CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE

A group of environmental activists has enlisted Google to help flood the congressional switchboard with one million phone calls on Earth Day urging lawmakers to enact eco-friendly measures.

"We're really excited about this because Congress keeps saying they don't hear from the American public on climate change," said Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network, which bills itself as an eco-activism group connecting some 17,000 organizations in 174 countries. "The [presidential] candidates are not being asked about climate change. Climate change is the biggest threat to humanity that we've ever faced."

Rogers said her group is finalizing talks with Internet giant Google to coordinate online advertisements and other publicity measures in support of the calls. Details of the arrangement are still being worked out and are scheduled to be released on April 14.

(Click to read entire article)

Call it tilting at Fresh Kills. Or call it a possible dream. James P. Molinaro, the Staten Island borough president, sent a letter to Gov. David A. Paterson on Thursday asking him to consider turning Fresh Kills, the former landfill, into a wind farm.

Specifically, he suggests a feasibility study for establishing a wind farm, with seven turbines, to power the park planned at the former landfill. He wrote:

Pending State and City approvals, the seven 400-foot turbines could generate 17 megawatts of energy, enough to power 5,000 homes. It would take 4.3 million gallons of oil per year to achieve this electric production. With oil at more than $100 a barrel today, the energy costs would be staggering.

Through a spokeswoman, Gov. Paterson indicated the plan was not quite quixotic:

The governor wants to see wind energy greatly expanded in New York. He is very interested in the Staten Island proposal because it may provide clean power in an area of the state that really needs it. We await the details of the proposal and as long as it complies with state and local laws, we look forward to working with the borough president to explore this clean energy option for Staten Island.

Mr. Molinaro noted that BQ Energy, which has worked upstate, is willing to develop the farm at no cost to the city. “The city needs to begin the land lease process now,” he wrote. He first began promoting the plan in August.

But the cooperation of the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation would be required, and has not been forthcoming. In the letter, Mr. Molinaro wrote that one official there he met with in December had a “lukewarm at best” reaction to the plan.

“She said she would have to study the issue, but has yet to get back to us,” he wrote.

"The tripling of oil prices since the summer of 2003 has unleashed forces that within the next two or three years will bring oil prices tumbling back down to below $50 a barrel." So said John Cassidy, writing about "The Coming Oil Crash" in the January issue of Conde Nast Portfolio. Yes, the price of oil will come down, though no one knows exactly when. It has topped $100 a barrel and there are indications it could go higher.

There are vast forces at work regarding the price per barrel of oil and one of them is the speculation that has driven up the cost despite the fact that there are ample supplies. The problem is not lack of oil, but whether it can be shipped to a waiting world. The potential for conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere worries the marketplace.

Sebastian Abbot, an Associated Press reporter, points out that, "Hedge funds and other financial institutions have been buying and selling oil contracts in an attempt to generate profits." Such trading has little to do with actual supply and demand and more to do with the kind of gambling that led to the sub-prime mortgage meltdown. And what goes up will go down. The cost of a barrel of oil is also tied to the value of the U.S. dollar.

(Click to read entire essay)

Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer knew what he was doing when he chose Paul Tonko to lead the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority last year.

After all, Tonko, an engineer by trade who was first elected to state office in 1983, served as chairman of the Assembly's energy committee from 1992 to his appointment as president and CEO of NYSERDA in July.

The agency, created in the 1970s to reduce the state's dependence on oil, now is involved in a wide array of energy-efficiency initiatives, low-income energy programs, and research and development. It is funded by money collected through utility bills.

Tonko sat down with the Times Union to talk about NYSERDA.

(Click to read entire interview)

Is there a link between biofuels and global warming? Time's Mike Grunwald explains

Setting the stage for a new approach to combating climate change, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) announced that the first auction in the nation for carbon dioxide pollution allowances will take place Sept. 10, 2008.

Auctions will be quarterly, with the second auction set for Dec. 17, 2008. In all likelihood, New York will participate in the second auction rather than the first.

The RGGI participants are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. The full release and supplemental materials about the design of the auction are available at the RGGI Inc. website.

The reason for the high cost of gasoline is the failure of our government to act in a responsible manner. The "Energy-Independence and Security-Act of 2007” requires a 35-mpg standard by 2020. Whoop de do!!! Evidently none of the people who created and signed this act did any research on available technology. To require 35-mpg is ridiculous considering the achievements of Shell Oil with modified automobiles; 49.73- mpg around 1939; 149.95-mpg with a 1947 Studebaker in 1949; 244.35-mpg with a 1959 Fiat 600 in 1968; 376.59-mpg with a 1959 Opel in 1973. If you lived in Europe, during 1983, you could purchase a 72-mpg diesel or 65.7-mpg gas fueled Peugeot. Toyota is complaining they can’t meet the mpg standard. Evidently some people at Toyota didn’t get the memo about the 104-mpg diesel sold in Europe during 2002. Do you wonder why these automobiles were not available in the USA? In 2006 every congressional member of the energy committees was informed of this technology, they did nothing. Ask your members of congress for an explanation why these automobiles were not sold here, I did, they don’t respond.

A Philippine inventor has fueled engines with the components of water for more than 30- years, the Japanese have a water fueled mini-van on the street. This is not new technology, more than 200-years ago one of the attempts to make a self-powered vehicle was fueled with the components of water. The technology is not only applicable to automobiles, any device fueled with ”fossil” oil can be fueled with water. In January 2007, Dominion Energy sent a “doom and gloom’ letter to customers, I responded with information about commercially available water fueled electricity generators. Dominion did not respond, consider this when paying your electric bill.

You hear, and read, of the presidential candidates expounding about our reliance on foreign oil. Yet, every candidate for president was offered a free computer disk with videos of six automobiles fueled with water, none wanted the disk. You are told there is an oil shortage. A chairman of Exxon/mobile doesn’t think so nor does the governor of Alaska. The governor says there is a 200-year oil supply for the USA in that state.

Documentation, and videos, for the above will be found: www.byronwine.com.

It is apparent there is an effort by our government, and major media, to keep the citizens in the dark concerning achieved energy technology. We must make all politicians, including wannabes, address the energy issue with truth and solutions, not rhetoric. DO SOMETHING don’t whine about the cost of gasoline, demand that our leaders earn their salary by action

Another issue, investigate the privately owned Federal Reserve System.

Byron Wine Manassas, VA

Do you think Yuppie NIMBY's will embrace this design as a solution?

