Build Your Own Windmill and Save on Your Electric Costs
When you decide to build your own windmill it , has to be founded on a several accepted standards that consist of , but not necessarily constrained to, the extent of your place , the average speed and availability of the prevailing wind . Combine this with the fact that technology, techniques and new materials have made the practical use of wind power for your properties a reality. So now is the best time to seek answers to the question as to why you should “make your own windmill?”
I am sure these are the best six reasons for you to at very least think about whether to build your own windmill your very own wind turbines for home which is certain to be be a valuable addition to your energy portfolio, or start of, your Green alternative energy solutions for your place .
One – The fiscal inducement is almost certainly the biddest with the regular upward curve of power costs recently , caused in part by the rising demands of the newer global economies of India and China and in part through the volatility in the Middle East.
Two – By building your own windmill you would be using one the most widley available free power sources – wind
Three – Not the same as solar generation , wind power works even when its cloudy, day or night
Four – new windmill models are very flexible and can be adapted to deliver power for a whole series of applications. Smaller models can be used to power individual appliances, adapted for marine usage or made portable for use with RV’s. Bigger models can be made in order to make considerable contribution to the lessening of utility costs for your home .
Five - By studying the guides and instructional videos available on the internet , the worry of building your own wind turbine is reduced to a straightforward step by step process.
Six – The cost and complexity of building a modern windmill has numberous advantages over making a solar system.
(I have to add an addendum, in that your choice of alternative energy source will of course be dictated by the size and position of your property, a larger windmill usually requires a property size of about 1 acre to be practical.)
All in all given the right property and sufficient wind speed (which can be calculated using the inbuilt maps included in the guides), then the decision to go for residential wind turbines are a very viable alternative to solar power.
What is Climate Change? Save Money Save the Climate DIY Solar
These days, you repeatedly hear the observation or the though may have come to you: Why is it so hot?! What is climate change?- Well tropical weather aside, every year it seems to be a little hotter. Weather forecasters observe that in the last 2 decades we have had the warmest 7 years in the records and that the world is higher average temperature than it has for at least 200,000 years. Now is a great time to check out home solar power
The constant use of fossil fuels to power our society has, over the decades, amplified the volume of Sulphur Dioxide being discharged into the atmosphere. Consumption of Sulphur containing fuels either in our industries or in our numerous power plants generates Sulpher Dioxide which then reacts with water and oxygen H2o and O2 in the atmosphere to produce H2SO4. This acid produced in the atmosphere, is a large component of Acid Rain.
From the end of WWII the surface temperature globally has risen 0.74 ± 0.18 °C and its projected to go on and probably increase if we do nothing to to cut back emissions globally . The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have concluded that most of the recorded temperature rises since the middle of the twentieth century the rise in the mean yearly temperatures are caused by rising concentrations of CO2 resulting from human activity such as fossil fuel use and the destruction of forests . These fundamental conclusions have been endorsed by more than forty scientific societies and science university departments, comprising all of the national universities of science of the major industrialized nations . The IPCC also says that differences in natural occurances such as solar radiation and volcanism produced most of thewarming , up to pre-industrial times .
Future climate model predictions encapsulated in a very recent IPCC report point out that the global lower atmosphere temperature is likely to increas a further 2.0 to 11.5 °F over the next century . The impression in this educated supposition arises from the use of calculations with differing sensitivity to carbon dioxide gas % quantities and the use of divergent best predictions of future carbon dioxide gas emissions . Some other doubts embrace take account of the way in which global warming and connected changes will be different around the globe when examined by regions. You can assist by using your own homemade solar panels, and do your bit to reduce CO2 emissions as well as save money on your electric bills.
If you have the opportunity to watch Al Gore’s Oscar winning documentary – “An inconvenient Truth”, it will clearly illustrate the case he made for the necessity to rid ourselves of fossil fuel consuming industrial processes and power plants and goes some way to answering what is climate change? . They have been calculated as making several billion tons! (An unimaginable amount) of CO2 into the atmosphere every year , which has a direct and adverse effect on global warming. Should climate change continue at it’s current predicted rate whole species of plant and animal life will will dissapear , hugh heat waves will come about decimating entire populations, and regions of the polar ice fields will melt .It seems like it may be time to move from the coast and up to the hills.
This makes it vital that we care for the environment and make use of non polluting energy before it becomes too late. Scientists agree that global warming is in full swing and it is us humans that have brought about most of the problems. The sun warms the world and gases such as CO2 that trap the heat in the atmosphere. Burning carbon based fuels creates additional carbon dioxide causing climate change bycreating the greenhouse effect and overheating our world .
For the future safe continuance of our civilisation we need to decide on our personal stance on the question of what is climate change? and what we can do to help ? One way is to consider building our own DIY green energy (the best option would be renewable solar energy) source on our property, the most popular form such a project can take is the use of solar panels. Which with the help of a good online guide with step by step instructions and videos , makes the whole project accessable and affordable for everyone.
Wood Pellets Can Bring Warmth and Energy To Your Home
Developing alternative fuel forms such as wind, solar along with wood is very important to develop a new energy economy away from oil as well as gas. Yet, what is also important is how to improve to efficiency of these new forms of fuel. Wood, unlike wind plus solar is a energy source which takes time to grow plus cultivate, as well as there is a limit to the volume of biomass we can make. We therefore when using wood call for to achieve maximum efficiency, along with capture as much fuel from the biomass as likely.
