Now consider the state-based homes of the federal government’s agencies across the country. There are 445,000 federal buildings in the United States, and taxpayers foot the $7 billion annual bill for their heating, cooling, and operation. Why not cut energy waste and extra costs from the federal government’s energy budget in the same way we reduce our own family’s energy bills?

That’s the goal of the Smart Energy Act, a bipartisan bill introduced February 14 in Washington, D.C. The bill will promote efficient energy use in the nation’s federal buildings and provides additional funding and loans for energy efficiency improvements in the private sector. An additional part of the bill sets a national goal to double the use of combined heat and power—efficiently capturing the energy that’s wasted in industrial processes or electricity production and using it to generate heat and electricity. Using this method will help facilities like hospitals, universities, and military bases cut energy costs.

According to the Alliance for Industrial Efficiency, “…combined heat and power and waste heat recovery could create one million new jobs in the design, installation, construction and maintenance of equipment, and help employment in the construction industry, where unemployment is more than twice the national average.”

It’s another example that shows energy efficiency is a win-win situation—not only for families and businesses, but also for Uncle Sam.

Background

Under the Clean Air Act, Minnesota is  required to create a plan that will eliminate human-made haze—or dust, smoke and other dry particles that obscure the clarity of the sky—in Voyageurs and Isle Royale National Parks and the Boundary Waters Wilderness Area. Unfortunately, the state of Minnesota draft Regional Haze Plan does not meet that legal standard—it fails to require our coal-fired power plants and iron ore processing facilities to reduce the pollution that’s causing the haze.

Take Action

Currently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is preparing to approve this inadequate haze plan, but there is still time to tell the EPA to change its course. The EPA is accepting your comments on whether it should approve Minnesota’s flawed plan. If you want to protect the air quality around our national parks and wilderness areas, please send your comments to the EPA by February 24, 2012.

Ask the EPA to

• dramatically improve Minnesota’s Regional Haze Plan to protect air quality and visibility around Minnesota’s most treasured public spaces,
• require coal plants and taconite facilities contributing to human-made haze in national parks and wilderness areas to use the best available pollution control technologies as required by the Clean Air Act.

Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R05-OAR-2010-0037, by one of the following methods:

1. www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.

2. Email: blakely.pamela@epa.gov

3. Fax: (312) 692-2450

4. Mail: Pamela Blakely, Chief, Control Strategies Section, Air Programs Branch (AR-18J), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604

Photo: Voyageurs National Park on a clear day (left) and a hazy day (right), Sierra Club North Star Chapter

The RES was written not just to increase the amount of renewable electricity, but also to stimulate new jobs and economic development in the state. And it’s working: to date, over 100 solar energy manufacturing and installation businesses call Minnesota home, and at least 2,000 jobs in the state have been created by the state’s wind energy industry. As Minnesota meets more of its electricity needs from renewable sources, we can expect those numbers to go even higher.

In a compromise effort that led to bipartisan, nearly unanimous legislative approval of Minnesota’s renewable energy law in 2007, the state’s own hydropower resources—all of them small projects under 100 megawatts—were allowed to qualify toward the RES. Minnesota has already tapped its hydropower capacity with existing dams.

But a bill introduced in the Minnesota House this week would allow all hydropower resources—including power from large, decades-old, out-of-state dams—to qualify toward the standard as well. Manitoba Hydro, the utility managing a huge system of dams north of the Minnesota border, exports 40 percent of its power, largely to Minnesota. And dams in North Dakota and Montana, part of the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) hydropower system, were not only constructed years ago (no new jobs there, let alone Minnesota jobs), but are plagued by drought so consistently that WAPA has had to use coal power in most of the last 10 years to meet power sale obligations to Minnesota utilities.

Minnesota utilities are not only meeting the current renewable electricity standard without large hydropower at minimal expense, but over time, they expect renewable electricity to decrease electricity prices and rates. Let’s not switch the rules on Minnesota utilities and businesses midstream. Politicians should not weaken Minnesota’s clean energy laws. Instead, they should get out of the way of a law that’s working to grow clean energy business investment and jobs in the state.