The Selsam SuperTurbine is one of the best designs I’ve seen yet for a wind turbine that can survive the hostile open seas. It also looks like it might be a bit of a bitch to navigate through with a tanker — not to mention the description states “the SuperTurbine probably won’t sink a vessel.” Makes you feel warm and cozy inside, doesn’t it? Still, based on designs, it looks like the pitch of the turbine should be high enough to keep you safe.

The advantages of this design are many. First, during large and fierce storms, these deep water turbines may intentionally lay down by flooding chambers, or even completely submerge to survive. Bonus! Second, flotation near the surface forms a fulcrum, with the weight of the rotors and driveshaft balanced by a downward force from the mooring below. According to the site, this allows the turbine to bend similar to arching your back to take advantage of wind patterns much more easily. Additionally, the rotors can be staggered, spiral, or in line.

Of course, the addition of a blimp always makes things more interesting and the designers have integrated this accessory as well. “With addition of a blimp, the offshore Selsam SUPERTURBINE(TM) can become even more powerful. The thickened hollow base of the driveshaft is buoyant, spinning in the water, acting as the main bearings of the turbine, with the entire apparatus tethered by the relatively small bearings of the generator, located within the floating base.”

Instant awesome. Anti-wind folk will also appreciate the minimalist design of these turbines — which merge into the seascape from long distances.

For a whole host of photos and information, jump here

From his Cessna a mile above the southern Amazon, John Carter looks down on the destruction of the world's greatest ecological jewel. He watches men converting rain forest into cattle pastures and soybean fields with bulldozers and chains. He sees fires wiping out such gigantic swaths of jungle that scientists now debate the "savannization" of the Amazon. Brazil just announced that deforestation is on track to double this year; Carter, a Texas cowboy with all the subtlety of a chainsaw, says it's going to get worse fast. "It gives me goose bumps," says Carter, who founded a nonprofit to promote sustainable ranching on the Amazon frontier. "It's like witnessing a rape."

(Click to read entire article)

Long considered marginal and even quixotic, energy from sources like the wind, sun and plants is turning into one of the world's most highly valued industries. And while power generated by "green" sources remains tiny compared with fossil fuels, the sector has begun to attract the attention of big-league investors seeking to profit from a new wave of growth in alternative energy.

But even as the amount of cash swells, environmental officials warn that financing is flowing to projects that may be doomed to failure.

Once-trendy biofuels like ethanol produced from corn are now being derided by the authorities, who say the fuels have little value in the fight against global warming. Vital components for windmills and solar cells have run short over the past year, requiring expensive projects to a halt. Meanwhile, subsidies for renewable energy remain at the whim of politicians, creating a boom and bust cycle for wind farms and solar projects, particularly in the United States.

(Click to read entire article)

They don't call it the Windy City for nothing. Chicagoans routinely brave tropical-storm-force winds. So why is all that energy is only used to knock over pedestrians and scatter detritus when it could be used to power the city!

Well, the "Clean Technology Tower" will finally be exploiting Chicago's wind with dozens of wind turbines tucked into its body. These aren't your average, everyday building integrated turbines either. AS+GG Architecture has actually done the math, and they've determined the best way to harness the wind as it flows around the tower. Depressions in the face of the tower channel wind into the turbines. As the tower reaches higher (and wind speeds increase) the turbines are more tightly spaced.

The result is more than perfect for capturing power, it's also a much more organic and pleasing design than we've seen with a lot of wind-capturing buildings.

The tower will have more than two million square feet of hotel, retail and office space. The wind will be used both to power the building and create negative pressure for natural ventilation. And, as if this wasn't enough clean technology, the domed roof will be covered in photovoltaic panels!

I haven't heard any time-scales for this thing tossed around, but hopefully sooner rather than later. AS+GG is plenty busy with amazing green building projects, like the Masdar Headquarters, but hopefully they'll put this one on the fast track as well.

This site is created to help bring rational thought to energy production. Mainstream energy thought processes have managed to infiltrate the alternate energy movement and steal it's thunder and lure.

Has anyone even considered that our whole approach to energy may be the real problem? Of course there are dirty and clean methods for creating energy as well as energy resources that are limited in supply as with hydrocarbons.. That much is obvious on the face of the issue and should be dealt with using appropriate methods and technologies. What I'm really wanting to discuss today is our whole philosophical approach to energy production and distribution.

The discovery and use of energy is the true source of civilization. Without other than human energy we would very likely still be squatted in caves and shelters chipping flint and tying it to sticks. We would be huddled together on cold days trying our best to keep warm by combining our body heat. By the way it's your turn to move to the outside of the huddle...

(Click to read and bookmark this feature on CPAgroup WiKi)

Our task is to harness it and use it wisely.

This page will be used to post news and articles relating to progress in new technologies in generating and using energy that can free us from imported oil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

We are on the cusp of a major revolution in energy use. For the first time, we have batteries that allow decent sized automobiles to run practical distances on electricity with greater effciency than the internal combustion engine can offer, and heat pumps that can pump more energy than they consume, to efficiently heat and cool homes and buildings. Both require ample supplies of affordable electrical energy that is available when needed, and generated from clean U.S. derived sources.

Please pass this Information on to friends not currently concerned with energy issues so they can better grasp the opportunities we risk losing with misguided policies that promote boondoggles like corn-to-ethanol and wind turbines.

Our current misguided energy subsides impede this revolution, and risk denying this country the opportunity to regain technological leadership and real jobs.

(Click to read and bookmark this feature on CPAgroup WiKi)

Whiteco2.pdf

Finally, a vibration free, silent, self indexing, high-bandwidth wind turbine suitable for rooftop mounting. Wide scale distributed renewable wind energy is now possible in urban as well as rural settings.

Being the developer of a low profile, high efficiency wind turbine and generator it pains me to have to dispel the myth that centralized renewable energy such as wind and wave reduces carbon emissions. Power produced in one location then transmitted via high voltage lines many miles then stepped down to the lower voltage distribution lines before delivery to the end user is centralized generation. Centralized generation relies upon the vast interconnection of transmission and distribution lines that crisscross the country known simply as the grid and herein lays the problem.

The grid network is sometimes referred to as the world’s largest machine and is divided into three parts, Eastern, Western and Texas. Power flows within each section as alternating current (AC) and must be synchronized at 60Hz while the connection between these three parts is direct current (DC). A drop of only 2Hz anywhere along the grid can rapidly heat up lines and trigger a chain reaction leading to massive outages like we witnessed in August 2003 along the east coast.

