Archive for the 'Alternate Fuel Vehicles' Category

Green Technology Support: The World’s Top 10 Influential Green Politicians

As green technology and sustainable solutions have grown over the years the need for extended support beyond the individual customer and business owner is needed. Many states now have tax incentives in place and have instituted green technology into their modicum of operations. In order for our green solutions to reach maximum capability it is important that we have growing and continuous government backing to keep the ball rolling and progress advancing.

Recently US Green Technology, whose mission is to share news and information about the latest advancements in green technologies and green jobs, highlighted some of the support that is out there today. Here are some excerpts of the top 10 influential green politicians pushing environmentally friendly energy and technology today. (For the full article click here)

1. Henry Waxman: Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) is the ranking Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and is a huge proponent of green energy subsidies. In fact, he argued late last year that Republicans turned the Solyndra debacle into an energy scandal in support of the coal and oil industries. He says green initiatives are necessary to safeguard Americans from floods and other dangerous weather-related events that stem from global warming. He has labored in support of pesticide legislations and the Lead Contamination Control Act.

2. Rocky Anderson: Former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson actually aimed to decrease the city government’s carbon dioxide emissions by 21 percent from 2001 to 2012 and essentially achieved this goal six years before the target date. He also required new buildings in the city to be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified. The former mayor recently accepted the presidential nomination of the Justice Party, which he helped to launch in December 2011 in an effort to end government corruption.

3. Barbara Boxer: California’s Barbara Boxer is the chair of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. She has co-sponsored major climate bills in Congress. Boxer was angry late last year about President Obama’s decision to get rid of the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal for stricter smog standards.

4. Mike McGinn: New Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn this year is calling attention to how regional leaders are supporting transportation plans that worsen global warming. His city council also is focusing on the objective of achieving total carbon neutrality by 2050. He follows Mayor Greg Nickels, who started the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, in which almost 500 city leaders promised to comply with the Kyoto Protocol to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases by 7 percent between 1990 and this year.

5. Michael Bloomberg: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is considered New York’s first sustainability mayor. In 2007, he developed a 25-year sustainability plan to reduce the Big Apple’s emission of greenhouse gases 30 percent by 2030. He also made sure that all taxis in the city were hybrid vehicles and has led a coalition of world cities to promote the decrease of greenhouse gases.

6. Arnold Schwarzenegger: Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in late 2011 was honored as the “renewable energy leader of the decade” by the American Council on Renewable Energy. He signed the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which basically said that California agreed to trim its emissions of greenhouse gases to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. He actually also developed a plan to monitor chemical levels in the bodies of state residents. Late last year, he urged Republican presidential candidates to encourage investment in green technology and green energy.

7. Bill Richardson: Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson delivered a speech late last year titled “Turning on the Engine of the Green Energy Economy.” While governor, he launched a new green jobs cabinet in 2009 in an effort to increase clean energy and clean technology economic development in the state as well. The former United Nations ambassador and U.S. energy secretary still is active in speaking engagements including a fellowship at Harvard’s Institute of Politics.

8. Ken Livingstone: Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone strove to make his city the greenest on the globe. His Climate Change Action Plan allowed London to receive 25 percent of its energy from green sources, and he wished to reduce the city’s emissions of carbon by 60 percent over the next couple of decades. This year, he is holding public meetings in all 32 boroughs in London in an attempt to improve the city.

9. Marina Silva: This Brazilian green politician served as a senator before becoming environmental minister in 2003 and was a member of the Partido dos Trabalhadores through August 2009. She actually received the Golden Environmental Prize for South and Central America in 1996 and was named one of the Champions of the Earth in 2007 by the United Nations Environment Program. The former Green party presidential candidate continues to fight for the protection of the Amazon and rainforests.

10. Angela Merkel: German Chancellor Angela Merkel currently is a leader of the G8 and said last year that she wanted to get rid of the use of coal, accelerate approvals for renewable energy technology investments and decrease carbon dioxide emissions. Making green electricity the major source of power in German residences and factories by 2030 is her goal. She is a strong supporter of the green technology movement to fight climate change.

The Staten Island Ferry Goes Green!

The tail end of 2011 brought out the wonderful news that The Staten Island Ferry was going to receive $2,340,000 in federal funding for a pilot program for conversion from diesel fuel to liquefied natural gas. The funding is part of the federal Department of Transportation’s Ferry Boat Discretionary Program. It will pay to convert one Staten Island ferryboat from the use of ultra-low diesel fuel to clean-burning liquefied natural gas. The pilot program is designed to cut fuel costs for that ferry by nearly half, as well as reduce harmful emissions and increase reliance on domestic stocks of liquid natural gas that are less subject to price volatility.

