To many people, it seemed inevitable that 2010 would be The Year we passed The Climate & Energy Bill to overhaul the way we make and consume energy in this country. The stage was set in 2008 when Democrats gained control of both the Congress and the White House and pledged to reduce carbon pollution. [...]
The State of Tennessee announced two separate energy efficiency programs this week: one to assist residents in the purchase of energy efficient heating and cooling equipment, and the other to provide low interest financing to Tennessee businesses for energy efficiency and renewable energy retrofits.
On Monday, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD) announced [...]
On August 2nd, North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue signed into law HB 1829, an expanded Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and renewable energy tax credit. For the first time, investments in CHP systems are now eligible for North Carolina’s 35% renewable energy tax credit. This new incentive sponsored by Representative Paul Luebke and supported by [...]
Contributions to this blogpost were made by SACE’s Lauren Steier and Joanna Malcom of FLS Energy.
A huge solar hot water system was recently installed on Knox County’s Detention Center just outside of Knoxville, TN. This solar thermal system consists of 300 flat plate collectors and will provide hot water to more than 1,000 inmates, which [...]
After decades of scientific data gathering, years of growing public and business support and more than three months of an unmitigated environmental catastrophe, it is reasonable to expect that citizens and leaders would all support a paradigm shift in U.S. energy policy.
In fact, even before BP’s Gulf oil disaster began, President Obama and Congress promised [...]
This blogpost was co-authored by Marcus Strong, energy policy intern for SACE in the summer of 2010.
Often in politics, we don’t immediately see the effects of actions, whether it’s a decision maker’s vote on a piece of legislation, a court overturning a case, or a constituent writing to Congress urging a stand [...]
Last week, Jen Rennicks offered a blog for our readers about taking political actions to stop future offshore oil drilling as a response to our nation’s largest, most horrific environmental disaster of all time. But let’s take this a little further - where it can really hit home - to you - to me, to [...]
In 2008, Southeastern utilities spent six times more on coal from Colombia (yes, the country in South America) than they did helping their customers cut energy waste at home.
In fact, the Southeast spent over $10 billion in 2008 to import coal from other states and countries to fuel power plants, according to a [...]
The tragic and ongoing Deepwater Horizon drilling disaster provides an opportunity to spotlight a path away from our riskiest sources of oil.
Today we’re issuing a Clean Energy Gulf Challenge to demonstrate how the United States can end both offshore oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and imports of Persian Gulf oil.
It’s simply [...]
I have watched this horrific spill unfold with utter disbelief at the lack of preparedness and clear incompetence of the oil companies’ response.
It May Look “Slick”
Remember the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) slick ads that have been running to warm the American public to offshore drilling.
Take a look: