Keystone fight continues as Obama Administration touts need for energy policy

As I sat with several others at a lunch table last week with Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, who was about to address the City Club of Cleveland, I received a text message that the Obama administration's decision on the Keystone XL pipeline was coming that afternoon. And with that decision to deny the pipeline permit, it was fitting that Chu spoke that day of Obama's plan to reduce oil imports by one-third by 2025, modernize the electric grid, support fuel-efficient vehicles, and invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Environmental groups rally for NY ban on fracking

Health and environmental groups rallied at the Capitol on Monday to call for a legislative ban on hydraulic fracturing of natural gas wells, saying no amount of regulation can adequately safeguard water supplies from contamination.

"Fracking is the most important environmental issue this state has faced in the past 100 years," Sen. Tony Avella, sponsor of a bill to ban hydraulic fracturing, said at the rally in the Legislative Office Building next to the Capitol. "There is no possible regulation or series of regulations that can stop the one incident that pollutes our water supply for 1,000 years."

Notice of funding availability for the Rural Energy for America Program

This NOFA announces the acceptance of applications under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) for Fiscal Year 2012 for financial assistance as follows: grants, guaranteed loans, and combined grants and guaranteed loans for the development and construction of renewable energy systems and for energy efficiency improvement projects; grants for conducting energy audits; grants for conducting renewable energy development assistance; and grants for conducting renewable energy system feasibility studies. The Notice also announces the availability of $25.4 million of Fiscal Year 2012 budget authority to fund these REAP activities, which will support at least $12.5 million in grant program level and up to approximately $48.5 million in guaranteed loan program level.

New rules could boost New England renewable power

New England is decidedly short on coal mines and oil wells, but electricity grid watchers say a recent federal order could help the region finally unlock the power in the energy sources it does have.

A federal order issued last fall is intended to make it easier to construct transmission lines, costly and controversial projects that are notoriously tough to build.

US: New bill would classify ethanol derived from coal, natgas as 'renewable resource'

Six members of the House of Representatives introduced a bill on Wednesday that would include ethanol produced by nontraditional means, such as coal- and gas-derived ethanol, in the federal renewable fuels mandate.

Ethanol derived from petroleum-based sources would be competing in a market currently dominated by corn-derived ethanol. Other biofuels have been slow to reach commercial viability, and some of the most promising next-generation fuels have yet to even leave the laboratory, so demand for new sources of ethanol has climbed higher and higher.

West Virginia: House GOP to fire back at W.Va. “cap-and-trade” bill

One of the major legislative priorities for state Republican delegates this year will be the repeal of former Gov. Joe Manchin's alternative and renewable energy portfolio standard.

GOP representatives have introduced a bill repealing all but the legislative findings of the Alternative and Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard. The bill was originally introduced by Manchin in his 2009 State of the State Address.

Virginia: House GOP introduces job-creation agenda

The House Republican Caucus today unveiled their job creation agenda, a package of bills aimed at helping businesses secure capital, promoting research and development, extending tax breaks for start-ups and requiring competitive bidding on transportation projects.

The news conference, a new weekly meeting of the caucus's policy work group, highlighted four pieces of legislation:

House Bill 714, sponsored by Del. Terry G. Kilgore, R-Scott, would extend by two years the major business facility job tax credit set to expire at the end of the year.

California renewable energy plan now includes transmission

Renewable energy transmission development in California will be expedited, thanks to a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the state and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI).

The MOU, signed by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Gov. Edmund G. Brown, D-Calif., expands a state and federal partnership that has laid the groundwork for hundreds of renewable energy projects in the state over the past two years.

Washington: Varied bills introduced in session’s first week

In their first week of the legislative session, Southwest Washington lawmakers worked on bills that would amend the constitution to limit state spending growth, change liquor licenses for theater pubs, create a sales tax holiday for back-to-school shopping, and impose fines for harming a police dog, to name a few.

• State Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, is pushing a bill to create a constitutional amendment solidifying the 1993 Initiative 601, which set spending limits based on the state’s population and the rate of inflation. Benton said the initiative no longer has teeth after being slowly dismantled by Democrats and Republicans alike.

Gov. Christie proposes alternative to solar energy legislation In N.J.

A major overhaul of the state’s energy industry was blocked last week because Governor Christie had concerns about how much solar power the proposal demands utilities produce, officials familiar with the bill said.

The overhaul could help Passaic County to decide whether to restart a solar project that was tabled last year, after it failed to attract bidders, The Record of Woodland Park reported.

