March 2009 Archives

The following is a statement by John McEleney, chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association, regarding the Model Year 2011 fuel economy standard:

"By setting a fuel economy standard higher than what California regulators have proposed, the Obama administration today removed the last argument for state-by-state regulation of fuel economy. The structure of California's program -- with its exemptions for major automakers, its 'patchwork' design and its loopholes -- is unworkable as a national policy.

"Only a single, national fuel economy standard gives the auto industry the regulatory certainty necessary to produce and market the fuel efficient cars of tomorrow. In contrast, California's patchwork fuel economy program would exacerbate the auto sector's severe economic turmoil.

"Now that the new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) law, passed by Congress in Dec. 2007, is at last being implemented, America's auto dealers call on all stakeholders, including the Obama administration and California regulators, to embrace a single, national fuel economy standard."

CAFE is actually higher than CARB's standard.

The CAFE standard set by the Obama administration for model year 2011 is 27.3 mpg for the light duty fleet, which includes passenger cars and light trucks. Source: Associated Press, March 27, 2009

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) standard for model year 2011 is 26.7 mpg for the light duty fleet, which includes passenger cars and light trucks. Source: CARB, "Comparison of Greenhouse Gas Reductions for the United States and Canada Under U.S. CAFE Standards and California, An Enhanced Technical Assessment," Feb. 25, 2008, page 10.

SOURCE National Automobile Dealers Association

Trina Solar Limited (NYSE: TSL) ("Trina Solar" or the "Company"), a leading integrated manufacturer of solar photovoltaic products from the production of ingots, wafers and cells to the assembly of PV modules, today announced the commemoration and completion of the largest roof mounted solar array in the United States. Trina Solar's Director of Sales & Marketing for North America, Jim Day, joined project partners and invited guests as Governor Jon Corzine of New Jersey and other officials dedicated the completion on March 5, 2009.

The Atlantic City Convention Center ("ACCC") project is North America's largest single roof-mounted solar array and consists of more than 13,400 modules. The project, which provides approximately 2.4 MW at peak capacity, was completed in December, 2008, and can power up to 280 homes and effectively curtail the release of 2,350 tons of carbon dioxide every year. The panels will produce about one-fourth of the building's energy and will provide the ACCC with energy savings of approximately $4.4 million over 20 years.

"We are very delighted by the completion of this significant project, which helps to bring clean, green solar energy solutions to Atlantic City," stated Jifan Gao, Trina Solar's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We are proud that Trina Solar's modules were selected for this landmark achievement. The success of this project demonstrates our capacity to deliver large scale commercial solar solutions to market as we continue to broaden our distribution networks and project partnership agreements in the U.S."

SOURCE Trina Solar Limited

Project will allow the recycling and conversion of 60% of Three Rivers region's waste material.

Enerkem Inc., a leading advanced biofuels and green chemicals technology company, today announced its plans to build and operate a second-generation biofuels production facility located in Pontotoc, Mississippi, USA. In addition, the company announced the signature of a Memorandum of Intent with the Three Rivers Solid Waste Management Authority of Mississippi (TRSWMA) for the supply of approximately 189,000 tons of unsorted municipal solid waste (MSW) per year for use as feedstock at the Pontotoc facility.

Plans call for the plant to be built, owned and operated by Enerkem Mississippi Biofuels, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Enerkem. It is expected to produce 20 million gallons per year of next-generation ethanol using a mix of feedstock comprised of wood residues from regional forest and agricultural operations, as well as urban biomass such as municipal solid waste, construction and demolition debris, and treated wood. In addition to the biofuels production facility, the investment includes an upstream municipal solid waste recycling and pre-treatment center. The total project represents a US$250 million investment. The Enerkem process will recycle and convert approximately 60% of the MSW that crosses the gate at the Three Rivers landfill. The majority of the MSW will be converted into biofuels and the remainder will be distributed to recycling processors. The overall project is expected to create 150 long-term direct and indirect jobs, and to generate an additional 300 jobs during the construction and start-up phases.

"We are pleased to collaborate with the northern Mississippi community on building an unprecedented advanced biofuels project. The project, our first in the United States, will leverage the expertise we've gained both at our large-scale pilot facility and at our first commercial plant," said Vincent Chornet, President and Chief Executive Officer of Enerkem. "This project is unique in that it uses a mix of municipal solid waste - which has negative cost - and wood residues as feedstock, allowing Enerkem to achieve substantial commercial scale and favorable economics."

Enerkem is working closely with the Three Rivers Planning and Development District, which is responsible for the administration of the Three Rivers Solid Waste Management Authority landfill site in Pontotoc, Mississippi, where the facility would be located. Enerkem and TRSWMA have signed a Memorandum of Intent and are in the process of negotiating final financial and binding agreements. The company is also developing strong ties with local organizations and associations including the Mississippi State University, which will be collaborating on future R&D efforts with Enerkem, the Mississippi Loggers Association, the Mississippi Development Authority and the Mississippi Technology Alliance.

