Colorado Governor Bill Ritter completed a legislative session by signing a final package of bills that solidifies Colorado’s standing as a national leader in alternative energy.
House Bill 1333 provides grants to
community colleges, vocational schools and other training providers to
develop clean energy jobs training programs.
House Bill 1328 creates a statewide New Energy Improvement District to
promote and finance Property-Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs,
thereby providing scalability that cannot be easily achieved with a
county-by-county approach. A county must opt-into the district before
its residents can participate in the program.
Senate Bill 180 creates an 11-member task force to
gather information and report to the legislature and Colorado Public
Utilities Commission on issues related to the implementation of a smart
energy grid in Colorado.
House Bill 1267 (A. Kerr/Romer) allows third-party independently-owned
residential solar facilities to be exempt from property tax, putting
them on an even playing field with homeowner-owned systems with regard
to property tax exemption.
Ritter is not seeking reelection this year, meaing these will be the final bills he signs during his term.
"In less than four years, we have passed nearly 60 New Energy Economy bills that are sowing the seeds for a vibrant and sustainable future. We are creating jobs, attracting companies, reducing energy consumption and advancing high-tech projects that will continue to bear fruit for decades to come," Ritter said.
Connecticut e-Waste Recycling
Connecticut could have a state-wide recycling program for electronics in place by this fall, according to a report in the Hartford Courant.
State legislators have approved a plan to be managed by the Department of Environmental Protection.
Electronics will be collected at points around the state, and the costs of recycling will be billed directly to the manufacturers of the electronics, thereby instituting "producer responsibility"–which is a popular solution for disencouraging products designed for short lifespans and disposability.
Connecticut joins a growing number of states addressign e-waste, including Maine, New York and Oregon.
In addition, a bill pending in the U.S. Senate would promote programs to improve recycling of electronic equipment nationwide and reduce the use of hazardous materials in electronics.
Chicago Is Tops in Green Roofs
For the sixth year in a row, Chicago led the nation as the city with the most green roof space.
Despite the severe economic downturn last year, the green roof industry
grew by 16.1% over the course of 2009, according to the annual survey by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC).
Chicago has more than 500,000 square feet of green roofing installed, followed by Washington, DC with 190,000 square feet.
“We are definitely seeing the emergence of more public policies and direct investment that support the implementation of green roof infrastructure due to its many public benefits, such as stormwater management, air quality improvement, and reducing the urban heat island effect." said Jeffrey L. Bruce, Chair, GRHC. "Policies in cities such as Chicago, New York, Washington, Portland, Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Toronto, to name a few, are making a difference.”
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