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Green Dream Put to the Test Posted February 18, 2010

Boulder residents were the first in the nation to approve a "carbon-tax" to fund energy conservation programs. But the eco-city's carbon footprint dropped just 1% between 2006 and 2008.

Paul Sheldon, a consultant who advises the city on conservation, tells the Wall Street Journal's Stephanie Simon, "residents should be driving high-efficiency vehicles, and they're not. They should be carpooling, and they're not." And he says, they should be changing their own light bulbs—and they're not. Instead, a tax-payer funded team called "Techs in a Truck" is fanning out across Boulder to unscrew lightbulbs and replace them with energy-efficient models.

http://www.planetizen.com/node/42931

Critics: State can’t handle greenhouse gas mandates Posted February 16, 2010

Seizing on job fears, critics of California’s landmark law to curb greenhouse gas emissions plan to launch an initiative campaign that would force regulators to retreat until the economy rebounds significantly.

They warn that power generators, smokestack factories and other businesses could pass on the costs of upgrades — such as switching fuels and installing new equipment — to consumers. Some companies, they said, might have to lay off workers, close shop or move out of state.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has championed a gradual rollback of emissions linked to global warming, is taking the threat to his legacy legislation seriously.

“Because of those kind of environmental regulations, we were able to create a tremendous amount of jobs,” Schwarzenegger told reporters Wednesday. “As a matter of fact, in the green economy, the green jobs have gone up 10 times as much as other jobs.”

He has dispatched his top political aides on intervention missions, asking business leaders to keep their checkbooks closed when approached about funding the initiative campaign.

“We’re making it clear the governor does not support it and he will actively oppose it,” said Adam Mendelsohn, one of his advisers.

The signature-gathering is expected to start by month’s end. If the measure qualifies for the November ballot and passes, it would declare “void and unenforceable” all regulations imposed under Assembly Bill 32. The law, signed in September 2006, requires that greenhouse emission levels be cut to 1990 levels by 2020, a reduction of roughly 25 percent.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/12/critics-say-economy-cant-handle-states-greenhouse/

Wind Power Industry Finds Financing Elusive Posted February 16, 2010

Just like nearly every other sector, those involved in wind generation are finding money in short supply.

About 200 people attended a gathering organized by CleanTECH San Diego on Feb. 10 at San Diego Marriott La Jolla and heard from a group of industry executives of the opportunities and drawbacks within the still nascent alternative energy industry.

James McDermott, managing director for USRG Management LLC, aka US Renewables Group, a New York and Los Angeles private equity group concentrating on alternative energy companies, said financing for wind projects has been “severely constrained” in the past year and a half.

While the federal government still provides credits for both investing and producing alternative energy from wind, the buyers of those credits, big investment banks and other major financing entities such as American International Group Inc., aka AIG, have largely vacated the market, McDermott said at the “Wind Power: Leading the Renewables Renaissance” event.

http://www.sdbj.com/industry_article.asp?aID=09408417.1134912.1883310.7939678.3447621.353&aID2=144861

SG Biofuels Aims to ‘Green’ Transportation With Fuel From Shrub Posted February 16, 2010

Kirk Haney is focused on the business of biofuels. Haney and his crew at Encinitas-based SG Biofuels are working on turning a Central American shrub called jatropha into the next cash crop for “greening” transportation around the globe.

Jatropha seeds contain high amounts of oil that can be used for a variety of bio-based materials, including biodiesel and feedstock substitutes for the petrochemical and jet fuel industries. It can be effectively grown on marginal lands that are considered undesirable for other crops. The nonedible shrub made its debut in the biofuel spotlight a few years ago, but quickly fizzled out of the limelight due to exaggerated and unrealistic promises by some of its proponents. Today, a handful of companies like SG Biofuels have brought jatropha back to center stage and are developing sustainable and viable business plans to go along with it.

http://www.sdbj.com/industry_article.asp?aID=144870

Desalination project firm allowed to keep permit Posted February 11, 2010

The California Coastal Commission decided yesterday to allow Poseidon Resources to continue to develop an ocean-water desalination plant in Carlsbad.

