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GE Makes Series of Important Green Business Announcements

Yesterday, General Electric (NYSE: GE) announced it would double its investments in renewable energy R&D, project development and in emerging companies in the space. It also said it would disclose emissions generated from GE Energy Financial’s power plant equity investments. Today, GE made a series of important announcements, introducing 11 new ecomagination products, services and projects, bringing the total to 45. Said CEO Jeff Immelt, “Green is happening everywhere across GE,” Immelt said. “From our transportation products to renewable energy to clean water to how we make television shows and movies to home building and mortgages, green is truly universal at GE.” World’s First Hybrid Locomotive: the Evolution® Hybrid locomotive is a freight hybrid locomotive capable of recycling thermal energy as stored power in on-board batteries. ecomagination Homebuilder Program: The first-of-its-kind package of energy-efficient appliances, lighting, advanced building design and GE Commercial Finance’s first energy-efficient mortgage, the GE SmartCommand(TM) Dashboard, which provides current and historical feedback on electricity and water consumption. Doubling Down on Renewables: GE Energy Financial Services will double renewable energy investments to $4 billion by 2010. Investments has grown from $630 million in 2004 to $2 billion today. Hydrogen Energy and Carbon Sequestration: GE and BP’s new […]

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US CO2 Emissions Down in 2006

U.S. CO2 emissions dropped 1.3% in 2006, from 5,955 million metric tons (MMTCO2) in 2005 to 5,877 MMTCO2 in 2006, according to estimates released by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The economy, as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP), grew by 3.3 percent and energy demand fell by 0.9 percent indicating that energy intensity (energy use per unit of GDP) fell by 4.2 percent. Carbon dioxide intensity (CO2 emission per unit of GDP) fell by 4.5 percent. Factors that drove emissions lower include weather conditions that reduced the demand for heating and cooling services; higher energy prices for natural gas, motor gasoline, and electricity, that reduced energy demand; and the use of a less carbon-intensive fuel mix (more natural gas and non-carbon fuels) in the generation of electricity. Through 2006, total U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions grew 17.9 percent since 1990. Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions account for over 80 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. At the energy-sector level, preliminary data indicate that: Carbon dioxide emissions from the residential and commercial sectors decreased by 3.7 percent and 1.0 percent respectively in 2006, as heating degree-days declined by 7.4 percent, while at the same time cooling degree-days decreased by almost 1 […]

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Report: Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Twin Pillars

Aggressive investments in energy efficiency in the short run and growing purchases of renewable energy over the long run are a powerful one-two solution for businesses, local governments, and states aspiring to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions now, according to a new report by a pair of clean energy advocacy groups. The report, The Twin Pillars of Sustainable Energy: Synergies Between Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Technology and Policy, by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE), represents the latest research in steps that can be taken now to combat global warming while improving U.S. energy security. “Efficiency and renewable resources need each other to win the race for clean and secure energy,” said ACEEE Acting Executive Director Bill Prindle. “Efficiency keeps demand growth in check so that renewables can begin to cut emissions and oil imports.” “Policies and programs for energy efficiency and renewable energy generally have been sought on separate tracks. This report demonstrates that their agendas can and should be combined to complement the progress each can make toward a shared goal,” Prindle said. Funded by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the report examines key synergies between efficiency and […]

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