19 Search Results for "Government"

• Home Energy Tax Credits to Sav

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    Home energy tax credits are available for solar energy, energy efficiency, biodiesel and hybrid cars, home solar panels and more. See which federal home energy tax credits you can claim in 2009.

    When Congress passed the financial bailout bill late last year, it included a range of federal tax credits and cash gifts for businesses -- but also a suite of new and renewed tax credits for individuals who want to make energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements to their home or cars. When President Obama signed the economic stimulus bill in February, the federal government expanded and extended some of those credits.

    So what's in it for homeowners and other regular taxpayers? There are several important provisions anyone can take advantage of (changes made by the economic stimulus bill are in bold). This list includes:

    $1,500 Home Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency

    You can claim a home tax credit for energy efficiency improvements made in 2009 (but not for improvements made in 2008) if you installed new insulation, energy-efficient windows or an energy-efficient furnace, boiler or air conditioner.

    A tax credit of up to $500 that expired in 2007 has been renewed for 2009 by the bailout bill, and expanded to $1,500 by the economic stimulus bill. It covers up to 30% (expanded from 10% by the economic stimulus bill) of the cost of a range of projects that meet certain specifications. Do $5,000 worth of qualifying work, and you not only get a $1,500 rebate, but also savings on energy bills for years to come.

    The economic stimulus bill also stripped out most caps on individual home improvements, which had applied to windows, heating equipment and other energy efficiency improvements.

    Note that the tax credit applies only to equipment, not labor.

    Find more information about these home energy efficiency tax credits at the Alliance to Save Energy or Energy Star or Department of Energy Websites. Note that much of this information reflects the tax incentives in place in 2006 and 2007; for the most part, the 2009 tax credits are identical, but check updated criteria for which products qualify, for instance.

    30% On Home Energy Tax Credits for Geothermal, Solar, Wind Turbines or Fuel Cells

    The economic stimulus bill removed the $2,000 cap that had applied to geothermal heat pumps, solar panels and other home renewable energy technology. The 30% tax rebate on qualified solar energy systems remains in place on geothermal heat pumps, small wind turbines, and fuel cell systems.

    Ground-source heat pumps are installed underground and use the constant 50-degree subsurface temperature to cool air or water in the summer, and heat it in the winter — both of which reduce the cost of heating or cooling year round.

    In addition, the solar energy tax credit, which had been set to expire, is now good through 2016. $500 Home Energy Tax Credits for Fuel Cells or Microturbines

    The tax incentive that had covered 30% of the cost of fuel cell or microturbine systems in homes, which lapsed in 2008, has been restored for 2009 and through 2016. It covers up to $500 per 0.5 kw of capacity.

    $7,500 Energy Tax Credits for Plug-in Hybrid Cars

    The first 200,000 buyers of plug-in hybrid vehicles from each manufacturer now qualify for a $7,500 tax rebate.

    A similar tax credit for hybrid vehicles had been capped at $3,500 before the bailout bill.

    $2,500 for Plug-in Electric Motorcycles or Low-Speed or Three-Wheeled Vehicles

    The economic stimulus bill established a 10% tax credit through 2011 with a cap of $2,500 for new electric plug-in motorcycles, low-speed and three-wheeled vehicles. There's also a 10% tax rebate and a $4,000 cap for converting an existing vehicle to a plug-in.

    $50,000 for Installing a Clean Fuel Refueling System

    While few homeowners may be ready to take advantage, those who want to install a clean fuel refueling system, like a natural gas refueler or a recharging system for a plug-in electric vehicle, can now qualify for up to $50,000 -- up from $30,000 -- if the system is installed in 2009 or 2010, thanks to the stimulus bill. Go with hydrogen and the credit increases to $200,000, and you have until 2014 to take advantage of it.

    Wildcard: State Energy Tax Credits

    Keep your eyes out for new incentives from your state, since the bill also authorizes an $800 million government bond program that encourages states to create incentives for new and existing energy conservation and related programs. Some of that money is likely to be used toward state tax breaks and other incentives that will vary by location. Among the incentives to watch for is up to $6,500 per qualifying home in the Weatherization Assistance Program. The Department of Energy's Office of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, which provides grants to states and local governments that trickle down to individuals, had its budget increased nearly 10-fold. Check out the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy & Efficiency for more federal, state and local grants, rebates and incentives.

     

    --source --TheDailyGreen.com

    
    
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• NRG Energy, Inc. Enters Offsho

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    NRG Energy, Inc. Enters Offshore Wind Business with Acquisition of Bluewater Wind

    —Leading offshore wind development company provides NRG with first-mover advantage and currently has the only long-term power purchase agreement in the country executed for an offshore wind park—

    PRINCETON, NJ; November 9, 2009—NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG) has acquired Bluewater Wind (Bluewater), one of nation’s leading offshore wind development businesses, from Babcock & Brown and Arcadia Windpower. This acquisition combines Bluewater’s strong project pipeline of offshore wind parks in the northeast—one of NRG’s core regions—with NRG’s own successful development, engineering, procurement and construction teams. The transaction was funded with cash on hand, for an undisclosed sum.

    

    “As public policy trends toward ever-increasing renewable portfolio standards at the state and federal levels, each region of the country will seek to comply with projects that tap the best renewable resource from within that region. There is no doubt that offshore wind is the highest potential renewable resource proximate to the population centers along the eastern seaboard of the United States,” said David Crane, President and CEO, NRG Energy, Inc. “Acquiring an experienced offshore developer like Bluewater, with good projects already in the development pipeline, gives NRG first mover advantage in this potentially lucrative market.”

    Bluewater brings an experienced development team currently working on more than seven offshore projects in the Northeast, including projects in Delaware and New Jersey in advanced stages of development. Bluewater has a 25-year, 200 megawatt power purchase agreement (PPA) with Delmarva Power & Light Company that has been approved by the Delaware Public Service Commission and other state agencies. In New Jersey, the company is one of three preferred developers awarded a $4 million rebate from the state to build a meteorological tower, which collects wind data, for offshore projects. Bluewater also has proposed several offshore wind projects in other Northeast locations.

    Bluewater’s existing development team will become NRG employees, working out of Bluewater’s office in Hoboken, NJ. The company’s President and founder, Peter Mandelstam, will remain President of Bluewater Wind and also serve as head of NRG’s offshore wind development efforts. “Bluewater Wind is excited to continue developing our portfolio of offshore wind parks with a premier energy generation company like NRG,” said Mandelstam. “By joining forces with NRG, Bluewater Wind will enhance its development expertise, as well as access to capital for the development and construction of these projects. NRG’s commitment to increase its portfolio of low and no carbon generation assets, and its membership in the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, is a good fit with Bluewater Wind’s mission to provide clean, stable-priced, renewable energy.”

    

     

    About NRG NRG Energy, Inc., a Fortune 500 company, owns and operates one of the country’s largest and most diverse power generation portfolios. Headquartered in Princeton, NJ, the Company’s power plants provide more than 24,000 megawatts of generation capacity—enough to supply more than 20 million homes. NRG’s retail business, Reliant Energy, serves more than 1.6 million residential, business, commercial and industrial customers in Texas. A past recipient of the energy industry’s highest honors—Platts Industry Leadership and Energy Company of the Year awards, NRG is a member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), a group of business and environmental organizations calling for mandatory legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. More information is available at www.nrgenergy.com or www.nrg-econrg.com.

    About Bluewater Wind Bluewater Wind is one of the nation's leading developers of offshore wind energy projects, and a tireless advocate of wind as a clean, safe, and stable-priced means to meet our energy needs. The Bluewater team has many years of combined experience in the wind, energy, environmental, finance, public policy, and marine sectors. More information is available at www.bluewaterwind.com.

    Safe Harbor Disclosure This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions and include statements regarding Bluewater’s wind development and typically can be identified by the use of words such as “will,” “expect,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “forecast,” “plan,” “believe” and similar terms. Although the Company believes that its expectations are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these expectations will prove to have been correct, and actual results may vary materially. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated above include, among others, general economic conditions, hazards customary in the power industry, weather conditions, competition in wholesale power markets, the volatility of energy and fuel prices, failure of customers to perform under contracts, changes in the wholesale power markets, changes in government regulation of markets and of environmental emissions, unanticipated outages at our generation facilities, adverse results in current and future litigation, and the inability to implement value enhancing improvements to plant operations and companywide processes.

    NRG undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The foregoing review of factors that could cause NRG’s actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in the forward-looking statements included herein should be considered in connection with information regarding risks and uncertainties that may affect NRG’s future results included in NRG’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.

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• LEED Gold in Rehoboth (Tour 11

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    A public tour of this LEED® Certified home will be Saturday, 11/14 1-3pm.

    (November 3rd, 2009) Lewes, DE - Today, 11 Southwood Shores in the Glade was awarded LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for achievement in green homebuilding and design. This is the first LEED® home in Rehoboth, and it is also the highest rated single family LEED home in Delaware.
    
    LEED for Homes is a green home certification system for assuring homes are designed and built to be energy- and resource-efficient and healthy for occupants. LEED® certified homes complete a technically rigorous process that includes a home energy (HERS) rating and onsite inspections to verify that the home is built to be energy and water efficient, environmentally sound, and a healthier place to live. Green homes have substantially lower utility bills and may qualify for advantageous financing, lower insurance rates and government incentives. The home was designed by Element Design Group and built by EcoConstruction, which is known for their quality green homebuilding. A public tour of this LEED® Certified home will be Saturday, 11/14 1-3pm.
    
    
    Specific Information about the Home
    11 Southwood Shores may look like just another home, but being a Gold LEED® certified home, it is more efficient than 95% of homes in the country.  The home focuses heavily on health and reducing energy use.  This custom green home features panelized construction, active and passive solar design, low-e windows and doors, high efficiency lighting fixtures, energy star appliances, and soy based foam insulation.  Other energy efficiency upgrades include on demand water heaters, programmable thermostats, rain water capture and irrigation systems, high efficiency geothermal heating and air conditioners, and an array of Solar panels. Low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint, recycled material doors, flooring, and 90 percent Forest Stewardship Council-certified sustainably harvested wood content moldings have been used throughout the house.

    

    
    Quote from USGBC
    “As a LEED certified home, 11 Southwood Shores serves as a model of greener living for the entire community,” said Nate Kredich, Vice President of Residential Market Development for the U.S. Green Building Council. “The home is at the national forefront of quality; and their example can help us all to live better by reducing our environmental footprint, cutting our utility bills, and coming home to a healthier place to live.”
    
    
    About the Builder
    Eco Construction – Green Luxury Homes is a full service general contractor specializing in homebuilding and/or remodeling, build healthier, energy efficient homes that meet the highest green certification in the nation. As one of the few LEED® qualified builders in Delaware, EcoConstruction – Green Luxury Homes is leading the pack in green homebuilding. “EcoConstruction is excited to bring a Gold LEED® certified home to Rehoboth,” said Buck McLamb, Owner, Eco Construction – Green Luxury.  “Our mission is to build custom eco-friendly homes using the most advanced practices, materials, and technologies available at a affordable price all while exceeding customer expectations. A LEED® Certified home is just a way to prove it.”
    
    Quote from Homeowner
    "Choosing a builder to undertake the construction of a new home is really all about trust.  There are legions of stories about remodeling and building disasters.  From the start our experience was always positive.  Buck selected a design team that was totally responsive to the features that we wanted in our new home.  Construction proceeded on schedule and with close supervision by Buck.  Since we were not in the area during most of the construction, we were kept fully informed of the progress several times a week.  This close communication we feel is one of the strongest parts of dealing with EcoConstruction.  The recommended use of eco-friendly products and systems from solar panels to soy based insulation to non-toxic paints made our home the first LEED certified home in Rehoboth Beach qualifying for a Gold level certification.  We have a home that is beautiful, functional, and ecologically state of the art.  If you are planning on building a new home or remodeling an existing one, we give our strongest recommendations to Buck and all those associated with EcoConstruction."    --Jeanne and Arne Jerfsten
    
    About USGBC
    The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Since USGBC’s founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 20,000 member companies and organizations and a comprehensive suite of LEED® green building certification systems. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations all sharing the Council’s commitment to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. For more information, please visit www.usgbc.org
    
    About LEED® for Homes
    LEED® for Homes is a third-party certification system for building and designing high-performance green homes that are energy-and-resource-efficient and healthy for its occupants.  Developed and administered by USGBC, LEED® for Homes awards points to projects in eight categories of environmental performance: Innovation & Design Process, Location & Linkages, Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Indoor Environmental Quality, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, and Awareness & Education. To date, more than 2,200 homes have been LEED-certified, and over 14,600 are registered and under development.  For more information, visit www.thegreenhomeguide.org.
    
    
    Eco Construction – Green Luxury
     www.EcoConstruction-GreenLuxury.com
    email:Buck@BuildingDelmarva.com
    email:Nate@BuildingDelmarva.com
    Tel: 302.858.8430 | 302.462.5871

     

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• Revitalizing Yorklyn - Brownfi

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    Key land agreements expected to lay groundwork for economic development, ecological restoration and additional state parkland at Auburn Heights Preserve
    
    A series of agreements to preserve and redevelop 99 acres of land near the Auburn Heights Preserve in northern Delaware is expected to boost economic development and ecological restoration in the scenic area, and add to state parkland at the preserve located in the Red Clay Valley near the Pennsylvania state line.
    
