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This is the 11th year for the U.S. National Solar Tour, organized by the American Solar Energy Association (ASES). On Oct. 7, homes and businesses that run on renewable energy open their doors to the public to spread the word about how it works and to experience it in action. As more and more buildings are running on renewables, there are opportunities to visit and meet your progressive neighbors in most areas of the country. Last year, 72% of surveyed tour guests attended their first solar or green-building tour. Visitors talk with hosts about the energy efficiency strategies they chose, learning about how various strategies work, what it costs and why it makes sense. Although the focus of the tour was initially on solar installations it has broadened over recent years to include a range of renewables and green building features. This year’s tour includes LEED-certified buildings, Energy Star homes and net-zero energy homes. The tour began in 1991, when John Schaeffer, president of Real Goods Trading Co. in Hopland, California, launched the National Off-Grid Day. John handed the reins to ASES in 1996, when national attendance was 5000. In 2005, attendance was estimated at 68,000, a 34% increase over […]
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Although Canada has had a voluntary organic standard since 1999, it is only now close to being codified into law. The Canadian organic community seeks mandatory national organic standards to ease the way for trade of organic products both within Canada and with other countries. Pre-publication of Canada’s organic regulation appeared recently in the Canada Gazette (Vol. 140, No. 35, Sept. 2, 2006) marking the beginning of a 75-day comment period for international and domestic stakeholders. The government will review the comments and make any necessary revisions prior to final publication and enactment.Certification of organic producers and handlers as well as accreditation of certifiers have been voluntary except in the province of Quebec, which requires certification to the Quebec organic standards by certifying bodies accredited by the Conseil des appellations agroalimentaries du Quebec (CAAQ).A national regulation will pave the way for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to secure equivalency agreements with other countries, thus facilitating markets for Canadian-produced organic products. When the regulation is finalized, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will establish a Canada Organic Office (Bureau canadien du biologique).The US Organic Trade Associaton (OTA www.ota.com) played a central role on the Organic Regulatory Committee (ORC), which helped shape the […]
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Washington State is pioneering the first pay-for-performance renewable energy incentive in the U.S.
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The breadth of "chemical risk" or "environmental health risk" to portfolios may be just as broad as the "climate risk" that investors are coming to recognize.
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News and EventsDOE and USDA Award $5.7 Million for Biofuels Research Keynote Speakers Announced for National Renewable Energy Conference USDA Awards $9 Million in Grants and Loan Guarantees for Clean Energy California Utility to buy 500 Megawatts of Solar Thermal Power U.S. Wind Power Capacity Hits 10 Gigawatts New York State Aims to Convert its Hybrid Fleet to Plug-Ins Site NewsDOE Launches Web Site and Solicitation for Loan Guarantee Program Energy ConnectionsDOE to Fund Studies of Hydrogen Production from Nuclear PowerNews and EventsDOE and USDA Award $5.7 Million for Biofuels ResearchDOE and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced last week that they have awarded nine grants totaling $5.7 million for research in biofuels. The research will focus on genomics that will allow woody plant tissues such as alfalfa, sorghum, wheat, and other grasses to be grown in large quantities to produce renewable fuels, including ethanol. DOE granted $3.9 million to six projects, and USDA has granted $1.8 million to three projects, all of which will be supported for up to three years. The awardees include six universities in Indiana, Texas, Wisconsin, New York, North Carolina, Kansas, and Georgia; two non-profit research organizations in Oklahoma and Washington, D.C.; and DOE’s […]
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The tradition of serving low-grade, tasteless and nutritionally deficient food at hospitals is finally beginning to change. More than 2,000 hospitals in the U.S. now have access to natural and organic foods, thanks to a deal between MedAssets, a leading group purchasing organization for the health care industry, and United Natural Food (Nasdaq: UNFI), the largest publicly traded wholesale distributor to the natural and organic foods industry. The deal, which is the first contract between a major health care buyer and organic food distributor, reflects the growing demand in the health care industry for healthy food options. MedAssets purchased over $200 million worth of food and supplies for 2,400 hospitals in the U.S. in 2005. Says Jamie Harvie, Healthy Food Coordinator for non-profit Health Care Without Harm, an international coalition working to reduce the environmental impact of the health care industry, “Hospitals are starting to recognize that how our food is produced and distributed affects the health of people and communities. Hospitals are demanding food that is not only more nutritious, but is also grown in ways that are better for the environment and equitable for farmers and farm workers.”To date, steps that hospitals have taken include: purchasing milk produced […]
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Investments in privately held cleantech companies reached a record high in the second quarter 2006, according to the Cleantech Venture Network. Investment in North American companies rose for the eighth consecutive quarter -reaching $843 million, up from $513 million in the first quarter. 88 deals were signed, up from 66 in the first quarter. Venture capital investing in general hit a four-and-a-half-year high of $6.73 billion, according to Ernst & Young and Dow Jones VentureOne, and cleantech companies captured several of the top deals. Thin-film solar manufacturer, Nanosolar Inc. tied for second, with a $75 million round closed in June. Nanosphere Inc. ranked fifth, with a $57 million round in May, and Altra Inc. came in 11th place with a $50 million deal in April. U.S. biofuel plant developer Panda Ethanol closed a $90 million placement to fund a manure-powered ethanol plant in Texas. Private Investment in Public Equity (PIPEs) also surged in the second quarter with $556 million placed – up from $21 million in the first quarter. Small companies are increasingly using PIPEs to fund expansion, avoiding the effort of a full secondary offering. Plug Power raised $217 million from Interros, a major Russian investment house, and Norilsk […]
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Arizona's wildfires are also fueling the new biomass energy industry there, as well as stimulating small sustainable businesses.
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Part of kicking the oil habit is to make plastic from plants - Marin County, Sam's Club, Wild Oats, and Newman's Own are among those using plant-based take-out dishware.
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News and EventsDOE to Guarantee $2 Billion in Loans for Clean Energy Projects DOE Offers $250 Million for Two Bioenergy Research Centers New Contract to Yield First Biomass Power Plant in New Mexico Two New Geothermal Power Plants Slated for Northern Nevada Vail Resorts Buys 100 Percent Wind Power Eleven States are First to Receive Hybrid School Buses DOE to Guarantee $2 Billion in Loans for Clean Energy ProjectsDOE announced new guidelines on Monday for $2 billion in loan guarantees that will support clean energy projects. The loan guarantees will help reduce the financial risks of advanced energy projects that avoid, reduce, or sequester the emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases. In announcing the loan guarantees, Energy Secretary Bodman specifically referred to cellulosic ethanol, solar, and wind energy projects. The first round of loan guarantee applications will be governed by the upcoming solicitation, which will inform DOE’s development of permanent regulations. Within the next few weeks, DOE will propose draft regulations to govern future rounds of loan guarantees. See the DOE press release.The announcement was part of a series of events around the country to mark the first anniversary of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), which was […]
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