Just Announced...
Six Midwestern States and a Canadian Province
Sign Cap-Trade Pact
Governors of six Midwestern states and a Canadian
province signed a pact on November 15, 2007 aimed at
launching a regional emissions-trading market for
greenhouse gases, bringing the total number of
states committed to regional cap-and-trade systems
to 20. Taking effect by May 2010, the market-based
design would seek to reduce the region's emissions
of heat-trapping carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gases from 60-80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.
Signing the Midwestern Regional Greenhouse Gas
Reduction Accord were leaders of Illinois, Iowa,
Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Manitoba,
Canada. Three states -- Indiana, Ohio and South
Dakota -- signed as observers. To view a copy of the
Accord, please
click here.
Mark Your Calendar
ASERTTI's Energy Outlook Meeting, February 3-6,
2007
Washington, DC
Each year, the ASERTTI Energy Outlook Meeting in
Washington, DC focuses on emerging national energy
policy and technology issues. This year's event is
timed perfectly for a discussion of new priorities
as the President's budget is set for release on the
first day of the meeting, and at least one new new
national clean energy technology program is
announced. The meeting will include news on the
activities of many state and local energy
institutions and an update from Congressional staff
on the policy outlook for energy and climate in the
coming year. For more information
click here.
Ecobuild Fall, December 10-13, 2007
Washington, DC
Ecobuild Fall and AEC-ST Fall is an annual event
that goes beyond green to cover the breadth of green
building, sustainable design, renewable energy,
environmental planning processes and information
collaboration strategies for commercial, industrial,
institutional and residential construction.
Attendees include the federal government, design and
construction decision-makers from the public sector
and private practice, AEC professionals, owners,
developers, and facility managers - the entire
project team in one place, at one time. For
more information about Ecobuild Fall, please visit
http://www.ecobuildamerica.com/fallhome.html.
ASERTTI Meeting Summary
ASERTTI Members Elect New Leadership at Annual
Meeting
Insightful discussions, spectacular fall weather,
and an idyllic setting on Lake George in upstate New
York made for an exceptional ASERTTI Annual Meeting
last week. State and Local Members from around the
country met to exchange news on emerging clean
energy technologies and technology transfer efforts,
as well as to elect new representatives to ASERTTI’s
Executive Committee.
Members elected Susan Stratton, Executive
Director of the Energy Center of Wisconsin, as
Chair; and Floyd Barwig, Executive Director of the
Iowa Energy Center, as Vice Chair. And, outgoing
Chair John Morrison, Vice President of North
Carolina’s Advanced Energy, was recognized for his
leadership over the past several years.
The quality of presentations at the meeting was
excellent and included a range clean energy
technology issues. Speakers included NYSERDA’s
President Paul Tonko, American Association of Blacks
in Energy President Frank Stewart, U.S. Department
of Energy Industrial Technologies Program
representative Paul Scheihing, and many others.
All of the presentations from the meeting can be
accessed by
clicking here.
News from the Hill
House Majority Leader Indicates Continued Delay
on Energy Bill Agreement
Steny Hoyer, House Majority Leader (MD) said no
progress has been made on an agreement to move the
pending energy bill forward. Hoyer made the comments
in an E&E news story today. ASERTTI contacts with
Senate energy staff continue to suggest an agreement
will be reached, but the timing and path forward are
unclear.
The challenges of reaching compromise on the major
differences between the House and Senate versions of
the bill remain and include, auto efficiency
standards, renewable portfolio standard, and
renewable fuel standard. Continued, visible
increases in gasoline prices will influence the
outcome of the debate in the coming weeks.
Majority Leader Hoyer indicated substantial work has
been completed at the staff level in dealing with
many issues, but that leadership would need to
engage to reach a final agreement. Congress breaks
for recess this Friday and will return to work on
the bill December 3, 2007.
Click here to read the full story.
ASERTTI Member News
Kalland Reappointed to NC GreenPower Board
The North Carolina Utilities Commission
reappointed Steve Kalland, Executive Director of the
NC Solar Center at NC State University, to the board
of NC GreenPower. Kalland will be representing solar
technologies. His reappointment on last September
17, 2007 will end on September 30, 2010.
Others appointed to the board include: Denise Choy,
Richard Conder and Irvin Pearce to represent
consumer / environmental interest; Bobby Hall to
represent an NCGP Corporate Sponsor; and William Lee
to represent small hydroelectric power technologies.
Clean Fuel Advanced Technology Projects
Announced
Over $300,000 Awarded to Reduce Mobile Emissions
A total of $300,000 has been awarded by the North
Carolina Solar Center at NC State University to
reduce mobile emissions through the Clean Fuel &
Advanced Technology (CFAT) Project. The funds will
be used for ten projects that will reduce
transportation related emissions in counties that do
not meet national ambient air quality standards. Up
to four additional projects, totaling another
$350,000, are expected to be announced soon. The
CFAT Project is an initiative funded by the N.C.
Department of Transportation, State Energy Office,
and Division of Air Quality that will directly
reduce harmful emissions in addition to providing
related educational outreach. This is the second
round of awards, and projects include neighborhood
electric vehicles, ethanol refueling infrastructure,
diesel retrofit technologies, hybrid electric and
alternative fuel vehicles.
Three CFAT awards involve the use of neighborhood
electric vehicles (NEVs), which have no tail pipe
emissions, can be operated on streets with speed
limits of up to 35 miles per hour and are charged
through ordinary 110-volt outlets. The Town of
Cornelius is purchasing three NEVs which will be
used by the Police Department, the Town Manager’s
Office, and for park maintenance. The NC Department
of Agriculture has also been awarded funds to
purchase two NEVs to replace current
gasoline-powered pick ups at the State Fairgrounds.
