San Francisco Going with Country’s Largest PACE Program

This is exciting to see, especially since my group UMD for Clean Energy has been pushing for an energy efficiency loan fund to be established in College Park.  San Francisco has just gone with this kind of a program, which you can read about here on the VoteSolar site, or some excerpts below.

“Moments ago, on a sunny rooftop just across town from Vote Solar’s office, Mayor Gavin Newsom signed the final piece of legislation needed to get San Francisco’s PACE program off the ground. When it launches on March 1,GreenFinanceSF will provide $150 million in bonding capacity to help property owners cover the cost of energy efficiency, water conservation and – you guessed it – solar improvements.

That makes it the country’s biggest PACE program – the municipal finance model that translates upfront costs into manageable property tax payments spread over 20 years. City leaders also emphasized the breadth of the program, which is designed to allow participation from many different income levels and makes financing available for an impressive spectrum of eco-upgrades (hello new EV charging station!). Our neighbors across the bay at Renewable Funding will be administering the program.”

A Call to action by Naomi Klein, Terry Tempest Williams, Bill McKibben, Dr. James Hansen and Peaceful Uprising

I recently received this forwarded into my e-mail inbox, and thought it was worth putting into a post

The following was co-written by Naomi Klein, author of #1 NYT bestseller The Shock Doctrine, Terry Tempest Williams, world renowned wildlife author, Bill Mckibben, founter of 350.org and author of The End Of Nature, and Dr. James Hansen, author of Storms of my Grandchildren, and who is regarded as the world’s leading climatologist. All recognize the trial of Tim DeChristopher to be a turning point in the climate movement. Included are links to resources for travel to Utah]

Dear Friends,

The epic fight to ward off global warming and transform the energy system that is at the core of our planet’s economy takes many forms: huge global days of action, giant international conferences like the one that just failed in Copenhagen, small gestures in the homes of countless people.

But there are a few signal moments, and one comes next month, when the federal government puts Tim DeChristopher on trial in Salt Lake City. Tim—“Bidder 70”– pulled off one of the most creative protests against our runaway energy policy in years: he bid for the oil and gas leases on several parcels of federal land even though he had no money to pay for them, thus upending the auction. The government calls that “violating the Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act” and thinks he should spend ten years in jail for the crime; we call it a noble act, a profound gesture made on behalf of all of us and of the future.

Tim’s action drew national attention to the fact that the Bush Administration spent its dying days in office handing out a last round of favors to the oil and gas industry. After investigating irregularities in the auction, the Obama Administration took many of the leases off the table, with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar criticizing the process as “a headlong rush.” And yet that same Administration is choosing to prosecute the young man who blew the whistle on this corrupt process.

We cannot let this stand. When Tim disrupted the auction, he did so in the fine tradition of non-violent civil disobedience that changed so many unjust laws in this country’s past. Tim’s upcoming trial is an occasion to raise the alarm once more about the peril our planet faces. The situation is still fluid—the trial date has just been set, and local supporters are making plans for how to mark the three-day proceedings. But they are asking people around the country to flood into Salt Lake City in mid-March. If you come, there will be ample opportunity for both legal protest and civil disobedience. For example:

#Outside the courthouse, there will be a mock trial, with experts like NASA’s Jim Hansen providing the facts that should be heard inside the chambers. We don’t want Tim on trial—we want global warming on the stand.

#Demonstrators will be using the time-honored tactics of civil disobedience to make their voices heard outside the courthouse in an effort to prevent “business as usual”—it’s business as usual that’s wrecking the earth.

#There will be evening concerts and gatherings, including a “mini-summit” to share ideas on how the climate movement should proceed in the years ahead. This is a people’s movement that draws power from around the globe; for a few days its headquarters will be Salt Lake City.

You can get the most up-to-date news at climatetrial.com, including schedules for non-violence training, and information about legal representation. If you’re coming, bring not only your passion but also your creativity—we need lots of art and music to help make the point that we won’t sit idly by while the government tries to scare the environmental movement into meek cooperation. This kind of trial is nothing but intimidation—and the best answers to intimidation are joy and resolve. That’s what we’ll need in Utah.

