The Environmental Protection Agency just issued a final rule for addressing greenhouse gas emissions from major stationary sources like refineries, power plants and cement production factories. The lower emissions thresholds take effect next January.

David Doniger, from NRDC, has a more detailed post on the new carbon pollution regulations.

More Reaction to the Kerry Lieberman Climate Bill:

• Kerry-Lieberman adds some certainty on offsets « Climate Progress
• Swift action unlikely on climate bill
• Kerry – Lieberman: Legislators React
• States Wary Of New Climate Change Bill : NPR
• Utilities see bright side to new Senate energy legislation | Las Vegas Sun
• Climate: Conservatives aim to sink Kerry-Lieberman bill with ‘gas tax’ claims | E&E Daily (subscription required)

How Fast a Transition from Oil?| Energy Outlook

Geoffrey Styles takes a close look at what it would take for the U.S to reduce reliance on oil:

The Gulf Coast oil spill remains the top energy story this week, eclipsing a $10 drop in oil prices that should soon ripple through to gas pumps near you. With BP’s latest effort to contain the spill having run afoul of a slush buildup composed of methane hydrate crystals, the deepwater well continues to leak at an undetermined rate. The longer the spill continues, the greater the chances for severe environmental consequences, and the likelier that it will become a perception-altering milestone event as some environmentalists have already suggested. However, even if the spill were to galvanize public opinion in a manner similar to the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, what options do we have that could realistically reduce our reliance on oil produced from offshore platforms?

Local Vermont & Regional News:

Biomass plant proposed at former Pownal track – Bennington Banner

A Massachusetts company has signed a lease agreement with the owners of the former Green Mountain Race Track property, planning to construct a large biomass plant and wood pellet manufacturing facility.

Chic Paustian, of Southern Vermont Energy Park, the firm that owns the former track, said he believes the biomass plant will be a 29-megawatt facility and will have about 75 full-time employees, in addition to the hundreds of jobs generated during the facility’s construction.

Middlebury College and Vermont farm energy company partner to explore use of bio-methane gas at the college | Middlebury

Middlebury College and Integrated Energy Solutions (IES), a Vermont developer of farm-based methane energy, have agreed to explore a bio-methane gas collection and delivery system that could help Middlebury further reduce its use of fossil fuels.

Middlebury has agreed to purchase bio-methane gas from IES over a 10-year period, with the agreement contingent on the college raising money to build storage facilities for the gas on campus and retrofit its current heating plant to burn the new fuel, and on IES attracting financing for construction of bio-methane production facilities at farms in Addison County. The project would cost about $9 million, with $2 million coming from Middlebury and $7 million from IES.

Are Wind Turbines Hazardous to Your Health? Docs Disagree | Seven Days

Is “wind turbine syndrome” a bona fide medical condition?

Our Wish List (for power pricing, that is): CLF issues joint statement on the pricing of power from Cape Wind | CLF Scoop

The news this week that National Grid has officially filed its contract proposal with Cape Wind is great news for everyone in our state who breathes the air and believes we need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels in general. Any estimate of the real costs of Cape Wind must factor in the economic, environmental and public health benefits to consumers and the Commonwealth over the long-term. In addition to knowing how much the power from Cape Wind will cost, the public should also know how much it will save them. To accurately estimate the value of our investment in Cape Wind, we can’t just focus on short-term increases to electric bills – pennies per day, on average – but must consider the savings over time.

Cape Wind foes eye law – BostonHerald.com

Opponents of the Cape Wind project are planning to launch a multi-pronged legal attack that could include a challenge to the constitutionality of a state law forcing utilities to buy much of their renewable-energy only from firms that produce power within Massachusetts.

The possible legal assault, based on the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, would be in addition to opponents’ already stated intent to challenge Cape Wind on alleged violations of endangered species, ocean and energy laws.

A Canadian energy company that owns wind farms in Maine has already filed a lawsuit challenging a provision of the state’s Green Communities Act mandating that renewable energy purchased by utilities be produced within the Bay State’s borders, a requirement some think was partly aimed at helping Cape Wind.

VIDEO: The Future of Building Integrated Solar PV: CEO of Wakonda Technologies — The Green Light Distrikt

An interesting video of Les Fritzemeir’s presentation at the recent “Clean Tech Kingpins” meetup in Boston.

Senators John F. Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, and Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, presented their long-delayed proposal to address global warming and energy Wednesday afternoon. They are calling it the American Power Act.

Joesph Romm at Climate Progress has an early analysis of the bill, based on the draft summary leaked to the press. Brad Johnson at the Wonk Room has also published a nice table comparing the key provisions of the legislation to early versions of proposed climate legislation.

