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Federal government beats renewable energy use goal The largest energy consumer in the nation, the Federal government, now uses 2,375 Gigawatthours of renewable energy, exceeding its goal of obtaining 2.5 percent of its electricity needs from renewable energy sources by Sep. 30, 2005. Those figures represent an increase of more than 1,000 percent in the Federal government's use of renewable energy since the Executive Order goal was set in 1999. At that time, renewable energy from biomass, geothermal, solar and wind projects only accounted for some 173 GWh. DOE's Federal Energy Management Program worked to helped Federal agencies meet the goal by purchasing renewable energy or using renewable technologies at individual sites. Federal facilities have installed solar panels, on-site wind projects and thousands of geothermal ground source heat pumps. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 set a new goal for the Federal government to obtain 7.5 percent of its electrical power from renewable sources of energy by 2013. Sen. Salazar's renewable energy summit hailed a success More than 500 members of Colorado's and the nation's energy industries, business, government and research institutions gathered at the Community College of Denver Jan. 11 to discuss steps toward a secure and independent energy future. U.S. Senator Ken Salazar hosted the Colorado Renewable Energy Summit at the King Center on CCD's Auraria Campus. The summit focused on the present and future of Colorado ’s renewable energy sector and the state's role in the U.S. and global renewable energy economy. “We cannot postpone the development of renewable energy resources any longer,” said Senator Salazar. The event began with a presentation by Tim Wirth, former U.S. Senator and United Nations Foundation and Better World Fund president. Wirth offered an overview of renewable energy, economic opportunities and national security policy. Other speakers included DOE Under Secretary David Garman; NREL Director Dan Arvizu, director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Shell Oil President John Hofmeister; BP Solar President and CEO Lee Edwards and former Republican Speaker of the Colorado House Lola Spradley. At the briefing during the summit, Salazar said that he plans to assemble and release a report on the nation's renewable energy prospects and an action plan for advancing the development of those resources. From this action plan and the summit, Senator Salazar also plans to develop specific legislation to bolster renewable energy development in Colorado. “There is a great and immediate potential for the production of renewable energy through wind, solar and biofuels production in Colorado and the United States," said Salazar. "We need to be doing all we can as a nation to foster its development." Upper Great Plains office sponsors housing workshop series
Western's Upper Great Plains Regional Office teamed up with Touchstone Energy Cooperative and South Dakota Public Utilities Commission in January to give area contractors a crash course on the latest building techniques for high-performance housing. The first two Residential Building Science Seminars took place in Sioux Falls and Watertown, S.D. The final one, presented at the Electrotech Expo in Rapid City, Jan. 21, was co-sponsored by West River Electric Association and Black Hills Power. The featured speaker was Graham Davis, quality assurance director for John Laing Homes in Colorado and a certified trainer for the Environmental Energy Building Association. Topics included moisture management, thermal barriers and indoor air quality. Davis stressed the importance of getting control of the fundamentals—moisture, air, heat and mechanical systems. Protecting a building from water, he insisted, is the first concern of high-performance, or green builders. The presentation concluded with a look at South Dakota tax credits and radon issues in the region. Participants represented a cross section of the building industry, including engineers, architects and building inspectors as well as contractors. Positive feedback indicated that builders are eager to expand their knowledge about measures that improve the performance, and therefore the value of their product. New energy efficiency tax credits take effect Various tax credits designed to improve the nation's energy efficiency went into effect on Jan. 1, and are available to help American families and businesses to reduce energy costs at home, work and on the road. "While there are easy, immediate steps that families can take to reduce their energy bills, like turning down the thermostat or weather stripping doors and windows, these tax credits will help with the purchase of bigger ticket items," said Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman. Consumers can use the energy efficiency tax credits to reduce their 2005 tax bills on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to the amount allowed under the law. For example, purchasing the most fuel-efficient vehicles could reduce tax liability by up to $3,400. Installing products such as energy-efficient windows, insulation, doors, roofs and heating and cooling systems in the home could shave up to $500 off of Federal tax bills. President Bush signed the energy efficiency tax credits into law in August as part of the first comprehensive energy legislation in more than a decade. The landmark energy bill contains provisions to promote greater energy efficiency and conservation, improve the reliability of electricity delivery and encourage increased domestic energy production, including energy from renewable sources such as biomass and wind. California Solar Initiative revives state's solar ambitions California's SB-1 bill—the Million Solar Roofs Initiative—may have been defeated, but the recently passed California Solar Initiative effectively replace it with the largest solar energy bill in U.S. history. California Public Utilities Commission approved the 10-year, $2.9 billion plan Jan. 12. The program's goal is to increase the amount of installed solar capacity on rooftops in the state by 3,000 MW by 2017. Funds will come from electric and gas distribution customers of investor-owned utilities, and will go toward the installation of photovoltaics initially, with solar hot water heating and solar heating and cooling systems being added later this year. The program sets aside 10 percent of its funding for low-income customers and affordable housing installations. The PUC will also explore the option of offering low-cost financing options to those types of installations in workshops this year. An additional amount of up to 5 percent of the annual budget will support potential research, development and demonstration activities, emphasizing solar and solar-related technology demonstrations. The California Energy Commission will oversee the program component focusing on new housing and encouraging solar installations in the residential new construction market. The PUC will oversee the remainder and majority of the California Solar Initiative, which will cover existing residential housing, as well as existing and new commercial and industrial properties. Please visit
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