While it is correct that wind, wave and other renewable energy can save on CO2 emissions synchronizing demand and output to protect the grid comes at a heavy price. In a report by David White, Reduction in Carbon Dioxide Emissions: Estimating the Potential Contribution from Wind-Power, commissioned by the Renewable Energy Foundation, December 2004, White found that, “Fossil-fuelled capacity operating as reserve and backup is required to accompany wind generation and stabilize supplies to the consumer. That capacity is placed under particular strains when working in this supporting role because it is being used to balance a reasonably predictable but fluctuating demand with a variable and largely unpredictable output from wind turbines.

"Consequently, operating fossil capacity in this mode generates more CO2 per kWh generated than if operating normally.”

Six wave park applications have recently been made to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission proposed along the Oregon coast. Each wave park is listed at 20 to 180MW output with ties to the mainland via 25kV transmission lines. Wave energy may be more predictable than wind energy but some wave buoy generators have a minimum and maximum swell they can operate in. Consequently, centralized wave energy will require fossil fuel powered generators to idle on standby and then cycle up rapidly to maintain grid integrity.

Sadly, electricity cannot reasonably be stored on an industrial scale. So how do we reap the benefits of carbon neutral power generation sources without relying upon a fossil fuel powered grid? The answer may lie in decentralized or distributed energy.

Distributed energy is power produced at or near the point of consumption. It is called distributed energy because this power is generated at the lower voltages carried by the distribution lines we see lining our roadways. Distributed generators can be gas powered or renewable like PV and small wind. All the synchronization problems associated with centralized power are significantly reduced or eliminated at the lower voltage distribution level.

Power generation at the neighborhood or district scale or just supplying individual homes and businesses is much easier to manage and surprisingly, is less expensive to the rate payer. Studies on wide scale deployment of distributed generation indicate as much as 44% reduction in capital costs versus centralized power and a 15% savings to the consumer in retail costs.

The transition from centralized to decentralized will not be easy despite a growing global movement toward wide scale distributed energy. One motivating factor toward decentralizing is the aging and deteriorating grid itself. While it is hard to find reliable estimates on the eventual cost of replacing and modernizing the grid, at a million dollars a mile and climbing, the number could be in the trillions.

Our electrical infrastructure has been ignored and the exorbitant cost of replacing the grid to maintain a costly centralized system makes transitioning to distributed energy almost inevitable. It is the cost to the planet in carbon emissions however, that makes it mandatory.

As the Web’s leading destination for green news and lifestyle coverage, TreeHugger is constantly seeking to increase the quality of our content and our talent pool. Right now, that means hiring a full-time writer to cover alternative energy. We are looking for someone who has in-depth knowledge and passion about this topic, can identify and explore current and emerging trends, understands science and policy, understands how clean tech relates to the average consumer and household, and can communicate it all clearly to TreeHugger’s diverse audience. Does this like sound like you or someone you know? Then, keep reading, because we also offer a $200 referral reward if you connect us with a successful long-term hire.

(Click to read entire press announcement)

Merrill Lynch Global Research has introduced a new global emissions benchmark, the MLCX Global CO2 Emissions Index, which is designed to provide investors with a clear and balanced insight into the rapidly growing global CO2 emissions market, according to the company.

The MLCX Global CO2 Emissions Index is based on contracts established under the European Union Emission Trading Scheme and under the Kyoto protocol. The MLCX Global CO2 index (MLCXCO2E) gives investors analysis of both schemes, weighting them by their relevance in the global emissions market. Merrill Lynch Global Research plans to increase the number of underlying instruments in the index.

“The weightings of the new MLCX Global CO2 Emissions Index are based on liquidity of the underlying instruments, a crucially important element for investors looking to gain exposure to a new and fast-growing market,” said Francisco Blanch, Merrill Lynch head of global commodities research.”

NYRI’s application to build a 200-mile-long power line through central New York is still deficient, the state Public Service Commission informed the firm in a letter dated Monday.

The determination means NYRI’s application to build the $1.6 billion, 400-kilovolt line cannot yet be formally evaluated by state regulators. New York Regional Interconnect Inc. also has been pursuing approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee for a project that would route electricity from Marcy in Oneida County to New Windsor in Orange County. Along the firm’s preferred route, electric cable on towers more than 100 feet tall would run through Chenango and Delaware counties.

NYRI’s original application, filed May 31, 2006, was declared deficient by the PSC in July of that year.

Last month, the i n v e s t o r - o w n e d firm filed a supplement to its application, billed as addressing those deficiencies. According to the PSC, the effort fell short. On Tuesday afternoon, David Kalson, NYRI spokesman, stated by e-mail that NYRI was still evaluating the PSC’s letter.

This letter states that two municipalities that lie along one of NYRI’s proposed routes, the village of Yorkville in Oneida County and the town of Callicoon in Sullivan County, as well as the town of Tompkins in Delaware County, which is near a proposed route, were not properly notified of the supplement.

The PCS found that aerial photographs submitted were inadequate, because they didn’t show a wideenough swath along the project’s path.

``The coverage of the aerial photographs in the application supplement indicates the proposed centerline and right-of-way, but does not show at least 1,200 feet on each side of the proposed ROW or identify all cultural features, as required by (law),’’ it states.

Other deficiencies the PSC noted were:

- The application does not contain ``legible architectural drawings for the switch yard (and) substation facilities or converter stations.’’

- The application supplement does not contain ``a list of all local ordinances, laws, resolutions, regulations, standards, and other requirements applicable to the proposed facility, together with a statement that the location of the facility as proposed conforms to all such local legal provisions, except any that the applicant requests that the Commission refuse to apply.’’

- Not adequately addressing historic and cultural resources along NYRI’s proposed routes. Project opponents Chris Rossi and Eve Ann Shwartz, co-chairwomen of Stop NYRI, said the PSC’s finding are helpful, but both warned that the company is working to make its application more complete at the federal level. According to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, projects in ``national interest electric transmission corridors’’ can be approved federally, overruling state regulators if the project has been reviewed for at least a year at the state level. One such corridor designated last year includes most of New York state, including all of NYRI’s preferred route.

In the past, Kalson has said NYRI hopes to win state approval for a project that proponents say is meant to take power from upstate New York and transmit it to the New York City area. State Sen. John Bonacic, R-Mount Hope, praised the letter in an e-mail to The Daily Star.

``This latest setback for NYRI is good news,” he wrote, “but the best news would be if the federal government would remove itself from deciding where and when power lines in New York state should be sited.’’

