Sustainable Energy News: 03/28/12

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Breakthrough near in dispute over planes’ emissions

Breakthrough near in dispute over planes’ emissions, officials say - The Washington Post

A dispute over whether U.S. airlines will have to offset the carbon they emit on flights to and from Europe may be inching closer to a diplomatic breakthrough, according to officials involved in the negotiations. In January, the European Union began implementing an Emissions Trading Scheme, which compels airlines to buy carbon allowances for flights landing in and taking off from Europe. The U.S. government — along with the governments of 79 other countries — objects to the program.

House of Representatives has tried to eliminate bike and pedestrian programs. How green of them.

Congress, Please Don't Cut Funding for Bike and Pedestrian Programs

In the U.S., cities and states provide most of the funds for bike and pedestrians developments, but the federal government also provides essential funds without which many very important projects wouldn't have been possible. The previous transportation bill, which was signed into law in 2005 by a Republican Congress and Republican president, supported that vital infrastructure funding. But the current federal government isn't so keen on creating alternatives to cars: "The Senate has passed a bill that by and large preserves the status quo, but the House of Representatives has tried to eliminate bike and pedestrian programs."

Regulations for a new power plant being put into place but old rules apply for existing plants. Way to go.

EPA Will Target CO2 Emissions of Existing Coal Plants—When It's Not Election Season

Earlier this week, the EPA announced that it would implement rules restricting the amount of greenhouse gas emissions a new power plant could emit. They effectively prevent new coal-fired power plants without expansive scrubbing or sequestration technology from ever being built. But the rules don't effect already existing power plants, which are the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. These ancient carbon-belchers are often decades old and exceedingly dirty. So many greens were disappointed to find that they weren't covered in the regulation proposed by the EPA. And they were further concerned when EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said that the agency had "no plans" to enact emissions regulation on existing plants.

$14 billion in revenue and potentially more than 2000 jobs put on hold due to anger caused by EU emissions program for airlines

Airbus vs the EU's Emissions Trading System: Clean Air or Hot Air?

Airbus — fresh from bashing the European Commission in pleas to European leaders and through the media — brought its lobbying muscle to the Commission’s home turf this week. In a daylong session held in the shadow of the European Parliament on Tuesday, the airplane division of European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. hammered away for anyone who would listen on how the aerospace industry is doing its part to be environmental — and why the European Union’s emissions trading system is bad news for aviation.

At one year old, Retroficiency focused on fast growth

At one year old, Retroficiency focused on fast growth - Mass High Tech Business News

Just a year after coming out of stealth mode, energy efficiency startup Retroficiency, Inc. is looking to increasing staffing by 50 percent, CEO Bennett Fisher told Mass High Tech. The growth of the Boston-based company accelerated last November, when the company bought the Clean Energy Services division of Nexamp Inc. of North Andover, using $3.32 million it got in its first, Series A fundraise. The acquisition not only expanded the company, but it allowed it to approach to problem of helping commercial building owners get the most bang for their energy bucks in two different ways.

Feds: Calif. nuke plant to remain shut for probe

Feds: Calif. nuke plant to remain shut for probe - Yahoo! News

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The troubled San Onofre nuclear plant in Southern California will remain shut down until federal regulators can determine why tubes carrying radioactive water in the plant's massive generators are rapidly decaying. The announcement Tuesday formalized an agreement with operator Southern California Edison on the same day that a report commissioned by an environmental group claimed the utility misled the Nuclear Regulatory Commission about design changes that are the likely culprit in excessive tube wear.

Feds Give Connecticut $500K for Solar Research

Feds Give Connecticut $500K for Solar Research - Woodbury-Middlebury, CT Patch

The U.S. Department of Energy transferred Connecticut $481,000 in federal money to go toward solar energy research. According to Yale Daily News, the money will be used by the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA) for research to lower the price of future solar installations. The government authority was created last year by state law and is the first of its kind in the nation.

Jason Harper Reviews Fisker Karma Hybrid Sedan - Video

Jason Harper Reviews Fisker Karma Hybrid Sedan - Video - Bloomberg

March 22 (Bloomberg) -- Bloomberg auto columnist Jason Harper reviews Fisker Automotive Inc.'s Karma luxury sports sedan. The hybrid vehicle can run in all-electric mode or in tandem with a small gasoline engine and has a price tag that starts at $103,000. (Harper writes about autos for Muse, the arts and leisure section of Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own. Source: Bloomberg)

Fisker Sees Good Karma Ahead

Fisker Sees DiCaprio Driving Away Doubt for Plug-In Karma - Bloomberg

Fisker Automotive Inc.’s dream of a profitable plug-in luxury-car business still entices investors, even as the California startup fixes glitches in its first model and is pulled into a political fight over a U.S. loan program. The company wants its $103,000 Karma to compete for buyers of high-performance luxury cars with Porsche AG (PAH3), Fiat SpA’s Maserati and Volkswagen AG’s Bentley. It’s working to raise at least $100 million in new funds to reach about $1 billion of private money by the end of the month, two people familiar with the matter said last week.

Industry blasts 'unacceptable' delay to carbon reporting

Industry blasts 'unacceptable' delay to carbon reporting | Environment | guardian.co.uk

The government has come under fire after failing to make a decision on whether to introduce mandatory reporting for greenhouse gas emissions. Defra has announced that "no decision has yet been reached" on a topic it has been considering since December 2009. It added that ministers need more time to consider submissions to the latest consultation, which ran between May and July last year and outlined one voluntary approach and three mandatory options.

How to make solar even more sustainable

How to make solar even more sustainable | GreenBiz.com

Sure, solar power is greener than electricity from fossil fuel, but that doesn't guarantee that all solar panels are made sustainably. For corporations buying or investing in solar panels for their environmental benefits, it makes sense to keep track of the sustainability leaders -- and to be wary of the potential risks of associating with manufacturers with less sustainable practices. The good news, though, is that many solar manufacturers are highly aware of the issue, according to a new report from San Francisco-based nonprofit As You Sow. The group, which advocates for environmental and social corporate responsibility, supports solar energy and put out the report – titled Clean & Green: Best Practices in Photovoltaics -- as a guide for investors, consumers and others.

US emissions plan a boost to clean-tech investors

Environmental Finance | News | US emissions plan a boost to clean-tech investors

The US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed standard for carbon pollution from new power plants excludes trading among affected sources, while offering a boost to clean technology investors. The New Source Performance Standards were unveiled by the EPA yesterday, after months of delays. Power plants are the largest source of carbon pollution in the US, accounting for about 40% of carbon dioxide emissions.

U.S. airlines drop lawsuit against EU carbon levy

U.S. airlines drop lawsuit against EU carbon levy | Reuters

The new law took effect on January 1, drawing dire warnings from governments, airlines and planemakers that it could trigger a global trade war and damage the aviation industry.
The suit was originally brought to the London High Court by the Air Transport Association of America, American Airlines and United Continental (UAL.N), but the court referred it to the European Court of Justice ECJ.L in Luxembourg.