Alternative Fuels

Consultants Get Personal Over Prop 10

Joe Mathews — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:59:00 -0400

There isn't much of a campaign against Prop 10, the California initiative, strongly backed by a company of oilman T. Boone Pickens, to sell $5 billion in general obligation bonds to subsidize alternative fuels, mainly through direct to buyer rebates on certain kinds of vehicles. I was assured for months that the No campaign would find money to launch ads, but that kind of money never materialized. In the meantime a nasty, personal fight has broken out over the measure. At the center is Anthony Rubenstein, a consultant who is working for No on 10. Capitol Weekly has details.

Department of Self Promotion

Joe Mathews — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:32:00 -0400

Here's my piece, just now posted on the Scientific American web site, that looks at the poltical prospects of Propositions 7 and 10, two initiatives on the November ballot in California.

Utility Mandate For Alternative Fuels Is Restored To Missouri Ballot

Joe Mathews — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 03:03:00 -0400

An alternative fuels measure -- similar to California's Prop 7 -- did not appear to have enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot in Missouri. But a judge has reversed that decision, the Columbia Missourian reports. The issue was not the total number of signatures but the initiative's requirement with Missouri's distribution requirement. In Missouri, initiative sponsors must collect a minimum amount of signatures in six of the state's nine Congressional districts.

The initiative in question would require require utilities to use renewable fuels for at least two percent of the electricity they sell in the state by 2011, and for 15 percent of electricity by 2021.

To Drill or Not to Drill?

Jenna Cittadino — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:10:00 -0400

That is the question of my blog this week. Watching Rudy Giuliani speak at the Republican Nation Convention last Wednesday and listening to thousands of people chant, "Drill, baby, drill," I realized how confused our country is on this, well, confusing issue. Somehow we arrived at a place where Republicans and Democrats are more divided than ever, and over issues like offshore drilling, which had once been off limits by both parties. I believe people are misinformed, because if the facts were understood, the choice would be clear, no matter what your party affiliation.

The major misconception I've observed is that offshore drilling will lower high gas prices. The fact is that if these projects were to start today, it would take years before new refineries would affect the market...if ever. Not to mention the amount of oil that could be produced is tiny in comparison with the amount that is produced worldwide. And let's face it-these refineries really can't start producing today, because realistically it would take years to build a new refinery and.... large amounts of money.

Since there seems to be a consensus with both parties that we have a problem with our oil addiction, why not get over that addiction by investing that money into developing alternative fuel infrastructures and converting more cars to run on alternative fuels? Terry Tamminen, Executive Director of the Climate Policy Program of the New America Foundation, says that just 20% of the cost of the current war in Iraq could have completed an alternative fuel infrastructure in our country and converted the majority of cars to run on alternative fuel. Even former president of Shell's U.S. operation, John Hofmeister, said, "The internal combustion is a great invention that has served us well for a century, but it is time for us to move on" (www.newsweek.com/id/142130).

I believe the majority of the population wants this to happen. A recent event illustrates this shift. Last week my husband and I were in an accident which totaled our car. This dumped us into the car market, which I learned is a very strange market at the moment: Priuses are in the "luxury" car price range, the Kelly bluebook value for a Honda Civic has actually increased, and the fun new 2009 Honda Fits are so hot that no dealer can hold them through a weekend (and the asking price is $4,000 over the regular price!). Meanwhile, I had an exchange with someone today who said that he wants to buy a Suburban because "they're so cheap right now and the money [he] will save will just go towards gas" (he'll still find he loses out big time with those gas bills!). Who would have thought 10 years ago that a tiny hatchback would be a hot commodity and that one could hardly give a Suburban away? There was also an article in the LA Times yesterday that called the '94 Geo Metro a "dream machine" because of its fuel efficiency, and stated that "the '92 Civic hatchback gets 60 mpg." Interestingly enough, the Geo Metro was made by the now struggling General Motors-if only they had realized what was good for the environment was good for them.

The car market is reflecting what people want and need: fuel efficient, reliable cars. If we begin offshore drilling, we will be backtracking and only fueling our problem (pardon the pun). In Senator Obama's acceptance speech for the Democratic Presidential Nomination he claimed that in 10 years our country will no longer be dependant on foreign oil. I agree this dependence needs to end, but I would like to take it a step further and ask that in 10 years our cars no longer be dependent on oil. Period. I would like to believe that saving money, preserving our health by eliminating cancer and asthma causing toxins, and protecting the planet so our children can survive are issues both Democrats and Republicans can agree on.

