Sustainable Development

Five Indian Tribes to Build Largest Tribal Wind Farm in U.S.

After more than a decade of planning, the Cherokee Nation announced that the Tribal Council had approved a plan to develop the largest wind farm on tribal land in the U.S. in partnership with PNE Wind USA Inc.

Wind turbines

Wind turbines (photo – environment.ok.gov)

Development of the 6,000-acre and 90-turbine wind farm will begin immediately on 3,000 acres of Cherokee Nation tribal land in Chilocco, Kay County, Oklahoma.

Out of the total of 90 turbines, half will be based on these 3,000 acres while the other 45 turbines will be located on another 3,000 acres of tribal land belonging to four other tribes (Otoe-Missouria, Pawnee Nation, Ponca Nation and Kaw Nation).

The project is estimated to generate $16 million over the next twenty years, and will add 153 megawatts of wind power to the southwest grid.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker said they were already playing a significant role in the creation of green jobs, and expected to play a similar key role in Oklahoma’s wind energy sector.

Ellen Wesley, director of PNE Wind USA Inc, added that this project was significant because Cherokee Nation projects were usually privately owned, but had taken on PNE Wind USA as a partner for this project.

Chilocco was chosen for the wind farm not just because of favorable wind conditions, but also because environmental studies showed the wind farm would not impact migratory bird populations. The 1.7MW GE turbines will be more than 400 feet tall.

The Tribal Council’s Deputy Speaker Chuck Hoskin Jr. said that this was an opportunity for the Cherokee Nation to be a renewable energy leader among Indian nations. He said people talk a lot of saving the environment and conserving resources, and this project was a prime opportunity for putting words into action.

The four other tribes and PNE Wind USA broke ground on their 45-turbine project last month on Earth Day, and the construction phase is expected to be completed this summer, with the turbines operational by the first quarter of 2014.

The construction phase of the 45 turbines to be installed in the other four tribes’ 3,000 acre property will create almost 200 construction jobs. About a dozen or so permanent employees will be needed to operate the wind farm.

During the ground breaking, André De Rosa, managing director of PNE Wind USA, said that apart from generating clean energy, the wind farm would bring economic development to the area and would provide additional revenues for the tribes.

Chicago, Illinois-based PNE Wind USA is a part of Cuxhaven, Germany-based PNE Wind AG.

UC Berkeley Report – California Green Jobs and Workforce Impact of Proposition 39

The Donald Vial Center on Employment in the Green Economy at the University of California, Berkeley has released a report which provides a detailed analysis of the jobs and workforce impact of Proposition 39, which California voters approved in Nov 2012.

UC Berkeley report on Proposition 39 green jobs

Proposition 39 green jobs report (photo – berkeley.edu)

Proposition 39, aka the California Clean Energy Jobs Act, allows the state to impose income tax on multistate corporations based on a percentage of their sales in California.

It increases the state’s revenue by a billion dollars annually, and half of the new revenue collected over the next five years will be allocated for energy efficiency projects in California’s public schools, community colleges and universities.

The stated aim for the use of funds is that it should create good-paying clean energy and energy efficiency green jobs in the state. As such, some of the funds will be used for workforce training and helping youth and veterans gain employment doing these jobs.

Based on the assumption that $550 million will be provided by California in grants for energy efficiency retrofits, it will result in the creation of 3,410 direct person-year jobs and 7,843 total person-year jobs annually.

A person-year job is a full-time job for one year. Out of the total number of direct jobs, around 2,273 will be skilled construction jobs.

If a revolving loan fund is created to pool $50 million of the Proposition 39 funding each year for the next five years, it could be leveraged into a total of $700 million in investments, leading to the creation of 4,340 direct jobs. If a $100 million revolving loan fund is set up, it would result in an investment of $850 million and would create 5,270 direct jobs.

The idea for creating a revolving loan fund using a part of Proposition 39 funds was explored in a study released last month by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and commissioned by the Los Angeles Business Council Institute (LABC).

LABC President Mary Leslie said that Proposition 39 had opened up an opportunity to fulfill two of the state’s priorities at the same time – increasing commitment to environmental sustainability while adding thousands of green jobs.

Leslie added that the revolving loan fund would support innovative projects in public-private partnerships and maximize the benefits of Proposition 39 funds for the environment and the economy, and for California workers.

Read the full UCLA and the UC Berkeley reports on Proposition 39.

