GBDS.US News Articles Daily

Anatomy of a Power Purchase Agreement | Greentech Media

Wed, 12 May 2010 04:00:00 -0700

You don't negotiate the terms of a mortgage when you buy a house -- it's a pretty standard document. And you sign with the bank, not the realtor, not the builder and usually not the seller.

But if you want to enter a power purchase agreement (PPA) to finance a solar system on a commercial or residential roof, there is no standard document and there is no standard entry point -- you can get the PPA through a variety of integrators or through a PPA firm.

Doug Payne, the Executive Director of SolarTech, and his organization are driven to improve this situation, as well as to accelerate the entire solar installation process. He led a panel today at an Agrion event that explored the anatomy of a power purchase agreement.

A standard Doug Payne/SolarTech theme is that is all comes down to dollars per kilowatt-hour.

Payne said, "From a macro standpoint, 2006 to 2008 was just grab your seat belt and hold on -- it was all early-adopter opportunities. You have to toss out 2008 because of the credit crisis. There is no doubt that things have improved in the last six to eight months."

PPAs are relatively new in solar power, but not in the power generation space as a whole. Typically, the agreements have been drawn up for immense amounts of power and have taken years to negotiate. Solar PPAs are for smaller amounts of energy and need to close fast. SolarTech is trying to speed that process by offering a standardized PPA document, which is available at their website.

A case study covered at this panel is the recently announced, Santa Clara County-led Regional Renewable Power Purchase Initiative, a partnership which includes nine Bay Area cities and will purchase 14.4 megawatts of renewable power. According to Ben Foster, Vice President of Operations at solar consultancy Optony, this project has moved ahead faster than most government projects. It's a good example of public sector / private sector cooperation and is a hopeful sign.

Two of the major challenges to adoption of renewable energy include the barrier of high upfront costs. Power purchase agreements go a long way toward solving this problem, but they have their own set of flaws and advantages. Today's panel explored the state of PPAs.

Marc Roper, the VP of Sales at PPA firm Tioga Energy, was the panelist most deeply entrenched in the PPA industry. Tioga works on PPAs for distributed generation in the several hundred kilowatts to multiple megawatts range.

Roper said, "It's hard to be an innovator as a PPA provider -- we have to minimize technology risk. We are going to be at the tail end of the adoption curve." He added that new solar technology like "tracking, exotic materials, new types of electronics [like microinverters] -- we are a little less likely to adopt those." Most of those technologies will have to get to market through other means than PPAs.

It's the independent engineers doing the due diligence for the financiers that determine "bankability," according to Roper. What this means is that smaller VC-backed companies are going to have a hard time breaking into the PPA product path.

As a recap, Roper said, "The PPA industry was put on ice in 2008 to 2009, but investors have come back to the market" mostly through tax grants from the Obama Administration's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). "The PPA will continue to dominate medium- and large-scale systems, said Roper, adding: "PPA rate of return is in the 8 percent to 12 percent range" and "we're looking forward to the day when the PPA is a standard form."

"With the recent involvement of utilities, we think the PPA market is going to grow," said Roper, concluding, "We are in very early days in the solar industry and the solar financing industry. A lot of things need to be tried and some need to fail. We [PPA providers] are the most conservative element of an industry on the leading edge."

Other solar PPA firms include SunEdison, Recurrent Energy, Solar Power Partners and in residential -- Solar City and SunRun.

Payne added, "There has never been a solar industry in the U.S. There are no wrong answers. We're building it as we go. The key is to get a many things right as fast as we can, or learn quickly and adjust."

Source: Greentech Media

Our stand for digital due process | Google Blog

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 04:00:00 -0700

The year was 1986. A gallon of gas cost 89 cents, Paul Simons Graceland won the Grammy for album of the year, and the federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), which governs how law enforcement can access electronic data, was signed into law.