Climate News Roundup: July 18 - July 24, 2008

Kristina Haddad — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:28:00 -0400

Friday, July 18, 2008

HYDROGEN CARS: Hydrogen cars could rule road by 2050, slash oil need. A government-backed study says America could nearly eliminate its need for gasoline for cars, pickup trucks and SUVs by 2050 if the government helps build a market for hydrogen fuel cells and other technologies. McClatchy Newspapers. 18 July 2008.

IMPACTS: Antarctic icebergs scouring seabed are new threat to marine life. Antarctic marine life is coming under increasing threat from icebergs that are scouring the seabed and destroying their habitat, a new study by the British Antarctic Survey has found. London Daily Telegraph, England. 18 July 2008

EPA STUDY - IMPACTS: Climate change puts U.S. way of life at risk: EPA. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, under fire for apparently discounting the impact of climate change, on Thursday said global warming poses real risk to human health and the American way of life. Reuters. 18 July 2008.

WIND POWER: State supports $4.9 billion wind power plan. If the plan wins final approval, it would be the country's largest investment in clean and renewable power. Austin American-Statesman, Texas. 18 July 2008. [Registration Required]

STATE POLICY (TX): Perry lays out Texas energy vision. Governor wants to double number of nuclear plants, add wind power, tap potential of biofuels. Austin American-Statesman, Texas. 18 July 2008. [Registration Required]

AL GORE: Al Gore's 10-year plan to solve the climate crisis. Today, Al Gore used his unique bully pulpit to promote an ambitious plan for controlling climate change: Produce all electricity from renewable and other nonpolluting sources of power within 10 years. The Daily Green. 18 July 2008.

CDM PROJECT: Namibia approves CDM project. A geothermal energy project has become the first clean development mechanism (CDM) project to be approved in Namibia. Windhoek New Era, Namibia. 18 July 2008.

AUSTRALIA - CARBON TRADING SCHEME: Australia outlines carbon trading scheme. Australia on Wednesday outlined a carbon trading scheme including a pledge that heavily polluting industries--exporting much of their product and those facing international competition--could receive free credits for up to 90 per cent of their emissions. London Financial Times, United Kingdom. 18 July 2008.

FRANCE - NUCLEAR: France orders probe at all nuclear sites. The French government on Thursday ordered an investigation into the water table around all of France's 58 nuclear reactors in an effort to dispel fears raised by a leak from a treatment plant run by Areva in southern France. London Financial Times, United Kingdom. 18 July 2008.

STATES POLICY (FL): Florida willing to get tough over oil drilling ban. Florida's governor would go to court to guarantee his right to permit Florida offshore oil exploration. But the possible running mate for presidential nominee John McCain told the Financial Times it would be "more productive" for Congress to overturn its ban on offshore drilling. London Financial Times, United Kingdom. 18 July 2008

STATES POLICY (KY); Get ahead of energy curve. If Gov. Steve Beshear is sincere about preparing Kentucky for a carbon-constrained future, he'll have to drop his dream of squeezing gasoline from coal. Lexington Herald-Leader, Kentucky. Editorial, 18 July 2008.

WASTE TO ENERGY: Gas from garbage. What Dallas does have is the technology and ingenuity to create its own natural gas in a matter of a few months-- an exciting, forward-thinking venture that will make the most out of a decidedly unexciting thing: household trash. Dallas Morning News, Texas. Editorial, 18 July 2008

PLASTIC SUBSTITUTE: Mitsubishi Chemical To Use Plant Resins For Plastics 7/18/2008 - Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. plans to mass-produce synthetic resins made from plant extract, seeking to reduce its dependence on petroleum, with output slated to begin as early as fiscal 2010, The Nikkei reported in its Friday morning edition. Plant resins are expensive, impeding its competitiveness against petroleum products such as naphtha. But as long as crude oil prices stay around or above $100 a barrel, plant-based resins will fare well, the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp. unit has concluded. For more read Clean Technology Investor 7/18/08