Energy Dept Launches H2USA Public-Private Partnership

The U.S. Department of Energy announced the launch of a new public-private partnership called H2USA aimed at advancing the infrastructure required for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

Hydrogen refueling station

Hydrogen refueling station (photo – ornl.gov)

The H2USA partnership includes automakers, government agencies, utilities that supply gas, and private industry members involved in the hydrogen and fuel cell sectors.

In addition to the Association of Global Automakers, current members named as part of the partnership include Hyundai Motor America, Mercedes-Benz USA, Nissan North America R&D, and Toyota Motor North America.

Other members who are part of the partnership include the California Fuel Cell Partnership, Massachusetts Hydrogen Coalition, American Gas Association, Electric Drive Transportation Association, Proton OnSite, and the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA).

Morry Markowitz, president and executive director of FCHEA said that the fact that so many entities have come together for this partnership is a positive sign.

The Energy Dept says that shale gas developments are helping reduce the cost of hydrogen production and use of fuel cells. H2USA will bring together experts to find solutions for infrastructure challenges including leveraging cheap natural gas.

Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy David Danielson said that the H2USA partnership will help in advancing affordable fuel cell vehicles that save money and give driver’s more choices.

A couple of months back, the Energy Dept’s Fuel Cell Technologies Office issued an RFI (request for information) in which it sought feedback from stakeholders on which fuel cells and hydrogen technologies were ready for technology validation.

Among the areas of interest mentioned in the RFI are ideas that could be applicable for an incubator program. The purpose of the RFI was to collect information in advance of a DOE Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for technologies that could be supported to stimulate commercialization of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies.

The H2USA partnership may be helpful in this regard, since one of their tasks will be to evaluate alternative fueling infrastructure that can provide economies of scale and cost reductions.

R&D programs undertaken by the Energy Department’s national laboratories have helped private industry reduce fuel cell costs by 35 percent since 2008. The costs relative to 2002 are now 80 percent lower, and so is the amount of platinum required in fuel cells.

Canada to Build Industrial CO2 Emissions Recycling Facility

The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) announced that it is making an investment into a project to build a facility in Alberta that will be capable of recycling industrial CO2 emissions into valuable biofuels.

Rendering of algal biorefinery

Rendering of algal biorefinery (photo – nrc-cnrc.gc.ca)

The $19 million Algal Carbon Conversion (ACC) Project will be a pilot program which NRC will be undertaking in partnership with Pond Biofuels and Canadian Natural Resources Limited.

The Honorable Gary T. Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology, said that the Canadian government is pleased to partner with the private sector for this initiative that combines sustainability and profitability, and will ultimately be beneficial for both the environment and the economy.

The pilot project’s main aim is to test whether this concept of converting industrial CO2 emissions into biofuels is feasible and viable. If so, it can then be used as a model for setting up Co2 recycling plants all over Canada.

The technology seeks to imitate nature by incorporating the CO2 into algal biomass through photosynthesis, following which the algal biomass can be converted into oil, animal feed and soil amendment products, among other things.

Another advantage of this process is that it will put industrial byproducts such as wastewater and heat to good use for cultivating algae in photobioreactors. The use of enclosed photobioreactors also ensures that arable land does not have to set aside for algae farms.

It’s fitting that this pilot algal biorefinery will divert CO2 emissions from the Canadian oil sands, and make the environment cleaner while producing more oil. The pilot project will be located at Canadian Natural’s Primrose South oil sands site, which is near Bonnyville, Alberta.

Steve Laut, President of Canadian Natural, said they were pleased to partner with the NRC and Pond Biofuels in this project that will reduce their carbon footprint.

Apart from Canadian Natural, the ACC program has roped in many participants including companies classified as large final emitters (LFEs). The initiative is estimated to ultimately lead to the setup of enough algal biorefineries to divert and convert 20 percent of the CO2 emissions of all Canadian LFEs by 2060.

Steven Martin, CEO of Pond Biofuels, said they were very excited about the partnership with NRC and Canadian Natural, and noted that it would establish Canada’s status as a leader in the carbon capture and recycling field.

NRC is the Government of Canada’s foremost R&D agency, and provides private industry with access to strategic R&D, technical assistance and specialized scientific infrastructure.

MidAmerican Energy to Invest $1.9B for Iowa Wind Generation

Des Moines, Iowa-based MidAmerican Energy Company announced that it plans to invest $1.9 billion to install up to 656 new wind turbines in Iowa by 2015 with the intention of adding an additional 1,050 megawatts of wind generation capacity.