A lot has changed since 1986. Gas is now measured in dollars and Taylor Swift (born 1989) won album of the year. All the while, technology has moved at record pace. But ECPA has stayed the same. Originally designed to protect us from unwarranted government intrusion while ensuring that law enforcement had the tools necessary to protect public safety, it was written long before most people had heard of email, cell phones or the cloud the term used for programs helping people store personal data like photos and documents online. As a result, ECPA has become outdated.

This is why were proud to help establish Digital Due Process, a coalition of technology companies, civil rights organizations and academics seeking to update ECPA to provide privacy protections to new and emerging technologies.

Specifically, we want to modernize ECPA in four ways:

Better protect your data stored online: The government must first get a search warrant before obtaining any private communications or documents stored online;
Better protect your location privacy: The government must first get a search warrant before it can track the location of your cell phone or other mobile communications device;
Better protect against monitoring of when and with whom you communicate: The government must demonstrate to a court that the data it seeks is relevant and material to a criminal investigation before monitoring when and with whom you communicate using email, instant messaging, text messaging, the telephone, etc.; and
Better protect against bulk data requests: The government must demonstrate to a court that the information it seeks is needed for a criminal investigation before it can obtain data about an entire class of users.

We also created this video to help explain ECPA and why it needs updating:

You can read more about our proposal at our coalition website. In the coming months, well meet with lawmakers, law enforcement officials and others to help build support for modernizing the law.

1986 was a good year, but its time our laws catch up with how we live our lives today.

Source: Google Blog

33 Outstanding Buckminster Fuller Challenge Entries Advanced to the Final Stage | Buckminster Fuller Institute

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:00:00 -0800

NEW YORK CITY The Buckminster Fuller Institute is proud to announce that thirty-three outstanding entries to the Buckminster Fuller Challenge have been advanced to the final stage of review.

The jury will select the winner of the Challenge, to be announced to the public in May 2009. The $100,000 prize and the OmniOculi sculpture will be conferred at a public event at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago on June 6th, 2009 to coincide with Starting With the Universe, the acclaimed retrospective exhibition on the pioneering legacy of R. Buckminster Fuller opening March 14th and on view until June 21st.

The thirty-three proposals currently under consideration have undergone a rigorous review and vetting process including an interview with the individual or team behind the strategy. The titles and project leads of these entries are listed below. The distinguished jury will spend the next two months reviewing the entries and will meet for a group deliberation session on April 21st and 22nd to select a winner and runner up.

We are tremendously excited about the finalists to this years Buckminster Fuller Challenge. They include an amazing array of comprehensive, integrated strategies to ta ckle the worlds major problems, submitted by highly accomplished individuals and/or teams. They come from all over the world and we are thrilled that so many have been submitted by student teams. Every one of them will inspire interest and hopefully, support for their work - I think the jury is in for a very tough deliberation process! says Elizabeth Thompson, BFIs Executive Director.

Congratulations to all of the finalists and everyone who entered this years Buckminster Fuller Challenge. Those who have opted to have their work published will be featured in the Idea Index in mid-May after this years winner and runner up are announced.

