Research group says transportation should be included in EU CO2 Market

EU Urged to Include Transport in CO2 Market, Research Group Says - Bloomberg

The European Union could expand its carbon trading system to include transport and start option contracts between public institutions and private investors to enhance the coverage of the program, Bruegel institute said. The EU emissions trading system, known as the ETS, imposes pollution limits on more than 11,000 manufacturers and power producers in the region, including Germany’s biggest utility EON AG.

Regular Electricity vs. Solar Electricity; What's The True Cost?

Cost: Regular Electricity vs. Solar Electricity

Electricity prices vary by location due to type of power plants, cost of fuels, fuel transportation costs and state pricing regulations. As shown on the chart on the left, 2009 electricity prices were highest in Hawaii, $.242 per kilo-watt hour (kWh), because most of their electricity is generated using fuel oil. The lowest price was in North Dakota, $.076. The average residential household uses about 1,000 kWh yearly and the average monthly electricity bill is about $115 before taxes and fees.

What is the true cost of solar energy?

Understanding the Cost of Solar Energy

In comparison to conventional hydrocarbon fuels such as coal or oil in generating electricity, the cost of solar energy is significantly higher. To compare energy cost, a common equivalent is required. Back in our previous post, Coal: Fueling the American Industrial Revolution to Today’s Electric, we developed a framework to measure energy costs by converting costs to kilowatt-hours (KWH).

Solar energy can lead to energy independence

Solar Energy and Energy Independence

The technology required to harness the power of the sun is available now. Solar power alone could provide all of the energy Americans consume — there is no shortage of solar energy. The following paragraphs will give you the information you need to prove this to yourself and others. You do not need advanced math skills to follow and perform the arithmetic examples shown below. Anyone who can balance a checkbook or calculate the total square feet of floor space in his or her home, and understand why an area measuring 10 yards by 10 yards equals 100 square yards, can perform the following arithmetic examples and prove that American energy independence could be achieved with solar energy alone.

Just when you thought the DeLorean was cool, check out this futuristic AND solar powered car.

London Designer Creates a Super Futuristic Solar-Powered Concept Car

London designer Omer Sagiv created this solar-powered concept car that looks like it’s straight out of the latest sci-fi movie. The concept car is referred to as the SPV (Solar Power Vehicle) and Sagiv states that it’s made of aluminum with flexible thin modules fixed to it and that the shaft in the center of the SPV functions as an in-built cooling system. The aerodynamic shape of the concept allows it to collect energy in any sunny environment. Even better, the concept can also use the extra energy that it collects from its solar panels to power its owner’s house!

Buffett's Billions At Risk?

R. Paul Herman: Warren Buffett's Billions at Risk; Berkshire Hathaway Is Lowest-Rated on Sustainability

Warren Buffett is known as the "Oracle of Omaha," but does his view towards sustainability warrant this title in the 21st century? Not according to the "HIP 100" investment index and portfolio. Berkshire is rated dead last of the 100 largest companies in the U.S. based on low sustainability results and lack of information on its conglomerate's actions and results.

Carbon allowances as a playground commodity

A Carbon Allowance in Every Pot - NYTimes.com

Imagine carbon allowances as a playground commodity, like the marbles and baseball cards of earlier generations. That’s a subset of an idea from Ian Gough, a researcher at the London School of Economics. Citing the failure of international climate change policy to achieve results, he proposed a different approach in a recent article, arguing that the distribution and trade of personal carbon allowances — along with shorter working hours and higher taxes — should be embraced to reduce greenhouse gas emissions quickly and equitably.

Trump vs. Scotland: Who's your money on?

Donald Trump Picks a Mean Fight with Scotland Over Offshore Wind

Donald Trump may be a real estate mogul with an estimated worth of who knows how many billions — we think it might be seven — and a penchant for trying to derail presidential campaigns but that’s not stopping Scottish authorities from standing up for themselves in the face of this combed-over bully. Trump started a nasty feud with the nation when they announced plans to erect a series of windmills in Aberdeen Bay near Trump’s new luxury golf resort in Aberdeenshire. The Don threw a tantrum, wrote a personal letter to Scotland’s first minister, Alex Salmond, shut down construction on the golf course and said he wouldn’t start building again until Scottish authorities promised not to erect those “ugly monstrosities”. Now the Scottish government is fighting back calling his tantrum “embarrassing” and assuring the world they won’t be “bullied by Mr. Trump and his millions.”

