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New laws ramp up New Mexico RPS, create state transmission authority New Mexico recently passed two bills, one to increase its renewable portfolio standard and a second establishing a statewide renewable-energy transmission authority. Some of the functions the New Mexico Renewable Energy Transmission Authority may perform include:
Both new laws were enacted in March 2007 and take effect July 1, 2007. Governor, industry address flaw in California solar rebate program Meeting with business executives, the California Public Utilities Commission and legislative leaders, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has worked out a compromise to fix what was described as an "unintended glitch" in the Million Solar Roofs campaign. The flaw, a requirement that solar users switch to higher "time-of-use" rates for their supplemental electricity, makes the installations potentially uneconomical. The Los Angeles Times quoted industry sources as saying that the higher rates made solar installations much less cost effective, even with a rebate and Federal tax credit. Worse yet, some experts predicted that homeowners in the Inland Empire and the desert might see higher electric bills after installing solar systems. The result of the glitch has been a 78-percent decline in rebate requests in the first three months of 2007, compared to 2006. California solar equipment installers have complained that business is tanking. If passed by the legislature, the governor's bill will allow the PUC to temporarily change the rate structure for PV systems installed since January 2007. The plan would be in force for two years. In the meantime, new rates would be developed as part of the PUC's next general ratemaking cases for Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and San Diego Gas & Electric Co., beginning in 2009. One lawmaker who worked on the compromise, Sen. Jim Battin (R-La Quinta), said he was hopeful that the new rates "will make it financially feasible for desert homeowners to use the program." ASU receives NSF grant for alternative energy technologies programs The National Science Foundation recently awarded a $900,000 grant recently to Arizona State University’s Electronic Systems Department at the Polytechnic campus to develop alternative energy programs and courses in conjunction with community colleges in Arizona and Texas. Known as the Arizona-Texas Consortium for Alternative and Renewable Energy Technologies Advanced Technological Education Project, the project will bring together partners from education, government and industry. Participants include Austin Community College, Mesa Community College, Pima Community College, the state of Arizona, Austin Energy, Arizona Public Service, BP Solar, Georgetown Utility Systems, Global Solar Energy, Tucson Electric Power, Salt River Project, Southwest Gas and Trico Electric Cooperative, Inc. The ATE Project will help meet the workforce needs of the energy, transportation and electronic industries by increasing the number of students completing associate of applied science degrees, certificate programs and bachelor’s degrees in those fields. Also, the ATE Project will create industry internships, provide training to improve the skills of existing workforce, offer professional development activities to teachers in grades 9-16, and serve as a nationwide and statewide public awareness vehicle. ASU's first offering under the project is a new concentration in Alternative Energy Technologies at ASU’s Polytechnic campus. Beginning in fall 2007, students will have the option of focusing on Alternative Energy Technologies in the undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered by ASU’s Electronic Systems Department. The new alternative energy program will educate students about alternative energy sources, such as solar, wind, ocean, geothermal and biomass, promoting a dual strategy of conservation or maximizing efficiency in tandem with vigorous development of alternative energy sources. Students will learn how to engineer concepts, components and materials in the new courses. The unique program also compliments other activities at ASU that have similar goals, but different approaches. CEC Booklet helps home buyers and sellers raise energy-efficiency IQ A new publication from the California Energy Commission aims to help home buyers and sellers use energy efficiency to make their new and existing homes more attractive in a tight real estate market. Raise Your Energy Efficiency IQ uncovers the facts about a home's energy efficiency and recommends the best way to improve it. Real estate agents will find tips to explain the value and benefits of energy efficiency. Because homes built before 1982 — before the advent of California’s Title 24 standards — are apt to need efficiency improvements, it also suggests simple efficiency upgrades. Buyers will find a handy checklist of questions to ask sellers about a home's energy costs and learn about home energy rating services and the benefits of having a home energy inspection. A home's energy efficiency characteristics may be material facts that should be disclosed prior to a sale. The 16-page booklet provides information on rebates and tax credits and options for financing efficiency improvements. A section on solar energy lists the advantages of installing a residential PV system and directs homeowners to Go Solar California to learn more. Colorado resident tests backyard wind turbine Many homes in the Metro Denver area generate some of their own electricity with renewable energy systems, but only Chuck Courtad does it with wind. The Golden resident is the first in Colorado to get a SkyStream turbine, a compact, user-friendly, all-inclusive wind generator designed to power utility-connected homes and businesses. Southwest Wind Power and DOE's Wind Energy Program jointly developed the SkyStream for residential applications. The Wind Energy Program's 2006 Peer Review Report called the unit well thought-out, well designed and remarkably low-cost. If the small turbine operates as designed and testing proves its operation, the report said, it has the potential to be a major factor in residential application and could become as widespread on American farms as the old windmill water pumps. The SkyStream features 12-foot-long curved blades that hit maximum output (1.7 kilowatts, or 30 to 90 percent of most homes’ needs) at 20 mph and produce about as much noise as an air conditioner. With all electrical parts contained in the turbine body, installation is easy and costs around $10,000, according to manufacturer representative Josh Levinson. |
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