2009 Buckminster Fuller Challenge Finalists

YourOwnDemocracy.org, submitted by Gong Szeto
Beyond the Petroleum Era: A Proto- Cooperative Means for Re-mineralizing Coastal Regions, submitted by Pliny Fisk III, Co-Director, CMPBS
Sustainable Unit - An anticipatory approach to ecological livingry in the 21st century, submitted by Joao Amorim, PostModern Times
(C)urban Ecology: Micro-remediation and The City Street of The Future, submitted by Commonstudio
A Proposal for Bamboo Resource Systems for Social, Economic and Environmental Benefits in the Pacific Northwest USA, submitted by Jonathan Scherch, Ph.D
AIDSfreeAFRICA drug production in Africa, submitted by Dr. Rolande Hodel, AIDSfreeAFRICA
Architecture Beyond CAD, submitted by Martin Ravnikar, Architect
BerkShares local currency, submitted by Susan Witt, Executive Director, E.F. Schumacher Society
BK Farmyards, submitted by Stacey Murphy, Landmines Productions
Carnot-Equivalent Stirling Engine and Heat Pump, submitted by Berkana Technology Group (Berkana LLC)
Civic Ads: Public Smart, submitted by Nathalie Rozot, Photic
Climate Solutions Project, submitted by Tom Bowman, Principal, Climate Solutions Project, LLC
Cycle for Health, submitted by Joseph Agoada, Two Wheeled Foundation
DISCOVER Carbon Net, submitted by Hosung Chun, LEED AP
Dreaming New Mexico, submitted by Kenny Ausubel, Co-Founder, Bioneers
Ecocity Mapping For Urban Villages, submitted by Richard Register, President, Ecocity Builders
Green Flight World Link Initiative, submitted by Mike T. Voorhees, CEO, Skylite Aeronautics
Growing Functional Materials for a Sustainable Tomorrow, submitted by Eben Bayer, CEO, Ecovative Design, LLC
KickStart International - The Tools to Fight Poverty, submitted by Martin J. Fisher, Ph.D, Co-Founder and CEO, KickStart Intl.
Machineless construction strategy based on least physical strain to build cyclone resistant womens centres in Bangladesh, submitted by Bonnie L Y Chu
Macrofacturing: Maximizing resources through distributed rapid manufacturing technologies, submitted by Jordan Brandt, Harvard Graduate School of Design
Mukuru BioCentres, submitted by Dyfed Aubrey, Urban Development Coordinator, GOAL
Operation Paydirt/Fundred Dollar Bill Project, submitted by Mel Chin, Artist and Project Director
Sahara Forest, submitted by Charles Paton, Seawater Greenhouse, Ltd.
SubEx: Moving Small Pack age Freight through City Subways, not City Streets, submitted by Bruce Cahan, Urban Logic, Inc.
Sustainable Personal Mobility: The CityCar, the RoboScooter, and Mobility-on-Demand Systems, submitted by Ryan Chin, Ph.D Candidate, MIT Media Lab
Tensegrity-based Structural Systems Development for Ecologically-regenerative Urban Development Along Tropical Coastlines, submitted by Center for Architecture, Science and Ecology
The Bamboo Institute, submitted by Kurt Przybilla, Inventor
The GCH4, submitted by V.S. Gardiner, Industrial Designer
The SA Social Investment Exchange (SASIX), submitted by Carol Tappenden, Managing Director, GreaterGood South Africa
Water Harvesting to Promote Economic Sustainability, submitted by Roger Salway, Executive Director, Compatible Technology Internat ional
Watermill - Atmospheric Water Generator, submitted by Richard Weisbeck, Chief Technical Officer, Element Four
World Game Beta, submitted by Katy Barkan, Harvard Graduate School of Design

Source: Buckminster Fuller Challenge

The SEC Passes Regulation Which Only STRENGTHENS Case to Own Gold | ZeroHedge

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 04:00:00 -0800

"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value ZERO." - Voltaire (1729)

Anyone who sees this new regulation and feels safe leaving their money in money market funds needs to have their head examined. The "intent" is to prevent a "run" on money market funds when the next crisis hits. Essentially the passage of that regulation signals the high probability of such a crisis happening.

Suspending Money Market Redemptions Is Now Legal; SEC Approves New Money Market Regulation In 4-1 Vote...Zero Hedge discussed a month ago the disastrous prospects of what would happen if the new proposal contemplated by the SEC, which would allow the suspension of redemptions from Money Market Funds, were to pass. Well, in a nearly unanimous vote, Money Market Funds now have the ability to suspend redemptions, courtesy of the SEC's just passed 4-1 vote. This explains the negative rate on bills: at this point, should there be another meltdown, money market investors will not, repeat not, be able to withdraw their money purely on the whim of Mary Schapiro. As the SEC noted: "We understand that suspending redemptions may impose hardships on investors who rely on their ability to redeem shares." Too bad investors' hardships considerations ended up being completely irrelevant.

