ClimateBiz and the US EPA

Spain Sets Wind Power Record

2009-03-19T14:56:00.003-05:00

Last week Spain set a world record by getting 40 percent of its energy from wind power (11,180 megawatts, thanks to strong and sustained winds).

The U.S. leads in the world in the amount of megawatts of wind power produced, yet we only get a measly 1 percent of our energy from it. Germany takes second place, with Spain in third.

via EcoGeek

Midwest Monday: Leasing Solar Panels

2009-03-09T08:44:00.000-05:00

freEner-g is a new Minnesota company that helps homeowners lease solar panels, reducing the upfront investment needed and hopefully getting more panels on homes - and more clean, renewable energy generated - in the process.

Midwest Renewable Energy News

2009-03-03T15:56:00.000-06:00

Clean Energy Quick Clicks

2009-03-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

In addition to the money in the stimulus package for clean and efficient energy projects in the U.S., there's been lots more going with energy both here and abroad. Here are a few stories I've come across.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering regulating carbon dioxide (CO2, a major climate change pollutant) as a pollutant. That means polluting facilities applying for permits (like a coal plant), would face scrutiny and possible limits to their climate change emissions. The utility industry opposes the EPA regulating CO2, saying that decision should come from Congress. The EPA's decision is expect by early April. via Reuters

The premier of Ontario is proposing a Green Energy and Green Economy Act that would invest in smart grid technology, assist developers with connecting clean, community energy projects to the grid and eliminate energy from coal - which now makes up 23 percent of the Canadian province's electricity. via the Matter Network

A scholar from the Saudi Islamic Jurisprudence Academy called on religious groups to study whether biofuels violate the ban on alcohol in Islam. Sheik Mohamed al-Najimi told a Saudi newspaper that the prophet Mohammed prohibited all dealings with alcohol—which would include buying, selling, transporting, drinking, serving and manufacturing. via cleantech.com

U.S. Director of Intelligence Says Climate Change a Top Threat

2009-02-28T10:27:00.001-06:00

President Obama's new Director of National Intelligence, Dennis Blair, says climate change is one of the top threats to U.S. national security interests.

Melting sea ice and increased risks of extreme weather patters could affect some of the most unstable parts of the world. For example, several studies at Columbia University found that the largest number of people exposed to rising sea levels live in China, the Philippines, Egypt and Indonesia.

Ken Butts of the U.S. Army War College told UPI that the potential problems from climate change include mass migrations, civil war, decreased agricultural productivity and the spread of terrorist groups. From UPI:

"These resulting disasters would follow a long chain of events, Butts explained. First, climate-induced disasters, like droughts, could create resource shortages or force people from their homes. Lack of food, water and/or shelter would likely create social unrest, leading to potential political upheaval, making room for extremist movements to take over the government...This can happen anytime a government can't satisfy the basic needs of its citizens..."

Climate change can add fuel to the fire of terrorist groups, Butts went on to say, because it allows them to preach that climate change is caused by the greedy consumption of energy by the West.

Last year, Congress passed legislation requiring the next National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy to consider risks posed by climate change to Department of Defense facilities, capabilities and missions.

via UPI

Lookin' Good: Obama Releases Budget, Significant Funds for Energy

2009-02-27T14:01:00.002-06:00

This has been an exciting few weeks for energy: The stimulus bill had a mix of funding for renewables and efficiency, proven technologies and emerging ones. And maybe you got just as excited as I did when Obama said in his pseudo-State of the Union: "...I ask this Congress to send me legislation that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production of more renewable energy in America."

To complete the trifecta, Obama released his proposed $3.55 trillion budget yesterday. It's got significant funding to address the energy problem, both in terms of expanding homegrown, secure energy sources, building up our renewables capacity, and making our existing infrastructure more efficient. Here's the latest:

Includes $15 billion per year for renewable energy programs

Proposes a five-year, $5 billion high-speed rail state grant program

Uses money from a cap-and-trade program to pay for middle-class tax cuts and further investments in renewables

Investments in R&D and demonstration of smart grid technologies (i.e. a more efficient transmission system)

Investments in carbon capture and sequestration projects (sometimes called "advanced coal technologies")

Funds for the development of space-based research sensors for climate monitoring

Creates a new Energy Innovation Fund to support an energy-efficient housing market — including retrofits of older, inefficient homes

Cries of over-spending have already come up from some camps. But spending on energy addresses the vital issues we can all agree on: Cutting our reliance on foreign sources of energy, securing our energy supply, making our energy more efficient and clean, and growing a new sector of our economy.