Energy efficient windows melt cars. What they forgot to tell you.

Woman Claims Neighbor’s Energy Efficient Windows Are Melting Her Toyota Prius « CBS Los Angeles

STUDIO CITY (CBS) — A SoCal woman says the energy efficient window installed in a neighbor’s condominium is melting the plastic components on cars parked in her carport.

2,805 pieces of scrap and you get one good looking car.

Volkswagen's Think Blue Beetle is Made From 2,805 Pieces of Recycled Trash! | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World

This luminous Volkswagen Beetle is a life-size work of art crafted by sculptor Haribaabu Naatesan from over 2,805 pieces of scrap. The detailed replica of the classic car is made from 800 spark plugs, 200 bottle caps, 60 mother boards, and an incredible array of other commonly discarded items - including audio cassettes, typewriters, pens, and barbeque sticks.

City of sin powered by the sun!

The Las Vegas Strip Could Soon Be Powered By A Solar Tower

It would appear that America’s City of Sin is going solar with news that Las Vegas will soon be powered by a massive 100MW 540 foot solar tower. Atop it will be 100-foot receiver that will received solar energy from the field of 10,000 large mirrors that will populate the area around the tower. Thanks to Nevada’s large amount of sunlight, it is hoped that the solar tower will be able to receive 10 to 15 hours of sunlight a day. The project, known as the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project, is being headed by American company SolarReserve, who is using a molten salt storage facility to deliver power to the grid once the sun has gone down. In a statement, the company said that they hope to complete the solar tower by the spring and aim to start delivering 110 megawatts by the end of 2013. Hopefully, not all of it will be used to power the famous Strip.

Energy efficient windows melt cars. What they forgot to tell you.

Woman Claims Neighbor’s Energy Efficient Windows Are Melting Her Toyota Prius

STUDIO CITY (CBS) — A SoCal woman says the energy efficient window installed in a neighbor’s condominium is melting the plastic components on cars parked in her carport.

$572 Million Solar Project for Chile

AES Gener Plans $572 Million Solar Energy Project in Chile - Businessweek

Feb. 10 (Bloomberg) -- AES Gener SA plans to build a $572 million solar farm in northern Chile as it seeks to boost electricity supply to copper miners in the Atacama Desert. AES, a unit of Arlington, Virginia-based AES Corp., the U.S. power producer with operations in 28 countries, is seeking a permit to build the farm in Chile’s Antofagasta region where BHP Billiton Ltd. and state-owned Codelco operate copper mines, the company said in a Chilean regulatory filing today.

Warning over subsidies for solar installations

Warning over installations after cut to solar panel 'feed-in tariff' confirmed | Mail Online

The Government has confirmed it will halve the 'Feed-in tariff' subsidy paid to households who install solar panels from next month – but some firms are still claiming that customers can get the higher payment if they sign up today. The cut, which dramatically slashes the payment from 43.3p per kilowatt to 21p from March 3, leaves customers with less than a month to install panels as part of the higher tier of the scheme.

Catch the wind, see us spin, sail away, leave today, way up high in the sky.

U.S. offshore wind moves forward

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- The Obama administration is moving forward with the process for wind energy lease sales off the coast of four mid-Atlantic states, the U.S. Department of Interior said. An environmental assessment by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management found "no significant environmental and socioeconomic impacts" would result from issuing wind energy leases in designated Outer Continental Shelf areas, including zones off the coasts of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey, the Interior Department announced.

Cooking oil and algae used to fuel ships!

Navy Orders Cooking Oil, Algae to Power Ships

The U.S. Navy has placed the world’s largest advanced biofuel order of 425,000 gallons with Dynamic Fuels LLC, a joint venture between Tyson Foods Inc. and Syntroleum Corporation; and bioproducts company Solazyme Inc. Dynamic will be supplying fuel derived from used cooking oil, while fuel from Solazyme comes from algae. The biofuel will be delivered to the government by May 1, 2012, and is to be used to power war games next year, Reuters reports.

