Smart From The Start

Today U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that his department, along with the Bureau of Land Management, had approved the necessary permits allowing for the construction of the first two solar energy projects ever deployed on U.S. public lands.

"This is an historic day for the U.S. and for California," said Secretary Salazar speaking on conference call. "I am pleased to be moving forward into the clean energy frontier," he said also crediting Bob Abbey, the Director of the Bureau of Land Management's efforts in realizing these projects. "They oversee 245 million acres of public lands that could contribute significantly to the country's energy needs."

Suncatcher System by Stirling Energy Systems.

The nation's first two solar projects on public lands will both be in the Golden State. The 709-megawatt (MW) Imperial Valley project just East of San Diego on 6,360 acres of public lands will generate enough solar power to provide electricity for up to 500,000 homes. The second solar project, in the Inland Empire of San Bernardino County, is a 45 MW solar project on 422 acres of public lands referred to as the Chevron Lucerne project. Combined, these two solar energy projects are expected to create about 950 jobs and infuse $1 billion into California's economy.

"I am excited to join Secretary Salazar today in announcing the first solar projects to ever get permits on federal land, both of which will be located in the Golden State," said Governor Schwarzenegger who missed the press conference call because he was stuck on a plane. "Today's announcement only further cements California's national leadership in renewable energy development - and it couldn't have been without our federal partners. Our great partnership is helping to improve public health, grow our green economy, promote energy independence and strengthen our national security."  - Governor Schwarzenegger

Governor Schwarzenegger has been championing these projects from the start. Barely a week ago when the California Energy Commission approved the larger Imperial Valley project (the smaller Chevron Lucerne project did not require CEC approval), the only thing standing in the way was the permitting from the Bureau of Land Management called "Records of Decision." Now that these have been granted, the projects will qualify for the Federal Stimulus Funds in the form of 30% tax credit for overall cost of the construction of the projects. The deadline to qualify for those funds is December 31st. Salazar said he expected more projects to be approved by the end of 2010. 

Bureau of Land Management Director Bob Abbey said that they will continue with their "Smart from the start," approach. He said that these first two solar projects are examples of how the permitting process can be streamlined "without cutting any corners for environmental reviews or ecological considerations." He added that the projects all had extended public input from various stakeholders.

"There are 11 million acres of public lands in California deserts. The area to be disturbed is less than two-tenths of 1%," emphasized BLM's Abbey.  Salazar noted that now even NRDC and Sierra Club have come on board with the projects.

Commenting on the 180 permits pending for more solar project developments in the U.S., Salazar said that, "We will be pro-active so we avoid conflicts with ecological aspects we are trying to protect. It's really no different from what we've done with city planning for the past 50, 60 years. We foresee thousands of solar plants sprouting up all over the nation."  There are currently 1.3 million acres of land under application for solar projects.

The companies that will be developing the Imperial Valley solar project on public lands are owned by an Irish conglomerate, NRT, and are called Tessera Solar and Stirling Energy Systems.

READ Press Release from Department of Interior HERE.

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Smart From The Start

Eureka! Tehachapi Renewable Energy Transmission Project

It's one thing to generate clean energy. It's a whole other thing to get it it to the people.

In California, with the cooperation of Southern California Edison and Gov. Schwarzenegger's Green Team, progress is showing its face on both fronts.

"...We need transmission lines, just like the Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project, to bring the clean electricity to the cities where people live and work."

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project

Today, May 4th, the Gov. of California and SCE executives gathered in a Greening The Grid event to announce the completion of the first phase buildout for the Tehachapi transmission lines that are being built to deliver clean wind energy to people who live in urban areas. Since the significant population concentration live in cities and extended urban areas, this means delivering clean energy to outlets where people can and will use it.

Tehachapi is the second largest collection of wind turbines in the world with around 5,000, right behind the world's largest, the Altamont Pass near the Bay Area that has around 7,000.

Southern California Edison's Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project is the first major transmission project in California to be constructed specifically for accessing a renewable-rich resource area. Once the entire project is completed, it will be capable of delivering 4,500 megawatts (MW) of clean electricity, enough to power about 3 million homes in Southern California. This first phase is capable of carrying 700 MW of clean electricity.

