Solar freeze over -- let the sun shine

Just a month after slapping a freeze on allowing new solar development on public land,the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has decided to thaw things out and let those solar projects proceed, the New York Times reports.

Since 2004 the BLM has encouraged the development of new solar power projects on public land. But then on May 29, the BLM said that it was instituting a moratorium because it needed to study the environmental effects of large-scale solar development on public land in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.

However, says the NYT, "amid concerns from the solar power industry, members of Congress and the general public that the freeze would stymie solar development during a particularly critical time for energy policy, the bureau abruptly reconsidered."

"Since 2005, the bureau has received more than 130 applications from private companies to build plants in those states, where large amounts of sun-scorched land make for prime solar real estate," the NYT says. "Those proposals cover more than a million acres and have the potential to power 20 million homes."

[AP photo]

--Craig Pittman

McCain's energy policy flips and flops; top aide says he's just pragmatic

The Los Angeles Times takes a long look at presidential candidate John McCain's votes on energy issues over the years and finds that "the Arizona senator has swerved from one position to another . . ., taking often contradictory stances on the federal government's role in energy policy."

Specifically:

*"At times he has backed measures to ease restrictions on oil drilling off the coast and in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Other times he has voted to keep them. He has championed standards to require that automakers make vehicles more fuel-efficient, yet opposed standards to require that utilities use less fossil fuel by generating more power from renewable sources, such as wind and solar.

*"McCain has rejected federal tax breaks for renewable energy producers, but backs billions of dollars in subsidies for the nuclear industry.

*"He has criticized corn-based ethanol for doing "nothing to increase our energy independence." Yet while campaigning in 2006 in the Midwest corn belt, McCain called ethanol a 'vital, vital alternative energy source.' "

A senior policy advisor to the Arizona senator explained that his changing positions simply reflect a pragmatic approach to governing. "Sen. McCain is interested in getting results," he said.

[AP photo of Sen. McCain giving speech on energy in Las Vegas June 25]

--Craig Pittman

Highlights of the Miami Climate Change Summit #2 from solar to PHEVs.

Looking back at Governor Crist's Climate Change Summit this week, here are some of my favorite moments, featuring a former day-trader turned solar enthusiast, Progress Energy's plug-in hybrid Toyota Prius, a new $20 million clean energy prize offered by the Scottish government, a Spanish company that is investing $8 billion in alternative energy in the United States, a new $20 million clean energy prize, and of course, the return of Arnold, The Terminator, and much, much more .....

Government puts the brakes on new solar projects

The Bush administration can't keep pace with a surge in solar energy proposals.
That's the good news.

The bad news is that the federal government has placed a moratorium on new solar projects on public land until it studies their environmental impact, which is expected to take about two years.

David Adams, Times Staff Writer

Florida solar ready to shine

In a converted warehouse at the Solar Source company headquarters in Largo, president and solar technology contractor Wayne Wallace is training his competition.

He calls his endeavor the Solar Source University.

And while dozens of electricians, building inspectors and contractors have signed up for classes at this 7-month-old institution to learn about all things solar, like how to market sunshine, Wallace said the more competitors in the field, the merrier. These days, there's plenty of business to go around.

"It's almost unfathomable, really," Wallace said. "We're having a hard time keeping up with orders. Our phones are ringing off the hook."

Read the full story here.

-Dominick Tao, Times Staff Writer

Sorry, solar is not for us, says Progress Energy.

Florida Power & Light today announced a $688 million project to build three solar power stations in south and central Florida. Company president Armando Olivera told me solar was becoming increasingly cost-effective thanks to a new Energy Bill passed by the state legislature.

So I thought it only right to ask a spokesman for Progress Energy what his company's plans for solar energy were. "We have examined similar proposals," said C.J. Drake, a spokesman for Progress Energy. "It's not cost-effective for on-demand generation." (For laymen, that means energy that's available 24 hours a day.) "The power is not available when you need it," he added.

Maybe someone from Progress should sit down and have a chat with the folk from FP&L and ask them why their numbers are so different? FP&L serves 4.5 million customers as far north as Bradenton.

How can two neighboring utilities have such different views on solar energy? Is there less sun in
Tampa Bay?

- David Adams

FP&L solar announcement will make Florida No. 2 for solar

Florida Power & Light Company just announced announced new solar energy projects that include the world’s largest photovoltaic solar plant. The company plans to build 110-megawatts of solar energy as part of a seven-year plan announced earlier this year to build 300-megawatts of solar in Florida.

