Al Gore: Ditch fossil fuels in one decade or else

Powerpoint junkie, opera inspirer and Nobel-winner Al Gore said on Thursday that Americans must abandon electricity generated by fossil fuels within a decade, because what America is doing now doesn't work.

“We’re borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the planet,” Gore said. “Every bit of that’s got to change.”

Instead, he said, within 10 years America must "rely on the sun, the winds and other environmentally friendly sources of power, or risk losing their national security as well as their creature comforts," the New York Times reports. To make it happen, Gore called for "the kind of concerted national effort that enabled Americans to walk on the moon," the paper said.

Gore called for taxing carbon dioxide production, with an accompanying reduction in payroll taxes. “We should tax what we burn, not what we earn,” he said in his speech, which you can see here -- after he offers some odd shout-outs to the Black Eyed Peas rapper Will.I.Am. and Libertarian candidate Bob Barr:

--Craig Pittman

Oilman T. Boone Pickens says US must invest in wind energy and switch cars to natural gas.

Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens, now a major investor in wind energy and natural gas fuel, on Tuesday unveiled a proposal to substantially cut the nation's reliance on oil imports.

The "Pickens Plan" says the U.S. should spend $1.2 trillion to build massive wind-energy facilities that would supplant natural-gas-fueled power plants, freeing up that fuel for use in vehicles.

David Adams

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

Is wind energy right for Florida?

Wind energy is gearing up across the United States. But it is meeting resistance in Florida where experts say the flat terrain does not generate sufficient consistent wind power, except in some coastal areas. Residents are also putting up a fight on aesthetic and cost-efficient grounds.

FPL Energy, the country's largest wind energy company has major wind farms in Texas but none in Florida. It has been forced to scale back its first project in St Lucie County. This leaves Florida 'Twisting in the Wind, says The Miami Herald.
(Photo by AP)

- David 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

It IS easy being green

Ever wondered what a green job is? It might be the job you already have.

A new report from the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts tallied up workers whose jobs could become “green” if businesses start investing in solar and wind power, retrofitting buildings for energy-efficiency, and building gas-sipping cars.

A boom in wind turbine construction could lead to higher demand for sheet-metal workers. Want more solar? You’ll need more electrical engineers and electricians. The report counted 69,000 carpenters, 44,000 electricians, 14,000 welders and 24,000 truck drivers in Florida whose jobs could go “green” as the state pushes to reduce greenhouse gases.

Given the state of Florida's economy, workers will likely happily accept these jobs as soon as they materialize. The report didn't say when that might be.

No word either on whether writing this blog item counts as a green job.

-Asjylyn Loder, Times Staff Writer

McCain backs cap-and-trade...and nukes too (and takes a swipe at President Bush)

In a speech that shows him distancing himself from President Bush, Republican presidential nominee John McCain today promised to do a lot more to battle global warming than the current administration has. His speech speech at an Oregon wind-turbine factory seemed aimed at appealing to Democrats and independent voters, according to the Associated Press.

McCain called for a cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions -- but also said he thinks nuclear energy is a clean alternative that would help reduce carbon, a position that usually gives environmentalists serious heartburn.

McCain's swipe at Bush was far from subtle: " “I will not permit eight long years to pass without serious action on serious challenges…  The United States will lead.”

McCain's proposed cap-and-trade is similar to the position taken by Democratic candidate Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton -- though not identical, notes an analysis by the Wall Street Journal.

"Sens. Obama and Clinton, also back legislation to cap carbon-dioxide emissions and to allow for trading credits, but they favor an approach that is much tougher on major carbon emitters," the Journal points out.

Support for Wind Strong in St. Lucie, FPL says

Florida Power & Light claims that more than 80 percent of St. Lucie County residents support its plan to build six wind turbines on company-owned property on Hutchinson Island.

“We’re gratified that so many residents of St. Lucie County support developing clean wind energy on Hutchinson Island,” said Eric Silagy, FPL vice president and chief development officer, in a press release Wednesday. “This research demonstrates that a majority of people feel strongly about climate change and the benefits of using clean wind energy to help address it.”

The Juno Beach utility's sister company, FPL Energy, is among the largest producers of wind energy in the world. The company has 55 wind farms in 16 states, but none in Florida, according to its Web site.

-Asjylyn Loder, Times Staff Writer

View Larger Map

Progress tilts at windmills

Progress Energy Florida will make its first tilt at windmills, with a $1.3-million project. The utility won $123,868 last week from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to promote wind energy.

“We believe small-scale wind generation could play an important role in meeting Florida’s renewable-energy needs,” said John Masiello, director of alternative energy strategy for the St. Petersburg utility.

