-- Scotts Contracting - StLouis Renewable Energy

Search This Blog

1.27.2011

Re: Nominate a Star of Energy Efficiency -- Early Bird Deadline Approaching!



On Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 4:37 PM, Alliance to Save Energy <info@ase.org> wrote:

Make October 4th a Starry, Starry Night

Honor those energy efficiency stars who shine brightest by

submitting your Star of Energy Efficiency nomination today!

Share appreciation for colleagues and organizations who have furthered the energy efficiency industry through dedication, ingenuity or leadership by nominating them for a Star of Energy Efficiency Award. Please be sure to review the nomination guidelines to ensure your submission is correctly formatted and as compelling as possible!

Nominations submitted on or before February 11 qualify for an early bird discount – so act fast to recognize those deserving of recognition! After the early bird deadline, the nomination fee will increase from $50 to $100; the final deadline for nominations is March 23, 2011.

This year's awards will be presented October 4, 2011 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., at the Alliance to Save Energy's 19th Annual Evening with the Stars of Energy Efficiency Awards Dinner. For more information on the Awards Dinner, including sponsorship, please visit ase.org/dinner.

See complete lists of our 2010 and 2009 Winners.


Alliance To Save Energy
1850 M Street NW  |  Suite 600  |  Washington, DC 20036
202-857-0666  |  info@ase.org

Facebook   Flickr   Twitter   YouTube






--
Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com
http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com
http://scottscontracting.wordpress.com

Re: [WindPower] New LBNL report profiles innovation in "community wind" project finance



On Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 12:46 PM, Anne Margolis <Anne@cleanegroup.org> wrote:

Please see the announcement below on the availability of a new LBNL report, "Community Wind: Once Again Pushing the Envelope of Project Finance," which may be useful to those of you working to finance community wind projects.

 

Thanks!

Anne

 

From: cesamembers-bounces@cleanenergystates.org On Behalf Of Mark Bolinger
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2011 11:44 AM
To: cesamembers@cleanenergystates.org
Subject: [CESAmembers] new LBNL report profiles innovation in "community wind" project finance

 

Dear colleague-

        The "community wind" sector in the United States – loosely defined here as consisting of relatively small utility-scale wind power projects that sell power on the wholesale market and that are developed and owned primarily by local investors – has historically served as a "test bed" or "proving grounds" not only for up-and-coming wind turbine manufacturers trying to break into the broader U.S. wind market, but also for wind project financing structures.  For example, a variation of one of the most common financing arrangements in the U.S. wind market today – the "partnership flip" structure – was first developed by community wind projects in Minnesota more than a decade ago before being adapted by the broader wind market.

More recently, a handful of community wind projects built over the past year have been financed via new and creative structures that push the envelope of wind project finance in the U.S.  These include:

 

1)  a 4.5 MW project in Maine that combines low-cost government debt with local tax equity,

2)  a 25.3 MW project in Minnesota using a sale/leaseback structure,

3)  a 10.5 MW project in South Dakota financed by an intrastate offering of both debt and equity,

4)  a 6 MW project in Washington state that taps into New Markets Tax Credits using an "inverted" or "pass-through" lease structure, and

5)  a 9 MW project in Oregon that combines a variety of state and federal incentives and loans with unconventional equity from high-net-worth individuals.

 

In most cases, these are first-of-their-kind structures that could serve as useful examples for other projects – both community and commercial wind alike.

 

I am pleased to announce the release of a new Berkeley Lab report that describes each of these innovative new financing structures in some detail, using a case-study approach.  The purpose of this report is two-fold:  (1) to disseminate useful information on these new financial structures, most of which are widely replicable; and (2) to highlight the recent policy changes – many of them temporary unless extended – that have facilitated this innovation. 

 

The report begins by briefly summarizing how most community wind projects in the U.S. have been financed historically (i.e., prior to this latest wave of innovation).  It then describes the recent federal policy changes, including several implemented as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, that have enabled a new wave of financial innovation to occur.  Brief case studies of each of the five projects mentioned above follow, describing how each project was financed and noting the financial significance of each.  Finally, the report concludes by distilling a number of general observations or pertinent lessons learned from the experiences of these five projects.

