Biomass Magazine

By Erin Voegele

Published: February 4, 2009

 

By a vote of 244 to 199, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on Jan. 28. The stimulus package makes supplemental appropriations for job preservation and creation, infrastructure investment, energy efficiency and science, assistance to the unemployed, and state and local fiscal stabilization. While 244 democrats voted to pass the bill, 11 democrats and 177 republicans opposed it.

Reuters

By Deborah L. Cohen

Published: February 3, 2009

 

When the government starts doling out tax dollars to kick-start the economy, companies offering green products are hoping to be high up in the pecking order for contracts. The final economic stimulus package, priced at nearly $1 trillion, will funnel funds to infrastructure improvements ranging from bridges to schools and alternative energy grids.

Reuters

By Gerard Wynn

Published: February 3, 2009

 

The United States overtook Germany as the biggest producer of wind power last year, new figures showed, and will likely take the lead in solar power this year, analysts said on Monday. Even before an expected "Obama bounce" from a new President who has vowed to boost clean energy, U.S. wind power capacity surged 50 percent last year to 25 gigwatts (GW) -- enough to power more than five million homes.

Time

By Bryan Walsh

Published: February 3, 2009

 

Last year, renewable energy technologies like wind and solar were the fastest growing new sources of electricity in the U.S. — and though the recession has slowed down expansion, green power is still set to take off under President Barack Obama. But if America is ever going to truly run on renewable energy — less than 12% of U.S. electricity currently comes from alternatives sources, and most of that from older types like nuclear and hydro — we'll need to embrace next-generation technologies.

Policy Innovations

By Devin T. Stewart and Warren Wilczewski

Published: February 3, 2009

 

A few weeks before becoming president, Barack Obama gave a speech that might foreshadow his energy policy. "For over three decades, we've listened to a growing chorus of warnings about our energy dependence. We've heard president after president promise to chart a new course. … Yet our dependence on foreign oil has only grown, even as the world's resources are disappearing," he said.

Chattanooga Times Free Press

By Dave Flessner

Published: February 3, 2009

 

Despite the slowing economy, Tennessee’s chief economic recruiter insists there are still plenty of greenbacks to be made by growing the state’s green industry. A new state study estimates Tennessee could gain more than 40,000 direct and indirect jobs in energy renewable and conservation businesses and another 2,000 jobs from state building conservation improvements if certain incentives and investments are made. Those steps would promote more energy renewable industries and conservation upgrades.

Knoxville News Sentinel

By Larisa Brass

Published: February 3, 2009

 

Green industry has the potential of pulling Tennessee up by its economic bootstraps, according to a state report making a timely entrance as a newly-inaugurated president looks to energize the troubled U.S. economy. Released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development last month, "Growing Green: The Potential for Green Job Growth in Tennessee" doesn't really say anything new. Instead, it represents a collection of data from a number of state and nationwide studies and spells out specifics for job creation in renewable- and energy-efficiency-related fields.

The Wall Street Journal

By Joseph B. White

Published: February 3, 2009

 

Looking for an emblem of the times? Check out the 180-degree turn auto companies are executing with the concept of the "halo car." A halo car is a vehicle built primarily for the purpose of promoting a car maker or its brand. Halo cars have come in various guises over the decades, but auto designers and marketers have generally stuck with a familiar formula: engineer a convertible or a sporty coupe with aggressive styling and plenty of power under the hood -- or at least, plenty of power relative to the car's weight.

The Wall Street Journal

By Guy Chazan

Published: February 3, 2009

 

Royal Dutch Shell, censured twice by Britain's ad police for exaggerating its commitment to green issues, is hoping to avoid controversy in its latest ad campaign. It isn't clear if it has succeeded. The Anglo-Dutch oil giant drew fire from activist groups like Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth for past attempts to extol its environmental responsibility. It tended to boast of its investments in alternative energy with ads that spoke of the "power to create a cleaner, safer world."

The New York Times

By Simon Romero

Published: February 3, 2009

 

In the rush to build the next generation of hybrid or electric cars, a sobering fact confronts both automakers and governments seeking to lower their reliance on foreign oil: almost half of the world’s lithium, the mineral needed to power the vehicles, is found here in Bolivia — a country that may not be willing to surrender it so easily.