    Five separate land parcels surrounding Auburn Heights, a 315-acre preserve owned by DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation near the old mill town of Yorklyn, will be protected through a series of fee simple acquisitions, conservation easements and adaptive reuse of historic properties.
    
    “This is a ‘win, win, win’ for Delaware,” said Governor Jack Markell. “By making this brownfields site more attractive to new business ventures, it means revitalization for Yorklyn. This cooperation between government and the private sector is a model that serves Delaware well through innovative partnerships that create economic opportunities concurrent with enhanced recreational and cultural amenities.”
    
    CCS Investors Inc. was the successful bidder, through the NVF bankruptcy proceeding, in contracting for 99 acres owned by NVF. Agreements between CCS and DNREC will convey approximately 87 acres in fee simple ownership and conservation easements to the state for $2.6 million. The remaining 12 acres will be redeveloped by CCS and historic structures restored to create mixed use opportunities that will include commercial, residential and park development. Possibilities for development may include commercial office space, museum space, retail shops, art studios and restaurants.
    
    DNREC is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to secure a Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant to pay about 75 percent of the total $2.6 million cost of the project. The grant application was submitted to FEMA last week and an award is expected to be announced next year. The remaining funding is expected to come from the Delaware Open Space Program, private foundations and conservation organizations. The area has been subject to severe flooding in recent years, resulting in significant economic impact.
    
    The agreements were initiated by DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation and made possible through an unprecedented partnership among Parks, the Division of Air and Waste Management’s Site Investigation and Restoration Branch (SIRB), and the Divisions of Water Resources and Soil and Water Conservation. Partners outside DNREC include the Delaware Economic Development Office, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the court-appointed trustee for NVF, The Conservation Fund and CCS Investors Inc. The project was further bolstered by strong support from neighboring property owners, as well as conservation and recreational organizations in the Yorklyn area.
    
    The NVF Company produced vulcanized fiber and related products in Yorklyn until declaring bankruptcy in April 2009. DNREC’s cleanup of zinc contamination at the site and stream restoration work in the surrounding community is ongoing. While zinc does not present a human health hazard, it is harmful to the aquatic life in Red Clay Creek.
    
    The project will eventually include additional conservation easements and private contributions currently under negotiation with neighboring property owners. “DNREC is actively working to recreate wetlands and restore the area’s natural floodplain through flood mitigation and ecological restoration,” said DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara. “This will ultimately reduce the area’s historic flooding problems while continuing to improve the quality of the area’s soil and water.”
    
    State officials also plan changes designed to make the area more attractive to tourism. Plans are to create a network of public trails for hikers, bicyclists, equestrians and steam car enthusiasts, by connecting the existing Auburn Heights Preserve to the nearby Oversee Farm, also owned by the state.
    
    The Auburn Heights Preserve, part of the Delaware State Parks system, is home to the historic Marshall estate, which is managed through a partnership between Delaware State Parks and the Friends of Auburn Heights Preserve. The Friends group owns a world-class collection of operating vintage steam cars, including 14 Stanley Steamers and the miniature Auburn Valley Railroad.
    
    
    -- source -News from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Nov. 4, 2009, Vol. 39, No. 437, For more information contact Matt Chesser, Delaware State Parks, 302-739-9235; or Beth Shockley, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.
    

     

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• Clean Energy and Climate Polic

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    New analysis shows state-by-state economic effects of clean energy and climate legislation
    
    Washington – Comprehensive clean energy legislation would create up to 1.9 million new jobs, increase yearly household income by up to $1,175 and boost annual GDP by up to $111 billion by 2020, according to new research by the University of Illinois, Yale University and the University of California. Using new modeling and the latest economic data, these findings also show that clean energy legislation would limit pollution and create incentives to drive large-scale investments in clean energy and energy efficiency.
    
    “This analysis confirms that clean energy and climate legislation can strengthen our economy and create jobs,” said Diane Doucette, climate campaign director for Environmental Entrepreneurs. “America needs to move forward with this legislation to drive investment in clean energy technology, cut carbon pollution and make America a leader for the 21st century.”
    
    With a new state-of-the-art forecasting model, called EAGLE, the study provides detailed estimates of the economic implications in each state of climate and energy policies currently under consideration in Congress. The study models a declining cap on carbon emissions, coupled with standards and investments in renewable energy, and both moderate and aggressive implementation of energy efficiency.
    These results are consistent with studies done by U.S. government agencies – such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Congressional Budget Office, and the Department of Energy – that show strong economic growth with comprehensive energy and climate legislation, especially when combined with strong energy efficiency policies.
    
    To see state-by-state fact sheets and a link to the full report, go to: www.E2.org/jobs
    
    About the study:
    The Environmental Assessment in General Equilibrium (EAGLE) model was developed at the University of California in collaboration with the University of Illinois and Yale University. It details patterns of supply, demand, employment, incomes, resource allocation, energy use, and emissions across the nation and within each of the 50 United States. Using a general equilibrium framework, the model captures both direct impacts and the extensive economy-wide indirect effects of climate and energy policies. The EAGLE model has been peer reviewed and technical documentation is available on request.
    
    About E2:
    Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) is the independent business voice for the environment. E2 is a national community of individual business leaders who advocate for good environmental policy while building economic prosperity. Learn more at: www.E2.org
    
    --October 26, 2009 -- E2.org

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• Landfill Creates Fuel for Garb

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    The Altamont Landfill in Livermore, CA is the Model of the Future.
    
    After nearly a decade of development, the largest landfill gas to liquefied natural gas plant is open! It's taking place at Altamont Landfill in sunny Livermore, California. This project is one of a kind with it’s closed loop approach of capturing the methane from it’s landfill, cleaning it, converting it into natural gas, and then using it to fuel Waste Managements garbage trucks.
    
    In fact 300 trucks DAILY will run off of this clean, natural gas! This project is so innovative ! Methane is 23 times more potent than CO2 and needs to be captured to help our atmosphere. By repurposing the methane produced, Altamont is lowering toxic emissions, and is also USING the methane to run the same Waste Management trucks that supply the methane. The need for fossil fuels decreases immensely. The gas being used is cleaner than conventional gas and releases far less emissions. So, not only are they keeping harmful methane out of the atmosphere, but also using much less fossil fuel daily!

    
    
    This plant also creates green jobs, inspires the community and involves government game changers. With the approach of involving state and local leaders to spur private innovation, huge changes are being made: to the economy, environment and spirit of the cities.
    
    The players are proud, as they should be, having pulled off the biggest and best landfill gas to liquefied natural gas plant in the world!

