Susan Rice, Top Secretary Of State Candidate, Owns $300,000–600,000 Of Transcanada Stock ($1.25 Million in Canadian Oil Companies)

 
This articles has been reposted from Climate Progress with permission.

Most of the attacks against Susan Rice, Obama’s supposed top pick for Secretary of State, have come from Republicans. But now the left â€" mainly groups opposed to developing Canadian tar sands â€" may have some reasons to question Rice.

According to a report from OnEarth Magazine, Rice has millions of dollars tied up in top Canadian energy companies â€" including TransCanada, the company pushing for the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.

The 1,700 mile Keystone XL pipeline would pipe carbon-intensive tar sands crude from Alberta to refineries in the Gulf of Mexico. Because the pipeline crosses international borders, its approval falls under the jurisdiction of the State Department. That means Rice â€" or any other candidate tapped to head the State Department â€" would be responsible for approving or rejecting the project.

Here’s what the OnEarth investigation of Rice’s finances found:

Rice’s financial holdings could raise questions about her status as a neutral decision maker. The current U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Rice owns stock valued between $300,000 and $600,000 in TransCanada, the company seeking a federal permit to transport tar sands crude 1,700 miles to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast, crossing fragile Midwest ecosystems and the largest freshwater aquifer in North America.

Beyond that, according to financial disclosure reports, about a third of Rice’s personal net worth is tied up in oil producers, pipeline operators, and related energy industries north of the 49th parallel â€" including companies with poor environmental and safety records on both U.S. and Canadian soil. Rice and her husband own at least $1.25 million worth of stock in four of Canada’s eight leading oil producers, as ranked by Forbes magazine. That includes Enbridge, which spilled more than a million gallons of toxic bitumen into Michigan’s Kalamazoo River in 2010 â€" the largest inland oil spill in U.S. history.

Rice also has smaller stakes in several other big Canadian energy firms, as well as the country’s transportation companies and coal-fired utilities. Another 20 percent or so of her personal wealth is derived from investments in five Canadian banks. These are some of the institutions that provide loans and financial backing to TransCanada and its competitors for tar sands extraction and major infrastructure projects, such as Keystone XL and Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway pipeline, which would stretch 700 miles from Alberta to the Canadian coast.

And also this:

According to her most recent financial disclosure reports, along with her TransCanada investments, Rice and her husband own at least $1.5 million worth of stock in Enbridge (Canada’s No. 3 oil producer, according to Forbes), Cenovus (No. 7), and Encana (No. 8), as well as at least $1.25 million in Imperial (No. 2), $50,000 to $100,000 in Suncor (No. 1), and $15,000 to $50,000 in Canadian Natural (No. 6). (TransCanada is ranked at No. 5 by Forbes.) The couple has at least $1.25 million invested in Transalta, Alberta’s largest coal-fired electricity power producer, and at least $1.5 million in Canadian Pacific Railway, which transports coal, oil, and gas and has been a major financial beneficiary of the North American energy boom.

Calling development of the tar sands “game over” for the climate, environmental groups are making the Keystone XL pipeline their number one fight after the election. Although Rice has had no connection to the decision making process around Keystone XL, her finances raise more concerns from environmental groups working to shut down the pipeline.

Over the past 18 months, a number of questionable relationships between State Department officials and TransCanada have been uncovered.
 


 
In July of last year, WikiLeaks released a diplomatic cable from the State Department’s energy envoy written in 2009. In that cable, the official said he had “alleviated” the Canadian government’s concerns about getting tar sands crude into the U.S., and instructed them on how to improve their “oil sands messaging” by “increasing visibility and accessibility of more positive news stories.”

Last October, it was revealed that the State Department contractor performing the environmental assessment of Keystone XL was deeply connected to the pipeline’s developer, TransCanada. Also in October of 2011, emails obtained from the State Department showed that officials in the agency were coaching TransCanada about how to navigate the regulatory process, raising questions about the coziness of the relationship between the two parties.

And in December of 2011, four members of Congress were called out by the Sunlight Foundation for owning shares in TransCanada while also pushing legislation to approve the Keystone XL pipeline.

“The State Department has been rife with collusion with the Canadian pipeline builders, and it’s really distressing to have any sense that that might continue to go on,” said Bill McKibben, one of the activists leading the fight against Keystone XL, toOnEarth.

If Rice eventually becomes Secretary of State, she could recuse herself from any decision on Keystone XL. The White House has not yet commented on Rice’s financial stake in these Canadian energy companies.

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How to Pick Renewable Energy Stocks in Changing Markets: John McIlveen

How to Pick Renewable Energy Stocks in Changing Markets: John McIlveen

Source: Zig Lambo of The Energy Report

Category: Investment, Renewable Energy

News about The Energy Report

November 29, 2012 (Investorideas.com renewable energy newswire) It's impossible to generalize when it comes to renewable energy investments. Therefore, investors must approach opportunities on a case-by-caseand state-by-statebasis. But Jacob Securities Senior Vice President of Research John McIlveen knows how to pick his plays in any market environment. In this interview with The Energy Report, John McIlveen names his best bets. As always, safety first.

The Energy Report: In your last interview, your primary concern in making investment decisions was safety. I know you focus primarily on Canadian companies, but has all the "fiscal cliff" talk influenced your approach to renewable energy investments?

John McIlveen: With the fiscal cliff, I could see how renewables might get pushed to the back burner in the process of cutting a budget deal. Some renewable incentive policies might even be used as a bargaining chip to get other budget items through, such as higher taxes or spending cuts.

TER: How have the oil and gas market dynamics in 2012 affected the outlook for companies in the renewables industry?

JM: Renewables are very competitive with oil-fired power, but not with gas or natural gas-burning plants. Gas sets the marginal price for power and affects the prices for a new project that developers are trying to build. This doesn't affect existing projects because these are all under long-term contracts with fixed prices that generally include an escalation clause. But for bidding a new contract, a low gas price pinches the budget for developers.

TER: How much do current prices affect the timing of any new investment decisions in the renewables field?

JM: In those states that don't have a renewable portfolio standard--and about two-thirds of the states do have one--there isn't going to be much incentive for renewable power, period. States that do have renewable portfolio standards, such as California, have to consider how they will achieve the percentage of renewable power objectives that they have. If they really want to hit their portfolio standards, they're probably going to have to pay up in terms of the power price they're willing to contract for. There's still incentive on the state level to proceed with renewable energy. But on the federal level, not so much. Most of the incentive programs, such as investment tax credit grants and/or biodiesel tax credits, for example, are all expiring.

TER: Are the dynamics different in Canada than in the U.S.?

JM: Each province has its own way of going about things. Some have incentive programs. Some do not. Some have a high tariff structure. Some do not. In the U.S., if natural gas is going to affect the local market in terms of new project prices and power prices, then developers may just put a project on the back burner. They would perhaps look to areas outside the U.S. that may be getting power supplied by oil-fired generation, such as much of the Caribbean and more remote mining sites in South America. When you're replacing the cost of oil, which in some jurisdictions is as much as $250/hour, renewables at as much as $100/hour look pretty good.

