Solar San Diego

Coming Soon to Solar San Diego, Your Direct Source for Renewables™

The future for Renewables in Southern California and beyond is bright.

By the time 2007 dawns, Solar San Diego will begin to unveil a new part of the site that brings together renewable energy providers and renewable energy customers: Your Direct Source for Renewables™.  Interested providers who want to get in on the ground floor of this opportunity should send an e-mail inquiry to solarsandiego@gmail.com.    

Big Ideas for Clean Renewable Energy

Fortune Small Business, by way of the CNNMoney.com site, has an article about the "10 Big Ideas for 2007."  A few of these ideas fit squarely in the arena of clean renewable energy and caring for the environment:

Ocean Power Technologies
Wave Energy

"Starting in 2007, massive, predictable waves off the coast of Oregon will help light homes and businesses along the West Coast, thanks to an entrepreneur named George Taylor. A former surfer who grew up in Australia, Taylor, now 72, studied electrical engineering and spent the past 40 years as a small-business owner in the U.S. His most recent invention is a buoy that can convert a wave's up-and-down motion into electricity, which can be carried ashore by undersea cables and fed into the national power grid...

Verdant Power
Tide Power

"In the race to find alternative power sources, a startup plans to draw power from rivers. Like water-based windmills, small turbines will begin generating power this winter from tidal flows in New York City's East River..."

AbTech Industries
Rainwater Filters

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered that all cities with populations of more than 10,000 must stop grease- and oil-contaminated stormwater from running into lakes, rivers and other waterways by 2008. To combat such pollution, cities such as Chicago are already spending as much as $3 billion to build huge underground reservoirs and tunnels where rainwater can be treated. But in early 2007 a Scottsdale startup will begin selling a more cost-effective solution, one that easily fits into a city's existing sewer system."

These are certainly promising technologies that one hopes are exploited.  You can read the entire article here. 

Truckee Residents Slam Utility's Coal Play

The Reno Gazette-Journal reports that a 50 year contract that a local utility company is about to sign with a Utah coal-fired plant has some residents angry because of the affect of coal buring on the environment.  Apparently the utility is hoping to sign this contract with the coal plant before the new state law banning utilities from entering into "...any agreement for coal-fired power that is longer than five years..."   It is encouraging to see that folks in Truckee join in with other people in California in recognizing what a danger burning coal, as it is currently done, is to our environment and instead calling for clean renewable energy.  The Truckee utility should not take the easy way out in opting for supposed cheap, dirty, energy and instead follow the example of albeit larger utilities in saying no to coal. 

Going Green in Big Sky Country

The Helena Independent Record reports on a solar tracker that was installed on the roof of a downtown museum.   The solar tracker complements a pre-existing array and will add to it's efficiency by directing sunlight to the array.  The tracker was installed by the cleverly named Solar Plexus a Missoula based renewable energy concern that sells and installs solar, wind and hydropower systems.  Rip Hamilton, a principal of the company makes a point in the article that will warm the hearts of solar power advocates in California: " 'Solar is catching on pretty quick,' said Hamilton. 'It’s a little slow
in Montana, but California is now the world’s third largest market.
It’s growing fast.' "

Green is Gaining Ground

The Denver Post and the USA Today had  pieces  addressing the nation's move toward cleaner, alternative/renewable energy.  In the Post, columnist Susan Thorton writes that "Colorado, nation tilt to green politics."  Thornton points to toward the success of initiatives and candidates espousing alternative energy, specifically a ballot initiative approved by voters in Washington State that mandates that large utility companies derive 15 percent of their energy supplies from rewewable energy by 2020.  Crediting his re-election to the global warming bill and the Million Solar Roofs bill, Thornton lists California Governor Schwartzenegger as among many governors or gubernatorial candidates who won their races while championing green causes.    Among these candidates were Colorado Governor-elect Bill Ritter who had a "...policy emphasis on wind and solar energy, and biofuels."  Congressional and state and local candidates also ran and won on green platforms.  Thornton expresses gratitude for this change in direction for our nation.

In the USA Today, Tom Kenworthy writes about the "Growing number of states requiring alternative energy."  The Washington State initiative, Schwartzenegger and the governors of several other states are cited as politicians who are championing alternative energy through various benchmarks.  Kenworthy writes that a director of US PIRG predicts that Congressional action to set renewable energy levels may soon follow.

This nationwide movement toward renewables is encouraging and those of us who support renewable energy must keep the pressure on our public servants. 

Southern California Edison Signs With Seven

Southern California Edison has signed seven new renewable power contracts with renewable energy producers:

ROSEMEAD, Calif., Nov. 17, 2006 - Southern California Edison (SCE) this week signed and will submit to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) seven new long-term contracts with independent renewable energy power generators.  The agreements secure for utility customers a potential of 324 megawatts (MW) of clean power, the amount needed to serve 190,000 average homes.  The utility also announced it is making significant progress on several other initiatives designed to further strengthen its renewable power portfolio, already the nation’s largest.

Read the entire press release here.