As alluded to in the post, the rate on 1-month T-bills has gone negative today. Think about what this means. When a big investor is willing to invest short term money and have returned less money than was invested just 30 days ago, it tells us that the investor is more concerned about getting his money back than he is about making money on his money. The investor is essentially paying a small fee to insure that his cash is returned with little loss (30-day T-bills would be considered riskless since the Govt can print money to honor the claim). Think about the signal from big investors that is being given here about the perception of systemic risk and the probability of systemic failure. The rate on 30-day bills went negative for quite some time before the collapse of Lehman and AIG.

This phenomenon only strengthens the case that investors should be putting as much as they can into gold and silver as vehicles for protecting and preserving wealth. When you own gold, you are not subjected to, and victimized by, the bad decisions and moral hazards being implemented by our policymakers, many of whom are puppets for the big banks who fund their positions of leadership (see today's Congressional inquisition of Geithner and Paulson). When you own physical gold in your own possession (or a trusted custodian), your investment does not have any risk of counterparty claim AND you have no Government/SEC restrictions placed on your investment, like the SEC regulation just passed.

I will end with a quote from none other than the king of fiat money, Alan Greenspan, who said on September 9th, 2009: "gold still holds reign over the financial system as the ultimate source of payment." Keep this in mind when you get your next investment statement from your broker or advisor.

Source: ZeroHedge

Social Medias True Impact on Haiti, China, and the World | Mashable

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 04:00:00 -0800

The Social Analyst is a weekly column by Mashable Co-Editor Ben Parr, where he digs into social media trends and how they are affecting companies in the space.

Weve seen some major world events unfold on the social media stage this week, the biggest being Googles threat to pull out of China and the Haiti earthquake.

Googles actions have brought attention back to the long-standing Internet censorship that blankets China, while the destruction in Haiti has mobilized hundreds of thousands to open their wallets and their hearts.

Just like the Iran Election crisis, people are again assessing the impact of social media on the world. Its clear that social media has the power to impact world politics and the lives of billions, but some have overstated what social media can actually do. We need to understand what social media really is in order to utilize it effectively for social good.

Let me explain by highlighting a few examples of social medias impact on the world stage, and then concluding with how I view social medias impact in the larger context of mobilization and world discussion.

The Iran Election Crisis

During summer 2009, the worlds eyes were fixated on IranIran . Questions were raised after Ahmadinejad was declared the winner over rival Mousavi in Irans Presidential elections. The abnormalities and potential tampering of the vote resulted in massive protests that engulfed the Islamic nation.

Social medias role in the Iran Election Crisis started with #CNNFail, but that was only the beginning of social medias role. With the Iranian government clamping down on information and enforcing censorship, became the primary mediums for bringing information out of the conflicted nation and spreading notes between dissidents.

Take a look at the Iran Election social media timeline we built if you want to see its full impact. Key moments in the crisis, especially death of Neda, were recorded and spread like wildfire, creating an outpouring of support for the protesters. Twitters role was so important in fact that the U.S. government got involved in scheduling Twitters downtime.

In the end though, social media didnt topple any governments, although it has helped shift the political climate in Iran. In some cases the use of Twitter in Iran was overstated, yet the result is that the tipping point for Iran is close, thanks to social media.

The Haiti Earthquake

After a magnitude 7.0 earthquake (and multiple aftershocks) devastated the nation of Haiti, social media became the medium in which everybody spread the word. Dramatic Haiti earthquake Twitter pictures swept across the web, while tech giants mobilized.

The most impressive part of social medias impact on Haiti has to be the charity text message campaign that has already raised more than $10 million for Haiti victim relief. Social media spread the word, technology made it possible.

Its not all perfect, though: the money raised is small compared to the relief coming from world governments and donations face 90 day delays. Still, social media for social good is becoming more and more effective with each crisis.

The China-Google Standoff

While we are still far from the conclusion of this messy affair, Googles threat to pull out of China has already had a dramatic effect in both social media and political circles.