Grant PUD supports federal hydropower bill

Grant County PUD is supporting a federal bill promoting hydropower as America's largest renewable source of energy.

The bill highlights the fact there's tremendous untapped potential for new generation, renewable energy and new job creation, according to information provided to Grant PUD commissioners by Andrew Munro, the district's external affairs director.

The bipartisan bill is titled the "Hydropower Efficiency Act of 2011."

Scotland signs landmark renewables deal with Masdar

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond will travel to Abu Dhabi next week to sign a landmark deal on renewables with state-backed green energy developer Masdar.

The deal, which will be signed next Tuesday at the World Future Energy Summit, will see Scotland work with Masdar on the development of green energy products.

China to tax carbon emissions by 2015

China looks set to impose a direct tax on its largest greenhouse gas emitters by 2015, according to reports in state media.

Proposals for an environmental tax are being reviewed by the Ministry of Finance and are expected to come into force before the end of the 2011-2015 five-year plan, the state news agency Xinhua reported today, citing government sources.

Virginia: McDonnell announces 2012 energy policy agenda

As part of his effort to make Virginia the "energy capital of the East Coast," Gov. Bob McDonnell issued his energy policy agenda for the 2012 General Assembly session on Thursday, including money to develop wind energy off the coast, a fund to begin converting the state's fleet of vehicles to alternative fuels, and incentives for utilities to invest in renewable energy research.

"Only by aggressively developing all types of energy and removing bureaucratic hurdles to this development will we be able to meet our energy needs and reduce our nation's dependence upon foreign sources of energy," McDonnell said.

Canada: Improving property tax system for green energy

McGuinty Government's Changes Encourage Renewable Energy Installations

Ontario is supporting property owners who install renewable energy technologies by improving property tax assessment policies for them.

The changes will provide greater clarity by creating additional categories for property tax assessment based on the size and location of energy generation. The move will encourage property owners to continue to install and use renewable energy technologies.

EPA finalizes 2012 renewable fuel standards

Under the Clean Air Act Section 211(o), as amended by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to set the annual standards under the Renewable Fuel Standard program (RFS) based on gasoline and diesel projections from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). EPA is also required to set the cellulosic biofuel standard each year based on the volume projected to be available during the following year, using EIA projections and assessments of production capability from industry. This regulatory action establishes these annual standards for cellulosic, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuels that apply to all gasoline and diesel produced or imported in year 2012.

Vermont Statehouse 2012: A legislative preview

On Tuesday, 180 lawmakers will converge on the Statehouse after a seven month hiatus for Round 2 of the 2011-2012 biennium. Judging from interviews with committee chairs, the upcoming session will be fast and furious. Lawmakers have an impressive array of complicated issues to address in four short months, and there is little expectation that the session will drag past the first week in May (this is an election year after all).

SEIA and Solar Alliance merge to focus on state policy issues

The country’s top solar industry trade association announced Tuesday it is merging with an organization that advocates for solar energy at the state level.

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), which represents 1,100 solar companies around the country, said it merged with the Solar Alliance in order to focus more on state-level policy issues.

“The solar energy industry is expanding and it is critical for SEIA to mirror this growth and put our resources and expertise into developing state policy that expand markets for solar energy,” SEIA President Rhone Resch said in a statement.

Pakistan: National energy policy

Reportedly, recommendations have been made to PM to increase gas prices by 34 percent from January 2012, impose levy for next 15-20 years to build Rs100bn gas pipeline, keep existing fuel surcharges, transfer increase of gas prices on commercial sector to consumers, and use tax money to pay for subsidy to make imported gas affordable (Increase in gas tariff for all sectors proposed, local news, Dec. 29, 2011). The increase in gas prices and giving subsidy to energy mafia shows that PPP government has failed to devise a comprehensive energy policy. Due to government’s pro-energy mafia policies, the sector is profiteering at the cost of public and national interests. Pakistan therefore needs to adopt alternate energy to provide relief to public, sustain economy, generate jobs, reduce energy prices, end fuel subsidies, cut dependence on energy imports, decrease inflation, and control trade imbalances.

Montana: County commissioners support Public Lands Renewable Energy Act

In addressing our country’s debt crisis, the President and Congress need look no further than the great state of Montana. Our diversified economy must be a marvel to behold in states that are making desperate attempts to balance their budgets on the backs of taxpayers. Montana is one of only 12 states operating in the black with a projected $426.7 million surplus for fiscal year 2011.