"We are very excited by this project as it will create green jobs, contribute to the rural economy in northern Mississippi and give us the opportunity to become an important player in the next-generation biofuels industry, while enabling the local governments of the Three Rivers region to provide major recycling at no additional cost to its citizens", said Randy Kelley, Executive Director of the Three Rivers Planning and Development District. "This biofuels facility will also provide environmental benefits by transforming our municipal solid waste into a locally produced green fuel."

Enerkem has designed a technology platform that is feedstock-flexible and can produce an array of valuable advanced transportation fuels, green chemicals and renewable electricity. Enerkem's renewable fuels represent a new technology path towards environmentally friendly energy, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by using materials that would otherwise produce methane when landfilled, and by producing a renewable fuel for cars, buses and trucks. Unlike first-generation biofuels, or agrofuels, which are produced from sugar-rich crops such as corn and sugar cane, Enerkem's second-generation biofuels are produced from biomass and waste materials.

SOURCE Enerkem Inc.

By installing a new metal roof, consumers can reduce their tax burden, cut energy costs, help the environment and protect their biggest investment - their home.

As a result of the new stimulus package, homeowners who make energy-efficient updates to their home, including the installation of a painted or coated Energy Star(R) labeled metal roof, may be eligible for a tax credit worth 30% of the material costs, up to $1,500 per home. To qualify, the metal roof must be installed between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010. The timing couldn't be better to choose a durable, eco-friendly metal roof.

In addition to earning a tax credit, Energy Star-labeled metal roofs keep homes cooler in summer and warmer in winter, resulting in lower utility costs.

Many products made by the manufacturer members of the Metal Roofing Alliance qualify for the tax credit. Visit www.metalroofing.com to find a local contractor.

As more people are choosing to stay in their homes longer, the need to re-roof looms large. "Consumers have figured out that temporary doesn't make sense," said Tom Black, Executive Director, Metal Roofing Alliance. "That's why we call metal roofing investment-grade roofing, because it adds value and it lasts."

A typical asphalt shingle roof has to be replaced approximately every 20 years, making it a short-term solution with a long-term environmental impact. According to the National Association of Homebuilders, asphalt shingles contribute 1.36 billion pounds of waste to landfills every year.

A metal roof features significant recycled content. Metal roofs often outlast the home they're on, require no maintenance and are 100% recyclable at the end of their useful life. As an added bonus for re-roofing projects, metal roofing can often be applied over the original roof, saving removal and disposal costs and reducing landfill waste.

Metal roofing offers a wide variety of finishes, designs and colors that provide greater energy savings compared to most other non-metal roofing products on the market today. Metal roofs resist cracking, shrinking and eroding and stand up to hail, high winds and wildfires.

According to McGraw-Hill Construction and Analytics(R), metal roofing has made a significant climb in the residential roofing market. With a market share of 11% in the re-roofing segment, and 10% overall, residential metal roofing is gaining quickly on competitors' products.

SOURCE Metal Roofing Alliance

"Wind energy can replace a large proportion of the polluting and finite fuels we currently rely on," explained Andris Piebalgs, EU Energy Commissioner, at the opening session of the European Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition (EWEC) organised by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) this morning. "It makes good sense to invest in indigenous sources of power which hedge against unpredictable fossil fuel prices and in which Europe has a real competitive advantage".

According to the European Commission, 3.5% of the world's proven coal reserves are in the EU. We sit on less than 2% of the world's gas; less than 2% of its uranium and we have under 1% of the world's oil. "The fight over the world's rapidly depleting fuel resources is already intensifying," emphasised Arthouros Zervos, EWEA's President, at the session. "It will only become more brutal with time and Europe will lose the battle. European companies have two thirds of the EUR35 billion global market for wind power technology. Wind energy is Europe's contribution to peace, progress and prosperity and we should urgently develop, promote and export it to the best of our ability."

Wind energy's contribution to prosperity is analysed in detail in a new EWEA report launched today, which Zervos presented to delegates. 'The Economics of Wind Energy' provides a detailed insight into wind energy economics and compares the costs of wind to those of other power-generating technologies.

Zervos also announced that EWEA has increased its 2020 target for installed wind energy capacity in the EU from 180 GW to 230 GW, including 40 GW offshore. He explained that "the agreement on the EU Renewable Energy Directive in December 2008 and its mandatory 2020 renewables targets for the Member States have increased our optimism for the sector's outlook. We have therefore increased our targets. However, these targets will only be met if all the Member States implement the directive swiftly and effectively."

Previously, EWEA's target was set at 180 GW of installed capacity in the EU by 2020, including 35 GW offshore. The new 230 GW target would produce approximately 600 TWh per year in the EU by 2020, power equivalent to the needs of 135 million average EU households (60% of EU households) and meeting between 14 and 18% of EU electricity demand (depending on total demand in 2020).