Cape Wind Eyes Potential Equity Sale | Green Energy Reporter

Cape Wind, the Boston-based offshore wind developer, is considering selling an equity stake to one or more strategic partners to raise capital to support construction of its 420-megawatt offshore wind farm to be constructed on the Nantucket Sound, an industry source tells G.E.R.

Amid Conflict, a Consensus on Efficiency – Green Blog – NYTimes.com

Those of you who follow energy and environmental issues with some regularity will surely know the McKinsey greenhouse gas cost abatement curve — but for those who are unfamiliar with it, it’s shown above.

All sorts of interesting tidbits can be gleaned from the chart, but the takeaway point — one of critical import to the hundreds of government officials, business executives and advocates for energy reform gathered this week in Washington for the Energy Efficiency Global Forum and Exhibition — is pretty simple: The most inexpensive way to bring down greenhouse gas emissions is to improve energy efficiency.

Making a Splash: PG&E Dives Headlong Into Wave Power Project | Renewable Energy World

Drawing power from the churning sea can seem as difficult as finding Kraken the mythical sea monster. Despite tales of successful trials and imminent commercialization, the wave power industry remains largely in the research and development stages. But a utility-backed project in California could help propel this class of technology into a reliable supply of energy.

The Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) recently filed a federal application to build a 5-megawatt (MW) project about three miles off the coast of Humboldt County in Northern California. The utility plans to select three to four wave energy converter device makers for the 5-year project, which PG&E considers a pilot effort to test different types of technologies, said Jana Morris, a PG&E spokeswoman.

EERE News: DOE and USDA Offer $30 Million for Biomass Research and Development

DOE and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on May 6 jointly announced up to $33 million in funding for biomass research and development. The funding will support projects and processes that produce advanced biofuels, bioenergy, and high-value biobased products.

EERE News: DOE Offers $60 Million for Small Business Clean Energy Projects

DOE announced on May 7 that $60 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding is available to continue supporting innovative small business research and development leading to the deployment of clean energy technologies. This announcement starts the second phase of DOE’s Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program. In the first phase, DOE awarded 125 grants of up to $150,000 to 107 small advanced technology firms across the United States, competitively selected from 950 applicants across the United States. The second phase will provide continued support to first-phase awardees that have demonstrated successful results with their new technologies and can now show their potential to meet market needs. DOE expects to make 58 awards of up to $1 million for SBIR awardees and up to $750,000 for STIR awardees. Applications are due by June 7.

Merriam to lead Efficiency Vermont | The Burlington Free Press

Vermont Energy Investment Corp. announced Tuesday that Jim Merriam, the former chief operating officer of groSolar, will become director of Efficiency Vermont beginning in June.

VEIC is a nonprofit energy services organization, best known for operating Efficiency Vermont, Vermont’s statewide energy efficiency utility.

Good Series of Op-Ed Articles on Energy issues in the Burlington Free Press

• Energy disasters: when is enough enough
• We should encourage geothermal energy in Vermont
• Look past NIMBY and at real energy issues
• Hydro-Quebec deserves “renewable” designation

Maine Energy bills smarten up state policy – Bangor Daily News

Gov. John Baldacci joined state lawmakers and advocates for renewable energy on Tuesday to celebrate the passage of a suite of bills aimed at helping lessen Maine’s dependence on foreign oil and other fossil fuels.

National Life to reduce carbon footprint: Times Argus Online

National Life Group announced on Wednesday that its biomass energy project will meet 90 percent of the heating needs of its Montpelier campus while reducing the company’s annual carbon footprint by 45 percent.

The $2 million project, scheduled to be completed in late summer, is expected to cut National Life’s annual usage of heating oil from 210,000 gallons to about 30,000 gallons. The company’s $500,000 annual heating bill will be cut roughly in half.

National Life’s 500,000-square-foot headquarters is one of the largest commercial buildings in Vermont.

The 2010 Distributed Generation Northeast Conference, hosted by Renewable Energy Vermont (REV) brings together more than 200 business leaders, policy-makers, utilities and others committed to expanding Vermont’s use of renewable, sustainable energy – and are looking at more efficient, cost effective ways to transmit that power to commercial and residential customers.

The conference is next Wednesday, May 19, in Manchester, Vermont. The conference agenda is available here.

Wind power: Clean energy solution of the month | Climate Progress

Peter Sinclair has now started putting together videos on clean energy solutions. Here’s his latest.

