Try again: A national US renewable energy standard will

James Montgomery, co-editor, RenewableEnergyWorld.com

New Hampshire, USA-several U.S. Senators be resurrected legislation for a national renewable energy standard (RES), to create the search, while crop changes in some quieter markets more proposed RPS.

Senate S. 1595 by Mark Udall (D-Colorado) and Tom Udall (D - New Mexico) and days later "American renewable energy and efficiency Act" by Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.), both demand demand a national RES policy proposes to introduce a short-term requirements 6 percent renewable energy adoption (2015 for the Udall Bill 2014 for Markey) gradually increase up to 25 percent by 2025. Both would complement (not override) individual State programs RPS; renewable, include both handed out for purchase (Markey's plan offers a bonus for distributed power generation and renewable energy projects on Indian countries and distributed brownfield sites.). Both quote billions in economic benefits in certain States and communities, energy independence and a cleaner future for all benefits for hundreds of thousands of jobs at the national level.

There was a communication between the Senators offices over these bills before they were started within two days of each other, noted Mike Saccone, Communications Director for Senator Mark Udall.

But there are some differences in the proposals:

Low-impact biomass. Markey's plan calls for use of biomass, that 50 percent greenhouse gas emissions vs. reduced yields a combined cycle natural gas plant (20-year life cycle). "" This distinction between perennial crops and grasses, wood waste and reclaimed wood and tree crowns and branches --vs. cut and burn whole Baume--Associate Director of Government Affairs for the natural resources Defense Council (NRDC) is important, because "All trees are anything but 'CO2-neutral', a major CO2 polluters as coal,", emphasizes Franz Matzner. Markey to track the bill charges of also the EPA, such emission reductions.

Energy efficiency. Markey's Bill also emphasizes energy-efficiency programs through combined heat/electricity, to switch fuel, reducing network losses, codes and standards, and end-use energy efficiency receives from equipment upgrades. Energy companies would have to implement energy efficiency programs that save 1 percent of sales by the year 2015 and cumulative 15 percent of sales by the year 2025 required. Natural gas plants have similar requirements to: half a percent to 2015 and cumulative 10% by the year 2025. U.S. households would such improvements to savings of $49 per year and cumulatively by 2030, adding $90 billion while reducing CO2 emissions by 480 million tons annually up to the year 2025, the corresponding output of 120 coal-fired power plants.

The Udall does not include energy efficiency legislation, but it is introduced as an amendment to the proposed Shaheen-Portman-energy efficiency law. The Bill has garnered welcome broad bipartisan support but has been bogged down in debates over some other changes and other political diversion.

The question of national RPS has come up often in recent years, but there were enough lasting impulses. Udall even hoisted the 25 x 25 banner before, in 2002, while members of the House and later repackaging and reintroduce it the Senate in 2009. Markey, offered in the meantime its own crack on energy efficiency in 2009 with the Waxman-Markey Bill in the House are there many echoes from this proposal in his latest one

It is hard to say, what will get traction a national RPS debate (let because two separate ones), much less in the Senate as the Republican House dominated already in direction to them, before you stopped the current status was unfriendly. In the meantime more than half of U.S. States have developed their own RPS standards and some are their objectives approaches now sooner than planned. RPS policies continue to work and at State levels, repeatedly attempting it in (ALEC et al.) rule fend off popular. But probably more direct accountability of fossil fuels costs and negative effects need always enough momentum behind any national RPS policy, and this should not happen in the current situation.

Senator Mark Udall wants to see that RES "Way present themselves," Saccone adopted, said, whether as an amendment to the Bill Shaheen Portman or as stand-alone legislation-means, or maybe even a combination with the Markey Bill. "We'll certainly be open."

Meanwhile arise some updates on renewable portfolio standards (RPS) at the level of the Federal States:

-Vermont 2011 comprehensive energy mandates plan (CEP) 90% renewable energy by 2050, but the State renewable companies want to push more short-term goals: 20% of total energy consumption from renewable energy sources and energy efficiency by 2020 (the State current renewable energy use lies at about 11 percent, according to renewable energy Vermont, the State non-profits renewable energies Association.) REV wants also an official State renewable portfolio standard (RPS) of Vermont "Goals" for provider dictate integration of renewable energies in their annual electricity retail sales. Other items on the wish list of the REV are Community-scale more solar and wind, a stronger net metering program and a CO2 tax. "This is a demanding and difficult challenge, but we have to start somewhere," said David Blittersdorf, President and CEO of AllEarth renewables.

-Introduced in 2008 in Ohio, SB-221, and in 2012, set changed 12.5 percent RPS by a half percentage point carve-out solar. A new law is now to chip away at the State RPS criteria. SB 58 would substantially rewrite, that these rules: eliminates the requirement of half of this hit in the State include Canadian Hydro and cost caps fit. It would also tweak the language to sanctions optional, if utilities not to make the RPS goals.

-Michigan established 2008 RPS policy is for 10 percent until 2015 under the more robust State, although at that time began to fair Michigan renewable energy its portfolio by a much smaller place. Last year Michigan tried unsuccessfully to expand its RPS, but approaching the target date 2015 a new report shows that a 30% RPS is economically feasible.

Wider political movements over State RPS arise in Midwest States of Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota.

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New quick charging standard released for electric vehicles

Volt could charge cars such as the Chevy faster due to a new standard for fast-charge.
Credit card: GM
A newly released technical standard could hybrid to cut loading time for plug ins (PHEV) and electric vehicle (EV) of eight hours as short as 20 minutes. SAE International, a global industry Association announced its long-awaited voluntary standard on a consensus with industry experts and Department of energy national laboratories was developed, approved and published on 15 October.

The standard is the future of the survey technology and smart grid interaction for SAE International. The standard helps reduce the time spent at public charging stations, a consumers and consumers to travel before need to calculate distances in its PHEVs and EVs. Ford Motor Company, which is involved in the development of standards, a statement to praise the standard, because it extends published and is compatible with the existing electric vehicle recharge standard by all automakers in the United States employs. See press release SAE International, a standards summary , and the Ford Motor Company press release.

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The Solyndra standard: on loan guarantees, military spending, and clean energy policy

This is the second test failed in a row for the WaveRider - an aircraft technology, which the military close to $300 million on the development between spent already has. And this is only on a program. We have worked on Hypersonic Flight programs since the 1960?s.

But even with more than a quarter billion dollars in hardware now sits in the Pacific Ocean (small change for the Pentagon) not we have heard a view from anyone in Washington on the crash. No calls for an investigation of the Congress, no outrage over hundreds of millions of dollars fall in 15 seconds, no public floggings mod Guide.

But hell, if a few innovative clean energy companies receive crash after support from the Federal Government, they are used as a tool by the national Republican party, to make the idea of strategic investments in Cleantech in question.

It is almost a year since Solyndra, the solar producers who receive a loan guarantee for $527 million in bankruptcy. Since then, House lawmakers have held 12 hearings and meet official, bought more than 300,000 documents, two Subpenas, and probably more than $1 million for the investigation issued.

What did they find?

"No evidence of wrong-doing," reported Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

The Washington Post went further in a recent study: "the records are not produced, that someone under pressure the Department of energy the Solyndra loan used to approve participants in favour of political."

This is not to say that we from the bankruptcy of Solyndra and other clean energy companies should shrug. Congress is mission to determine whether the tax makes sense - issued and throws you a view of the causes and consequences of such incidents is important for transparency.

But as we predicted when the Solyndra story first broke out, these studies have turned into a political SideShow. A year later, based on political Insider offers GOP legislators demonstrated, not their theory that decisions to offer that to clean energy loan guarantees. Still Theycontinue call to extend more documents and may have additional hearings, in the hope, the meme of "Nepotism" Solyndra until after the election.

Representative Jim Jordan (R - OH) which was most stump about the GOP's plan for Solyndra: press the manufactured scandal until November and then put it after the election.

E & E News reported Jordan's comments in March:

For all the talk about possible "Smoking Guns" may some wrongdoing on the part of the Obama management on Solyndra or other Department of energy loans, show that the House Republican confirmed yesterday that several GOP on the subject of probes are in some ways a game for votes on election day.

"Ultimately we it stop on election day, hopefully. " "And attention to these things will help the voters and the nature of the decision which I hope will make the country, which helps them as they assess who they are for in November votes."

That's exactly how it is to play. The politically manufactured outrage about Solyndra to an all-out campaign made - with tens of millions of dollars, issued season this election specifically for targeting Federal renewable energy investment. Mitt Romney has jumped on the bandwagon, with Solyndra as a key part of his campaign.

And here is the really amazing separate: while supporting tens of thousands of jobs, the credit guarantee program is expected that $2 billion less cost than Congress, according to an analysis by Herb Allison, John McCain's former National Chairman finance scheduled.

Meanwhile in the midst of the Solyndra saga we accept passing a $300 million aircraft errors, without batting an eye. No outrage. No sustained political campaign. It's just another day test our military toys.

Why? Because we often do not see programs such as "Failure" in the political arena. We would never use a failure as an excuse to leave investment in new technologies. Most politicians accept losses in the R & D of military spending, because after all, the long-term benefits are potentially so important for national defense and for the development of technologies for civilian use.

We should always aim to make programs as efficient and cost-effective as possible. But a few bankruptcy clean energy companies, representing a fraction of the cost of the programme is no excuse for the task of the Federal investment in clean energy - a strategically important sector which is one of the greatest drivers of the business in this century.

Expect Oh, not anyone publicly this admit. As the campaign unfolds season, political leaders are all too willing to practice the Solyndra standard.

This article appeared originally on the climate progress and was republished with permission.

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