Missouri: MEDA announces legislation on renewable energy

Today the Missouri Energy Development Association (MEDA) announced it will propose renewable energy legislation during the next session of the Missouri Legislature in January in response to the recent renewable energy initiative petition filed by Renew Missouri. MEDA is also evaluating filing its own renewable energy ballot initiative.

"We are proposing legislation that will preserve Missouri's momentum of investing in renewable energy, while protecting Missourians from rate increases many times greater than what they approved when Prop C was passed in 2008," said Trey Davis, president of MEDA. "The initiative petition filed by Renew Missouri will increase electric rates to fund a government mandate for renewable energy and creates a new tax on Missourians to expand state government, but will largely benefit just a few renewable energy companies."

CA: New year to bring new laws

The new year will bring new laws, thanks to the legislative efforts of Peninsula politicians.

The legislation addresses a variety of concerns, including gas pipeline safety, clean energy innovation and conservation, consumer protections, and substance abuse prevention.

Simitian

Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, authored 11 bills that have become state law or will by Jan. 1.

Launch of feed-in tariff raises expectations for Japan’s PV market

The start of the new scheme--the ‘Renewable Energy Bill’ (‘Bill on Special Measures for the Procurement of Renewable Energy Electricity by Electric Utilities’) which was passed into law in the Diet on August 26, 2011 and scheduled to be enforced in July 2012─is going to pave the way to large-scale photovoltaics. Most of the past construction projects of mega solar power stations were of electric utilities, but in response to the anticipated launch of the FiT scheme, multiple mega solar projects had been already reported before the bill was passed.

Bangladesh: New policy fires up solar energy business

A government policy to promote renewable energy has lured a large number of new entrants into the business, particularly for solar panel installations, sector people said.

In the last two years, nearly 100 firms and NGOs have appeared on the scene to sell technologies including solar home systems, irrigation pumps, water heaters, street lights and their accessories and batteries.

CA: CPUC Issues Final Decision on Renewables Portfolio Standard Content Categories of SB 2X

On Dec. 15, the California Public Utilities Commission passed a highly technical and complex decision implementing portfolio content categories for the Renewables Portfolio Standard (“RPS”) program (“Final RPS Decision”). With a few exceptions, the Final RPS Decision closely mirrors the Proposed Decision which was issued on Oct. 7, 2011 and reported on in detail in an earlier advisory. Our earlier advisory also provides a good primer on the portfolio content categories for those who have not been following the RPS rulemaking (R.11-05-005).

This advisory describes the differences between the Proposed Decision and the Final RPS Decision, and discusses where the RPS rulemaking goes from here and how that might impact the energy industry.

Japanese Energy Policy After Fukushima

On December 16, 2011, the government announced that the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant finally achieved a state of "cold shutdown" following the world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl. It marked the latest in a series of energy-related developments since the "Great East Japan Earthquake" shook northeastern Japan on March 11, leaving in its wake thousands dead, vast property destruction, and a destabilized nuclear power plant owned and operated by Tokyo Electric Power Corp.

Maryland: Offshore wind debate set to continue

Maryland lawmakers are preparing to resume debate on one of Gov. Martin O'Malley's major green initiatives, an offshore wind energy bill that stalled during the last legislative session amid concerns about the cost to utility companies and their customers.

The bill would have subsidized the construction of between 80 and 200 wind turbines 12 miles off the coast of Ocean City by obligating the state's four investor-owned utilities -- Baltimore Gas and Electric Co., Allegheny Power, Delmarva Power and Pepco -- to buy offshore wind energy for 25 years.

Vermont: New energy plan highlights transportation changes post-Irene

Gov. Peter Shumlin's comprehensive energy plan includes a significant portion dedicated to improving the Vermont transportation infrastructure, calling for a greater focus on pedestrian/bicycle projects and increasing the number of in-state vehicles powered by renewable sources.

Chris Cole, a planning and policy director with the state's Agency of Transportation, said during a Thursday forum in Brattleboro that the governor's plan reduces petroleum consumption in Vermont while reducing energy use in the transit sector.

Vermont: Shumlin releases final, “scrubbed” version of Comprehensive Energy Plan

It’s official.

Vermont’s Comprehensive Energy Plan is final. But that’s just the beginning. With the official goal of meeting 90 percent of the states energy needs from renewable sources by mid-century, meeting that ambitious target is the hard part.

The state currently receives about 25 percent of its energy from renewable sources. Despite a legislative mandate, it has been more than a decade since the state produced a comprehensive energy plan. Now, three months, thousands of comments and more than 18 meetings later, the final version is out.

