by Timothy B. Hurst

Despite ridicule from conservative pundits like Rush Limbaugh for suggesting that painting roofs white or installing other energy efficient "cool roof" materials to reflect sun and reduce cooling costs was silly, Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the first initiative to start turning federal roofs white.

Secretary Chu today directed all Department of Energy (DOE) offices to install cool roofs, whenever cost effective over the lifetime of the roof, when constructing new roofs or replacing old ones at DOE facilities.

"Cool roofs are one of the quickest and lowest cost ways we can reduce our global carbon emissions and begin the hard work of slowing climate change," said Secretary Chu.

"By demonstrating the benefits of cool roofs on our facilities, the federal government can lead the nation toward more sustainable building practices, while reducing the federal carbon footprint and saving money for taxpayers." [Read Secretary Chu's memorandum on Cool Roofs (pdf)]

In addition to creating energy savings for individual buildings -- cool roofs can easily slash a building's energy consumption by 20 percent -- cool roofs also reduce the "urban heat island effect," the phenomena that occurs when rooftops and pavements in a city make it substantially warmer than the surrounding rural areas. Roofs and road pavement cover 50 to 65 percent of urban areas. Cool roofs as climate change mitigation

A new study on the climatic impacts of cool roofs by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory confirms that using cool roofs and cool pavements in cities can help reduce the demand for air conditioning, cool entire cities, and potentially cancel the heating effect of up to two years of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions.

“If all eligible urban flat roofs in the tropics and temperate regions were gradually converted to white (and sloped roofs to cool colors), they would offset the heating effect of the emission of roughly 24 Gt of CO2, but one-time only,” says Berkeley physicist Art Rosenfeld, one of the paper's authors.

“However, if we assume that roofs have a service life of 20 years, we can think of an equivalent annual rate of 1.2 Gt per year. That offsets the emissions of roughly 300 million cars (about the cars in the world) for 20 years!”

Energy Secretary Chu also issued a letter to the heads of other federal agencies encouraging them to take similar steps as DOE in implementing cool roofs going forward.

Watch Chu explain the benefits of cool roofs:

Reprinted with permission from Ecopolitology

by Stephen Lacey, Staff Writer

Last summer, clean energy advocates were confident that the U.S. Congress would pass a comprehensive energy and climate bill by the time the Copenhagen conference rolled around. Now, as energy issues slip further down the policy priority list in the wake of that failed meeting, advocates are left wondering if the U.S. will see any significant piece of clean energy legislation in 2010.

With health care, the economy and the upcoming mid-term elections dominating the political agenda in Washington, most onlookers now believe that an energy bill will be broken up into smaller pieces in order to make progress on key issues this year.

“It looks less and less likely that Congress will pass a broad climate bill. Lawmakers are now talking about individual bills focused just on one issue,” says Chris Stimpson, Executive Campaigner for Solar Nation, a grassroots lobbying organization run by the American Solar Energy Society.

Much has changed since the beginning of 2009, when the clean energy community was banking on President Obama's election promises to swiftly pass a climate bill that would put a price on carbon and create strong national targets for renewable energy.

The prospects for such a program looked good last July when the Waxman-Markey bill passed the House of Representatives. That piece of legislation created a cap and trade program, a 20 percent renewable energy target by 2020, a program to upgrade the electric grid and stronger energy efficiency standards. Although the cap and trade portion was criticized by some as being too lenient on polluters, the bill was a major step for renewables: It would have finally provided the national target that the industry has been seeking for years.

But then the climate bill quickly stalled in the Senate, where lawmakers have been sidetracked by the contentious health care debate. A number of politicians, including Democratic Senators John Kerry and Barbara Boxer, have introduced their own pieces of legislation; however, it is unlikely that the Senate will vote on either bill until March of this year. House lawmakers are now urging Senators to act soon, as the bills will expire at the end of this year when the Congressional session ends.

Because this is a Congressional election year, the make-up of the House and Senate may be different when the new session begins. That could mean that Democrats — who have been much more supportive of climate and clean energy legislation — will have less power to pass a strong bill next year. And if members of Congress are worrying about getting re-elected, they may not give as much attention to climate and energy issues this year.

“[Congress] may not have the energy, ironically enough, to work on an energy bill,” says Stimpson. “If it doesn't happen by Memorial day, this being an election year, it's generally understood here [in Washington] that you can forget it — nothing else will happen until after the election.”

The chance that individual, renewable-energy specific programs will get passed is much more realistic, says Stimpson. Some analysts believe that Congress will individually support more manufacturing tax credits for renewable energy companies, a renewable energy standard and increased funding for an overhaul of the electric grid, rather than an overarching climate bill.

Many advocates who see renewables as only one part of a broader carbon-reduction strategy are disappointed by this approach. Assuming the political landscape in Washington will be different in the next session of Congress, they see 2010 as a “make-or-break” year for climate change legislation.

