In Oregon, a sustainable path out of an affordable housing crisis | The Energy Collective Daily

In Oregon, a sustainable path out of an affordable housing crisis Posted: 06 Mar 2016 03:00 AM PST During the 2016 short legislative session, the Oregon legislature and the governor’s office are working to outline the program goals and priorities necessary to implement the $40 million bonding program. SB 1582 is the legislative vehicle that will add meat to the bones of the housing program.read more

You Can't Argue With Math: BLM's Methane Rules Enjoy Strong and Diverse Support Posted: 06 Mar 2016 02:00 AM PST Last week the BLM kicked off its public comment process for important new rules designed to limit methane waste from oil and gas operations on Federal and Tribal lands. The agency held hearings in Farmington, New Mexico and Oklahoma City seeking input from the public on the proposal.read more

Washington's Carbon Rule Gets a Makeover Posted: 06 Mar 2016 01:00 AM PST Under Washington administrative laws agencies cannot make significant changes in draft regulations without first withdrawing and resubmitting them. This morning's withdrawal of Washington's draft carbon rule means the state has an opportunity to make the rule stronger.read more

Shining the Light on New Proposed Light Bulb Energy Efficiency Standards Posted: 05 Mar 2016 03:00 AM PST Once all of America's approximately 4 billion lighting sockets contain energy-saving bulbs that meet the updated energy efficiency standards proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy consumers and businesses will save about $12.5 billion every year--and gain cleaner air and a healthier environment.read more

Why Isn't Texas Saving Energy and Water through Solar Floatovoltaics? Posted: 05 Mar 2016 02:00 AM PST Two elements in nature that are very symbiotic are energy and water: It takes water to produce and distribute energy, while energy is used to treat, pump, and distribute water. This inextricable link is known as the energy-water nexus. Yet, energy and water planners do not treat these important resources as symbiotic.read more

Crescent Dunes Concentrating Solar Plant Begins Producing Electricity Posted: 05 Mar 2016 01:00 AM PST Crescent Dunes Solar Energy, a 110 megawatt concentrating solar power electricity plant, began full operation in February. Crescent Dunes uses a storage system that will be able to store enough thermal energy to generate electricity for up to 10 hours after sunset or on cloudy days when direct sunlight is unavailable.read more

Proposal: Fund the NRC by a Fee on Each Kw-Hr Generated by Nuclear Energy Posted: 04 Mar 2016 12:44 AM PST The vast majority of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s budget comes from companies operating existing nuclear power plants. This results in a situation where established suppliers in a market can influence the ability of an independent regulatory agency to approve new entrants into their market.read more

Advocating for Efficiency in the Clean Power Plan Posted: 03 Mar 2016 11:00 PM PST The U.S. government’s biggest single policy move toward mitigating climate change is the Clean Power Plan from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This rule, issued in August 2015, regulates on a statewide basis the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel power plants.read more

Europe's Energy Investment Crisis: "The EU Energy Market Needs a Makeover" Posted: 03 Mar 2016 10:56 PM PST Europe’s electricity market has some of the highest renewables shares in the world, but suffers from an investment crisis. Sonja van Renssen spoke with experts about possible solutions. Conclusion: “tinkering around the edges” won’t do – “a complete makeover” of Europe’s market design is needed.read more

6 Of The Greenest Electric Cars of 2016 Posted: 03 Mar 2016 09:54 PM PST Vehicle-related air pollutants have decreased by 98 percent since the 1960s in Los Angeles, despite its residents burning three times as much gasoline and diesel fuel, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The study credits greener cars as the catalyst behind improved air quality.read more

Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty for Energy Efficiency Now that the Clean Power Plan Has Been Delayed? Posted: 03 Mar 2016 08:12 PM PST Is energy efficiency's glass half-full or half-empty after the United States Supreme Court's recent stay of the Clean Power Plan (CPP), which limits power plant carbon dioxide emissions, the largest source of the pollution that drives climate change?read more

Growth in Domestic Natural Gas Production Leads to Development of LNG Export Terminals Posted: 03 Mar 2016 07:00 PM PST The first export shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced in the Lower 48 states on February 24 is a milestone reflecting a decade of natural gas production growth that has put the United States in a new position in worldwide energy trade.read more

Regulators Take First Step to Ensure New York's Distributed Energy Future is Clean Posted: 03 Mar 2016 06:24 PM PST The Public Service Commission (PSC), New York’s utility regulator, has been working to rethink how New York makes, moves, and uses electricity through its innovative Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiative. Specifically, it has been steering utilities toward a more decentralized electric grid.read more

Oregon Votes to Plug its Cars Into Renewable Energy Posted: 03 Mar 2016 05:39 PM PST Oregon's legislature adopted a bill to get the state onto renewables, and to use that energy to power the state's cars, trucks, and buses. The bill instructs Oregon's Public Utilities Commission to order electric utilities to propose programs and investments to "accelerate transportation electrification."read more

More Trading Does Not Always Mean a Better Market Posted: 03 Mar 2016 12:01 AM PST Carbon markets have become widespread because trading can allow emissions to be reduced at lower cost, providing flexibility to emitters and revealing information about where low cost abatement is available. However, this does not imply that higher trading volumes should be an end in themselves.read more

Obama's Climate Legacy, Federal Lands and an Opportunity to Put a Price on Carbon Posted: 02 Mar 2016 11:40 PM PST Given uncertainty of the CPP, Obama's final year in office could be more important than ever for U.S. climate and clean energy progress. Addressing emission from fuel development on federal lands presents a unique avenue to meaningfully reduce climate pollution and apply a price on carbon emissions.

It's Official: China Continued to Reduce its Coal Consumption in 2015 While Growing its Clean Energy Posted: 02 Mar 2016 10:45 PM PST With the release of the 2015 economic and social statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics, we now have official confirmation that China's coal consumption fell by 3.7 percent last year, marking the second year in a row that coal consumption has fallen.read more

Faulty Barometer Posted: 02 Mar 2016 09:00 PM PST Joe McAlinden has over 50 years of investment experience. He is the founder of McAlinden Research Partners and its parent company, Catalpa Capital Advisors. Previously, McAlinden spent more than 12 years with Morgan Stanley Investment Management, first as chief investment officer and then as chief global strategist.read more

California Wholesale Gasoline Price Falls Before Switch to Summer-Grade Gasoline Posted: 02 Mar 2016 08:00 PM PST The spot price of wholesale gasoline in Los Angeles, California fell as low as 66 cents per gallon (¢/gal) on February 18, 2016, the lowest spot gasoline price in the nation and an event that has only actually occurred on 24 days in the past 10 years.read more

4 Reasons North Carolina Should Move Forward Despite the Clean Power Plan Hold Posted: 02 Mar 2016 07:59 PM PST About 20 states are moving ahead and continuing work on plans to curb carbon pollution and comply with the Clean Power Plan, despite the stay recently put on it by the Supreme Court. Other states – including my home state of North Carolina – are challenging the plan’s implementation.read more