Once Again, Yes on Proposition 87, Do Not Believe Oil Company Lies

On Tuesday, November 7, 2006, California voters will have the opportunity to vote for a step toward energy independence and a cleaner environment for all Californians.   Proposition 87 will impose a tax of  1.5 to 6%, on the extraction of oil in California, depending on the price of oil.   Similar taxes are imposed by other states including Alaska, Louisiana, Okalahoma and even Texas.  Other states ask oil companies to pay their fair share, like all citizens do, why shouldn't California be the same.  The Proposition will  fund  a California Energy Independence Fund with the fund of up to $4 billion used for programs to be administered by new California Energy Alternatives Program Authority.  The Authority will be composed of nine members from the environmental, business, health and energy fields.  The Authority will be tasked with (from the legislative analysis of the Proposition [PDF]):   

• Gasoline and Diesel Use Reduction Account (57.50  Percent)—for incentives (for example, consumer loans,  grants, and subsidies) for the purchase of alternative fuel  vehicles, incentives for producers to supply alternative  fuels, incentives for the production of alternative fuel  infrastructure (for example, fueling stations), and grants  and loans for private research into alternative fuels and  alternative fuel vehicles.

• Research and Innovation Acceleration Account  (26.75 Percent)—for grants to California universities  to improve the economic viability and accelerate the  commercialization of renewable energy technologies and  energy effi ciency technologies.

• Commercialization  Acceleration  Account  (9.75  Percent)—for incentives to fund the start-up costs and  accelerate the production and distribution of petroleum  reduction, renewable energy, energy efficiency,  and  alternative fuel technologies and products.

• Public Education and Administration Account (3.50  Percent)—for public education campaigns, oil market  monitoring, and general administration. Of the 3.5 percent,  at least 28.5 percent must be spent for public education,  leaving a maximum of 71.5 percent of the 3.5 percent (or  roughly 2.5 percent of total revenues) for the Authority’s  administrative costs.

• Vocational Training Account (2.50 Percent)—for job  training at community colleges to train students to work  with new alternative energy technologies.   

The cost of the oil tax, will not be able to be passed onto consumers by the oil companies who have fleeced the people of California with some of the highest prices in the nation and taken home record profits.  Through the Proposition, incentives would  lower the  amount of fossil fuel use helping our atmosphere, reducing global warming and impacting public health.  California has an opportunity once again in November to be a leader and a shining example in care for the environment, reducing global warming, and clean renewable energy for the nation and for the planet.  I am sure that by now you have heard and seen many advertisements in opposition to Proposition 87.   Do not believe the lies that are being spread by the oil companies, their energy allies and special interests.  They have sunk to new lows with their deceptive advertising bombarding the airwaves with deception as thick as the oil they pump freely.  Take a stand for energy independence and a cleaner environment and vote yes on Propostion 87. 

Yes on Propostion 87

10News in San Diego aired a "Guest Perspective" editorial recently.  The speaker is Elizabeth Studebaker of the Apollo Alliance, the text of her speech (courtesy of 10News.com) follows:

Californians need to harness the same American spirit that responded to John F. Kennedy’s call to our nation, the spirit that put a man on the moon in just 8 years.

Today, the call to our nation is a different one, but equally important and challenging; to find a solution to our oil dependence which has resulted in increasing economic, environmental and national security concerns.

Prop 87 is an opportunity for California to start moving in a new direction.

If we continue our dependence on foreign oil, we’ll be stuck with the nation’s highest fuel costs and dirtiest air, which contributes to asthma, lung disease and cancer.

Prop 87 will help California replace oil with alternatives like wind, solar and biofuels which are cleaner, cheaper and made right here.

In fact, big oil companies are bankrolling the "No" on 87 campaign to protect their bank accounts, not yours.

Let’s move forward, vote yes on Prop 87 and give our kids clean air to breathe, sustainable energy sources and a safer nation.

More in support of 87:

UCLA Bruin: Tax state oil production

San Jose Mercury News: Vote Yes: It will end dependence on foreign oil

Clinton Blasts Propostion 87 Foes; Gore Records Ad in Support

In a speech delivered at UCLA, former President Bill Clinton showed his support for Propostion 87, a proposition near and dear to SolarSanDiego.net's heart and blasted opponents of the proposition.   Meanwhile, recently an ad starring Al Gore has finally made it to the airwaves. 

Vote Solar Supports Prop. 87

The Vote Solar Initative

The Vote Solar Initiative, "a non-profit organization with the mission of stopping global warming and increasing energy independence by bringing solar energy into the mainstream," in the face of millions of dollars of misleading ads that the oil companies are throwing in opposition, are promoting passage of Proposition 87, a proposition supported by SolarSanDiego.net.  Vote Solar is, according to communicaton sent out to activists,  will be buying airplaine banner ads for viewing by gridlocked rush hour commuters as well as other citizens in the San Francisco Bay Area. Vote Solar will be buying carbon offsets to counter their consumption of oil.  SolarSanDiego.net applauds Vote Solar's efforts to get Prop. 87 passed.