New Climate Bill Revealed: The American Power Act

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Wed, 2010-05-12 18:09
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New Climate Bill Revealed: The American Power Act

Senators revealed the revised climate bill, now called "The American Power Act", in Washington D.C. today.
Capitol Hill

The revised climate bill was revealed to Congress this morning, just one day after Senate hearing that grilled the CEOs of companies tied to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Now called the "American Power Act", the climate bill has retained provisions for expanded offshore drilling, but included opt-out clauses that will allow states to veto new offshore wells that would affect their coastline in the event of an accident.

Lawsuits Take Aim at America's First Offshore Wind Farm

Submitted by ecofactory on Tue, 2010-05-04 10:36
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Lawsuits Take Aim at America's First Offshore Wind Farm

HYANNIS, Massachusetts, May 4, 2010 (ENS) - A stack of lawsuits is piling up against the federal government in response to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's April 28 decision to approve the Cape Wind project, America's first offshore wind farm.

After nearly 10 years of permitting battles, Cape Wind was approved to place 130 wind turbines on 25-square-miles of federal submerged lands in Nantucket Sound off the Massachusetts coast. The developers hope to begin construction by year's end.

The Environmental, Financial, and Political Costs of the BP Oil Spill

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Mon, 2010-05-03 17:45
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The Environmental, Financial, and Political Costs of the BP Oil Spill

Nearly two weeks after the tragic explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, President Obama travels to Louisiana bracing for one of the worst ecological disasters in US history.
NASA satellites track the moving oil slick

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is now about nine miles off the coast of Louisiana. Despite the fact that the slick has taken longer than expected to reach shore, it has tripled in size over the weekend, now covering hundreds of square miles of ocean. President Obama flew to New Orleans and traveled by road to the fishing town of Venice, which has now become the command center of containment and cleanup efforts.

Light Turns Green for America's First Offshore Wind Farm

Submitted by ecofactory on Wed, 2010-04-28 15:55
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Light Turns Green for America's First Offshore Wind Farm

BOSTON, Massachusetts, April 28, 2010 (ENS) - U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today approved Cape Wind, America's first offshore wind farm on 25-square-miles of federal submerged lands in Nantucket Sound off the Massachusetts coast. But the developer of the $1 billion wind farm must reduce the number of turbines to ease the visual impact and reconfigure the turbine array to move it farther from Nantucket Island.

Obama Gives Wind Turbine Industry a Positive Spin

Submitted by ecofactory on Wed, 2010-04-28 13:53
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Obama Gives Wind Turbine Industry a Positive Spin

FORT MADISON, Iowa, April 28, 2010 (ENS) - President Barack Obama got a closeup look at the positive effect his economic stimulus funding package has had on the emerging U.S. wind energy industry in the wind-rich heartland on Tuesday.

Siemens Energy hosted the President at its newly expanded wind turbine blade factory at Fort Madison, Iowa, the first stop on the Midwest leg of Obama's Washington to Main Street Tour.

At the factory, Obama saw a blade for a 2.3 megawatt wind turbine in the process of manufacturing.

Belo Monte Dam Auction Proceeds Despite Protests Across Brazil

Submitted by ecofactory on Wed, 2010-04-21 13:03
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Belo Monte Dam Auction Proceeds Despite Protests Across Brazil

BRASILIA, Brazil, April 21, 2010 (ENS) - The bidding Tuesday for electricity generated by Brazil's planned Belo Monte Dam in the Amazon rainforest was marked by protests and legal confusion. A court injunction issued late Monday suspended the dam auction overnight, throwing the bidding process into a state of chaos.

Activists Drop Opposition to New Coal Plant

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Tue, 2010-04-20 18:30
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Activists Drop Opposition to New Coal Plant

The Environmental Defense Fund ceased opposition to a new coal plant in West Texas in light of a closed-door compromise that could lead to one of the cleanest coal plants in the country. Local activists do not approve.
Coal Plant Emissions

The Environmental Defense Fund dropped its opposition to a $3.5 billion coal plant in exchange for a commitment that the plant's operator will limit carbon dioxide emissions and water usage. The Trailblazer Energy Center, located in West Texas, is large enough to power hundreds of homes and is expected to begin construction in 2011. Because of the confidential nature of the agreement, it is unclear how the two parties arrived at an agreement.

Colorado Enacts Law Replacing Coal Power with Cleaner Energy

Submitted by ecofactory on Tue, 2010-04-20 12:38
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Colorado Enacts Law Replacing Coal Power with Cleaner Energy

DENVER, Colorado, April 20, 2010 (ENS) - Colorado Governor Bill Ritter Monday signed into law the Colorado Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act, legislation that requires the utility Xcel to cut nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 80 percent from several Front Range coal plants by the end of 2017, most likely sooner.

Xcel will work with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to submit a plan to the Public Utilities Commission by August 15, detailing how it will retire or retrofit 900 megawatts of coal-fired capacity.

Federal Government Closes Energy Star Self-Certification Loophole

Submitted by ecofactory on Thu, 2010-04-15 13:33
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Federal Government Closes Energy Star Self-Certification Loophole

WASHINGTON, DC, April 15, 2010 (ENS) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy today jointly announced changes to the Energy Star® product certification process to ensure that only products actually meeting the Energy Star requirements can receive an Energy Star label.

Effective immediately, manufacturers wishing to qualify their products as Energy Star must submit complete lab reports and results for review and approval by EPA prior to labeling.

The South Could Save Billions With Energy Efficiency

Submitted by ecofactory on Tue, 2010-04-13 13:57
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The South Could Save Billions With Energy Efficiency

DURHAM, North Carolina, April 13, 2010 (ENS) - Energy-efficiency measures in the southern United States could save consumers $41 billion on their energy bills, open 380,000 new jobs, and save 8.6 billion gallons of water over the next 10 years, finds research from Duke University and the Georgia Institute of Technology released Monday.

On average, each dollar invested in energy efficiency over the next 20 years will reap $2.25 in benefits, concludes the study, which also shows that the construction of dozens of new power plants could be avoided.