Mechtild Rothe, Vice President of the European Parliament said that wind energy can make a real difference to employment and economies. "Wind energy is an excellent example of how to intelligently invest in a future-orientated sustainable economy getting thousands of people into jobs," she said. "Especially in these times of uncertainty it is very important that the European wind energy industry has created more than 60,000 new jobs over the past five years. These are not mere statistics - this is the competitive strength of Europe! Wind energy has definitely become a driving force of our economies. We have learned from the current crisis that we should not wait until the problems are there before we act - we need to invest in wind energy now."

Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director, International Energy Agency (IEA), focused on the environmental benefits of wind energy in his presentation, saying that it "has an important role to play in climate change mitigation" but to tap into wind's full potential "we need effective national policies and a strong international framework. We need to reinforce, expand and link up our transmission networks. We must also increase research and development efforts in wind energy technology." Tanaka went on to stress the importance of focusing economic recovery plans on green investments for a short-term stimulus and long-term benefits.

Roland Sunden, CEO of LM Glasfiber and Chair of EWEC 2009 said today that "in 2008, more wind was installed in the EU than any other power generating technology. The track record of wind is the most visible proof that it creates great value. And as the financial and economic crises deepen, this becomes especially relevant, and that relevance creates a historic window of opportunity for everybody who is committed to combating climate change, to supporting technological leadership and to creating new competitive exports and jobs."

Andre Antolini, President of the French Renewable Energy Association (SER) cited France as a specific example of the difference wind can make to the economy. He said that "in France there are now over 130 companies that produce components for - or offer services to - the wind energy sector. Wind energy helps industry and the economy." Marcin Korolec, Secretary of State for the Ministry of the Economy in Poland, agreed. "The development of wind energy stimulates the whole economy, particularly at times of crisis", he said.

Jean-Louis Bal, Renewable Energy Director at ADEME, reinforced the important effects meeting the 2020 targets will have on Europe's future, saying that "the 20-20-20 by 2020 objectives represent an important investment, but also an investment whose medium and long term benefits are far higher than the costs."

To give a visual display of the benefits of wind energy Roland Sunden switched on a 'wind energy counter', which will run until the close of EWEC. The counter will show how much electricity wind has provided in Europe, how many investments have been made and jobs created in the sector, and the number of turbines built during the four days.

EWEC is taking place in Marseille and will run until Thursday 19 March. Other sessions will cover political, grid, technical and scientific issues related to wind energy. Broadcast-standard videos highlighting the main activities at EWEC will be made available on www.thenewsmarket.com as from Tuesday, 17 March.

To download 'The Economics of Wind Energy', click here: http://www.ewea.org/index.php?id=11.

SOURCE EWEA

In order to save money and energy, many people are purchasing hybrid electric cars or installing solar panels on the roofs of their homes. But both have a problem -- the technology to store the electrical power and energy is inadequate.

Battery systems that fit in cars don't hold enough energy for driving distances, yet take hours to recharge and don't give much power for acceleration. Renewable sources like solar and wind deliver significant power only part time, but devices to store their energy are expensive and too inefficient to deliver enough power for surge demand.

Researchers at the Maryland NanoCenter at the University of Maryland, College Park, have developed new systems for storing electrical energy derived from alternative sources that are, in some cases, 10 times more efficient than what is commercially available. The results of their research are available in the latest issue of Nature Nanotechnology.

"Renewable energy sources like solar and wind provide time-varying, somewhat unpredictable energy supply, which must be captured and stored as electrical energy until demanded," said Gary Rubloff, director of the University of Maryland's NanoCenter. "Conventional devices to store and deliver electrical energy - batteries and capacitors - cannot achieve the needed combination of high energy density, high power, and fast recharge that are essential for our energy future."

Researchers working with Professor Rubloff and his collaborator, Professor Sang Bok Lee, have developed a method to significantly enhance the performance of electrical energy storage devices.

Using new processes central to nanotechnology, they create millions of identical nanostructures with shapes tailored to transport energy as electrons rapidly to and from very large surface areas where they are stored. Materials behave according to physical laws of nature. The Maryland researchers exploit unusual combinations of these behaviors (called self-assembly, self-limiting reaction, and self-alignment) to construct millions -and ultimately billions - of tiny, virtually identical nanostructures to receive, store, and deliver electrical energy.

"These devices exploit unique combinations of materials, processes, and structures to optimize both energy and power density--combinations that, taken together, have real promise for building a viable next-generation technology, and around it, a vital new sector of the tech economy," Rubloff said.

"The goal for electrical energy storage systems is to simultaneously achieve high power and high energy density to enable the devices to hold large amounts of energy, to deliver that energy at high power, and to recharge rapidly (the complement to high power)," he continued.

Electrical energy storage devices fall into three categories. Batteries, particularly lithium ion, store large amounts of energy but cannot provide high power or fast recharge. Electrochemical capacitors (ECCs), also relying on electrochemical phenomena, offer higher power at the price of relatively lower energy density. In contrast, electrostatic capacitors (ESCs) operate by purely physical means, storing charge on the surfaces of two conductors. This makes them capable of high power and fast recharge, but at the price of lower energy density.