via the Washington Times, Earth2Tech.com and AFP

Renewable Energy Standard Introduced in US Senate

2009-02-18T14:12:00.006-06:00

Yesterday, Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) introduced a bill for a national renewable energy standard (RES), which would require utilities to get 25 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025. The utilities would have to diversify their portfolios with wind, solar, biomass and other technologies. A bipartisan RES amendment passed the House in 2007, but Rep. Udall knows it will still be a tough battle for the bill to clear both chambers:

Make no mistake, I have no illusions that the road to enacting a proposal like this will be easy, and we have a lot of work ahead...I want to do everything possible to...secure its passage into law.

Under Udall's legislation, utilities are allowed to meet the requirements by buying credits from other entities that have stocked credits by producing renewable energy. Utilities can bank credits for four years and borrow credits for up to three years in the future. The law wouldn't cover municipal and other publicly owned power plants - rural electric co-ops would be also be exempt.

If passed, this law would not preempt any states that have tougher standards. Already, 28 states have renewable energy targets.

via Renewable Energy World

MN Green Jobs Task Force Makes Recommendations

2009-02-17T10:00:00.005-06:00

Minnesota's Green Jobs Task Force released recommendations yesterday for creating more green jobs in the state - specifically in the areas of green products, renewable energy, green services and environmental conservation. The task force is made up of 24 members from government, business and nonprofit organizations who have spent the last year examining strategies to grow green jobs.

Among the task force's recommendations (read the full list here):

Establish a Green Enterprise Authority to coordinate marketing and business
assistance; streamline grants, loans and permitting processes; and coordinate
workforce training opportunities.

Enact policies to incent locally owned distributed renewable energy generation.

Review and strengthen Minnesota’s net metering and interconnection policy.

Require an agency to focus on and report to the legislature on the utilization of the Farm Bill programming dollars for biomass establishment costs.

Expand policies and financing for emerging solar technology.

Modify Minnesota’s building code to include utilization of energy efficiency requirements.

Identify training needs for workforce that would support new models of water conservation and reuse.

Provide State revenue bonding package to renovate the most energy inefficient public buildings.

Develop a green bonds program that allows individuals to purchase and support
green enterprise investments.

via the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the Green Jobs Task Force

What I'm Reading: How to Go Green in Hard Times

2009-02-10T12:44:00.003-06:00

The Wall Street Journal reminds us why it's still smart to go green, even in tough economic times: It saves money.

Read the full article to learn more about what the WSJ chose as its 10 picks for sensible, energy-efficient improvements.

High-tech thermostats
Smarter water heating
Sealing air leaks (I need to do this one)
Low-flow fixtures
Leasing solar panels
Air filters
Compact fluorescent lights
Lighting motion sensors
Window treatments
Attic insulation

Maria Energia in University of MN's Momentum Magazine

2009-02-06T13:03:00.003-06:00

Momentum is the quarterly magazine of the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment. The Institute is the University's research hub tackling all issues environmental, including climate change and renewable energy. They're doing some really fantastic work - go check them out.

Experts from the nonprofit sector, business and the blogosphere were asked to give President Obama advice on energy policy. Read my letter on page five of Momentum.

Study Shows Mixed Results of CO2-Absorbing Plankton, Germany Moves Ahead with Testing

2009-02-04T08:01:00.000-06:00

There's a controversial idea out there to combat climate change by dumping iron into the oceans to grow plankton, which in turn can absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. When plankton die, they sink to the bottom of the ocean, locking away some of the carbon they have absorbed.

A recent study in the journal Nature reports that a big, naturally occurring bloom in the Southern Ocean has helped "lock" away CO2 in sea sediments. However, the CO2 locked away was far, far less than scientists anticipated - 15-50 times short of some expectations.

Nevertheless, some scientists want to take this CO2-absorbing concept one step further and attempt to create a human-made bloom by adding iron to the ocean water to see how much CO2 could be absorbed.

So the question becomes, could we remove significant amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere by "fertilizing" the ocean with iron? And does this hurt the ocean? Scientists still aren't sure exactly how much carbon can be locked away in plankton, and many people are skeptical and opposed to dumping large amounts of iron into the ocean to test what happens.

Germany had suspended an ocean fertilization experiment in the Scotia Sea near Argentina after environmental groups protested that it violated the terms of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and threatened to damage ecosystems. But a few days after the release of the Nature study last week, the Germans reauthorized this experiment and researchers are moving forward with plans to seed about six tons of iron sulfate over 300 square kilometers of the Sea.

