FEATURES AND NEWS
A government task force in Sweden is studying how a tax reduction might lure more data centers to the country, according to Data Center Knowledge. The task force is looking at the effect of a reduction on taxes for electricity use – from the current 20 cents SEK per 1 ... Read more »
The United Kingdom government is proposing ways to simplify the existing procedures for shale gas and deep geothermal underground drilling access. The proposals are: -Underground right of access for shale gas and deep geothermal operations below about 1,000 feet. Any hydraulic fracturing would only occur at greater depths of around ... Read more »
EnerVault’s grid-scale, iron-chromium redox flow battery has been activated in Turlock, Calif. Interconnected to the distribution grid, EnerVault Turlock is co-located with a dual-axis tracking solar photovoltaic system in an almond orchard in California’s Central Valley. EnerVault designed and manufactured the long-duration, grid-scale energy storage system in Silicon Valley with ... Read more »
For the first time, China outspent the United States in smart grid investments as global investment in smart grids increased by $700 million from $14.2 billion in 2012 to $14.9 billion in 2013, the Worldwatch Institute reports. China and the US accounted for more than half of the global spending ... Read more »
Kansas City leaders have signed a letter of intent with Cisco to build out a city network under Cisco’s Smart+Connected Communities program and the Internet of Everything. The project will complement a wider effort to build out a two-mile KC Downtown Streetcar path. Planned pilot projects include: Deployment of smart ... Read more »
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More than 90 percent of the industrial generation capacity is concentrated in five industries: chemicals, paper, and petroleum and coal industries account for more than 80 percent of onsite industrial generation; primary metals and food industries represent the remaining 20 percent. According to the US Energy Information Administration, onsite industrial ... Read more »
The EPA’s upcoming carbon rule for existing power plants will likely cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent, encourage carbon-trading programs on the East and West Coast — and draw legal challenges from some utilities, the Washington Post reports. Key pieces of the proposed rule, which will be released on ... Read more »
BASF produces the most hazardous chemicals in Europe, according to ChemSec’s annual Substitute It Now, or SIN List. The updated list, with information from the second registration phase of REACH — the European Chemicals Agency’s chemical rules — includes companies that produce or import SIN List chemicals in the EU ... Read more »
More than 400 federal facilities achieved $42 million in cost savings and environmental benefits last year as part of the Federal Green Challenge (FGC). A national effort under the EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management Program, the FGC allows federal offices or facilities to pledge participation in reducing the federal government’s environmental ... Read more »
A proposal to Mondelez International from As You Sow asking the snack food company to phase out unrecyclable packaging received 28.4 percent shareholder support representing $11.8 billion worth of shares at the food manufacturer’s annual meeting. Mondelez produces brands such as Oreo, Chips Ahoy!, Trident gum, and Philadelphia cream cheese. ... Read more »
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Hess has agreed to sell its retail business to Marathon Petroleum for a total cash consideration of $2.6 billion. Hess Retail is the largest chain of company operated gas stations and convenience stores along the East Coast with 1,342 locations. Proceeds from the sale will be used for additional share ... Read more »
Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWTech) partnered with McKinstry to secure $296,630 in grant money through the Washington State Energy Efficiency Grant Program. The program, administered by the Washington State Department of Commerce, allows institutions such as LWTech to perform facility upgrades that help reduce energy usage on its campus. ... Read more »
DuPont received The American Chemistry Council Responsible Care Energy Efficiency Award and the Industrial Energy Technology Conference Energy Award for improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the manufacture of DuPont Nomex at its Spruance plant in Richmond, Va. Nomex is a flame resistant fiber produced by DuPont ... Read more »
Energy management firm Acumen Energy Solutions has earned Platinum Trade Ally Status from Ameren Missouri’s ActOnEnergy BizSavers program. The honor from the utility recognizes companies that help customers achieve reductions in energy consumption totaling an amount greater than 5 million kWh or to companies that conduct more than 50 energy ... Read more »
JDJ Comfort Systems of Schenectady, NY, and Bourque Mechanical Systems of Rensselaer, NY, have achieved Carrier’s Factory Authorized Dealer distinction. The two firms are part of RJ Murray’s Carrier Dealer Network. JDJ Comfort Systems maintains and operates a complete heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system design and installation department, ... Read more »
North Carolina voters across political parties “overwhelmingly” support increased use of clean energy, according to a Fallon Research poll announced by the NC Sustainable Energy Association. Some 90 percent of respondents support solar, 88 percent support energy efficiency programs and 82 percent support the use of land-based wind energy, according to the survey. ... Read more »
Massachusetts has created the Community Clean Energy Resiliency Initiative, a $40 million grant program intended to help ensure energy resiliency at critical facilities . State funding will be made available to cities and towns that identify the facilities in their community where loss of electrical service would result in disruption ... Read more »
Honeywell China and Hebei province will cooperate on energy conservation and environmental protection measures to fight industrial pollution in the manufacturing region. The agreement will reinforce the ties between Honeywell and local companies in Hebei in smart grid, energy efficiency, green buildings, renewable energy and chemical processing solutions, the parties ... Read more »
First Solar, Rio Tinto and Ingenero are developing the Weipa Solar Photovoltaic Project in Queensland, Australia. The Commonwealth Government made an initial commitment of $3.5 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to be followed by an allocation of up to $7.8 million for the project’s second phase. For ... Read more »
E-Mon is now offering Honeywell’s Attune Energy Dashboard service to provide facility managers with a dashboard of energy usage and trends. The cloud-based Attune Energy Dashboard service accesses historical and real-time energy-usage data from a variety of meters including E-Mon’s D-Mon submeters, electric, gas, water, steam, BTU, etc. By viewing ... Read more »
General Motors has installed 401 electric vehicle charging stations at its US production and business facilities. More than 20 percent of the stations use electricity generated from solar canopies to help charge employee vehicles. The company says the majority of the stations are located at GM’s large engineering and corporate ... Read more »
Unilever, whose brands include Lipton Tea, says it will begin a tea research and development program that uses plant breeding methods to ensure sustainable tea. By broadening the natural diversity of tea plants to enhance their productivity, quality and overall sustainability, the project will help “future proof” tea, the company ... Read more »
California companies bought all 16.95 million allowances to release carbon emissions at the state’s most recent cap-and-trade auction, according to data posted on the state Air Resources Board’s website. The state’s seventh auction on May 16 sold carbon allowances for $11.50 each. An additional 4 million permits that can’t be used until ... Read more »
The International Living Future Institute has released the next iteration of its Living Building Challenge performance standard. Key changes in version 3.0 of the green building program include: The Site Petal was renamed the Place Petal, reflecting a belief in viewing each project location as a place with unique and ... Read more »
Worldwide revenue from biofuels for road transportation will grow from $166.5 billion annually in 2014 to $337.8 billion by 2022, according to a report from Navigant Research. Over the next eight years, biofuels are expected to become an important part of the fuel mix for road transportation, accounting for 7.5 ... Read more »