The Maryland research team's new devices are electrostatic nanocapacitors which dramatically increase energy storage density of such devices - by a factor of 10 over that of commercially available devices - without sacrificing the high power they traditionally characteristically offer. This advance brings electrostatic devices to a performance level competitive with electrochemical capacitors and introduces a new player into the field of candidates for next-generation electrical energy storage.

Where will these new nanodevices appear? Lee and Rubloff emphasize that they are developing the technology for mass production as layers of devices that could look like thin panels, similar to solar panels or the flat panel displays we see everywhere, manufactured at low cost. Multiple energy storage panels would be stacked together inside a car battery system or solar panel. In the longer run, they foresee the same nanotechnologies providing new energy capture technology (solar, thermoelectric) that could be fully integrated with storage devices in manufacturing.

This advance follows soon after another accomplishment--the dramatic improvement in performance (energy and power) of electrochemical capacitors (ECC's), thus 'supercapacitors,' by Lee's research group, published recently in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. (Figure 1). Efforts are under way to achieve comparable advances in energy density of lithium (Li) ion batteries but with much higher power density.

"U-Md.'s successes are built upon the convergence and collaboration of experts from a wide range of nanoscale science and technology areas with researchers already in the center of energy research," Rubloff said.

The Research Team

Gary Rubloff is Minta Martin Professor of Engineering in the materials science and engineering department and the Institute for Systems Research at the University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering. Sang Bok Lee is associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the College of Chemical and Life Sciences and WCU (World Class University Program) professor at KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) in Korea. Lee and Rubloff are part of a larger team developing nanotechnology solutions for energy capture, generation, and storage at Maryland. Their collaborators on electrical energy storage include Maryland professors Michael Fuhrer (physics), Reza Ghodssi (electrical and computer engineering), John Cumings (materials science engineering), Ray Adomaitis (chemical and biomolecular engineering), Oded Rabin (materials science and engineering), Janice Reutt-Robey (chemistry), Robert Walker (chemistry), Chunsheng Wang (chemical and biomolecular engineering), Yu-Huang Wang (chemistry) and Ellen Williams (physics).

More Information:

Nature Nanotech web site: http://www.nature.com/nnano/index.html

Article on related work (see "The Power of Super Batteries"): research@MDMarch09.pdf" target=_new>http://www.umresearch.umd.edu/research_at_um/issues/research@MDMarch09.pdf

SOURCE A. James Clark School of Engineering

Proposed coal plants across the United States would produce nearly 18 million tons of dangerous waste, including toxic metals, each year. Nearly 130 million tons of coal waste from existing plants is being produced annually, most of which is disposed of in largely unregulated landfills, ponds and other locations, posing serious public health and environmental risks.

According to a new analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the 15 states that would be the biggest polluters -- the "Filthy 15" -- have proposals for 54 coal plants and would create nearly 14 million tons of dangerous waste.

The list is topped by Texas (rank #1, 8 proposed plants, 4,093,087 tons of coal ash waste); followed by: South Dakota (#2, 2, 952,630); Florida (#3, 3, 911,118); Nevada (#4, 3, 888,272); Montana (#5, 3, 848,278); Illinois (#6, 4; 797,450); South Carolina (#7, 2, 731,110); Ohio (#8, 3, 711,616); Wyoming (#9, 5, 697,850); Michigan (#10, 5, 686,897); Kentucky (#11, 4, 593,662); Missouri (#12, 4, 515,709); Wisconsin (#13, 3, 507,952); Georgia (#14, 2; 445,202); and West Virginia (#15, 3, 430,275).

(A complete list of states and national data can be found here: http://www.nrdc.org/energy/coalwaste.)

"Coal waste poses a large and unnecessary risk to people's health and the environment, and we need to act before another Kingston disaster strikes," said Peter Lehner, executive director of NRDC, "The EPA took a big step forward this week by announcing it will regulate coal ash, but they need to quickly examine how coal waste is handled and ensure proper management and disposal are in place at all new plants."

Earlier this week, EPA announced that it would begin to regulate coal ash, a shift in position after years of delay. Many states currently allow dangerous coal waste to be dumped, without proper oversight, into poorly constructed landfills, ponds and even old mines. These storage facilities risk having coal waste seep into ground water or breaking, like the Kingston, Tennessee, disaster that unleashed 1 billion gallons of coal ash last December.

The EPA conducted an assessment in 2007 that showed that certain types of ash disposal sites pose a cancer risk nearly 1,000 times the acceptable level. EPA also identified 24 sites in 13 states that are known or suspected to be contaminated by coal ash, but has not been regulating coal ash disposal, instead allowing states to set their own regulations, which are typically weak.

According to the new NRDC analysis, proposed coal plants would also produce more than 18,000 tons annually of toxic metals -- like arsenic, mercury, lead, and other toxic substances. The toxic metals that are often found in coal waste can pose serious health risks to people -- especially children -- including cancer, birth defects, reproductive problems, damage to the nervous system and kidneys, and learning disabilities.

The "Filthy 15" states with proposed plants that would produce largest amount of toxic materials is led by Texas; and includes: South Dakota, Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Nevada, Montana, South Carolina, Kentucky, Wyoming, Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri, West Virginia and Georgia.