$1.9 billion MidAmerican Energy wind generation project - largest in Iowa history

$1.9 billion MidAmerican Energy wind generation project (photo -iowa.gov)

This is the biggest investment project in Iowa’s history, and will create 48 permanent jobs and another 460 construction jobs.

The project will generate $360 million in new property tax revenues over 30 years, in addition to annual payments generated for landowners worth $3.2 million.

The exact locations where the turbines will be sited has not been decided, but it will be in areas which already have wind farms.

The expansion increases MidAmerican’s wind power capacity, as a percentage of its total capacity, to 39 percent. The company said the cost of the project will not be transferred to customers in the form of higher rates.

On the contrary, they claim it will help stabilize rates and promised a rate reduction worth $3.3 million in 2015 when the project’s power become available, and ramp that up to a total rate reduction worth $10 million by 2017.

MidAmerican did not receive any tax credits or economic development incentives from Iowa.

It’s notable that this announcement comes so soon after Facebook’s decision to select Altoona, IA as the location for a billion-dollar data center. MidAmerican will be supplying energy to the Facebook data center. The availability of wind energy in Iowa was one of the deciding factors that helped Facebook choose Iowa over a competing site in Kearney, Nebraska.

MidAmerican Energy Company is a subsidiary of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, which in turn is controlled by Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire Hathaway.

Greg Abel, chairman, president and CEO of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, thanked Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and other state officials for creating an environment that allowed them to make this significant investment in Iowa.

He also thanked the state’s congressional delegation for their support of the extension of federal wind energy production tax credit, which Abel said created the opportunity for this investment and maintained the environment that makes such investments in wind energy possible.

Bill Fehrman, president and CEO, MidAmerican Energy Company, said that in addition to cementing Iowa’s position as a leader in wind generation capacity and the rate reductions for customers, the project would also help reduce the company’s own carbon footprint by 10.3 percent.

MidAmerican Energy already has 1,267 wind turbines in Iowa, which represents a total of 2,285 megawatts of wind power generating capacity and $4 billion in investments prior to this latest expansion.

WTO Ruling on Ontario Incentives Endangers Thousands of Green Jobs

Thousands of jobs in the renewable energy sector in Ontario are in danger after Canada lost an appeal in the World Trade Organization (WTO) over incentives being offered to boost local renewable energy manufacturers.

Ontario Green Energy Ac

Ontario Green Energy Act (photo – energy.gov.on.ca)

The matter at the core of the dispute is the domestic content requirement of the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) program launched in 2009 as a part of Ontario’s Green Energy Act (GEA) to encourage renewable energy technology development.

FIT allows renewable energy producers to sell the power they produce from wind, solar and other renewable sources to the Ontario Power Authority.

In order to be eligible to sell power under the FIT program, at least 50 percent of the labor and goods for wind power projects over 10 KW must be sourced from Ontario. The requirement for solar producers is 60 percent.

Japan and the EU filed a complaint with the WTO against this program, claiming that it amounted to less favorable treatment of imported equipment, and was a prohibited subsidy for local manufacturers. The WTO panel issued its ruling in Dec 2012.

They agreed with some of the allegations, but dismissed the subsidy complaint. Canada appealed against the ruling in Feb 2013, and the appellate body has now ruled against Canada.

Ontario will have to modify the FIT program to make it conform with the Trade-Related Investment Measures (TRIMs) agreement. If not, Japan and the EU would get the right to impose duties on imports from Ontario.

Ken Neumann, United Steelworkers National Director for Canada, said the WTO ruling was yet another attempt to override sovereignty and the freedom for implementing economic development and environmental initiatives. Neumann added that unelected bodies should not be allowed to wipe out initiatives that were good for the economy as well as the environment.

The FIT program was estimated to have the potential to create 50,000 jobs in Ontario. A two-year review of the FIT program released last year showed the program had approved more than 2,500 projects, attracting $27 billion in private investments which led to creation of 20,000 jobs.

It’s hard to say how many more jobs will be created if there is no requirement forcing energy producers to use local labor and goods, but it will surely be less than the earlier estimates.

Even more worrying is the fact that this WTO ruling opens the gate for more such challenges to other renewable energy production incentives that are available all over North America, and their withdrawal may lead to massive job losses in an industry which is already struggling to stay afloat.