Green Energy Competitiveness | Energy Outlook

Geoffrey Styles on the value of focusing financial incentives on green energy manufacturing:

As I was catching up on recent op-eds in the New York Times, I was intrigued by one with the snappy title, “Red China, Green China.” As the author, an “executive in residence at Columbia Business School,” built his case for why the US is falling behind China in clean energy technology, I was hopeful that he’d offer some sensible recommendations for resolving the problems that have made it harder for the US to compete across a whole range of industries, not just cleantech. Unfortunately, two of his three suggestions were focused on measures to ensure a market for clean technology, and the third on R&D for carbon capture and storage. These are worthy goals, but there wasn’t a word about making our manufacturing sector more competitive. That blind spot seems to be shared by the Department of Energy, which according to an article in MIT’s Technology Review ran out of money for clean energy manufacturing tax credits, but spent more than $3 billion funding renewable energy projects, many of which are being built with imported hardware. If we’re serious about competing in a global clean technology race, we’ve got our priorities backwards.

EERE News: Secretary Chu Announces up to $62 Million for Concentrating Solar Power Research and Development

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the selections of projects for investment of up to $62 million over five years to research, develop, and demonstrate Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) systems capable of providing low-cost electrical power. This funding will support improvements in CSP systems, components, and thermal energy storage to accelerate the market-readiness of this renewable energy technology. Accelerating breakthroughs in renewable energy technologies supports the Administration’s strategy of diversifying the U.S. energy portfolio to increase our energy independence while fostering a fast-growing clean-energy economy.

Global warming concerns force local environmental trade-offs | The Connecticut Mirror

For 23 years, Eva Villanova has lived the idyllic country life. She raised a family and made a name for herself as an artist. Her home on leafy Flagg Hill Road in the northwest Connecticut town of Colebrook was a perfect place to turn ordinary clumps of clay into extraordinary works of art-or so Villanova thought.

Much to her dismay, a Connecticut energy company is proposing to build as many as five 320-foot wind turbines just yards away from Villanova’s kilns. The project, proposed by BNE Energy Inc., would be the first substantial wind farm in the state. It would go a long way in helping Connecticut achieve its goal of generating 20 percent of its power over the next decade from renewable energy sources.

Making America a 21st Century Solar Power | Renewable Energy World

Solar Power presents opportunities in the United States that cannot be overstated. It can be part of a renewable energy portfolio to achieve energy independence, it can demonstrate commitment to leadership on controlling climate change and it can be the foundation for thousands of green technology jobs around the country.

Key to continued progress on these goals will be federal leadership; smart, integrated policy prescriptions; and ideas, commitment and investment from private industry.

An initiative by Congressman Peter Welch to reduce energy consumption and create jobs has passed the U.S. House. VPR’s Ross Sneyd reports.

Vermont Senate backs Hydro-Quebec renewable-energy status | The Burlington Free Press

The Senate voted unanimously Thursday to back a bill that grants Hydro-Quebec status as a renewable-energy source, a move supporters say will give Vermonters a better deal on power but that environmentalists contend will discourage creation of new renewable energy.
The bill will also consolidate permit appeals for renewable energy facilities and extend important Vermont state solar tax credits. The text of the Senate amendments to House Bill H.781 are available here (scroll to page 32 of the pdf).

National Grid & Cape Wind Sign 15-Year PPA | Renewable Energy World

On Friday, National Grid and Cape Wind announced that they will file a contract with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) on Monday under which National Grid will buy power from the nation’s first large-scale, offshore wind farm, which is expected to come online by the end of 2012. This follows the recent decision from U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to approve the project.

Under the terms of the contract, which must be approved by the DPU, beginning in 2013, National Grid would purchase from Cape Wind 50 percent of the wind farm’s output including electricity, renewable energy certificates (RECs), and other potential market attributes for US $0.207 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

‘I’m in This to Win,’ Graham Says of Senate Climate Bill – NYTimes.com

Sen. Lindsey Graham doesn’t sound like someone who’s abandoned the push to pass a global warming bill.
Standing in the Senate’s historic Kennedy Caucus Room, the site of hearings on the sinking of the Titanic and Watergate, the South Carolina Republican told a room full of environmentalists and Obama administration officials Tuesday night that he is still in the fight to enact legislation that caps greenhouse gases and expands domestic energy production. “I’m not playing the game to win 43 [votes],” he said, referring to the high-water mark of past Senate climate bill roll calls. “I’m not in this to make a statement. I’m in this to win.”

Cape Wind decision propels other offshore projects | Stateline.org

Last week’s approval of a wind farm off the Massachusetts shore has wind energy developers in other states riding a wave of new momentum, even as the Gulf Coast oil spill casts doubt on the future of drilling. From Maine to North Carolina, efforts to plant enormous wind turbines on the ocean floor got a boost when the U.S. Interior Department signed off on 130 wind turbines five miles off the coast of Cape Cod, the first time an offshore wind project has passed federal muster.