Progress Energy and Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise have pledged land for the project, and the Florida Institute of Technology will provide its expertise. The demonstration project will provide 15,000 kilowatt hours of wind energy every year, about enough to run a single household for a year. The utility hasn’t yet decided where in their 35-county service area it will put the wind turbines. The state listed the location as Citrus, Lake, Levy, Pinellas, Orange or Sumter County. It’s unclear when the project will get under way.

-Asjylyn Loder, Times staff writer

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

Green energy vs. green spaces: FPL's fight in St. Lucie County

Florida Power & Light, the state's largest utility, wants to build a line of nine wind turbines, each more than 400 feet tall, along an Atlantic Ocean beach.

It's the first such wind farm ever proposed for the Sunshine State, but there's a catch: Three of the turbines would be built on publicly owned land bought for conservation purposes. The other six would be built on FPL property near its Hutchinson Island nuclear plant.

"It's really precedent setting for the entire state of Florida" if FPL gets permission to use conservation land, said St. Lucie County Commissioner Doug Coward. "We're kind of the testing ground."

Coward strongly opposes the FPL proposal, arguing that land owned by the public and set aside for preservation should not be used for the profit of a private corporation, no matter how noble its motives.

"It doesn't make any sense to me to promote green energy at the expense of our green spaces," said Coward. "I don't know that you could pick a worse site."

Also lined up to oppose the project: most of the state's environmental groups. But a report from the state Department of Environmental Protection says it appears to be in the public interest.

To read the rest of the story from Sunday's St. Petersburg Times, 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

No renewable energy tax incentives in new economic stimulus package - bad for wind sector

The economic stimulus package agreement will not include any incentives for energy and more importantly – an extension of the renewable Production Tax Credit (PTC) set to expire at the end of 2008, according to Frank Maisano, an energy policy expert at Bracewell & Guiliani lawfirm in Washington DC.

While Congress has never let the tax credit lapse, the uncertainty of no extension often has a chilling impact on wind projects moving towards development, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).

"AWEA estimates that the slowdown in the wind industry from a failure to extend the renewable tax incentives will place 75,000 jobs at risk and undercut a singular bright spot in the American economy - the booming renewable electricity sector that is creating tens of thousands of manufacturing and construction jobs annually," Maisano writes in his weekly energy briefing bulletin.

Last year, the wind industry saw more than $20 billion in investment in renewable electricity in the U.S. Without a quick extension of the PTC, investors are already starting to hold back decisions regarding wind and solar power projects that will not come on line until next year, he adds.

 AWEA has a great chart (click here)  that shows the impacts in the years when the PTC expires since 1999.

- David Adams

 

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

Britain turns to its windy coast for future energy demand

The British government has announced hugely ambitious plans to generate the country's entire household electricity demand from offshore wind farms by 2020.

This would involve a colossal 60 fold increase in production. Wind currently accounts for less than 2 percent of the UK's energy generation, but Britain's windy coastline is reckoned to be well-suited to offshore turbines.

The British Wind Energy Association has welcomed the plan, but remains skeptical about meeting the government's goal. Due to a lack of available turbines. However, the association says there is huge room for growth.
 
Click here to read more.

- 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

The future of wind. It's pros and cons

Wind power is running into some resistance from environmentalists (who dont' like the impact on the landscape) and from some in the energy industry who say it is unreliable (because you don't know when the wind is going to blow).
Is wind being over-hyped? The New York Times looks at the case study of Sweden. Even so, the wind energy industry is expected to grow by 26% annually over the next five years.

Click here to read the article, 'Wind Power, and Resistance.'

- David Adams.

Climate change bill in trouble? Enviros, Big Oil & FPL against it

The first climate change legislation to pass a congressional subcommittee is in trouble, beset by objections from an unlikely group of allies -- including Florida's largest utility, according to Bloomberg News.

"The alliance is running into resistance from an unlikely collection of environmental activists, big oil and coal companies, labor unions and Congress's sole socialist," reports Bloomberg News. "Some opponents say the measure doesn't go far enough; others say complying with it would cost too much and put U.S. businesses at a competitive disadvantage.                    The fight threatens to scuttle the first legislation mandating emissions cuts to be approved by a congressional subcommittee."

And what's Florida Power & LIght's objection? " FPL Group Inc., Florida's biggest utility owner and one of the nation's biggest investors in wind power, says the measure awards too many free allowances to the largest polluters," Bloomberg reports. "Juno Beach, Florida-based FPL has asked that any legislation also give it credit for its investments in non-polluting energy production."

To read the full story, click here.

--Craig Pittman

Nature versus the wind turbine. The case of the Puerto Rican nightjar.

Biofuels has its debate between the needs of the food market versus the fuel market.