Dumping tons of iron into the ocean sounds scary, but I'm also of the mindset that we need to try lots of different things to combat climate change. But I could be swayed. If there's someone out there who knows more about this technology and research, drop a comment.

via BBC News and Science Daily

Maria Energia Recipe: Venison Marinade

2009-02-03T20:40:00.005-06:00

I made a fabulous venison marinade the other night that I have to share with you. I got this recipe from my mom and I'm not sure where she got it, but it's damn tasty:

1 venison steak
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 T. liquid smoke
1 T. vinegar
1 t. celery salt
1 t. ginger
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. dry mustard
1/4 c. brown sugar

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and add the steak (I cut it into smaller pieces before adding). Marinate it overnight and the grill or bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. YUM!

Midwest Monday: Regional Energy News

2009-02-02T20:57:00.000-06:00

Global Warming Concern Drops, but Related Issues are Top Priorities

2009-01-28T09:03:00.003-06:00

There's been a lot of discussion online about a new study from the Pew Research Center that found the public's concern for global warming has declined. Global warming now ranks dead last out of 20 possible priorities people are worried about in 2009.

Some are wringing their hands over how to keep people's attention focused on this big issue. But what's not being mentioned is the fact that the #1 issue of concern among survey respondents is the economy, the #2 issue is jobs, the #3 issue is terrorism and the #6 issue is energy. Solutions to the global warming problem are wrapped up many of the same strategies we must use to alleviate these top concerns.

Investing in a new, clean energy infrastructure can help stimulate the economy, create new jobs, secure our energy supply and end our reliance on oil-producing, unfriendly nations - all while cutting emissions and slowing global warming.

For those of us who communicate about energy and environmental issues, this study and others like it are important to watch. During these times of extreme economic stress, it's not enough to talk about global warming for the planet's sake. Lucky for us, fighting global warming is a bonus result of actions we must take to solve so many other issues that are top-of-mind for the public.

via Pew Research Center

Renewables Largest Increase in Electricity Capacity for First Time

2009-01-27T06:34:00.002-06:00

We've been hearing that renewable energy is a fast-growing sector, and now it's official: The Energy Information Administration's (EIA) latest report found that renewable energy made up the biggest share in the U.S.'s electricity capacity increase in 2007. The huge wind power industry, not surprisingly, accounts for most of this increase. According to the EIA's Electrical Power Annual report:

Total net summer capacity increased 8,673 megawatts (MW) in 2007. Wind capacity accounted for 5,186 MW of this new capacity.

In spite of setting a record level for generation in 2007, coal’s share of total net generation continued its downward trend that year. It accounted for 48.5 percent of total net generation, as compared to 49.0 percent in 2006 and 52.8 percent in 1997. Retirements and downward adjustments to existing capacity resulted in a 217 MW net reduction in coal-fired capacity.

Net generation from conventional hydroelectric plants declined 14.4 percent in 2007. The decline is due to drought conditions, evaporation caused by above normal summer temperatures and below average precipitation in the Southeast and the mountain snowpack in the Rocky Mountain and Western States.

These numbers truly are encouraging, but we've got a ways to go and need to keep forging ahead: The three primary electricity sources in the U.S. are still coal, natural gas and nuclear power. Renewables account for only 2.5 percent of total electrical capacity.

via Treehugger and the Energy Information Administration

Obama Says States Can Regulate CO2 Emissions from Cars

2009-01-26T18:30:00.006-06:00

It's been everywhere today, but incase you haven't heard: President Obama directed the EPA to grant states the right to regulate tailpipe emissions. This reverses a Bush administration decision that denied 14 states the ability to issue clean car standards that were stronger than the federal government's.

Obama promised action on clean energy and global warming in his inaugural address and it didn't take long for the states to take him up on that offer: On January 22, California's Governor Schwarzenegger (R) sent a letter to President Obama asking that California and other states be granted the right to set their own carbon dioxide emission standards for cars. In 2007, the EPA had rejected California's request, claiming that only the federal government could impose those regulations.

Minnesota is one of the states considering regulating tailpipe emissions this year and clean energy supporters are hopeful that the EPA reversal will push the Minnesota legislature (and other states, including Florida and Illinois) to pass a standard. According to an Environment Minnesota analysis, the existing 14 state standards will cut gasoline consumption by more than 50 billion gallons by 2020, saving Americans $93 billion at the pump.

via Minnesota Environmental Partnership and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute

What I'm Reading...

