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2.17.2013

No such thing as climate change denial – just fake experts


No such thing as climate change denial – just fake experts


There are two aspects to scientific consensus. Most importantly, you need a 
consensus of evidence – many different measurements pointing to a single, consistent conclusion. As the evidence piles up, you inevitably end up with near-unanimous agreement among actively researching scientists: aconsensus of scientists.In a sense, there is no such thing as climate change denial. No one denies that climate changes (in fact, the most common climate myth is the argument that past climate change is evidence that current global warming is also natural). Then what is being denied? Quite simply, the scientific consensus that humans are disrupting the climate. A more appropriate term would be “consensus denial”.
number of surveys of the climate science community since the early 1990s have measured the level of scientific consensus that humans were causing global warming. Over time, the percentage of climate scientists agreeing that humans are causing global warming has steadily increased. As the body of evidence grows, the consensus is getting stronger.
Two recent studies adopting different approaches have arrived at strikingly consistent results. A survey of over 3000 Earth scientists found that as the climate expertise increased, so did agreement about human-caused global warming. For climate scientists actively publishing climate research (79 scientists in total), there was 97% agreement.
This result was confirmed in a separate analysis compiling a list of scientists who had made public declarations on climate change, both supporting and rejecting the consensus. Among scientists who had published peer-reviewed climate papers (908 scientists in total), the same result: 97% agreement.
While individual scientists have their personal views on climate change, they must back up their opinions with evidence-based research that withstands the scrutiny of the peer-reviewed process. An analysis of peer-reviewed climate papers published from 1993 to 2003 found that out of 928 papers, none rejected the consensus.
Despite these and many other indicators of consensus (I could go on), there is a gaping chasm between reality and the perceived consensus among the general public. Polls from 1997 to 2007 found that around 60% of Americans believe there is significant disagreement among scientists about whether global warming was happening. A 2012 Pew poll found less than half of Americans thought that scientists agreed humans were causing global warming.
The gap between perception and reality has real-world consequences. People who believe that scientists disagree on global warming show less support for climate policy. Consequently, a key strategy of opponents of climate action for over 20 years has been to cast doubt on the scientific consensus and maintain the consensus gap.
How have they achieved this? Hang around and you’ll witness first hand the attack on consensus in the comment threads of this article. The techniques of consensus denial are easily identifiable. In fact, if one rejects an overwhelming scientific consensus, it’s inevitable that they end up exhibiting some of the following characteristics.
Expect to see reference to dissenting non-experts who appear to be highly qualified while not having published any actual climate research. Fake expert campaigns are launched with disturbing regularity. Recently, a group of NASA retirees issued a press release rejecting the consensus. While possessing no actual climate expertise, they evidently hoped to cash in on the NASA brand.
A prominent Australian fake expert is Ian Plimer, the go-to guy for political leaders and fossil fuel billionaires. He hasn’t published a single peer-reviewed paper on climate change.
There should be many cases of cherry picking but how do you identify a genuine cherry pick? When a conclusion from a small selection of data differs from the conclusion from the full body of evidence, that’s cherry picking. For example, a common cherry pick of late is the myth that global warming stopped over the last 16 years. This focus on short periods of temperature data ignores the long-term warming trend. Importantly, it also ignores the fact that over the last 16 years, our planet has been building up heat at a rate of over three Hiroshima bombs worth of energy every second. To deny global warming is to deny the basic fact that our planet is building up heat at an extraordinary rate.
One way of avoiding consensus is to engage in logical fallacies. The most common fallacy employed to deny the human influence on climate change is the non sequitur, Latin for “it does not follow”. The onslaught of Australian extreme weather in 2013 has led to a surge in the fallacy “extreme weather events have happened before therefore humans are not having an influence on current extreme weather”. This is the logical equivalent to arguing that people have died from natural causes in the past so no one ever gets murdered now.
Finally, with consensus denial comes the inevitable conspiracy theories. If you disagree with an entire scientific community, you have to believe they’re all conspiring to deceive you. A conspiracy theorist displays two identifying characteristics. They believe exaggerated claims about the power of the conspirators. The scientific consensus on climate change is endorsed by tens of thousands of climate scientists in countries all over the world. A conspiracy of that magnitude makes the moon landing hoax tame in comparison.
Conspiracy theorists are also immune to new evidence. When climate scientists were accused of falsifying data, nine independent investigations by universities and governments in two countries found no evidence of wrongdoing. How did conspiracy theorists react? By claiming that each investigation was a whitewash and part of the conspiracy! With each new claim of whitewash, the conspiracy grew larger, encompassing more universities and governments.
A key element to meaningful climate action is closing the consensus gap. This means identifying and rebutting the many rhetorical techniques employed to deny the scientific consensus.
This article was adapted from Understanding Climate Change Denial. First published in The Conversation. Reproduced with permission.