    --source: Greenopolis

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• Former GM Plant to Build Affor

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    WILMINGTON, DE -- Oct. 27, 2009 – Fisker Automotive has selected the Wilmington Assembly plant in Wilmington Delaware to build affordable plug-in hybrid cars.
    
    Fisker executives made the announcement inside the dormant facility today, joined by Vice President Joe Biden, Delaware Governor Jack Markell and other state officials.
    
    The plant will support Fisker Automotive’s Project NINA, the development and build of an affordable, family-oriented plug-in hybrid sedan costing about $39,900 after federal tax credits.
    
    Production is scheduled to begin in late 2012.  Fisker Automotive anticipates Project NINA will ultimately create or support 2,000 factory jobs and more than 3,000 vendor and supplier jobs by 2014, as production ramps up to full capacity of 75,000-100,000 vehicles per year.  More than half will be exported, the largest percentage of any domestic manufacturer.
    
    The modernized Wilmington Assembly plant was selected for its size, production capacity, world-class paint facilities, access to shipping ports, rail lines and available skilled workforce.
    
    “This is a major step toward establishing America as a leader of advanced vehicle technology,” said Henrik Fisker, CEO.  “Wilmington is perfect for high quality, low volume production and will soon be the proud builder of world-class, fuel-efficient Fisker plug-in hybrids.”
    
    Fisker Automotive has signed a letter of intent with Motors Liquidation Co. (MLC), formerly known as General Motors Corp. to purchase the Wilmington plant for $18 million after a routine four-month evaluation period.
    
    An additional $175 million will be spent to refurbish and retool the factory over the next three years.
    
    Funds will come from a conditional loan of $528.7M the Department of Energy awarded the company in September.
    
    The loan is part of the $25B Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing loan program (ATVM) appropriated by Congress in 2007 to help the United States lead in the development and manufacturing of advanced technology vehicles.
    
    The company’s first car, the Fisker Karma, will be the world’s first production plug-in hybrid when it goes on sale this summer at retailers in the U.S. and Europe.
    
    Fisker plug-in hybrid cars will help remove the country’s dependence on foreign energy by eliminating the need for 42 million barrels of oil by 2016.  They will also offset 8 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
    
    “With our close-knit business, government, and educational communities and our potential to respond rapidly to new opportunities, today's announcement is a testament to what works best in Delaware.  Fisker is a perfect partner in shaping Delaware's economic future, and we are thrilled that the vehicle that can reshape the automobile industry will be built here in Delaware, by Delaware workers.” said Governor Jack Markell (D-Delaware).
    
    Gary Casteel, UAW director responsible for the plant, said,  "It gives me great pride to give UAW Local 435 workers the opportunity to partner with Fisker Automotive to create a greener America by building a plug-in hybrid car that will compete globally."

    
    
    Watch the Video

     

    ABOUT FISKER AUTOMOTIVE, INC.
    Fisker Automotive is a privately owned, premium American car company with a vision to lead the automotive industry into the next-generation of automobiles with high-end design expertise and eco-friendly powertrain technology.  Global headquarters are in Irvine, California, USA.
    
    The company was created in 2007 to leverage the design capabilities of Fisker Coachbuild, LLC, founded by auto design veterans Henrik Fisker and Bernhard Koehler, and the PHEV powertrain capabilities of Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ-QTWW), a major Tier 1 supplier of clean vehicle technologies to the automotive OEMs.  Previously, Fisker, CEO, was design director for Aston Martin and president and CEO of BMW’s DesignworksUSA.  Koehler, COO, led operations for Ford’s Global Advanced Design Studio and created concept cars for Aston Martin, MINI and BMW.
    
    ABOUT WILMINGTON ASSEMBLY
    The Wilmington Assembly plant was built by General Motors in1947.  Over the years it has been expanded to 3.2 million square feet on 142 acres of land.  It includes an on-site powerhouse and waste water treatment facility.  More than 8.5 million cars have been manufactured there, including the Pontiac Streamliner, original Chevrolet Impala, 1997-1999 Chevrolet Malibu, Saturn L-Series and the Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky/Opel GT roadsters.  Production capacity is 300,000 cars per year.  The plant and its workforce have received many awards for excellence in quality, production and safety.

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• Recovery Through Retrofit

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    Going Green - And Saving You Money

    Vice President Biden and the Middle Class Task Force just finished unveiling the Recovery Through Retrofit Report, at a public event inside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Joining the Vice President at the announcement were Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy, Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor, Shaun Donovan, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and Karen Mills, Administrator of the Small Business Administration.
     
    Last May in Denver, CO the Vice President asked the White House Council of Environmental Quality (CEQ) to report back to the Middle Class Task Force with a plan to make sure that the unprecedented Recovery Act investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy lay the groundwork for a self-sustaining home energy efficiency retrofit industry -- which will create good, green jobs and save middle class families money on their energy bills. CEQ answered this call by bringing together eleven Departments and Agencies and six White House offices to develop today’s report.
     
    The report identifies three barriers that have prevented a national market for home retrofits from taking off. First, consumers don’t have access to reliable information about retrofits. Second, the upfront costs of home retrofits can be high but consumers don’t have access to financing. Finally, there aren’t enough skilled workers to serve a robust national retrofit market. 
     
    
    Recovery Through Retrofit is an action plan to address these barriers without new money and by using authority the federal government already has.
     
    Here’s how we will take steps toward breaking down each barrier:
     
    First, to give consumers the information they need, the federal government will develop a standardized measure of home energy performance that is applicable to every home as well as a home performance label to signal that a home is energy efficient – like ENERGY STAR^® does for appliances.
     
    Second, we will make it easier for homeowners to pay for home retrofits by promoting accessible and affordable financing options.
     
    Third, we will establish nationally recognized standards for worker training and certification so when you decide to invest in a home retrofit, you can rest assured that the work will be done right.

    
    With almost 130 million homes in the United States, there’s plenty of work to be done.   Building a nationwide home retrofit market will create good jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Right now, homes generate more than 20 percent of our carbon dioxide emissions. 

     
    Today’s announcement is just the beginning. The Agencies, Departments and White House offices involved with this report will continue their collaboration. An interagency Energy Retrofit Working Group will submit an implementation plan to the Vice President within thirty days. In the coming months, this group will keep track of the progress we are making on the report’s recommendations and report back to the Vice President on a regular basis.
     
    As the Vice President said this afternoon, "when we recover—and we will recover—we will come out of this a much stronger nation, better prepared to lead the world in the 21^st Century as we did in the 20^th."
     
    We’ll come out a little greener, too.
    
    
    MONDAY, OCTOBER 19TH, 2009 AT 11:00 AM - by Terrell McSweeny, Domestic Policy Adviser to the Vice President -- source WhiteHouse.gov blog
    

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• Fenwick adopts 33-foot height

  • From: GreenDelaware
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    By Monica Fleming, Coastal Point Staff Reporter

    

     

    Coastal Point • Monica Fleming
    The windmill at Nantucket’s stands at approximately 53 feet tall. The Town of Fenwick Island recently passed an ordinance regarding small wind-energy systems that caps their maximum allowable height at 33 feet.

     

    Special allowances for wind-energy systems might seem like a no-brainer in an overtly “green” town like Fenwick Island has been in recent years, but town council members paused this week to really delve into the logistics of wind turbines in a residential area.
    
    The Town of Fenwick Island, known for its Environmental Committee and ahead-of the-curve residents who are outspoken on everything from recycling to the Indian River power plant’s coal-ash pile, put its collective foot down on tall wind turbines at their public hearing and council meeting on Friday, Aug. 28, capping the town’s allowable height for turbines at a firm 33 feet – just 3 feet higher than the town’s overall maximum building height.
    
    There were six exasperated “aye” votes to pass the ordinance and one very unhappy “nope.”
    
    Todd Smallwood, the lone dissenter, said he couldn’t bring himself to vote for the ordinance, even with a cap of 33 feet. In its original state, the ordinance had the height limit for wind turbines set at 40 feet. By way of comparison, the newly erected wind turbine and tower at Nantucket’s restaurant, which is just outside of town limits, is 53 feet high.
    
    “I’ll take the arrow here,” said Smallwood, a member of the town’s Environmental Committee and the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Center for the Inland Bays, and an avid recycler.
    
    “I don’t want to act anti-green,” he emphasized. “But we have kept the 30-foot height limits as sacred. And the one at Nantucket’s is an eyesore. I don’t like it. It’s a visual blight on our town.”
    
    Citing the state’s recently enacted, albeit vague, law that states that municipalities, county government and home owners’ associations cannot enact new bans on wind- and solar-energy systems, Smallwood said, “We can certainly hold our ground on the 30-foot height limit.
    
    “And it’s not our fault if they don’t work” at that height,” he said. “It’s not our problem.”
    
    The standard for residential wind turbines is that they be installed 6 to 8 feet above nearby structures in order to catch winds and work efficiently.
    
    Smallwood noted that he has also called four manufacturers about the systems’ requirements, and all recommended a lot size of at least a half-acre.
    
    During discussion of the ordinance, Mayor Audrey Serio mentioned the exception for solar panels that had been made to the town’s height limit. They can be 36 inches, or 3 feet, above the 30-foot building height restriction, and she asked why the town might disallow turbines if they made an exception for the panels.
    
    “It’s two totally different things,” countered Smallwood. “It’s 3 feet on a flat-panel roof to a free-standing 40-foot windmill.”
    
    As written, the ordinance specifies that the base of a wind turbine’s tower has to be set back from all property lines, public rights-of-way and public utility lines at least a distance equal to 1.1 times the total height of the tower, in addition to the 33-foot height cap. As it stands, there a only a handful of lots in the town that would be able to meet all those requirements.
    
    Serio said the purpose of the ordinance was to have something on the books.
    
    “We had to start somewhere,” she said.
    
    Former Mayor Pete Frederick brought up several points during the public hearing, which was held right before the monthly council meeting. He asked if the Sussex County Association of Towns was responding to the state law in some way, and he encouraged Fenwick Island to be “a part of that.” Frederick said he questioned whether the state had the right to “dictate to municipalities regarding the safety of their residents.”
    
    He also brought up a proposed communications tower that, if it had been built, would have exceeded the town’s height limit and was ultimately scrapped for other reasons. And he asked about chimney height restrictions.
    
    “If 1.1,” he asked, citing the distance a tower must be from property lines, rights-of-way and utilities, “why not 2?”
    
    “We are not drafting it to prevent turbines,” emphasized Councilman Bill Weistling Jr. “If we say 2, we might as well not draft it. It would be virtually impossible.”
    
    “Why would we want to do that?” asked Serio.
    
    “To make sure you don’t end up with turbines on every lot,” answered Frederick.
    
    “The whole purpose is to protect property owners, and if they are going to install it, to try to make it work. We need to get something that protects our residents who want to put one up and also protects the neighbors.," said Mayor Serio.
    
    Even though several of the council members talked about changing the height limit from 40 feet to 33 feet, Smallwood was unwavering in his discontent with the ordinance.
    
    “Seems now like we are just passing it to pass it,” he said.
    
    “We need to proceed. If you don’t like it, don’t vote for it,” replied Weistling.
    
    Resident Lynn Andrews spoke on the subject and thanked Smallwood for “taking the arrow.”
    
    Councilwoman Diane Tingle said she had heard lots of positive statements about the turbine at Nantucket’s, adding that people have said to her, “What a beautiful sight.”
    
    “Not everybody’s anti-windmill,” she added.
    
    Ultimately, the council decided to pass the ordinance but changed the maximum height allowed from 40 feet to 33 feet.

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• Americans Waste $130 Billion a

  • From: GreenDelaware
  • Description:

    Our houses leak, our light bulbs produce more heat than illumination, our big screen TV sets draw power when they are turned off, and that’s just the start of it.
     
    U.S. businesses and individuals could save money, curb emissions of global warming pollutants, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and cut energy consumption by 23 percent by 2020, merely by taking sensible, practical steps to use energy more efficiently, says a report from McKinsey & Company released today.
    
    What's more, energy efficiency is the very best way to create so-called green jobs -- yes, even better than subsidizing solar or wind power -- because it makes the economy more productive in the long run.
    
    So what’s standing in the way?
    
    Unfortunately, there are lots of barriers to more efficiency -- some structural, some behavioral and some stemming from a lack of access to capital–and so there is no simple or single program that will get us where we need to go, according to Ken Ostrowski, a senior partner at McKinsey who led the effort behind the report, called "Unlocking Energy Efficiency in the U.S. Economy." Indeed, that’s part of the problem. For a variety of reasons, market forces on their own don’t work very well when it comes to energy efficiency.
    
    "Energy efficiency, by its nature, is quite challenging to capture," Ostrowski told me by phone last week. "Part of this is the heavy fragmentation of the opportunity. It comes in lots of small little bites. So the relative significance of any individual energy efficiency measure to a consumer or a business is small."
    
    This is, in part, why most of you -- and me -- have never gotten around to, say, installing a programmable thermostat. (That and the fact that I still struggle sometimes to get my DVD player to talk to my TV.)
    
    Americans waste energy for many other reasons, all, in a sense, market failures. Owners of apartment buildings have little incentive to make the air-conditioning more efficient in tenants pay the bills. Buyers of new homes neglect to ask about the insulation's R-value. Working class people strapped for cash won’t pay extra for a more efficient clothes dryer, even if it saves money in the long run. There’s a vast lack of knowledge, even in business, about how and where energy is consumed.
    
