Latest Energy Procurement News and Industry Best Practices

Western U.S., Canada Move Forward with Carbon Trading Plans

March 12, 2010 by Gina Roos

As prospects for a U.S. national climate change bill looks less and less promising, five U.S. states and Canadian provinces are moving forward with plans to establish a regional cap-and-trade market in 2012 for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, reports Reuters. The market would be about a tenth of U.S. ... Read more »

RGGI Auction Volume Up 42%

March 12, 2010 by Paul Nastu

Trading of carbon permits under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative rose 42 percent in the most recent trading session. More than 40.612 million allowances were auctioned March 10, up from 28.591 million allowances sold Dec. 2. This, the seventh such auction, brought a price of $2.07 for permits and $1.86 ... Read more »

Port Authority Launches Clean Truck Program at the Port of NY/NJ

March 11, 2010 by Gina Roos

Aimed at reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, the Port Authority and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have launched a financial incentive program to replace up to 636 of the oldest, most polluting trucks serving the marine terminals at the Port of New York and New Jersey with newer, ... Read more »

Ten Companies to Take in $4.4B in EU Carbon Permit Profits by 2012

March 5, 2010 by Gina Roos

Ten organizations, primarily in the steel and cement industries, could share a surplus of €3.2 billion ($4.4 billion) of pollution permits by 2012 under the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), according to a new report from Sandbag Climate Change and Carbon Market Data. The report (PDF) indicates this is ... Read more »

Incentives for Solar Energy Projects Drive Interest

March 4, 2010March 4, 2010 by Gina Roos

In an effort to boost solar installations for businesses and homes, SolarCity, a solar provider, and utility Xcel Energy have created two very different programs to increase the use of renewable energy. SolarCity has received $90 million in new funding from U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corp. (USBCDC) to finance commercial ... Read more »

Carbon Economy in Trouble

February 15, 2010 by Paul Nastu

The future of cap and trade for carbon emissions, which financial institutions had banked on becoming a $2 trillion a year business, appears murky, given the political climate, according to a special report in the New York Times. Investors are avoiding energy saving projects because so many of them are ... Read more »

As UK Cap and Trade Falters, Government May Prop Up Carbon Prices

February 9, 2010 by Gina Roos

UK lawmakers are calling for stricter limits on greenhouse gases and the power to intervene in carbon markets as its cap-and-trade program fails to encourage investments in cleaner energy, reports Business Week. The UK’s cross-party parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) says the current EU ETS carbon price is well below ... Read more »

White House Budget Suggests Abandonment of Cap and Trade

February 1, 2010 by Paul Nastu

The fact that the White House is not including projected revenues from cap and trade suggests that the Obama Administration is acquiescing to the notion that Congress may not pass such legislation, observers say. Last year the Obama Administration projected that cap and trade would provide $646 billion in revenues ... Read more »

U.S. Officially Pledges to Cut GHG Emissions by 17%

January 29, 2010January 29, 2010 by Gina Roos

Bolstering the global warming deal made at the Copenhagen talks in December, the Obama administration officially pledged that the United States would cut its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the range of 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, reports the Baltimore Sun. President Barack Obama said at the Copenhagen ... Read more »

Senate Wants Clean Energy, Solar in Jobs Bill

January 25, 2010 by Gina Roos

With comprehensive climate legislation on hold, Senate Environment and Public Works subcommittee will focus on clean energy job opportunities at an upcoming hearing as President Obama calls on Congress to pass a jobs bill that puts more Americans to work, reports the New York Times. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman ... Read more »

Recovery Act Offers Support for the Alternative Energy Industry

January 25, 2010September 13, 2010 by Gregory Burkart

The eyes of some entrepreneurs likely grew wider when the dollar amount tied to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (“ARRA” or “the Recovery Act”) was announced in February – $787 billion is certainly an impressive figure. So, too, is the sizeable amount that is designated for the ... Read more »

Wind Energy Infighting Surfaces in David Vs. Goliath Struggle in Iowa

January 18, 2010 by Paul Nastu

In a new twist on opposition to wind farm development, the sector is now experiencing infighting, with the largest owner of wind farms in the U.S. challenging a recent state decision that aids another company. Now, instead of fighting environmentalists or NIMBYs (not in my backyard types), MidAmerican Energy must ... Read more »

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