New York Governor Announces $1 Billion Green Bank And $1.5 Billion Solar Program

New York City officials are thinking more about climate resiliency in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. But adaptation - making the city more resilient to intensifying extreme weather - is only one part of an effective strategy.

Mitigating climate change through clean energy and other carbon reduction efforts is just as important. And New York Governor Andrew Cuomo seems to understand that.

In his State of the State address yesterday, Cuomo outlined plans for a new billion-dollar "green bank" to leverage private funds for deploying clean energy technologies, announced a 10-year expansion of the state's solar program by increasing funds $150 million per year, and named a new cleantech czar to oversee the efforts. The cumulative impact could be a massive expansion of renewables and efficiency in New York.

Here's what the Governor had to say about the Green Bank:

The NY Green Bank leverages private capital in a fashion that mitigates investment risk, catalyzes market activity and lowers borrowing costs, in turn bringing down the prices paid by consumers. Through the use of bonding, loans and various credit enhancements (e.g.,loan loss reserves and guarantees), a Green Bank is a fiscally practical option in a time of severe budget conditions. Many public credit and investment programs require only a small amount of government funds, even holding taxpayers harmless or acting asmoney makers. And along with these benefits, the long-term public and social benefits of a robust and clean economy are virtually incalculable.

And here's the language on the solar program:

Last year Governor Cuomo created the NY-Sun solar jobs program to bolster the use of solar power in New York, while also protecting the ratepayer. The goal of NY-Sun is to install twice as much customer-sited solar photovoltaic capacity in 2012 as was added in 2011, and to quadruple the 2011 amount in 2013. The NY-Sun program is authorized through 2015. This year, Governor Cuomo proposes to extend the successful NY-Sun program, continuing through 2023 the existing annual funding levels established under the program. The extended solar jobs program will provide longer program certainty to solar developers than current programs, funded through 2015, and is expected to attract significant private investment in solar photovoltaic systems, enable the sustainable development of a robust solar power industry in New York, create well-paying skilled jobs, improve the reliability of the electric grid, and reduce air pollution.

Solar has the potential to play a huge role in New York's climate-conscious building strategy. Consider this: Two-thirds of New York City's buildings could feasibly host solar-electric systems - enough to meet half the city's demand for peak power. And a lot of that could be developed today at a cost competitive with current electricity rates.

The solar industry has been working hard for many years to expand New York's solar policies. And this latest announcement from Governor Cuomo shows it's really starting to pay off. But actually funding these programs is the real issue. The State of the State address is designed to outline priorities - not always outline a plan for implementation. It remains to be seen if the Governor can fully raise the amount of money needed to meet these goals. The appointment of Richard Kauffman, a former adviser to Energy Secretary Steven Chu, as energy czar will certainly help the process along.

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/01/10/1427801/new-york-governor-

Protection of Desert Land Faces Off With New Energy Sources - NYTimes.com

Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced utterly idiotic legislation to protect a million acres of the Mojave Desert in California by scuttling some 13 big solar plants and wind farms planned for the region. This sort of thing flies in the face of other actions she takes. Even with the bill not yet being passed in congress it has resulted in developers postponing several proposals or abandoning them entirely. The California agency charged with planning a renewable energy transmission grid has rerouted proposed power lines to avoid the monument.

On the one hand there is environmental protection to be considered. While the Mojave desert is a lot of land and underutilized by human habitation, it apparently has some sensitive environmental issues.

On the other hand there is the question of how the heck this society is going to power all the gizmos we live with.

For example in a podcast I recorded earlier this year, "Offshore drilling on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf, an Interior Department hearing, held in San Francisco, April 16, 2009," includes strong statements by this same Sen. Feinstein saying no-way-no-how will we allow for oil drilling off California's coast. In that podcast I make a connection that by opposing oil drilling she has to have policies that somehow make up for the "energy" resource lost by not tapping the oil known to be off California's coast.

Our society has an insatiable and ever increasing need for energy. That "energy" has to come from somewhere. Currently it's coming from nasty fossil fuel resources and the mining of those resources has nasty side effects. Of course banning oil drilling means the nasty side effects from oil drilling do not occur.

During that same podcast she is recorded being in support of renewable energy resources such as wind and solar energy. But here she is introducing a bill that scuttles the opportunity of deploying renewable energy resources.

This sort of hypocrisy is stupid and outrageous.

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Protection of Desert Land Faces Off With New Energy Sources - NYTimes.com

EcoPioneer

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The Scottish Solar Energy Group (SSEG)

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The Scottish Solar Energy Group (SSEG)

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The Scottish Solar Energy Group (SSEG) exists to promote solar interests in Scotland, as a means of reducing national reliance upon environmentally polluting, non-renewable fossil based fuels whilst enhancing the health, comfort and safety within internal working and living environments. Membership is open to all with an interest in solar energy. Applications are especially welcome from teachers, researchers, building and services design professionals, component manufacturers, system suppliers and students.

SSEG events include regular visits to solar projects, meetings, talks and participation in energy related conferences and competitions. Whilst the SSEG is a wholly autonomous body, it has excellent contacts with national organisations such as Solar Energy Society, the Solar Energy Society of Ireland, the British Wind Energy Association, the Energy Design Advisory Service, the Association of Scottish Schools of Architecture and many others.

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The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI)

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The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting environmentally sustainable societies. EESI believes meeting this goal requires transitions to social and economic patterns that sustain people, the environment and the natural resources upon which present and future generations depend. EESI produces credible, timely information and innovative public policy initiatives that lead to these transitions. These products take the form of publications, briefings, work shops and task forces.

EESI carries out policymaker education and analysis projects in the areas of energy efficiency and renewable energy, global climate change, agriculture, biofuels, smart-growth, and clean bus technologies. Cross-cutting efforts are focused on alternative environmental strategies.