That’s what Republican Congressman Steve King (R – Iowa) wrote in an opinion column published by Politico on Sunday. King is the latest in a growing list of bipartisan governors, federal policymakers, and Fortune 500 companies calling for an expedient renewal of a key provision for wind power, the Production Tax Credit, a tax-lowering provision applied to wind power production. Yesterday, Congress failed to agree on a deal that would include the tax credit in the payroll tax extension bill.

Legislation to extend the credit has 70 cosponsors, including 18 Republicans. The effort has also drawn support from diverse quarters, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the American Farm Bureau. Business leaders, including Nike, Campbell Soup, Levi Strauss, Staples, Starbucks and Yahoo, support the measure as well, citing a reduction in electricity rates when wind enters the market and the ability to hedge against volatile prices in fossil fuel markets.

In order for wind developers to take advantage of the incentive before it expires, their wind turbines must be fully functional before the end of 2012. Without an extension in place soon, wind development will most likely stall out in 2013, which is bad news not only for developers but also the over 400 U.S. facilities – representing almost every state in the country – that manufacture components for the wind energy industry.

Since wind projects take many months to plan and install, regulatory uncertainty has already caused wind turbine orders to drop. Wind developer Iberdrola Renewables has cut its 2012 development forecasts by 650 megawatts and laid off 50 employees. The Chicago Tribune reports manufacturers of wind turbine components are also anticipate employee layoffs.

According to the American Wind Energy Association, there’s still time to renew the tax credit in time for the first quarter in 2012. Congress should take immediate action to pass a four-year extension of the wind production tax credit.

Visit SaveUSAWindJobs.com to learn more and take action.

Photo: Paul Anderson [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

WIND:

HIGHWIRE: More than 80 cities are now considering reviving streetcars, but not everyone is on board with the idea.

ELECTRIC CARS: Tesla reports $40 million in advance orders for its Model X crossover the day after unveiling it, as more states consider levying fees on electric cars to make up for lost gas tax revenue. (Detroit News, New York Times)

‘DENIALGATE’: While the Heartland Institute disputes the authenticity of one of the internal documents released by bloggers this week, science educators were already preparing for the group’s plan to discredit climate education in schools. Meanwhile, Heartland is sending an appeal for donations to support litigation against bloggers and “their pets in the lamestream media” who reported on the documents’ contents. (New York Times, Mother Jones)

OBAMA ON ENERGY:ClimateWire takes a deeper look at President Obama’s proposed 2013 budget, which while largely symbolic, offers insight into the White House’s energy and climate priorities.

ALSO: One provision proposes increasing the tax credit for electric cars and other “advanced technology vehicles” to $10,000. (Detroit Free Press)

FRACKING: About 30 protesters gathered yesterday to block the entrance to a frack sand loading terminal in Minnesota. (Winona Daily News)

COMMENTARY: The Chicago Tribune says House efforts to cut transit funding are an “invitation to gridlock” in major cities, and Stephen Colbert asks Bill McKibben what his problem is with “100% organic” oil.

BUDGET: President Obama’s 2013 budget calls for billions in additional spending on renewable energy, increased resources for pipeline safety, and the repeal of $4 billion in tax breaks for oil companies. (Reuters)

COAL: While closing Chicago’s State Line coal plant may be a boon for public health, environmental and economic challenges remain. (Chicago News Cooperative)

KEYSTONE XL: Senate Republicans want to amend the highway bill to mandate construction of Keystone XL; meanwhile, legal experts warn that such tactics could set off an extended court fight. (The Hill, InsideClimate News)

The guide explains the differences between light bulbs, outlines the pros and cons, and helps you find the brightness and color appearance you’re looking for. Need more? Visit CERTs’ lighting resources page for great lighting links and an email help line.

Download the guide to find the light bulbs that are right for you, and share it on your social networks!

Facebook:
Looking for the right light bulb? The CERTs Right Light Guide will illuminate the differences between bulbs and help you find the lights you need. Download today at http://lighting.mncerts.org.