The wind cries regulations.

Regulations: Inhibiting Progress or Spawning Innovation?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently attempted to promulgate new rules that are designed to protect downwind states from smog and fine particulates emanating from upwind coal burning power plants (it has been temporarily stymied by the U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit). The arguments for and against the new rules focus largely on the cost to implement the regulations on the one hand and the cost of polluting to society on the other. At bottom, the two parties have decidedly different interests and weigh the benefits and costs of their activities differently.

Oil and gas sector digging themselves out of a "black" hole

Forest Footprint Disclosure Project brands oil sector disclosure as ‘shameful’

The oil and gas sector remains a black hole in terms of disclosure around its use of commodities that can lead to deforestation, such as biofuels, according to the latest report from the Forest Footprint Disclosure Project (FFDP).Eighty-seven companies responded to the request from the FFDP, up from 78 last year, including 15 new companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Tesco and Office Depot.

Sustainable seafood is suhweeeeet

Safeway Announces New Sustainable Sourcing Practice for Tuna

PLEASANTON, Calif., Feb. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Safeway Inc. SWY -1.00% , a recognized leader in embracing sustainable seafood practices, builds on its leadership today by announcing that its Safeway brand skipjack (chunk-light) canned tuna will be responsibly caught using free-school purse-seine methods. The company will transition to the purse-seine method by the end of the year. Free-school tuna is caught by purse-seiners using traditional methods of spotting schools of fish using radar and sonar, while captains employ powerful binoculars to spot birds attracted by schools of tuna.

Going green; everybody's doing it.

South Korea moves closer to carbon trading scheme

South Korea has taken a major step forward after approving legislation to introduce a national emissions trading scheme from 2015, laying groundwork for the third emissions trading programme in the Asia-Pacific region.

Tesla Model X: Coool enough to compete with new Rav4 EV?

Tesla Model X revealed, but it is cool enough to fend off the new Rav4 EV?

Tesla has taken the wrappings off its Model X electric SUV crossover vehicle. Built on the same platform as the Model S sedan, it's scheduled to go into production in 2013. Tesla teased us with a mysterious shot of its Model X crossover at the beginning of the month, and now a prototype of the vehicle has been unveiled at its design studio in California. Hot on the heels of the Model S, the Model X is based on the same, but slightly lengthened, platform as the sedan. Externally, the Model X has more than a whiff of the bulbous BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo about it, particularly at the rear, while the front end recalls the Model S. Inside the space has been put to good use, with seating for seven in total. Despite this, there’s still plenty of luggage space, as the engine compartment can also be utilized for storage along with the trunk.

Bypass the banks and fund green projects directly with £50bn QE!

The best use of £50bn QE? Bypass the banks and go direct to green projects | Richard Werner and Caroline Lucas | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

As the Bank of England today decides to introduce a further £50bn into its programme of quantitative easing (QE), it's hard to see why it should be any more successful than the eye-watering £275bn it has already created, which has failed to reach small businesses or create jobs. Yet things could have been very different. In 2009, the Bank of England explained that QE aims at "putting more money into our economy to boost spending", while relying on the banking system to put the money to work. It said: "Banks end up with more reserves as well as the money deposited with them. Increased reserves mean banks can increase their lending to households and businesses, making it easier to finance spending."

Latest Carbon News Headlines

Point Carbon News - Latest news

10 Feb 2012 19:01

Four fifths of U.N. carbon credits head to Europe: U.N. data

European countries increased their holdings of U.N.-backed carbon credits by 80 percent in 2011 amid…

10 Feb 2012 16:32

Weekly CER issuance set to dip to 4.1 mln

Project developers have asked the U.N. to hand out 4.1 million Certified Emission Reduction (CERs) n…

09 Feb 2012 18:11

EIB says sold 21.5 mln CO2 permits in January

The European Investment Bank (EIB) sold 21.5 million EU Allowances from a 300-million unit reserve i…

10 Feb 2012 18:23

California eyes dividends, deficit cuts from cap-and-trade

Revenue raised by California's greenhouse-gas emissions trading program could be distributed to stat…

