Monthly Archives: February 2012
February 28, 2012
Note: This post was originally published on Clean Technica
By Silvio Marcacci
As New Jersey debates continued participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a new report says the state risks hundreds of millions in future revenue, thousands of jobs, higher utility rates for consumers, and cleaner air.
The report from Environment New Jersey, Benefits of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, comes as the state legislature considers bills to re-insert New Jersey into RGGI after Governor Chris Christie called the program a failure and began pulling out of the compact in May 2011.
Note: This post was originally published on Clean Technica
By Silvio Marcacci
The UK-based Carbon Trust announced today it would work with General Electric (GE) to establish a $5-million business incubator fund designed to boost low-carbon infrastructure technologies. The fund is targeted toward European clean tech start-up businesses, and will not have a cap on the size of possible investments.
Both companies will work together during the initial 18-month partnership to selectively identify promising companies, offer management advice, and allocate capital funding. Carbon Trust will administer the program, and the funding will come from GE’s $200 million ecomagination Challenge. GE has committed $134 million from the fund to date in start-up investments and commercial partnerships across the globe since it launched in 2010.
Note: This post was originally published on Clean Technica
By Silvio Marcacci
A new report from Pike Research predicts the global biofuels market will double over the next decade, from $82.7 billion in 2011 to $185.3 billion in 2021. Even with this rapid growth, however, significant hurdles remain and could prevent the industry from meeting government mandates.
The new report, Biofuels Markets and Technologies, estimates steady growth though 2016 but rapid production increases between 2017 and 2021 as a result of higher oil prices, emerging mandates, new feedstock availability, and advanced technologies. Total global biofuel production is projected to reach 65.7 billion gallons per year (BGPY) by 2021, and ethanol is expected to maintain its dominance over the industry, with nearly 50 BGPY compared to biodiesel’s 16.2 BGPY.
February 25, 2012
Powering any city with 100 percent renewable energy sources without any significant cost increase for consumers is a no-brainer, right? The answer is definitely “yes” in Cincinnati, Ohio, where city officials are working on a deal that could have only renewable electrons flowing across the city by this summer.
The Queen City is moving toward a renewable-only portfolio through a power aggregation deal with regional power providers. In Ohio, local communities are allowed by law to pool their citizens together to increase buying power and solicit lower prices for natural gas and electricity.
February 23, 2012
Note: This post was originally published on Earth & Industry
By Silvio Marcacci
Canada has threatened to instigate a trade war with the European Union over a February 23rd vote to label oil from the Alberta tar sands region as “highly polluting.”
The proposal would include tar sands in the EU’s fuel quality directive, (FQD) an official ranking that enables fuel suppliers to identify the most carbon-intensive fuel sources in an effort to meet strict EU environmental standards.
February 20, 2012
Note: This post was originally published on Earth & Industry
By Silvio Marcacci
Ten global energy and climate “megaforces” are doubling the costs of environmental impacts on businesses every 14 years, currently equal 40 percent of average profits, and could significantly affect corporate growth by 2030, says KPMG International.
This rapid acceleration of external environmental costs is detailed in a new study, “Expect the Unexpected: Building Business Value in a Changing World.” KPMG says the megaforces often do not show up on financial statements and thus may not be factored into corporate business plans because they are often borne by individuals or society as a whole, and can be non-monetary in nature.
February 18, 2012
Note: This post was originally published on CleanTechnica
By Silvio Marcacci
America’s first commercial-scale concentrating solar power (CSP) facility took a major step forward this week with completion of the project’s 540-foot tower.
When complete, the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project, located near Tonopah, Nevada, will feature 110-megawatts of new solar capacity with fully integrated energy storage, and be the largest CSP facility in the world.
Note: This post was originally published on Clean Technica
By Silvio Marcacci
An independent review of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) loan guarantee program (LGP) finds that the program is working, but recommends several strategies to better protect government investments from failure.
Overall, the program was found to be a success. LGP funding has leveraged $40 billion in direct private investment into the U.S. economy, according to the review. In addition, the review states the LGP has $2.9 billion of risk on its books, which is about a third of the risk Congress allotted for the program when enacted on a bipartisan basis in 2005.
February 16, 2012
Note: This post was originally published on Clean Technica
By Silvio Marcacci
Boulder City, Nevada is best known as the home of Hoover Dam, once the largest hydroelectric power plant in the country. But the rapid expansion of solar power projects is quickly making a name for the city as the first solar-financed town in America.
A solar power building boom is happening in the community, located about 25 miles south of Las Vegas. This boom will soon generate enough revenue to eliminate Boulder City’s municipal debt and stabilize its financial needs for years to come, according to Mayor Roger Tobler.
February 14, 2012
Note: This post was originally posted on Clean Technica
By Silvio Marcacci
A new study finds that companies that voluntarily reported data about their greenhouse gas emissions saw stock prices increase in value $10 billion dollars over a 10-year period. In the two days immediately after announcements, stock prices jumped nearly half a percent, compared to the two days before announcements. Comparatively, companies that did not voluntarily release emissions information saw no statistical change in their stock values over that period.
Smaller companies saw an even larger increase in stock value, 2.3 percent, compared to larger companies and the overall mean. The report attributed this advantage to analysts and investors tracking the smaller companies less closely than larger companies, making their disclosures more valuable to the stock market.
The study “Going Green: Market Reaction to CSR Newswire Releases,” was conducted by University of California researchers and compared 172 press… Continue reading >