Twitter:
Looking for the right light? The @MNCERTs Right Light Guide illuminates the differences between bulbs: http://lighting.mncerts.org.

Yet polluters and their allies in Congress want to weaken existing health protections under the Clean Air Act and fight any effort to clean up our air.

On February 9, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D – Minnesota) responded. During a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate, she detailed her strong support for bipartisan policy that protects clean air and water, creates jobs in clean energy industry, and fights climate change. Watch Senator Klobuchar’s speech or read the full transcript.

We applaud Senator Klobuchar for her leadership. Please take a moment to thank her for taking a stand on clean energy.

Working locally
Fresh Energy has joined with community leaders, public health organizations, and faith leaders across Minnesota to protect the health of children and families from air pollution by spreading the word and engaging people concerned about this critical issue. In December 2011, Fresh Energy spoke at two large, public forums on clean air, climate, and health to a combined audience of 600 rural Minnesotans. Attendees wrote to Congressional leaders, urging them to support clean air policies that both scientists and public health experts have recommended to safeguard our air quality. Check our website for future events and get involved!

Photo: zverina.com/Flickr

Make the call. Minneapolis office: 612.727.5220, Washington, D.C. office: 202.224.3244

Post your thanks on the senator’s Facebook page. Go to https://www.facebook.com/amyklobuchar and post a message of thanks on her page.

Tweet it! Tweet your thank you message to @AmyKlobuchar. Say something like “Thank you @amyklobuchar for taking a stand on clean energy and the #CleanAirAct. bit.ly/ylyulD”

Share it! Ask your friends and neighbors to thank Senator Klobuchar using the sharing tool at the top of the page.

Photo: vistamommy/Flickr

But some of these commonsense policies are under attack at the Legislature. Minnesota’s clean energy legacy must stay strong so that future generations can continue to reap the benefits smart policy brings to families and businesses.

Protect Minnesota’s Renewable Electricity Standard

Don’t roll back Minnesota’s clean energy progress for large imported hydropower

Energy Efficiency: Making the most of Minnesota’s lowest-cost resource

Keep and create jobs with Minnesota’s sensible wind siting standards

Solar: Minnesota’s next abundant clean energy resource

Protect Minnesota’s Renewable Electricity Standard

Minnesota spends more than $1 billion each year to import just the fuel (coal, natural gas, and uranium) to meet most of the state’s electricity demand. That’s a lot of money leaving Minnesota’s economy. In 2007, the Minnesota Legislature passed the Next Generation Energy Act—with vast bipartisan support—to take advantage of Minnesota’s abundant renewable energy resources and boost local in-state energy production. This law included a Renewable Electricity Standard that requires utilities to produce 25 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025 (Xcel has a 30 percent standard).

As a result of the RES, Minnesota now has more than 2,700 megawatts of installed wind energy—that’s enough to power 770,000 Minnesota homes. Going forward, wind could provide 25 times the state’s total current electricity needs, a huge boost for the state’s economy. Adding renewable energy to Minnesota’s energy mix has proven not only technically feasible and great for local economic development, but also very cost effective for electricity consumers. Utilities submitted reports on the rate impacts of the RES that show no or very little cost increase from compliance with Minnesota’s renewable energy law statewide. So why would we weaken Minnesota’s RES? It’s clearly working to increase diversity of energy resources, enhance energy security and reliability, provide manufacturing, installation, maintenance and related jobs, and hedge against long term future electricity costs by integrating technologies with no fuel costs. Download the fact sheet.

Don’t roll back Minnesota’s clean energy progress for large imported hydropower

One of the main purposes behind Minnesota’s RES was to encourage the creation of new clean energy jobs through brand-new renewable energy production. However, there’s a new push at the Legislature to allow energy from existing and new large hydropower dams located outside of the state to count towards Minnesota’s standard. In a state where the wind industry has already created over 2,000 jobs, allowing imported large hydropower to count towards the standard will slow the creation of clean energy jobs in Minnesota.