SPAIN - SOLAR: In Spain, It's The Running Of Solar Companies 7/18/2008 - Solar companies aren't waiting for a worst case-scenario in Spain, they're betting on it. Solar companies have quickly jumped into that country in the last several years, lured by new subsidies from the Spanish government directed at making solar as economically viable as other sources of energy. But a proposed cap on the program could cut total solar installations by a quarter next year, and even with a decision weeks away, solar companies are already looking to bolt. In 2008, solar companies will install roughly 1,100 megawatts of power in Spain thanks to the new subsidies that propelled companies across the world to enter the market from Barcelona to Seville. While the Spanish government expected some gains in solar installations, an almost doubling from 600 MW a year ago has left the government with a larger subsidies bill than it would like, and rumors have spread that those subsidies may come with a big catch next year. For more read Clean Technology Investor 7/18/08

UK - TIDAL POWER: UK's Marine Current Turbines Says Tidal Device Delivers Power To Grid 7/18/2008 - U.K. tidal energy company Marine Current Turbines said Thursday it has delivered its first electricity into the grid from its SeaGen turbine in Northern Ireland's Strangford Lough. The 1.2-megawatt tidal stream power system will be generating electricity at full capacity in a few weeks, the company said. "This is an important milestone for the company and indeed the development of the marine renewable energy sector as a whole," said Martin Wright, managing director of Marine Current Turbines, of the project that will deliver electricity to 1,000 homes. For more read Clean Technology Investor 7/18/08

WIND POWER: US Small Wind Turbine Market Grew 14% In 2007 7/18/2008 - The U.S. small wind turbine market grew 14% in 2007, driven by rising electricity prices and concerns about climate change, the American Wind Energy Association said Thursday. Small wind turbines produced about 9.7 megawatts of new power-generating capacity in 2007, bringing total small wind-generating capacity to 55-60 MW, according to AWEA. More than 9,000 small wind turbine units were sold in 2007, with total sales of $42 million. Small wind systems in the U.S. displace an estimated 60,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year, the equivalent of taking 10,000 cars off the road, according to AWEA. For more read Clean Technology Investor 7/18/08

Monday, July 21, 2008

WIND POWER: Green light for massive wind farm. Plans to build Europe's largest onshore wind farm in South Lanarkshire have been approved by Scottish ministers. BBC, UK. 21 July 2008.

IMPACTS: Scientists warn of wetlands 'carbon bomb'. The world's wetlands, threatened by development, dehydration and climate change, could release a planet-warming "carbon bomb" if they are destroyed, ecological scientists have warned. London Daily Telegraph, England. 21 July 2008.

CLIMATE REPORT: 100 months to save the planet. A "Green New Deal" is needed to solve current problems of climate change, energy and finance, a report argues; according to the Green New Deal Group, humanity only has 100 months to prevent dangerous global warming. BBC, UK. 21 July 2008

STATE POLICY (NJ): Soaring enery costs sparking 'green' legislation in New Jersey. With gas prices hovering at $4 per gallon and the nation in an economic funk, there is no shortage of ideas on how to make New Jersey more energy efficient. Associated Press. 21 July 2008

ALT FUELS: Quest for alternative fuels starts with an engine at Argonne National Laboratory. Begun with about $100,000 in start-up money nearly two years ago, the omnivorous engine project is an effort to design a spark-ignition engine that can run on a variety of liquid fuels. Chicago Tribune, Illinois. 21 July 2008.

ELECTRIC CARS: GM, utility group to announce electric car tie-up. General Motors Corp and an organization representing US utilities are set to announce a partnership to prepare for the widespread sale of plug-in electric cars, people familiar with the plans said Friday. Reuters. 21 July 2008.

PLUG-IN HYBRIDS: Future is nearly now for plug-in hybrids. When hundreds of experts gather this week for the country's first and biggest plug-in hybrid conference, the tone of the gathering will reveal a dramatic change: The talk is of "when," not "if." San Jose Mercury News, California. 21 July 2008.

STATE POLICY (NJ): New Jersey Energy Plan Looks At Aggressive Goals 7/21/2008 - New Jersey state officials held their last public hearing Thursday for the forthcoming New Jersey Energy Master Plan that outlines state renewable energy goals, and they have seen a wealth of support for the plan. Officials are required to update an energy plan every 10 years according to state law, but they last wrote a plan in 1991. The new plan will be finalized in the fall.

