18
2011
In case you had not heard, Republicans recently attempted to push through legislation to repeal a law regarding light-bulb efficiency from 2007. Thankfully, they failed (H.R. 2417). The bill, authored by Texas Republican Joe Barton, was aimed at a modest bit of law mandating a 30% increase in efficiency of incandescent bulbs by 2012. Who could argue with that? After all, many of the more expensive CFL and LEDs are cheaper in the long run anyway. They consume less energy and last much longer. That's a win-win, right?Not surprisingly, Republicans cried foul under their time-honored tradition of predictable rhetoric, insisting it's really about consumer choice and opposing Big Government. Big Government is going to choose your light bulbs for you! No freedom! No freedom to do what? Choose inferior, more wasteful products that are more expensive in the long run?
That such a preference is assumed of us isn't just insulting to our intelligence, but to our character as well. It expects and encourages consumers to not have any broader sense of responsibility or concern for our resources and environment. We can't even be bothered to use efficient light bulbs. It's basically the opposite of a "ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country," type mentality. Not only are energy-efficient light bulbs better for the environment, but they're better for the wallet as well. CFLs pay for themselves in about 9 months time, after which they begin saving you money on your energy bills as they use about one-fourth of the energy of a regular incandescent. They typically last about 10 times longer. LEDs use about a quarter of the energy of incandescent bulbs, and can last as much as 25 times longer! How was this even an issue?
Attempts at legislation like this are hardly indicative of leadership in the face of widespread environmental degradation and the mounting challenges of climate change. Much more extensive initiatives are needed to really put a dent in man-made climate change and to improve our long-term energy security. Meanwhile, we have a number of representatives opposed to something as simple as higher standards in light bulbs! As if this uphill battle wasn't steep enough.
3
2011
The Good
These bills had our full support and passed this session:
HB 2191 and SB 975 Patroned by Delegate Adam Ebbin and Senator Mary Margaret Whipple:
You have heard from us frequently throughout session about this legislation, which establishes a voluntary solar resource development fund. Through this fund, Virginia homeowners can apply for low-interest loans to put solar PV or solar thermal on their rooftops. This fund will help homeowners with the upfront costs associated with these installations while creating jobs in the clean energy sector in the Commonwealth. Anyone can contribute to this fund once the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy creates it later this year.
HB 1686 Patroned by Delegate David Toscano:
This legislation will promote distributed solar generation by setting up a pilot program for utility-owned facilities. It also allows utilities to create a tariff to encourage citizens to own distributed solar generation.
HB 2389 Patroned by Delegate Albert Pollard:
The Virginia Resource Authority (VRA) provides cost-effective financing to Virginia municipalities for various projects. HB 2389 allows the VRA to add more renewable energy projects to its list of projects it can already finance for municipalities.
23
2010
A set of so-called pro-coal Representatives have introduced HR 6113 to prove that they care more about Don Blankenship’s approval than their constituents; health. This bill asserts that Obama's EPA threatens national security.
Continuing their march to ignore evidence, make stuff up, and push for an entirely rampant and unregulated coal industry, coal-bound legislators have introduced what they are calling the Electric Reliability Protection Act” (HR 6113). If signed into law, this bill would defund EPA’s efforts to protect Appalachian citizens from the toxic valleyfills associated with mountaintop removal. In addition, the Representatives assert that the Obama Administration’s very attempt to protect citizens from toxic drinking water is indeed a threat to national security, which we’ll go into below. This is an election season bill that has little chance of passage. However, stunts like this allow Congressmen like Nick Rahall to prove that he needs Don Blankenship’s support more than he needs his constituents to have clean water, a decent job, or an average lifespan. This legislation is as cowardly as it is nihilistic, and just as irresponsible.
Of course, one of Senator Byrd’s final messages was that a majority of Congress opposes mountaintop removal, and it certainly shows in the lack of support for HR 6113. While a good bill like the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 1310) has 172 bipartisan cosponsors, HR 6113 has just 15, nearly all of them with some vested interest in the coal industry.
26
2010
25
2010
Repairing Virginia's Economy
Gov. Robert F. McDonnell has been yelling it from the rooftops for months: The best way to repair Virginia's ailing economy is to improve the state's flawed energy policies.
He's absolutely right, of course, and now he faces a test. With inauguration festivities over, a landmark energy bill awaits McDonnell in the General Assembly. It would create lots of new jobs and, potentially, build badly needed bipartisanship in Richmond.
The highlights: Senate Bill 71 would spur up to 10,000 new jobs and billions of dollars in new investments in a state where unemployment has doubled since 2007 and the budget deficit is a staggering $4 billion. This is not, however, an "offshore drilling" bill to promote oil platforms along the Virginia coast. Nor would it finance new coal-fired power plants and nuclear energy. Instead, it's a straightforward energy efficiency bill. Using the same common-sense appeal to fiscal sanity that helped McDonnell get elected, SB 71 would promote energy efficiency across the state while saving money for Virginia families.
And the job-growth numbers are for real.
13
2009
Back in September, I wrote about the the power of energy efficiency loan funds, and how they could be utilized by local and state governments to eliminate the barrier of upfront financing for energy efficiency improvements which often prevents them from happening. When my student group UMD for Clean Energy was involved in our local city council elections this past fall, the priority policy of our platform was a low-interest energy efficiency loan fund. We managed to elevate this to being an important issue in the elections, and our city council has made it a priority to push for tweaking a state law that would allow municipalities in Maryland to undertake this kind of a program.