The next day, in New Jersey, a company called Fishermen’s Energy launched a buoy to measure wind speed and temperatures to determine the best location to site turbines. If all goes as the company hopes, construction on up to 100 offshore turbines could begin next year, says spokeswoman Rhonda Jackson.

Leases sought to test wind turbines off Ga. coast | The Augusta Chronicle

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Southern Co. has asked the U.S. Department of the Interior for ocean leases off the coasts of Jekyll Island and Savannah to erect research towers to determine the feasibility of constructing offshore wind turbines. The Atlanta-based company wants to construct towers to support equipment to measure wind speeds and directions, hurricane resistance and to gather other data determine if wind turbines may be viable as an alternative energy source in Georgia.

Patent Pending: The Fast Track – Green Blog – NYTimes.com

My first job after college was as a patent examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. I spent my days evaluating stacks of patent applications, most of them three to four years old because of the immense backlog the office faced. Today the office still struggles with a major backlog.

But inventors of green technology may have a leg up. Under a program that started in December, they can request that their patents be put through an accelerated queue. The purpose of the program is to help them raise money, start up businesses and bring products to the market more rapidly.

PUC vote blocks ‘renewable energy credits’ – SignOnSanDiego.com

Faced with intense lobbying, California regulators Thursday backtracked on a decision that limits how big utilities account for green power they purchase outside the state. The Public Utilities Commission voted 4-1 to stop utilities from using “renewable energy credits,” most of which come from outside California, until it figures out a different way to deal with the issue. Utilities have been using those credits to meet requirements that they provide 20 percent of their power from sources like the sun and wind by the end of the year. The decision was a reversal from the PUC’s decision eight weeks ago setting up how the purchase of such credits would work.

The Wall Street Journal also has a story on this issue (subscription required)

U.S. carbon dioxide emissions fell record 7% last year | USATODAY.com

Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions fell a record 7% last year, due partly to the economic downturn, the U.S. government reported Wednesday. While emissions have fallen in three of the last four years, 2009’s drop was the largest since the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) began keeping comprehensive data in 1949.

Read the EIA’s report, U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions in 2009: A Retrospective Review, for more.

Oil spill clouds future of energy legislation | msnbc.com

The Gulf oil spill has dealt a big blow to expanded offshore drilling, leaving the nation’s energy problems as murky and unsettled as ever. The disaster may bolster arguments for greater energy conservation and renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, environmentalists say. But it’s hard to see any other political beneficiaries, and under the best of scenarios, few experts think the nation’s thirst for foreign oil will abate for years to come.

Thomas Friedman – No Fooling Mother Nature – NYTimes.com

There is only one meaningful response to the horrific oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and that is for America to stop messing around when it comes to designing its energy and environmental future. The only meaningful response to this man-made disaster is a man-made energy bill that would finally put in place an American clean-energy infrastructure that would set our country on a real, long-term path to ending our addiction to oil.

Win-win on savings and comfort – The Manchester Journal

Martha Thompson owns a not untypical home in Manchester – a two-story Cape-style house built in 1963. Other than adding on an additional room 10 years later, not much changed; until last year. Then, Thompson was one of two area residents selected for a free home energy audit and insulation project underwritten by the Stratton Foundation, and Efficiency Vermont, an independent, non-profit organization under contract to the Vermont Public Service Board that provides technical assistance and financial incentives to Vermont households and businesses, to help them reduce their energy costs. The organization is funded by an energy efficiency charge on consumers’ electric bills. One winter heating season later, the differences were marked – the house was warmer and her heating bill lower, she said.

NewNet News – Venture capital investment in clean technology bolstered by energy efficiency and electric vehicle deals

Venture capital investment into clean technology companies by US firms has increased by about two-thirds since the economic dip of early 2009 in the first quarter of the year, driven by energy efficiency and electric vehicle deals, according to a recent study. US venture capital investment in the sector in the first quarter of fiscal 2010 hit $733.3m, representing a 68 per cent increase in capital and 118 per cent increase in deals compared to the first quarter of 2009, according to analysis by Ernst & Young.

RI Govenor Carcieri backs special law for energy developer to bypass permit agency | The Providence Journal

Governor Carcieri went before a Senate committee on Wednesday to urge passage of first-of-a-kind legislation that would allow a private energy company to bypass a key regulatory board in a quest to build a wind farm in waters off Block Island. Carcieri gave “unqualified support” to a bill that would clear the way for developer Deepwater Wind to enter into a power-purchase agreement with National Grid, the state’s main electricity utility, which could go into effect without approval from the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission. The governor told the Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture that the special treatment the bill would give Deepwater is necessary for the company’s eight-turbine wind farm to move forward quickly, and is also a crucial step in the plan for Rhode Island to become a manufacturing hub for the nation’s offshore wind industry.