Politically, China has been put under pressure. The U.S. government has thrown its support behind Google, though its doubtful that the Obama administration will get involved in the end.

More importantly though, social media is being used to lift Chinas blanket of censorship. Social tools, while many are blocked by the Chinese, can get through Chinas great firewall. We have the tools to undo censorship in China. Googles efforts have re-ignited the debate over censorship, but they wont break the barrier.

Breaking Down Social Medias Global Impact

In all three cases (China, Haiti, and Iran), social media has had an impact, especially as the course of events evolved. Real-time communication platforms like Twitter and Facebook have spread the word about whats happening within these nations, long before the mainstream media prints the story. These tools have also created a level awareness weve never seen before.

We have to be realistic, though: new media isnt going to stop censorship, overthrow oppressive regimes, or heal the people of Haiti alone. Social media has transformed communication, media, and the transmission of information, but it still takes people on the ground to pull people out of the rubble or to fight for freedom.

Just as Paul Revere embarked on his midnight ride to warn that the British were coming, social media acts as both the first warning and the rallying cry for mobilization. In the end though, social media is just a collection of tools. Its up to us, the people, to make the real impact on our world.

Source: Mashable

Haiti Earthquake Relief: How You Can Help | Huffington Post

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 04:00:00 -0800

Huffington Post Impact has put together a comprehensive list of links to donate and get involved in relief efforts for victims of Tuesday's devastating earthquake. You can also go to The Goods: Help Send Relief To Haiti, an online store by Causecast and HuffPost Impact, where you can purchase products for organizations that will be directly used on the ground in Haiti.

The U.S. State Department Operations Center has set up the following number for Americans seeking information about family members in Haiti: 1-888-407-4747