Will Friedman, McKenna Morrigan and Alison Kadlec

The new research uncovers a serious barrier to advancing national dialogue on energy issues: the profound mismatch in how leaders and the public define the problem and think about solutions. The research is based on a series of focus groups across the country and interviews with experts on an array of energy issues.

For example, citizens primarily think about their own personal habits and consumption when the topic of “conservation” arises and assume that conserving means they will end up sacrificing comfort and convenience to reduce energy use. Meanwhile many experts say the nation could vastly increase energy efficiency through changes that would be nearly imperceptible to the average person. Many experts see this as a potential breakthrough, but one that is currently stalled.

Many citizens had a “strongly felt perception that ‘movers and shakers’ are either actively making matters worse or are simply abdicating responsibility and leaving problems to fester,” the report says. Energy experts had a more nuanced, although not entirely contradictory view. “Most experts saw the forces behind the energy leadership vacuum as a combination of the prevailing culture of partisanship and the corrupting influence of big money on public decision-making,” the report’s authors say.

The exploratory study was conducted on behalf of the Kettering Foundation.

energygap.pdf

New York State Electric & Gas Corp. will change its bill notices to include new information, including mention that a consumer could achieve some tax savings by switching to an energy service company, or ESCO.

The New York State Public Service Commission said it ordered the change to reduce consumer confusion about energy supply options and make comparison shopping easier. The price-to-compare notice will be included on customers' bills by March 31, the PSC said.

This decision will further customer choice and the ability of energy service companies, or ESCOs, to participate and rely on a fair, competitive market,” PSC Chairman Garry Brown said in a written statement.

In addition, the PSC said in an informal summary that it approved NYSEG's filing to remove the bill issuance and payment processing charge component from the basic monthly service charge and show it as a separate item on the customer's bill.
In December 2006, the PSC denied NYSEG's previous request to unbundle the bill issuance charge. The PSC said it was concerned about the amount of the bill issuance cost to be removed from the bills of customers who buy electric and gas service from ESCOs and about whether segregating and separately listing the charge violated Public Service Law.

At the time, NYSEG was told to include the cost in the basic service charge and state that the charge included 70 cents of bill issuance costs.

James Denn, a PSC spokesman, said he couldn't discuss the new order about the bill issuance charge because it hadn't been issued yet.

They take the time to explain a bit about how the turbine actually works, and also show that it's much easier to ship, requires less infrastructure, can be placed closer to people, and can be more tightly spaced in a wind farm.

The new turbines extract three to four times more energy from the wind, and so can be much smaller. They don't upset the flow of the wind as much, and so can be placed closer together. And since there is no risk of catastrophic failure (see video below) they can be placed nearer to populations.

March 24, 2008 -- ENERGY was one of the few issue areas in which David Paterson was allowed at least briefly to play a visible role during 14 months in the shadows as New York's lieutenant governor. But now that he has succeeded the disgraced Eliot Spitzer in the governor's office, Paterson needs to break with policies that have made energy increasingly expensive and potentially scarce in New York.

New Yorkers pay the third-highest electricity rates in the country, 66 percent more than the national average - and the Spitzer-Paterson administration was in the process of driving costs even higher.

For example, Spitzer's budget proposal - for which Paterson now inherits responsibility - would sock energy companies with $40 million in new taxes and fees, costs ultimately borne by ratepayers. That may not sound like much in the context of a $900 billion state economy, but it comes on top of a variety of other direct and indirect state charges that already raise energy costs. And those are going up, too.

Take the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard. New York now gets about 20 percent of its electricity from renewable-energy sources. The RPS calls for increasing the renewable share to 25 percent by 2013. To achieve that goal, it tacks a surcharge on the utility bills of every residential and commercial customer in New York. The revenues subsidize private corporations that develop renewable-energy projects. Since the state's major hydropower sources, such as the Niagara and St. Lawrence rivers, are already exploited, this growth must come from expensive technologies like solar and wind power. (Nuclear power doesn't count toward the RPS goal.)

The state's Renewable Energy Task Force, chaired by then-Lt. Gov. Paterson, recently reported that the $782 million budgeted to implement the RPS won't be enough to meet the 2013 target. Translation: Higher surcharges are on the way.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, which administers the RPS, also runs New York's energy-efficiency programs - i.e., it's supposed to help reduce costs. But here NYSERDA's track record is poor. Funding for NYSERDA comes from a state-mandated utility surcharge, effectively the same as a tax, known as the System Benefits Charge. Instituted in 1998, the SBC originally cost taxpayers $60 million annually. It's been "updated" several times, and it now costs New Yorkers almost three times that amount each year. By 2011, the SBC will have cost New Yorkers $1.85 billion in charges.

Many of these programs may have some merit from an environmental perspective. But state policymakers rarely, if ever, seem to weigh costs versus benefits. A case in point is the state's approach to acid rain. Since 2003, regulators have instituted pollution-emission caps on state power-plant operators that are far more restrictive than those required by Washington, DC. New York's top environmental cop called them "the toughest acid-rain regulations in the country."

Toughest? Yes, but maybe the least effective as well. Because the chief sources of New York's acid-rain problems are Midwestern power plants out of the reach of New York regulators. Albany officials predicted the rules would raise wholesale electricity prices 5.4 percent - no small price for little discernible benefit.

New York is heading down the same path with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a multistate compact to battle global warming. Spitzer, a major proponent, acknowledged that it would raise costs to power plants and, by extension, to ratepayers. Yet it's doubtful RGGI will have more than a negligible effect on climate change. And if the governor is really looking to curb greenhouse gas output, why is he pushing to close the Indian Point nuclear plant, which generates 2,000 MW of power but no emissions?

High costs aren't the only problem facing New Yorkers. They also must worry whether the lights will stay on. Recently, the state's power-grid operator predicted looming shortages unless the state builds more power plants over the next decade to meet rising demand. That's no easy feat. With the 2003 expiration of Article X of the Public Service Law, which streamlined the permitting process for building large power plants, it now can take more than five years for a proposed plant to get built. Consequently, few investors are lining up to build the plants New York needs.

The Spitzer administration favored an extension of Article X but with a green twist. The law, Spitzer said, must exclude nuclear and coal-fired plants. Such provisions may please environmental groups, but it won't do anything to help add the 2,750 megawatts needed to maintain the reliability of the New York grid by 2017.

Is there a bright future for New York? Perhaps, but it depends largely on whether Paterson is willing to get a handle on runaway costs and take the steps necessary to keep the Empire State economy powered up in the 21st century.

