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EPA Girds For Fallout, Issues Regs for New Power Plants

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Today, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its second try at carbon regulations for new power plants, after going back to the drawing board last year. These would be the first rules that address carbon dioxide as a pollutant – ordered by the Supreme Court years ago under the Clean Air Act, but since then the subject of endless lawsuits andlegislation from the fossil fuel lobby – all of which EPA won. The fight now begins again. EPA’s proposed rules only limit carbon pollution from new power plants – rules for existing power plants, which are way more important, come out by next June. Under the rules, new coal plants can’t emit more than 1100 pounds of carbon per megawatt-hour. They have the option of meeting somewhat tighter limits if they choose to average emissions over multiple years, giving them more operational flexibility. New large natural gas-fired plants are limited to emitting 1,000 pounds of carbon per megawatt-hour and small plants have a 1100 pound limit. All these standards do is ensure that new power plants are built with current best technology, the same requirement for all industries except the power sector – which produces 40% of US carbon emissions, the nation’s biggest source. Plants can even phase in technologies, says EPA. While the EPA places limits on emissions of arsenic, mercury and […]

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Google Buys Entire Output of Texas Wind Farm

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In its latest renewable energy buy, Google is buying the entire output – 240 megawatts – of Happy Hereford wind farm near Amarillo, Texas. “As part of our quest to power our operations with 100% renewable energy … this is our largest commitment yet; we’ve now contracted for more than 570 MW of wind energy, which is enough energy to power approximately 170,000 U.S. households,” says Google’s blog. Under current policies, which Google is working on changing, it can’t consume the energy directly, it has to get if from the grid where Google’s Oklahoma data center is located. Happy Hereford is being developed by a small Native American-owned Chermac Energy, and comes online next year. Earlier this year, Google invested in another Texas wind farm, its 11th renewable energy project. Altogether, Google’s renewable energy investments add up to 2 gigawatts of power at a cost of over $1 billion, just since 2010. Besides purchasing power and taking stakes in projects, the company invests in promising companies in solar and geothermal and even buys firms with potentially breakthrough technologies, such as Makani Power. $280 million from Google created SolarCity’s largest fund for residential solar installation. This year, Google tied for first place (with Cisco Systems) for leading the tech industry on addressing climate change. Its investments include some of the biggest, most important projects in the US: the Atlantic Wind Connection, a critical backbone for offshore […]

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Not Surprisingly, Copenhagen Wins 2014 Green Capital Award

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Not surprising, Copenhagen has been named Europe’s Green Capital for 2014 by the European Commission, and also received the 2013 INDEX Award – the world’s largest design award – for the sustainable design solutions in its climate plan. Copenhagen’s goal is to be the world’s first carbon neutral capital city by 2025 and completely independent of fossil fuels by 2050. Green living is at the core for its 540,000 residents, from itsbicycle culture to farm-to-table cuisine. The city has over 100 hundred miles of bike lanes and 55% of citizens commute by bike. It mandates green roofs on all new developments and over 60% of its land is cultivated for farming, making local foods second nature. Its citizens eat more organic food than anywhere else. 63% of hotel rooms are green-certified and Scandinavian Airlines aims to cut emissions 20% by 2020, one of the few airlines that even has a target. Denmark’s biggest offshore wind farm just came online – the 400 MW offshore wind farm will provide 4% of the country’s electricity, adding to the 30% that wind already contributes. The goal is for renewables to provide 50% by 2020. Denmark is one of 10 countries that recently formed the international “Renewables Club” to scale renewable energy worldwide. Neighboring Sweden is also a leader, with goals of eliminating fossil fuels to produce electricity by 2020 and gasoline cars by 2030. In 2009, Sweden launched the world’s […]

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