Colorado Seeks a Renewable Energy Peak | National Geographic Daily News

The United States gets only 4 percent of its electricity from wind, solar and biomass, but Colorado thinks it can do better. A lot better. This spring, Democratic Governor Bill Ritter signed into law a program for Colorado to get 30 percent of its power from renewable energy by 2020. Does Colorado have a secret it would like to share? Experts agree that Colorado has made great strides in incorporating renewables into its energy mix. The state is on its way to meeting its original 10 percent goal way ahead of schedule, and has raised the bar twice since then. But it remains to be seen whether what works in the heart of the Rockies can translate to places that lack Colorado’s unique geography or political landscape.

Companies like Google and Facebook capitalize on the power of user data, scouring our e-mail messages and profiles for keywords that can result in lucrative targeted advertising. Google is explicit about its mission “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” Now it is laying out plans to become a leader in capturing, owning, tracking and trading energy. Recently the company announced a $38.8 million investment in two wind farm projects in North Dakota, as our friends at Dealbook noted.

Want jobs? We can get them from clean energy (Reps. Inslee and Israel) – The Hill’s Congress Blog

As we await introduction in the Senate of comprehensive energy and climate legislation consistent with the American Clean Energy and Security Act passed by the House ten months ago, it is time to focus on other critical steps that Congress can take to harness American innovation to create millions of jobs as part of our new clean energy economy.

Oil spill emboldens Georgia wind-energy advocates | ajc.com

Last Wednesday, as the magnitude of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico grew starker, environmentalists were handed the perfect weapon to fight drilling off the Georgia coast. Their clean-energy hopes were buoyed further by the Obama administration’s approval that same day of a massive wind-turbine farm off Massachusetts – a welcome impetus for proposed wind-energy projects off Tybee and Jekyll islands.

Wildlife Rulings Challenge Wind Farms | Renewable Energy World

Two recent high-profile decisions on wind development and wildlife mean that developers looking to develop wind farms on sites considered endangered bat territory in the Eastern United States might consider getting an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) to eliminate any risk, while Wyoming’s sage grouse rules still dominate in Western U.S.

Connecticut Legislature Passes Energy Bill | Solar Industry

The Connecticut House of Representatives has passed an energy bill that includes provisions to expand the production of solar energy and other forms of renewable energy. The House’s approval, by a vote of 81-40, follows state Senate approval, by a vote of 20-14, earlier this week. However, the bill may not have enough votes to overcome a potential veto by Gov. M. Jodi Rell, R-Conn., the Hartford Courant reports. Rell’s aides have recently expressed concerns about the bill and its potential impact on electric rates, while the bill’s sponsors, co-chairmen of the legislature’s energy committee – Sen. John Fonfara, D-Hartford, and Rep. Vickie Nardello, D-Prospect – maintain that it will lower rates by 15%.

GE Biogas Engines Bring World’s Largest Cow Manure To Energy Project To Life | EarthTechling

Biogas production from cow manure is certainly nothing new in the field of renewable energy. Never before though, apparently, has a project unfolding in China been undertaken on such a large scale: 250,000 cows (!) producing enough cow poo to generate 38,000 MWh a year of converted biogas. At the heart of the new Liaoning Huishan Cow Farm will be four biogas engines from GE.

Renewable energy transmission line debate heats up – POWER-GEN WorldWide

Xcel Energy says it might have to reduce the amount of solar power it buys in Colorado over the next few years because a hedge fund manager does not want a transmission line built over land he owns. The utility, along with project partner Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, requested May 4 to cancel a hearing on the proposed power line. The utility said it wants to amend the plan it filed with the state to meet a renewable standard. The Denver Business Journal reported the story. Xcel and Tri-State are working on a 140-mile, $180 million transmission line in south-central Colorado to transmit power generated from planned solar developments in parts of Colorado and New Mexico. Solar project developers say they are unable to obtain financing because of uncertainty over the transmission line.

Southern California Edison boosts renewable energy grid access | BrighterEnergy.org

The Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project is the first major transmission project in the state to be built specifically to provide access to renewable energy. When complete, it will comprise a series of high-voltage power lines stretching from eastern Kern County to the city of Ontario in San Bernardino County, bringing wind and solar power in from the California desert to the Los Angeles area. The first part of the project saw the first three of 11 segments completed, providing 700MW of capacity. When complete, it will bring in 4,500MW of renewable power.

EERE News: EPA and USDA to Promote Renewable Energy Generation from Livestock

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new interagency agreement on May 3 to promote renewable energy generation and slash greenhouse gas emissions from livestock operations. The agreement expands the work of the AgStar program, a joint EPA-USDA effort that helps livestock producers reduce methane emissions from their operations.

Vermont’s lone representative to the U.S. House says a bill designed to make homes more energy efficient would help create jobs. Democratic Rep. Peter Welch says the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act being considered by Congress would create 170,000 jobs nationally in construction, retail and manufacturing.

Official Google Blog: Not merely tilting at windmills — investing in them too

On Friday we made our first direct investment in a utility-scale renewable energy project — two wind farms that generate 169.5 megawatts of power, enough to power more than 55,000 homes. These wind farms, developed by NextEra Energy Resources, harness power from one of the world’s richest wind resources in the North Dakota plains and use existing transmission capacity to deliver clean energy to the region, reducing the use of fossil fuels. Through this $38.8 million investment, we’re aiming to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy — in a way that makes good business sense, too.

Solar Marketing Strategies: Smart Grid Standards Must Come First

Technology adoption is all about standards. To succeed with consumers, one firm’s gadget often has to work with other gadgets from other firms. Technology moves so quickly that standards set by committees usually come too late. Instead, the industry organizes itself around de-facto standards championed by single firms with the clout to make them stick. For example, as Intel has done with microprocessors. Early adopters who are using Smart Grid Investment Grants (SGIG) are currently choosing hardware, software and communications technology well before most of the relevant standards have been settled. This creates enormous *risk* in the minds of the public. The possibility of selecting the wrong vendors or technologies is keeping a lot of people from participating, thereby delaying mainstream adoption of smart grid products and applications. Smart grid standards would help remove this barrier to adoption and open the door to mainstream markets. The only question is, who has the clout to establish a de-facto standard that the rest of the industry can follow and benefit from?

Op-Ed Columnist David Brooks – American Power Act – NYTimes.com

In 1860, Samuel Curtis, a Republican congressman of Iowa, sponsored a bill to create a transcontinental railroad. The debate over that public-private partnership was long and messy. Democrats said the proposal was unconstitutional. Others rightly argued that it meant huge giveaways to the rich. But the railroad effort, backed by Abraham Lincoln, swept forward. “Nations are never stationary,” Representative James Campbell told the House. “They advance or recede. We cannot remain inactive … without the loss of trade, of commerce, and power.” After the legislation was approved in 1862, there were continual setbacks. The Union Pacific Railroad languished. Scandals mounted. Yet despite it all, the final spike was hammered into place at Promontory Point, Utah, in 1869, linking the nation and heralding a new burst of prosperity. When you read that history, you’re reminded that large efforts are generally plagued by stupidity, error and corruption. But by the sheer act of stumbling forward, it’s possible, sometimes, to achieve important things.
Energy innovation is the railroad legislation of today.

Connecticut energy overhaul debate is put on hold | News from southeastern Connecticut

Late Monday night, state Senate leaders postponed debate on a massive proposal to overhaul state energy policy, pushing a vote back at least until today and leaving its fate unclear. But any visitor wondering about the scope and import of the bill needed search no further than the crowds of lobbyists, activists and aides clustered in the marble hall outside the Senate chamber.

The attempt to make the most sweeping changes in Connecticut’s electricity markets since their deregulation in 1998 has provoked an aggressive show of force by power companies, business interests, environmentalists and advocates for consumers, the elderly and the poor.

USDA Invites Applications for Renewable Energy Funding

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is seeking applications to increase the production and use of renewable energy sources. Funding is available from four USDA Rural Development renewable energy programs authorized by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill).

“This funding will help spur investments in technologies that will reduce reliance on fossil fuels, conserve natural resources and help build a sustained renewable energy industry in rural America,” Vilsack said. “Support provided by USDA through these programs will not only benefit the environment, it will create green jobs and help America become more energy self-sufficient.”

NREL Releases Assessment of Green Power Programs| Solar Industry

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has released its annual assessment of leading utility green power programs. Under these voluntary programs, consumers can choose to help support additional electricity production from renewable resources such as solar and wind.

Opinion: Oil Slick You Can’t See Threatens the Entire Ocean – Bill McKibben

If you think that slick of oil spreading across the Gulf of Mexico is a nasty sight … well, it is. And so we’ll probably do something about it. Within hours of the crude reaching the coast, an aide to President Barack Obama said new offshore drilling would be put on hold. But here’s the problem: An even bigger slick — this one of acid — is spreading across the entire ocean. It’s doing damage far more profound than even the oil. But since you can’t see it, nothing’s happened.