The American Red Cross is pledging an initial $200,000 to assist communities impacted by this earthquake. They expect to provide immediate needs for food, water, temporary shelter, medical services and emotional support. They are accepting donations through their International Response Fund.
UNICEF has issued a statement that "Children are always the most vulnerable population in any natural disaster, and UNICEF is there for them." UNICEF requests donations for relief for children in Haiti via their Haiti Earthquake Fund. You can also call 1-800-4UNICEF.
Donate through Wyclef Jean's foundation, Yele Haiti. Text "Yele" to 501501 and $5 will be charged to your phone bill and given to relief projects through the organization.
Operation USA is appealing for donations of funds from the public and corporate donations in bulk of health care materials, water purification supplies and food supplements which it will ship to the region from its base in the Port of Los Angeles. Donate online at www.opusa.org, by phone at 1-800-678-7255 or, by check made out to Operation USA, 3617 Hayden Ave, Suite A, Culver City, CA 90232.
Save The Children has launched an emergency relief effort for Haiti. Donate to their fund to provide medical attention and clean water to children and families.
International Medical Corps is assembling a team of first responders and resources to provide lifesaving medical care and other emergency services to survivors of the earthquake. The IMC previously helped recovery efforts after September 2009's earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia, and the massive 2005 earthquake in Pakistan. Donate to the International Medical Corps through their 24-hour hotline at 800-481-4462
Ben Stiller's Stillerstrong campaign will be temporarily diverting all donations to support the Haiti relief effort.
Partners In Health reports its Port-au-Prince clinical director , Louise Ivers, has appealed for assistance: "Port-au-Prince is devastated, lot of deaths. SOS. SOS... Temporary field hospital by us at UNDP needs supplies, pain meds, bandages. Please help us." Donate to their Haiti earthquake fund.
As a UN Special Envoy to Haiti, Bill Clinton appeared on CNN on Wednesday to ask for further assistance in bringing relief to populations on the ground. You can donate through the Clinton Foundation or text HAITI to 20222 to donate $10.
Mercy Corps is sending a team of emergency responders to assess damage, and seek to fulfill immediate needs of quake survivors. The agency aided families after earthquakes in Peru in 2007, China and Pakistan in 2008, and Indonesia last year. Donate online, call 1-888-256-1900 or send checks to Mercy Corps Haiti Earthquake Fund; Dept NR; PO Box 2669; Portland, OR 97208.
Doctors Without Borders is on the ground and has set up clinics to treat injured in Haiti. Donate any amount so they can keep their efforts going.
Direct Relief is committing up to $1 million in aid for the response and is coordinating with its other in-country partners and colleague organizations. Their partners in Haiti include Partners in Health, St. Damien Children's Hospital, and the Visitation Hospital, which are particularly active in emergency response. Donate to Direct Relief online.
Oxfam is rushing in teams from around the region to respond to the situation to provide clean water, shelter, sanitation and help people recover. Donate to Oxfam America online.
The UN World Food Programme is gathering all available resources to deliver food to the recently homeless and impoverished in Haiti. Donate now to help bring food to those affected as quickly and efficiently as possible.
The Baptist Haiti Mission is operating an 82-bed hospital that is "overflowing with injured." Donate online to BHM and 100% of your donation will go to the relief effort.
International Medical Corps is assembling a team of first responders and resources to provide lifesaving medical care and other emergency services to survivors of the earthquake. Donate online.
Following the earthquake, Catholic Relief Services made an immediate commitment of $5 million for emergency supplies. They are distributing food and relief supplies, and importing plastic sheeting, mosquito nets and water purification tablets from the Domincan Republic. Donate to Catholic Relief Services to assist in these efforts.
Give to the American Jewish World Service's Earthquake Relief Fund.
CARE is deploying emergency team members to Port-au-Prince today to assist in recovery efforts. They're focusing their efforts on rescuing children who may still be trapped in schools that collapsed. Donate to CARE.
Orphans International America reports that they have been able to make contact with their program director in the town of Jacmel, a city about 20 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince that houses OI's hospitals and schools. Orphans International America is attempting to gather food, clean water and emergency medical supplies to Jacmel. You can contribute to them through PayPal.
The International Rescue Committee is deploying an emergency response team to Haiti to deliver urgent assistance to earthquake survivors and to help overwhelmed local aid groups struggling to meet the immense emergency needs. They will focus on critical medical, water and sanitation assistance. Donate to the IRC Haiti Crisis Fund.
NetHope is coordinating its response with its NGO member agencies and with the UN's Emergency Telecom Cluster to establish connectivity in Haiti. Seventeen of NetHope's members are already providing aid and deploying resources on the ground. Donate online.
The Haitian Health Foundation is still assessing the situation of their full-time facilities and staff in Haiti. They regularly provide health care, development and relief to rural mountain villages in Haiti. Donate to the Haitian Health Foundation.
World Vision has more 370 staff in the country. Staff members from less-affected regions of Haiti are mobilizing, and World Vision's global experts are expected to arrive in the disaster zone as soon as possible. Donate to World Vision.
The Jewish Federations of North America is partnering with the American Jewish Joint Distribution committee and have created a dedicated Haiti Relief page for online donations.
United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) is the UN's humanitarian fund responding to emergencies like the earthquake in Haiti. Donate online.
Friends of the Orphans will use donations to meet the needs of first responders such as first aid supplies, shipping of necessary materials to assist in efforts, and treating the injured. Those interested in helping the relief effort can visit www.friendsoftheorphans.org, or call 888-201-8880 to make a donation.
World Concern's staff is almost entirely composed of Haitian nationals and will be tapping into private as well as U.S. government supplies to help in the relief effort it hopes will soon be supplemented by cargo ships. Donate to World Concern.
Merlin USA is sending an emergency response team out to the region and have subsequently launched an emergency appeal to bring urgent medical aid and assistance to those affected. Donate to Merlin USA.
The Salvation Army has staff on the ground and already the organization has set aside $50,000 in direct aid to the country but the organization is in need of additional donations. Donations can be made online or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY.
The American Refugee Committee is sending a response team to provide water, sanitation, and shelter for earthquake survivors. Donate online or read about their volunteer opportunities.
AmeriCares has pledged $5 million in aid in the wake of the catastrophe and is sending an emergency shipment with $3 million worth of medicines and supplies for earthquake survivors. Donate online or call 1-800-486-HELP.
Handicap International will provide care to those injured by the earthquake and its aftershocks, including support to hospitals for essential post-surgery and rehabilitation care, as well as emergency shelter, emergency basic needs and food distribution for at least 5,000 people initially. Donate online.
Episcopal Relief & Development has committed to providing Haiti both long and short-term support in the wake of the disaster. Donate to the Haiti Fund or call 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129. Gifts can be mailed to Episcopal Relief & Development, PO Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058.