Max Schulz, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, is author of "New York Unplugged? Building Energy Capacity and Curbing Energy Rates in the Empire State."

1. The original purposes of tax credits for wind energy; i.e., to encourage technology development and commercialization, gain a foothold in energy markets, and be more competitive with older, established energy sources have been more than satisfied:

. Wind turbines, blades and towers are now produced by multiple commercial suppliers.

. Thousands of turbines have been installed and more have been ordered.

. The prices of traditional energy sources for electric generation, natural gas, coal, oil, uranium -- have increased dramatically since tax credits were first adopted.

2. Other existing federal tax breaks are huge. For example, most "wind farm" equipment is eligible for 5-year 200% declining balance depreciation for tax purposes, which already permitted recovery of 52% of the capital investment in the first 2 tax years and nearly 3/4th in the first 3 tax years.

The recently enacted 50% 1st year bonus depreciation allowance further accelerates the recovery of capital costs for "wind farms"; i.e., 60% in the 1st tax year and an additional 16% in the 2nd tax year.

In either case, a "wind farm" owner has all his equity back in 18 months or less!
3. Numerous other federal and state tax breaks and subsidies are now available for renewable energy.

4. Tax breaks not environmental or energy benefits -- have become THE principal reason for building "wind farms."

5. Excessive tax breaks and subsidies for wind energy are:

. Transferring millions of dollars annually from the pockets of ordinary taxpayers and electric customers to a few large corporations (many foreign owned) that own "wind farms."

. Misdirecting billions in capital investment dollars to energy projects ("wind farms") that produce very little electricity. The electricity is intermittent, volatile, unreliable, and most likely to be produce at night and in winter not on hot late afternoons in July and August when electricity is needed. Because the output from wind turbines is unreliable, they cannot be counted on at the time of peak demand. They are not a substitute for adding reliable generating capacity to meet growing electricity demand or replace old generating units.

6. Claims of job growth and other economic benefits from investments in renewable energy have been grossly overstated. Results being reported are being driven by unrealistic assumptions, not facts.

7. Claims of environmental benefits have been grossly overstated and adverse environmental, ecological, economic, scenic and property value impacts have been ignored by the wind industry.

8. Tax breaks and subsidies for renewables further exacerbate the federal deficit situation.

Glenn R. Schleede, 18220 Turnberry Drive, Round Hill, VA 20141-2574. 540-338-9958

CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE welcomes members and supporters to contribute to the CPAgroup Wiki

Visit http://cpagroup.pbwiki.com/ and check out the features that the PBwiki 2.0 service offers. Then read the user guide: http://pbwiki.com/content/pbwiki-2-
user-guide

Invites to post on the CPAgroupWiki will be sent out soon or upon request.

Now take the time to view the video - Anybody Can Add Info!

Paul D. Tonko, NYSERDA President and CEO said: “The projects will be conducted over the coming years by nationally recognized, top-level researchers, engineers, corporations, universities and utilities here in New York. These investments will help us meet Governor Spitzer’s goal to reduce electric demand by 15 percent by 2015, strengthen the reliability of the New York grid and have the potential to benefit electric customers around the world.”

The fifth largest single project, with New York State Electric & Gas is unique to the Finger Lakes Region and is valued at $373,923. At U.S. Salt Corp’s Watkins Glen facility, an engineering study for a Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) facility will be undertaken to determine if underground salt caverns can be filled with compressed air for later discharge to drive electric-generating turbines. This process would pump air into the cavern during low-cost, off-peak hours, to about 1000 psig and store it there until it was needed to replacing natural gas- fueled turbines during peak-demand periods.

(Click to read entire article)

Chautauqua Lake Properties, Chautauqua County, New York

Unbridled Energy NY LLC. will partner with Schlumberger Data and Consulting Services to acquire new micro-seismic data on its Chautauqua Lake property in New York. The project will be conducted for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) under a $150,000 contract.

The project will collect new reservoir and hydraulic fracture information in the Grimsby, Whirlpool, and Devonian shales in Chautauqua County to optimize future hydraulic fracture treatments. Until now, this region of New York has not been characterized significantly. The project will include collecting advanced logs, core, and micro-seismic data. Schlumberger will provide the technical analysis for the project.

(Click to read entire article)

Terry Engelder, Ph.D., a geologist at Penn State, has estimated that the total amount of natural gas in the Marcellus shale is somewhere between 168 trillion and 516 trillion cubic feet. About 10 percent of a known reserve usually is considered to be recoverable, but the amount can range considerably higher, according to Dr. Engelder.

For Pennsylvania, the potential exploitation of the field poses some substantial issues. Parts of the field are beneath some of the state’s prime forest land, and under other environmentally sensitive surface features. Given that the expansion of conventional drilling leases in state parks and forests already has led to controversy, drilling for the deep shale would be closely scrutinized.

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After months of delay and continuing controversy, the international body that oversees the Great Lakes is about to announce a new plan for regulating water levels in Lake Ontario.

The announcement will be of intense interest to the thousands of people who live, play or do business along the lake's shoreline, as well as those who boat, fish and use the lake's deep waters for commercial shipping or power generation.

Those interest groups rely on the regulations, which govern how much water is allowed to flow through control dams on the St. Lawrence River, to keep lake levels from being drastically low or dangerously high.

Some, especially property owners on the New York side, fear that any new regulations will increase the threat of erosion and flooding.

(Click to read entire article)

Environmental Advocates serves the people of New York as an effective and aggressive watchdog and advocate on virtually every important state environmental issue. Through advocacy, coalition building, citizen education and policy development, we work to safeguard public health and preserve our unique natural heritage. With thousands of individual supporters and over 130 organizational members, Environmental Advocates is truly the voice of New York's environmental community.

Our sister organization, EPL-Environmental Advocates was formed in 1969 as one of the first organizations in the nation to advocate for the future of a state's environment and the health of its citizens. Through lobbying, advocacy, coalition building, citizen education and policy development, EPL-Environmental Advocates has been New York's environmental conscience -- assuring that environmental laws are being enforced; that tough new measures are enacted when necessary; and that the public is informed of, and participates in, important environmental policy debates.

NEW YORK - The New York State Public Service Commission Wednesday ordered that the New York State Electric & Gas Corporation implement a Price-to-Compare bill notice that will allow customers to make informed decisions about the energy the consumer purchases, and to reduce customer confusion about which energy supply option may be the most advantageous to each customer.