No such thing as climate change denial – just fake experts



 Thank you for stopping by St Louis Renewable Energy. Feel free to comment in the section below or contact Scotts Contracting- St Louis Home Improvement Projects and Energy Reducing Needs Get Your Green Building Tips and Resources at St Louis Renewable Energy Green Blog

StLouis Election Day is Just Around the Corner!



City of St. Louis Sustainability Plan 



Dear Scott,
 
Thank you so much for your kind offer to help spread Mayor Slay's message on your blog!
 

Here is a link to the City of St. Louis Sustainability Plan




It is lengthy and detailed, but the table of contents is helpful for quickly finding specific areas of interest.  Let me know if there is information you would like me to extract that is especially relevant for your readers. 


 
Thanks again!

Bonnie Boime
Volunteer Coordinator, Slay for Mayor
bonnie@mayorslay.com
volunteersforslay@gmail.com
Office: 314.535.7529(SLAY)
Volunteer Line: 314.643.8657(VOLS)





Hello Slay for Mayor Volunteers!






Many thanks to each of you and welcome to our new volunteers! It is hard to believe, but we are just over 2 weeks away from the March 5th Primary!!!  This election is critical to the future of our city, and it is up to us keep St. Louis moving forward by helping to re-elect Mayor Slay!

Click here to watch the St. Louis Public Radio Mayoral Candidate forum that was recorded February 11th, and share it with your friends and family! This clearly demonstrates the choices we have have on election day.  We MUST do what we can now to maintain integrity, competence, and solution based action in the Mayor's Office for the next four years.

Time is running out, so sign up NOW!


  • Help us distribute yard signs! We are getting hundreds of requests for yard signs every week! We need all hands on deck to get them out there. Email me if you can come by the office and pick up a stack along with a map and a list and distribute some this weekend.
  • Join our Volunteer Canvass Crew!! We will have volunteers going door to door informing voters about this critical election, and showing our support for Mayor Slay.  Join us:
~Saturday February 16th 10am-12noon
~Sunday February 17th 12noon-2pm
~Saturday February 23rd 10am-12noon
~Sunday February 24th 12noon-2pm
  • Help with a mailing! We are working on mailings every Friday afternoon from 2-4pm.   We need all the help folding, stuffing and stamping we can get! Email me if you'd like to help or if a different time will work better for you.
  • Sign up for our Friends and Family Program now! This is one of the most effective tools we have to increase voter turn out. If we all keep in touch with between 5 and 15 people we know, inform them about this important election, and make sure they vote, it could determine the future of our City.
We still have some bumper stickers left! Come and get your's while they last!!

Plan to help us Get Out The Vote!
  • Saturday March 2nd-Tuesday March 5th help us go door to door and make phone calls to get voters to the polls.
  • Monday March 4th help put yard signs at polling places.
  • Tuesday March 5th ELECTION DAY!! Plan to help us staff the polls. The busiest times are 7-9am, 11am-1pm, and 5-7pm, but anytime on election day will be helpful.
As always, feel free to contact me any time with questions or suggestions, and thank you again for all that you do!

Bonnie Boime
Volunteer Coordinator, Slay for Mayor
bonnie@mayorslay.com
volunteersforslay@gmail.com
Office: 314.535.7529(SLAY)
Volunteer Line: 314.643.8657(VOLS)


2.15.2013

StLouis Made In America Solar Systems Now Available

Scotts Contracting Authorized SolarWorld Distributor
Authorized Installation and Sales
Scotts Contracting, St Louis Renewable Energy 


Made in the USA

What does it really mean to be made in America?