HuffPost Impact is following relief organizations in Haiti and will be updating with their latest messages from the ground.

Source: Huffington Post

10 Political Connections In Greentech | Earth2Tech

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 04:00:00 -0800

As weve all heard before, its often who you know, instead of what you know, when it comes to the world of business. And thats even more true for the greentech industry, which became the leading venture capital investment sector in the third quarter of 2009 largely based on investments from the U.S. governments stimulus package.

While greentech investors readily backed President Obama during his political campaign, former cabinet members all the way back to the Reagan administration have joined the boards of greentech startups in droves in recent years, particularly former Department of Energy Secretaries. Here are 10 we know of, and if you have more to share, add them in the comment section.

Politician	Former Office	Greentech Connection
Condoleezza Rice	Former Secretary of State	Director of carbon startup C3, (formerly on board of Chevron). She has said a cap-and-trade system could be easily abused.
Spencer Abraham	Former Secretary of Energy	Director at carbon startup C3. Non-executive chairman of the board for the U.S. arm of French nuclear company AREVA. Has reservations about a cap-and-trade system, but thinks that a system would likely be implemented eventually in the U.S.
Al Gore	Former Vice President	Partner with venture firm Kleiner Perkins, chairman of Generation Investment Management
Colin Powell	Former Secretary of State	Strategic limited partner at Kleiner Perkins. While Powell hasnt played a major public role at KP (one of the most aggressive greentech VC firms) hes a fan of electric car Fisker, and reportedly joined the firm to help with international consulting, which could benefit greentech.
R. James Woolsey	Former director of the Central Intelligence Agency	Partner at VantagePoint Venture Partners, adviser to GridPoint, and focused on security and the smart grid
Bill Clinton	Former President	Founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation, which has the Clinton Climate Initiative
John Herrington	Former Secretary of Energy	Board of directors for natural gas fuel company Clean Energy Fuels
James C. Miller III	Former director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, chaired the U.S. Federal Trade Commission during the Reagan administration	Board of directors for natural gas fuel company Clean Energy Fuels
James Schlesinger	Former Secretary of Energy	Advisory board of biofuels startup GeoSynFuels
Wesley Clark	Four-star general, former presidential candidate and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander	Board of directors of ethanol trade group Growth Energy

Source: Earth2Tech

Six Surprising Places For Solar Power | The Daily Green

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 04:00:00 -0800

Although the Recession has slowed down the rapid rise of alternative energy technologies like solar, wind, wave and biofuels, the future is still quite bright. The good news for homeowners and businesses large and small is that the benefits of home solar power are not restricted just to the sunniest states. Impressive gains are being seen in some unlikely places as well.

It's probably no surprise that interest in solar power is heavy in sunny California. PG&E, one of the state's major utilities, reports that it connects to 40% of all solar panels in the U.S. It's probably also not a stretch to believe that South Florida is a hotbed of solar activity, given balmy weather and a progressive bent. Likewise, parts of the Phoenix area are becoming heavily solarized, and to a lesser extent solar panels are being deployed fairly regularly up and down most of our nation's coasts, where there is less of a concern with shading and a higher concentration of people with money to spend on improvements.

Of course, the decision to go solar is a big one, and it can seem complicated, as well as expensive. Getting started may be easier than you think, however, and what's particularly exciting are the rise of solar panel leasing plans and neighborhood groups that are pooling resources to get hefty group discounts.