The ferries currently run on ultra-low diesel, and according to the U.S. Department of Energy, liquefied natural gas engines emit up to 25 percent less carbon dioxide and other harmful products than do diesel engines. They also drastically reduce toxic and cancer-causing pollutants. According to ferry officials the conversion also will reduce fuel costs by nearly 50 percent.

Let’s reflect on the number of people transported daily on the ferry. Did you know it is the only ferry service between the Island and Manhattan? It carries more than 21 million passengers per year, which can be 65,000 passengers every weekday. The boats make 109 daily trips during the work week. Because of heavy use, the ferries must be constantly fueled and undergo maintenance work. The impact that the use of liquefied natural gas can make is going to potential help on the wallet of those travelling on it each day in the future. It is also going to have multiple positive environmental benefits.

This is just another example of the power of natural gas. Take advantage of the stimulus being offered in your state and go CNG or CLG today!

New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program

New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program is a statewide program that offers financial incentives, programs and services for New Jersey residents, business owners and local governments to help them save energy, money and the environment. The program encourages installation of energy-efficient and renewable electricity generation technologies. The Clean Energy Program offers a comprehensive suite of programs that makes clean energy technologies affordable and accessible to residential customers, businesses, schools and local governments:

• Residential Energy Efficiency & Assistance Programs — The Clean Energy Program offers a number of programs to homeowners that help improve residential energy efficiency. These include energy audits and efficiency improvement recommendations; incentives for energy-efficient construction in Smart Growth Areas; consumer education about the federal ENERGY STAR® program; aid to income eligible households; and rebates for energy efficient heating and cooling equipment.

 

• Commercial Clean Energy Programs – The Clean Energy Program also offers a series of programs to support businesses, schools and governments: the NJ SmartStart Buildings Program enables energy efficiency upgrades for new & existing buildings; incentives are available to increase industrial energy efficiency by utilizing the waste heat a factory generates; and financing programs, including incentives and low-interest loans, are available to small businesses, schools and local governments.

 

• Renewable Energy Programs – To increase the use of renewable energy technologies in New Jersey, the Clean Energy Program oversees several assistance and incentive programs: a rebate program to reduce up-front purchase and installation costs for solar, small wind and sustainable biomass (e.g., plants to energy) systems; support to owners and sellers of solar renewable energy certificates, a marketable commodity; the CleanPower Choice Program which enables voluntary purchases of green energy through local electric utilities; renewable energy project grants & financing for larger projects as well as grants for commercializing new technologies in partnership with the NJ Economic Development Authority; and technical and financial assistance for clean energy businesses.

Governor Corzine has established a goal of meeting 20% of New Jersey’s energy needs through energy efficiency and conservation gains by 2020.

Information Obtained from: http://nj.gov/globalwarming/initiatives/#6

Natural Gas Vehicle Weekly News Highlights

Status of Federal Tax Credits
In 2011, Congress had a very difficult time reaching agreement on numerous issues, which, unfortunately, included the NAT GAS Act and extension of existing federal incentives to promote NGVs (such as the fuel excise tax and infrastructure tax credits). So, for now, the federal incentives to encourage the use of NGVs (i.e., the vehicle credit, the fueling infrastructure credit and the 50-cent fuel credit) have all expired (the vehicle credits previously expired at the end of 2010).
However, while Congress did not extend our tax credits, it previously enacted bonus depreciation provision that allows companies in 2012 to expense 50 percent of the cost of new capital equipment — including motor vehicles and fueling equipment. This provision may be useful to businesses that invest in new NGV-related equipment in 2012. Persons intending to take advantage of the bonus depreciation provisions should consult with their tax advisors to understand how these provisions work and determine whether any limitations exist. The IRS in Revenue Ruling 2011-11 has issued guidance addressing the limitations that exist with respect to passenger cars, and some trucks and vans.
The Senate is now scheduled to return on January 17th, while the House is scheduled to return on January 23rd. Not only will Congress have to deal with last year’s unresolved issues but also important tax provisions — such as the corporate tax credit for research, a fix for the Alternative Minimum Tax (ATM), and, we hope, renewal of incentives to promote NGVs.

DFW Airport OKs Priority for NGV Cabs — Again
On Thursday, the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport board approved an incentive program to allow taxicabs that use CNG to jump to the front of the line. It marks the second time that airport officials have tried to enforce the privilege. The previous attempt, in 2009, was held up for more than a year by legal challenges from drivers. In October, a temporary restraining order preventing the policy was dissolved, allowing the airport to move forward. It is estimated that, with this new policy, CNG cabs could get 10 to 12 trips out of the airport each day while a regular cab may get 2 to 3. Of the 2,000 cabs licensed to operate at the airport, 137 use CNG. By offering an incentive to drivers to convert, the airport hopes to reduce emissions. “All we’re trying to do is clean the air up,” said airport spokesman David Magaña, adding that the airport has had a clean-air policy since 2000 and has more than 600 CNG buses, trucks and cars in its fleet. The program has no start date.

Arkansas Announces CNG Station Grants
On Friday, the Arkansas Energy Office (AEO), a division of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC), announced grants totaling $470,000 for the development of two CNG fueling stations. Satterfield Oil Company will receive $235,000 to add CNG to an existing station in Conway, AR and the City of Little Rock will receive $235,000 to add CNG to an existing fueling station. The funds were awarded based on factors such as overall impact, leveraged funds, energy and emissions reductions and job creation. “For Arkansas to make significant advances in alternative fuels, we need to build an infrastructure that supports their use,” Gov. Mike Beebe said in the statement. “These new Compressed Natural Gas stations will give more Arkansans easier access to another domestic fuel choice.” The $470,000 in funding was provided through Oil Overcharge Funds ($400,000) and Senate General Improvement Funds ($70,000). The additional CNG infrastructure provided through these new stations will complement the AEO’s existing CNG conversion rebate program. This program provides a rebate of up to 50 percent of the cost of conversion or the incremental cost of purchasing a new CNG vehicle. This rebate is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

California School District Receives Grant for Natural Gas School Buses
California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) has announced that the Garden Grove Unified School District has been awarded $1.53 million for the purchase of nine additional CNG school buses. This includes $151,524 per bus and $14,000 per bus for CNG fueling station infrastructure. The school district will provide $15,000 per bus. The 50-passenger buses purchased through the grant are scheduled for delivery this spring and will replace nine older diesel-powered buses that will be taken off the road and scrapped. With this new financial assistance, the district will soon operate 49 CNG-powered buses, 45 percent of its total fleet, which remains the largest inventory of clean-fuel buses among Orange County school districts. The GGUSD acquired its first CNG-powered buses though an AQMD grant in 2001, and currently operates 110 school buses.

 

What’s More Natural Than Natural Gas?

Fossil Fuels

The three major forms of fossil fuels include coal, oil and natural gas. All three were formed many hundreds of millions of years ago before the time of the dinosaurs, hence the name fossil fuels. They were formed during the Carboniferous Period, which gets its name from carbon, the basic element in coal and other fossil fuels. The Carboniferous Period occurred from about 360 to 286 million years ago.

 

Coal

Coal is a hard, black colored rock-like substance made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and varying amounts of sulphur. The three main types of coal include anthracite, bituminous and lignite. The hardest of the three is Anthracite coal. Because it has more carbon, it also has a higher energy content. Lignite is the softest, and is low in carbon but high in hydrogen and oxygen content. Bituminous falls in between. The precursor of  coal is peat, which is still found in many countries and is also used as an energy source.

Oil

Some scientists say that tiny diatoms (sea creatures the size of a pin head) are the source of oil. Just like plants they can convert sunlight directly into stored energy. As the diatoms died they fell to the sea floor and were buried under sediment and other rock. The rock squeezed the diatoms and the energy in their bodies could not escape. The carbon eventually turned into oil under great pressure and heat. As the earth changed and moved and folded,  Pockets where oil and natural gas can be found were formed. Oil and natural gas are found under ground between folds of rock and in areas of rock that are porous and contain the oils within the rock itself. The folds of rock were formed as the earth shifts and moves. It’s similar to how a small, throw carpet will bunch up in places on the floor.

Natural Gas

The first discoveries of natural gas seeps were made in Iran between 6,000 and 2,000 years BCE (Before the Common Era). Natural gas is lighter than air and mostly made up of a gas called methane. Methane is a simple chemical compound that is made up of carbon and hydrogen atoms. It’s chemical formula is CH4 – one atom of carbon along with four atoms hydrogen. This gas is highly flammable.

Natural gas is usually found near petroleum underground. Natural gas usually has no odor and you can’t see it. Before it is sent to the pipelines and storage tanks, it is mixed with a chemical that gives a strong odor. The odor smells almost like rotten eggs. The odor makes it easy to smell if there is a leak.

Adapted from: http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter08.html