Delaware Celebrates eV2g Electric Vehicle to Grid Power Project

Delaware Gov. Jack Markell was joined by executives from NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) and officials from the U.S. Energy Dept and the University of Delaware to celebrate the eV2g project’s naming as an official PJM Interconnection resource.

eV2g electric vehicle fleet

eV2g electric vehicle fleet (photo – Evan Krape/Univ. of Delaware)

In lay terms, this means they have successfully developed and commercialized technology enabling the sale of power from electric vehicles back to the grid.

NRG and UD have been working on the eV2g project since Sept 2011, attempting to set up a two-way interface so that power can flow from the grid to electric vehicles or the other way around.

On Feb 27, 2013, the eV2g project became a PJM frequency regulation market participant. This frequency regulation is the basis on which demand and supply is balanced every second.

For the last two months, the fleet of eV2g electric vehicles has been selling power back to PJM, the power transmission organization charged with the coordination of wholesale electricity movement across an area that includes 60 million consumers in 13 Mid-Atlantic states.

Gov. Markell said the NRG-UD partnership on this project illustrates the potential research institutions have for spurring economic development.

Denise Wilson, NRG executive vice president, likewise said that the advancement of the project proved that such partnerships had the power to accelerate development of clean energy technologies.

UD President Patrick Harker thanked all the policy leaders and industry for coming together for a project that involves stable energy, clean energy-powered vehicles, and profitable sustainability.

One of the key reasons the eV2g project is big news is because it has an intermediate layer where power from multiple electric vehicles can be aggregated to turn it into one big power source for the grid, rather than a large number of smaller ones to be dealt with individually.

Vehicles charged at night using wind power can become a big source that can be tapped by the grid during the day, when demand is higher. It will help fleet owners generate revenue even when vehicles are parked.

The fleet of electric vehicles required for the project was provided by BMW. The charging stations based on technology developed by the University of Delaware were provided by Milbank Manufacturing, and AutoPort Inc. installed the control technology.

PJM changed its rules and reduced the minimum amount of power required to be provided by participants. Michael J. Kormos, senior vice president of PJM Operations, said that they knew it would attract innovation, and that they were happy to be a part of the project and hoped for more such innovation from the industry.

Environmental Achievements in Walmart Global Responsibility Report

Walmart unveiled its 2013 Global Responsibility Report (GRR), which highlights the company’s 2012 accomplishments in terms of environmental, corporate and social responsibility.

Walmart Global Responsibility Report

Walmart Global Responsibility Report (photo – walmart.com)

The 172-page report has a lot of data to wade through, but it’s clear that the environmental achievements and the company’s stated goals for this decade are massive, regardless of whether one thinks Walmart is doing enough.

Highlights from the report’s environmental responsibility section (begins on page 52):-

Walmart installed more than 100 rooftop solar installations last year in different states including California, Arizona and Ohio, in addition to a 1MW wind turbine. In total, Walmart has more than 200 solar installations which combine to make it the largest on-site green power generator in the U.S., with over.

On a global level, the company has more than 280 renewable energy projects operational, which provide more than 1 billion kilowatt hours of renewable electricity per year – enough to power 95,000 American homes.

Currently, 21 percent of their energy needs are fulfilled through renewable sources. The company’s Vision 2020 goals call for huge increase of renewable energy usage to 7 billion kWh per year by 2020 through on-site generation and purchase.

As per a pledge made in 2012, Walmart was to have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2012. They wrapped up this pledge a year ahead of schedule, and are on track to reduce their global supply chain GHG emissions by 20 million metric tons by 2015.

They have also committed to reducing Co2 emissions by three million metric tons by 2020, which is the same as taking 625,000 cars off the road.

Walmart’s fleet efficiency has gone up by 10 percent in 2012. They drove 11 million fewer miles last year despite having to deliver 297 million additional cases. If they had not improved fleet efficiency, they would have had to drive an extra 70 million miles.

This efficiency has saved $130 million in fuel costs and reduced Co2 emissions by 103,000 metric tons (equivalent to taking 20,000 cars off the road).

In terms of waste reduction, Walmart reduced plastic bag shopping waste by 38.1 percent in 2012, and partnered with suppliers to reduce packaging by five percent and the overall GHG emissions from packaging by 9.8 percent in U.S. Walmart stores, and by 16 percent in Walmart Canada stores.