For SolarWorld, being made in America means more than simply assembling foreign components in the USA, which does little to benefit the economy. By carrying out the entire value chain in the USA , we are creating American manufacturing jobs not only at our factories but at our suppliers’ factories as well.

American components and materials

  • Raw silicon
  • Tempered glass
  • Aluminum module frames
  • Back sheets and embedding
  • Other direct and indirect materials

American manufacturing

Why made in America is important to our customers

  • Highest quality products
  • Reliable delivery schedules
  • Local warranty and product support
  • Real energy independence vs importing
  • Meets and exceeds Buy America requirements
  • Avoids environmental costs of overseas shipping
  • Money spent stimulates the US economy and creates US jobs
  • Processes meet stringent US labor and environmental policies
SolarWorld is investing over $500 million to expand US-based manufacturing, which generates hundreds of millions of dollars each year for American workers, goods and services.





Scotts Contracting, St Louis Renewable Energy offers the Following Services for Home and Business 


Specializing in Green, Eco Friendly and Sustainable Building Projects with Energy Reducing Resources for Home Improvement Projects and Energy Conservation 
for the St Louis Region

Contact: 


Find and Contact Scotts Contracting at these Social Network Sites

American Made Solar Equipment











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2.01.2013

Koch-Funded Misinformation Campaign Aims to Derail Renewable Energy Growth


Union of Concerned Scientists

Before the year is out, you will likely be subjected to a misinformation campaign about renewable energybrought to you by the Koch brothers and other large players in the fossil-fuel industry.
The campaign is being spearheaded by a stealthy, Koch-funded lobby group called the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) that drafts and attempts to implement state legislation that serves the interests of its corporate backers. Teaming up with ALEC is the industry-backed Heartland Institute, the folks now probably best known for posting a billboard in Chicago last spring that compared people who accept the reality of global warming with “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski. These two groups have already begun to foist legislation called the “Electricity Freedom Act” on state legislatures across the nation.
The notion of “electricity freedom” sounds appealing enough. But don’t be fooled. The proposed legislation is a direct attack on states’ efforts to move toward clean, renewable sources of electricity. And it is being sold to legislators and the public with the help of bogus findings from studies funded by—you guessed it—the Koch brothers.



Koch-Funded Misinformation Campaign Aims to Derail Renewable Energy Growth


Thank you for stopping by St Louis Renewable Energy. Feel free to comment in the section below or contact Scotts Contracting- St Louis Home Improvement Projects and Energy Reducing Needs Get Your Green Building Tips and Resources at St Louis Renewable Energy Green Blog

1.29.2013

NEW January Solar Power Deals


 Available NOW for the St Louis Region! 

NEW January Solar Power Deals
  • 175,200 watts of OptiSolar 365w thin-film solar panels, ground mounts, 3 phase 500 kw inverter (made by Xantrex), transformer, weather station....45 cents a watt TAKES ALL!!!!