The USA Today

By Richard Wolf

Published: February 3, 2009

 

Looking for a job or fear losing your own? President Obama says he can help 3 million to 4 million of you. That could be optimistic, however. The Congressional Budget Office says Obama's economic stimulus package of spending programs and tax cuts would create 1.2 million to 3.6 million jobs. The economic consulting firm IHS Global Insight puts the number at 2.6 million.

The Washington Post

By Steven Mufson

Published: February 3, 2009

 

Environmental groups are protesting a proposed $50 billion increase to an existing federal loan guarantee program for "innovative" energy technologies that could expand funding beyond renewable energy to include nuclear power and certain kinds of coal plants. The proposal is part of the Senate's $884 billion version of the government's stimulus package. It is just one example of the number and size of items buried in the proposal and an illustration of the battles that loom as the House and Senate try to reconcile their proposals.

The Associated Press

By Matthew Brown

Published: February 3, 2009

 

A Montana utility is dropping plans for a 250-megawatt, coal-fired power plant near Great Falls and will instead build a smaller natural gas plant and some wind turbines, company officials said Monday. The abandonment of Southern Montana Electric's Highwood Generating Station adds to a long list of coal plants canceled across the country over the past several years. Coal projects have been buffeted by skyrocketing construction costs, climate change pressures and a concerted legal campaign from environmental groups.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

By Don Hopey

Published: February 3, 2009

 

State legislation requiring that 20 percent of the state's energy come from cleaner sources including wind and solar by 2026 has attracted opposition from four statewide environmental groups. The problem, according to the Sierra Club, PennEnvironment, Clean Air Council and Clean Water Action, lies in the bill's provisions mandating that 3 percent of the state's power must come from coal-fired power plants equipped with carbon capture and sequestration technology.

Environmental Leader

Published: February 2, 2009

 

Even with a growing recession, the chemical industry is continuing to focus on energy management and efficiency, according to ChemicalProcessing.com. A recent survey by AspenTech of Burlington, Massachusetts finds that feedstock and energy costs make up about 70 percent of a chemical company’s process costs, so savings in this department make a big impact. They say that companies in this industry can improve energy consumption in three ways: real-time optimization, utilities, and design.

The Tennessean

By Chris Echegary

Published: February 2, 2009

 

With gas heat, a new electrical water heater and a 2-year-old air-conditioning system, Dale Vinicur and her husband envisioned efficient power consumption and bills reflecting that. Vinicur figured their Nashville Electric Service bills would be manageable for the retired couple on a set income. Vinicur, however, was hit with a $155 December electric bill — double previous bills for their 1,600-square-foot Ocala Drive home.

The Washington Post

By Kendra Marr

Published: February 2, 2009

 

This isn't your Motown auto show. In Detroit last month, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) was the lone federal legislator to grace the show, setting off a stir when he appeared on the floor. This month in Washington, automakers will have more of a chance to mix with lawmakers, so they're coming prepared. Manufacturers are trooping to town -- including some that didn't bother to show up in Detroit -- with their own agendas: hobnobbing with powerbrokers, lobbying to preserve and extend their federal aid, and unveiling new technologies deployed in fuel-efficient vehicles.

The Los Angeles Times

By DeeDee Correll

Published: February 2, 2009

 

The results of a novel experiment are in: A lead foot and lazy driving habits not only waste gas, they're bad for the environment. For nearly a year, every time a group of Denver drivers stomped on the gas pedal, slammed on the brake or spent an extra minute idling at the curb, the actions were recorded by a device called an accelerometer and assessed for effects on gas consumption.

Bloomberg

By Oliver Staley

Published: February 2, 2009

 

In the basement lab of Nitash Balsara, at the University of California, Berkeley, are the ingredients of a lighter, more-potent battery to power the cars of the future. To build it, he needs President Barack Obama’s stimulus package to pass. Balsara, a chemical engineer, has assembled a team of 15 scientists that applied for $25 million over five years from the U.S. Department of Energy to improve batteries by modifying their materials. Money for energy projects is part of an $819 billion stimulus, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, that Obama says is critical to saving the economy.

The Philadelphia Inquirer

By Sandy Bauers

Published: February 2, 2009

 

Willett Kempton drives an uncommon car. The body is a Toyota Scion. The innards have been stripped of their "greasy parts," and replaced by massive batteries and other electrical components. The resulting vehicle, developed by Kempton, a renewable-energy professor at the University of Delaware, can hit 95 miles an hour and go 120 miles before charging.