    As the 165-page report says:
    
        the efficiency opportunity is fragmented across literally millions of locations and billions of devices and most opportunities require an initial investment that pays back over time.
    
    Yet there's good news in the McKinsey study, which is packed with data, analysis, graphics and recommendations. Americans are already becoming more efficient, the study says:
    
        "Since 1980, energy consumption per unit of floor space has decreased 11 percent in residential and 21 percent in commercial sectors, while industrial energy consumption per real dollar of GDP output has decreased 41 percent."
    
    To accelerate that progress, McKinsey says we need federal, state and local government action, more education of consumers and businesses, and greater alignment among utilities, regulators and consumers of energy.
    
    There's no point in my trying to sum up all of the recommendations here.
    
    Among many other things, more information and public awareness will help a lot. So will efficiency codes and standards, as well as financing mechanisms to help consumers and businesses get the capital they need to install energy-efficiency improvements. Some of this is in the Waxman-Markey climate change legislation -- earlier this week, I questioned whether we need subsidies for efficient appliances -- but the McKinsey people declined to comment on pending legislation, for obvious reasons.
    
    Unfortunately, the whole topic of energy efficiency is terribly complicated and fundamentally boring which is why reporters like me would tell you, if we're being honest, that we’d prefer to write about electric cars or wind turbines or solar panels.
    
    But energy efficiency matters a lot. It's the ultimate untapped renewable energy resource.
    
    Here’s how McKinsey describes the potential:
    
        "A comprehensive strategy, executed at scale, could reduce the nation's annual non-transportation end-use energy consumption from 36.9 quadrillion BTUs in 2008 to 30.8 quadrillion BTUs in 2020 -- saving 9.1 quadrillion BTUs relative to a business-as-usual baseline. (That baseline projects that 39.9 quadrillion BTUs of energy would be consumed in 2020.) This reduction in energy consumption could yield savings worth more than $1.2 trillion (at a rate of $130 billion annually). Such savings are far greater than the $520 billion that would be needed for upfront investment in efficiency measures. The reduction in energy use would also result in the abatement of 1.1 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions annually, the equivalent of taking the entire U.S. fleet of passenger vehicles and light trucks off the roads."
    
    The full McKinsey report is available for download here. [PDF]
    
    By Marc Gunther
    GreenBiz.com
    Published July 29, 2009
    

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• Interagency team works togethe

  • From: GreenDelaware
  • Description:

    Aug.  26,  2009,  Vol.  39,  No.  359  -

    Several agencies within Delaware including the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), the Kent Conservation District, the Office of Management and Budget’s Division of Facilities Management, and the City of Dover joined together recently to complete upgrades to the stormwater pond at the Delaware Archives building in historic Dover.
    
    “This project is a perfect example of how all levels of government can work together to clean up the environment during these difficult financial times,” said DNREC Secretary Collin O'Mara. “None of our respective agencies could have completed the project alone, yet together we upgraded a stormwater pond that will naturally improve water quality in the St. Jones.”
    
    For decades, stormwater ponds have been providing a means to treat and manage stormwater, water that runs over roads and parking lots carrying pollutants such as oil and sediment. The Kent Conservation District, which was hired to complete the construction work, spent about one month converting the poorly functioning stormwater quality management pond into a bioretention facility, a newer technology in stormwater management.
    
    The original stormwater pond on the Archives property exhibited signs of aging including failing structural components. Severe erosion at the pond discharge point was also contributing sediment, which can be harmful to fish and other aquatic life, directly into the St. Jones River. The pond retrofit will improve the quality of stormwater runoff entering the river from the parking lot.
    
    Bioretention is a newer technology that removes more pollutants than traditional pond approaches to stormwater management. While the use of stormwater ponds is still an acceptable and widely-used method of treating and managing stormwater, this newer technology not only removes more pollutants, but also provides for less runoff while blending into the landscape.
    
    In fact, bioretention facilities are oftentimes mistaken for landscape islands, as they are planted with small shrubs, grasses, and sometimes even colorful flowers.  The stormwater is directed to the bioretention facility, a depression filled with a special soil media. The soil mixture acts to remove pollutants and infiltrate water, resulting in less runoff into our streams. Ultimately, bioretention is designed to mimic natural hydrology.
    
    Coordinated by Beth Krumrine, an environmental scientist with DNREC’s Sediment and Stormwater program, this project began more than three years ago when DNREC’s Nonpoint Source program granted approximately $40,000 in Environmental Protection Agency funds, plus an additional $10,000 in other funds, to the project. This funding was granted in order to implement new technology from older or non-functional systems, a practice also known as retrofitting.
    
    Although many sites in both Sussex and Kent counties were considered, the Delaware Archives pond had the most suitable site conditions requiring the least engineering modifications. Also considered was the strategic location of this site, which is near both Legislative Mall and historic downtown Dover, where many passers-by could view the educational signage and see the project.
    
    Once the site was selected, the planning process and the teamwork began. All planning and engineering for the project was completed by staff from DNREC’s Sediment and Stormwater Program.
    
    Staff from DNREC’s Drainage program performed all survey work, and worked closely with DNREC’s Wetland and Subaqueous Lands Section and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assist with all wetland permitting issues. Assistance in obtaining permits for water extraction during certain phases of construction was provided by DNREC’s Water Allocation Branch.
    
    As property owner, the Division of Facilities Management was instrumental in working with DNREC staff to authorize the project, acquire permits, comment on engineering plans, and provide input on plant selection for the plantings within the new facility. They also provided other resources during construction and will be providing assistance with the plantings.
    
    The City of Dover provided a disposal area for the excavated fill dirt in addition to information on the underlying sewer lines. ACF Environmental, a local distributor for erosion control products, also joined in by donating a Siltsack® to protect the storm drain from sediment. And finally, the Kent Conservation District constructed the project. 
    
    “This was not the usual type of project for our Equipment Program,” said Timothy Riley, District Coordinator for the Kent Conservation District.  “However, we saw this project as an opportunity to expand the technical expertise of our equipment staff and we appreciated the confidence placed in us when DNREC hired the District.”
    
    Mr. Riley went on to say that at one point in the project, they brought in a fellow district employee from the Sussex Conservation District to get the benefit of his knowledge and experience with pipe work.  “It is this sort of collaboration that helps get these projects on the ground,” said Riley.
    
    In the future, be sure to stop by the Delaware Archives building and check out the new bioretention facility at the back parking area adjacent to the St. Jones River. Later this fall, look for the native plantings within the facility, educational signage, and surrounding tree plantings.
    
    For more information about DNREC’s Sediment and Stormwater Program please call 302-739-9921.