"There are cleaner, safer and more sustainable energy choices available," said Lehner. "America should be moving toward energy efficiency and renewable energy sources that will drive our economic recovery and meet the challenges of the 21st Century."

In conjunction with the new analysis, NRDC has released a new Web site that includes a state-by-state breakdown of the total amount annually of waste, including toxic metals, from existing and proposed plants. Go to: http://www.nrdc.org/energy/coalwaste.

SOURCE Natural Resources Defense Council, New York, N.Y.

Wind-generated electricity from the upper Midwest will become cost-competitive with power generated from more conventional fuel sources like coal, while providing substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions when connected to the nation's electricity grid via new extra-high voltage transmission lines, a new study by The Brattle Group (www.brattle.com) has concluded.

The study, "Transmission Super Highway: Benefits of Extra High Voltage Transmission Overlays" provides some of the most significant evidence to date that renewable resources offer an important and economically-feasible means to respond to escalating energy demands in a carbon-regulated environment with domestic energy sources. The study was commissioned by ITC Holdings Corp. (NYSE: ITC)

In testimony today before the U.S. Senate and Natural Resources Committee, Joseph L. Welch, chairman, president and CEO of ITC, discussed the study's findings and urged Congress to facilitate renewable energy by updating the policies that govern America's power grid. He also stressed the need for new transmission development to enable states to meet renewable portfolio standards (RPS).

"Right now, the outdated laws that govern our electricity grid are standing in the way of America's energy goals," said Welch. "If Congress is serious about making renewable resources available, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, meeting renewable portfolio standards, and addressing climate change and other environmental challenges, they need to start by modernizing the rules that govern the grid.

"Transmission, which should be the enabler, is today a roadblock to the development of the full potential of renewable resources such as wind, solar and geothermal resources," Welch stressed.

The Brattle study shows that wind power from the windiest parts of the country can economically displace fossil-fuel power sources after 2020 under likely climate policies. The current lack of extra high voltage transmission lines through these regions -- the upper Midwest states including North and South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota -- is a significant barrier to harnessing this valuable resource as a viable energy solution in a carbon-regulated environment. The study concludes that extra-high voltage transmission projects like ITC's proposed Green Power Express (www.thegreenpowerexpress.com) are essential for accessing the nation's most important renewable energy resources.

The Green Power Express transmission project will traverse portions of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana and will ultimately include approximately 3,000 miles of extra high-voltage (765 kilovolt) transmission. The entire project is currently estimated to cost approximately $10-12 billion. ITC has been working with many of the upper Midwest wind developers over the last year in conducting a realistic accounting of their wind development plans and sites, which resulted in the design of the Green Power Express. The project could result in the efficient movement of up to 12,000 megawatts (MW) of wind power from the upper Midwest states to load centers in the Midwest and ultimately to the East Coast and eliminate up to 280 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions over a 10-year period, the Brattle study concluded. This represents the annual emissions of about seven 600 MW coal plants.

In his testimony, Welch stressed that these environmental and cost savings will only be realized if projects like the Green Power Express can be developed and built in a timely manner. He urged Congress to establish mandatory industry participation in regional transmission planning authorities and for these organizations to aggressively pursue a new planning strategy that promotes electric grid interconnection across the country. Seven regional planning authorities -- collectively regional transmission operators or independent system operators (RTO/ISO) -- oversee transmission issues over wide areas in the continental U.S.

Welch called for a greater federal role in determining the need for new transmission projects that will support renewable resources but added that states should continue to maintain the primary lead in determining where new transmission lines will be sited within their borders. Welch additionally noted that it is essential to improve the cost allocation system to ensure that the entire region that benefits from a project shares the costs.

"Our country is trying to tackle 21st century energy challenges with an electric transmission grid largely built more than 30 years ago while operating under an outdated regulatory system," Welch told the committee. "To put it simply, we will not meet our energy security, efficiency and environmental goals if we don't change how we do business. We urgently need to reform how we plan, locate and pay for new transmission. This requires moving beyond the parochial interests and fractured regulatory structure that has led to decades of underinvestment in our electricity grid."

Welch pointed out that Congress and federal regulators have the ability to modernize the rules to allow private companies such as ITC and others to make these critical infrastructure investments. He emphasized that the congressional policy changes needed to facilitate this investment "don't require an infusion of taxpayer dollars, but will create new jobs and help address our looming energy and environmental crises."

ITC supports improvements to the transmission planning process as proposed in the draft bill recently released by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) (http://energy.senate.gov/public). ITC also supports a greater federal role in siting transmission, but believes states should continue to decide where lines are routed.

"A modern grid will solve our environmental and renewable energy challenges and improve reliability and associated costs to the economy," said Welch. "Now is the time for Congress to encourage private investment in America's energy infrastructure."