We know it’s short notice. Some of us won’t be able to make it to Utah because we have other commitments or are limiting travel, and if you’re in the same situation, climatetrial.com will also have details of solidarity actions in other parts of the country. If you can contribute money to help make the week’s events possible, click here. But more than your money we need your body, your brains, and your heart. In a landscape of little water, where redrock canyons rise upward like praying hands, we can offer our solidarity to the wild:  wild lands and wild hearts.  Tim DeChristopher deserves and needs our physical and spiritual support in the name of a just and vibrant community.

Thank you for standing with us,

Naomi Klein,

Bill McKibben,

Terry Tempest Williams

Dr. James Hansen

Will UMD and College Park come to an Agreement over the Washington Post Plant?

The environmental community in College Park has been on the edge of its seat since it was brought to light that the University of Maryland had made a bid for the abandoned Washington Post Plant in College Park.  The point of the purchase was for UMD to relocate its facilities from East Campus to the plant, so they could do their East Campus development.  This move would mean that the fight to save the Wooded Hillock, 9 acres of forest, would be won by the environmental activists advocating for its preservation.  However, the City is upset about this decision because of the lack of transparency that led up to it, along with the fact that College Park would lose tax revenue from UMD owning the plan since they’re a state institution, and thus tax exempt.  The Maryland Board of Public Works has to approve the purchase, and the approval is likely contingent on the support of the city.

So the question is, can UMD and the city agree to a PILOT(payment in lieu of taxes) where the university would compensate the city for some of all of its lost revenue?  I think that answer is yes because both parties badly want to see the East Campus development completed, and they won’t let something as petty as a few hundred thousand dollars get in the way of a 900 million dollar development that would generate a lot of tax revenue for the city, and graduate housing for the university.

The following is the letter the city council sent to the university after their meeting on Tuesday, and the response the university recently sent back.  It looks like they’re moving towards an agreement.

Dr. Mote Washing Post Letter

President_Mote_Feb_7_letter

Connecticut Gas Plant Explosion

I want to post an update that a gas plant in Middletown Connecticut has recently exploded, presumably when a gas line caught fire during testing.  At least two people have been reported dead.  I want to recommend readers check out Caroline Howe’s post on this, she is a climate activist who lives in Connecticut.  Here is an excerpt from her post…

“Fossil fuels are not safe. They are not safe for our planet, they are not safe for our communities, and they are not safe for the workers inside of their power plants. This is not the first power plant explosion, this will not be the last. It is time for America to commit to a clean and safe energy economy – where our friends and neighbors can work in green jobs that give good wages and safe working environments. My heart and prayers are with the workers at the Kleen Energy Plant and with their families — and with the future of our nation to not face such a tragedy again.”

Another post is in the Daily Beast, and Enviroknow

Media coverage in Hartford Courant

Now Tweeting

Yes, I have joined the Twitter crowd!  If you would like to follow, go here

Nike Continues to Lead Corporations on Environmentalism

I’ve already documented Nike’s previous steps such as lobbying for aggressive climate legislation, and leaving the Chamber of Commerce Board over its poor positions on climate change.  Now, Nike is taking it one step further, and abandoning buying carbon offsets and RECS(renewable energy certificates) in favor of actual emissions reductions.  You can check out the news of this in the NY Times blog here, as well as Nike’s new report on corporate responsibility, which highlights the progress the company has made, and identifying areas where it needs to improve.

From the NY Times:

“In an introduction to the report, Mark Parker, Nike’s president and chief executive, said the company had “finally figured out” it could use its knack for design and innovation to bring about environmental, labor and social change.

“We opened the aperture of our lens and discovered our potential to have a positive influence on waste reduction, climate change, managing natural resources, renewable energy and factory conditions,” he said.

Among other achievements, the report noted that in the fiscal year 2009, Nike reduced its overall greenhouse gas emissions across its supply chain to 2007 levels. It also says a program begun in 2008 to improve energy efficiency at manufacturing facilities reduced carbon emissions by 6 percent, even though production at the factories increased by 9 percent.

But Nike also reported that it had stopped purchasing carbon offsets to counter emissions generated by employee air travel and that it was moving away from buying renewable energy certificates to compensate for use of fossil-fuel generated electricity at its own facilities — practices it considered temporary and difficult to verify.

Offsets have come under scrutiny of late, and some question whether renewable energy certificates – which are supposed to stimulate the creation of new renewable energy projects – are simply a payment to a project that would have occurred anyway.