TER: Where do you see the best growth opportunities in renewable energy?

JM: Within the U.S. it's more case-by-case or more like state-by-state, depending on how much they want renewable power. Probably the best growth opportunities lie more in the Caribbean and Central and South America where they don't have a natural gas supply and import oil to generate electricity. Using renewable power and cutting oil imports is great for their balance of payments and at the same time their consumers are getting a lower price for the power.

TER: Getting to specific companies you cover, I see that you've raised your target price for Ram Power Corp. (RPG:TSX) substantially, from $0.68 to $0.90/share. What's the story there?

JM: Ram Power just came on-line with 36 megawatts (MW) in the last quarter and will add another 36 MW before the end of this year. I'm looking for Ram to generate $40 million ($40M) in EBITDA for 2013. That puts the current valuation down around four or five times enterprise value to EBITDA. But the market has to see the cash flow before it's going to give any value to it. It's looking for show-me stocks for juniors, and this is not just limited to Ram Power. All the junior stocks are capital constrained, so they have difficulty raising new money to expand or to take on new projects, compared to the more mature companies that pay a dividend, which have great access to capital and a decent valuation in the market from which to raise more money.

Back in January, I thought safety was really the main concern, and that situation still continues today. Whereas the dividend-paying, more mature power companies have done well and are mostly up on a year-to-date basis, almost none of the juniors are, barring a special situation such as a potential takeover. This would be the case for Shear Wind Inc. (SWX:TSX.V), Western Wind Energy Corp. (WND:TSX.V) and Finavera Wind Energy Corp. (FVR:TSX). So if you were interested in buying the junior companies, you shouldn't be buying them expecting near-term growth, because they're capital constrained. If you're buying them, you're hoping they'll get taken over because their valuations are very cheap--much below what I would think they would be in the private markets.

We're starting to see M&A activity among the juniors, whereas the seniors are still all about yield. In just the last four weeks the seniors seem to be declining somewhat, which is perhaps an indication that the market is seeing that yield stocks may have become a little bit too pricey and are starting to look for value elsewhere. This also goes for banks, real estate investment trusts and a lot of the yield stocks in general.

TER: In the oil and gas business it seems that almost any company that's reasonably successful gets taken out after five or six years. Is that going to be the case with most of these smaller companies in the renewables field?

JM: I think so, but I'll put them into two categories. There are junior companies with power plants that are on-line and those without. I don't think the market is paying good money for a company with a pipeline of undeveloped assets. So if you've got some rights to a bunch of sites that you're evaluating, but no power purchase agreement signed, you're not going to get much value for those assets. However, power assets on-line, generating real cash flow, are going to be attractive to anybody larger than that company.

TER: One of the companies you mentioned last time was U.S. Geothermal Inc. (GTH:TSX; HTM:NYSE). What's happened with that one since you last talked with us about it?

JM: U.S. Geothermal has been bringing assets on-line and hitting its milestones. I'm looking for it to produce an EBITDA of $15M in 2013 and be cash-flow positive for the first time. It has on-line assets, which could make it an attractive takeover target. I would think that Ram would be pretty attractive as well.

Alterra Power Corp. (AXY:TSX) has had a number of events that could make it a very interesting story. It received an offer for its geothermal assets in Iceland. If this sale goes through, the company would have more than $120M cash on the books and be debt-free. Alterra also has other projects with permits and power purchase agreements where it could redeploy that cash. Also, General Electric Co. (GE:NYSE) is selling some wind and hydro assets in British Columbia, two of which involve joint ventures with Alterra--one hydro and one wind. If the price is attractive enough, Alterra might also sell along with GE or perhaps, if it's a passive buyer, it may want Alterra to stay and run the assets. A lot of events are working in Alterra's favor that can create cash, which it could deploy into its other development projects.

TER: So, Alterra could become some sort of midtier-type growth company that could expand on its own, rather than being taken over immediately.

JM: If no one wants to take out Alterra, then it's likely that by the time a number of these events unfold in 2013, it may actually become a dividend-paying company in 2014 or 2015.

TER: There's been quite a bit of turmoil in the solar energy industry this year, particularly for hardware producers. How are the companies you follow in solar energy production doing?

JM: Hardware producers are a totally different animal than the power producers. We get a lot of calls from the press relating to government-guaranteed programs. A power producer has a fixed price and a fixed quantity contract for 20 years, so it's a good bet for a loan. Manufacturing, especially in the solar chain, involves many steps, and not everyone is integrated through the whole chain. A lot of boom-bust cycles occur within the equipment manufacturing industry, even for wind power. So, there just isn't the type of certainty and predictability that you have in financing a power generator.

TER: The wind energy production industry is also dependent a lot on government subsidies. One of the companies you discussed last time was Western Wind Energy, which has been embroiled in both internal power struggles and possible takeover deals. Where does that one stand now?

JM: Western Wind put itself up for sale last summer and has been allowing potential suitors into the due diligence room to look at the company. We don't know who the eventual buyer will be or the price to be paid. Over a year ago there was a soft offer from a suitor for $2.50/share, so that's where the stock is hovering, waiting for more news on the potential sale. But, a group of dissident shareholders did come forward and wanted to change the board to people they felt would be more committed to the sale of the company. The existing board beat that back in a shareholder vote and so remains in control, but at the same time they state that they are committed to selling the company. It looks good from a risk-return profile because there isn't much downside to owning it at $2.50, whereas I think there could be some significant upside when the final bids are in.

TER: Any projected time on when they might be accepting an offer from somebody?

JM: We're expecting an update soon. They've been at it now for a good three months of due diligence and it could be another three months before a final offer is accepted.

TER: Have there been any interesting developments with some of the other companies that you've been following?

JM: BIOX Corporation (BX:TSX), which makes biodiesel, is suffering from a symptom of the industry as a whole. It's actually shut down its plant because of weak prices in the biodiesel market due to the expiring of the $1/gallon tax credit and the fact that the volume mandate set by the EPA is just about filled for this year. So, they lose money at the market prices today, which I'm sure is the case for many biofuel producers. This is an industry that is incentive driven and needs those incentives to go forward.

TER: What happens with BIOX if there aren't some positive developments in its favor?

JM: If you're in the business you've got to assume there will be some recovery in prices. After all, the volume mandates set by the EPA did go up by 28% for 2013. If too many plants shut down, producers can't meet the EPA volume mandates, and prices will have to go up to make those plants open up again. In the meantime, it's going to be a rough ride until the market finds that equilibrium price for biodiesel.

TER: Can this become a cyclical thing that's going to be on-again, off-again for some period of years?

JM: Each year, Congress allows the tax credit to expire. In 2011 they let it expire for the whole year and then reinstated it at the end of the year retroactively. This sort of incentive makes the market gyrate and something more consistent is needed for this industry.

TER: On the other hand, if investors want to take a crapshoot, it's an opportunity to play a little mini-cycle.

JM: That's right. So, if you've got some political savvy and you think incentives are going to be restored, then that would be a good play.