The Tehachapi project will also transport electricity from several large-scale solar projects currently in development.

Related Reading:

SB X8 34 paves way for California renewable energy buildout.

Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS): Governor Schwarzenegger signed an Executive Order directing the California Air Resources Board to adopt regulations increasing California's Renewable Portfolio Standard to 33 percent by 2020. This will ensure California will have the flexibility needed to use renewable energy sources for 33 percent of our energy consumption by 2020

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Eureka! Tehachapi Renewable Energy Transmission Project

L.A. Gets Chinese Green

Governor Schwarzenegger joined Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and officials from Chinese manufacturer BYD Auto Company Limited (BYD) to announce BYD, a leader in electric and hybrid vehicles and other renewable energy products, will locate its North American headquarters in Los Angeles. Click here to read more. The above  photo was taken at City Hall in Los Angeles, California April 30th 2010.

BYD's Los Angeles headquarters will be responsible for sales, marketing, and research and development for its automobiles and energy products, which include solar panels, LED lighting systems and home and grid level energy storage units through BYD's unique iron-phosphate batteries.

Like California, BYD has been a leader in green; selling the world's first mass-produced plug-in hybrid vehicle, the BYD F3DM, in 2008 and introducing the first electric car independent of specialized charging stations in the world, the e6, in 2010 to the city of Shenzhen, China.

In Above PHOTO: From left to right: BYD Chairman Chuanfu Wang, California Labor and Workforce Development Agency Secretary Victoria Bradshaw, Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen A. Trutanich, Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

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L.A. Gets Chinese Green

Dear Friends,...(From Calif. EPA Secretary Linda Adams)

 

To the left of Senator Pavley, author of AB 32,  in the photo sits Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board. On the right is Linda Adams, secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency.

Linda Adams, former director of the California Department of Water Resources, was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in May 2006 as Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency – making her the first woman to serve as head of the agency.

Immediately upon appointment, Secretary Adams was designated as Governor Schwarzenegger’s lead negotiator on AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. Adams is now working closely with states, provinces and countries around the world to develop a network of climate initiatives to achieve the greatest global reductions.  More>>>

 
California Secretary EPA, Linda Adams and B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell

Dear Friend,

As you probably have heard by now, there is a battle brewing to delay California’s clean energy and air pollution control standards.  And we need your support.

California’s climate change law, AB 32, the law that forever changed the rules on clean air, holds polluters accountable and requires them to reduce air pollution that threatens our health and our environment. AB 32 has moved California into the forefront of clean technology by creating opportunities for Californians to innovate and create new ways of protecting our environment and creating green jobs.

Because of leaders like you, AB 32 has created thousands of jobs, motivated an emerging economy and inspired businesses to partner with environmentalists. However, what is most important is that AB 32 has changed the way Californians think about clean energy and how we affect our environment.

We know that this is a global problem that requires a global solution. But change must start here with us, at the grassroots level. From here, it works its way up through our nations and around the world. Any signal of delay could be disastrous for a national commitment to reducing pollution.

Those who are attempting to delay our move to a clean energy economy maintain it will only “suspend” AB 32’s pollution and health requirements until the economy gets better. Well, we’re all waiting for the economy to get better, but in the meantime, suspending a law that has increased jobs, investments, innovation and public consciousness does not serve the people of California.

Join me in supporting AB 32 and the state’s commitment to growing clean energy businesses and technologies by signing up on-line today.

Your help will not only support our growing green economy, but will also help California for a better tomorrow.


Thank you,
Linda Adams
Secretary for Environmental Protection
California Environmental Protection Agency

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Dear Friends,...(From Calif. EPA Secretary Linda Adams)

All About The Follow Through

Governor Schwarzenegger celebrates Earth Day From left to right: Flextronics President E.C. Sykes, SunPower Chief Executive Officer Tom Werner, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Labor Workforce and Development Agency Secretary Victoria Bradshaw and Milpitas Mayor Robert Livengood.

Today, Governor Schwarzenegger joined SunPower Corporation and Flextronics in Milpitas to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day and announce that SunPower has partnered with Flextronics and will locate its new manufacturing operations in California. Click here to read more. The above photo was taken at Flextronics in Milpitas, California.

Milipitas, California; April 22nd, 2010

The following are excerpts from today's speeches:

Governor Schwarzenegger

Today 190 countries are celebrating Earth Day, over a billion people around the world are celebrating Earth Day.This is a very, very important day.

But even though we can celebrate I don't think we should sit on our laurels, because there's a lot of work that still needs to be done. I do not accept a future in California where we have every sixth child in the Central Valley go to school with an inhaler. I don't accept that we have so many people, because of pollution, die. More people are dying because of pollution than of car accidents. I don't accept that kind of a future. I don't also accept a future where we rely on fossil fuels. So this is why what we are doing here and what you are doing is so important.

I will do everything that I can, while I'm in office and even after I'm finished with this job, to fight for the environment and to fight for alternative fuels and to fight for solar and renewables and all of those kind of things.

So we're going to go and work together for many more years to come, because it's all about follow through. You know, what they teach you in sports, when you do the golf, follow through. In tennis it's about follow through. In skiing it's about follow through, making the turns and finishing your turns. And the same is also with this. I get a lot of my lessons from sports because you can really learn some really good lessons. So it's all about follow through, so we're going to follow through.

I always say that the government ought to go and make laws and regulations and so on and then get out of the way. Let businesses do what businesses do best. We have to be a partner in prosperity rather than an obstacle to success

 

From SunPower Chief Executive Officer Tom Werner

We're thrilled to bring manufacturing back to California. Can you imagine being able to say that? And I would like to welcome you to SunPower's solar panel manufacturing facility

About SunPower. When I started in 2003 we had 35 employees and $6 million in revenue. Today we have over 5,000 employees and over $1.5 billion in revenue.

We manufacture and design the world's highest-power density solar system, the world's highest.If you buy a SunPower system you know it's going to work. You also know that you're future-proof. You know the technology isn't going to be obsolete. I have a system on in my house; it's already paid for itself.

Governor Schwarzenegger

SunPower is building with PG&E one of the largest, if not the largest, solar farm in the world down in San Luis Obispo. So this is really extraordinary. Again, it will put the spotlight on California because of the great technology we have here.

It's one thing to set goals with AB 32, to say we're going to reduce our greenhouse gases by 25 percent by the year 2020. But how are you going to get there? Only through technology -- only through technology. Because I don't believe that people should stop anything. I don't believe that people should stop with their Jacuzzis or with their flat screen TVs, (Laughter) or with driving big cars and flying the planes.

No, we've just got to change the technology, that is the most important thing. And that is technology that's being developed right here by SunPower. You make it possible that we will have one day renewable energy -- renewable energy, 33 percent of renewable energy -- only because of this kind of technology. So this is why I am so excited about it.

President of Flextronics, E.C. Sykes

You each spoke about technology. From time to time, technology needs a little push to get it to the next level and if it doesn't get that push it may die or maybe it's slow to get there. 

Governor Schwarzenegger

If the special interests push me around I will push back. That's exactly what we're going to do. We're going to push back and we're going to go and keep our great environmental laws in place.

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All About The Follow Through

Greening California, SB X8 34, And Our Renewable Energy Revolution

SB X8 34 is not the latest robotics model. It is a new bill from California.

SB X8 34 authored by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) and signed by Governor Schwarzenegger, will help further streamline and speed up the permitting and siting process for large-scale renewable energy projects. These are the projects that will provide Californians with jobs and greater energy independence and attract investment to the Golden State.

Today, at the world's largest operating solar plant, the NextEra Harper Lake Solar Electric Generating System (SEGS) facility in Hinkley, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger joined U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to announce a new joint program to make it easier to conserve land for endangered species and for developers to build renewable energy projects in California.

Mojave Desert Photo Courtesy Data.gov

"I cannot think of a more appropriate place to underscore that renewable energy is not 'pie in the sky' than here at the edge of the Mojave Desert where the largest solar plant in the world is generating clean, cost-efficient renewable energy for California communities," Secretary Salazar said during a tour of the facility.

There are more than 240 proposed renewable energy projects in California that could produce nearly 70,000 MW of clean energy annually.

These proposed projects throughout the state include solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and small hydro facilities.

In addition to touring the NextEra Harper Lake facility today in Hinkley, the Governor and Secretary Salazar toured a 250 megawatt (MW) proposed solar facility, the Abengoa Mojave Solar project. The proposed Abengoa site is seeking funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) and will create over $1 billion of capital investment and more than 1,200 jobs in the local region. The Governor's action today will help the Abengoa project and other renewable energy projects seeking Recovery Act funding.

"Our bold and innovative vision for California has made us a pioneer in renewable energy, green jobs and environmental protection and, as a result, we are seeing an energy revolution in California," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "California now has more than 240 proposed renewable projects looking to build and create jobs. Today's action will help speed up the process for some of these large projects to break ground this year and qualify for federal stimulus funding. By working together, we can increase renewable energy development, create thousands of jobs and preserve our state's cherished natural resources"

To better coordinate the state's efforts to increase renewable energy and create jobs, the Governor's Administration will hold The Governor's Renewable Energy Policy Conference at the University of California, Riverside on Wednesday, March 24.

Solar Farming

SBX8 34 will ensure state regulatory agencies have the resources necessary to focus on the state's stringent environmental review process and permit renewable energy facilities. The bill creates further efficiencies by:

• Establishing the Renewable Energy Development Fee Trust, a revolving fund that renewable energy developers can pay into through project-assessed fees determined by the California Energy Commission (CEC) and the Department of Fish and Game (DFG). The fees will be used for the state and its federal partners to implement project mitigation measures including purchasing private lands related to habitat restoration, and monitoring and transaction costs connected to offset impacts to biological resources from construction.
• Ensuring the needed environmental reviews occur in a timely manner by authorizing the CEC and DFG to assess application fees on projects at an amount that would fully fund dedicated staff to work exclusively on applications.
• Speeding up CEC review by allowing for the free flow of information in a more timely manner by removing communication barriers between outside state agencies and CEC commissioners.

The Governor urged the legislature to continue working to help streamline the permitting and construction of renewable energy projects throughout the state in a signing message attached to SBX8 34.

The Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan was also formed to create a science-based, stakeholder driven process to identify geographic areas designated for renewable energy development, and conservation and declining species management. This plan is currently scheduled to be completed in 2012 and is meant to provide a long-term road map to development and conservation in the California desert.

 

The following excerpt by: David Danelski, The Press-Enterprise

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his aides gathered at the graffiti-scarred ruins of an old feed and farm supply store as they waited for U.S. Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar to arrive for a tour of the future solar energy site.

The crumbling building and more than 1,700 acres around it, mostly former alfalfa fields, have been acquired by Abengoa Solar, which is seeking approval to build a 250 megawatt thermal generation plant about nine miles northwest of the San Bernardino County town of Hinkley.

"It will go as far the eye can see along those transmission lines," Scott Frier, Abengoa's chief operating officer, said to Schwarzenegger and Salazar as he showed them a map of project site.

The governor and Salazar also visited the control center for the nearby 160 megawatt solar plant, NextEra Harper Lake Solar Electric Generating System, the largest operating solar plant in the world.

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Greening California, SB X8 34, And Our Renewable Energy Revolution

Green Salon Series Presented By Breathe L.A.

By Nicole Hansen

[Blogger Bio Below]

When the Green Blog Network asked me to be a panelist for the Breathe LA Salon "AB 32.0 and the Rise of Green Digital Media" and blog about it on The Green Blog Network, I was reluctant. Ever since my son Nikos directed the global warming PSA, Save It, I’ve been thrown into a world of "green" issues. Many times I feel ill equipped to participate, as if I’m the student and everyone else around me are the experts—including my own children. Don’t get me wrong, I grew up in Boulder, Colorado! Nothing could be more "green" than the granola Disneyland of my youth. But since coming to California twenty years ago, being ecological has gone from something the "Earth Muffins" of Boulder would do to actually becoming state laws. Such is the case with California’s AB 32.

 

Nicole Hansen of Green Galaxy Enterprises spoke on behalf of The Green Blog Network at 

Breathe L.A.'s Green Salon series. Photo Courtesy Alastair Shearman.

AB 32 - Getting The Word Out

Stephanie Mullen, the Senior Field Representative to State Senator Fran Pavley made the opening remarks, stating that Senator Pavley authored AB 32 to give the California Air Resources Board authority to bring emissions down to 1990 levels by 2020. Though the law was enacted years ago, I was surprised to hear that it has not yet been implemented. She stated that we need to use resources more effectively and are looking for a strong, green economy in California. The moderator, Ray Gonzales, a former KTLA personality, brought up the fact that there is a lot of opposition to the law because of its shorthand as "the global warming law." I believe he has a point—so how does the green social media reach those who don’t believe in global warming so that they will be less opposed to something that is basically based on common sense?

Common Sense Approach To Information Dissemination

The first panelist, Jennifer Gooding, is the LA Ambassador to EcoTuesday. She brought up the point that people's initial hesitation arises from a disconnection to the world that can be remedied by social media. She believes that we need a forum to connect, and she has been described as that connector. We often get a bunch of information, are overwhelmed, but are not connected. That’s the benefit of social media when it comes to getting the message out there, since the vast majority of people did not know what AB 32 is. We're failing by not having common people understand the basics.

Panelist Siel Ju is the Green LA Girl, and has appeared on outlets including NPR and NBC, among many others. She has a Ph.D in creative writing and literature but is now devoted to blogging about environmental issues. She noted that AB 32 is not a familiar term to most people. It reminded her of the battle with rBGH, which makes cows produce more milk but also causes birth defects. We must give people more information and not just boil it down to "Ban rBGH!" (or "Save AB 32!") Whether it be eating locally produced food or riding the subway, we should connect AB 32 to things people already desire. Moreover, we must use social media for a conversation to make connections.

Breathe L.A. Green Salon Series, March 2010, photo courtesy Alastair Shearman.

Pictured: Ray Gonzales, Moderator, Green Salon Series.

Panelist Josh Tickell, director of Fuel, stressed that there is power of media in environmental issues. Stepping back from the fray, the long-term objectives of AB 32 are a breakthrough and so are its emissions cuts. The Fuel film is digital media designed to have an effect. They didn't want the result to just end in rallying efforts, but rather to "shift the energy needle" in this country. He wanted a campaign with 10 goals that people could choose from as they matched their own. A big topic for Josh is fuel made from algae, and he observed that a lot of food energy is going unused. He was able to get a meeting with the Department of Energy and to start a campaign for algae. The meeting turned into a shouting match with great disagreement on the department's side. In the end, through the social, objective based digital and social media, there is significant investment and growing, with already $100 million being spent on algae lobbying. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger can order a million solar roofs, and the next campaign should be a million green cars. What we need, according to Josh, is a broad perspective.

Save It

Before I spoke, I shared my answer to the global warming messaging through digital media and showed my son’s 1Sky PSA, Save It (later endorsed by Global Green and Greenpeace). The shocker was that people wrote hate messages on YouTube where it premiered as Take Part’s first video release, calling me an uninformed hippie that has brainwashed my kids, and some who even said my son was "stupid." Ironically, my sons both have developmental disorders that I was warned by the EPA they would have, as a result of environmental toxins. With what my children have to go through to be educated in special needs schools, at the expense of the government, is why it matters to all of us. Framing the discussion as a human health issue is much less controversial than global warming and we can use social media to educate people about asthma, autism, cancer and numerous other disorders that are exacerbated by or a direct cause of the toxins we are responsible for trying to control. So Earth Muffin or not, the real cost of paying for our health will far outweigh the cost of converting to cleaner and greener technologies in the long run. That’s how we should use social media to educate the masses to the importance of actually implementing AB 32.

Bio: Nicole organized and produced the first Renewable Energy Conference and Awards Gala at the United Nations sponsored by the Honduran Permanent Mission to the UN with notable speakers and honorees such as Dr. Arthur Nozik of NREL, Dr. Daniel Nocera of MIT as well as Billionaire John Paul DeJoria. She was a featured speaker alongside producer Marshall Herskovitz for the 2009 Green Girls Holiday Event advocating publicly for the use of renewable energy technologies.   
Twitter @nikkihans

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Green Salon Series Presented By Breathe L.A.