More information on the study can be found on ITC's website at http://www.thegreenpowerexpress.comwhite_papers.php and on The Brattle Group's website at www.brattle.com. SOURCE ITC Holdings Corp

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP), the world's largest manufacturer of photovoltaic (PV) modules, in partnership with the City of Santa Barbara and Tioga Energy, a leading solar financing firm, today announced the activation of the City's first large-scale solar power system. The 384 kW DC system is the first large-scale solar deployment for the City of Santa Barbara as well as the largest solar power system in the City.

The ceremony and educational tour are to be held from 2:00 - 3:00 PM beginning in the David Gebhard Meeting Room, located at 630 Garden Street in Santa Barbara. The speaker program includes local Nobel Prize Laureate and sustainability advocate Walter Kohn and Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum, who will dedicate the City's Corporate Yard solar system.

"We are excited to produce clean, renewable power here in Santa Barbara while simultaneously reducing our energy costs," said Marty Blum, Mayor of the City of Santa Barbara. "Our climate is perfect for solar, we can apply the savings to other city programs, and we are helping the environment. This is a tremendous win for everyone."

The system, which is spread among the Corporate Yard's roofs, features Suntech modules designed to minimize aesthetic impact while providing maximum energy output. Suntech solar panels were chosen for their consistent high quality, reliable performance, and efficiency. Suntech Energy Solutions installed the system in Fall 2008 in less than three months.

"Working with the City of Santa Barbara and Tioga Energy has been a pleasure for Suntech," said Marco Garcia, Vice President of Project Development for Suntech Energy Solutions. "We look forward to helping cities and local governments follow Santa Barbara's lead in converting unused land and roof space into power generating assets."

The solar energy system was built without any large capital outlay on behalf of the City of Santa Barbara. Instead, the system is financed and operated by Tioga Energy, through its SurePath(TM) Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Through the SurePath PPA agreement, Tioga Energy sells the energy generated by the system to the city at a fixed, predictable price over the 20-year contract term. As a result, the city receives immediate energy savings and a hedge against future utility rate increases, without the hassle of owning the system outright.

"With its commitment to clean energy, the City is demonstrating that solar power is an affordable option for public agencies concerned with reducing carbon emissions," said Paul Detering, CEO of Tioga Energy. "Our collaborative effort with the City of Santa Barbara and Suntech provides the City with predictably-priced power and demonstrates how successful public-private partnerships can help municipalities meet their financial and sustainability objectives."

The system will produce 550,000 kWh of energy per year, effectively offsetting 421,466 lbs, or 191 metric tons, of carbon dioxide. This is equivalent to removing 35 cars from the road, saving 21,328 gallons of gasoline, or powering over 100 Santa Barbara-area homes a year (based on a single family occupancy energy use of 5,000 kWh per year).

"This first system is a first step in reducing our energy costs and producing clean, renewable energy. We look forward to 'throwing the switch' on more projects in the years to come," said Mayor Marty Blum.

For more information about the City of Santa Barbara, visit http://www.SantaBarbaraCA.gov/ .

SOURCE Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd.

American families faced the biggest increase in energy expenses on record last year, in large part because of costs for transportation fuels driving global demand.

According to a study released today by the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE), for the half of the U.S. families earning $50,000 or less, energy costs consumed 20 percent of after-tax income in 2008. The study also reveals energy costs consumed a quarter of after-tax income when families made $30,000 or less.

"This is our annual household energy cost report card, and this year we would grade 2008 as a D for dangerous," said Joe Lucas, Senior Vice President of Communications for ACCCE. "As our economy is faltering and more and more Americans are finding it hard to make ends meet, adopting policies that help keep energy costs affordable should be a national priority."

Families saw their total energy burden increase by 75 percent between 2001 and 2008. Electricity costs increased less than 38 percent during that same timeframe showing that electricity remains an energy bargain in most parts of the country.

"Primarily because we used lower-cost domestic coal for half our nation's electric generation, electricity costs have increased at less than the inflation rate during the past two decades," Lucas said.

The study notes that gasoline prices retreated from historic highs in July, but they are once again starting to climb, ensuring the total energy cost burden will continue to seriously constrain most people's budgets. Lucas said that this shows the economic peril associated with high reliance on imported energy resources.

"In our focus groups, many Americans say that they feel helpless to reduce energy costs when America is dependent on other countries to meet our energy needs. We can change that. We have domestic fuels like coal available here at home, and we can use those fuels wisely to not only promote energy independence but to also keep energy costs low," said Lucas.

Lucas said that ACCCE supports the expanded use of electricity to fuel transportation energy needs, recognizing that a variety of fuels will be needed to meet the increase in electricity demand as a means of displacing foreign oil.

Lucas also noted that keeping energy costs affordable needed to be a key factor in shaping government policies - especially in designing a federal program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"We support a mandatory program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said Lucas. "We just believe that we have to be smart in designing the program to ensure that consumers are not paying a higher than necessary cost of energy."

According to Lucas, the 100 percent auction for emissions allowances being promoted for inclusion in a federal cap-and-trade bill will drive up the cost to consumers.

"Under an auction for emissions credits, you get the very same environmental benefit as you would with an allocation of credits - it is just that the cost to the consumer is higher," said Lucas.

