SVM GreenBits » Green Government

Can the Military Find the Answer to Alternative Energy?

SVM — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:55:15 +0000

It’s well known that the race is on to create viable sources of alternative-energy and a serious player in this sphere is the U.S. military.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) – the Defense Dept. agency that helped invent the Internet – is setting its sights on cleantech by trying to change how both the military and civilian worlds consume and produce energy. DARPA is devoting an estimated $100 million of its $3 billion annual budget to alternative energy.

In addition to spurring the development of palm-size fuel cells, DARPA has contracted with companies to miniaturize solar cells that would supplant the need for generators. It now wants to develop inexpensive diesel and jet fuel from algae that could be produced in the battle zone. All three programs aim to accelerate the production of new products by private companies, from whom the military could buy.

A Fantastic Resource for Understanding the “Smart Grid”

SVM — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:58:06 +0000

The term “smart grid” is one that is increasingly gaining attention in today’s media. Consortiuminfo.org recently posted a great article by Andrew Updegrove on smart grid technology, which can be deployed as a means to turn the existing energy system into an interactive, two-way energy network that recruits users to create electricity from alternative energy during off-peak hours that can be sold back into the grid when demand is high. The smart grid system can also conserve energy, lower costs, and better absorb shocks that might otherwise bring down the energy system.

The article reviews what a smart grid can achieve, the Congressional mandate and funding for the development of the standards needed to enable it, the process being used to select these standards, and the broad range of standard setting organizations that will provide them. It serves as a great resource to help understand the limitations of the current power grid system and highlights what the smart grid can do to help lower U.S. dependence on foreign energy, meet international commitments to decrease the generation of greenhouse gases, and fuel job creation ─ a highly recommended read.

The complete article can be found at http://www.consortiuminfo.org/bulletins/apr09.php#feature

If You Want to Go Green, Some Cities are Better Than Others

SVM — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:55:51 +0000

It’s not a big surprise that some U.S. cities are way ahead in policies to reduce carbon emissions. In 2005, with federal funding for green initiatives virtually non-existent, mayors of cities including Boston, San Francisco, and Seattle got together to create the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement – a statement that their cities would reach the greenhouse gas reductions targeted by the Kyoto Protocol despite the lack of federal policy.

Since the 2005 agreement, more than 500 cities have signed on. Although some cities haven’t done much to meet the goal, others have taken the initiative to draft further strategies that deliver meaningful reductions in emissions. In a May report, Living Cities interviewed sustainability directors around the country and created a list of the seven best spots to start a clean tech company and it’s no surprise that most of these cities were early adopters of these sustainability initiatives and emission-reduction strategies.

San Jose tops the list, with Boston and Austin rounding out the top three. To view the complete list, and to read more about what these cities have done, visit http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/may2009/tc20090519_708295.htm

Obama Administration to Propose New Tailpipe Emissions Standards, Establishing First Nationwide Regulation for Greenhouse Gases

SVM — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:01:54 +0000

In an important step forward for the Obama administration’s energy agenda, tighter standards for tailpipe emissions from new automobiles will be proposed today, establishing the first nationwide regulation for greenhouse gases. The new standards will also raise fuel efficiency targets to 35.5 miles per gallon for new passenger vehicles and light trucks by 2016 (the overall fleet average would have to be 35.5 mpg by 2016, with passenger cars reaching 39 mpg and light trucks at 30 mpg under a system that develops standards for each vehicle class size) – four years ahead of the requirements outlined in the 2007 energy bill.

The administration’s proposed change in rules would, for the first time, combine pollution reduction from vehicle tailpipes with increased efficiency on the road. It is estimated that 1.8 billion barrels of oil will be saved through 2016, which is the environmental equivalent of taking 177 million cars off the road, said senior administration officials speaking anonymously, ahead of the announcement.

For more information: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/18/AR2009051801848.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090519/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_autos

Obama and Greentech: The First 100 Days

kroberts — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:34:55 +0000

With so much else going on, it’s easy to overlook how much the Obama administration has done to support greentech in its first 100 days in office. The president’s proposed budget includes grants for clean power, tax credits for solar, wind, geothermal and energy efficiency programs, smart grid funding, weatherization programs and a new tax credit for cleantech hardware manufacturing. The Department of Transportation has raised fuel efficiency standards for the first time in almost three decades, and the EPA issued a groundbreaking ruling that may allow the agency to regulate carbon emissions. The president has also set a goal of creating 3 million green collar jobs as part of his plan to increase the country’s renewable energy production.

All this, plus the new vegetable garden in the White House backyard. It’s quite an impressive start.

http://earth2tech.com/2009/04/29/obamas-100-days-the-10-greenest-acts/

DOE Doling Out Cash for High-Risk Green Tech

kroberts — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 23:55:00 +0000

A little more than a month after his task force told him it would take a year to get a proposed high-risk, $415 million clean energy research program up and running, Energy Secretary Steven Chu is proceeding with plans to launch the so-called Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, or ARPA-E, in half a year or less.

ARPA-E, which was created in 2007 but left unfunded until this year, will be accepting concept papers between May 12th and June 2nd for innovative green technology ideas that it may be interested in funding. Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application for consideration.

According to an article by Josie Garthwaite at earth2tech, ARPA-E is particularly interested in ideas and technologies that could reduce dependency on oil imports, improve energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and/or give the U.S. an edge in deployment of energy technologies — areas where many capital-intensive cleantech startups struggle to find financing for critical phases of development or commercialization.

