Archive for the ‘Cap and Trade’ Category

Solar Progress on Capital Hill

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

As Congress begins debate on the Climate Bill, those attending Solar Power International 2009 got an update on solar progress in Washington.  The 11:00 am session on issues that affect everyone in the industry was surprisingly under-attended.  Perhaps that reflects a dazzling exhibition hall and our perennial frustration with Congress. John ...

Energy Freedom Is Not Free

Monday, October 26th, 2009

Co-authored by David M Adams of Buildings and Energy and Norman Brand, Ph.D., J.D, with support from Marsha Shenk, a pioneer of Business Anthropology  As tens of thousands arrive in Anaheim, California for the Solar International Convention there is lots to talk about: Renewable Portfolio Standards, Feed-in Tariffs, the Stimulus Package, ...

Is Cap and Trade Set to Power a Renewable Energy Future?

Monday, October 19th, 2009

Will Cap and Trade legislation, often called 'The Climate Bill', effectively enable new renewable energy power plants like wind and solar?  Or, will a complex system of pollution permits and permit-trading actually favor upgrades to existing fossil fuel technologies? Last Friday, GWF Energy LLC, an independent power producer, announced a ten-year ...

What Could Renewable Energy Learn from the Health Care Controversy?

Monday, August 17th, 2009

When the shouting stops and Congress passes some form of Health Insurance Reform, the nation will not rest.  Environmental concerns loom: Carbon Emissions and Energy Policy are next on the President's ambitious agenda.  The fossil fuel industry, from extraction to energy production, have marshaled their forces and sent several thousand lobbyists ...

Milestone Year for Solar, But Many Miles Yet to Go – Part 3

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Why isn't solar energy growing faster among households, businesses, government, and non-profits? In several states, on-site solar power is affordable and profitable through a combination of power generation, state and federal tax subsidies, and state incentives. In 2008, 11,877 California households, businesses, and commercial solar developers installed 322 megawatts of ...

What’s Missing from the Waxman-Markey Cap & Trade Bill? Let’s Change the Game

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009

The Waxman-Markey 2009 Clean Energy & Security Act is missing a piece of the carbon puzzle.  Several pieces, actually.   If we view Carbon Cap and Trade as a board game, with the objective of rapid reduction of US carbon pollution: Missing:  A set of compelling opportunities and incentives that drive traditional power producers and heavy ...