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Posted on Sat, 02/4/2012 - 01:29 AM by Bryan Nisperos
viewed 137 times
President Barack Obama delivers remarks on energy, at UPS Las Vegas South in Las Vegas, Nevada, Jan. 26, 2012.(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza).
A few days after the State of the Union Address, the President took to the road to highlight how natural gas can play a larger role in our transportation sector. The President visited Las Vegas, Nevada to tour a UPS depot that hosts natural gas-powered trucks. The depot is less than a mile from a new natural gas refueling station in Las Vegas, which was developed jointly by the Department of Energy, South Coast Air Quality Management District, UPS, and Clean Energy Fuels. The new refueling station will make it possible for trucks to drive from Long Beach to Salt Lake City, powered entirely by American natural gas. The President also traveled to Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado to talk about his “all-of-the above” energy strategy. The President underscored his commitment to clean energy and discussed the Administration’s plans to: expand the development of renewable energy on public lands; push for a Clean Energy Standard: and work with the Department of Defense to purchase enough clean energy to power 250,000 homes a year. The President also emphasized the importance of improving energy efficiency by helping manufacturers and businesses upgrade their facilities, which could save the U.S. manufacturing sector $100 billion over the next decade. These actions represent just a snapshot of the Administration’s efforts to promote clean energy. Check out the December and January highlights below. Events President Obama Visits a UPS Depot and Buckley Air Force Base to Highlight Energy Strategy On Jan. 26th, President Obama spoke at a UPS Depot in Las Vegas, NV and at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, CO, expanding on the energy initiatives mentioned in his State of the Union address two days earlier. The President detailed the “all-out, all-in, all-of-the-above strategy” for developing new, cleaner sources of energy. Read the President’s full remarks in Las Vegas and Aurora. Secretary Chu Tours Renewable Energy Research Facilities and Hosts SOTU Town Hall Secretary Steven Chu travelled to Albuquerque, NM on Jan. 26th to tour the renewable energy research facilities at Sandia National Laboratories, saying that the creation of a federal clean energy standard would encourage innovation in renewable energy technologies. He also held a town hall with students at the University of Mexico. Read more about his visit here! Secretary Chu and Secretary Salazar Light the National Mall Secretary Chu and Secretary Salazar hosted a lighting ceremony on Jan. 30th to celebrate the installation of energy-efficient LED lampposts on the National Mall. The LED lights will reduce lighting energy use by up to 65%! Check out a slideshow of the ceremony. Secretary Chu Attends Groundbreaking at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory [pdf] Secretary Chu broke ground on the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Computational Research and Theory facility on Feb. 1st. The facility will be at the forefront of high-performance supercomputing research and will be the most energy-efficient facility of its kind! Learn more about the facility here. Deputy Secretary Dan Poneman Visits Wind Energy Research Station. Deputy Secretary Dan Poneman traveled to Minneapolis, MN on Jan. 27th to visit the Eolos Wind Energy Research Station at the University of Minnesota. The University of Minnesota was one of three universities to receive a U.S. Department of Energy wind energy grant in 2009, receiving $7.9 million to build the turbine. Read more about his visit here! Under Secretary Arun Majumdar Visits Volvo Truck Headquarters Under Secretary Arun Majumdar visited Volvo Truck Headquarters on Jan. 27th, saying that “companies like the Volvo Group that are pursuing energy efficiency in their operations, putting Americans to work, and building more fuel-efficient vehicles underscore how investments in clean energy technology are helping to secure America’s future economic prosperity.” Read more about the visit here! News Salazar Continues to Advance Renewable Energy Development on Public Lands Capping three years of efforts to develop renewable energy resources on public lands both onshore and offshore, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced DOI’s approval of two utility-scale renewable energy projects—one wind and one solar—that, when built, will generate nearly 500 megawatts of power, or enough to power 150,000 homes, and create 700 jobs during peak construction. Department of the Interior Announces Offshore Wind Project Progress The Department of Interior announced on Feb. 2nd that the department’s renewable energy initiative cleared an important environmental review, allowing progress for wind energy lease sales off Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and Delaware. “Offshore wind holds incredible potential for our country, and we’re moving full-steam ahead to accelerate the siting, leasing and construction of new projects,” said Secretary Salazar. Onshore Oil & Gas Lease Sales Garner $256 Million for American Taxpayers in 2011 Following a strong year in which leasing reform helped to lower protests and increase revenue from onshore oil and gas lease sales on public lands (resulting in a 20 percent increase in lease sale revenues over 2010), the Interior Department will hold 32 additional sales in calendar year 2012, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced. Obama Administration Announces Proposed Central Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Sale The Obama administration announced that the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will hold the consolidated Central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 216/222 in New Orleans on June 20, 2012. The sale will include all available unleased areas in the Central Planning Area offshore Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Department of Defense Concludes Study of Solar Energy Potential at Desert Bases The Department of Defense completed a yearlong study on the potential for solar energy generation at four military bases in the California desert. Released on January 13th, the study finds that the four bases could generate 7,000 megawatts of solar energy, about 25% of the renewable energy that California requires utilities to use by 2015. Department of Defense Announces Winners of $18.0 Million Fund to Improve Battlefield Energy Security The Department of Defense (DoD) announced the release of $18.0 million to fund six military programs to reduce the energy demand of future