TER: What's been going on in the senior company sector?

JM: There's been an interesting development of late with Just Energy Group Inc. (JE:TSX), which is basically a reseller of electricity and natural gas, along with some other activities across North America. The stock has gone down from a one-year high of $14 to about $8.50/share today, resulting in a dividend yield of almost 15%. I bring this up to make a point about dividends. Investors often look at the dividends in a group, whether it be banks, real estate or utilities. In the case of power producers, the low yield in the group is around 4.3% and the high yield is almost 15%. That's quite a spread, but when you see a high yield, as in the case of Just Energy, it's because the market is pricing in the risk of a dividend cut.

So, just because you see a high yield, don't go rushing to that when you see 14% versus 6%. When a company has a 6% yield in the power sector, it's likely because it's lower risk and the market thinks its dividends will increase over time. If you don't want to do a lot of homework, the simple way to pick these stocks is to pick the one with the lower dividend, because that one is probably going to increase over time, whereas a high yield may see a dividend cut.

TER: Are there any other of the more established companies you'd like to mention that look interesting?

JM: If you want to sleep well at night, you've got to be thinking Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp. (AQN:TSX) and Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners L.P. (BEP.UN:TSX), which are the two largest ones in the Canadian space. Northland Power Inc. (NPI:TSX) is also a premier company, which is about to double its megawatt assets over the next year. I would expect the stock itself to move a bit more sideways for about a year until it starts bringing all those new assets on-line. Once it does, you can start thinking about a dividend increase for 2014, but not for 2013. Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. (INE:TSX) is another solid company with a good track record of growth and executing on its development projects. Algonquin and Brookfield would be my short-term favorites here, and then late in 2013, I'd be looking at Northland and Primary Energy.

After that, we get to companies that are a little smaller but still decent investments. Capstone Turbine Corp. (CPST:NYSE), Primary Energy Recycling Corp. (PRI:TSX) and Sprott Power Corp. (SPZ:TSX) all have lower yields as well, given that they have a good payout ratio. So they're 75% or lower in terms of dividend to free cash flow.

TER: Given what you currently see on the horizon, how should investors interested in alternative energy stocks play this market in the coming year?

JM: I'm still emphasizing safety for the majority of your holdings in this space. You might also want to pick up a few of the juniors that you think could become takeover targets or already are, such as Western Wind. We'll have to see what happens after the fiscal cliff is hopefully avoided and whether the federal government turns some attention back to renewables.

TER: We'll know much more about that relatively quickly. Meanwhile, we appreciate your input.

JM: My pleasure.

Jacob Securities Senior Vice President for Research John McIlveen has been with the firm five years and has a total of 26 years' experience in special-situations research and merchant banking. In 2004, he became Canada's first sell-side analyst to focus solely on renewable energy research and consistently has been ranked a top performer by Bloomberg on accuracy of estimates and returns. He is currently treasurer of the Canadian Geothermal Energy Association and a published academic with 15 papers, including his and coauthor Alan Rugman's 1985 best Canadian book-nominated "Megafirms: Strategies for Canada's Multinationals."

Want to read more Energy Report interviews like this? Sign up for our free e-newsletter, and you'll learn when new articles have been published. To see a list of recent interviews with industry analysts and commentators, visit our Streetwise Interviews page.

DISCLOSURE:

1) Zig Lambo of The Energy Report conducted this interview. He personally and/or his family own shares of the following companies mentioned in this interview: None.
2) The following companies mentioned in the interview are sponsors of The Energy Report: None. Streetwise Reports does not accept stock in exchange for services. Interviews are edited for clarity.
3) John McIlveen: I personally and/or my family own shares of the following companies mentioned in this interview: None. I personally and/or my family am paid by the following companies mentioned in this interview: None. I was not paid by Streetwise Reports for participating in this interview.

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Restricting nuclear power has little effect on the cost of climate policies

ScienceDaily (Oct. 1, 2012) — By applying a global energy-economy computer simulation that fully captures the competition between alternative power supply technologies, a team of scientists analyzed trade-offs between nuclear and climate policies. Strong greenhouse-gas emissions reduction to mitigate global warming shows to have much larger impact on economics than nuclear policy, according to the study. Incremental costs due to policy options restricting the use of nuclear power do not significantly increase the cost of even stringent greenhouse-gas emissions reductions.

"Questions have been raised if restricting nuclear energy -- an option considered by some countries after the accident in Fukushima, Japan -- combined with climate policies might get extremely expensive. Our study is a first assessment of the consequences of a broad range of combinations of climate and nuclear policies," lead author Nico Bauer says. Restrictions on nuclear power could be political decisions, but also regulations imposed by safety authorities. Power generation capacities would have to be replaced, but fossil fuels would become costly due to a price on CO2 emissions, this in sum is the main concern.

"However, in case of restricted use of nuclear power, the flexibility of allocating a long-term carbon budget over time enables higher near-term emissions due to increased power generation of natural gas," Bauer says. Along with demand reductions and efficiency improvements, these provisions could help fill the gap on electricity. The price of natural gas is projected to decrease due to demand reductions, according to the study. Decommissioning existing plants will also avoid refurbishment costs for expanding lifetimes of old nuclear power plants.

As a result, early retirement of nuclear power plants would lead to cumulative global gross domestic product losses (GDP) that amount to about 10 percent of climate policy costs. If no new nuclear capacities are allowed, the costs would amount to 20 percent.

For their study, the scientists looked into different nuclear power policies. These cover a range of scenarios from "Renaissance," with a full utilization of existing power plants, a possible refurbishment for a lifetime expansion and investments in new nuclear power capacities, to "Full exit," with a decommissioning of existing power plants and no new investments. They contrasted each scenario with climate policies implemented via an inter-temporal global carbon budget which puts a price on carbon emissions. For the budget, the cumulative CO2 emissions from the global energy sector were limited to 300 gigatons of carbon from 2005 until the end of the century. This represents a climate mitigation policy consistent with the target of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius.

"A surprising result of our study is the rather little difference between a 'Renaissance' or a 'Full exit' of nuclear power in combination with a carbon budget when it comes to GDP losses," Bauer says. While the 'no policy case' with a nuclear phase-out and no carbon budget has only negligible effect on global GDP, the imposition of a carbon budget with no restrictions on nuclear policy implies a reduction of GDP that reaches 2.1 percent in 2050. The additional phase-out of nuclear power increases this loss by about 0.2 percent in 2050 and hence has only little additional impact on the economy, because the contribution of nuclear power to the electricity generation can be substituted relatively easy by alternative technology options, including the earlier deployment of renewables.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Bauer, N., Brecha, R.J., Luderer, G. Economics of nuclear power and climate change mitigation policies. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2012 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1201264109

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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SENATE SUPPORTS AMERICAN MILITARY, BUSINESS WITH BIOFUEL VOTE

SENATE SUPPORTS AMERICAN MILITARY, BUSINESS WITH BIOFUEL VOTE

E2: With clear signal from Washington, growth in biofuel industry can continue

Category: Investment, Renewable Energy

News about E2

WASHINGTON - November 28, 2012 (Investorideas.com renewable energy newswire) On Wednesday, the Senate showed there is strong bipartisan support for initiatives by the Department of Defense to diversify its fuel sources and decrease its dependence on oil - initiatives that could help the private sector as well.