These vehicles will be used by various staff and
seen by the fairground’s 2.5 million annual
visitors. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park
will also purchase two NEVs for use in a visitor
education program and campground maintenance.
Several CFAT funded projects will expand the use of
E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline), a cleaner burning
renewable based fuel produced from plant material
such as corn. According to the Auto Alliance, there
are over 121,000 E85 capable flex fuel vehicles (FFVs)
in North Carolina today, which can run on gasoline
or E85. Holmes Oil Co. will be using CFAT funds to
install an E85 tank and dispenser at a new refueling
station planned for the intersection of U.S. 64
Bypass and 15-501in Chatham County. In Cherryville,
Thomas Petroleum Co. will convert a gasoline fuel
island to E85 at their 1008 E Church St. station.
Both companies are committed to providing clean fuel
alternatives and educating the public about the
benefits of E85. The City of Raleigh will use CFAT
funds to purchase a mobile fueling system to supply
the city fleet’s 75 FFVs with E85. Another 90 FFVs
are expected to be added to Raleigh’s fleet in 2008.
A number of retrofit technologies are available to
reduce harmful emissions from existing diesel
engines. With CFAT funding assistance, Triangle
Transit Authority will outfit 22 buses with diesel
oxidation catalysts (DOCs) and crankcase filtration
systems. DOCs are chemical filters that reduce
particulate matter by 20% and once installed require
no maintenance. The City of Gastonia will be
installing DOCs on six of their refuse haulers.
CFAT funds will also go towards the purchase of
alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport will be
transporting passengers between terminals and
parking lots on two hybrid electric buses. With
twice the fuel economy of standard buses, these
hybrids will reduce fuel consumption an estimated
10,700 gallons per year. The City of Hickory will be
adding a Honda Civic GX to their Public Utilities
Department fleet. The Civic GX, which runs on
compressed natural gas (CNG), is considered the
cleanest internal combustion engine on the road
today and will refuel at Hickory’s existing CNG
pump.
Grant recipients will contribute nearly $500,000 in
cost share, providing 60% of total project costs.
Awarded projects are expected to be completed within
the next 18 months and a third call for projects
will be issued in early 2008. “The reduction of
transportation-related emissions is key to
protecting our air quality and remains a priority
for NCDOT," Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett
said. "Through these projects, communities across
the state are able to fund new and innovative
efforts to achieve this goal and contribute to North
Carolina’s overall environmental health.”
NC Biomass Roadmap Released
The North Carolina Biomass Council has developed
this roadmap at the request of the North Carolina
State Energy Office (SEO) as a tool to assist
stakeholders in planning North Carolina’s future
biomass utilization. This document will provide a
unified direction for North Carolina to reduce its
dependence on petroleum, thus increasing energy
security, spurring economic development, and
improving environmental quality. The ultimate goal
of the roadmap will be to guide the state toward
increasing its utilization of biomass through such
measures as research and development, public policy
and financing mechanisms, and outreach and
education. The Roadmap represents the collective
assessment and expertise of the North Carolina
Biomass Council and is a result of numerous
facilitated discussions on issues regarding
biofuels, biopower, and bioproducts development in
North Carolina.
The Biomass Council represents experts from wide
ranging backgrounds in the public, private, and
academic sectors. Its members consist of
representatives of the agricultural community,
policy leaders, renewable energy advocates, and
authorities in technology and biomass energy.
The Biomass Council was formed by the State Energy
Office under the Office of Administration in March
2005. The mission of the Council is to promote
economic development, a reduction in greenhouse gas
and other emissions, and energy security through the
utilization of biomass, and to produce both
bioproducts and bioenergy in the state of North
Carolina. The Council’s specific responsibilities
are to:
- Assist the State Energy Office with
strategic planning for its biomass program and
advise the SEO on specific biomass projects
- Conduct outreach and education to key
stakeholders impacting the biomass industry
- Assist applicants in securing federal funds
for biomass projects, such as grants arising
from Title IX, Section 9006 of the 2002 Farm
Bill
- Facilitate demonstration projects that
utilize biomass for bioproducts or bioenergy
We hope you find this a useful tool as you move
forward with biomass-related projects in North
Carolina.
You can download the Biomass Roadmap here.
U.S. DOE EERE Network News Highlights
For the full Network News stories, please visit
http://www.eere.energy.gov/news/enn.cfm
German Team Takes First Place Overall in the
Solar Decathlon
The team from the Technische Universität
Darmstadt in Germany came from behind to win first
place overall in the Solar Decathlon on October 19th
DOE and Spain to Bring the Solar Decathlon to
Europe
The Solar Decathlon has become America's newest
export product, as the United States and Spain
agreed on October 18th to work together to develop a
Solar Decathlon Europe competition. The Solar
Decathlon will continue in the United States on its
original schedule of running every two years, with
the next being planned for the autumn of 2009. Solar
Decathlon Europe is planned to start in 2010, and
the two events will continue to run on alternating
years.
DOE Announces $44 Million to Provide
Net-Zero-Energy Homes
DOE announced on October 19th that more than $44
million would be invested in four Building America
teams over the next five years. The funds will be
used to develop net-zero-energy homes that consume
70% less energy than conventional homes.
Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Dominate the Tokyo
Motor Show
Concepts for new hybrids, plug-in hybrids,
electric vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles from
Japan's leading automakers are on display to the
public at the Tokyo Motor Show, which runs through
November 11th.
Dutch Nuon Team Wins the Australian Solar Car
Race
The Nuna4 solar car from the Dutch Nuon Solar
Team was declared the overall winner of the
Panasonic World Solar Challenge on the night of
October 28th.
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