Governor weighs changes to Washington clean-energy law

Large utilities in Washington state will soon have to get at least part of their power from new renewable sources like wind and solar. But with a voter-mandated 2012 deadline looming, Gov. Chris Gregoire is weighing a package of changes that could expand the definition of what clean energy is.

Initiative 937 requires almost a third of the state's utilities — those with at least 25,000 customers — to ramp up to getting 15 percent of its power through wind, solar, geothermal and certain woody biomass by 2020.

California key energy policy draft report available for comment

The following information was released by the California Energy Commission:

The California Energy Commission has released a preliminary draft of its 2011 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR). The report, the state's main energy planning document, discusses the wide variety of issues facing California's energy sector. The draft report provides recommendations to ensure reliable, affordable, and environmentally sound supplies of electricity, natural gas, and transportation fuels to meet the needs of the state's economy and growing population.

EU invades US for energy resource – offshore wind

By Susan Kraemer 

Not content with dominating the European off-shore renewable energy industry, European juggernauts of offshore wind have landed on the shores of Maine where they want to see if the US is good at making off-shore wind power too.

NJ Governor Christie unveils final draft of energy master plan

Reaction to Gov. Chris Christie's final energy master plan draft was mixed, but solar industry advocates endorsed the changes to the plan intended to stabilize the market for a key incentive.

The plan, which requires legislative approval, serves as the outline for the state's energy policy, including the state's strategy for renewable and clean energy. The final plan follows the release of a draft version in June. Since then, the Board of Public Utilities has held three stakeholder meetings and received comments from 300 companies, associations and individuals, the administration said.

South Africa: Renewable energy umbrella launched

Four leading renewable energy associations have announced their intention to launch an umbrella body to act as a single voice championing the importance and relevance of the renewable energy industry in South Africa.

The announcement comes in the wake of the Green Economy Accord recently concluded through a series of engagements among the government, business, labour and community at Nedlac.

New California laws clear the way for renewable energy projects

California passed several laws recently which further clear the way for renewable energy projects in the state. 

Senate Bill 618 makes it possible for big solar projects to move forward without disturbing sensitive lands or species.

It provides incentives for solar developers to site projects on impaired farmland - lands that are no longer suitable for agriculture because they're contaminated or non-productive.

UK: Pioneering town to drive green policy

A town whose energy-efficiency projects have caught the attention of ministers has been asked to help shape national policy for "the greenest Government ever".

Professor Stephen Frankel, on behalf of the Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network (WREN) in North Cornwall, will meet with eight officials from other communities across the country to advise ministers as part of the Community Energy Contact Group.

Renewable energy potential in Armenia

Renewable energy development has been slow in the past, but its application throughout the world is accelerating. Policies to stimulate a faster deployment of clean energy technologies are necessary and will, in turn, create a level playing field by addressing market barriers, creating transparent pricing structures, and facilitating access to infrastructure financing. Because the renewable energy industry is not yet at the same level of development as the more traditional energy industries, it needs a more favorable regulatory environment in the near term for its development, survival, and transformation to a mainstream energy resource.

Indiana announces energy efficiency grants

Lt. Governor Becky Skillman has announced the successful applicants for the Community Conservation Challenge (CCC). The CCC program has nearly $1 million in federal grant funding available for community-wide energy efficiency, renewable energy or alternative fuel vehicle retrofit projects. Each project will bring a variety of local governments, businesses and organizations together to save energy or employ renewable energy technologies with tangible energy savings.

IEA: Renewables fastest growing energy sector

Renewable energy is now firmly entrenched as the world's fastest growing energy sector, according to a major new report from the International Energy Agency released this week.

The book, entitled Deploying Renewables 2011: Best and Future Policy Practice, analyses current trends in renewable energy and sets out a series of proposals designed to help governments develop effective renewable energy policy.

Seychelles proposes a new energy bill to revolutionize electricity provision

The Seychelles Cabinet of Ministers has approved the draft of an Energy Bill aimed at modernizing electricity provision in Seychelles, as well as creating competition in the renewable and clean energy sector.

The Public Utilities Corporation currently produces the country’s electricity, and has a monopoly over both production and transmission. With the proposed Energy Bill 2011, a new series of licenses for independent power producers (large scale production for general population), auto producers (single producers for own household or business use), co-producers (small-scale providers who produce for self and a limited amount for other users will be introduced.