By a margin of 62 to 37, the Senate voted against a proposal in the National Defense Authorization Act that would have prevented the military from buying biofuel to meet its energy needs.

After the vote, Environmental Entrepreneurs co-founder Nicole Lederer made the following statement:

"The Senate rightly stood behind America's military with this vote, but it also stood behind American businesses.

"From commercial aviation to the Internet, the military has historically led some of our nation's greatest economic transformations - and the military's leadership on biofuels is no different. Military programs are already driving innovation, private-sector investment and job creation in the biofuel industry. Now that the market has a clear signal from Washington, that growth can continue."

According to a recent E2 report, more than 14,000 jobs and $10 billion-plus in economic activity could be created if the military meets its previously announced biofuels goals. The Air Force and the Navy - two of the biggest users of oil in the world - want to get 50 percent of their fuel from biofuels by 2020.

Retired Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John Castellaw, an E2 member and president of the Crockett Policy Institute, said:

"The military has been on the forefront of energy innovation for 150 years. Biofuels are just the next stage of innovation that will help our military's energy security future, help improve the effectiveness of our military operations and help improve our economy."

For more details on the potential economic impacts of the military's biofuel programs, see E2's reports here

And for more details on the military's clean energy initiatives, see here

ABOUT E2

Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) is the independent business voice for the environment. E2 is a national community of individual business leaders who advocate for good environmental policy while building economic prosperity. Learn more at: www.E2.org

CONTACT:

Bob Keefe at 202-289-2373 or bkeefe@e2.org or Patrick Mitchell at 703-276-3266 or pmitchell@hastingsgroup.com.

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Larry Hagman Passes On — A Huge Thanks, & Mourning

 
This article has been reposted from Solar Love with full permission.

Larry Hagman (Attribution: © Glenn Francis, www.PacificProDigital.com)

For the younger generations, Larry Hagman may be a very unfamiliar name, but he was one of the top TV stars of a generation. He was J.R. Ewing (an oil tycoon) in the show “Dallas,” which ran from 1978 to 1991. He was also Major Anthony Nelson in the sitcom “I Dream of Jeannie” (one that I actually watched, and loved, as a kid).

But those in the solar industry know something else about Hagman â€" he was a true solar hero.

I have to admit that I didn’t know who Hagman (or Ewing) was until just a couple years ago, when Hagman started appearing in solar ads (as J.R. Ewing). Well, I recognized his face from I Dream of Jeannie, but that was about it.

But as I learned more about him, I found out that Hagman was not just a paid solar evangelist for SolarWorld (which is now a bit more famous â€" or infamous, depending on who you ask â€" for something else). Hagman was an actual solar power lover, and a solar power pioneer.

Hagman installed a 94-kilowatt, $750,000 solar photovoltaic array on his home in Ojai, California, one of the largest in the nation. Reportedly, this cut his electricity bill from $37,000/year to $13/year. (It might sound like Hagman was extravagant with the electricity, which he might have been, but he actually grew a lot of vegetables and had 200 avocado trees on his estate.)

Hagman was also a board member of Solar Electric Light Fund. Sounds harmless enough, right? Well, it was more than harmless â€" the nonprofit “brings solar systems and Internet access to poor people in remote corners of the globe.” Heartwarming.

I never met the guy, but I’ve seen him speak at a leading national solar conference, and he seemed like quite the decent and thoughtful guy. He apparently did his best to help the world in his final days… and many days before those. I remember him distinctly focusing (off script, it seemed) on the solar industry (and all us solar supporters) needing to really get involved in politics and fund support for solar in DC in order to move forward. He was adamant that, “as an oil tycoon” from Texas, he knew what influenced energy policy in DC â€" money â€" and we needed to put more money into advocating for what the world needs â€" more solar-supportive policies and politicians.

Hagman, who was born in Fort Worth (TX), was back near his roots when he died. Perhaps very aptly, he died in Dallas on November 23, 2012, from complications with throat cancer.

I’m not sure what to say with such an announcement, but I am extremely grateful for Mr. Hagman’s accomplishments, strong personal initiative, love for solar, and hard work promoting solar. We have a tendency to love TV stars, movie stars, star athletes, etc. But we should really love those who work to make the world a better place. Mr. Hagman was certainly one of those people. It was touching to learn his story, and to review it again today. And it is truly sad to see that he has gone. But this is life, and let’s all hope the best for him wherever he has gone.

From the folks at SolarWorld (h/t Solar Power World), who had a bit more of a chance to interact with Mr. Hagman, here’s a nice tribute to the humanitarian, solar champion:

With deep sadness, SolarWorld mourns the death of Larry Hagman. Hagman was a vocal advocate for solar energy in America and around the globe. Contrary to his popular image as ruthless oil baron J.R. Ewing on TV’s Dallas, Hagman owned one of the biggest private solar energy systems in the United States. He also participated in several philanthropic solar projects, including the electrification of hospitals in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. For SolarWorld, Hagman acted in numerous television advertisements in the U.S. and Europe.

“I have nothing more to do with oil. I am producing my own energy… Solar energy,” Hagman proclaimed in one of the ten television spots he made for SolarWorld in recent years. With the slogan “Shine, Baby, Shine!” Hagman played off the oil industry’s rally call, “Drill, baby, drill,” to promote solar technology.

“We are grateful to Larry Hagman for his commitment to building a solar world,” said Kevin Kilkelly, president of SolarWorld Americas in Camarillo, Calif. “His charisma and example encouraged thousands of people to go solar. We will miss him, but we will always remember his talent and his dedication to the promise of solar energy.”

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New Concentrating Solar Power Storage Material From Yara

 
Yara International is a Norway-based company focused on sustainable environmental and agricultural solutions. The company recently made an announcement about a breakthrough technology used in concentrated solar power. Below is an interview with Emilio Iglesias Sola, a Yara business manager.

YaraPorsgrunnBulkWhat about your use of potassium calcium nitrate is new and unique?

This is the first time that potassium calcium nitrate has been used in the concentrated solar power (CSP) market, and therefore opens up many opportunities for utility-scale growth.

Calcium nitrate is not new; it has been used in other industries and application for years. What is unique is that our new potassium calcium nitrate grade â€" patent-pending â€" has been specifically developed to meet the performance demands of the solar thermal power industry. Our researchers identified a challenge related to heat storage using existing molten salts available in the market, and applied Yara’s chemistry expertise to overcome this obstacle.

At its core, this reflects what Yara does every day. With over 100 years of experience in nitrogen-based applications, we provide products and integrated solutions using nitrogen â€" one of the building blocks of life â€" and help make the world a better place by optimizing industrial processes and environmental compliance. For instance, our diesel exhaust fluid helps abate harmful nitrous oxides from heavy-duty trucks.

What practical advantages are there to using it and the way you are using it?