On August 29, 2007, the Commission adopted the terms and conditions of a Joint Proposal for NYSEG’s electric supply service. Among the matters addressed by the Order was a proposal that the company display a Price-to-Compare notice on the bills of customers who receive electric supply from NYSEG, but who are not mandatory hourly pricing customers. The parties to the Joint Proposal agreed to collaborate on the details and implementation of the price-to-compare bill notice.

Under the proposal that has been accepted by the Commission to implement the Price-to-Compare notice, NYSEG will modify its billing system, by March 31, 2008, to include new information, including mention that a consumer could achieve some tax savings if they switch to an ESCO and that, if the ESCO includes its charges on the consumer’s NYSEG bill, the consumer would not have to pay NYSEG’s bill issuance charge. NYSEG will make a Price-to-Compare calculation on a cents per kWh basis on bills for customers who receive supply from NYSEG.

Wildly varying prices, questions of accountability, and the carbon neutral myth, TreeHuggers everywhere we can imagine, are trying to make sense of the carbon offset business.

It might not be something you think about before you go to bed, but economists surely do as the carbon offset business – voluntary and mandatory – could mean millions and billions of dollars in revenue.

MISSION STATEMENT

CITIZEN POWER exists to promote public understanding of, and involvement in, socio-cultural, economic and environmental issues and policy development. In furtherance thereof, Citizen Power will conduct research and make available objective, balanced information to all segments of the community, via the distribution of publications and participation in appropriate public fora.

CITIZEN POWER is the outgrowth of 20 years of work for safe, clean and affordable energy. We work to protect the consumer and the environment by influencing public policy through research, education and advocacy. As educators, we disseminate information, in an understandable format, through the media, and by providing direct educational services to requesting organizations. As advocates, we participate in regulatory and legal proceedings at the state, regional and national level that can impact the environment and the regional economy.

CITIZEN POWER is considering providing advocacy services in other issue areas, however, all of our resources are currently dedicated to insuring that low-income consumers and environmental interests are represented in the process to deregulate the electric generation industry.

Click here to read about some of the remarkable achievements resulting from our advocacy work.

CITIZEN POWER operates several projects as part of its Energy for a Healthy Environment program.

The WINDPOWER 2008 Conference Program Committee is composed of over 150 wind energy industry experts, and organized by Program Chairs Brian McNiff, President, McNiff Light Industry and Michael Skelly, Chief Development Officer, Horizon Wind Energy. This committee will review all abstracts received by the October 12, 2007 deadline with the ultimate goal of forming a highly educational and informative conference program that addresses topical and timely wind energy industry issues.

Connect with the power industry like you never have before at our 10th Annual Conference & Exhibition! More than 500 leading power industry suppliers. Over 400 speakers. 100+ sessions. A must attend event for operating and engineering management, from power plant owners and operators to project developers. The world's most comprehensive conference for the power generation industry-- programmed by the power industry for the power industry.

Coal. Gas. Nuclear. Renewables.
It's all part of ELECTRIC POWER. Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn about the latest technologies, talk with industry leaders and meet with your peers from around the world. Walk away with new ideas and information you can use immediately!

Following the success of our highly respected series of Symposiums – Energy Risk Management and Efficiency and Renewable Energy Summit – ACI is proud to present this brand new, senior level Forum, the benchmark setting Event for the America’s Emerging Carbon Market, providing an arena for participants to discuss and debate the financial and practical implications of the carbon trading market. The Year 2008 will see more progress toward carbon markets in the US, with emissions trading systems for greenhouse gases being constructed in various regions of the country and proposals for a federal carbon trading plan gaining traction in Congress. ACI’s The Myth and Reality of the Carbon Market Symposium will assemble top executives in the energy, utilities and financial industries who are successfully implementing carbon strategies to minimize greenhouse gas emissions.

Join public and private sector delegates from across the United States and Canada for an innovative Symposium of Speakers, panel discussions and workshops covering the following topics: • The status of North American carbon markets and how they are likely to develop • Opportunities for North American Investors in global carbon finance • Understanding the impact of carbon on the power and natural gas markets • Trading: Liquidity and market structure • Long term global and North American carbon prices • The Climate Registry – an North American climate initiative • Carbon Capture and Sequestration • The voluntary Carbon Market • The role of Energy Efficiency ….. And much more!

WHO WILL ATTEND: Senior-level executives, EVPs, SVPs, VPs, Directors, Senior Managers and General Managers in the Energy industry who are responsible for and have a vested interest in: • Green Power Marketing • Sustainable Energy • Renewable Projects • Energy Operations • Power Generation • Environmental Policy • Engineering • Commodity Trading • Risk Management • Regulatory and Compliance • Research and Development • Strategic / Corporate Planning

CONFERENCE FEES AND REGISTRATION Conference Fee: $2,390 Conference Documentation CD: $615 (Documentation CD includes copies of all proceedings on CD and shipping is included) REGISTER 3 & GET 1 FREE! Any organization registering three persons at the same time will be entitled to a fourth registrant FREE of charge!

Maps of Proposed Power Line Routes

click on links below

City of Utica/Village of New Hartford
Town of Marcy

Town of Marshall
Town of New Hartford

Town of Paris North Town of Paris South
Town of Sangerfield Town of Whitestown
Village of Clayville Village of Waterville
Village of Whitesboro/New York Mills

(Click to download Maps)

Independent Ralph Nader has never held elected office, but he's run for president five times. He's had more success in his day job as the nation's most famous consumer advocate. Since the 1960s, he has fought for and won a lengthy list of protections for public health and safety as well as the environment. Unlike the major-party presidential candidates, Nader supports a carbon tax as a way to fight climate change -- and a way to make corporations pay for their polluting ways.

Read Grist's exclusive interview with Nader.

John Coleman, founder of the Weather Channel, believes that people who sell carbon credits could be committing financial fraud.

In a recent speech delivered in New York, meteorologist Coleman questioned the validity of alleged man-made global warming. He says that the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that was formed in 1982 has since then claimed that uncontrollable global warming is going to melt the ice caps, drive species to extinction, and make the earth uninhabitable.

Coleman disagrees whole-heartedly with the touted effects of global warming on the environment. He contends that the "media has jumped onto the frenzy; every environmentalist on the planet is yelling it; people seem to have adopted it like a religion. But [global warming is] not happening, and it's very clear it's not happening."

(Click to read entire article)

States participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), an agreement among the Governors of ten Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states to reduce greenhouse gases from power plants, have announced that the first ever CO2 allowance auction in the United States for a mandatory emissions reduction program will take place on September 10, 2008.