Study outlines offshore energy prospects in Virginia | newsleader.com

The development of a turbine manufacturing industry along Virginia’s coast is key to creating jobs and reducing the costs of offshore wind energy, according to the most detailed analysis yet of the state’s offshore wind prospects. The report by the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium concludes that the development of an offshore supply industry in Hampton Roads would generate thousands of jobs and reduce the estimated kilowatt hour cost of energy generated by wind turbines off the coast.

Renewable energy advocates say Vermont lags behind other New England states in supporting large-scale wind projects. They cite a recent decision by developers to postpone a controversial wind project in Ira as evidence that the state is an unfriendly place to do business. But those who question wind turbines on ridgelines say Vermont needs to maintain environmental standards for all development – including renewable energy. VPR’s John Dillon reports.

Investing: Smart grid offers investment opportunity | The Burlington Free Press | by Ian Wyatt

Each summer rolling blackouts and disruptive power outages remind us that in spite of being the world’s most developed country, the United States still faces the challenges of meeting increased energy demand with aging technology. There’s a profit opportunity for astute investors to hop on board with what’s known as “the smart grid” — which is just a catchy way of saying upgrade our infrastructure.

Vermont State Parks announces renewable energy innovation challenge | Vermont Business Magazine

At the Sunward solar manufacturing facility in Winooski today, the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR) and Governor Jim Douglas kicked off a new initiative offering Vermont companies the opportunity to demonstrate their newest renewable energy and energy conservation products in the Vermont State Park system. The new initiative—dubbed the Vermont State Parks Innovation Challenge—is an opportunity for Vermont’s energy companies to connect with park visitors, and benefit from the Vermont State Parks brand, while making a contribution to an important state resource.

There Once Was a Wind Farm From Nantucket: Rethinking Energy Production

The state of Vermont is poised to shut down the Yankee nuclear power plant, after months of underground tritium leaks, and misleading statements from Entergy’s local management team. A BP drilling rig explosion will lead to as much as 4 million gallons of crude oil leaking out into the Gulf of Mexico, threatening wide-scale coastal damage. 29 miners were killed this month in an explosion in a Massey Energy coal mine in West Virginia. You would think that these messes would have the public – and especially environmentalists – running towards wind power as a solution…without even factoring in the climate change benefits of renewable energy. Yet in Cape Cod, some environmental groups and residents are fighting hard to overturn approval of the nation’s first offshore wind farm.

Cyclists pedal a ride for green energy future: Times Argus Online

They may not be joining an energy-themed bike ride from the state’s capitol to Burlington, but the five Democrats running for governor joined the send-off for dozens of college students hoping for a green energy future Friday. Calling themselves the Race to Replace, the college students have vowed to register 2,000 young Vermonters to vote this year with an eye to electing a new governor who would promise to replace all of Vermont Yankee’s energy with green power.

Hydro plan in Pownal could face challenges – Bennington Banner

It remains unclear what challenges a proposed power generation facility at former Pownal Tanning Co.’s hydroelectric dam will face when it comes to getting state and federal permits. The dam, which once provided power to the tanning company, is owned by the town, which hopes to lease it. Recently, the Select Board signed a lease-option agreement with a Burlington company, Encore Redevelopment, which allowed the developer to get the project into a state program that subsidizes “green” and renewable energy projects.

U.S. Electrical Grid Undergoes Massive Transition to Connect to Renewables: Scientific American

The U.S. electrical grid is the largest interconnected machine on Earth: 200,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and 5.5 million miles of local distribution lines, linking thousands of generating plants to factories, homes and businesses. The National Academy of Engineering ranks it as the greatest engineering achievement of the 20th century. What it cannot do is support the massive shift to low-carbon power that scientists warn will be needed to avoid catastrophic climate change impacts. To shrink the electricity sector’s carbon footprint, experts say, the nation needs to build thousands of miles of new transmission lines over the next 20 years to connect more renewable resources to electricity demand centers.

Greenpeace lauds Cisco on climate, chides Google | Green Tech – CNET News

Despite Google’s lobbying on clean-energy policy and investments in renewable energy, it was Cisco and Ericsson who received Greenpeace’s top marks in its ranking of computing vendors’ activity on climate change. The environmental watchdog group released its annual Cool IT Leaderboard on Thursday, which judges large IT and consumer electronics companies on a range of criteria related to climate change, including efforts to lower their environmental footprints and commercial efforts in energy and efficiency.