So what determines consumer interest in home solar power? Major factors do include availability of sun, as well as social and political values, disposable income and - significantly -- state and local incentives. (Check out DSIRE, The Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency, to find out what incentives and rebates are offered from your state, town or utility.) We can get a fascinating overview of how these various factors influence actual consumer behavior with this mashup map by Cooler Planet.

Cooler Planet took all of the inquiries they've received over the last several years -- some 30,000 -- and mapped them on a live data, interactive heat map. Who's Cooler Planet? They're a Seattle-based company created by environmentalists with backgrounds in software engineering and online marketing, with one goal: "Over time, we aim to provide you all the tools and resources you need to reduce the carbon footprint of your home, your business, and your life." Cooler Planet's service is completely free, and matches interested homeowners and businesses with their network of pre-screened Green Professionals.

Source: Huffington Post

Report: Carbon Price Needs to Be at $40 for Commercial CCS | Earth2Tech

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 04:00:00 -0800

Heres another hurdle for the carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) market (where carbon emitted during power generation is collected and stored): Research firm ABI says that the price of carbon on emissions trading markets needs to hit $40 per ton of CO2 for CCS to attain true commercial status. Ruh-roh. Carbon prices recently took a major dive after the Copenhagen climate summit failed to send strong signals to investors that international governments would set aggressive emissions reductions.

This morning carbon futures are trading around 13 ($18.75), not even reaching half of what ABI says is needed for a commercial CCS. So, if the carbon markets hover around this price, CCS wont be moving into commercialization anytime soon, as many have predicted.

The ABI report is interesting in that it predicts that CCS and the carbon emissions trading markets will be closely linked going forward as carbon credits will be created as carbon from CCS is stored. Pike Research has predicted the same thing. And that really means that CCS wont be economical for power producers without that externality also not a good sign for CCS.

Pike Research has pointed out that CCS will hike up the cost of producing electricity at power plants by 50-70 percent (based on todays costs and capabilities). Energy Secretary Steven Chu has said that CCS technology today would increase the cost of generating power from coal by about 80 percent and that it would need to get to a 20-25 percent premium to be tolerable.

Thats why many are pretty bearish on CCS. Google CEO Eric Schmidt has likened the current state of CCS technology to a half-baked web tool in need of debugging.

Still with the U.S. government making a significant investment in the tech through the stimulus package, the technology will have to move forward, at least a little bit. The Obama administrations Recovery Act included $3.4 billion for CCS-related projects, and the EU plans to spend $535 million on CCS and clean coal technology through 2013. Australia, Canada and Norway have said each will invest hundreds of millions of dollars into the industry in the coming years. The ABI report says that between 2009 and 2014, $14.6 billion will be invested in 73 new CCS projects that will sequester 146 million tons of CO2.

A report by Emerging Energy Research published in February found that CCS technology could be ready for commercialization as early as 2016 if demonstration projects go well and governments provide sufficient funding.

Source: Earth2Tech

GBDS.US News Articles Daily

Anatomy of a Power Purchase Agreement | Greentech Media

Our stand for digital due process | Google Blog

33 Outstanding Buckminster Fuller Challenge Entries Advanced to the Final Stage | Buckminster Fuller Institute

The SEC Passes Regulation Which Only STRENGTHENS Case to Own Gold | ZeroHedge

Social Medias True Impact on Haiti, China, and the World | Mashable

The Iran Election Crisis

The Haiti Earthquake

The China-Google Standoff

Breaking Down Social Medias Global Impact

Haiti Earthquake Relief: How You Can Help | Huffington Post

10 Political Connections In Greentech | Earth2Tech

Six Surprising Places For Solar Power | The Daily Green

Report: Carbon Price Needs to Be at $40 for Commercial CCS | Earth2Tech

Top 15 Stories from 2009 | Earth2Tech

Social Medias True Impact on Haiti, China, and the World | Mashable

Breaking Down Social Medias Global Impact