“Only truly transformational technologies that can contribute greatly to the ARPA-E’s Mission Areas have any chance of funding,” the agency says in its solicitation. “We are not looking for incremental progress on current technologies.”
Getting in on the ARPA-E program will mean more than cash— the agency said that it will also work with teams to develop intellectual property and technical data strategies, as well as a procurement or financial assistance instrument to help manage risk once government funding for a project runs out.

At least the ball’s finally rolling so get those ideas in by June 2nd!

Read Josie’s article at: http://earth2tech.com/2009/04/27/how-to-get-doe-cash-for-your-high-risk-green-technology/

Green IT Leaders of 2009

kroberts — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:25:23 +0000

No doubt in recognition of Earth Day, InfoWorld today released its annual Green 15 list, which recognizes sustainable IT efforts from organizations in every industry that reduce costs and help improve the bottom line. There are big and small names on the list, which runs the gamut from Aramark, GlaxoSmithKline and Intel, to Niagara Catholic School District, Burt’s Bees, and the U.S. Postal Service.

What is particularly cool about the list’s introduction is the author’s note on the intersection between eco-friendly green, and that other kind of green that we as educated, altruistic consumers like to think we never take into consideration when making a personal purchase decision. He quite correctly notes that businesses with green tech initiatives are “realizing gains in efficiency, productivity, and cost-savings,” and that these benefits are the overriding drivers behind a large number of green IT projects – oftentimes more important than environmental intentions.

But what’s so bad about that? No matter the reason, a green IT project that produces a healthier planet and a healthier bottom line is a win for everyone. And as long as the perception of green still equals expense at this stage of the game, the intentions still matter less than the result.

http://www.infoworld.com/d/green-it/green-it-leaders-2009-050?source=NLC-DAILY

Check out the U.S. Postal Service project in particular – these guys are smart! We’re still trying to convince the world that we need optimization technology, and they’re already going leaner, meaner, and greener with it. It’s not often that you find the feds are ahead of the game!
http://www.infoworld.com/d/green-it/us-postal-service-taps-optimization-software-slash-transportation-costs-261

White House Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise, and Innovation Discusses Economic Implications of Clean-Energy Policies

kroberts — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 02:37:43 +0000

There’s no denying that green tech has become sort of a buzzword in the industry, but beyond the millions of great ideas, is the reality of turning those ideas into successful business ventures. To address this and the various other issues surrounding the economic implications of clean-energy policies, Van Jones, special adviser for green jobs, enterprise, and innovation in the White House, recently spoke at the Bentley University Leadership Forum.

Tasked with coordinating green job-related initiatives among different government agencies, Jones relayed his message that a “riptide of innovation” was about to flow through the energy industry if President Barack Obama has his way.

In addition to touting the recent stimulus package, Jones indicated that the most promising industries for growth are those at the crossroads of information technology and energy technology.

“Five to 10 years from now, the people making the most money are the people who figure how to store those clean electrons and move them around the country,” Jones said.

To read more about Jones’ speech, check out the CNET News article at: http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10220936-54.html.

Clean Technology Startups Clamoring for a Piece of the Pie

kroberts — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 03:06:33 +0000

As the concept of environmental responsibility reaches a critical mass, the venture capital community appears to be following suit. According to findings from the Venture Capital Association, clean technology emerged as the fastest growing area for venture capital investment last year. The 54% rise to $4.1 billion in clean technology investment towers over the $444 million raised just four years ago.

This increased venture capital interest, combined with a $787 billion United States economic stimulus plan featuring considerable incentives for green initiatives, has environmental-focused start-ups clamoring for a piece of the pie.

“You have kind of a perfect storm where you see technology at the point where it can actually be commercialized and the government recognizing the need,” said Emily Mendell in a recent article posted by Reuters. The Venture Capital Association’s vice president of strategic affairs went on to say that, “You have consumers who are ready to embrace the technology. All these things are contributing to an interest in investment.”

To read more about the growth of the clean technology sector, read Deborah Cohen’s article at: http://www.reuters.com/article/deborahCohen/idUSTRE5373IS20090408?sp=true

The Cost of "Green Revolution"

kroberts — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 03:30:45 +0000

Many green-supporters are urging President Barack Obama to pursue a “green revolution” with big investments in renewable energy. This has the potential to open new markets and create millions of “green-collar” jobs. But is there a downside to this investment?

One short coming of the green revolution argument is that it doesn’t realistically take efficiency into account, according to a recent article by Bjørn Lomborg, author of “The Skeptical Environmentalist” and “Cool It”.

According to Lomborg, green initiatives will open new markets only if other nations subsidize inefficient technologies bought abroad. Thus, the real game becomes which nations get to use other nations’ tax-financed subsidies. Apart from the resulting global inefficiency, this also creates many new industry players that will keep pushing inefficient legislation for their own profit.

The crucial point is that many green technologies are not cost-effective, at least not yet. If they were, we wouldn’t need to subsidize them. A good example is Denmark, which early on provided huge subsidies for wind power, building thousands of inefficient turbines around the country from the 1980s onwards.

The key to tackling global warming and supporting a genuinely vibrant economy is to focus on lean investments in future breakthroughs, rather than bloated subsidies for inefficient technologies. Find out more at: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090330/OPINION01/903300314/1008/Denmark+s+wind+subsidies+prove+costly