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• CIB, DNREC’s Division of State

  • From: GreenDelaware
  • Description:

    CIB, DNREC’s Division of State Parks, and Flexera Energy
    celebrate wind energy partnership
    -Two wind turbines installed at Delaware Seashore State Park-

               

    Indian River Inlet, DE - Aug. 20, 2009: Standing at about 45 feet tall, two new wind turbines turn steadily in a stiff breeze at Delaware Seashore State Park.  One turbine provides power to the Center for the Inland Bays and the other is connected to the cottages at Indian River Marina.

    Today, Governor Jack Markell, Senator Tom Carper, Congressman Mike Castle, DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara, State Parks’ officials and other dignitaries visited the CIB to recognize the recently completed wind energy project.
    
    “This wind turbine partnership represents another way that the State of Delaware is leading by example as we accelerate towards a new energy future for our state and nation,” Governor Markell said. “These projects will tangibly demonstrate to visitors the crucial role that we each can play in protecting our environment and strengthening our economy by adopting renewable energy systems.”
    
    “The Inland Bays are a treasure that must be protected,” said Secretary O’Mara. “Harnessing clean, renewable energy sources will create new economic opportunities while showing residents and visitors that it is possible to reduce pollution that adversely affects air and water quality, as well as harms the health and welfare of local residents. This project will serve as an important symbol tht clean power is critical to the state’s environmental and economic future.”
    
    Parks’ Director Charles Salkin said, “Our role is to educate visitors about the importance of protecting and preserving Delaware’s natural resources. We want our visitors at Delaware Seashore State Park to get excited about wind energy. We also see this as a first step towards several larger projects that will enhance the environmental benefits and reduce the costs of our Park operations.”
    
    The Center for the Inland Bays and the Division of Parks and Recreation selected Flexera Energy to participate in the wind energy demonstration project.  Flexera completed installation of the Skystream 3.7 utility-connected, horizontal axis turbines in mid-July.  The turbines have a 12-foot rotor diameter and an average rated capacity of 2.4 kilowatts.  Each turbine is projected to generate about 5,600 kWh of power annually in average daily winds of 12 mph. This renewable energy production equals a projected offset of about 28,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

    “Flexera is very excited to have had the opportunity to install these two wind turbines at the Indian River Inlet. These elegant machines will be supplying power to the Center for the Inland Bays and State Park for many years to come. In addition the turbines will be an important educational resource for the people of Delmarva, demonstrating the viability of wind power as an environmentally friendly and economically competitive power source for Coastal Delaware.  This is a great example of how government initiative, nonprofit research, the public good and private enterprise are all converging to create a new green economy in Delaware," said Ben Farr, Vice President of Flexera Energy.

    Ed Lewandowski, CIB Executive Director, said, “This project has been a terrific fit for our location in that wind is something that we deal with just about every day at Indian River Inlet; it’s great to see it finally put to some productive use.  It’s also a wonderful complement to the 11.0 KW solar energy system that we had installed at our headquarters facility.  We hope to inspire other local businesses and homeowners to do whatever they can to reduce their carbon footprint.”

    The CIB used a 2005 State Bond Bill appropriation to cover the project costs.  Since its opening three years ago, the Center’s headquarters has served as a demonstration facility for environmentally-friendly design and operation.

    For more information about this project, please contact the Center for the Inland Bays at (302) 226-8105 or visit its facility on the north side of Indian River Inlet at Delaware Seashore State Park.

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• Fairfield (Iowa) Working For S

  • From: GreenDelaware
  • Description:

    FAIRFIELD, IA (wium) - June 24, 2009 -  There are plenty of ways to live a more sustainable life. You can walk or bike to work, grow a backyard garden, or add insulation or energy-efficient light bulbs to a home.
    
    One Southeast Iowa town believes it has the answer to creating a sustainable community. There are plenty of ways to live a more sustainable life. You can walk or bike to work, grow a backyard garden, or add insulation or energy-efficient light bulbs to a home.
    
    One Southeast Iowa town believes it has the answer to creating a sustainable community.
    
    A drive through Fairfield reveals a wide variety of homes: older Victorians and bungalows and newer designs using the ideas of Sthapatya Veda . There are also small businesses, local industries, tourist attractions and cultural opportunities.
    
    In other words, it's a fairly typical-looking community in America's Heartland. But a revolution could soon take place that will make this town of 9,700 a cutting edge model for other cities, around the world, to emulate.
    
    Mayor Ed Malloy has big dreams for his small town. "I think 5 years into the future, we have an economy that is engaged in sustainability," says Malloy, adding "I see homes and households that are on firm footing of energy conservation. I see businesses that have re-located here that represent the green revolution."
    
    Malloy says Fairfield will be able to achieve those green goals and many more by following its new blueprint: a roughly 30-page sustainability strategic plan. Fairfield's 20-member Go-Green Planning Commission worked on it for more than one year.
    
    The plan will soon be released to the public. It includes three goals for the town.
    
    1. Create and maintain a sustainability culture.
    2. Create jobs, wealth, and opportunities for investment with sustainable development.
    3. Achieve sustainable community design, public policy, and infrastructure.
    
    Bob Ferguson co-chaired the commission. He says the plan is designed to impact every aspect of a person's life at the same time.
    
    "And create a world where we can live happily and sustainably," says Ferguson, "where our children and grandchildren can inherit a world that is actually better than the one we are in."
    
    Fairfield has already made some strides toward sustainability. The city has replaced the lights in its traffic signals, conducted an energy audit of its buildings, and agreed to hire a part-time sustainable living coordinator.
    
    Mayor Ed Malloy says it is important to teach residents about sustainability and showcase what works so more people will get on board. "If we are going to have a significant impact on reducing our carbon and changing our behaviors," Malloy says, "it has to be a community-wide effort. Everyone has to see themselves in it, not just the government or the big companies."
    
    While the city's sustainability strategic plan is new, local, more personal efforts have been underway for some time in Fairfield.
    
    Lonnie Gamble says he has not paid an electric bill in seventeen years because of his use of solar and wind power. He is the co-founder of the Abundance Ecovillage. Gamble says, "The idea is to take care of their energy, food, and shelter needs right here on the site. That makes a lot of the other landscape available to be natural systems, wetlands, prairies if we make our areas where we live functional."
    
    15 homes have been built at the Abundance EcoVillage, which is located on 15 acres of land north of Fairfield. Gamble says another 15 homes could be built.
    
    The eco-village is "off-the-grid." It uses solar panels and a wind turbine for power.
    
    Gamble says that while the use of solar energy can be more expensive, each home is built to drastically cut standard energy consumption. He says that by using 10% of the energy of a standard home, there will still be a savings even if solar energy costs twice as much to receive.
    
    The Abundance EcoVillage produces food in several gardens and rain-catching devices provide water.
    