So too, wind energy has a dilemma between preserving wildlife and producing energy. There are several spots around the country where wildlife enthusiasts have tried to prevent wind turbines from spoiling nature. The most celebrated case is in Massachusetts where the Kennedy family has been trying to block an the Cape Wind offshore project in Nantucket Sound deemed to spoil the view from their exclusive Hyannis Port mansion on Cape Cod.

Here's another case in Puerto Rico, where a $100 million wind turbine project is feared will disturb the habitat of the Puerto Rican nightjar, an endangered bird endemic to Puerto Rico.

Click here to read more.

- David Adams

Is energy independence a realistic notion?

We take a look at the notion of "energy independence" in today's edition of PolitiFact, the St Petersburg Times political fact-checking feature.

PolitiFact asked me to check a recent claims by Republican candidate Mitt Romney that the United States can be energy independent.

Click here to read my analysis, 'Difficult to go it alone on energy.'

- David Adams

Renewables should soon be able to compete with electricity from coal, FPL boss says.

In an interview with the Reuters news agency, FPL Group's CEO, Lew Hay said he expects power generation from low-carbon energy sources like wind, solar and nuclear should soon become competitive with electricity generated by coal, the cheapest of fossil fuels. (click here for the interview)

FPL today announced a major new investment in solar energy. Click here for the press release.

( see our previous post this morning)

- David Adams

Europe signals progress in renewable energy production.

The European Commission says Europe is making strides towards achieving its ambitious renewable energy goals, thanks largely to a large growth in wind energy in Germany, Spain and Denmark.

Nine countries are on track to meet their national renewable electricity targets of 21% for 2010: Denmark, Germany, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Luxemburg, Spain, Sweden and The Netherlands.

Click here for more from Renewable Energy Access.

- David Adams

Cuba and wind energy

Cuba is hoping to develop its wind energy resources to relieve its dependency on foreign oil. Cuban officials believe wind could potentially produce 50% of the island's energy needs. An experimental $3.4 million wind farm was inaugurated earlier this year on the Isle of Youth in a joint venture with French company Vergnet.

Click here to read more from Inter Press Service.

- David Adams

Small businesses can get into green power too - and save money.

The New York Times today offers its readers this interesting feature on small businesses in Washington who are buying renewable energy certificates. The story report on a group of small businesses who bought wind energy credits and are saving about 9% on their energy bill.

Click here for the story.

- David Adams

And they're off...

The race for renewables has begun. First, FPL Energy announced this morning plans for their cellulosic ethanol plant, to produce 4-million gallons of the fuel from citrus peels.

Now Progress Energy has an initiative of their own. Progress Energy this afternoon issued a statewide call to producers of renewable energy and fuel, their first push to meet Gov. Charlie Crist’s mandate that all utilities get 20 percent of their energy from renewable sources.

“We are continually looking for newer, cleaner ways to produce energy,” said Jeff Lyash, president and CEO of Progress Energy Florida, in a statement released Thursday.  “The continued development of renewable energy has been part of our balanced approach to meeting growing customer demand for years, and it will play a vital role in Florida’s energy future.”

Progress Energy defined renewable as electricity from hydrogen, biomass, solar, geothermal, wind, ocean energy, hydroelectric power, or waste heat from a commercial or industrial manufacturing process. It also listed the following requirements: the energy must be produced in Florida, operational by 2013, be able to produce at least 1 megawatt of electricity, produce reliable and predictable energy, and sell its electrical output to Progress Energy Florida at a cost equal to or cheaper than the cost of building a new plant.

Progress Energy already gets 5 percent of its power from renewable sources, including energy efficiency, biomass, and landfill gas and waste, said spokeswoman Cherie Jacobs. The utility is also planning to partner with a biomass plant built by Biomass Investment Group. Construction has not yet begun, but Progress Energy plans to have the 130-megawatt plant on line by 2010.

--By Asjylyn Loder

Crist willing to take political risk on global warming plan

Republican Gov. Charlie Crist acknowledged Wednesday that his global warming initiative puts him at odds with the White House and some of his party’s longtime supporters in the utility and construction industry.

But he insisted he is willing to risk political capital to make sweeping changes he believes are for the good of the state and the planet.

“Any time there’s change, there’s resistance,” he said in a lengthy interview with the Times. While he expects some fallout, he said, “I don’t really concern myself with that. What I strive to do is what I think is right.”

He also said he is hopeful that the changes can be made without raising utility rates too much. "How expensive is the sun? How expensive is the wind? It's just a matter of harnessing it," he said.

Crist said that the draft proposals his office released to reporters Tuesday are unlikely to change much before he signs them Friday at the close of his global warming summit in Miami. Legislative Democrats and several environmental groups have issued press releases praising Crist's proposals.

--Craig Pittman