STATE POLICY (CA): California Becomes First In Nation To Establish Green-Building Codes 7/21/2008 - The California Building Standards Commission has taken a step toward building a greener future for the state with new green building codes for new houses. The commission made California the first state in the nation to incorporate these standards into its building codes. The codes will be phased in over the next three years. The new code requires California homes to be approximately 50% more energy-efficient than homes built to national energy standards by July 2009, a 20% reduction in overall water use within all new homes starting on July 1, 2011, and air quality measures that include adhesives, paints and coatings with low or no levels of "volatile organic compounds," high-efficiency air-conditioning filters to better filter out dust and particulates, and always-on exhaust fans to ensure better fresh air circulation in the home by Jan. 1, 2011. For more read Clean Technology Investor 7/21/08

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Relevant stories for Tuesday were minimal and were repeats of stories reported the previous days.

Wednesday, June 23, 2008

SOLAR POWER: Saharan sun could power European supergrid. Vast farms of solar panels in the Sahara desert could provide clean electricity for the whole of Europe, according to EU scientists working on a plan to pool the region's renewable energy. London Guardian, England. 23 July 2008.

CO2 OFFSETS: Don't offset your CO2 emissions, retire them. At the age of 25, Dan Lewer is going into retirement -- carbon emissions retirement that is. Lewer is co-founder of a new online carbon offset company called Carbon Retirement, which launched on July 15. Reuters. 23 July 2008.

GEOTHERMAL: In the push for alternative energy, what happened to geothermal? Geothermal energy, which has been heralded by some scientists over the years as a rich untapped resource, has garnered much less attention than other alternative energy sources, particularly from politicians. US News & World Report. 23 July 2008.

GREEN CITIES: Green Streets project reduces carbon footprint and energy bills. Families taking part in a greener living experiment have made big cuts in their carbon footprint, managing to reduce their energy use by 30 per cent and CO2 emissions by 20 per cent London Daily Telegraph, England. 23 July 2008.

STATE POLICY (CT): Republicans stand with Rell on her plan for energy rebates. Republican lawmakers scored a minor coup for Gov. M. Jodi Rell Tuesday, backing her plan to send some proceeds from the auction of global-warming pollution credits back to individual utility customers. New London Day, Connecticut. 23 July 2008.

NUCLEAR: Vote clears way for US nuclear deal with India. India's government survived a hotly contested confidence vote Tuesday, clearing the way for it to finalize a landmark nuclear energy deal with the United States. Associated Press. 23 July 2008.

NUCLEAR: Britain pushes on with nuclear power revival plan. Britain wants to be the most attractive place in the world to build nuclear power plants and has published draft rules for finding places in England and Wales to do it. Reuters. 23 July 2008.

COAL-TO-LIQUIDS: Firm touts Alberta coal-to-liquids plant. A small Calgary company on Tuesday proposed Canada's first coal-to-liquids (CTL) plant in northwest Alberta. Calgary Herald, Alberta. 23 July 2008.

Thursday, June 24, 2008

SOLUTIONS: Americans must diet to save their economy. Want to save the US economy? Go on a diet. That's the message ecologists are trying to get across. They say the apparently looming energy crisis could be averted if US residents cut their calorie intake. New Scientist, England. 24 July 2008.

IMPACTS: Study warns of water problems. A new study predicts that climate change will create devastating drought in Nevada and throughout the Southwest and continue to drop the levels of already low Lake Mead and Lake Powell, threatening the water supply for 2 million Nevadans. Associated Press. 24 July 2008.

STATE POLICY (CA): California green energy proposal has thin support. Awareness is low, but 63 percent of those who had a view on it favor a California ballot measure that would require half the state's electricity to come from renewable sources by 2025, a Field poll issued Tuesday shows. Reuters. 24 July 2008.

HYDROGEN CAR - U.S. POSTAL SERVICE: SoCal mail carriers use hydrogen car. A U.S. Postal Service station in Orange County began using a hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle Wednesday to deliver the mail. Modesto Bee, California. 24 July 2008.