The states participating in RGGI have agreed to participate in quarterly uniform regional auctions for the allowances that each state will be offering for sale. The second quarterly auction is scheduled to be held on December 17, 2008.

(Click to read entire article)

Tesla Motors laughs at naysayers and begins production of its first all-electric vehicle.

Naysayers have lampooned the all-electric Tesla Roadster ever since DailyTech first covered the sleek two-seater in late 2006. Some balked at the $100,000 price tag, others complained about the vehicle being vaporware, and many laughed at the idea of "temporary transmissions" while production units were still being developed.

Despite the whispers from an increasingly rowdy audience, Tesla persisted. In late January, the company announced that it passed all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. The company also noted at the time that regular production for the vehicle would commence on March 17.

Today, Tesla announced that production began for its Roadster. The company is slowly churning out Roadsters and hopes to build as many as 100 units per month by early 2009.

(Click to read entire article)

The head of Centrica's renewables division has warned that the economics of the industry have changed radically and government targets for powering Britain on "green" electricity face being blown off course.

Centrica is already building the world's largest offshore wind farm at a cost of £300m, and is planning another £600m project which, it says, has risen in cost by £100m in just a few months.

News that the country's biggest backer of wind farms is voicing concern about funding will alarm the Government, which sees this energy source as key to meetings its commitments to reduce carbon emissions.

(Click to read entire article)

mike Winkler to dnrglobalwarmt. show details 8:23 PM (2 minutes ago)

Reply To whom it may concern;

The relevance of the Governors' TF on global warming is indicated inits' name. Scientists, who are quite divided on the belief that global warming even exists, do not refer to the change in climate as global warming but instead call it climate change. They are equally divided about if any of the change is caused by mankind or not. Perhaps the State of Wisconsin should be more concerned with a $650 million deficit this biennium than trying (in futility) to save the Earth. Half of the CO2 emissions worldwide are caused by China. Why don't we try to enact protectionist tariffs to restrict trade of Chinese goods, instead of doing little or no good? Either option is almost as ludicrous as the other, but hindering trade much actually have a small impact on CO2.. The learned of Middle Europe blamed the Black Plague on the Jews, and that caused the killing of thousands of Jews at Strausbourg in 1348. The ignorance of those "learned" was as dangerous as the power they had to act upon it. Of course, we can duly beat our chests by proclaiming we are "earth friendly". As with the movie industry, why let truth get in the way?

Global Warming. Indeed!

Respectfully,
Mike Winkler
Author of "Wind Power...It Blows!

ANNOUNCEMENT

CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE is now active and on the web. The CPA Blog address is: http://citizenpoweralliance.org/

Also there is a second CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE site for permanent content that uses the url address: http://citizenpoweralliance.com/

Bookmark both addresses and visit them often. Additional announcements will be posted and sent out to our mailing list.

Hope you will take advantages of the CPA Project and support the objective of the coalition.

James Hall for CPA

New York Regional Interconnect - A Bad Idea

Over the course of the last few years we have witnessed an assault on the Upper Delaware River Region beginning with the New York Regional Interconnect project. NYRI, at its inception, threatened to run 130 foot tall high-voltage towers along the Upper Delaware River over our homes and through our communities. In NYRI's supplemental application filed February 21st, the alternate route that once threatened the river has been replaced by Marcy South. This is a direct result of people in our community standing together, donating funding to the fight against NYRI, writing letters to their representatives and getting involved. But our work is not finished. There are still four points on the primary NYRI route in proximity to the Upper Delaware River as well as many communities, historic properties, sensitive environmental areas and recreational resources impacted by this project. We must continue to stand together with our neighbors to oppose this project. NYRI is not needed, not now, not ever.

Gas Drilling and Oil Exploration

On the surface, this may not look like it would have much of an impact on the Upper Delaware River until you begin to research the processes used to extract the gas and oil. It becomes apparent the laws, meant to protect public health, were altered to allow companies to drill with complete disregard for public well-being. The reports of industry meetings with Vice President Cheney that took place to create the Energy Act of 2005 read like a conspiracy theorist best seller and would be hard to believe if it wasn't based in fact. Here is an excerpt from a recent edition of the River Reporter www.riverreporter.com:

"Another provision of the 2005 energy act is helpful to companies that want to drill for gas in New York and Pennsylvania, as well as other parts of the country. Through the energy act, the process called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in which water laced with sand and chemicals is forced into rocks deep underground, was exempted from the jurisdiction of the Safe Water Drinking Act of 1974. This makes the process, which was developed by Halliburton, much less expensive to pursue and, critics charge, allows gas companies to pollute ground water with impunity."

That statement alone should cause panic in any region considered for gas exploration and with tens of thousands of acres of State Game Lands up for grabs, gas drilling may be coming to an area near you. Many of the chemicals the 2005 Energy Act now allows to enter our water supply are proven cancer causing agents such as benzene, toluene and many others. Visit www.DamascusCitizens.org for a complete list of the chemicals used in the fracking process.

This is a hard battle for those opposed to gas and oil drilling, neighbors are pitted against each other based on economic need and the money offered by the gas companies to lease properties can be significant. Over the past few years, many people have said, "well if it affects me, I will just move". It is clear this is a nationwide phenomenon and there is no where to run. It is time to take a stand, protect our communities and offer alternatives such as food cooperatives, organic farming/markets and new biodiesel techniques as options for family farms that face growing operating costs.

Environmental Responsibility

Being "green" doesn't mean you have to give up comfort or "hug a tree" every morning or risk being called a "bleeding heart liberal" by people who keep their heads buried in the sand. It means doing what you can to reduce your impact on the environment. Maybe it is something simple like carrying a reusable bag to the supermarket, buying a larger bottle of water or encouraging a local business to operate in a socially responsible manner. Easy tasks such as turning out the lights when you leave a room, using less hot water when you take a shower and combining errands to save gas help contribute to an environmentally friendly bottom line and keep more money in your pockets. Some companies will even pay you to recycle your old electronics; good for the environment and you can make a few bucks. An good example is www.buymytronics.com.

How can you help?

There are simple and fun things you can do such as attend a local Green Drinks Event and talk with other environmentally conscious people and get the latest information on new technology to save money and reduce your personal dependency on foreign oil. Green Drinks are the third friday of every month (except December) in one of our local communities. Visit www.greendrinks.org for more information. Support organizations such as the Upper Delaware Preservation Coalition by renewing your membership, joining or making a contribution to help us protect and monitor the region for emerging threats. By supporting the organization we can begin to provide communications tools such as newsletters, a regularly updated website, and a person available by phone to answer any questions you may have regarding activities in our region. Contribute to other organizations such as Communities Against Regional Interconnect specifically to fight NYRI, the Damascus Citizens Organization leading the opposition to gas exploration or volunteer your time to help organizations get the message out.