“Rather than purchase renewable energy certificates to achieve climate neutrality, which have become increasingly controversial,” the report stated, “we believe it is more meaningful to invest in energy efficiency and in distributed energy projects that reduce our reliance on grid energy and help stabilize energy costs for the long term.”

As for air travel, in place of buying offsets, the company is investing heavily in teleconferencing technologies that will decrease the need for travel and save money.

“We have begun using these technologies across the business and have seen not only reduced travel but also better product quality, and quicker and better decision making,” said Kate Meyers, a Nike spokeswoman.

Along with other companies, Nike is advocating for climate energy legislationthat will reward large-scale investments in carbon reduction. The company argues that “the lack of a market price for carbon has limited its ability to access and deploy clean energy across our operations.”

News on College Sustainability Efforts

Ever so often I like to include updates I’ve gotten on steps taken by campuses all around the country to go green.  Here are some recent ones!

College Advancing Renewable Degree: “Morrisville State College is coming up with some innovative projects to ensure it lessens its environmental impact.  After receiving a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, the college created a Renewable Energy Training Center and with that, a new associate’s degree in renewable energy technology”

New Sustainable Foods Program: “Learning, farming and buying local combine with green living in John Wood Community College’s newly developed sustainable local foods farming program.  Developed in coordination with the University of Illinois Extension, JWCC created the certificate program to respond to a community need identified by the Illinois Local and Organic Food and Farm Task Force and supported by grocers like County Market.”

students fund green projects on Vermont campus: “Green Mountain College (VT) students have chosen 15 student proposals to fund with their Student Campus Greening Fund. The money is generated through a $30 allocation per student from the annual activity fee and allows student proposals to be funded annually. This year projects included a $10,000 software development to provide the campus with live energy monitoring.”

Rochester Institute of Technology has new LEED Platinum building:

• 48.6 percent energy cost reduction over industry standards for heating and cooling efficiency
• 43 percent reduction in water usage over national requirements for fixture performance
• 35 percent of the building’s electricity is supplied from renewable sources, including on-site solar photovoltaic panels
• 33 percent recycled content of materials used in facility’s operation

Sweet Briar College Students Build Biodiesel Processing Plant: “Dining services is donating the approximately 50 gallons of spent cooking oil that it generates each month. According to the engineering team, about 95 percent of that will become biodiesel, a yield of about 40 gallons of fuel that will be mixed with the standard diesel used in physical plant vehicles. At current diesel prices, the College should realize a savings of $120 a month in fuel costs.”

Southwestern U to get 100% wind power: “Southwestern University (TX) has signed an agreement with the City of Georgetown that will enable the institution to meet all of its electric needs with wind power for the next 18 years. Wind-generated power will be provided by the City of Georgetown through an agreement with AEP Energy Partners, a subsidiary of American Electric Power. The electricity will come from the Southwest Mesa and South Trent Wind Farms in West Texas. These two wind farms have a total of 151 wind turbines, each of which can generate between 0.7 to 2.3 megawatts of electricity.”

Colorado State U with 2 MW Solar Plant: “Colorado State University has dedicated a two-megawatt operation that will help keep the University’s utility rates stable and affordable during the next 20 years. The solar power plant, owned and operated by Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, features more than 8,000 panels that cover 15 acres of the University’s Foothills Campus. The panels rotate to track the sun’s movement. The project received a rebate to offset construction costs.”

University of Georgia approves student green fee: “At his annual State of the University address, University President Michael Adams announced he would accept the recommendation to impose a $3 “green fee” to fund an Office of Sustainability on campus.”

Obama Confronted on “Clean Coal”

1 Sky Director Gillian Caldwell confronted President Obama over his position on “clean coal” at an event, and I think the video is worth sharing.  You can see Gillian’s blog post about it as well.

UMD for Clean Energy’s Column “A Chance to Lead”

UMD for Clean Energy’s Media Director Lisa Piccinini has an op-ed in the Diamondback today about our group’s plans for the semester.  Enjoy!

Guest column: A chance to lead

By Lisa Piccinini

With the news the Wooded Hillock may be saved from development, the campus is abound with positive attitudes — thinking maybe, just maybe, the university can truly be receptive to environmental concerns. This past September, the adoption of the university’s Climate Action Plan, a plan required by the American Colleges and University Presidents Climate Commitment that university President Dan Mote signed, signaled we may be on the right track.