expeditionary outposts. The funds will support efforts to develop and rapidly transition energy technologies for the combat force, resulting in improved military capabilities, fewer energy-related casualties, and lower costs for the taxpayer. More information can be found at http://energy.defense.gov/. EPA Finalizes 2012 Renewable Fuel Standards The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the 2012 percentage standards for four fuel categories that are part of the agency’s Renewable Fuel Standard program (RFS2). EPA continues to support greater use of renewable fuels within the transportation sector every year through the RFS2 program, which encourages innovation, strengthens American energy security, and decreases greenhouse gas pollution. Online Voting Begins for “America’s Next Top Energy Innovator” The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) invited Americans to vote online for the most innovative and promising start-up companies in the “America’s Next Top Energy Innovator” challenge. Voting will end at 8:59 a.m. EST. on Monday, February 6, and the top start-up companies out of the 14 participating – based on the public vote and an expert review – will be invited to be featured at the premier annual gathering of clean energy investors and innovators around the country, the 2012 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit, at the end of February. Energy Department Announces Student Teams, New Location for Solar Decathlon 2013 At an event in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the 20 collegiate teams selected to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013 and unveiled the competition’s location, the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California. Get Updates Sign up for energy & climate email updates MORE NEWS FROM SOLAR THERMAL MAGAZINESolarWorld States Anti-Dumping Duties Against ‘Big China Solar’ a Step Toward Restoring Industry CompetitionAs expected, there has been a flood of responses to the U.S. Commerce Department’s decision yesterday to levy tariffs on solar cells sourced from China. The U.S. Department of Commerce issued anti-dumping duties of 31.14 percent on imports of solar cells and panels from Suntech, 31.22 percent from Trina Solar, 31.18 percent from other companies that had requested but not received individual duty determinations and 249.96 percent from all other Chinese producers, including those controlled by the Chinese government. California Votes to Advance Mini-Solar Plants and Other Distributed GenerationCommercial rooftop solar arrays and other small scale generation will find it easier to connect directly to local electricity grids. The California Independent System Operator Corporation (ISO) Board of Governors today voted to streamline the process for interconnecting distributed generation, which includes renewable projects. First Solar Looking to Benefit from Saudi Arabia’s $109 Billion PlanSolar stocks could get a boost as Saudi Arabia has announced a $109 billion plan to create a solar industry that will generate a third of the nation’s electricity within two decades. The Saudi Arabian Market would provide significant opportunities for solar panel manufacturers. North American Roofing to Install Third Largest Solar Roof in U.S.Asheville, N.C. based North American Roofing today announced it has commenced installation of the third largest solar roofing project in the United States. More than 1.7 million square feet of roofing and 730,000 square feet of solar laminate panels will be installed on the IKEA distribution center located in Perryville, Md. Three North American Roofing crews will complete the re-roofing and solar project in approximately 5 months. Storage is Missing Link in Modern CSP According to CSPToday WebinarBob Stojanovic was part of the ‘Myth busting webinar’ held in the run up to CSP Today USA (taking place in Las Vegas, June 27-28). The following is an excerpt: RELATED SOLAR NEWSApple to Power 3 Data Centers with 100 Percent Renewable EnergyGreenpeace advocates gathered outside of Apple's Cupertino headquarters early this week dressed as iPhones and iPods, declaring their outrage about the company's lack of clean energy use. They projected social media messages from supporters on the side of the building:Solar Industry Reacts to Anti-Dumping RulingThe US has imposed higher-than-expected tariffs of around 31% on Chinese PV imports, drawing support from some US manufacturers and sharp criticism from Chinese officials and companies. In its preliminary ruling May 17, the US Commerce Department issued anti-dumping duties of 31.14% on imports of solar cells and panels from Suntech, 31.22% from Trina Solar, 31.18 percent from other companies that had requested but not received individual duty determinations and 249.96 percent from all other Chinese producers, including those controlled by the Chinese government. NREL Director Named Chair of National Science BoardDan Arvizu, director of the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, has been elected Chairman of the National Science Board. The 25-member body advises the president and Congress on science and engineering issues, and is the policy-setting and budget-approving body for the National Science Foundation. With an annual budget of $6.9 billion, the foundation funds about 20% of all federally supported basic scientific research at U.S. colleges and universities. Arvizu will serve a two-year term as chairman. Are IT Data Centers Emerging as a 'Killer App' for Green Power? Part 1Last month, Greenpeace launched a series of coordinated protests at Amazon, Apple and Microsoft locations to draw attention to the companies’ use of GHG intensive fuels in powering their data centers. The protests were a follow up to their recently released report, “How Clean is Your Cloud,” which criticized the companies foSolar stocks likely to remain at record lowsWith fundamental issues in the solar industry, including oversupply and consolidation, solar stocks are likely to remain at record lows through the end of 2012 and into 2013. SOLAR ENERGY ARTICLES
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SOLAR INSTALLERS
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In his 2012 State of the Union Address, President Obama laid out a Blueprint for an America Built to Last, underscoring his commitment to an all-of-the-above approach that develops every available source of American energy. The President’s plan calls for the safe and responsible development of domestic oil and natural gas resources, support for a wide range of clean energy technologies, and new initiatives to increase the energy efficiency of the industrial sector to make American manufacturing more competitive. For more information about President’s plan, take a look at our fact sheet.