In addition to cost advantages, the new potassium calcium nitrate offers plant engineers and operators technical advantages:

First, the properties of potassium calcium nitrate bring down the melting point of the molten salt mix, a huge improvement for all CSP technology. For plants using parabolic trough technology with thermal oil and thermal storage, the current temperature range is 290ºC to 390ºC. Thermal oil’s maximum temperature is 400ºC.  The new ternary salts using potassium calcium nitrate have a wider Tª (131-560ºC).  The wider temperature range and significantly lower melting point means plants have more storage time and require less molten salt to function. In addition, the lower melting point helps owners prevent blockage caused by molten salt solidification, which can be very costly in terms of plant down-time and repairs.

We’ve also seen the market develop a trend to avoid thermal oil as a heat transfer fluid (HTF) for several reasons, including thermal oil is more expensive, not environmentally friendly and requires an (often expensive) heat exchanger between the oil and the molten salt. The broader temperature range of the new ternary salts using potassium calcium nitrate allows for new lower working temperatures, and provides a higher turbine yield when working at higher temperatures.

Finally, our new potassium calcium nitrate is much less corrosive than common calcium nitrate grades. It also contains fewer impurities than common grades of calcium nitrate. More pure and less corrosive, Yara’s synthetic molecule helps reduce corrosion of plant components, related maintenance costs and safety issues.

Your use of potassium calcium nitrate is said to be more cost effective, how much more cost effective is it and why?

The price of Yara’s new potassium calcium nitrate is more competitive than that of potassium and sodium nitrate, offering significant CAPEX reductions in the purchase of the nitrates during plant construction.  Not only is potassium calcium nitrate very competitively priced, but given the wider temperature range noted earlier, less salts need to be purchased overall.

As the world’s largest nitrates producer, our global scale and production efficiencies mean we can provide the product to our customers at an even lower rate than our competitors to anywhere in the world.

Based on size of the plant (which determines the volumes of molten salts required during construction) and the current price of potassium and sodium nitrate, we can estimate a wide range of total capital expense savings. Additionally, due to the potassium nitrate (KNO3) and sodium nitrate (NaNO3) price trends, we anticipate savings for customers using our potassium calcium nitrate will increase over the coming years.

It is these cost savings, along with operational expenses, that we believe will make solar thermal more profitable for plant operators and investors, significantly improving the commercial viability of CSP.

Is your new technology currently operating in CSP facilities, if so, where, and if not, where might it be employed soon?

We have advanced negotiations with several companies, although due to Non-Disclosure Agreements I am not at liberty to share more. That said, the product is ready for sale today and we anticipate the first plant running our proposal will come out of field tests in 2014.

In which parts of the world do you expect it to be used first and why?

The United States and Spain, the countries with the most advanced CSP development, will be the places where this technology is first implemented.

Going forward, we anticipate the next large area of CSP growth to come from the US for several reasons:

  • First, the US has the potential to offer better yields than Spain. Land availability and better radiation locations will allow plant managers to develop larger, more-efficient CSP plants which will lower costs and produce better yields.
  • Secondly, the US currently has a renewable energy pool policy, which is a good political and social environment to develop CSP plants.

How long can potassium calcium nitrate be used before its storage potential is exhausted?

Thermal storage using nitrates lasts the whole lifetime of the CSP plant, which is about 30 years.
 


 
Are there limits to how much you can produce?

As the world’s largest nitrates producer, Yara can produce more than enough potassium calcium nitrate to meet the needs of the solar thermal market. Although the volumes of molten salts needed for the CSP sector are set to surge, they remain only a fraction of Yara’s production capacity. Our global production platform and international supply chain can currently support the US and Spanish CSP markets, as well as future CSP markets in China, North Africa, India and Australia.

What is the future of concentrated solar power and what does this breakthrough development mean for the global solar power industry?

Two things have always plagued the utility-scale adoption of solar power: storage and cost. Concentrated solar power technology solved the first issue, by providing a way to store thermal energy and provide on-demand, reliable electricity from the sun, even after dark, when demand for electricity peaks. This allows CSP to be baseload, something PV and wind power cannot achieve in any scalable way at the moment. It also will enable CSP to achieve grid parity with its traditional gas, coal and nuclear counterparts.

The next generation of molten salts using Yara’s potassium calcium nitrate address the second and final barrier, making utility-scale CSP plants less costly to construct and more profitable for plant operators and investors â€" for the first time, CSP will be commercially viable.

How did Yara’s commitment to innovation lead to the identification of this new grade of CN, developed specially for heat storage and transfer applications?

Through ongoing R&D, we identified a new grade of potassium calcium nitrate with promising thermal properties, and developed it specifically for heat storage and transfer applications. We then tested the CSP application in partnership with Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain.

As noted earlier, Yara has over 100 years of experience in nitrogen-based applications. Ongoing R&D is an important part of our commitment to “shape” the industry, and as the market develops in the coming years, we will continue to follow this track.

Image Credit: Yara International

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Top Tips For Preserving Heat In The Winter Months

 
Did you know that one third of the heat your house produces through your central heating system is rapidly lost? There are five main areas that heat is lost and these include the roof, walls, floors, windows and ceilings.

But you can save your pennies and preserve the heat to make sure you stay toasty and warm over the approaching chilly months; and you can do this by eliminating the loss with some simple measures.

It is imperative that your house is kept warm when the weather takes a turn for the worst. Findings by the Institute of Health Equality reveal that cold housing increases the level of minor illnesses such as colds and flu, and exacerbates existing conditions such as arthritis and rheumatism.

Energy prices are increasing; Npower and British Gas are the latest utility providers to increase their gas and electricity prices. So how can you reduce your energy bills over the next couple of months and preserve heat?

Here are some top tips to reduce your carbon footprint and reduce the burden on your purse strings.

Insulation

According to the National Energy Foundation, you can save up to 20% off your energy bill by insulating the loft. It is recommended to install a minimum depth of 150mm (6 inches) and ideal materials include mineral wool, fibreglass, and recycled paper.

According to Part L1B, 250 mm mineral fibre, glass wool or cellulose fibre as quilt laid between and above ceiling joists is recommended, or loose fill or equivalent. This may be boarded out insulation also. 150 mm is considered the threshold minimum value under Part L1B.

It is also ideal to insulate the walls as insulation can reduce heat loss by two-thirds. Cavity-fill insulation is an option worth exploring.
 

 

Draught-proofing

Draughts from windows and doors can cause up to 20% of heat loss according to a recent study, so fix them with either draught-proofing or double glazing. This is a very popular energy-saving measure and it is much cheaper than cavity wall insulation.

Alternatively, use shades and curtains to regulate the heat in the home. When it’s cold, leave the blinds open on sunny days and close them at night to reduce the amount of heat lost through the windows.

Thermostat (heat controllers)

Control the amount of energy that is emitted in each room with a heat controller. Did you know that by turning your thermostat down by one degree you can cut your energy bill by 10%?

Boiler check

One way you can preserve heat is to carry out maintenance on your boiler to check its efficiency. An old boiler will emit more carbon emissions, so perhaps you may need to replace it.

