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Headlines
Energy Efficiency Crucial in Efforts to Cut Carbon Dioxide
Green Energy Projects Promise to Create Three Times as Many
Jobs as Fossil Fuel Investments
Green Innovation Index Highlights California’s
Energy-Efficient Economy
Save with PG&E’s Winter Gas Efficiency Program
Green Job Training and Rebate Program Bolsters Local Economy
Leading by Example: California Academy of Sciences
Apollo Challenge: Green Retrofits and Green Jobs
Climate Change
Energy Efficiency Crucial in Efforts to Cut Carbon Dioxide
As carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise across the
globe, the need for a strong commitment to energy efficiency
becomes increasingly clear. In an informative and engaging
presentation,
Noe21 outlines the challenges we face related to climate
change, as well as possible solutions. The presentation
features a short video introduction to the global climate
change crisis followed by an interactive diagram that allows
viewers to experiment with alternative energy use scenarios.
The site also provides information and resources on a
variety of tools we can use to reach sustainable CO2 levels.
The presentation contains an assortment of compelling facts
including:
·
If we do not change our energy strategy, projections show
that by 2050, we will more than quadruple the amount of CO2
emissions that the earth can absorb, leading to
desertification and natural disasters.
·
In order to achieve sustainable CO2 levels, we must produce
no more than 1 ton of CO2 per person annually. While
Bangladesh produces only 0.5 tons per capita, the United
States produces a staggering 22 tons per capita.
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Efficiency is a key solution. According to Noe21, 30-80% of
energy is wasted by:
- Unnecessarily heavy cars
- Poorly insulated houses
- Inefficient light bulbs and household appliances
- Appliances left on standby mode
This presentation is yet another reminder that we must act
immediately to thwart global climate change. A new study
recently revealed that even if carbon dioxide levels are
brought under control, it will take 1000 years or more to
reverse the climate change which has already been triggered.
As researchers explained, this grim revelation means the
time to act is now, before the challenges we face become
insurmountable.
·
View the
video and interactive presentation from Noe21
·
Learn how you can
fight global warming, save energy, and save money all at
once
·
Read more: “
Climate Change Has a Firm Grip,” by Thomas H. Maugh (Los
Angeles Times, 1/27/09)
Posted by Megan Toth on 02/03/09.
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Green Energy Projects Promise to Create Three Times as Many
Jobs as Fossil Fuel Investments
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Some California
cities are already offering training programs to
spur green job growth (Photo: RichmondBUILD) |
According to a recent article by professor Robert Pollin at
the University of Massachusetts, key green measures,
including energy efficiency, will play a critical role in
creating jobs and putting the nation back on track.
Particularly promising is the prospect of shifting from a
fossil fuel driven economy to an economy centered around
energy efficiency and renewable energy. Pollin explains why
investing in these green areas is central to creating local
jobs:
·
Green investment projects will create about seventeen jobs
for every $1 million in outlays, whereas spending the same
$1 million in the oil and coal industries creates only about
5.5 jobs.
·
Green projects tend to require more labor while the fossil
fuel industry must spend heavily on machinery and supplies.
·
Energy efficiency projects involve almost complete local
spending whereas only 80 cents of every dollar spent in the
oil industry remains in the U.S.
Amongst the myriad of green projects that are sure to come,
energy efficiency remains at the top of the list for
effectiveness and feasibility. While regions may vary in
their ability to benefit from sun or wind power, all regions
can benefit significantly from energy efficiency
upgrades and retrofits. For example, for the average
individual family residence, a one-time $2,500 retrofit to
improve insulation and upgrade appliances can reduce annual
energy consumption by 30% saving the average home about $900
a year. These findings bolster the notion that as we seek to
create jobs and save money, energy efficiency is precisely
the right place to invest.