    The eco-village is not just a sustainable community, it is also a school. Gamble teaches several permaculuture classes there during the summer. He is also a professor of sustainable living at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield.
    
    "There are so many students there now that there is a lot of self-organizing," says Gamble, "these students do all these projects and I don't know what is going on all of the time. I hear all this fantastic stuff and it is very exciting to be involved in that and see what is coming out of the program."
    
    That type of enthusiasm is what Fairfield is banking on when it unveils its sustainability strategic plan to the public.
    
    The document includes some lofty goals. It recommends the town achieve energy independence, plant thousands of trees, and utilize waste for energy or resources. It also suggests Fairfield produce and process locally grown foods.
    
    Mayor Ed Malloy says to truly be successful, the plan must go beyond Fairfield. "We want to create a model, we want to share best practices, we want to create a grass-roots, ground-swell of interest in this area. We all learn from each other and we can set goals as a state to model for the entire country."
    
    Malloy says more than 40 organizations and agencies have signed on to lead the way in implementing Fairfield's sustainability strategic plan. But it will take more than that. It will take each resident, each business owner, each and every person making simple changes to their daily lives to create a fully sustainable community.
    
       
    
    Tri States Public Radio
    500 University Services Building
    1 University Circle | Macomb, IL 61455-1390
    E-mail: publicradio@wiu.edu | Phone: 800/895-2912 | FAX: 309/298-2133
       
    

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• Green Business Guide

  • From: GreenDelaware
  • Description:

    As consumers become more environmentally conscious and energy costs continue to rise, businesses are rapidly adopting environmentally friendly business practices.
    
    Many business owners fear it's too costly to adopt eco-friendly practices, however, small investments can reap large gains. Green practices can save money while creating happier customers and a healthier planet.
    
    These resources help small businesses expand their businesses while saving energy costs.
    For New Businesses
    
        * Get help Starting a Green Business by offering eco-friendly products and services.
        * Follow these Ten Steps to adopt environmentally-friendly business practices.
        * Read about the most Successful Green Businesses for real accounts of green business in practice.
    
    Green Business Practices
    
    Becoming a green business means making changes across your organization, from the way you manage your day-to-day operations to the products you offer to your customers.
    
        * Energy Efficiency  -  Save energy costs, find energy saving tips, and get  information on grants, loans and incentives for making energy efficient upgrades .
        * Environmental Management - Manage environmental issues to avoid liability, reduce costs and get recognized as a green business.
        * Grants, Loans and Incentives - Get info on energy efficient upgrades and tax credits to green technology development.
        * Government Contracting - Learn about opportunities to sell green products and services to the government.
        * Green Commuting Options - Cut down on your energy costs, protect the environment and increase employee productivity by adopting telecommuting policies and other green commuting options.
        * Green Marketing - Learn about ecolabeling and how to legally make environmental claims on your products.
        * Green Product Development - Learn how green technology businesses develop innovative new products and services.
        * Pollution Prevention and Recycling - Save money by reducing wastes while improving energy efficiency, productivity and public image.
        * Case Studies and Examples - Learn about successful companies that have proactive environmental policies.
    
      --from www.Business.gov

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• Identifying High-Risk Chemical

  • From: GreenDelaware
  • Description:

    Greenpeace Press Conference in Wilmington (Tuesday 8/18)
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    August 12, 2009
    
    
    New Research to Identify High-Risk Chemical Facilities in Delaware
    
    Residents, Greenpeace to Call on Senator Carper to Support Legislation and Prevent Chemical Disasters
    
    
    WHO:    Lisa Sherman, Teacher, Delcastle Technical High School, Local Emergency Medical Professional, Invited Brian Turnbaugh, Environmental Right-To-Know, OMB Watch, Tracy Wax, Organizer, Greenpeace
       
    WHAT: Greenpeace and community members will hold a press conference at the East Side Charter School in Wilmington, where they will identify the high-risk chemical facilities that each put 10,000 or more citizens at risk in Delaware. A 2’ x 3’ map will be available onsite to illustrate the proximity of the high-risk facilities to population centers. Case studies of chemical facilities that have converted to safer alternatives will be presented.
    
    WHERE:     East Side Charter School, 3000 N Claymont St, Wilmington, DE 19802
               
    WHEN:    Tuesday, August 18, 2009,  11:00 AM
    
    WHY: Chemical facilities are one of Delaware’s biggest security vulnerability. According to the government, an attack or accident at one of these plants could release a toxic cloud or plume that would be hazardous for up to 20 miles downwind and put 100,000 people at risk of death or injury within the first 30 minutes of the incident. This fall, legislation before Congress proposes to make the facilities safer with standards for using safe and cost-effective alternatives to the most lethal agents.
    
    On June 23rd of this year, the House Committee on Homeland Security agreed to a bill (H.R. 2968) that could make the highest risk plants safe by using “inherently safer technologies” (IST), or safer chemicals. The House Energy and Commerce Committee will next take up the legislation in September.
    
    Eight years after the worst terrorist attack on American soil in history, the most high-risk chemical facilities put over 100 million Americans at risk across the country. Simple, inexpensive, and common sense changes, like substituting or reducing the amount of lethal gases stored on-site, would protect millions of people from harm.
    
    CONTACT: Tracy Wax, Greenpeace, (617) 968-6217; Rick Hind, Legislative Director, Greenpeace, (202) 319-2455; Mae Stevens, Policy Analyst, Greenpeace, (202) 319-2454

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• SB 119

  • From: GreenDelaware
  • Description:

    Introduced 6/16/2009

    AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE RENEWABLE ENERGY PORTFOLIO STANDARDS.

    This act will amend existing law by increasing the required minimum percentage of renewable energy supply to Delaware customers, such as solar, wind, geothermal, and hydroelectric power. The act achieves this goal by setting a minimum percentage of energy that must come from renewable resources at 30% by 2023. The act also creates a Distributed Renewable Energy carve out of 10% by 2023.

    Action History:
    Jun 17, 2009 - Reported Out of Committee (ENERGY & TRANSIT) in Senate with 1 Favorable, 3 On Its Merits
    Jun 16, 2009 - Assigned to Energy & Transit Committee in Senate

    View the full bill here.

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• Energy Committee of NCSL

  • From: GreenTV
  • Description:

    Senator Harris McDowell hopes to bring sustainability to the forefront at the National Conference of State Legislatures in Philadelphia.

  • 8 months ago
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• Sustainable Energy Utility

  • From: GreenTV
  • Description:

    Senator Harris McDowell tells how the SEU will provide immediate relief to consumers.

  • 8 months ago
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• The New Delaware

  • From: DelawareConnections
  • Description:

    This is a link to Jack Markell's transition team and Lori Lake, Green Delaware CEO is a part of that team! Go Lori!

    Bookmark this site or check back often as good change is coming to Delaware!

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