App can help fine-tune your electricity usage – The Boston Globe

The next meter your utility company installs will be a smart one, the industry tells us. (It’s all part of the government’s smart-grid plans, and a potentially a new threat to consumers’ privacy.) Your smart meter may have the ability able to tell you how much juice your dishwasher is using or how efficient your fridge is. But another system, developed by engineering students at Northeastern University, can do a better job of helping you trim your energy bill.

AGs for 5 states eye legal strategy for oil spill – Yahoo! News

The top law enforcement executives for five states will meet to talk about legal options for dealing with the effects of a massive oil spill threatening their Gulf of Mexico shores. The attorneys general from Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas will meet Sunday in Mobile, Ala. A statement said the meeting will discuss legal options, strategies, and preparations for the spill that erupted after a drill rig exploded April 20. Asked if the states may file lawsuits against oil company BP PLC and other firms, a spokeswoman for Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum said he is looking at all possibilities.

War Against a Wind-Rich Super Grid – Green Blog – NYTimes.com

After several years of debate, a coalition has emerged around the idea of a strong national electric grid, centrally planned and broadly financed, that would promote renewable energy. The group includes giant investor-owned utilities, public power entities, influential elected officials of both parties and state energy officials, and they speak with a single voice. And they oppose it. The group, the Coalition for Fair Transmission Policy, founded in January, is trying to block the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from approving a series of major transmission paths from wind-rich areas in the middle of the continent to load centers all over and then spreading the cost of the new lines around the whole country.

Engineers Tap Algae Cells for Electricity

Now researchers at Stanford are inspired by a new idea. They intercepted the electrons just after they had been excited by light and were at their highest energy levels. They put the gold electrodes inside the chloroplasts of algae cells, and tapped the electrons to create a tiny electrical current. It may be the beginning of the production of “high efficiency” bioelectricity. This will be a clean and green source of energy but minus carbon dioxide.

Regulating Small Hydro | Renewable Energy World

Developers of small hydropower projects are seeking big changes in the way their projects are permitted and licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Requests to build small hydro projects, facilities with a capacity of 5 MW or less, have been pouring into FERC, thanks to new tax credits, grants, and initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “There’s a definite increase in interest in the industry and FERC is feeling it in the number of preliminary permit applications and development proposals,” said Nancy Skancke, an attorney with GKRSE and chair of the National Hydropower Association’s (NHA) Small Hydro Council.

Gov. Ritter signs bill into law to expand geothermal energy production – KWGN

A new state law encourages geothermal energy projects by making it easier for government agencies to cooperate on studies and projects. The bill signed into law Friday by Gov. Bill Ritter also streamlines the process for obtaining geothermal drilling permits.

If a coalition of Vermont college students has its way, the future of Vermont Yankee – specifically what to replace that nuclear power with – will be a big issue in this year’s gubernatorial campaign.

Started by a group of Middlebury College students, the Race to Replace kicks off with a Statehouse rally on Friday, April 30, as dozens of young Vermonters will bicycle from the state’s capitol to Burlington.

Quiet Progress on Senate Climate Bill – Green Blog – NYTimes.com

Although the public progress of the Senate attempt to write a comprehensive climate change energy bill has ground to a halt because of a protest by one of its chief sponsors, an outline of the bill’s major provisions is moving forward.

Cape Cod Residents Don’t Expect One Ruling to End Long Fight – NYTimes.com

The federal government may have described the Cape Wind project as a fait accompli, but Ian Parent does not expect to see turbines in the water or run the panini maker at his restaurant with electricity generated in Nantucket Sound any time soon.

Cape Wind litigation is likely to result in delay only, specialists say – The Boston Globe

Even before US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced approval of Cape Wind yesterday, foes of the nation’s first offshore wind farm vowed to take the matter to court.

Cape Wind approval may boost R.I. plans | Rhode Island news | projo.com | The Providence Journal

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s announcement on Wednesday of his approval of an offshore wind farm in Massachusetts could have far-reaching implications for Rhode Island.

A Simple Carbon Fee for the Benefit of All | Green Energy News

Bruce Mulliken takes a look at climate change legislation in the US & Australia, over at Green Energy News. His suggestion: just stick with a straight carbon fee.

The US, probably Australia too, needs climate action that is simple, straightforward and offers a clear, direct, obvious benefit to the people – such as a check in the mail.

Burlington Selected to Join Elite ‘Carbon War Room’ | Seven Days

Burlington is among 15 cities from around the world that will take part in a 30-month challenge to develop new, market-driven solutions to combat climate change. The Carbon War Room, a non-profit organization founded by Virgin mogul Sir Richard Branson, made the announcement Wednesday.