“To say that we'll pass some parts this year and save other parts for other years, I think risks dealing with the bargaining in Congress that needs to take place,” says Jim Rubens with the advocacy group Clean Energy Works. “If we can't get them in this year, they're just going to be tougher to get later.”

To make matters more complicated, there is increasing backlash in Washington against an economy-wide cap and trade program. Many Senators have proposed more straightforward carbon taxes or “cap and dividend” programs, which would tax carbon at the source and then send the money back to taxpayers in different ways.

Most observers believe that cap and trade will be the policy of choice, but they agree that the debate could be delayed further as concerns over a complex trading program are worked out.

“I do believe [cap and trade] is on the train right now. But I do think there's going to be lots of compromise and lots of horse trading. And you never know what's going to end up in the sausage until the votes are taken,” says Analyst Scott Sklar, president of the Washington, DC-based consulting firm Stella Group Ltd.

In the meantime, the Environmental Protection Agency is gearing up to start regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. This top-down “command and control” approach, which is much less flexible than a trading program, has many in the energy business worried. The Obama administration is using this option as a way to get Congress moving on a climate bill this year. It doesn't appear to be working, however.

Even though the passage of a comprehensive climate bill is becoming less likely each day, analysts are still positive about the prospects for renewables in 2010. After all, the Obama administration has given more support for clean energy in the last year than had been given in the last decade, says Sklar.

Sklar points to last year's stimulus package, increased government spending on R&D and the billions of private dollars that have poured into the industry as tell-tale signs of how strong the industry is today — even if Congress doesn't pass a bill that advocates were hoping for.

“Sometimes you have to separate the climate issues and the renewables issues...They are both extremely important...but I sometimes have to pinch myself when I see where [the renewable energy industry] has come. It's on a trajectory that I don't think can be stopped.”

Reprinted with permission from Renewable Energy World

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski wants the state to continue its aggressive embrace of sustainability, tanking economy be damned.

 

The governor has put out a package of 10 bills (5 each in the house and senate) that would clean up the Oregon skies as well as create jobs.

 

The Governor's "climate package" includes initiatives for all of the major green categories -- energy efficiency, renewable energy, transportation and green building. The most controversial measure could be moving the state one step closer to a carbon cap and trade system.

 

Senate bill SB 80 creates a task force to device a carbon cap and trade system that after public review could be crafted into legislation would be ready for the 2011 legislature. Oregon is part of the Western Climate Initiative that seeks to implement a regional cap and trade by 2012, according to Dave Van't Hof, the Governor's Sustainability Advisor.

 

At a public briefing on the governor's climate plan, Van't Hof said the issues surrounding the cap and trade legislation "are so complex that we can't see any real chance of getting them debated in this session."

 

New coal power plants would be all but verboten in Oregon if SB 101 becomes law. The law requires all new energy sources to be at least as clean as a natural gas power plant. Also, long term energy contracts would have to use only facilities that meet this same stringent standard.

 

Van't Hof said Kulongoski wants his state to own the wave energy sector in the U.S. from "from R&D to commercialization." As part of that initiative, SB 168 opens up state lands and buildings to renewable energy projects including wave and tide projects.

 

The governor has a 100 percent renewable energy initiative for all state buildings and universities, and is making great strides to that end. The Oregon Institute of Technology is building a geothermal energy plant onsite and will soon become the first to get all of its power from underground heat energy.

 

The adoption of renewable energy in Oregon could rise significantly if HB 2121 that establishes a production tax credit is passed. Paying customers per kWh for wind or solar power has been wildly successful in Germany and Spain, and could prompt solar panels to be installed in even the cloudiest parts of Oregon.

 

This year's legislation first and foremost focuses on cleaning up transit, Van't Hof said. Including in the legislative package are bills that require reducing the carbon density of fuel, funding for public transit and bicycle initiatives, and establishes vehicle mile traveled (VMT) reduction goals for each region of the state. The Oregon Department of Transportation would also be required to develop a least cost model for solving transportation problems. "... Infrastructure doesn't have to be in conflict with reducing greenhouse gases," Van't Hof said, describing the consideration of expanding roads to fix traffic woes.

 

One potential loser amongst the green legislative goodies: people who plan on buying a Prius. The $1,500 tax credit for hybrid vehicles would end, replaced by a $5,000 tax credit for plug-in or all electric vehicles. Oregon, which currently has the highest density of hybrid owners in the country, wants to be the epicenter of the next generation of electric vehicles. Nissan recently announced that it would bring its all-electric car to the U.S. first in Oregon in 2010.

 

Energy efficiency is also included in the package of bills, which the governor hopes can be passed as one collective initiative. A fund that would offer up to $4 million to weatherize low-income family homes is included, as well as a new energy fund that would expand the Business Energy Tax credit for industrial-scale energy efficiency investments from 35 to 50 percent.