Battles like NYRI and opposition to gas drilling are often referred to as "David and Goliath" fights. We prefer to think of it in this way, if we have a million David's all able to cast a small stone, each stone may not hurt the giant but all the stones together will bury it.

The arrival of a new crop of scams is right on cue, just as investor interest is peaking in a new set of technologies and a very hot sector. Those of us who have followed the market for many years can remember - but not fondly - the endless internet-related pump & dump scams of the late 1990s, where a few wisely chosen buzzwords could ignite just enough interest to make a few people part with their money before the truth came to light.

Green is Just a Word
Even though today's markets have more regulation than at any other period in the past, scammers can still write up false presentation materials and slap them onto OTC stocks, lifeless limited partnership interests, or even private shell companies. With so much of today's business (and information) being transacted on the internet, the physical distance between overeager investors and those who wish to prey on them is literally wider than ever. Making matters worse is the fact that anyone with a few bucks and a few hours to spare can send a million spam emails, text messages or phone calls. (To learn more about these scams, see Wham Bam Micro-Cap Scam and Online Investment Scam Tutorial.)

Because nobody wants to get duped, here are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind for those looking into green investing opportunities:

(Click to read entire article)

Eliot Spitzer's historic fall from grace was a blow to many progressives who believed that he would reform New York's dysfunctional state government, but his replacement may be equally transformative, but from a Peak Oil perspective.

It's not clear yet what his adminstration's priorities will, but he has a good record on environmental and alternative energy issues. But if tackling oil dependence is high on his agenda, it is possible that he will be able to find the right bargain to strike with legislature and assemble a working majority on key issues.

(Click to read entire article)

(Related link on Millennial Technology Inc)

(Houston, Texas – March 14, 2008) In an announcement from the bustling Port of Houston, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today finalized and improved upon its proposed emission standards to dramatically reduce harmful particulate pollution and smog-forming nitrogen oxides from the nation’s fleet of diesel locomotive engines, tugs, barges, ferries and recreational marine engines.

When fully implemented, the new standards will cut particulate pollution from each engine by 90 percent and smog-forming oxides of nitrogen from each engine by 80 percent. The health benefits of this rule will outweigh the costs by 15 to 1. These engines are a major source of smog-forming pollution and the extensive emission cuts will help communities here in Texas and across the nation achieve the new ozone health standard announced on Wednesday.

“These clean air standards will mean millions of Americans will have healthier and longer lives,” said Environmental Defense Fund President Fred Krupp. “From trains to ferries, the nation is transitioning to a bold new era of cleaner diesel engines. As today's diesel fleet turns over, diesel engines will no longer churn out suffocating black plumes of smoke.”

(Click to read entire article)

World’s first commercial-scale tidal stream turbine set to be installed. Bristol-based Marine Current Turbines (MCT) is set to deploy its 1.2MW SeaGen Tidal System in Strangford Narrows, Northern Ireland on Easter Monday. Producing enough clean energy for 1000 homes (when fully operational), this will be the first, commercial scale, tidal stream turbine installed and operating anywhere in the world. It will generate one of the most environmentally-friendly forms of energy - it makes no noise, is almost completely below the surface, never runs out and has zero emissions.

A British invention, SeaGen, will be installed by the crane barge Rambiz, operated by the Belgium company Scaldis, and overseen by MCT’s own in-house engineering team in partnership with SeaRoc Ltd, a leading firm of marine engineering consultants. The exercise, which will take up to 14 days and is subject to local weather conditions and final engineering work, is scheduled to start on 22nd March when the Rambiz barge sails with SeaGen loaded on board from Belfast’s Harland & Wolff shipyard to Strangford Lough, arriving the following morning. SeaGen is scheduled to be deployed on the seabed on 24th March (in the morning) and work will then start on fixing it to the seabed. Final commissioning will take up to 12 weeks.

The project and press offices for the installation will be located in Portaferry. A press release and photos will be issued upon SeaGen’s deployment in the Narrows. Timings and installation schedule will be re-confirmed closer to the time.

Fourth Annual Symposium on Energy in the 21st Century
Seeking Solutions through Environmental Partnerships – Government, Business, Environmentalists, Academia
April 11, 2008
Cazenovia College

Don't miss hearing these outstanding speakers. This is a FREE event including lunch. Registration is filling quickly. If you have not registered, do it now. You must register to come. If you have registered, please send this to a friend or colleague.

Speakers

*Pete Grannis, New York State DEC Commissioner
*Kit Kennedy, Special Deputy New York Attorney General for Environment
*Theo Spencer, NRDC Climate Center
*Jim Tripp, Environmental Defense
*Dr. Ashok Gupta, Director, Air and Energy Program, NRDC
*Ed Bogucz, Executive Director, Syracuse Center of Excellence,
*Dr. Richard Perez, Atmospheric Sciences Research Center SUNY-Albany
*Dr. Thomas Amidon, SUNY ESF
*Jodi Smits Anderson, Dormitory Authority
*Congressman Mike Arcuri
*New York State Senator David Valesky

The Annual Symposium has become known throughout New York State as one of, if not the most important energy conference in the state. It attracts more than 300 attendees from all over New York as well as several surrounding states and Washington D.C.

If you have not already signed in, take the time to register now - you must register to come! For registration, information on the full program, and sponsorship opportunities go to: www.cazenovia.edu/energy. See you there! Rhea

Rhea Jezer, Ph.D
Senior Lecturer
Environmental Policy

What if every time that you flushed your toilet you could generate just a little bit of power? That is the idea behind the Benkatine Turbine by Leviathan Energy, which aims to get power from any pipe that water rushes through. So not only could you install this within a municipal system, but according to the company, you could get power from the water rushing down your gutter drains!

There is nothing really new here, after all, rushing water is the basis of all hydroelectric power. It is the location and scale of this system (ie. in your toilet!) that makes it such an innovative product. According to the company, the turbine is intended to be scalable, meaning that it can work well in both municipal water and sewer systems, as well as in smaller pipes such as residential drainage and guttering systems. It is meant to be used in conjunction with other turbines in order to maximize the efficiency of the system.

It is a simple invention, but a great idea nonetheless. Let’s face it, how cool would it be to get power from water which would normally go to waste?