 

The full 28-page report, titled "Community Wind: Once Again Pushing the Envelope of Project Finance," can be downloaded at no charge from http://eetd.lbl.gov/EA/EMP/re-pubs.html

 

A PowerPoint slide summary of the report can also be downloaded from the same web site.

I hope you find this report to be useful, and apologize in advance for cross-postings.

 

Best,

-Mark

Mark Bolinger

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

603-795-4937

MABolinger@lbl.gov

http://eetd.lbl.gov/EA/EMP/re-pubs.html






Green Blog Posting Provided by:
Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com
http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com
http://scottscontracting.wordpress.com

You Can Save 500 Million Barrels of Oil with One Click


Dear Scotts Contracting,
With just one click of your mouse, you can help save 500 million barrels of oil, cut 250 million metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution, and produce $41 billion in net economic benefits.
Please take action today: Support EPA's first-ever climate pollution and fuel economy standards for freight trucks and buses.
The deadline for comments is Monday, January 31st, so make sure your voice is heard.
Background
Last October, the EPA and the Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a joint proposal to adopt America's first-ever climate pollution and fuel economy standards for freight trucks and buses.
These vehicles – from the largest pickups to 18-wheelers – use more than 100 million gallons of oil per day. They are also responsible for about 20% of the climate pollution from America's transportation sector.
The new standards, which will apply to trucks and buses manufactured in model years 2014 to 2018, will help strengthen our economy, increase our national security and reduce dangerous air pollution. By 2030, the volume of projected daily oil savings from the proposed standards would be large enough to offset America's oil imports from Iraq.
This proposal follows two previous actions by EPA and DOT to improve fuel efficiency and climate pollution standards for passenger cars and trucks.
The first announcement was in April, when the Obama administration adopted the first-ever national greenhouse gas emission standards for model year 2012-2016 cars and light trucks. The second announcement came in October with the announcement of a blueprint for new standards for model years 2017 to 2025.
These new standards will cut pollution and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. But they will also create jobs by increasing demand for the innovative technologies that make trucks and buses more efficient, including hybrid electric engines. The U.S. virtually owns the global market on these technologies in the medium- and heavy-vehicle categories.
Please support these new standards by submitting your comments to the EPA.
The public comment period ends January 31st, so add yours now.
Thank you for your activism and support,
Environmental Defense Fund

P.S. We know the EPA takes these public comments very seriously and will adjust their policies depending on the feedback they receive. So, please make sure to submit your comments today.
Bookmark and Share
Environmental Defense Fund
1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20009
1-800-684-3322
4 Stars from Charity Navigator



--
Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com
http://scottscontracting.wordpress.com

1.26.2011

Open Invitation-Solar Webinar



On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 4:52 PM, Solar Nation <chris@solar-nation.org> wrote:
Solar Nation Action Alert
Dear Scotty:
 
Our friends at Vote Solar have launched a weekly series of webinars on timely and important solar issues*, which they're calling Get Some Sun.

*e.g.:

    * The future of the PV market
    * California's new 1,000-MW wholesale distributed generation program
    * What tools the National Renewable Energy Lab. is developing to help all kinds of solar endeavors
    * Sacramento Municipal Utilities District's multi-faceted new solar offerings
    * Variability in solar electric production for the grid:  Is it really a problem?
    * Reducing system costs for PV installations

The webinars, scheduled for 10am (PST) every Wednesday, are free, and you can register for any or all of them at the Vote Solar site here:

Vot Solar logo

Why not sign up and Get Some Sun - every week!