“Pending regulatory approval, FPL will build 110 megawatts of solar power right here in the Sunshine State, making Florida No. 2 in the nation for solar energy,” FPL Group Chairman and CEO Lewis Hay, III announced today at the 2008 Florida Summit on Global Climate Change in Miami. “This is made possible in part by the strong support and determined leadership of Governor Crist and the Florida legislature, who crafted a progressive energy bill that put a supportive policy framework in place for solar power.”

Hay called for immediate action on climate change. “Every day we delay, another 18 million tons of CO2 are released into the atmosphere, most of which will remain there for close to a century. And with every year of inaction, the carbon reductions needed to deal successfully with climate change become larger and harder to achieve."

Check back for more coverage of the climate summit from St. Petersburg Times reporter David C. Adams.

Obama: Energy key to his economic plan

The heart of Sen. Barack Obama's economic plan is to spend $15 billion a year for 10 years on energy technology, according to an interview he gave the Wall Street Journal today. That technology would focus on wind, solar, and nuclear energy.

That $15 billion "would be funded by revenue collected from a separate Obama proposal to cap greenhouse emissions through a system of trading pollution permits," the Journal reports. "Sen. Obama would auction those permits to producers of carbon dioxide, such as electric utilities, and figures the sales would yield about $100 billion a year. Most of that would go to consumers as rebates on utility bills, he said."

In addition, the Democratic presidential candidate told the Journal, he would set up an "infrastructure reinvestment bank" that "would finance $60 billion in high-speed railways, improved energy grids and other projects over a decade."

The Republican candidate, Sen. John McCain, is less enamored of government intervention in the energy market. He has taken to saying Sen. Obama would represent "Jimmy Carter's second term," says the Journal. But Obama told the Journal that large-scale government intervention in the energy market is necessary. While McCain argues that venture funds are investing heavily in energy technology, Obama contends there is a gap in funding between innovation and commercialization that should be filled by Washington.

"You have this point in time when things haven't quite taken off yet and still entail huge risks," he said.

[Photo: Getty Images]

--Craig Pittman

GOP sides with oil companies, against Democrat plan to roll back Big Oil tax breaks -- and against breaks for alt-fuels

A Democrat-backed bill that "would have rolled back some $17 billion in tax breaks and pressured major oil companies to invest in new energy sources by hitting them with a windfall-profits tax if they did not," says the New York Times, failed to get enough votes in the Senate today to move forward.

"The package also would have instructed the Justice Department to pursue members of OPEC for alleged price fixing and required oil traders to put up more cash on futures exchanges to address speculation, which many observers believe is contributing to the unprecedented run-up in world crude oil prices," the Washington Post reports.

"Republican opponents of the oil-tax measure have argued that higher taxes on the oil companies would backfire, driving up gasoline prices and discouraging new domestic oil production and exploration," the Times reports. "If the bill were approved, the American people 'will get exactly what they don’t want,' said Senator Pete Domenici, Republican of New Mexico, who predicted higher prices and more reliance on imports."

Instead Republicans want to "increase environmentally safe exploration of untapped oil resources in the United States" -- i.e., drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Meanwhile, in a separate vote, Senate Republicans blocked consideration of legislation that would extend tax breaks for wind, solar and other alternative energy sources.

       [AP photo]

--Craig PIttman

FPL's new solar plan for Florida: three solar plants, including one 75 MW solar-thermal.

Florida Power & Light has revealed more details about its solar plans in Florida.

It has chosen a site in Martin County where it wants to build the largest solar-power plant outside California. The 75 megawatt solar-thermal project (also known as CSP, concentrated solar power - see photo of world's largest CSP plant in Spain) would generate enough electricity to power up to 11,000 homes.

FPL Group will ask Martin County commissioners Tuesday for approval of of the project.
At the same time, it's working to build two more solar projects around the state: a 25-megawatt photovoltaic plant north of Arcadia in DeSoto County and a 10-megawatt photovoltaic plant on land leased from NASA at the Kennedy Space Center.

Click here to read more.

- David Adams

Florida solar energy chief says new nuke plants are a bad idea

Last year, Gov. Charlie Crist featured the director of the Florida Solar Energy Center as one of the speakers at his Climate Change Summit. The governor has frequently listed both solar and nuclear power as alternatives to burning coal for power, because they don't produce greenhouse gases.