10 Feb 2012 09:25

Australia awards $100 million to CCS project

Australia will invest A$100 million ($107m) in the development of a carbon capture and storage (CCS)… 

09 Feb 2012 23:38

CCAs fall back to $15/t on profit taking

After climbing as high as $16 late last week, California carbon allowances (CCAs) for delivery in De… 

09 Feb 2012 22:17

Quebec CO2 permits could hit $80/t by 2018: Barcap

Quebec carbon allowances (QCA) will trade above its cap-and-trade program’s floor price of C$10/t ($…

Point Carbon's OTC price assessments

		Close	+/-
EUA	Dec 2012	7.96	-0.21
sCER	Dec 2012	3.90	-0.05

 

Latest news

• 10 Feb 12 19:01  Four fifths of U.N. carbon credits head to Europe: U.N. data 
• 10 Feb 12 18:23  California eyes dividends, deficit cuts from cap-and-trade 
• 10 Feb 12 17:1  0UPDATE 1: EUAs hover near 8 euros amid mixed weather forecasts 
• 10 Feb 12 16:32  Weekly CER issuance set to dip to 4.1 mln 
• 10 Feb 12 15:21  Japanese utility Hokuriku CO2 emissions rise 44 pct  
• 10 Feb 12 09:25  Australia awards $100 million to CCS project 
• 09 Feb 12 23:38  CCAs fall back to $15/t on profit taking 
• 09 Feb 12 22:17  Quebec CO2 permits could hit $80/t by 2018: Barcap 
• 09 Feb 12 21:37  US approves first new nuclear plant in a generation  
• 09 Feb 12 18:11  EIB says sold 21.5 mln CO2 permits in January 
• 09 Feb 12 18:09  Airlines call for govts to scrap green tax now ETS applies  
• 09 Feb 12 18:04  EUAs down 4 pct on poor UK sale results 
• 09 Feb 12 17:38  Forest law vote puts Brazil CO2 goals at risk 
• 09 Feb 12 12:41  EU energy saving law hit by amendments avalanche 
• 09 Feb 12 12:27  Vattenfall says 53 pct of 2013 power hedged 
• 09 Feb 12 12:21  EU ETS to cost SAS Group 14.7 mln euros in 2012 
• 09 Feb 12 11:07  UK sells 3.5 mln EUAs at 8.11 euros each 
• 09 Feb 12 10:54  NZ carbon rises for fourth week, ends at NZ$7.85 
• 09 Feb 12 09:56  Australia risks missing renewable target: report 
• 09 Feb 12 09:35  Australia appoints carbon trade chief 
• 09 Feb 12 06:47  Airlines face $670 mln carbon pollution charge in 2012: study 
• 08 Feb 12 23:38  California eyes $40 bln in CO2 revenue for rail project 
• 08 Feb 12 17:30  EUAs fall 3.9 pct on weaker energy ahead of UK sale 
• 08 Feb 12 13:53  Airlines seek compromise as EU carbon debate hots up 
• 08 Feb 12 13:26  ICE to launch EU carbon permits for aviation Feb. 27 

All news

 

The delicious taste of zero waste.

Hershey Raises Zero-Waste Bar at Three Manufacturing Facilities

The Hershey Company announced that three of its manufacturing facilities in Pennsylvania have achieved Zero-Waste-to-Landfill (ZWL) status by eliminating waste, recycling and converting waste to energy. Two of the facilities are in Hershey, Pa., and the third is in Hazleton, Pa.

Chesapeake announcement may have stopped a bloodbath.

EIA expects highest natural gas supplies since 1983

Natural gas prices were able to shake off a bearish injection report after Chesapeake put the commodity bears on notice that indeed more production cuts could be coming. The Energy Information Administration broke a string of bearing more bullish estimates by reporting that working gas in storage was 2,888 Bcf, a net decline of 78 Bcf from the previous week. Yet, despite the fact we are swimming in supply, the Chesapeake talk kept the market from collapsing. That is a pretty impressive achievement considering the fact that supply was 714 Bcf higher than last year at this time and 714 Bcf above the five-year average. In fact the EIA says that the amount of U.S. working natural gas in underground storage at the end of March is expected to be the highest since 1983 for the close of the month, the traditional end of the winter heating season.