Heat recovery ventilation (HRV) system

There are alternative ways to preserve heat in the home and this can be achieved with a HRV system. This is not very well known but experts claim that it can reduce your energy bills by up to 30%. Basically, the system is like mechanical ventilation you find in kitchens and bathrooms except it has an influence over the incoming air.

It captures 90% of the heat energy before the stale air is expelled and it is used to pre-heat the incoming fresh air. The heat is used over and over again so the property remains warm.

Conclusion…

There are various ways that you can conserve the energy in your home. Follow these top tips and stay cosy this winter.

This article was provided by Myredlandroof, the UK’s leading roofing experts. Speak to the professionals today for specialist advice and tips, and visit the website to find reputable local roof replacement companies.

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New Smartphone Apps Will Help Boost Range Of GM Electric Vehicles

 
General Motors recently set the bold target of 500,000 electrified vehicles sold annually by 2017, and is now turning to the promise of smartphone apps to reach the finish line.

Three new OnStar apps were recently previewed at the GM Electrification Experience to help extend the range of GM-brand electric vehicles and make charging more efficient than ever â€" among the largest hurdles for EVs to overcome in their drive for wider integration.

Two of the apps target range anxiety and public charging costs. The first, the Spark EV Waypoint tab, is designed specifically for use in GM’s new Chevy Spark all-electric car model.
 


 

Waypoint Takes EVs Way Further

Waypoint will be integrated into the existing RemoteLink app and work like any other navigation system to tell Spark drivers if they can reach their destination on the car’s existing battery pack charge.

When destinations are beyond the Spark’s current range, Waypoint will plot a route and recommend turn-by-turn directions to public charging stations along the way.

The app will also take past driving habits into account to provide a customized estimate, and will be available through GM’s online owners service, enabling directions to be sent electronically to a vehicle and stored in the OnStar Virtual Advisor service. Waypoint is on schedule to launch with the Spark EV’s release in 2013.

Park-Tap-Charge Connects Drivers With Chargers

Since not all charging stations are free, GM is also developing an app to empower drivers to estimate how much charging away from home will cost and pay for electricity using their smartphone. The aptly named Park-Tap-Charge (PTC) app will show drivers the hourly rate of charging and estimated time/cost of a full charge, and handle payment through PayPal.

PTC will use Near Field Communication (NFC) technology for all its tasks. Similar to radio-frequency identification (RFID), NFC is designed for use by devices in close proximity with each other, and will create a secure connection between enabled phones and charging stations to send and receive information.

Gamifying Volt Driver Competition

Making EV charging more efficient on one’s own certainly appeals to most EV drivers, but where’s the fun in that? Humans like to compete against each other, so OnStar’s new Volt Driver Challenge app will use the power of gamification to let Chevy Volt drivers compare their driving habits against each other for badges and more mileage.

The Volt Driver Challenge app will log the number of miles each Volt owner drives in electric-only mode as well as total gallons of fuel saved, and store it online so drivers can compare their data to other registered Volts on a leaderboard.

In addition to a calendar for drivers to set monthly electric miles and MPG goals, the app will also award digital badges ranging from “Rookie” and “Fuel Miser” all the way up to “EV VIP” as the Volt hits certain milestones. The app is currently available to any driver with an active OnStar account.

Image Credits: Woman on electronic device in car image via Shutterstock; Spark EV Waypoint images courtesy of General Motors

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Total Energy USA Set To Give A Sweeping View Of “All of the Above” US Energy Landscape

 
Total Energy is gearing up for what promises to be an all-encompassing look at the increasingly diversified and dynamic energy landscape in the USA (and beyond), hosting the Total Energy USA conference in Houston this week, Nov. 27-29.

Houston’s long been capital of the US oil and gas industry, and oil and gas companies figure prominently in Total Energy USA, but Houston, the metro area, and Texas more broadly speaking, are home to a growing and increasingly varied range of alternative and renewable energy resources, energy providers, and public clean energy initiatives. The Total Energy USA conference has been organized to reflect that.

As the organizers elaborate, the main aim of the Total Energy USA conference is “to mirror the more current/ progressive thinking about achieving a sustainable energy future. Total Energy USA is based on the principle that addressing our nation’s energy challenges will be achieved through a comprehensive strategy in which energy efficiency and clean energy work together.”
 


 
Kicking off the event with a welcome address will be John Ragan, president of NRG Gulf Coast Region and an executive VP of parent NRG Energy.

Based in Houston, Ragan is responsible for the company’s 15,000MW power generation portfolio, its relationship with electric cooperatives and municipalities in Louisiana and Arkansas, and Reliant energy (NRG’s largest retail electricity provider). All told, these wholesale and retail businesses serve more than 3 million customers in the Gulf Coast Region, Total Energy explains on the conference website.

In addition to energy sources and production, energy efficiency and conservation frame another core aspect of Total Energy USA’s agenda, a conference thread particularly topical as utilities search for ways to sustain their businesses while decoupling revenue and profit from higher levels of energy consumption.

Green building design and architecture, home energy management, and smart grid systems are sure to come into focus here. CleanTechnica had the chance to help set the backdrop to Total Energy USA’s focus on green building and design in an interview with Gordon Gill, an award-winning founding partner of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, whose work includes the design of the world’s first net zero-energy skyscraper 00 the Pearl River Tower â€" and the world’s first large-scale positive energy building, Masdar Headquarters.

Reliant, for its part, is offering customers an innovative electricity service plan â€" the Reliant Learn & Conserve Plan â€" that includes installation and use of the Nest Learning Thermostat, which is able to adapt to and automate power settings customized to customers’ usage, including automatic adjustments when residents are away from home.

“Cooling accounts for about 60 to 70% of the average home’s electricity bill and with the Texas summer heating up, this plan couldn’t come at a better time,” Reliant senior vice president, Residential and Operations Elizabeth Killinger commented in a press release.

“While only about 10% of programmable thermostats are ever actually programmed, 99% of installed Nest Learning Thermostats are running a schedule that reflects the owners’ lives. We’re excited to be working with Nest to give customers a better way to control their electricity use.”

Earlier this month, on the one-year anniversary of its Reliant Innovation Avenue project, Reliant announced that the 12 participating homes “have reduced their electricty usage by an average 16 percent, with one home achieving a 32 percent reduction in electricity usage.”

Ranging in age from recently built to more than 100 years old, each of the 12 homes in October 2011 have been kitted out with “a customized set of energy efficiency upgrades and smart energy technology products and services, designed to provide them with detailed information about their electricity usage and costs.”

Following Mr. Ragan will be Julie A. Dill, group VP of strategy at Spectra Energy and president and CEO of Spectra Energy Partners, who will be giving the conference’s first keynote address. In what promises to be a provocative presentation, Ms. Dill will frame her address in the context of resolving the economic, social, and economic choices and trade-offs among a wide range of US energy sources â€" including shale gas, LNG exports, natural gas for the domestic chemicals and transportation industries, and (of course) the role of renewables. In particular, she will discuss these matters in the light of energy security and the potential impacts of international events.

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How the myth of fossil fuel abundance actually impedes progress on climate change

The great fear among those working to address climate change is that the seemingly vast resources of fossil fuels waiting to be burned will send the world hurtling toward certain catastrophe. By invoking fossil fuel abundance, climate activists believe that their argument for a rapid transition to alternative energy is made more persuasive. But, it is poor strategy to reinforce the myth of fossil fuel abundance when doing so actually makes many people less open to such an argument. And, as it turns out, the abundance argument is also contrary to the available data, logic and prudent risk management principles.

Here is what I mean. First, despite all the hype about marginal gains in U.S. oil production, world oil production has been on a plateau since 2005. Small gains in U.S. production have been offset by declining production in the rest of the world. The news for coal production is only slightly less discouraging as one study suggests that the rate of coal production worldwide could peak as early as 2025. In the United States, while coal tonnage has remained essentially flat from 1998 through 2011, energy content has actually declined. Has the available energy from U.S. coal production already peaked? We can't be sure. But the trend suggests caution. One recent study even concluded that world coal production from existing fields may have peaked last year. But, even if the authors are 10 years early, the prospects for creating a coal economy to follow the oil one are poor at best.

And finally, natural gas--much touted as a less polluting "bridge fuel" to a renewable energy future--may not be so plentiful as we are led to believe. Natural gas derived from deep shale deposits was first portrayed as so abundant that wells could simply be drilled anywhere in the vast shale basins of North America. But the record of drilling to date suggests that such deposits will yield far less than anticipated and be far more costly to develop.

Simple logic and prudent risk management suggests that we should already be making a rapid transition to renewable energy. No one--not the fossil fuel industry, not government, not private forecasters--can know for certain what our future supplies of fossil fuels will be. If those supplies are constrained as current trends and data suggest, then we will be forced to make an energy transition whether we want to or not. If fossil fuels turn out to be more abundant than current trends portend and we make a rapid transition to renewable energy starting now, the worst that can happen is that we will have completed that transition a little earlier than was absolutely necessary. But, if fossil fuel supplies begin to decline in the near future and we've made little additional progress on deploying new energy sources, we will surely be in for considerable economic and social pain, pain that might so severe as to challenge the very stability of our global system. That's how central fossil fuel energy is to our society.

Many climate activists continue to believe, however, that the above data will make people less concerned about climate change. These activists think that the danger from supposedly overflowing fossil fuel abundance will somehow make it clear that we must move away from such fuels. But, I would contend that the current public relations campaign by the oil and gas industry designed to convince us that oil and natural gas will be abundant for decades to come is actually making the public less supportive of a transition away from fossil fuels. And, I believe that if the public understood the true risks to our energy supplies that come from relying so heavily on fossil fuels, it would be more inclined to support a rapid transition to alternative energy and increased efforts in conservation and efficiency.

Let's look for a moment at the public the way a political campaign does. Every campaign starts with basic triage. First, there are the people who are going to support you no matter what. These people need to be nurtured and encouraged to spread the word about your candidacy to those who can be persuaded to vote for you. Then, there are those who are never going to vote for you. You can't persuade these people, so you shouldn't spend any time on them. Your job is simply to beat them and their candidate on election day. Finally, there are those who can be persuaded to vote for you. Perhaps these people haven't made up their minds. Perhaps they are leaning toward your opponent, but can still be persuaded to vote for you with the right argument.

Naturally, those who support addressing climate change aggressively will be especially concerned about the amount of carbon-based fuels left to burn. But, those who are on the fence--or who, more likely, haven't really put much thought into the issue--are currently being bombarded with the industry's abundance message. Without much commitment one way or the other, their path of least resistance is to accept the industry position. It's an easy path that requires no changes in behavior. And, after all, isn't the fossil fuel industry promising to bring us cleaner burning natural gas in copious quantities? Won't that help use reduce our carbon emissions? And, what about "clean coal"? That should address our concerns about coal, shouldn't it?

Of course, activists will immediately spot the problems embedded in these assertions masquerading as questions. But, none of this would seem relevant to a persuadable member of the public if the myth of abundance hadn't already infected his or her mind. Once the abundance myth is undermined, it follows that we must move quickly to alternative, noncarbon-based energy. All the promises of clean natural gas and clean coal don't matter if their supply is in question. It's dead certain that all fossil fuels will at some point peak in their production and then decline irreversibly. Nobody knows for sure when, and that's a good enough reason to make an energy transition sooner rather than later.

Sowing doubt about the claim of fossil fuel abundance is the surest way to move the persuadable public toward supporting many of those actions which are consistent with addressing climate change. Those so persuaded don't even have to believe that climate change is a problem (though it would certainly help if they did). Why concede the abundance argument--an argument the fossil fuel industry is using like a club against climate change activists--when we don't have to?

Kurt Cobb is an author, speaker, and columnist focusing on energy and the environment. He is a regular contributor to the Energy Voices section of The Christian Science Monitor and author of the peak-oil-themed novel Prelude. In addition, he writes columns for the Paris-based science news site Scitizen, and his work has been featured on Energy Bulletin, The Oil Drum, OilPrice.com, Econ Matters, Peak Oil Review, 321energy, Common Dreams, Le Monde Diplomatique and many other sites. He maintains a blog called Resource Insights and can be contacted at kurtcobb2001@yahoo.com.

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Tom Riter interviews Sterling Allan on RBN

From PESWiki

On Sunday, September 30, from 8-10 am Central, Tom Ritter interviewed Sterling Allan as part of the DeMaurier series on the Republic Broadcasting Network (RBN). Sterling took half an hour to describe how he got started in the world of Free Energy reporting, talking about how his ostracism from Mormonism for "apostasy" helped shape him into the maverick he needed to be in the fringe of cutting edge energy technology. Later, he talked about the Top 5 Exotic Free Energy Technologies, and how they can transform the world and render the corrupt powers that be obsolete. The question we have to ask ourselves is if we will see the writing on the wall and wake up before we hit the wall as a society, or will we have to hit the wall and go through the total social meltdown before we come to our senses.

- - - -

Image:RBN_logo_banner_700.gif

From: Tom Ritter
To: Sterling Allan
Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2012 9:50 AM
Subject: Re: Radio Broadcast Invite

Here is a backdoor link to the archives that you should be able to download:

http://www.republicbroadcasting.org/podcasts.active.php?programID=74

and if that does not work, try the direct links:

and if possible info to include with the interview regarding the source of the broadcast:


Broadcast details:
Capitol Forum
Sundays 8-10am CST
Host network: RBN http://republicbroadcasting.org/


Here is the show description that I sent to be added to the archive page later today, if not already:


Free Energy Anyone?
Sterling Allan, the primary driving force behind PESWiki.com, PESN.com, FreeEnergyNews.com, NewEnergyCongress.org and most recently EnergyNEST.org, joins the broadcast to share his expertise on free energy. Topics include Sterling's Top 5 promising projects, how to avoid free energy scams, traditional verses exotic alternate energy and how you can be part of the Free Energy Revolution to help break away from the control of the Orwellian globalists.