--
Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com
http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com
http://scottscontracting.wordpress.com

Obamas Clean Energy Future- We do big things

On 1/26/11, Barack Obama <info@barackobama.com> wrote:
> Friend --
>
> Tonight I addressed the American people on the future we face together.
>
> Though at times it may seem uncertain, it is a future that is ours to
> decide, ours to define, and ours to win.
>
> I know we will.
>
> Because, after the worst recession in decades, we see an economy growing
> again.
>
> Because, after two years of job losses, we've added private-sector jobs for
> 12 straight months -- more than 1 million in all.
>
> Because, time after time, when our resolve has been tested, we, as a nation,
> have always prevailed.
>
> Overcoming the challenges we face today requires a new vision for tomorrow.
> We will move forward together, or not at all -- for the challenges we face
> are bigger than party, and bigger than politics.
>
> Yet the story of America is this: We do big things.
>
> Just as the progress of the past two years would not have been possible
> without your hard work, we will not realize the agenda I described tonight
> without you.
>
> So as we continue this great mission together, and we set out the plans for
> how far we can go, I need to know that you are ready to work side by side
> with me once more.
>
> Will you stand with me as we strive to win the future?
>
> http://my.barackobama.com/WintheFuture5
>
> The last two years have been marked by unprecedented reforms and historic
> progress.
>
> But there is much more work to do.
>
> Moving forward, America's economic growth at home is inextricably connected
> to our competitiveness in the global community. The more products American
> companies can export, the more jobs we can create at home.
>
> This vision for the future starts with innovation, tapping into the
> creativity and imagination of our people to create the jobs and industries
> of the future. Instead of subsidizing yesterday's energy, let's invest in
> tomorrow's. It's why I challenged Congress to join me in setting a new goal:
> By 2035, 80 percent of America's electricity will come from clean energy
> sources.
>
> It means leading the world in educating our kids, giving each of our
> children the best opportunity to succeed and preparing them for the jobs of
> tomorrow.
>
> We must build a 21st century infrastructure for our country, putting
> millions of Americans to work rebuilding roads and bridges and expanding
> high-speed Internet and high-speed rail.
>
> We must reform government, making it leaner, smarter, and more transparent.
>
> And we must take responsibility for our shared debt, reining in our
> long-term deficit so we can afford the investments we need to move our
> country forward.
>
> That is the vision I laid out tonight. That is how we win the future.
>
> It is going to take a lot of work -- but I have no doubt we are up to the
> task.
>
> Half a century ago, when the Soviets beat us into space with the launch of a
> satellite called Sputnik, we had no idea how we'd beat them to the moon. The
> science wasn't there yet. NASA didn't even exist.
>
> But after investing in better research and education, we didn't just surpass
> the Soviets. We unleashed a wave of innovation that created new industries
> and millions of new jobs.
>
> This is our generation's Sputnik moment.
>
> Please stand together with me:
>
> http://my.barackobama.com/WintheFuture5
>
> It is because of each of you, who define the will of a people, that the
> state of our union is strong in the face of tough challenges. You are the
> reason our future is still bright in the face of deep uncertainty.
>
> And you are the reason I believe that future is ours to win.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Barack
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Paid for by Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National
> Committee -- 430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003. This
> communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

--
Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com
http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com
http://scottscontracting.wordpress.com

News Release-Energy Efficiency Standards and Job Creation

NEWS RELEASE-Appliance and Equipment Standards Are a Money Maker

and Job Creator

Contact: Andrew deLaski, 617.363.9470

Steven Nadel, 202.507.4011

Media Contact: Glee Murray, 202.507.4010


Washington, D.C. (January 26, 2010): National appliance energy
efficiency standards for common household and business products
generated about 340,000 jobs in 2010, or 0.2% of the nation's jobs,
according to a report released today by the American Council for an
Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and the Appliance Standards Awareness
Project (ASAP). The energy and related utility bill savings from
standards will continue to contribute to a healthy economy over time,
and in 2030, the number of jobs generated will increase to about
380,000 jobs-an amount about equal to the number of jobs in Delaware
today.

"Last night, the President spoke about 'winning the future'," said
Steven Nadel, Executive Director of ACEEE. "Our new study shows that
cutting energy waste with strong appliance standards is a proven way
to increase domestic jobs and strengthen the American economy for the
future."

The report, Appliance and Equipment Efficiency Standards: A Money
Maker and Job Creator, estimates net employment and wage impacts of
U.S appliance, equipment, and lighting efficiency standards. The
standards contributing to the job creation include those put in place
between 1987 and 2010, new standards and revisions DOE will complete
by 2013, and consensus standards in pending legislation.