This momentum has also spread into College Park. Last semester, working with District 1 Councilman Patrick Wojahn, activists from the student group UMD for Clean Energy vetted the idea of an energy efficiency loan fund to the College Park city council.  The loan fund would create a pool of money that could be loaned out at a low interest rate to finance energy efficiency upgrades and home improvements. Borrowers could then repay the loan fund with their energy savings and eventually reap savings after the loan has been paid back.

UMD for Clean Energy has already met this semester with representatives in Annapolis with regard to changing a state law to make establishing this fund legal for municipalities and hopes to push forward with an energy efficiency loan fund for College Park.

The loan fund was one of many ideas UMD for Clean Energy pushed in last fall’s city council elections. In our ongoing “Green for College Park” campaign, we plan to continue pushing both the city and the university to adopt policies and make decisions that realize our vision of a prosperous sustainable future that arrives sooner than expected. We certainly weren’t the first.

Other communities are surging ahead. A new “green street” in Edmonston is set to showcase environmental responsibility through plans for a native tree canopy, use of recycled materials, and bioretention and filtration systems to manage stormwater runoff. The 9,100-acre community of St. Charles is another example of forward-thinking development in the state, with developers looking to double the community’s size while reducing its carbon footprint through green design, creating thousands of green jobs in the process.

So what’s next in store for College Park? UMD for Clean Energy students have made their voices heard on issues such as the energy efficiency loan fund, which will affect the whole city. But even in our campus bubble, the chance to encourage a sustainable future is great. The university is reevaluating plans for a 38-acre East Campus redevelopment. Will it reflect the same low sustainable development standards like Route 1? Or will it look more like St. Charles? Will we lead, or will we follow?

As of now, those questions will be answered behind closed doors by university officials. But as College Park falls to the back of the line, perhaps the doors should be opened and students should be given an opportunity to throw in their two cents as well.

We’re looking forward to doing that this semester. You can follow our efforts at www.umdforcleanenergy.com or join our meetings each Monday at 7 p.m. in the Jimenez Room in Stamp Student Union.

Lisa Piccinini is the media director for the student group UMD for Clean Energy. She can be reached at lpiccinini88 at gmail dot com.

Senator Bernie Sanders Releases Major Solar Initiative

Press Release

Release: Sanders Introduces Major Solar Energy Initiative

February 4, 2010

WASHINGTON, February 4 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the Senate’s green jobs subcommittee, today introduced legislation with nine cosponsors to encourage the installation of 10 million solar systems on the rooftops of homes and businesses over the next decade.

“At a time when we spend $350 billion importing oil from Saudi Arabia and other countries every year, the United States must move away from foreign oil to energy independence,” Sanders said. “A dramatic expansion of solar power is a clean and economical way to help break our dependence on foreign oil, reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, improve our geopolitical position, and create good-paying green jobs.”

At a Senate committee hearing today, Sanders questioned Energy Secretary Steven Chu about President Obama’s budget for next year. The White House requested $2.4 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. The requested 5 percent boost overall included a 22 percent increase for solar power.

The potential for solar power also was the subject of testimony last week before Sanders’ green jobs subcommittee by Jeff Wolfe, chief executive officer of groSolar in White River Junction, Vt. Wolfe said Sanders’ bill “would help homeowners and small businesses stabilize their energy costs.”

Sanders’ bill would authorize rebates which, along with other incentives, would cover up to half the cost of the 10 million solar power systems and 200,000 water heating systems. Non-profit groups and state and local governments also would be eligible. The legislation would ensure that participating homeowners and businesses also receive information on incentives to improve energy efficiency.

Sanders said a recent report shows that solar power could help make every state more energy independent if solar units were installed on available rooftop space, because every state can meet 10 percent or more of its electricity needs just through rooftop solar. Moreover, because solar energy creates more jobs per megawatt than other energy sources. Sanders’ bill could create hundreds of thousands of jobs over the next ten years in the solar industry.

The legislation’s cosponsors include Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.),  Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.).

Sanders’ measure is patterned after successful state programs promoting solar energy in New Jersey and California, where prices have fallen as the number of solar units increased.

To read a copy of the bill, click here.