July 12, 2010

Long before carbon cap-and-trade or renewable energy mandates became part of the utility lexicon, California was out in front developing green energy. California is still way out in front in one important way, but there are plenty of followers, with utilities everywhere building and buying renewable energy assets from coast-to-coast.

With mandates for renewable energy in 29 states (called a renewable portfolio standard, or RPS), California is the leader with a target of 20 percent by the end of this year and 33 percent by 2020. The state is at a pace that's way ahead of everybody else's, but the significance is diminished when so many others are doing the same thing, though at lower levels. There's an expectation in the industry, even today after climate legislation became bogged down in Congress over the past year that some form of carbon regulation is inevitable. And with big-ticket nuclear still a few years away and new coal construction at a virtual standstill, utilities are in the renewables game, whether they like it or not.

July 05, 2010 

"What I like most about my job is that I cannot exceed the imagination of my colleagues," said Byron Washom, the University of California at San Diego's director of strategic energy initiatives. "I bring in former utility colleagues of mine, and the first thing they say when they visit the [UCSD] campus is time travel."

However, for UCSD insiders like Washom, the innovations his colleagues refer to are not futuristic. They merely form the backbone of a university that predicates progress on the sustainability of its campus.

Marc Gunther: This is Marc Gunther for GreenBiz.com. I'm here today with Dan Yates. Dan is the founder and CEO of OPower. OPower is a company that helps people conserve energy, and we'll talk about that in a moment, but first a little about Dan. He's just 32, but he previously started and sold an educational software company, then spent about a year traveling with his girlfriend, now his wife, from the Arctic Circle in Alaska to the tip of South America. It was that adventure that led Dan to start OPower. Dan, first tell us why you started the company, and then please describe OPower. Tell us what you do.

Dan Yates: Thanks, Marc. Yeah. I started with my good friend and co-founder Alex Lasky, who is president of OPower. We started it very specifically to have a large scaled impact on emissions. I, in light of my background in information services, having started up a previous internet start-up, and Alex, with his background in politics and policy, surveyed the landscape looking at a bunch of different opportunities.

July 26, 2010

Don't confuse the BP oil spill with the future of natural gas. The fuel is expected to be a global contender when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants through 2050.

That's the conclusion of an MIT study group, which says that natural gas will erode coal's market share over time and particularly after domestic and international carbon controls are put in place. After 2050, however, the study -- managed by the MIT Energy Initiative -- says that carbon-free fuel sources that include both renewables and nuclear power will assume the central leadership roles.

May 11, 2009

During last year's Christmas season, the Tennessee Valley Authority delivered the bad news to its East Tennessee neighbors that one of its dikes had burst and released 5.4 million cubic yards of coal fly ash into the surrounding areas. While no one died, water tests indicated elevated levels of deadly pollutants that had killed hundreds of fish.

TVA, the nation's largest wholesale provider of electricity, is still battling the disaster and it is projected that it will spend at least $850 million cleaning it up. But now Congress and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are also examining the issue to determine if coal ash should be federally regulated under hazardous waste laws or if those rules should continue to be left to the states.

May 17, 2010

Just when the global warming debate starts to simmer, the reintroduction of legislation has caused it perk back up. Three senators across the great political divide have produced a bill that they think can win the votes to reach the president's desk.

The major sticking point is that of cap-and-trade. That is essentially a free-market approach -- as opposed to a command-and-control tack -- to curbing greenhouse gases. From there, the recently drafted bill would promote nuclear power, natural gas vehicles and clean coal. So, while the measure is meant to sway ambivalent lawmakers, it now proceeds to anger the more liberal constituents.

Michigan GREEN (Group for a Renewable Energy Efficient Nation) and Dell, Inc. announce a tree planting event to complement the recent sale of 4,000 Dell computers to the state of Michigan.  Students from Alto, Bushnell, Cherry Creek, and Murray Lake Elementary Schools will vie for the honor of planting 1,000 red and white oak and sugar maple saplings at the Wittenbach/Wege Agriscience and Environmental Education Center  and the adjacent Wege Natural Area in Lowell.

July 28, 2010

Equilar, a compensation research firm, reported that in 2009 the median compensation of CEOs for the top 200 companies declined 13 percent from the previous year to $7.7 million. The decline was attributed to stock and option awards losing value because of the 2009 stock market plunge. Yet an SNL Financial study of utility CEO compensation in 2009 reveals that the top 25 utility CEOs saw their executive compensation increase by 39 percent to 123 percent and 49 of the top 50 showed rising packages.

The utility industry "may have had a bigger recovery over that time period when data was collected," explained Kevin Hollock, director of Cornell University's Institute for Compensation Studies. Since consumers rely on electricity and don't cut back significantly even in a recession, the energy industry is much "less cyclical than buying fancy shoes," he added. Yet Hollock was surprised by the rise in compensation for energy CEOs compared with other industries.

June 07, 2010

Getting consumers to learn how electricity is priced is a good thing. That could lead to efficiency and conservation, resulting in lower rates. That's understood. But do those benefits outweigh the costs and will investors step up?

The issue is now before a multitude of state regulators who must decide how the assets that make up the intelligent utility will get financed. Utilities oftentimes are making the investments after getting regulatory approval to pass the cost of them along to consumers -- just as power plants are handled. Indeed, constructing a grid that allows utilities and consumers to talk with one another might possibly cut down on peak energy consumption and thereby avoid the build-out of expensive infrastructure.

Below is the link to a poignant magazine article by the wife of one of Michigan GREEN's founding members, Marilyn Van Tiem.

JUST LOVE Article
December/January 2010
Reminisce Magazine

March 17, 2010 - Groveland Twp.- Life will be just a little more green for some township residents thanks to a grant awarded earlier this year.

Governor Jennifer Granholm announced in late January that the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth (DELEG) has awarded $17.4 million in grants to 125 cities, villages, townships, and counties throughout Michigan to support local energy efficiency projects.

The state Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) are funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act).

The Mining Journal
Editorial article - Opinion
POSTED: January 10, 2009

The Mining Journal wants to add its voice to the nearly unanimous chorus of support from area school districts for legislative changes that could boost alternative energy use at schools.

Many area school districts have signed off on a petition, circulated by the non-profit Michigan Group for a Renewable Energy Efficient Nation, which urges Gov. Jennifer Granholm to make changes to a Senate bill in order to lower barriers to setting up renewable energy systems at schools.

Plymouth, MI (September 18, 2007)

Green Street Fair, Inc. was founded to help educate and inform people of all ages about the benefits of green, organic, and eco-friendly products and services. To promote global interest and personal well-being, the Green Street Fair, will blend companies, artisans, entertainers, workshops and speakers together in a friendly and family-oriented outdoor environment.