Earlier this month, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) released the findings of a report they commissioned on the job impacts of a federal renewable electricity standard (RES). The "Jobs Impact of a National Renewable Electricity Standard" study, conducted by independent, third-party researchers at Navigant Consulting, Inc., found that a 25 percent by 2025 national RES would result in 274,000 more renewable energy jobs over business as usual.
On Feb 4, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN) introduced the Ten Million Solar Roofs and Ten Million Gallons of Solar Hot Water Act, which would create a national rebate program for small solar photo voltaic and hot water heating systems installed in the next ten years.
In a just-released study, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) found that "if Congress passed climate and energy legislation that strengthened the energy efficiency and renewable energy standards in [the ACES bill] the House of Representatives approved last June, consumer electric and natural gas costs would be $113 billion lower by 2030, and emitters would pay 4 percent less in compliance costs." Read the entire analysis here.
Yesterday, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner came to Minnesota to check out our clean energy economy. He toured Honeywell's Golden Valley facility to see how manufacturing for energy efficiency and clean energy creates jobs and stimulates the economy. Later, he participated in a roundtable discussion where he highlighted the need for the federal government to develop policies that will spark increased clean energy jobs and economic development in the states, something we're already benefiting from in Minnesota. He also announced $5 billion in clean energy manufacturing tax credits in addition to the $100 billion clean energy stimulus dollars.
Read more about his visit in the Star Tribune.
Energy efficiency means using energy better--through innovative technologies, processes, and equipment that power our daily activities with less energy. It's about smarter systems and streamlined technology that can make the energy we need go a lot further. Its also about economic recovery and job creation. That's what Senator Klobuchar and Cathy Zoi, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the Department of Energy, had to say yesterday at a regional competitiveness and energy efficiency summit at the University of Minnesota.
This Thursday, Senator Klobuchar will host an energy efficiency summit at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management (in cooperation with the Humphrey Institute). Read on for more details, an agenda of the summit, and how you can RSVP for the event.
Posted by: Kate Ellis in solar on
Nov 25, 2009
With Christmas quickly approaching, last weekend my husband and I embarked on the annual pilgrimage to the attic to retrieve our large Tupperware containers filled with festive decorations. As relatively new homeowners, the task of holiday decoration is still fresh and exciting for us, so I opened the boxes with the energy of a four-year-old on Christmas morning, eager to start decorating (I have been informed by more veteran homeowners that this chore loses appeal with each passing year).
It seems pretty simple: we should use energy as efficiently as possible. It saves money and avoids negative environmental consequences and costs next to nothing. Why waste electricity to get the same results?
Want to learn how energy efficiency can save money, create jobs, and fight global warming in Minnesota? On November 3, why not see for yourself how a local company has reaped the benefits.
Yesterday I drove 1.5 hours north to attend the groundbreaking for the Upper Midwest's largest PV solar facility. The facility, on four acres of Saint John's Abbey in Collegeville, MN, will produce 575 megawatt hours annually and will offset about 20 percent of Saint John's peak energy needs during the summer months and approximately 4 percent of the campus's overall energy needs on an annual basis. The farm will consist of approximately 1,800 solar modules and is 4 times larger than the largest current PV solar farm in Minnesota. The project is a partnership of Mortenson Construction, Westwood Renewables, Saint John's University, the Abbey, and Xcel Energy. Abbot John and the owner of Westwood Renewables, Mario Monesterio, both spoke at the ceremonial groundbreaking and blessing of the solar farm site. Construction is expected to be complete and the farm operational by Thanksgiving.
Fresh Energy Blog