2009-01-21T08:11:00.003-06:00

Maria Energia has been quieter than I'd like it to be this month, thanks to a fun ski vacation bookended by a grandparent and then a grandparent-in-law passing away.

But check out this piece from the Guardian about Abu Dhabi committing to a sustainable energy future at the World Future Energy Summit this week. Led by crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi announced that it would become the first petro-driven economy to make a significant commitment to renewables.

Midwest Renewable Energy News

2009-01-14T11:10:00.001-06:00

CO2-Eating Cement?

2009-01-08T11:32:00.000-06:00

The cement industry is one of the most carbon dioxide-intensive industries out there: it's responsible for about 5% of the world's carbon dioxide emission (CO2) - more than aviation.

But what if cement could be turned into something that helped remove CO2? A British company is trying to do exactly that.

Typical cement is made by heating limestone or clay to extreme temperatures. That intense heating is major source of the process's CO2 emissions and more emissions are released when the raw material burns.

A London-based company call Novacem has created a cement (patent pending) that uses magnesium silicates, which emit no CO2 when heated. Its production process also runs at much lower temperatures and the cement absorbs far more CO2 as it hardens - about 1.1 tons. So the overall carbon footprint, according to Novacem, is negative because the cement absorbs more CO2 when it hardens that the amount of CO2 expended when the product is created.

This product is not available on a commercial scale yet but Novacem hopes to have it on the market within five years. Already, it has the industry talking. Major construction companies like Rio Tinto and investors like Carbon Trust are interested and asking the tough questions. According to the UK's Guardian, a spokeswoman for Carbon Trust had this to say about the innovation:

"The real challenge is what is the supply chain, who do you need to partner with to take it to market? The million-dollar question is what are the applications of it? If it ends up as decorative applications such as floor tiles, it's quite interesting but not as much as if you get into load-bearing structural stuff."

The British Cement Association is cautious as well, pointing out that the geological availability of the resources and validating whether the cement can meet the structural standards of traditional cement has yet to be determined.

While this particular Novacem product may not see the commercial light of day, other companies are also looking into ways to cut cement's carbon footprint. This line of thinking and innovation is what we need to slow global warming and make our most carbon-intensive industries as efficient as possible.

via the Guardian and Novacem

New Energy Find: Hydrokinetic Power (and MN Gets the First One)

2009-01-04T07:13:00.000-06:00

I learned of a new type of renewable energy this week, thanks to the town of Hastings, Minnesota. Hastings gets the distinction of having the United States' first commercial hydrokinetic power station.

Hydrokinetic power is made by generating electricity from moving water, without the need for a dam. In this case, a turbine will be suspended from a barge on the Mississippi River. The turbine will hang about three feet below the river's surface and the current will turn the blades, which will power a generator and create about 100-200 kilowatts of electricity.

Because this type of renewable energy uses the river's natural current rather than relying on the construction of a dam (as with hydropower), some are calling hydrokinetic energy "underwater wind power."

The company building the station is Texas-based Hydro Green Energy. A spokesperson for the company said small-scale projects like the Hastings one can work in remote or rural communities where power demand isn't high but where there is a challenge in delivering power. Hydro Green Energy is also studying whether the turbine will harm the Mississippi's fish.

via Minnesota Public Radio and Wired
Photo source: Hydro Green Energy

Ode to My Husband: World of World of Warcraft

2008-12-31T11:39:00.003-06:00

My husband Joram and I have been married for 3 1/2 years and together as a couple for exactly 10 (as of today). As a gamer and a geek, my ROFLing gift to him is this video from the Onion about Blizzard's newest creation: The World of World of Warcraft.

'Warcraft' Sequel Lets Gamers Play A Character Playing 'Warcraft'

Best of Maria Energia 2008

2008-12-29T06:05:00.000-06:00

I wasn't going to create a year-end wrap-up list of my favorite blog posts. I swear. But I couldn't deny that I had a really fun year of blogging: I got to meet lots of amazing people at different energy events, travel a bit and write about some significant advances in the energy world.