India: Karnataka Renewable Energy receives 22 bids for setting up solar projects

Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd (KREDL) has received 22 bids for setting up solar power projects under the ‘Karnataka solar policy’.

Today was the last day for submitting the bids. Mr N S Prasanna Kumar, Managing Director, KREDL, told Business Line.

As part of its 350 MW programme, KREDL had floated a tender inviting bids for setting up projects that total to 80 MW.

23 Governors, 369 orgs throw support behind four-year PTC extension bill

Most recently, a broad, nonpartisan coalition of 369 members, including manufacturing, farm and business interests, issued a letter endorsing a four-year extension to the Production Tax Credit (PTC), wind energy's key federal tax incentive. Legislation recently introduced by Representatives Dave Reichert (R, WA-08) and Earl Blumenauer (D, OR-03) seeks to grant a four-year extension to the existing PTC for wind energy (H.R. 3307, the "American Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit Extension Act").

USA: Bipartisan tax credit would open market for energy storage

The Electricity Storage Association (ESA) applauds Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Senate Energy Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) for introducing the Storage Technology for Renewable and Green Energy Act of 2011 (STORAGE). This investment tax credit for energy storage technologies of all types is expected to jump start an industry that has enormous potential to increase the reliability, security and efficiency of our nation's electric grid.

UK says Indian renewable policies are cutting-edge

Indian renewable energy policies are cutting-edge, Gregory Barker MP and minister of state for energy and climate change in the UK said here on Wednesday.

Barker was in the city to talk about the latest public policy initiative designed to promote green energy and mitigate climate change in the run-up to COP17 in December.

COP17, the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 7th Session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the parties (CMP7) to the Kyoto Protocol, will be held in the sunny city of Durban, South Africa.

U.S. brings diplomacy to politics of energy

The State Department is creating a bureau to focus exclusively on energy, a sign of the growing importance of energy issues to U.S. foreign policy and national security.

The new Bureau of Energy Resources, which opens shop Wednesday, is designed to help shore up stable supplies of affordable energy for the U.S. and avoid crippling effects of supply shocks and disruptions.

USA: Extending the Renewable Energy PTC

Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) have introduced legislation aimed at extending the Production Tax Credit, or PTC. 

First conceived in 1992 as part of the Energy Policy Act (H.R. 776), the PTC has been renewed year after year and also incorporated into the Energy Policy Act of 2005 as part of that Act’s Renewable Energy Production Incentives. The PTC currently provides a 2.2-cent per kilowatt-hour (kWh) on wind, closed-loop biomass, and geothermal resources for the first decade of a renewable energy facility’s life. Other renewable forms of energy receive a tax credit of 1 cent per kWh.

California's energy policy continues to provide valuable lessons going forward

Energy efficiency continues to be the cheapest, cleanest, fastest source of energy available today. Take California for instance. Over the last several decades, California has implemented a number of key energy policies – efficiency programs, innovative changes to the utility business model, and standards for buildings and appliances – that make efficiency the state’s leading energy resource. In addition to these efficiency policies, California also has an aggressive renewable energy effort to ensure the State’s second energy option comes from clean sources of energy.

Jamaica: New national electric policy with a focus on renewables in the works

Senior Director of Energy in the Ministry of Energy and Mining, Fitzroy Vidal,   has informed that the Ministry is currently working on a national electricity policy.

Speaking at a panel discussion on Jamaica's energy future, held on November 10, at the University of Technology (UTech), Mr. Vidal said the policy would be categorised as the sixth sub policy of the National Energy Policy.

Australia passes carbon tax

Australia has passed carbon tax legislation. The Gillard government led by Prime Minister Julia Gillard will now implement a plan to cut roughly 160 million tons of carbon pollution by 2020, provide tax cuts, household payments and pensions for homeowners and small businesses affected by the carbon tax, and, as Gillard said in a statement on its passage, this all represents “a major milestone in Australia’s efforts to cut carbon pollution and seize the economic and job opportunities of the future.”

Starting July 1, $23/ton will apply to carbon, a price the Gillard government said will give businesses time to get used to the new system; a system that will affect approximately 500 of the country’s largest carbon producers. “It’s a charge on pollution,” Gillard stated, “not a tax on households or small businesses.”

Borneo: Legislations for Renewable Energy Act 2011 being worked out

MIRI: Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water is now going full speed in making the necessary preparations and formulation of subsidiary legislations to the Renewable Energy Act 2011.

Its minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin yesterday said the Act was an important piece of legislation that would create an environment conducive for renewable energy to grow in an effective and sustainable manner.