But now Florida Solar Energy Center Director Jim Fenton says nukes are not the answer. Even though Crist still backs the nuke plants, Fenton contends they're too expensive and take too long to build. Instead, he argues, the state should combat climate change primarily by conserving energy.

In fact, Fenton contends, conservation is better than building ANY alternative power sources -- even solar.

"Can we afford to wait ten years for a nuclear power plant to provide our electricity, even if it produces little to no carbon emissions?" Fenton writes in the latest issue of The Energy Chronicle. "We should focus on using less energy rather than trying to find alternative ways to produce energy. Since 51 percent of Florida's electricity needs come from our homes, we should make our existing homes more energy-efficient rather than building more power plants."

After all, Fenton points out, unlike with the new nuclear plants that have been proposed in Levy County and in Miami-Dade County, "you don’t have to wait 10 years to start seeing the advantages of having an energy-efficient home. Once your home is made more energy-efficient, you’ll start seeing the savings right away."

A spokesman for Progress Energy, which wants to build a new nuke plant in Levy County, says energy efficiency is good but it's not enough all by itself. "We believe the best answer combines several approaches," including nuclear plants, said Buddy Eller of Progress Energy.

--Craig Pittman

Sunshine State Loves Solar

The Sunshine State loves solar, according to a new poll.

Solar showed strong support across party lines, according to the Mason-Dixon poll sponsored by the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association and the Vote Solar Initiative, both solar power advocates.

"Floridians understand the importance of having a long term strategy for for harnessing energy from the sun to power our homes and businesses," said state Rep. Adam Hasner, R-Delray Beach, Florida House majority leader.

State Sen. Burt Saunders, R-Naples, said, "We have a chance to address our growing energy needs in a cleaner, more cost-effective way that protects the environment while keeping the lights on."

The poll quizzed 625 registered voters, asking “Do you think the Florida legislature should or should not encourage investment in solar energy?” Eighty-five percent answered “should,” with 7 percent answering “should not” and 8 percent not sure. Eighty-seven percent of Democrats answered "should," along with 82 percent of Republicans.

Then the poll got down to brass tacks. Sure, solar sounds great — until you have to pay for it. The pollsters asked “Would you support or oppose having the Florida legislature encourage solar energy investment in Florida if it would cost you one dollar or less per month on your utility bill?” With cash on the line, support declined a bit. Eighty-one percent they’d be willing to pay up, 14 percent opposed, and 5 percent weren’t sure. Again, Democrats showed more support, with 86 percent willing to pay. But 78 percent of Republicans also said they'd be willing to reach for their wallets to pay for solar.

-Asjylyn Loder, Times Staff Writer

[AP Photo]

Going solar produces a toxic disaster in China

A piece in today's Washington Post looks at "the environmental trade-offs the world is making as it races to head off a dwindling supply of fossil fuels."

As the story reports: "Forests are being cleared to grow biofuels like palm oil, but scientists argue that the disappearance of such huge swaths of forests is contributing to climate change. Hydropower dams are being constructed to replace coal-fired power plants, but they are submerging whole ecosystems under water."

The story focuses in particular on China's push to get into the growing solar energy market. Right now there are 20 companies in China producing polysilicon destined for solar energy panels sold around the world, the Post reports.

"But the byproduct of polysilicon production -- silicon tetrachloride -- is a highly toxic substance that poses environmental hazards," the story notes.

And guess how the companies are dealing with that toxic byproduct? "The first time Li Gengxuan saw the dump trucks from the nearby factory pull into his village, he couldn't believe what happened," the Post reports. "Stopping between the cornfields and the primary school playground, the workers dumped buckets of bubbling white liquid onto the ground. Then they turned around and drove right back through the gates of their compound without a word. This ritual has been going on almost every day for nine months, Li and other villagers said."

To read the full Post story, click here.

--Craig Pittman

Florida votes to introduce net metering

Florida state regulators are meeting today to approve new "net metering" rules that will require utilities to pay  homeowners and businesses for self-generated energy from solar panels.

The new rules are being presented at the state's Public Service Commission after after a year of discussions and workshops.

Click here to read more.

Click here for a state-by-state map of net metering policies nationwide.

Click here to read a previous post on net metering on Dec 18 last year by Asjylyn Loder

- David Adams

House bill socks oil companies to benefit alternatives

As the price of a barrel of oil hit a new high Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved $18 billion in new taxes on the largest oil companies. The money would provide tax breaks for wind, solar and other alternative energy sources -- including energy conservation.