Energy Efficiency: Making the most of Minnesota’s lowest-cost resource

Currently, under Minnesota’s Conservation Improvement Program (CIP), utilities have a goal to save 1.5 percent of their retail energy sales through efficiency. This law, passed in 2007 with bipartisan support, saves businesses and consumers money on their energy bills through utility energy efficiency programs like lighting, heating, cooling, and appliance rebates and programs.

Energy efficiency is the cheapest, cleanest, and most readily available energy resource. Cutting energy waste means more electricity available in the system at very small cost to any individual or business. And it’s a great return on investment. Based on utility reporting, for every one dollar spent by utilities on CIP, their customers save four. Minnesota families and businesses will benefit from keeping CIP strong and continuing to ensure maximum benefit for each ratepayer dollar spent. Download the fact sheet.

Keep and create jobs with Minnesota’s sensible wind siting standards

Minnesota’s current wind siting rules—the rules that determine where wind turbines can be placed based on land use, aesthetics, sound, property values, and other factors—provide a well-planned and thorough process that allows private business involved in wind energy development to flourish in Minnesota without having to navigate a patchwork of regulation. Minnesota’s varied landscapes and diverse population centers are part of what makes our state great, and current flexible wind siting guidelines accommodate this variety. Nearly all Minnesota wind projects have successfully used existing wind siting rules. If it’s not broken, why fix it? Download the fact sheet.

Solar: Minnesota’s next abundant clean energy resource

Minnesota’s RES has served us well, spurring the wind industry and creating jobs for Minnesotans. In fact, Minnesota’s utilities are on track (or ahead of schedule) to meet or exceed the standard—primarily with wind power. But solar in Minnesota has a lot of potential. We should take full advantage of an increasingly-affordable industry that’s booming in states like Colorado, New Jersey, and Wisconsin.

This year, Fresh Energy is advocating a Solar Energy Standard—a law that would be much like the RES—to encourage utilities to produce a certain amount of their electricity from solar. We are also working to expand solar energy on our schools, libraries, police and fire stations, and other public buildings. Minnesota’s K-12 public schools alone have the space to host enough solar to power over 125,000 Minnesota homes. Investing in solar energy will keep Minnesota on a path of local clean energy development, keeping more of our energy dollars circulating in-state and supporting the state’s emerging solar manufacturing base. Download the fact sheet.

Photo: TBoard/Flickr

The Senate is close to voting on a new bipartisan two-year transportation bill that includes a number of valuable reforms to streamline and focus investment toward good new national transportation goals. But the Senate bill needs some important changes to ensure that funding continues for beneficial bicycle and pedestrian investments, among others. We thank Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken (D – Minnesota) for amendments they are ready to introduce to support trail funding, bicycle access, and bridge repair.

The House is much further away from having the votes needed to pass their current dreadful version of a five-year transportation bill—one that has drawn a veto threat from President Obama, and quite frankly, needs to go back to the drawing board. Transportation Secretary and former Republican Congressman Ray LaHood recently called it “the most partisan ever” and “the worst bill in decades.” (A comment that’s pretty spot-on.) Please contact your representative by February 21 to ask them to vote against the bill that would expand dangerous drilling and eliminate dedicated transit funding.

Even if the House and Senate could manage to pass both bills in the near future, they would still need to reconcile huge differences in policy, funding amount and source, and timing. Many experts are not optimistic that the sides can reconcile their differences in an election year, and another short-term extension of the current transportation bill is expected.

But this is the reality: we need a new long-term bill now. In fact, we needed it 869 days ago. Transportation infrastructure is an essential driver of economic prosperity, and our current federal structure is not working as well as required. Existing policy doesn’t do enough to ensure maintenance of the current system while expanding transportation choices that improve quality of life and reduce the country’s dependence on oil. Plus, the delays create uncertainty, costing state and local governments many millions of dollars in lost time and planning. They rely on federal transportation dollars and cannot properly plan for future transportation projects if amounts are unknown or uncertain.

The U.S. House must craft a long-term bipartisan bill—similar to the Senate’s version—that creates certainty and moves our country in the right direction. Get it done, Congress!

Photo: nesheimphotography.com