September 02, 2010
The Associate Press reported today on a new oil platform explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, the second in five months. Initial reports indicate that there is no oil spilling into the Gulf from the Mariner Energy platform, which exploded Thursday. 13 crew members escaped injury. [MORE]
September 01, 2010
The state of California will issue up to 40,000 high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) stickers for plug-in and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). San Jose Mercury News reports on a bill signed into law late
Monday night by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, SB 535 Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, also extends the
current carpool perk for hybrids by six months, until July 1, 2011. “This is an important measure that will provide a key incentive for the clean fuel vehicle market. HOV lane access saves time and money for owners of clean fuel vehicles. We applaud the leadership provided by Governor Schwarzenegger and Senator Lee on this key policy,” said CALSTART’s President and CEO John Boesel. [MORE]
August 25, 2010
“Energy use tends to follow the level of economic activity, and that level declined last year. At the same time, higher efficiency appliances and vehicles reduced energy use even further,” said A.J. Simon, an LLNL energy systems analyst who develops the energy flow charts using data provided by the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration. “As a result, people and businesses are using less energy in general.”
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August 24, 2010
'In 2009, 40 percent of cleantech venture capital went to California, where some 12,000 companies are working on ways that could help businesses and consumers reduce energy consumption. More than 500,000 people work in the industry, including 93,000 in manufacturing and 68,000 in construction.' --San Jose Mercury News Editorial
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August 18, 2010
In another M.I.T. lab, Gerbrand Ceder is developing a “materials genome,” using computers to predict the qualities of materials that could be used in batteries, and then fabricating the ones that the computer finds promising.
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July 29, 2010
So says a poll conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California...
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July 28, 2010
President Barack Obama touted the recovering automotive industry on today's episode of The View.
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July 21, 2010
A scan of recent coverage related to the announcement Thursday that the Climate Bill will not be introduced on the Senate floor, as expected, next week. Instead, Senate Speaker Harry Reid (D-NV) has shelved the measure due to lack of bipartisan support.
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July 13, 2010
The rule applies to on-road gasoline and diesel-powered motor vehicles with a loaded weight greater than 10,000 pounds...
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July 12, 2010
The proposed standards would ensure that transportation fuel sold in the United State contains a minimum volume of renewable fuel as required by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. EPA is required to finalize these standards by November 30, 2010. The rule also contains two proposed regulatory provisions intended to address RIN generation for certain new pathways in 2010 and documentation for certain categories of foreign feedstocks...
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June 29, 2010
California's highly successful incentive project to get more clean, hybrid trucks and buses on state roads saw another boost recently. ARB staff proposed, and the board approved up to $25 million in new funding which supports purchase of about 1,000 new hybrid trucks and buses. This amount augments the $20 million ARB has already invested in the HVIP. Hybrid technology can significantly reduce criteria pollutant, air toxic, and greenhouse gas emissions – particularly in refuse trucks, work trucks, delivery vans, urban buses, and other vehicles with high stop-and-go or idling duty cycles. ARB’s funding will ultimately accelerate manufacturer investment in hybrid technology and contribute to the production economies of scale that will bring down vehicle costs and help these vehicles become established in the California marketplace.
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June 21, 2010
As of March 2009, the U.S. had 110 active biodiesel producers with total production capacity of 1.9 billion gallons per year, but capacity utilization fell to 15% in March 2009 from 23% in January 2009, according to data from the Energy Information Administration.
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June 08, 2010
Public concern about global warming is once again on the rise, according to a national survey released today by researchers at Yale and George Mason Universities. The results come as the U.S. Senate prepares to vote this week on a resolution to block the EPA from regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant....
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May 24, 2010
Federal action will also help us meet the goals established by the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32). Specifically, AB 32 mandates a reduction of California’s GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and the Governor has further called for an 80 percent reduction from 1990 levels by 2050.
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May 12, 2010
Reaction from industry and environmentalists was mixed yesterday upon the introduction of a climate bill by Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn). Natural gas vehicle advocates appeared satisfied with NGV support including production and incentives for purchasing natural gas vehicles.
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May 12, 2010
'Our approach sets an achievable national pollution reduction target and refunds the money raised right back to American consumers and American businesses. This is not a plan that enriches Wall Street speculators. And this is certainly not a plan to grow the government. It is a plan that creates jobs and sets us on a course toward energy independence and economic resurgence. It is time for Democrats, Republicans and Independents to come together to pass legislation that will create American jobs and achieve energy security, while reducing carbon pollution by 17 percent in 2020 and by over 80 percent in 2050.'
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May 10, 2010
The long-awaited bill, to be released in full on Wednesday, also includes a 37.5 percent state royalty share to help protect coastlines and coastal ecosystems. That could upset drilling opponents who see the royalties as an inducement for expanded offshore drilling...
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May 04, 2010
Environmental advocates hope the oil crisis in the Gulf will lead lawmakers to provide stronger incentives for renewable energy and conservation programs to reduce the importance of fossil fuels and shift climate legislation that had been on a rightward track back to the left...
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April 28, 2010
The flirtation by the White House and Senate leader with immigration infuriated Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the lead GOP supporter of both immigration reform and climate change legislation...
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April 28, 2010
Expanded offshore oil and gas drilling is a central component to the compromise plan being written in the Senate to address the nation’s energy needs and the emissions of the gases that contribute to global warming. The plan, which still does not exist in legislative form, would also include multibillion-dollar incentives for nuclear power and so-called clean-coal research...
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