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I N · T H I S · I S S U E
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FLANIGAN'S ECO-LOGIC
The Nation's Largest Clean
Air Fleet
The dawn’s early light in Los Angeles is a sight to behold.
Here it is, January, and a benign cold chills the still
air. We all know another warm day is in store. The sky
is full of color, dark shades shift to gentle orange and
yellow pastels, the early sunlight reflects off buildings
adding to the rich silhouette of tall palms swaying gently
in the light breeze.
I’m at the downtown Los Angeles bus station, and to my
own surprise, I’m struck by the irony of its art deco
beauty and environmental serenity. Bus after bus whisks
by, each driver alert and professional, and each one driving
hard and aggressively putting the “pedal to the metal”
to be on schedule. On Mondays I head to Santa Monica,
which by mass transit involves a ride on Santa Monica’s
“Big Blue Bus” line.
I’m stunned by how clean this downtown bus station is.
Dozens of buses pass by, circling the large oval, scooping
up passengers, and none are belching smoke. I’ve got a
few minutes and unconsciously and without concern, I un-wrap
my bagel and eat my breakfast. Each bus boasts signage
about being part of the nation’s largest clean bus fleet,
and I ponder this tremendous accomplishment. I can’t see
any emissions from these huge mass transit work horses.
My travels in the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and
other countries were marked by images of laden jitneys
and buses fouling the air with dark exhaust. Many elder
residents there cover their faces to filter the foul air.
I contrast this with Los Angeles and my wonderment of
the beauty of an early Monday morning at the central bus
station. “These are clean buses, partner.” And this is
an accomplishment we can all share. We – the general public
– have been demanding clean air and we’re getting it.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation
Authority operates the third largest transit system in
the United States by ridership. During peak hours, the
MTA operates 2,000 buses. MTA boasts the nation’s largest
fleet of CNG powered buses that cut particulates by 90%,
carbon monoxide by 80%, and greenhouse gases by 20% over
the fleet’s remaining 500 diesel buses. All of MTA’s diesel
buses are scheduled to be retired by 2008.
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ECOMOTION UPDATES
South Coast Energy Efficiency Partnership
At the request of Southern
California Edison, EcoMotion is now working in Santa Barbara
where an exciting efficiency partnership is shifting into
full gear.
Working closely with Edison, the Cities of Carpinteria,
Goleta, and Santa Barbara, and Santa Barbara County, the
partnership is developing local approaches to stimulate
awareness and action. EcoMotion is supporting the partnership
and the Community Environmental Council in Santa Barbara
with program design and community outreach services.
The Results Center
We’re back in business! Some years ago Ted Flanigan’s
work with tracking best practices in energy efficiency
and renewable energy was supported by the The Energy
Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation,
and a list of highly prestigious Charter Members from
the World Bank to Tokyo Electric, and nearly every major
U.S. electric utility.
The Results Center members demanded technically proficient
and comparable case studies of the most successful programs
worldwide. Extensive research was conducted, and a remarkable
body of work representing the best thinking and best
minds in the business was assembled.
EcoMotion is pleased to announce that all 126 profiles
of successful energy efficiency and alternative energy
programs are now available on the EcoMotion web site
-- www.EcoMotion.us --
setting the stage for new profiles and a renewed focus
of best practices. Nominations of best practices in
energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other carbon
mitigation initiatives are now welcome. Please make
submissions directly to Ted Flanigan at TFlanigan@EcoMotion.us
Rexco Goes Green
Larry Haupert, President of Rexco Development, reiterated
his position clearly this week: “We are committed to going
green.” And when he didn’t know where to start, he called
EcoMotion. Our team developed a list of 276 green measures
for his firm’s consideration, as well as a decision-making
tool to help Rexco through the process. What did they
want to do? Build LEED certified buildings? Put solar
on their facilities? What are their cost-effectiveness
requirements? Payback horizon? Are high visibility projects
the driver? Property valuation?
After an iterative process with EcoMotion, Haupert this
week reports an exciting first step with well- deserved
pride: Rexco’s new three-story office building in Corona
will feature highly efficient T5 lighting, considered
the “third generation” of tubular lighting efficiency.
The first generation T12 lamps (40 watt, 1.5” thick, and
with an efficacy of 70 lumens per watt) are now commonly
replaced with T8 systems (32 watts, 1” thick, and 80 lumens
per watt). T5 lamps, by comparison, are 5/8” thick, consume
28 watts, and have an efficacy of 100 lumens per watt.
Rexco is also exploring adding solar systems to all its
properties.
New University of California Intern
EcoMotion is pleased with the success of our intern program
with the University of California at Irvine. And once
again, we are pleased to welcome and announce a new intern:
Clare Chang, A psychology major from the Bay Area, Clare
brings great enthusiasm and great capability to the team.
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“I have been trying to convince myself to
go solar for many years, but the combination of energy
efficiency focus, set packages and city supervision/vetting
of vendors is moving me from a watcher to a hopeful implementer.
I can't wait to take the next step.”
David Lappen, Santa
Monica Resident
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Solar Santa Monica |
January 17 marked the official kick-off of Solar Santa
Monica, an ambitious – potentially historic – city initiative
to become energy self sufficient by 2020, technically
a “net zero electricity importer.” Reaching this goal
will require a combination of a) maximum efficiency throughout
the City, b) investments in renewable energy – notably
17,500 municipal, business, and household solar systems,
and c) local distributed generation using relatively “clean”
technologies such as fuel cells and microturbines.
EcoMotion is pleased to serve as the facilitator of this remarkable
demonstration project, working on a daily basis with the
City’s Energy and Green Buildings office. The task at
hand is to spur and manage 50 bundled installations of
energy efficiency and solar systems in the coming two
years. This includes developing packages that bundle efficiency
and solar for apartments, single family homes, and multi-family
apartment units. It involves certifying contractors, and
marketing the program throughout the community, and working
with local financial institutions to establish favorable
terms, all with an eye of making the solar revolution
highly accessible for residents and businesses.
The ultimate goal of EcoMotion’s contract with the City
is to build a market-based business model to accomplish
the City’s mandate for energy and environmental leadership
and a transformation to a locally responsible energy platform.
The Solar Santa Monica Kick-Off attracted 182 stakeholders
– from Mayor Richard Bloom and two fellow Council members,
to “Solar Champions” who have already made solar investments,
to solar contractors, and many more who are keen to make
their once untenable solar dream a reality. Randy Udall
provided a highly thought-provoking key note address.
For more information on the program design and how to
“solarize” your community, contact EcoMotion.
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The World's
First Low Carbon Transportation Fuel Standard
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This past week California Governor Schwarzenegger signed an Executive Order establishing a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) for transportation fuels sold in California. By 2020 the standard will reduce the carbon intensity of California's passenger vehicle fuels by at least 10%. This first-of-its-kind standard will support California's bell-weather strategies to fight global climate change.
California relies excessively on oil to meet its transportation needs; 96% of the State’s transportation fuel is oil, responsible for more than 40% of California's greenhouse gas emissions. The LCFS will replace 20% of the State’s gasoline consumption with lower-carbon fuels, it will more than triple the size of the state's renewable fuels market, and add seven million alternative fuel vehicles to California roads, resulting in 20 times more alternative fuel vehicles on California’s roadways.
The Executive Order features market-based mechanisms that allow providers to choose how they reduce emissions. Providers may purchase and blend more low-carbon ethanol into gasoline products, or purchase credits from electric utilities supplying low carbon electrons to electric vehicles, or diversify into low carbon hydrogen products.
The University of California estimates that the Governor's greenhouse gas emissions goals can increase Gross State Product by about $60 billion and create over 20,000 new jobs. As a result of AB 32 – California’s landmark “Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006" - California is catalyzing clean technology research, investment and development nationally. California leads the nation in clean tech investment, attracting $484 million in venture capital to the Golden State in 2005.
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California Car Facts |
• In 2005, there were more
than 24 million vehicles registered in California, more
than one per licensed driver.
• Statewide gasoline consumption was almost 16 billion
gallons in 2005, slightly more than that of Japan, a country
with four times the population.
• Currently, there are 80,000 hybrids and 240,000 flex-fuel
vehicles in the State, representing 1.3% of all cars in
California.
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Wind Energy Technician Training
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Renewable energy is rising! The growth of solar and wind
energy installations throughout the country is a major
market transformation, and an Oregon community college
is responding. Columbia Gorge Community College has launched
a new training program for wind technicians to meet the
growing demand for personnel to match the growing demand
for the installation and maintenance of wind turbines
in the region.
Bonneville Power Administration estimates
that new wind power capacity in the Northwest is growing
at the rate of 300 - 400 megawatts annually, with about
2,600 megawatts expected in Oregon and Washington by 2011.
Current and proposed wind farms in Oregon and Washington
are expected to require about 365 wind turbine technicians
over the coming decade; the need for technicians rises
at a rate of about eight jobs per 100 megawatts of installed
wind capacity.
Clearly being a wind energy technician is not for everybody:
You must be willing to climb to the top of 250-foot towers
and spend up to 12 hours there. The closest training facility
for wind technicians is in Minnesota. While the high-growth
wind industry is the primary focus of the project, the
college’s scope may be expanded to include other renewable
energy workforce training needs, such as solar and biofuel/biomass.
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The Utility Green Giant |
The Spanish electric utility Iberdrola is making major
waves in renewables. From wind farms across the Iberian
Peninsula to consulting on an ambitious wind- farm project
in northern China to a tidal marine project off Spain's
north coast, Business Week reports that Iberdrola is betting
on renewable energy.
Iberdrola already claims the title of largest wind- energy
company in the world. Its goal is to have 10,000 MW of
wind by 2011. Much of this will be outside Spain, where
it has invested heavily in countryside wind farms. Along
with its growing presence in the U.S. market, Iberdrola
has facilities set up and/or projects under way in Greece,
Italy, Britain, France, Portugal, Germany, Poland, Mexico,
and Brazil.
Iberdrola has invested nearly $4 billion since 2001 in
renewables, with about 10% of its energy now coming from
wind. In 1976, it helped found wind- energy park builder
and aeronautics firm called Gamesa. Iberdrola started
its U.S. expansion earlier this year with the purchase
of Community Energy of Pennsylvania, followed by Midwest
Renewable Energy in Iowa a few months later. It plans
further U.S. acquisitions.
With its planned $22 billion purchase of Scottish Power,
Britain's fifth-largest electricity generator, Iberdrola
will further its worldwide leadership in green power,
including electricity generated by wind and waves. Scottish
Power is developing the world's largest offshore wind
farm just south of Glasgow.
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