·
Read: “
Doing the Recover Right,” by Robert Pollin (The
Nation, 1/28/09)
·
Learn how to upgrade your
home or
business to start saving money now
·
Read more: “
Green Jobs Training and Rebates for Solar Offer Promise for
Local Economies,” (Power
Plug, 2/2/09)
Posted by Megan Toth on 02/03/09.
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Policy
Green Innovation Index Highlights California’s
Energy-Efficient Economy
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(Image: Next 10)
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The positive benefits of energy efficiency in California’s
economic growth have been highlighted in Next 10’s 2009
Green Innovation Index. This is the second annual report
released by the Palo Alto public policy group and prepared
by the consulting firm
Collaborative Economics.
Along with powerful indicators on transportation, energy
generation and climate change, the report made it clear that
increasing energy efficiency is good for the economy.
California began investing in energy efficiency in 1974 with
the establishment of the
California Energy Commission and the start of efficiency
planning. Data from this report shows that 35 years of
investments have yielded impressive returns.
·
California’s energy productivity is 68 percent higher than
that of the rest of the country. Measured as the ratio of
energy consumed (inputs) to GDP (economic output), growth in
energy productivity equates to more dollars of GDP generated
per unit of energy consumed.
·
Californians, per capita, pay lower utility bills and spend
billions less of their state economy as a whole on
electricity than the rest of the country due to energy
efficiency innovation.
·
The average monthly residential electricity bill in
California is less than half of the average monthly bill in
Texas, representing a total savings for Californians of
nearly $25 billion in 2007. As a fraction of the state
economy, Texas’ overall electricity bill is almost double
California’s bill.
·
Over 1.5 million jobs have been created as a result of
energy efficiency policies forged by California over the
last 35 years, generating $45 billion in payroll.
The Green Innovation Index also reports on the carbon
intensity of our economy, transportation trends, and
alternative energy development. This data is key to moving
California forward towards a cleaner, greener economy;
because you can not plan for where you’re going if you don’t
know where you are.
·
Read
more about Next 10
·
Download the
2009 Green Innovation Index, (PDF, 8.9 MB)
·
Download the
Press Release or the
Index at a Glance
·
Learn
how energy efficiency helps fight global warming
Posted by Andrew Galbraith on 01/28/09.
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Rebates, Incentives and Services
Save with PG&E’s Winter Gas Efficiency Program
PG&E is encouraging customers to use less gas this
winter with an incentive program and an engaging
interactive web-site to help customers save.
Here’s how the program works:
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PG&E customers are automatically enrolled.
·
Simply reduce your gas usage by 10% or more in January and
February and receive a 20% credit on your bill this spring.
·
If your gas savings is below 10%, you’ll receive a
one-to-one credit (e.g. save 5%, earn a 5% credit).
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The more you reduce the more you earn!
Be sure to check out PG&E’s fun new
interactive website for more information on how to save
gas at home and in the office.
Posted by Andrew Galbraith on 01/22/09.
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Rebates, Incentives and Services,
Residential,
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Renewable Energy
Green Job Training and Rebate Program Bolsters Local Economy
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SolarRichmondBUILD celebrates its most recent
training graduates who are now employed locally
as green-collar workers such as solar
installers. (Photo: Flickr) |
Just as green collar jobs are becoming a centerpiece of the
national debate around an economic stimulus package in the
U.S., programs are sprouting around the state and the
country that will determine the viability of a
green collar economy. In Richmond, California, one such
program is turning heads. The pilot solar thermal rebate
program requires the use of locally trained labor and is the
first in the country to offer a thermal rebate tied to a job
training program. The initiative was introduced by Mayor
Gayle McLaughlin and co-sponsored by Vice Mayor Lopez and
Councilmember Ritterman and was recently passed unanimously
by the city council.
The initial pilot program will offer a $1,000 rebate per
system for 25 rooftops.