  • Perlight 230 watt & 280 watt poly panels, 60 cents a watt 1 to 3 pallets, 58 cents a watt 4 pallets +, or 57 cents/w for 40' container loads!
  • SMA Sunnyboy 4000w inverters, $1450 each!
  • Renovo USA 5000 watt inverters, $1350 each or 10+ qty. for $1250 each!
  • ReneSola Black-on-black mono 250 watt panels, 79 cents a watt for pallet quantities, 73 cents/watt 40' container loads! For 255w add a penny/watt, for 260 watt add another penny/w.
  • U.S. made SolarWorld 240w & 245 watt poly panels, 88 cents a watt 1 to 3 pallets, 85 cents/w 4 pallets +, or 82 cents/w for 40' container loads!
  • U.S. made Suniva 285 watt poly panels, 82 cents/watt pallets, 79 cents/watt container loads!
  • AWARD WINNING* U.S. solar content REC 230 watt poly panels, 79 cents a watt pallet quantities, 75 cents/watt container loads!    (*Photon Magazine testing 2011: REC #1 most kwh produced out of 46 competing brands of solar panels.)
  • U.S. made 135 watt & 90 watt 12 volt solar panels, $1.25 a watt pallet qty!
  • ET Solar 235w & 280w poly panels 71 cents a watt 1 to 3 pallet quantities, 70 cents/watt 4 pallets +, or 67 cents a watt for 40' container loads! (For 240w, add 4 cents to these numbers.)
  • Cut your on-the-roof time in HALF! New ET Solar 250w AC modules have built-in 240w microinverters w/cables, $1.58 a watt pallet quantities!
  • OR...get a Canadian Solar cs6p 240w mono w/black frame packaged with a Siemens m-215 microinverter w/portrait or landscape cabling, $375 per set! (min. 10 sets).
  • Canadian Solar cs6p-240M mono panels w/black frames, 84 cents/watt 1 to 3 pallets, 83 cents/watt 4 pallets +.!

  • Suntech 190 watt mono panels, 69 cents/watt, pallet qty! Other Suntech sizes on sale....call for quote!

  • ONTARIO-Made Centennial 230 watt & LDK 240 watt poly panels, eligible for OPA MicroFit contracts, 94 cents a watt pallet quantities!
Complete Solar DC well pumping kits, from $1598.!

 Complete OFF-GRID Solar Power kits, from $899.!
SolarNet Wibot, solar powered wi-fi internet anywhere on planet earth via sattelite uplink! Can also be configured as a cell-site booster for cell phone signals. Call or email for more info.
Many other deals, too numerous to mention.... so whatever you are looking for just ask!


Additional St Louis Solar information is available at: http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.com/solar.html


Thank you for stopping by St Louis Renewable Energy. Feel free to comment in the section below or contact Scotts Contracting- St Louis Home Improvement Projects and Energy Reducing Needs Get Your Green Building Tips and Resources at St Louis Renewable Energy Green Blog

1.25.2013

MUST SEE VIDEO: Sen. Kerry Takes Strong Stand on Climate Change at Sec. of State Confirmation Hearing


Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), at his confirmation hearing for Secretary of State, took a strong position on climate change and the role of renewable energy in revitalizing the U.S. economy.
During the hearing, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) suggested that environmental protection, including action on climate change, would hurt the U.S. economy, and he asked Sen. Kerry if he had specific thoughts on the issue.
Kerry responded:
The solution to climate change is energy policy. And, the opportunities of energy policy so vastly outweigh the downsides that you’re expressing concerns about … You want to do business and do it well in America, you have to get into the energy race … I would respectfully say to you that climate change is not something to be feared in response to—the steps to respond to—it’s to be feared if we don’t … I will be a passionate advocate on this not based on ideology but based on facts and science, and I hope to sit with all of you and convince you that this $6 trillion market is worth millions of American jobs and we better go after it.
Watch the video of Sen. Kerry at the Sec. of State confirmation hearing:
Visit EcoWatch’s CLIMATE CHANGE page for more related news on this topic.




MUST SEE VIDEO: Sen. Kerry Takes Strong Stand on Climate Change at Sec. of State Confirmation Hearing 


Thank you for stopping by St Louis Renewable Energy. Feel free to comment in the section below or contact Scotts Contracting- St Louis Home Improvement Projects and Energy Reducing Needs Get Your Green Building Tips and Resources at St Louis Renewable Energy Green Blog

1.21.2013

Missouri Farmers and Renewable Energy Information

Additional Farm Revenue from 

Renewable Energy Sources  


The following information covers topics that are very dear to my heart.  1) Clean Energy and 2) Farming / Ranching.  For everyone who has not read the About Me Page; I was raised on a 4,000 acre Cattle Ranch in North Missouri.  It was here that I learned my first lessons in: Sustainable  Living and was introduced to my first Solar Panels.  My Farther used Solar Electric Fence Chargers to keep the Cattle in the Pastures and for the Rotational Grazing System he utilized to assist in the development of the Feeder Steers.  Enough reminiscing on with the article:

As the Article Points out:

"Eighty-two percent of the state's electricity


comes from coal, nearly all of it shipped from


 Wyoming."