So putting together this list was fun for me and I hope it will be interesting for you too. Here are my top 10 favorite Maria Energia memories of 2008, in no particular order:

The election of Barack Obama and his no-nonsense green dream team of advisors hails a new era of clean energy, growing our green economy and fighting global warming.
Covering the American Wind Energy Association WINDPOWER conference in Houston. I got to meet fellow bloggers and interview some great energy thinkers and leaders. Thanks to AWEA for the opportunity.
Although I had to stop writing for Green Options earlier this year in order to balance a challenging day job, Maria Energia and a life, I immensely enjoyed working for Jeff McIntire-Strasburg and the whole GO team. They're some of the smartest and most thoughtful people in the green blogosphere.
Covering the American Petroleum Institute/Newsweek Energy Dialogue. Again, connecting with fellow bloggers and some of the smartest minds in energy was a thrill. Thanks to Jane and API for the experience.
Joining Twitter (follow me !) has allowed me to find some really great bloggers, green folks and social media smarties.
Branded wind farms: The upfront costs of building wind farms is causing some developers to look towards large corporations to brand and support wind farms. I think this will be come a more common occurance.
Watching the unlikeliest alliances come together in support of fighting global warming and promoting clean energy. Whether it's T. Boone Pickens and his PickensPlan or the wecansolveit.org ads featuring Nancy Pelosi and Newt Gingrich, this year we made a significant advancement in moving ourselves beyond partisan bickering when it comes to the energy crisis.
Greenwashing: Consumers are more aware than ever of false or misleading claims by some companies that they are green. Whether it's "clean" coal or "efficient" SUVs that only get 20 mpg, consumers are starting to ask questions and do their homework to ensure their purchases are as green as they are led to believe.
Drill, baby, drill: The off-shore drilling debate became the quick fix to our summer gas prices and energy woes. That chatter has died off significantly, but we still have to remember that investing in efficiency is one of the fastest and easiest ways to cut our energy reliance and that our nation's potential for renewable energy that won't run out has hardly been tapped.
The recession has many of us asking "What now for renewables?" Although there has been some slow down - just like other sectors - there hasn't been an abandonment of clean energy by any means. What's more, President-elect Obama's talk of a green stimulus package has many of us hopeful that we'll see a plan for energizing the economy and developing a new energy system in 2009.

Time Magazine's Top 10 Green Stories - and My Additions

2008-12-23T14:23:00.004-06:00

Check out Time's Top 10 Green Stories of 2008. Go here for more info behind their picks:

Election of Barack Obama
Congress passes renewable energy credits
Offshore drilling debate
Failure of Warner-Lieberman
New rules put a freeze on coal plants
Ethanol bubble bursts
Polar bear listed
Indonesia warms to avoided deforestation
First CO2 auction
Word of the year: "Hypermiling"

I'd add a few others:

T. Boone Pickens and his plan for energy independence. Whether you agree with his whole plan of wind power and natural gas or not, the fact that a billionaire Texas oilman is now pushing an agenda of homegrown energy and investment in transmission infrastructure is big news.
wecansolveit.org's TV ads featuring Newt Gingrich and Nancy Pelosi, Al Sharpton and Pat Robertson agreeing that something needs to be done about climate change. The partisan divide on clean energy has faded. It's about commonsense.
The recession and how it will effect renewable energy. While clean energy stocks have taken a dive like everything else and some projects have slowed, the President-elect and others have vowed to continue onward with a push for green jobs, clean energy and efficiency.

'Tis the Season for Efficiency

2008-12-22T07:27:00.000-06:00

I've been on a mission at the office (Tunheim Partners) to get my coworkers to print double-sided. I used to work in a bubble (a.k.a. energy non-profit), where everyone duplexed. I've found that's not the case in the real world.

So a few instructional emails and personal consultations later, I've converted 5 more people to print double-sided by default (that's about 20% of the office).

The American Petroleum Institute has also come out with some helpful efficiency tips for the holidays (and all year long). Like most energy efficiency ideas, these aren't rocket science. But most of us are not doing them. Here are some of the highlights:

Keep your tires properly inflated. Underinflated tires can decrease fuel economy by up to one mile per gallon.

The faster you drive, the more gasoline your car uses. Driving at 55 miles per hour rather than 65 miles per hour reduces fuel economy by about two miles per gallon.

Pace your driving. Unnecessary speedups, slowdowns and stops can decrease fuel economy by up to two miles per gallon.

Holiday ham and turkey are usually roasted for hours. Since it’s a long, slow cook, there is no need to preheat your oven, even when the recipe suggests it. In fact, unless you’re baking breads or pastries, you may not need to preheat the oven at all.

When using your stove, match the size of the pan to the heating element. More heat will get to the pan and less will be lost to the surrounding air. Believe it or not, a six-inch pan on an eight-inch burner will waste over 40 percent of the energy!