Andrea Thomas, Walmart’s senior vice president of sustainability, said their customers should not have to choose between sustainability and affordable process, and promised they would continue to fulfill commitments to operate responsibly while keeping costs low for customers.

Read the full Walmart Global Responsibility Report – Download (pdf)

NYC Launches Pilot Program to Integrate Electric Taxicabs

NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg got the first ride in the city’s first all-electric taxi, one of six Nissan Leaf vehicles donated by the company to the City for a pilot taxicab program that could eventually “electrify” a full one-third of New York’s 13,237 iconic yellow medallion taxicabs.

NYC Mayor Bloomberg takes first electric taxi ride

NYC Mayor Bloomberg takes first electric taxi ride (photo – NYC Mayor’s Office/Spencer T Tucker)

The pilot program is meant to find out if the six Nissan LEAF electric vehicles will be able to keep up with the 24/7 business and operational model of the NYC taxi industry.

It will help the city’s TLC (Taxi and Limousine Commission) come up with the foundation for a plan to convert one-third of the taxi fleet to electric vehicles by 2020.

If that eventually leads to an all-electric taxi fleet, the environmental and financial benefits would be significant, including:-

- Reduction in 90,000 tons of annual Co2 emissions;

- Reduction in fuel costs, which are around$17,500 per year at current gas prices; and

- Reduction in maintenance costs due to the elimination of wear and tear associated with internal-combustion engines.

Mayor Bloomberg said that even though the “Taxi of Tomorrow” won’t be on the roads for another six months, they were already looking at the taxi for the day after tomorrow. He added that the Nissan Leaf project would help provide answers to important questions on how to incorporate electric taxis into the fleet.

The Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability worked on this project in partnership with the U.S. Energy Department, NYC Transportation Department, and the New York Power Authority, among others.

Seward Park Cooperative is helping provide the electric vehicle fast charging stations required for the pilot program. These fast charges installed at several locations will be capable of charging the LEAF battery from zero to 80 percent in half an hour, making it possible for the vehicle to be used even by single shift drivers on a tight schedule.

Sergej Mahnovski, director of the Mayor’s Office of Long-term Planning and Sustainability, said that meeting the one-third fleet electrification goal would be the equivalent of taking 50,000 regular cars off the road.

Joe Castelli, vice president, Nissan Commercial Vehicles, said that the LEAF taxi pilot in New York would help the company improve its electric vehicle technologies for future applications.

The Solar Foundation Report on National Solar Jobs Census

The Washington, D.C.-based non-profit The Solar Foundation (TSF) put out its third annual solar jobs census, which shows that the U.S. solar industry now supports 119,016 jobs, which is a 13.2 percent (13,872 jobs) growth in solar jobs in 2012 as compared to 2011.

National Solar Jobs Census

National Solar Jobs Census (photo – thesolarfoundation.org)

Solar jobs are defined by TSF as those where workers spent at least half their time on solar related job functions.

California leads the rankings of the top 10 states with the most solar jobs. The Golden State has a full one-third of all solar jobs in the country, which is four times higher than the 9,800 jobs in Arizona, which is ranked second followed by New Jersey in third place.

These three states also top the rankings for the most solar capacity. Although New York does not figure in the top three states for solar jobs or installed capacity, it does top the list of states providing the most public workforce funding for solar companies, followed by California and Texas.

Andrea Luecke, executive director of TSF, said that this latest data proved that the solar industry has become a dependable job creator, and that employers were confident about further growth in 2013.

As per the census, nearly 45 percent of solar firms will be adding new jobs, while less than four percent will be cutting jobs.

A majority of the jobs (57,177) are in the installation sub-sector. Solar manufacturing jobs actually fell by 8,000 last year, but the number is expected to grow by nine percent this year. Finance, R&D and “other” solar industry jobs accounted for 8,105 jobs. This sub-sector grew at a stunning 46.1 percent.

Gianluca Signorelli, renewable energy finance manager at Rabobank, N.A., said in a statement that the bank’s solar team has grown to manage the increase in demand for solar financing, and this spurt in demand has obviously led to employment growth across all sub-sectors in the solar industry.

Causes of growth listed in the report are reduced component pricing, favorable state legislation and federal tax incentives. The report notes that if costs continue to decrease, the increase in installation demand will require the solar industry to provide employment for 340,000 workers by 2030.

Read the full TSF National Solar Jobs Census 2012 – Download (pdf)

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