Article courtesy of: NRDC: Renewable Energy in Missouri

MISSOURI

A renewable energy industry in Missouri would create tens of thousands of jobs and new sources of income for farmers
Missouri's conventional fuel resources are slim

, and energy dollars are streaming out of the

 state. Missourians spend about $3,000 per

person each year on energy, including natural

gas for heating, fuel for cars and trucks, and

electricity for homes and businesses.[1]


Eighty-two percent of the state's electricity 

comes from coal, nearly all of it shipped from

 Wyoming.[2]
But the state's large tracts of windy land and

 fertile soil, located relatively close to dense,

 energy-consuming urban centers, put Missouri in

 a prime position to become a national leader in renewable energy. Studies show

 that a local renewable energy industry in Missouri would create tens of

thousands of jobs and provide substantial new sources of income for farmers.

By developing wind power, making biomass energy from agricultural waste and

growing dedicated energy crops to make advanced biofuels, Missouri can keep

its energy dollars at home and even start exporting energy to other states.

Missouri has already established a Renewable Energy Standard that will require

15 percent of the state's energy to come from renewable sources by 2021.
The renewables map shows current and future facilities generating energy from

 wind, biomass, solar and biogas in Missouri.

Wind Energy

wind turbine
Credit: Nordex SE
The average Missouri farm could host three to four wind turbines and bring in $18,000 to $24,000 per year in land lease payments
According to the National Renewable Energy

 Laboratory (NREL), Missouri has enough wind

to capture as much as 275,000 megawatts of

power – nine times the state's current electricity

 capacity, or enough to easily meet the state's

 total annual demand for electricity.[3] Many of

 these windy plots are relatively close to St.

 Louis or Kansas City, which brings down the

cost of transmitting wind energy. Harnessing

just a fraction of Missouri's wind power would

 result in a major new source of income for

 many farmers and rural communities. The

average 269-acre Missouri farm [4] could host

 three to four wind turbines and bring in $18,000

 to $24,000 annually from land lease payments.

[5]

In 2009 and 2010, Missouri tripled its wind

 power capacity, supporting 500 to 1,000 jobs in

 the state. Missouri wind farms currently

produce 459 megawatts of energy -- enough to

 power 110,000 homes. An additional 2,000

megawatts of wind power are in development.[6] Continuing to invest in wind

 power would provide a further economic boost to the state's economy.

 According to the Department of Energy, building twenty-five 100-megawatt wind

 facilities -- an achievable goal -- would create thousands of construction jobs

and hundreds of permanent jobs; manufacturing wind turbine parts could create

thousands more.

Biomass Energy and Cellulosic Ethanol

Farmers in a switchgrass field
Credit: Gretz, Warren - NREL Staff Photographer
Missouri farms already produce enough crop waste to manufacture about 500 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol each year
Missouri makes about 2.5 percent of the

nation's corn ethanol,[7] but the biofuels of the

future will not be made from corn kernels. The

best biofuels protect the environment and food

 supplies while improving the economic welfare

 of workers and communities. Cellulosic

 ethanol, made from crop waste (such as corn

 stover, the stalks and other bits left over after

 harvest) and non-food plants, can produce four

 to ten times as much energy per acre as

 current corn ethanol -- saving huge tracts of

 food-growing farmland.[8]
Missouri farms already produce enough crop

 waste from corn, winter wheat, soybeans,

 sorghum, cotton and timber to manufacture

 about 500 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol

 each year.[9] That's about 15 percent of all the

 automotive gasoline used in the state. A

Missouri corn grower whose farm yields a ton of

corn stover per acre could generate $13,000 in

 annual revenue from his waste.[

10]

The potential is even greater when you look at growing energy crops, such as

 switchgrass. This perennial native prairie grass can be grown on marginal land

 with little moisture, yields up to 10 dry tons per acre and regenerates without

replanting for 10 years or more.[11] Miscanthus, a woody perennial, is another

promising energy crop that grows well in Missouri's climate.