Turn off your holiday lights before you go to bed, or consider installing timers to reduce the amount of time your holiday lights are on. Just 10 strands lit for 13 hours a day can add more than $50 to a monthly energy bill.

Use energy-efficient LED holiday lights, which use 10 percent of the energy of mini lights.

In the average home, 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. This can be avoided by unplugging the appliance or using a power strip and using the switch on the power strip to cut all power to the appliance.

Terminology Tuesday: "Global Warming" or "Climate Change?"

2008-12-16T06:03:00.001-06:00

The terms "global warming" and "climate change" are often used interchangeably. I've pretty much used "global warming" over the years, but now I'm making the switch to "climate change:" It's the term used by the United Nations, academia, and it's more inclusive, since "change" can refer to increased rain, drought, or any type of weather event other than just warming.

So is there really a difference in definitions?

Yes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency:

Climate change refers to any significant change in measures of climate (such as temperature, precipitation, or wind) lasting for an extended period (decades or longer). Climate change may result from:

natural factors, such as changes in the sun's intensity or slow changes in the Earth's orbit around the sun;
natural processes within the climate system (e.g. changes in ocean circulation);
human activities that change the atmosphere's composition (e.g. through burning fossil fuels) and the land surface (e.g. deforestation, reforestation, urbanization, desertification, etc.)

Global warming is an average increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth's surface and in the troposphere, which can contribute to changes in global climate patterns. Global warming can occur from a variety of causes, both natural and human induced. In common usage, "global warming" often refers to the warming that can occur as a result of increased emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities.

The EPA goes on to say that the term "climate change" is growing in preferred use as opposed to "global warming" because "climate change" conveys that there are other changes happening to the planet, in addition to rising temperatures.

Do you use one term over the other? Why?

CA Adopts Sweeping Climate Change Plan

2008-12-15T06:58:00.001-06:00

Last week, California's air quality board unanimously approved the nation's most sweeping plan to slow climate change by cutting emissions. The state already has a mandate to cut emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 (about 15 percent in the next 12 years), but this new plan includes 31 rules that will effect everything from utilities to kitchen appliances.

A large range of industries will soon have emissions targets, local governments will be required to curb urban sprawl and a cap-and-trade program will be implemented that covers 85 percent of emission sources in the state. Vehicles, consumer appliances and new and existing buildings will be held to higher efficiency standards. Utilities will need to get 33 percent of their electricity from renewable sources.

After 18 months of public hearings and 43,000 comments, here are the highlights of the plan from the state with the world's eighth-largest economy:

Put 85 percent of greenhouse gas-emitting industries into a cap-and-trade program.
Require utilities to produce 33 percent of their energy from renewable sources.
Increase efficiency standards for new and existing buildings.
Discourage urban sprawl by building housing near transit hubs.
Lower methane levels in landfills and encourage high levels of recycling and zero trash in landfills.

Supporters of the plan hope this will be a model for President-elect Obama to consider when drafting a national emissions-cutting plan.

Sources: San Francisco Chronicle and LA Times

What I'm Currently Reading...

2008-12-14T18:27:00.002-06:00

(besides the 2nd book of the Twilight series): Grist's take on Obama's apparent green team.

Cleantech Group's Predictions for 2009

2008-12-14T17:40:00.003-06:00

The Cleantech Group is a firm that provides research, strategy and insight to clients helping to grow cleantech markets around the world. They've just listed their cleantech predictions for 2009 - below is a summary of their points, but be sure to read more about the predictions here.

Energy efficiency infrastructure boom initiated
Global climate talks bog down—no serious deal until 2011/12
U.S. passes national RPS, but cap & trade bill only in 2010
Wind stocks come back; thin film PV shakeout
Clean technology VC stabilizes at $7B globally; PE more active
Failure rate of cleantech startups double
IT turns to the energy opportunity
R&D stagnates; corporates acquire green growth assets
Energy-water-food nexus emerges

Taking the Week Off....

2008-12-09T07:32:00.001-06:00

...cause it's my birthday week! (Friday, technically) Here's how I feel about that:

Obama Wants Our Clean Energy Ideas

2008-12-02T05:38:00.000-06:00

President-elect Obama has a whole host of transition teams working on many different policy issues. One of those issues is energy, and Obama wants to hear our thoughts and ideas on it.

Here, you can email the energy transition team your thoughts. In the video below, Heather Zichal with Obama's Energy and Environmental transition team addresses some of the questions Americans have sent in about how the new president will address energy efficiency and encourage renewable energy: