Tag Archives: legislation
California SB-43 Re-introduced as Legislation
Please take the time to help us to help SB-43 pass. It has the potential to revolutionize the way that solar is sold today, and open up the market to renters, people with wonky roofs, shaded homes, etc. Summary (from Senator Lois Wolk): “As proposed to be amended, SB 43 will establish a program that allows [...]
The World’s Lowest Emissions Building
One of Japan’s largest construction companies is making a bold claim. Shimuzu Corp. believes its new Tokyo headquarters emits less carbon dioxide per square meter than any other building in the world. Thanks to a myriad of energy efficiency technologies and renewable energy installations, the building (pictured below) uses only 38 kilograms per square meter [...]
No Go: New UK Energy Efficiency Plan
Green Campaigners are extremely disappointed with the result of a recent Energy Council meeting, in which the UK succeeded in making the EU-wide agreement on energy efficiency much more lenient than the plan originally proposed. They argue that eliminating the mandatory target efficiency while building in various exceptions and loopholes to the new plan significantly [...]
South Korea Passes Cap-And-Trade Legislation
South Korea passed legislation to begin a national cap-and-trade program with a near unanimous vote of 148-0, with three abstentions. The fourth largest economy in Asia, South Korea is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions among industrialized countries, doubling since 1990. It is the 8th biggest source of GHG emissions in the [...]
Canada’s Anti-Environment Budget
Prime Minister Steven Harper’s ruling Conservative government is using their majority to all but eliminate Canada’s environmental protections. On March 29, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty released a federal budget which guts environmental legislation. It is tragically ironic that this anti-environment budget comes only one week after record-breaking temperatures in the National Capital Region. Under the [...]
Clean Energy in Obama’s 2013 Budget
President Obama released his 2013 budget today, saying: “We must transform our economy from one focused on speculating, spending, and borrowing to one constructed on the solid foundation of educating, innovating, and building. The Budget targets scarce federal resources to areas critical to growing the economy and restoring middle-class security: education and skills for American [...]
Illinois Net Metering Gets Screwed
If you attended Solar Drinks last night, then you learned the ugly truth about what happened to net-metering as a result of the trailer bill (HB3036) to ComEd’s bill (SB1652). Within a year or so, no ComEd customer will be eligible for net-metering. ELPC and the ISEA have been advocating for an increase in net-metering [...]
Illinois Passes Smart Grid Legislation
Wednesday the Illinois General Assembly passed “smart grid” legislation that included major provisions for renewable energy and energy conservation that Sierra Club, Environment Illinois, and the Natural Resources Defense Council worked to include in the legislation. This will be a huge boost to clean energy in Illinois. By deploying solar energy across Illinois, we’ll see [...]
In Focus: Obama’s Executive Green Orders
President Obama has vowed that in the absence of congressional action, he will use his executive privileges to combat climate change. Some who are seeking a pretext to discredit the President have suggested that he is ruling by executive orders (EOs). However, President Obama has signed fewer EOs in his first four years in office [...]