Missouri can produce up to 15 million dry tons of energy crops just from the 1.5

million acres of Conservation Reserve Program land on which food crops are not

 grown.[12] In addition, a portion of winter cover crops could be harvested as an

 additional source of many millions of tons of biomass. A study by the Institute

 for Local Self-Reliance found that Missouri has the potential to produce an

 amount of ethanol equivalent to 78 percent of its current demand for gasoline.

[13]
A pilot facility capable of making 1.5 million gallons per year of cellulosic ethanol

 from corn stover, sorghum and switchgrass is now under development in St.

 Joseph, Missouri.[14] Ramping up advanced biofuels production would create

thousands of jobs in Missouri and generate millions of dollars in local property

taxes.

These same energy crops can also be substituted for a portion of coal in existing

 power plants -- a relatively low-cost way to quickly ramp up renewable electricity

 generation.

Biogas Energy

Pigs
Missouri hog farms could generate 301,000 megawatt-hours of electricity each year from methane -- about $22 million of local power each year
Missouri has only one biodigester in operation

 today,

 but as one of the top five hog-producing

 states in the

 country, it generates large amounts of

 livestock waste

 that can be converted into biogas energy.

[15

TheEPA's AgSTAR program reports that 154

 Missouri hog farms are potentially profitable

 sites for biodigesters.


 Together, these operations are capable of 

producing 3.5 billion cubic feet of methane 

and generating 301,000 megawatt-hours of 

electricity each year from it.[16

At 7.35 cents per kilowatt-hour (the average 

electricity utility rate in Missouri in 2009),

 that's more than $22 million in forgone

 economic revenue to farms 

and local communities.
Missouri's dairy farms, cattle feedlots and

poultry farms could also profit from installing

biodigesters on site, especially if smaller

operations pool their resources and as

improved technology reduces biodigester

costs.
The right set of supportive government policies

could help Missouri farmers realize the benefits of anaerobic biodigester

technology within a few years.

Solar Energy

Missouri utilities provide an incentive of at least $2 per watt for small-scale solar installations, bringing costs down nearly 25 percent
The new Missouri Renewable Electricity Standard

requires that 2 percent of the state's renewable

electricity come from solar power. That's about

190,000 megawatt-hours of annual solar

electricity production by 2021, or the equivalent

of powering nearly 2,000 homes.[17]

Solar energy costs have come down considerably

in recent years, and the new law is making it

even more affordable by requiring utilities to

provide an incentive of at least $2 per watt for

customer-based installations -- about 20 to 25

 percent of today's cost for a solar array.
Missouri farmers could take advantage of the open skies over their land and

install solar arrays to meet their own energy needs. Solar panels on farms could

generate energy for water and space heating, grain drying, greenhouse heating

and electricity.[18] Plus, Missouri's net-metering law allows solar electricity

producers to sell their energy back to utilities – another potential source of

income.

Renewable Energy Meets Wildland and Wildlife Conservation

Certain lands (such as parks, critical wildlife habitats, and wilderness quality

 lands) and ecologically sensitive areas in the oceans are not appropriate for

 energy development. In some of these areas, energy development is prohibited

or limited by law or policy, in others it would be highly controversial. NRDC does

not endorse locating energy facilities or transmission lines in such areas. And in

all cases, siting decisions must be made extremely carefully, impacts must be

 mitigated and operations conducted in an environmentally responsible manner.
For more information on the intersection between clean energy development and

wildland and wildlife conservation in the American West, including locations of

parks, wildlife refuges and other conservation areas, see this Google Earth-

based feature.

Toolkit

Economic Incentives for Renewable Energy Projects in Missouri


The Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE)

listsfederalstate and local government incentives for renewable energy projects

in Missouri.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Energy Center keeps a

current listing of programs and incentives based on economic sectors from

 federal, state and local utility incentive programs, as well as renewable energy 

technology fact sheets.

The most recent Farm Bill provides a number of incentives for renewable energy.

 The Environmental Law and Policy Center maintains a helpful website

calledFarm Energy, which outlines current incentives and monitors the

development of new ones.