Last week, President Obama announced that as part of his new jobs bill, a cash for caulkers program that puts people back to work by weatherizing houses, will be a key part of the legislation. However, as Dave Roberts notes a Grist, right now "public statements from the administration have focused almost entirely on cash rebates, which would pay back homeowners up to half the cost of various retrofit investments. There's a way to get far more bang for federal bucks, though, and it has to do with financing"
8
2009
More on the sales tax holiday
New Rebates for Efficiency Products
A number of new rebates for energy efficient products will also be available as part of the stimulus package --rebates on items such as insulation, window replacements, water heaters and more. In Virginia, homeowners will be eligible for rebates for 20% of the costs of eligible products (up to $2,000), and commercial consumers will be eligible for 20% of their costs (up to $4,000). The rebates will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
More on the Rebates
Becoming more energy efficient is a great way to lessen your home's impact on the environment, save money, and to reduce the need for new power plants or transmission lines in the future.
18
2009
This LTE was published in the Richmond Times Dispatch
Wise County Plant Isn't Necessary
Editor, Times-Dispatch: Although the news article, "New Permit for Coal-Fired Power Plant Pleases Both Sides," quotes Dominion Virginia Power as claiming that the Wise County coal plant is vital to meeting Virginia's future energy needs, the opposite is true.
An independent study found that Virginia can keep energy use flat over the next 15 years simply by investing in cost-effective and existing energy-efficiency technologies. We can avoid constructing any new generation facilities just by weatherizing homes, upgrading heating and cooling systems in office buildings, and updating lighting in factories. These same technologies would bring 10,000 new jobs to the commonwealth, while the costs associated with the coal plant would actually force the Virginia economy to contract by move than 1,400 jobs (a conservative estimate given pending climate legislation).
Dominion's claim that its coal plant will help the economic wellbeing of Southwest Virginia also misses the mark. Our reliance on coal allows for the devastating practice of mountaintop removal coal mining, which is ravaging Southwest Virginia. Tops are ripped off mountains, streams are blocked by waste, and then the coal is transported out of the community, suffocating people with the toxic dust that blows off coal trucks.
The alternatives to coal are real. The new energy future broke ground in Virginia last month when construction began on our very first wind farm in Highland County. This project makes Virginia a leader in the region and marks the beginning of a bright future for the commonwealth. Virginia has incredible renewable energy potential -- our offshore wind potential is the highest in the South. When coupled with efficiency improvements, it is clear that coal plants could be a thing of the past.
Lauren Glickman, Virginia Campaign Coordinator, Chesapeake Climate Action Network.
28
2009
Cross-Posted from: here
UMD(University of Maryland) for Clean Energy is the student group I'm campaign director of. I recently made a post about our position statement we delivered to Senator Ben Cardin's office, which showed up in the Washington Post Maryland blog(scroll to bottom). Beyond weighing in on Federal legislation, we're taking advantage of an incredible opportunity to influence College Park policy in the upcoming elections this November, the city our school resides in. We think the transition to a clean energy economy and more sustainable society needs to come from not just from the top down, but the bottom up starting in our communities. We're going to do our best to make that a reality in ours.
22
2009
cross posted from HERE
A couple weeks ago, I had an idea for how to alleviate poverty, crime, and bring green jobs to College Park/Prince Georges County. A figured it would be good to highlight an opportunity in this column to actually acquire the funding for some of my suggestions. Additionally, I actually had to do some investigating to figure out who was doing what. My sources are posted below my article.
Green jobs and government grants: Get what's yours
Matt Dernoga
Issue date: 4/21/09
A couple weeks ago, I wrote a column suggesting a few measures by which Prince George's County and local cities could invest in job-creating green initiatives. This would help alleviate poverty and reduce crime. Local governments everywhere have faced gigantic budget deficits and big spending cuts. Good ideas are nothing without a bag of cash, and I've got the treasure map for you.
The economic stimulus package appropriated $3.2 billion for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program. This money is being allocated to states, counties, cities, Native American tribes and U.S. territories based on population size and energy usage for state and local governments. The rule for the money is it must assist in the implementation of strategies to reduce fossil fuel emissions and total energy use and improve energy efficiency. Prince George's County is eligible for $6.6 million. College Park can grab $133,700.
The catch is the money isn't just handed out to local governments. They have a certain amount earmarked and available to them, but they need to apply for grants detailing how they'll use the money. Only then are they awarded the funds. In other words, someone in the government needs to know the money is there and go after it. If they don't submit a formula grant proposal by June 25, good-bye free cash.
Fortunately, both Prince George's County and College Park are aware of the opportunities the EECBG Program provides. The county has applied for seven grants and is considering three more. The assistant city manager is going to present a recommendation for a grant to the College Park City Council on May 5. I encourage students and residents to submit their ideas to their county and city representatives. It would be more productive than throwing a Tax Day tea party.
There's going to be even more money available than the figures I listed above. The state has received $9.6 million from the EECBG Program. Up to 40 percent of that money could soon be made available to all counties and cities in the state to apply for with competitive grants. The other 60 percent is available to small towns with low populations, like Edmonston and Hyattsville, which didn't get any money earmarked specifically for them. County and city governments should coordinate to get as much money as possible.
The county is working on a plan to build a solar farm at the county landfill with Pepco. This would create jobs and make the county a leader in renewable energy, but it needs money. Or consider energy-efficient overhauls of buildings, free residential and commercial energy audits, energy efficient traffic signals and street lighting and low-interest revolving door loan funds to low-income energy users for efficiency improvements.
The wish list goes on, and the money is sitting there alongside a more prosperous and sustainable future. Regardless of how you feel about the federal government's spending, here is a case where money is available to benefit ordinary people on Main Street, not Wall Street. Go after it! X marks the spot.
Matt Dernoga is a junior government and politics major whose father serves on the Prince George's County Council. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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http://www.eecbg.energy.gov/
http://www.eecbg.energy.gov/grantalloc.html