Archive for Stimulus Bill
How Stopping Your Bottled Water Addiction Can Save Cash & Save The Earth
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- Image by Getty Images via Daylife
Do you love bottled water? If so then you’re just like most other Americans since we consume over 25 BILION LITERS per year!
While sales of bottled water have exploded in recent years, you may be surprised to learn that water from bottles is not necessarily cleaner or safer than water from your tap.
The United States has one of the safest water supplies in the world, and public water suppliers must provide an annual report to customers on drinking water quality. Those reports are available from the water supplier or by visiting the Environmental Protection Agency’s website at www.epa.gov. Read More→
Save Cash And Go Green Today With Energy Star Products
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The U.S. government’s Energy Star program aims to help consumers make wiser choices about the appliances they purhcase. By using Energy Star products, Americans saved enough energy in 2006 alone to avoid greenhouse emissions equivalent to 25 million cars - while saving over $14 billion in utility bills!
But there’s no need to switch before your current appliances are at the end of their useful life. Remember that ALOT of energy and resources go into making and shipping appliances.
While you’re waiting, make sure you routinely vacuum the coils on the back of you refrigerator so the compressor doesn’t have to work so hard to maitain a low temperature. Defrotsting also cuts the load on the compressor, as does letting warm food cool to room temperature before putting it in to chill. Read More→
Will Wind Power All Of England?
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- Image by Wayfinder_73 via Flickr
On Tuesday, May 12, the green light was given to build the world’s largest offshore wind farm in the Thames Estuary of Great Britain. The Thames Estuary is the area in which the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea. The first phase of the 90 square mile London Array will see 175 turbines producing 630 megawatts (MW) of electricity 12 miles off the coast of Kent.
Planning work for the $2.984 billion, (€2.2bn ; £2bn), program will start this year with offshore construction under way in 2011 and the first electricity produced in 2012. The second stage is dependent on future environmental evaluations, but the ultimate aim is for 341 turbines producing 1 gigawatt (GW) of power, enough for a quarter of all the homes in Greater London.
Onshore work is due to start this summer, with offshore work due to start in early 2011. When fully operational, it will make a substantial contribution to the UK Government’s target of providing 15.4% of all electricity to be supplied from renewable sources by 2020. Based on the current schedule, it is expected=2 0that this project will represent nearly 7% of this target. It would also avoid the emission of millions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) over its life. Read More→
DOD To Spend $346 Million More For Green Energy
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Within the Department of Defense’s announcement detailing further plans for facility improvements, under money allocated to it through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), there are some little green gems that may have gone unnoticed.
In its March Expenditure Plan, the Defense Department had said it planned to spend $300 million on “near-term energy technology research.”
Now it plans to spend an additional $346 million on “energy-related projects, enabling the DOD to lead the way in the national effort to achieve greater energy independence,” according to the Department of Defense April 28, 2009, Expenditure Plan (PDF). Read More→
Show You The Money? Funding Ops For Rurual Renewable Energy
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- Image via Wikipedia
To help make your search a bit easier, we’ve been scouring the internet and talking to local, state, and federal agencies and private companies to learn what funding opportunities they offer: Read More→
Power Company Pays YOU Rent?
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Duke Energy has a solar plan for its customers in North Carolina that’s so simple that it might just catch on nationwide.
The utility company wants to RENT sunny spots – patches of roof or land – to install small grid-connected solar systems. Duke will own and maintain the systems for their expected life spans of 25 years. The utility company will own the solar generated power too.
The rent payment to property owners will be based on the size of the system installed. Together, connected by the grid, the mini solar systems will create a distributed solar power system. Property owners hosting the systems need to do little more than than sign some paperwork, receive a payment each month, and decide how to spend the newfound cash. Read More→
Stimulus Bill Means Big News For Solar Energy. How Can You Get The Benefits?
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With the stroke of a pen President Obama has rewritten the future of solar energy.
Now signed into law, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides billions in investments to increase the use of solar energy, promote energy efficiency, improve financing options and remove market barriers.
This legislation provides powerful investments to accelerate the U.S. towards a sustainable energy economy.
Key provisions of this legislation include:
- Solar and energy efficient improvements for federal buildings
- Solar water heating incentives, removing the $2000 cap on the 30% personal tax credit (excludes pools and hot tubs)
- Green-collar job training programs
- Ending the state and municipal ’subsidized financing penalty’
- Smart grid investments
- Expanding research and development programs for renewable energy and energy efficiency