"These auctions really work as a de facto energy tax where the government raises revenue ultimately paid by consumers with the hope of getting that money back at some future date in the form of an increased government service. We say, don't raise the cost of energy on American consumers, if you can keep from it, based upon the promise of repaying that investment somewhere in the future," said Lucas.

SOURCE American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity

When Vice President Joe Biden brought his first Town Hall Meeting of the "Taskforce for the Middle Class and Working Families Green Meeting" to Philadelphia on February 27, our own Bruce Murray was there. In an interview with Dray Clark a reporter with CBS3 which was broadcast at noon, 5, and 11 PM, Murray explained that Aztec Solar Power is among the visionary local enterprises already involved in this transformation to a new Green economy. He went on to state that early adopters of solar technology are about to have a lot of company from mainstream home and business owners. The amount of the 2009 incentives and the reliability of the technology make this the year when every residence and business owner should learn how they can make a very wise investment by purchasing a solar system for their roof, parking lot or yard.

The Vice President announced that $500,000,000 is provided in the 2009 Recovery Bill to create an energy efficiency workforce. In Philadelphia, $1,300,000 has already been pledged and it will be used to train people from all walks of life with skills that will provide a future living wage in the Green economy. Aztec Solar Power has always felt the importance of education and as part of our business plan will recruit and put members of the community to work on our residential and commercial projects.

SOURCE Aztec Solar Power

Tony Blair joins Senators Bingaman, McCain, Snowe and Stabenow on Capitol Hill for Climate event. Senators, Governors, business leaders and international experts met in the Capitol today to discuss the prospects for U.S. domestic action on climate change.

Many of the participants stressed that action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions should not be delayed by the global economic downturn because it provides an opportunity to lay the foundations for a sustainable recovery based on low-carbon growth.

The symposium, "U.S. Climate Action: A Global Economic Perspective" was convened by Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), John McCain (R-AZ), Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

During the opening session, the former UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, argued that the leading economic powers around the world now understand the significant risks of climate change and appreciate that the best way to minimize the dangers is by investing in a low-carbon economy.

Mr. Blair said that the U.S. can send an important signal to the world about the importance they place on tackling global climate change through the progress it makes on its domestic climate policy over the next few months.

Senator Bingaman said "Today's bipartisan gathering of leaders to discuss how to move climate policy forward in the current economic crisis is constructive. A responsibly-designed national climate policy will create economic opportunities and jobs and spur investment in low-carbon technologies that will make U.S. businesses more competitive. The costs of climate policy can be mitigated with the right policy measures, and we need to move ahead with both energy policies and a national cap and trade program to sustain these investments."

"This was a great meeting where we discussed the key issues surrounding climate change policy with international leaders, such as former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who have already gained valuable insight on how such policies may affect manufacturing and economic opportunities," said Senator Stabenow. "For me, the bottom-line of any future climate change bill must be jobs. Climate policy can help re-build the middle class and create jobs in states like Michigan where we have the manufacturing base and engineering know-how to produce the new technology that will be needed. I intend to keep jobs and common sense at the top of the list of considerations as the climate policy discussion continues."

Governors Jim Doyle of Wisconsin, Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, and Timothy M. Kaine of Virginia provided their perspectives on the impact of climate policy on regional competitiveness, particularly with respect to impacts on U.S. jobs. Governor Doyle said "Global warming demands aggressive action at the international, national, state, local and individual levels. By combining Wisconsin's knowledge, skills and resources with those of our global neighbors, we can develop the solutions necessary for a clean energy future. The environmental and economic consequences of climate change and our dependence on fossil fuels affect everyone, and working together we will be able to generate new technologies, new businesses, new jobs for our citizens, and a cleaner and safer world for generations to come."

"In Michigan our top priority is growing the economy and creating jobs and that is why comprehensive climate change legislation is important to our state," said Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. "Not only will this legislation advance clean energy technologies that reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, it will create millions of new green jobs, and protect our natural resources and that is critical for a state like Michigan that has lost hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs."

There was strong agreement about the importance of boosting economic growth and combating climate change at the same time, and participants recognized that low-carbon investments will not only be good for jobs and economic recovery but will also improve the country's energy security and begin to cut its greenhouse gas emissions.

John Chambers of Cisco, Jeff Immelt of GE, Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures and Jim Rogers of Duke Energy, provided perspectives from business. Jim Rogers said "I have long been a supporter of enacting climate legislation because it will take decades to slow, stop and reverse greenhouse gas emissions. However, the 100 percent auction contained in the President's budget will unnecessarily punish the 25 states that get the majority of their electricity from coal. That represents nothing more than a tax and a wealth transfer, and it has nothing to do with meeting our environmental challenges. Congress needs to enact climate change legislation, but they also must get it right."

International policymakers, Ed Miliband, Connie Hedegaard and Tony Blair said that strong U.S. action on climate would galvanize further action across the world. Lord Nicholas Stern, author of the highly influential report "The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review" in 2006, said: "The U.S. has a real opportunity to take a lead given the creativity of its entrepreneurs and its technical talents."

Lord Stern added: "Low carbon growth is the only growth story, because high carbon growth would eventually choke itself off. The world would react strongly to an America lead as we go forward to build an international deal at the United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen at the end of this year."

Nobel Prize winning U.S. economist Professor Joe Stiglitz agreed, stating that "Countries around the world have been waiting for the U.S. to take leadership but they have not been sitting idle. Many countries have set out domestic plans of action on reducing their emissions. It is now the turn of the U.S. to use its power of example to motivate key countries to work together and find a global solution to this global problem."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's climate envoy, Todd Stern, addressed the group on the discussions he has conducted to date with international policymakers on the importance of global collaboration ahead of the United Nations Climate Change conference in Copenhagen in December.

The event was organized by three leading Washington think tanks, the Center for Global Development (CGD), the Peterson Institute for International Economics, and the World Resources Institute (WRI), together with the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), which is chaired by Lord Nicholas Stern.

About the Partners

1. The Center for Global Development is an independent think tank that works to reduce global poverty and inequality by encouraging policy change in the United States and other rich countries through rigorous research and active engagement with the policy community. www.cgdev.org

2. The Peterson Institute for International Economics is the only research institution in the United States devoted to global economic issues. It was recently rated "Top Think Tank in the World" by the first comprehensive survey of more than 5000 such institutions in all countries. www.petersoninstitute.org

3. The World Resources Institute is an environmental think tank that goes beyond research to find practical ways to protect the earth and improve people's lives. www.wri.org

4. The Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment was established in 2008 at the London School of Economics and Political Science. The Institute brings together international expertise on economics, finance, geography, the environment, international development and political economy to establish a world-leading centre for policy-relevant research and training in climate change and the environment. It is funded by the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment. www.lse.ac.uk/grantham

SOURCE Center for Global Development

Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE: MRO) announced today that its subsidiary, Marathon International Petroleum Angola Block 31 Limited, has participated in the Leda discovery well in the central northern area of Block 31 offshore Angola. Leda is Marathon's 29th discovery on Angola Blocks 31 and 32.

The Leda discovery well is located approximately 250 miles off the Angolan coast, and is about 7 miles southwest of the Marte field.

The well was drilled in about 6,800 feet of water, to a total depth of more than 19,300 feet. It is the fifth discovery in Block 31 where the exploration well has been drilled through salt to access the oil bearing sandstone reservoir beneath. The well test results confirmed the capacity of the reservoir to flow in excess of 5,000 barrels per day under production conditions.

The concessionaire of Block 31 is Sonangol, Angola's state-owned oil company. Marathon holds a 10 percent interest in Block 31. The operator is BP Exploration (Angola) Limited with 26.67 percent. The other interest owners are Esso Exploration and Production Angola (Block 31) Limited with 25 percent, Sonangol P&P with 20 percent, Statoil Angola A.S. (a subsidiary of StatoilHydro ASA) with 13.33 percent, and TEPA (BLOCK 31) LIMITED, a subsidiary of the Total Group with 5 percent.

Marathon is an integrated international energy company engaged in exploration and production; oil sands mining; integrated gas; and refining, marketing and transportation operations. Marathon has principal operations in the United States, Angola, Canada, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Indonesia, Ireland, Libya, Norway and the United Kingdom. Marathon is the fourth largest United States-based integrated oil company and the nation's fifth largest refiner.

SOURCE Marathon Oil Corporation

ProCon.org, a nonpartisan 501c3 nonprofit research organization, created the new website alternativeenergyprocon.org to explore the core question, "Can alternative energy effectively replace fossil fuels?"

President Obama's budget has invested billions of dollars in alternative energy development, and ProCon.org investigates this topic and related issues including:

* whether alternative energy will revitalize the economy, increase energy independence, or should be subsidized, and

* pros and cons of peak oil theory, ethanol, biofuels, wind energy, solar energy, hydrogen vs. electricity, nuclear power, causes of global climate change, and more

Pro and con statements on over 30 energy-related questions were researched and solicited from more than 175 experts including: Samuel Bodman, former US Secretary of Energy; Helen Caldicott, President of the Nuclear Policy Research Institute; Al Gore, former Vice-President of the United States; representatives of Greenpeace, Heartland Institute, Institute for Energy Research, Cato Institute, World Wildlife Fund, the US Conference of Mayors, and dozens more.

The research has been made publicly available at no charge and with no advertising.

Some interesting facts presented on the new website include:

* The US has 1.6% of the world's oil supply, and it uses 24% of the world's oil production.

* The US used fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas) for 85% of its energy needs from 2003-2007. Of the remainder, 7% came from alternative energies (wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass), and 8% came from nuclear power.

* Illinois produces the most nuclear energy of any state with 982.4 trillion Btu's (about 25% of its total energy). 19 states and the District of Columbia do not produce any nuclear power.

* The resource-rich states of West Virginia, Wyoming, and North Dakota export a greater percentage of their energy than any other state with 69%, 65%, and 53%, respectively, of their energy going outside their borders.

SOURCE ProCon.org