Missouri's net metering law allows small scale renewable electricity generators

(up to 100 kilowatt capacity) to connect to the grid, and requires utility

companies to buy their power at the retail utility price, up to the amount of usage

 by the customer.[19]

Wind Energy


The DOE Wind Powering America site provides a helpful summary of wind power

 activities and resources in the Missouri, including an anemometer loan 

program,wind maps and a Missouri small wind consumer's guide.
Missouri's Division of Energy has numerous wind maps, including county-level

maps, available for download or on CD-ROM.

Biomass Energy and Cellulosic Ethanol


Missouri has a number of incentives for the use of alternative fuels, the purchase

 of an alternative-fuel vehicle and the construction or purchase of an alternative-

fuel refueling station or equipment. See the Alternative Fuels and Advanced 

Vehicles Data Center at the EERE website for a list of state and federal

incentives and laws.

Biogas Energy


The EPA's AgSTAR program has a comprehensive handbook on developing

biogas technology. The site includes FarmWare, a free decision-making software

 package that can help you assess the feasibility of biogas on your farm.

Solar Energy


The Missouri Energy Center boasts a long-standing Energy Revolving Fund to

help finance new solar energy projects. The Energy Center also administers

theMissouri Million Solar Roofs program that provides financial incentives to buy-

down the purchase and installation of an eligible solar PV system.

Utility customers of Columbia Water & Light Company can put a utility 

rebatetoward purchasing and installing a new solar hot water or solar

photovoltaic system.

The new Missouri Renewable Electricity Standard provides financial support of at

 least $2 per watt for small-scale installations, a subsidy of about 20 to 25

percent of today's cost of a solar array.

NOTES:

  1. [1] This total includes 82 million MWh of electricity, costing more than $5 billion, 272 billion cubic feet of natural gas, costing about $3 billion at today's prices, and about 3.25 billion gallons of gasoline plus 1.5 billion gallons of diesel totaling $10 billion at today's prices (numbers extrapolated from Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, state energy profiles)
  2. [2] http://www.nrdc.org/energy/cleanmo/files/cleanmo.pdf
  3. [3] http://www.awea.org/_cs_upload/learnabout/publications/6400_2.pdf
  4. [4] Data from U.S. Department of Agriculture
  5. [5] Based on typical annual payments of $3000/MW, as used in the JEDI model; seehttp://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/filter_detail.asp?itemid=707#works
  6. [6] http://www.awea.org/_cs_upload/learnabout/publications/6400_2.pdf
  7. [7] Energy Information Administration, State Energy Profiles
  8. [8] Worldwatch Institute, "Smart Choices for Biofuels", p.8
  9. [9] "An Assessment of Biomass Feedstock Availability in Missouri," February, 2006http://www.dnr.mo.gov/energy/docs/biomass-inventory2005-07.pdf
  10. [10] See reports of the multi-agency Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI) http://www.brdisolutions.com/default.aspx
  11. [11] BRDI, "Increasing Production for Biofuels," p.23
  12. [12] The study finds that if growers chose to keep growing existing forage grass on this land, three tons of biomass per acre could be harvested without increased risk of soil erosion.
  13. [13] http://www.newrules.org/de/energyselfreliantstates.pdf
  14. [14] http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKN1952406520090219
  15. [15] U.S. Department of Agriculture 2007 Census of Agriculture
  16. [16] USEPA AgSTARhttp://www.epa.gov/agstar/documents/biogas_recovery_systems_screenres.pdf
  17. [17] http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=97&t=3
  18. [18] For a detailed description of agricultural solar applications, see:http://www.nyserda.org/programs/pdfs/agguide.pdf
  19. [19] For detailed comparison of state net metering policies, see: http://irecusa.org/irec-programs/connecting-to-the-grid/net-metering/




NRDC: Renewable Energy in Missouri







Thank you for stopping by St Louis Renewable Energy. Feel free to comment in the section below or contact Scotts Contracting- St Louis Home Improvement Projects and Energy Reducing Needs Get Your Green Building Tips and Resources at St Louis Renewable Energy Green Blog

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