January 4, 2008

A small central Illinois town got some big news: It has been chosen as the site to build a 21st Century power plant that advertises itself as virtually emissions free and able to sequester and bury carbon dioxide that contributes to global warming.

"FutureGen" -- as the project is known -- won't come cheap. It's a nearly $2 billion investment funded mostly by American taxpayers, and roughly double that of the early estimates. In the end, though, proponents say that it is an essential undertaking, noting that coal is used to produce the preponderance of this country's electric generation and that every effort must be made to make it cleaner. It's particularly true as the global community grapples with how to reduce heat trapping emissions.

Dec 14th, 2007

The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) has awarded Michigan GREEN (Group for a Renewable Energy Efficient Nation) a $500,000 grant from its Low-Income Energy Efficiency Fund to organize, implement, and complete a low-income energy efficiency project.

This Michigan GREEN grant will fund the purchase and distribution of energy saving kits to low-income multifamily facilities throughout Michigan. The kits, specifically designed for apartments, will contain items such as compact fluorescent lamps, LED nightlights, energy/water saving showerheads and faucet flow moderators.

January 2, 2008

It may be the final stretch of the Bush presidency. But it's just the beginning of new discussions to achieve more aggressive greenhouse gas cuts -- ones that would reach beyond the Kyoto Protocol that ends in 2012.

Talks among 192 nations ended last month in Bali, Indonesia that lay out a broad framework by which they would cut their heat trapping emissions. While no hard targets were set, the agreement does compel all nations to negotiate more precisely their plans beginning in 2009. For their part, developing countries such as India and China that have increasing emissions would receive assistance from richer nations as well as easier access to Western technologies to increase power plant efficiencies and reduce auto emissions.

December 21, 2007

The economic climate facing utilities in 2008 is mild. That's the general forecast from the two leading ratings agencies, which say that the troubles facing the housing and banking sectors are less problematic for power companies that are more defensive.