Related info:
http://PESWiki.com
http://PESN.com
http://FreeEnergyNews.com
http://NewEnergyCongress.org
http://EnergyNEST.org.


Thanks again for sharing!

Wake up, Stand up and Push back,
Tom Ritter
http://republicbroadcasting.org/
"No country and no people can be free and ignorant at the same time."
"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their money, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them (around the banks), will deprive the people of their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."
-Thomas Jefferson
"We will have a World government whether you like it or not. The only question is whether that government will be achieved by Conquest or Consent." -Paul Warburg CFR (Council on Foreign Relations) Founder - Friend of the Privately Owned Federal Reserve Bank and enemy of Freedom
****** Got TRUTH? *****

NEWS FOOTER


- PESWiki main page

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Carbon Emissions Traceable Back To Individual Buildings And Streets With New Hestia Software System

 
Seeing how much carbon is emitted from specific buildings and streets is now possible because of a new software system called Hestia. The new system was developed to estimate the greenhouse gases being emitted from specific areas of an entire urban landscapes.

20121011-005006.jpg

Hestia is the creation of researchers from Arizona Stare University, who wanted to make it possible to quantify carbon dioxide emissions at a much broader level than was allowed by previous technology.

The software system is the combination of enormous public databases filled by ‘data-mining’, traffic simulations, and building-by-building energy-consumption modeling. The high-resolution maps created by Hestia make it clear exactly where CO2 emissions are coming from in an urban landscape, allowing policymakers to appropiately make decisions.


 
“Cities have had little information with which to guide reductions in greenhouse gas emissions â€" and you can’t reduce what you can’t measure,” said Kevin Gurney, an associate professor in ASU’s School of Life Sciences, and senior scientist with the Global Institute of Sustainability. “With Hestia, we can provide cities with a complete, three-dimensional picture of where, when and how carbon dioxide emissions are occurring.”

The data used was gathered from a variety of sources: air pollution reports for local areas, traffic counts, energy usage reports, and tax assessor parcel information. It was then ingeniously combined within a modeling system to quantify carbon emissions at the detailed level of specific buildings and streets.

20121011-005011.jpg
“So far, scientists have applied Hestia to the city of Indianapolis, and work is ongoing for the cities of Los Angeles and Phoenix. They hope to ultimately map the CO2 emissions in all major cities across the United States, which accounts for nearly one-quarter of all global CO2 emissions. The Hestia research team believes this type of detailed emissions information will help determine what we as a society can do locally and globally about climate change.”

“These results may also help overcome current barriers to the United States joining an international climate change treaty,” agreed Gurney, Hestia’s lead scientist. “Many countries are unwilling to sign a treaty when greenhouse gas emission reductions cannot be independently verified.”

The unprecendented detail and accuracy that Hestia gives should allow policy makers to easily identify the most efficient places to invest in clean energy and carbon reductions, the researchers think.

“Leading in sustainability is not easy; however, as mayor, I am committed to doing so,” Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton said. “Undoubtedly, Hestia will be a good tool to help us make more informed decisions as leaders in Phoenix and the Valley around issues of air quality, health and a sustainable future.”

“Hestia offers practical information we can use to identify the most cost-effective ways to reduce emissions and track progress over time,” Gurney said. “Scientists have spent decades describing the seriousness of climate change. Now, we are offering practical information to help do something about it.”

Here’s a final note from Arizona State University on the broader work being done in this arena: “Hestia is part of a larger effort that combines information about emissions with ground and satellite-based measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. It is now part of the INFLUX experiment in Indianapolis and is expected to complement NASA’s planned December 2013 launch of the Orbital Carbon Observatory satellite, which will measure the concentration of CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere.”

Hestia is outlined in great detail in an article published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

Source: Arizona State University
Image Credits: Bedrich Benes and Michel Abdul-Massih

Interested in free solar estimates for your home?

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RGGI Emission Auctions Create $617 Million In Clean Economy Investments

 
Fast on the heels of California’s successful first emissions auction, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative’s (RGGI) 2011 Investment Report finds CO2 trading systems reducing emissions while powering a clean energy economy.

The report states that auction proceeds have created $617 million in total investment for energy efficiency, renewable generation, utility ratepayer assistance, and green collar job training programs across the nine-state system.

RGGI is the nation’s first operational greenhouse gas emissions reduction program, and it applies to power sector emissions. The system held its first emissions auction in September 2008, and has sold more than 450 million CO2 allowances in 16 quarterly auctions across a price range of $3.51 to $1.86.
 

 

Investments Across The Clean Energy Economy

Auction proceeds have generated a wide range of environmental and economic benefits. RGGI estimates the overall investments will return $1.3 billion in energy bill savings, offset 27 million megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity generation, and prevent 12 million tons of carbon emissions. In addition, an independent 2011 study found 16,000 new job-years created by the program.

Emissions fall, economy rises

Energy Efficiency And Utility Bill Assistance

Energy efficiency programs are the largest recipients of RGGI investments. 56 percent of 2011 investments, and 66 percent of cumulative investment to date has gone toward efficiency upgrades. Beyond lowering energy demand and preventing emissions, this funding is creating a robust energy efficiency economy across the region â€" six RGGI states were recently ranked among the top ten energy-efficiency markets nationwide by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.

RGGI proceeds also directly help consumers manage their utility costs. 25 percent of 2011 investments, and 17 percent of cumulative investments to date have funded direct utility bill assistance programs to the tune of $107 million in bill credits for 2.3 million recipients. These credits often target low-income households and typically appear as a credit on the consumer utility bills.

Abatement, Adaptation, Renewables

Allowance revenue is also being directed toward emissions abatement and climate change adaptation. Nine percent of 2011 investments and five percent of cumulative investments have gone toward advanced transportation, industry emissions reduction, sustainable farming and land-use, and severe weather and sea level rise planning. Overall investment in this sector will prevent 2.3 million tons of CO2 pollution and save $690,000 in electricity costs.

Last but not least, auction revenue is making the region’s electricity portfolio cleaner by funding new renewable energy generation. Five percent of both 2011 investments and cumulative investments to date have paid for new clean energy capacity through grants or low-interest financing for on-site generation at homes, businesses, schools, and government facilities.

Boosting Economy By Cutting Emissions

Allocation of RGGI auction revenue is up to each individual state in order to address each state’s policy needs and circumstances. For instance, Maine and New Hampshire both push over 90 percent of their revenue toward energy efficiency programs, while Maryland and Connecticut direct their revenue into clean energy investment funds.

RGGI Investments by Program and Category

RGGI investments by program and category

It’s hard to dismiss the overall impact RGGI’s auctions have had on the regional economy and environment. By reducing emissions, boosting renewables, and cutting energy use, the system has helped speed the transition to clean energy future.

“RGGI investments have turned a triple-play that delivers significant economic, environmental, and consumer benefits to businesses and families in the region,” said Collin O’Mara, Secretary of Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources.

Top Image Credit: Carbon tax image via Shutterstock

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