http://www.environmentalleader.com The Executive's Daily Green Briefing Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:16:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/11/20/national-grid-again-rejects-high-costs-of-offshore-wind/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/11/20/national-grid-again-rejects-high-costs-of-offshore-wind/#comments Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:07:44 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=27681 National Grid for the second time has turned down a proposal from a Rhode Island offshore wind developer that wants to sell the electricity retailer energy from a yet-to-be-developed wind farm. National Grid says the price to purchase renewable energy from New Jersey-based Deepwater Wind is too high, reports the Providence Journal. Deepwater is seeking to [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/11/20/national-grid-again-rejects-high-costs-of-offshore-wind/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/11/16/lower-renewable-energy-benchmark-may-discourage-production/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/11/16/lower-renewable-energy-benchmark-may-discourage-production/#comments Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:29:06 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=27301 As more utilities begin offering customers the ability to purchase electricity generated from renewable sources, other utilities may benefit from a drop in the benchmark price that they must pay independent producers for renewable energy. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has proposed a 15 percent cut in the benchmark that utilities must pay over a [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/11/16/lower-renewable-energy-benchmark-may-discourage-production/feed/ 3 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/11/04/u-s-cap-and-trade-creates-winners-and-losers-among-largest-emitters/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/11/04/u-s-cap-and-trade-creates-winners-and-losers-among-largest-emitters/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:34:54 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=26706 Under the Kerry-Boxer cap-and-trade bill, ExxonMobil would face an annual charge of $5.9 billion to purchase carbon allowances, while electricity giants like Exelon and Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) would emerge as financial winners, because they rely heavily on diversified, low-emission fleets, according to a new study from PointCarbon, reports the New York Times’ Green [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/11/04/u-s-cap-and-trade-creates-winners-and-losers-among-largest-emitters/feed/ 4 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/10/30/cost-of-installed-solar-fell-30-in-past-decade/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/10/30/cost-of-installed-solar-fell-30-in-past-decade/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:59:12 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=26487 The cost to install solar has dropped 30 percent over the past 10 years, according to the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Most significantly, the cost of PV modules dropped from 2007 to 2008 after three years of remaining relatively flat, according to a new report from the lab, “Tracking the Sun II: The [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/10/30/cost-of-installed-solar-fell-30-in-past-decade/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/10/02/tariff-on-solar-imports-challenged/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/10/02/tariff-on-solar-imports-challenged/#comments Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:02:28 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=21990 A recent decision to impose tariffs on a type of Chinese solar panels could eventually extend to other such imports, raising the cost of installing solar in the U.S. The solar industry hopes to reverse the 2.5 percent tariff, reports Reuters. The Solar Energy Industries Association, which has both U.S. and foreign membership, said it is taking [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/10/02/tariff-on-solar-imports-challenged/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/09/30/utilities-to-raise-rates-to-cover-rising-costs-smart-meters/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/09/30/utilities-to-raise-rates-to-cover-rising-costs-smart-meters/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:04:58 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=21823 While the cities of Fort Collins, Colo., and Milwaukee, Wis., are still debating proposed price hikes by local utilities, in some cases to pay for the installation of new technologies such as advanced metering, Xcel Energy in Minneapolis has received approval to raise prices in order to pay for rising costs of power distribution. Despite opposition [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/09/30/utilities-to-raise-rates-to-cover-rising-costs-smart-meters/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/09/10/ghg-allowances-fall-32-to-2-19-in-rggi-auction/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/09/10/ghg-allowances-fall-32-to-2-19-in-rggi-auction/#comments Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:27:48 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=21000 The poor economy and a decrease in manufacturing activity led to a precipitous decline in greenhouse gas emissions allowances in the most recent Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative auction. The September auction resulted in pricing of $2.19 per ton for 2009 GHG emissions allowances, and $1.87 for 2012 allowances, according to RGGI. That’s down more than 32 percent [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/09/10/ghg-allowances-fall-32-to-2-19-in-rggi-auction/feed/ 1 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/09/04/aps-account-of-falling-electricity-prices-misleading/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/09/04/aps-account-of-falling-electricity-prices-misleading/#comments Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:25:51 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=20769 Contrary to a popular Associated Press story, electricity prices are not trending downward as a whole, at least compared to prices before the typical summer price spike. An AP story, “Demand for Electricity Sputters and Bills May Fall,” was widely circulated over the Labor Day weekend. The article noted how electricity prices were expected to [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/09/04/aps-account-of-falling-electricity-prices-misleading/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/09/01/citing-cost-firms-de-emphasize-energy-efficiency-in-it-purchases/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/09/01/citing-cost-firms-de-emphasize-energy-efficiency-in-it-purchases/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:03:07 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=20553 Focusing on short-term cost reductions, companies increasingly are overlooking the promise of long-term savings that come with more expensive but more energy efficient computer equipment. Instead, firms are emphasizing lower cost as a means of realizing short-term benefits to the bottom line, according to the 2009 Energy Efficient IT Report (PDF) from CDW. After cost, reliability and [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/09/01/citing-cost-firms-de-emphasize-energy-efficiency-in-it-purchases/feed/ 1 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/09/01/facing-declining-demand-water-bottlers-start-price-war/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/09/01/facing-declining-demand-water-bottlers-start-price-war/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:50:36 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=20504 Despite new strategies by bottled-water companies to offer more eco-friendly packaging, it hasn’t been enough to win back environmentally-minded customers. Bottled-water makers have stepped up a months-long price war to try to win back customers who now use tap water to reduce environmental waste and to save money, reports the Wall Street Journal. It could [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/09/01/facing-declining-demand-water-bottlers-start-price-war/feed/ 1