CAR CHARGING STATIONS: Coulomb, V2Green To Offer Electric Car-Charging Stations 7/24/2008 - Anticipating a wide roll out of electric cars in 2010 and beyond, Coulomb Technologies Inc. and V2Green Inc. are offering a technology to allow drivers of electric cars to plug in and charge their vehicles outside of a garage. Campbell, Calif.-based Coulomb will make charging stations that can be used on city streets, outside office buildings or in apartment building parking lots, for example, so drivers who don't own garages or merely want to charge their vehicles during the day can access charging stations. Seattle-based V2Green will provide smart-grid services, giving the utilities information to help ease the burden of this extra draw on the power grid. For more read Clean Technology Investor 7/24/08

PLUG-IN ELECTRIC CARS: Electric-Car Maker Aptera Gets $2.75M Charge From Google 7/24/2008 - Google.org's RechargeIT program, launched in June 2007 to accelerate the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles, has made its first investments. According to a blog post by Karl Sun, an investment principal with Google.org, Aptera Motors Inc. will receive $2.75 million from the program. The Carlsbad, Calif.-based company develops electric and hybrid vehicles. Aptera's first production model, the Typ-1, will be available in December at a cost of about $30,000, the company previously told VentureWire. The all-electric version gets 120 miles per charge, while the hybrid version gets 300 miles per gallon, the company said. For more read Clean Technology Investor 7/24/08

EMISSIONS MONITORING TECH: Accenture Offers IT Product Suite To Monitor Emissions 7/24/2008 - Accenture Ltd. launched a new "Green Technology Suite," a set of tools designed to help an organization be green and save money as well through its information technology department. The tool uses software, methodology and consulting services to allow a company or organization assess its carbon emissions and decrease that level, as well as save money on operating costs, focusing on IT. New York-based Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. For more read Clean Technology Investor 7/24/08

'Boone Pickens Raiding The State's General Fund'

Joe Mathews — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 21:14:00 -0400

Capitol Weekly looks at the folks behind the two different alternative energy measures on California's November ballot.

Street Report: The Signature Marketplace

Joe Mathews — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:50:00 -0400

UPDATED 4/16 WITH NEW FIGURES: This should be the first of what I hope will become a regular feature on the blog: reports on the opaque California signature market, with actual figures on how much initiative sponsors are paying gatherers for each signature they collect. The per-signature amount is crucial information -- but little known -- because it determines the priorities of the individual signature gatherers. You pay more, they'll put your petition on top of their clipboards. High signature prices, however, also can be a sign that an initiative is weak. Sponsors have to pay more because their initiative has little time to qualify or involves a complicated subject that is hard to explain in a grocery store parking lot.

Here's my rundown on per-signature costs gleaned from a weekend of talking with signature gatherers in Southern California. I'm not specifying exactly where I talked to gatherers to protect their anonymity. I'd like to do this not only for California but also for other states. I'd love to hear from signature gatherers around the country.

SCHWARZENEGGER REDISTRICTING MEASURE: $2 per signature (gatherers in Orange County said they were expecting it to go higher). It's now tied for the honor of being the best-paying petition in the market, and was on the top of the clipboards of most gatherers. The rise in the price is an indication that time is running short and that, reapportionment is a tough sell in parking lots. Many gatherers I encountered were trying to stop shoppers with talk of the victims' right measure--then moving them into the reapportionment measure.

VICTIMS RIGHTS: $2. It was a little late getting to the street, gatherers say, but this initiative, backed by the billionaire Henry Nicholas and other crime victim's advocates, establishes a long list of rights for crime victims and is doing brisk business. Several gatherers believe it has enough to qualify; gatherers were being told Monday to turn in their signatures on the measure by 8 p.m. Tuesday.

ALTERNATIVE FUELS MANDATE: $1.50. (UPDATE 4/16: This went to $1.90 or $2 on Tuesday, gatherers say)Sponsors of this initiative say they've turned in signatures, but I found several gatherers still carrying it. Gatherers send it did well even at a lower price of 75 cents.

ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE: $1.40 or $1.50. I had some trouble finding it on clipboards in Los Angeles County, which isn't terribly surprising, but it was on clipboards in Orange County and in the Inland Empire. Its price had recently been raised.

STILL LINGERING: Lower on clipboards was another crime measure and a parental notifrication measure. Gatherers said they were paying $1 each.