The bill was being pushed hard by Democrats who cited record oil prices and rising gasoline costs in a time of economic troubles as the reason to approve the measure, the Associated Press reports. Oil prices peaked at $102 a barrel for the first time Wednesday.

The legislation, approved 236-182, would cost the five largest oil companies an average of $1.8 billion a year over that period, according an analysis by the House Ways and Means Committee. Those companies earned $123 billion last year.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., noted it was two years ago, when oil cost $55 a barrel, when President Bush said oil companies need no government subsidies to pursue more oil or gas.

"With the price of oil hovering around $100 do we really believe this incentive is justified?" asked Hoyer. "Do these companies need taxpayer subsidies to look for new product? They don't need any incentive."

The White House says singling out the oil companies for higher taxes "would reduce the nation's energy security rather than improve it" and "lead to higher energy costs to U.S. consumers and business."

To read the full Associated Press story, click here.

--Craig Pittman

China looking to renewables to reduce pollution

After decades of runaway economic expansion, China is confronting the resulting massive pollution problem, according to an article in American Airlines onboard magazine, American Way.

Of the world’s 20 most polluted cities, 16 are in China, Chris Warren writes. "Put simply, China’s ascension as a global polluter — by some estimates, China has already passed the United States to become the largest emitter of the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming  — is a direct result of the country’s dramatic economic rise over the past three decades, known as the Great Leap Forward."

Click here to read the China article.

- David Adams

Let the sun shine...in Sarasota

Florida's biggest utility, Florida Power & Light, says Gov. Charlie Crist will personally flip the switch Monday on the state's largest solar array.

The solar facility, built atop a closed landfill outside Sarasota, consists of 1,200 solar panels and produces 250 kilowatts (kW) of electricity, which is enough power to light 40 homes. No, that doesn't sound like a lot -- yet it's still the second largest solar array in the Southeast.

FP&L says the solar plant will prevent more than 680,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the air each year and contributing to global warming. The utility said that's the equivalent to not driving nearly 761,000 miles a year or not making the 460-mile round-trip from Sarasota to Miami about 1,600 times or not making the 2,600-mile round-trip from Sarasota to New York about 290 times.

Last fall Crist joined former President Bill Clinton in announcing that FPL would also build Florida's first large-scale solar thermal power plant, which at 300-megawatts would be one of the largest such plants in the world. It would produce enough electricity to power more than 184,000 homes.

"Producing solar energy in the Sunshine State just makes sense," Crist said at the time.

To read our coverage of that 2007 announcement, click here.

--Craig Pittman

Here comes the sun. Solar industry growing in California

California's solar industry is growing fast, creating thousands of new jobs and attracting major investment, according to a report in The New York Times.
The paper cites the example of SolarCity, a rooftop solar panel installer, which has grown to 215 employees since it launched in 2006, and $29 million in annual sales.

Click here to read the story.

- David Adams

N.H. to candidates: Where's your energy policy?

The presidential candidates would rather talk about immigration or Iraq -- but the voters in New Hampshire want to know what their energy policy is, says today's New York Times.

“Oil affects everything,” said Paris Wells, who owns an ice cream shop on Main Street in the little town of HIllsborough, N.H. “We need someone in office who’s going to look seriously at alternative power of some form.”

The Times said Wells was spending more than $1,000 a month on heating oil in winter, and noted that he was typical. New Hampshire is more dependent on oil heat than any state except Maine and Vermont, the story pointed out.

"But despite what many here consider a rising crisis regarding dependence on foreign oil, most said the presidential candidates had disappointingly vague approaches to energy policy or, worse, little interest in the subject," the Times reported.

To read the full story, click here.

--Craig Pittman

Major growth in new energy investment

Investment in clean energy grew by 41 per cent in 2007, pushing through the $100 billion barrier to reach $117.2 billion, according to New Energy Finance, a UK based alternative energy research firm.

Click here to read more from NewEnergyFinance.com

- David Adams

Crist promotes energy innovation across Florida

Florida Governor Charlie Crist is continuing to show his keen interest in emerging alternative energy technologies. Yesterday he visited an eco-friendly roofing company, Advanced Green Technologies, in Fort Lauderdale.
The company designs different various systems, including solar-powered canopies (see photo) which uses a high light-transmissive polymer, instead of the traditional photo-voltaic roof panels.