 

Getting the legislation passed "in this economic environment is going to be a real challenge," Van't Hof conceded. However, with unemployment at 9 percent in the state, some legislators may be inclined to vote yes. Clean energy is the "only place where we've seen job growth in the past few years, so it's a small silver lining in a very cloudy economic environment."

Climate Solutions, non-profit advocating action on climate change, supports Kulongoski's plan, and is holding a citizen rally on February 10 in Salem to get people to push their representatives to approve the legislation.

Now that President Obama is done with addressing the throngs and bow ties and balls for a while, and that his administration has been sworn in, it's time to get down to (green) business.

It was an intense extended weekend leading up to the inauguration, as shown in this series of videos produced by Blue Water Entertainment's Greg Reitman and Chip Comins of the American Renewable Energy Day. The videos (see more here) highlight the inauguration, Martin Luther King day on the D.C. Mall, a private party with celebrities for Barack Obama, and a green inaugural ball.

So how will the new government impact renewable energy and sustainable initiatives in the public and private sectors? Will there be Oba-momentum in clean tech financing, stocks, and projects?

One thing is for sure, we need more energy, so it makes sense for green energy to be seriously considered in any place wherever additional power generation is demanded. According to data released by the Energy Information Administration Wednesday, generation of electric power grew 2.3 percent in 2007, while retail demand grew by 2.6 percent. Wind power surpassed hydro as the leading renewable energy source during the year. When the 2008 data is released in a year it may show less growth because of the factories shuttered in Q4, but when the economy comes back (hopefully later in 2009), so will a surge in power demand. The solar industry will be a growing part of the energy equation, but not as much as was hoped before the economic downturn, according to Sustainable Industries.

Triple Pundit says an "Obama Bounce" is likely for clean tech stocks. The stock market rebounded on Wednesday after a dismal inauguration day plunge.

New Department of Agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack says the administration is committed to incorporating renewable fuels into our energy mix and the "USDA will be partnering with a number of other agencies and departments in trying to find a focused, aggressive, comprehensive effort,” according to Domestic Fuel. Since the billions of barrels of oil we've imported is all money leaving our economy, the administration is justifying renewable fuels as an economic issue.

The Sustainable Energy Network, consisting of 600 organizations and individuals, sent the administration a laundry list of top-priority action items, as reported by Greenbang. One of the first things the EPA may do is to stop fighting with California over the authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles.

Talking straight about the immediate challenges and our hopeful future is important, but the administration's actions will speak much louder.

Washington, DC is the center of the nation's -- and indeed much of the world's -- attention with the inauguration of Barack Obama on Tuesday. Gridlock, finger-numbing weather, and parties galore are predicted. Guaranteed, actually.

On Saturday night I'm attending the Green Inaugural Ball in downtown DC (no, not the Al Gore green ball, which is Monday night). I'll report on what - and who - I see there in the next few days, provided that my memory isn't glazed by the open bar.

Attendance for the inauguration on the National Mall and surrounds may not be as enormous as expected, with estimates being cut in half from an astounding 4 million to a merely amazing 2 million (some still say 3m). Compare that figure with the 400,000 that attended the inauguration of George W. Bush in 2005.

The carbon footprint of all this travel will be sizable. The Washington Post says that charter buses alone could bring up to 500,000 gawkers (including my little brother) into the city, but at least it's bulk transport. Airlines are expected to touch down -- hopefully not in the Potomac -- with another 400,000 visitors. 75,000 Amtrak customers are estimated to steam into the district as well (BHO is  whistlestopping to DC by rail this weekend also).

For reasons that likely have to do more with congestion and security than the environment, DC is shutting down a number of major bridges and roadways into the city. So the metro rail will be crushed with capacity-plus crowds all day long, as the entire system can carry a max of 120,000 customers per hour, even running rush hour schedules. Again, at least it's mass transit. Adding to the fun will be security shut-downs of multiple downtown metro stations. Spectators could have to walk up to three miles just to reach an overflowing National Mall.

Yesterday morning, we had the coldest morning in 5 years with single-digit temperatures freezing things up. Although it will begin to warm up, snow threatens to fall this weekend and we could see 'feels-like' temps of 23 degrees on the Big Day. On the bright side for those looking for elbow room, all that frost could deter turnout of less hearty. My decision on attending will have to do more with hassle than weather.

While celebrations of this size are inherently dirty, the Presidential Inaugural Committee is taking steps to reduce the impact. A "green squad" 18,000 strong will be picking up trash and recyclables while others get the short-straw task of collecting horse manure for composting. Obama has also called for a day of (frigid) service on Monday, January 19th (MLK Day) that will include a number of green volunteer options.

And FYI, if you are going to be in town, you'll be able to warm up at many area bars until 5am with extended Inebriation Inauguration Week hours.