May 13, 2009

With the worst part likely over and key aspects of the stimulus program about to begin, a sense of economic confidence is in the air. Yet, green energy developers are starved, not just for seed money but also for political and regulatory certainty.

The stimulus package, which passed in February and which was pushed as the central vehicle that would lift the economy out of recession, has billions set aside for clean technology in the form of loan guarantees, venture capital and block grants provided to the states. It's about supplying much-needed funding to companies at a time when traditional debt and equity markets are hard to crack.

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 08, 2009

Pending climate legislation could transform the nation's energy sector, prompting an assortment of special interests to line Capitol Hill. Industry and environmentalists are constitutionally permitted to petition their government, meaning that any final bill will represent an amalgam of concerns and likely reflect a measured response.

Lobbyists are traipsing to Washington as U.S. lawmakers debate how the nation sets about to reduce carbon emissions by 20 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050, all from 1990 levels. The turn of events is fascinating, given that five years ago neither the House nor the Senate could muster the votes. Today, however, the issue has consumed key committees and is clearly on the minds of American business.

May 06, 2009

If green energy is to launch the nation into a new economic realm, then modern technologies and skilled engineers must be the catalyst. But a flood of retirements may thwart that promise, prompting industry, academia and government to collaborate and offer tangible ways to ensure progress.

President Obama's rise has also energized the utility sector and given it an opportunity to help pivot the nation into economic recovery. Indeed, the emphasis on reducing carbon emissions and the greening of corporate America is leading to the research and development of alternative generation and the intelligent utility that offers two-way communications between providers and their customers. And while that may spark interests in power engineering, the fear is that the overall effort may be insufficient.

Source: The Great Lakes IT Report
Posted: Wednesday, 5 May 2009
by Matt Roush

The Engineering Society of Detroit and DTE Energy drew around 800 people to the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi Tuesday for their annual Energy Conference and Exhibition.

With the theme "Advancing Energy Efficiency and Productivity," the event featured a morning of specialized, highly technical energy presentations on everything from LED lighting to green roofs to solar power to more efficient uses in compressed air systems.

A luncheon keynote from Monica Martinez, one of the commissioners on the Michigan Public Service Commission, was a cheerleading session on the state's possibilities in renewable and alternative energy technologies.

Martinez said Michigan a century ago, even a couple of generations ago, was a hotbed of opportunity and innovation. "Do you see that today?" she asked the crowd, then responded to their silence: "That's my challenge to each and every one of you here today. You came here because energy is important to you and so central to our future. At the turn of the 20th Century, Michigan was changing everything and creating the middle class. We need to get that spark back."