On Thursday, Crist is due to attend a Governors Roundtable on Alternative Fuels and Vehicles, as part of National Governors Association’s 'Securing a Clean Energy Future Initiative,'  taking place in Tampa.

While the Governor advocates increased state and federal involvement in promoting alternative energy he is also highlighting the important role of innovative private companies (something this blog has also focused on).

"I'm very proud of what these Florida corporations are doing. In my opinion, they are the leaders in green initiatives," Crist said. ''It's people that make a difference. It's private enterprise that makes a difference."

Click here to read more from The Miami Herald. Click here to read more from The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel.

- David Adams

The new Google search: how to be cheaper than coal?

We reported earlier this week on Google's announcement that it will spend hundreds of millions of dollars developing new solar and wind technologies. (click here for press release from Google)

The goal, according to Google, is to make renewable energy cheaper than coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel. Google is especially focusing on introducing renewable energy options in fast-growing countries like China and India, which depend heavily on coal.

Here's some more links:

Click here to read an article in Fortune

Click here for an interview with Bill Weihl, Google's "alternative energy czar," on NPR's show, 'Talk of the Nation.'

- David Adams

Google aims for green on the cheap

Google today announced plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to make renewable energy cheaper than coal. The campaign, called RE<C, will focus at first on solar thermal, geothermal and wind power. The program will hire experts and engineers to investigate new technology, and the company plans to invest in breakthrough renewable energy projects.

"Our goal is to produce one gigawatt of renewable energy capacity that is cheaper than coal. We are optimistic that this can be done in years, not decades," said Larry Page, co-founder of Google and president of products. One gigawatt could power a city the size of San Francisco, the release said.

In Florida, critics of renewable energy say it's more expensive and less reliable than traditional fuels, like coal and natural gas. However, that calculus is hotly disputed by some, including solar proponents, who say the cost of solar power is coming down as oil prices rise. Additionally, new regulations could put a cost on carbon dioxide emissions, making coal far more expensive than it is today.

-Asjylyn Loder, Times staff writer

Frito-Lay aims for zero carbon.

Two thumbs up for Frito-Lay's efforts to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions at its huge Arizona potato chip factory.

The company is planning to take the factory off the grid by 2010. It plans to build at least 50 acres of solar concentrators behind the plant to generate solar power. A biomass generator will burn agricultural waste to provide additional renewable fuel.

The company say the retrofit will reduce electricity and water consumption by 90 percent and its natural gas use by 80 percent. Greenhouse gas emissions would be cut by 50 percent to 75 percent.

Frito-Lay has already installed solar panels on its Arizona Service Center in Phoenix.

Click here to read today's front page story in The New York Times.

- David Adams

Seville solar energy plant begins operating

The Solucar solar energy plant in southern Spain is now operational, providing 11 MG to the city of Seville, according to the Green Bloggers Digest.

Costing around 1.2 billion euros, the full plant project will be completed by 2013, when it will produce around 300MW – energy for around 180,000 homes, equivalent to the needs of the city of Seville. It will then prevent emissions of more than 600,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere per year over its 25-year life.

Click here to read more.

- David Adams

More solar thermal from Ausra

Ausra, the California firm slated to build 500 megawatts of solar thermal for Florida Power & Light and its parent FPL Group, announced yet another agreement to build 177 megawatts for Pacific Gas & Electric in California.

Solar thermal differs from solar photovoltaic. Solar pv produces electricity directly. Solar thermal uses mirrors to concentrate solar heat to make steam to power a turbine.

Concentrated solar thermal can also be used to heat and cool buildings, and produce hot water. The Times recently wrote about Tampa-based Solarsa. Santa Clara University used the technology to build a solar powered house that recently took third prize in the Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C.

Ausra, backed by venture capitalist Vinod Khosla among others, has made a number of commitments to build some of the largest solar projects in the world. Utilities and other power producers are watching eagerly to see if Ausra can live up to those commitments, and produce power at a price that is competitive with fossil fuels and nuclear.

-Asjylyn Loder, Times staff writer

Here comes the sun. A hippie gets some solar respect.

Richard 'Solar' Thompson is a longtime devotee of solar energy. After he fixed up his house in Tacoma, Washington to run on solar energy he is finally earning respect. The city of Tacoma is chipping in $1.5 million to put solar-powered lighting on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

Click here to read his story.

- David Adams