Appliance and equipment standards save consumers and businesses energy
because the standards increase the average efficiency of new products
relative to what the efficiency would have been without new or updated
standards. As a result, consumers and businesses spend less money on
utility bills. This moves money from the utility sector, with
relatively few jobs per dollar of revenue, to other sectors that have
higher jobs per dollar of revenue. As existing standards affect more
product purchases, and as new standards take effect, the number of
jobs generated will increase along with energy bill savings.

"If we want more jobs and more money in the hands of our small
businesses and families, we need to waste less energy," said Skip
Laitner, report co-author and Economic and Social Analysis Program
Director of ACEEE. "This report demonstrates that investing in
lighting, appliance, and equipment standards makes our economy
stronger and helps get Americans back to work."

These existing and new standards also are making a big contribution to
U.S. efforts to reduce energy use, with savings growing to 6.1 quads a
year in 2030, or roughly enough to meet the total energy needs of
one-quarter[1] of all U.S. households for a year. Standards cover a
wide range of consumer and commercial products, ranging from
refrigerators, to light bulbs, to commercial air conditioners, to
industrial motors.

"Appliance standards have long had bipartisan support," said Rachel
Gold, lead author of the report and an ACEEE researcher. "The jobs
mentioned in this study are a result of standards legislation signed
by Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush."

The Obama administration has already updated many important standards
and additional improved standards are under development.

In order to reach the level of employment estimated in the report,
Congress must pass the consensus appliance standards contained in the
Implementation of National Consensus Appliance Agreements Act (INCAAA)
of 2010, a bill with broad support but not yet enacted into law. This
agreement, negotiated by manufacturers and efficiency advocates, would
provide market certainty for manufacturers and energy savings for
consumers and would generate over 1.1 quadrillion BTUs of energy
savings in 2030, about the annual energy use of the state of Oregon.
In addition, DOE must follow through on scheduled updates to existing
standards.

"With unemployment still way too high, jobs are on everyone's mind
right now," said Andrew deLaski, Executive Director of ASAP. "Our
study shows that the energy-saving standards created by Congress and
DOE are one policy we know is already helping to bring down long-term
unemployment."

[1] Total residential household energy consumption = 21.68 quads,
according to EIA's Annual Energy Outlook 2010.


###

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy is a nonprofit
organization dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of
promoting economic prosperity, energy security, and environmental
protection. ACEEE was involved in the legislation establishing federal
efficiency standards, and has been active in all rulemakings since
then. For information about ACEEE and its programs, publications, and
conferences, contact ACEEE, 529 14th Street N.W., Suite 600,
Washington, D.C. 20045 or visit aceee.org.


The Appliance Standards Awareness Project is dedicated to increasing
awareness of and support for cost-effective appliance and equipment
efficiency standards. Founded in 1999, ASAP is led by a steering
committee that includes representatives from energy efficiency
organizations, the environmental community, consumer groups,
utilities, and state government. See standardsASAP.org.

--
Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com
http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com
http://scottscontracting.wordpress.com

St Louis Green Economy and Job Career Opportunities

St. Louis Green Confluence

Come Visit the Green Career Opportunity Showcase Thursday, January 27, 2011


at the Saint Louis University Center for Sustainability

This free event connects employers, educators, public policy makers
and citizens for the future of our region's green economy

January 26-27, 2011-at the Saint Louis University Center
for Sustainability

Green Economy Symposium
Wednesday, January 26

* Speakers, panels and video presentations
addressing the green economy and
workforce in our region

Green Career Opportunity Showcase
Thursday, January 27

* Exhibits from green employers, educational
institutions and job training centers
* Green skills and training classes

Learn More
Register Online at
-http://stlouisgreen.com/jobs/jobs-education/green-confluence/register

For questions contact Stephanie Morris at (314) 835-9900
or email confluence@stlouisgreenjobs.com.
--
Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com
http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com
http://scottscontracting.wordpress.com

Connect with Scotts Contracting

FB FB Twitter LinkedIn Blog Blog Blog Blog Pinterest