Solar Richmond,
Richmond BUILD,
Grid Alternatives and
Solar Living Institute are working in partnership to
provide training to Richmond residents. Richmond BUILD
offers a 12-week program that includes 7 weeks of
pre-apprenticeship construction training and 5 weeks of
solar instruction, and
Heliodyne, a local solar thermal manufacturing company,
will add solar thermal training to the curriculum.
The program has interesting implications for California’s
recently passed
Assembly Bill 811. The bill authorizes all cities and
counties in California to designate areas where property
owners can obtain low-interest government loans for the
installation of solar panels and energy efficiency upgrades
that are permanently fixed to the property. The loans would
be repaid as an item on the property owner’s property tax
bill, thus the debt will stay with the property instead of
the citizen. Some local governments believe the income
generated through the interest on these loans can help fill
the local coffers and that the energy efficiency upgrades
will help jump-start the local job market. Because of the
dearth of skilled solar installers, job training programs
could be a key component of making solar installations a
reality.
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More: “
City of Richmond to Pilot Solar Thermal Rebate Program
Linked to Local Green-Collar Jobs,” (Business
Wire, 1/23/09)
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Related: “
Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs “Berkeley Bill” Enabling
California Cities to Offer Solar and Energy Efficiency Loans,”
(e-Newswire,
8/6/08)
Posted by Stacey Meinzen on 02/02/09.
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Success Stories
Leading by Example: California Academy of Sciences
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 (Image:
California Academy of Sciences) |
The California Academy of Sciences is a shining example of
dedication to energy efficiency and energy awareness. The
newly renovated museum is now the largest public LEED
platinum building in the world. It harbors a variety of
green features including radiant floor heating, natural
light and ventilation, renewable energy, water efficient
fixtures, recycled building materials, and a living roof. In
addition to building green, the Academy focuses on
sustainability education, offering interactive exhibits to
encourage visitors to reduce their carbon consumption and
take daily action to save energy. Exhibits are designed to
instill a sense of wonder about the natural world and to
allow visitors from around the world an opportunity to learn
about our planet, and how best to preserve a sustainable
future.
·
View the winners of the 6th Annual Flex Your Power Awards
·
Read Flex Your Power’s
Best Practices Guide for Commercial Office Buildings
·
Find rebates, incentives and services for your business,
searchable by ZIP code, with Flex Your Power’s
Rebate Locator
Posted by Andrew Galbraith on 01/29/09.
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Success Stories,
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Apollo Challenge: Green Retrofits and Green Jobs
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LA Apollo
Alliance goes to city hall. August 2008. (Photo:
Flickr) |
With state and local treasuries and job markets in crisis,
cities all over California are looking for ways to cut costs
and boost employment. Lowering operational costs are a good
place to start and that is precisely what the City of Los
Angeles is doing with help from the LA Apollo Alliance.
After an initial economic study, the campaign, “Apollo
Challenge,” was launched in August of 2006 when over 500
residents converged at a church in South LA along with Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa, City Council President Eric Garcetti
and local Councilman Herb Wesson. These city officials
signed the “Apollo Challenge” and committed to working with
the Alliance to create green workforce and economic
development strategies. In June of 2007 the city council
established a City Retrofit Jobs Task Force that included
council members, city agencies and LA Apollo Alliance
representatives to lead the work.
The LA Apollo Alliance is now getting Los Angeles to invest
in water and energy retrofits for hundreds of city
buildings. The “Apollo Challenge” will reduce greenhouse
gases and save the city up to $10 million in energy costs
per year, while establishing a Green Career Ladder Training
Program for low-income residents.
The program’s approach simultaneously cuts city operational
costs from energy and water use while boosting employment,
and thus, income taxes that feed back into city treasuries.
As long as the payrolls of the workers don’t outpace the
savings from energy efficiency and water conservation,
cities may find themselves with a winning ticket.
·
Read background: “
Los Angeles Apollo Alliance Partners with City to Create
Jobs and Opportunities in Green Retrofits,” (www.greenforall.org)
Posted by Stacey Meinzen on 02/03/09.
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