The commission voted 8-4 not to revoke the company’s permit, saying the Surfrider Foundation and San Diego Coastkeeper didn’t prove their case that the company withheld information that could have changed the outcome of past votes.

The dispute revolved around the issue of greenhouse gases and whether Poseidon should have to mitigate for the gross increase in emissions created by its project. Poseidon argued that it should make amends only for the net increase, and emissions associated with shifting water south from Northern California should be subtracted because the plant would lessen the amount of water being imported. Commissioners agreed, and in August 2008 required Poseidon to compensate only for the net increase, not the gross.

Marco Gonzalez, an attorney for Surfrider and Coastkeeper, argued that Poseidon withheld a document showing that the Southern California Metropolitan Water District, which supplies the county’s water, wouldn’t give up any water rights as a result of the desalination plant’s approval. He said that showed that commissioners were “duped.”

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/11/desalination-project-firm-allowed-keep-permit/

Miramar Landfill Testing Biodegradable Cups, Plates For Composting Posted February 11, 2010

Recycling experts are testing biodegradable plates and cups to see if they can be composted at San Diego's Miramar Landfill.

In one instance a one-liter beer cup, that used to look and feel plastic, broke down to tiny bits in a compost mix that's mostly lawn and food waste.

"Like the New Belgian cups were broken down after about a week," said one city staffer.

The cups are not plastic. They're made from corn and they're marketed as disposable and compostable.

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/feb/11/landfill-may-compost-cups-and-plates/

Benefits Of Solar Water Heaters Posted February 11, 2010

"New rebates and tax credits are making it easier for San Diego residents to use solar energy to heat the water in their homes. But, is a solar water heater worth the cost? The industry thinks so..."

"Solar water heaters might be more affordable now that state regulators recently approved $350 million in rebates for homes and businesses that switch to solar water heating. Katrina Phruksukarn of the California Center for Sustainable Energy says this is a boost to the industry."

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/feb/05/benefits-solar-water-heaters/

LEED Gains Status as County Doubles Up on Energy-Efficient Projects Posted February 9, 2010

Getting a building LEED-certified is becoming an increasingly common pursuit in San Diego, as the long-term financial benefits of having an energy-efficient building gains popularity.

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a certification system of the U.S. Green Building Council that serves as a benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. There are three levels of certification: Platinum, Gold and Silver.

In San Diego County during the past year, the number of LEED-certified projects doubled to 55. Two are Platinum, 18 are Gold, 19 are Silver and 16 are certified, according to Zachary Pannier, president of the U.S. Green Building Council’s San Diego chapter.

And the number of projects in the county registered for LEED certification has also doubled in the last year, says Pannier, to 309.

The LEED rating system is “consensus driven,” and always evolving, says Pannier, with the latest being version three, or LEED 2009. “It’s a benchmark system that shows you where your performance is within the building environment,” he said.

http://www.sdbj.com/industry_article.asp?aID=144689

Water use rises in January in San Diego Posted February 9, 2010

Overall water use rose 1.5 percent citywide in January, compared to the same month last year, and commercial users are to blame, San Diego officials said today.

"The two market segments where we did have an increase were both in our commercial customers as well as our irrigation-only accounts," said Alex Ruiz, director of the San Diego's Water Department.

Commercial customers used about 5 percent more water in January, compared to the same month last year, Ruiz said, contrasting with a 1.5 percent decline in water use by residential customers last month.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/09/water-use-rises-january-san-diego/

San Diego Explained: Taking Salt out of Seawater Posted February 4, 2010

There's no bigger issue in San Diego than water supply. Our economy depends on reliability in this area. Questions about how and whether we should continue to grow are closely tied to the conversation, too.

Many people look to the ocean as the answer and in this latest edition of San Diego Explained, NBC 7/39's Catherine Garcia and voiceofsandiego.org's Andrew Donohue bring you up to speed on why that's both promising and difficult.

San Diego Explained runs every Tuesday evening during the 6 p.m. news on NBC 7/39 and, of course, we post it here.

http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/opinion/slop/article_dca8918c-10de-11df-90e4-001cc4c03286.html