Learn more about Cost of Wood Pellets
Using biomass for fuel construction in most cases means combustion, primarily to generate warmth for homes along with businesses. In you look at the first basic biomass heating systems such as log stoves in addition to boilers, much of the energy was wasted up the chimney as well as into the natural world. Today however, by the development of biomass pellet fuels for case, much more proficient pellet combustion systems are accessible, on the other hand these systems can be improved further. As well as warmth, all modern homes today also necessitate electricity. Now the creation of electricity has always been seen to be only practical in addition to affordable on a long term basis owing to large power plants. However, there are now quite a lot of companies developing electrical generators which operate on warmth. One instance from Cyclone Technologies called the WHE or Waste Heat Engine, is a closed loop steam engine, operating on purified water. The engine can run on any source of warmth, along with the business has built a wood demonstration unit running on wood pellets generating up to 10Kw’s of electricity. 10Kw’s of electricity is a substantial amount for most homes and small businesses, as well as could run the whole property. If the electricity is not required, then it can simply be fed back into the grid, by way of the owner been paid for the fuel they generated by the power company. This is visibly a way to enlarge the efficiency of biomass, by producing both warmth as well as power owing to biomass incineration. Many electrical generation experts now believe the future of electrical reserve could be a network of smaller energy producers feeding power into the network. This not only supports the local economy, but it also encourages users directly to use less energy as they see a net gain in income.
Read more about Wood Pellets
Wood in its unprocessed form is difficult to use, plus achieving high efficiency can be very difficult. Therefore one of the most practical ideas is to upgrade the biomass into pellet form. Almost any wood reserve can be upgraded into pellet energy plus gives the matter the positive properties of a greater energy density, uniform size along with shape in addition to reduced moisture percentage. In pellet form transport costs are also vastly reduced as the bulky wood is reduced. The process of producing a pellet can be quite tricky, as each raw matter is somewhat dissimilar, in addition to aspects such as material density do result the process of compression. Also heat is a vital aspect of the process, without ample warmth the natural lignin of the matter will not melt to bind to form a quality pellet.
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A legacy of Katrina: Green homes
In this city on the mend, hundreds of state-of-the-art sustainable, energy-efficient homes are being built in lower-income neighborhoods, a trend that’s outpacing most of the rest of the country.
More than 500 homes are being built with features such as solar panels, rain-catching cisterns and eco-friendly materials in neighborhoods that received the brunt of the damage from the 2005 floods following Hurricane Katrina. Hundreds of other homes are being given green upgrades.
“New Orleans is certainly a leader in that regard,” says Suzanne Watson of the Washington-based American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. “The scale at which they’re doing it is remarkable.”
Green building has traditionally been left to higher-end homes, whose owners can afford the costlier solar panels and other elements, says Forest Bradley-Wright of the New Orleans-based Alliance for Affordable Energy. But as New Orleans began to rebuild, non-profits stepped in with innovative development techniques and eco-friendly plans to rebuild lower-income neighborhoods such as the Lower 9th Ward and Pontchartrain Park, he says.
“The destruction caused by Katrina necessitated almost every one to rethink how to rebuild their home,” Bradley-Wright says.
Other American cities are building sustainable, energy-efficient housing for lower-income families. The Boston Housing Authority will receive $63 million in federal money for energy-efficiency improvements, the largest public-housing project of that kind in U.S. history. And the Seattle Housing Authority is revamping one of its public housing complexes into 1,700 green energy-efficient units.
But it’s rare for a city to develop so many sustainable and affordable single-family homes, such as New Orleans is doing, as opposed to apartment complexes, which is more the national trend, Watson says.
“What’s happening in New Orleans is incredibly impressive. It shows the tenacity of those working there,” says Dana Bourland, a vice president of Enterprise Community Partners, a Maryland-based non-profit that supports affordable housing efforts nationwide.
New Orleans projects include:
- Five sustainable homes, an 18-unit apartment complex and a community center in the Holy Cross section of the Lower 9th Ward developed by California-based Global Green USA.
- 150 eco-friendly homes planned for the Lower 9th Ward by Make It Right, the initiative started by actor Brad Pitt. So far, 34 of the homes have been built.
- Plans to build more than 100 green homes in the city’s Gentilly neighborhood on a $20 million pledge from the New York-based Riggio Foundation.
- More than 150 elevated, energy-efficient homes are being planned for the Pontchartrain Park area, an initiative led by actor Wendell Pierce, a New Orleans native best known for his role in HBO series The Wire.
The completed Lower 9th Ward homes range in price from $120,000 to $160,000 and energy bills are 75% lower than comparable homes, says Jon Sader, Make It Right’s construction director.
One of them went to Neal Dupar, 48, whose previous home was destroyed in August 2005 by more than 10 feet of water. He lives with his wife and five children in a new four-bedroom home with solar paneling and improved insulation on the same lot as his previous home. He pays $300 a month less on energy and water bills than in the old house, he says.
“It’s helped a great deal,” Dupar says. “I’d never be able to afford this on my own.”
How To Build A lot of Money With Ebay’s Affiliate Program.
If you’ve been on the net for a whereas, the probabilities are that at a while or different you will have taken part in an affiliate program. They generally work by providing you with a URL to send folks to their site that contains your affiliate variety, and then giving you a tiny amount for each one that comes in using your link and signs up or buys something.
eBay’s affiliate program follows this basic formula, however with a few twists.
It pays a lot. Every user who follows your link to eBay, signs up and then bids on something at intervals 30 days will earn you $20. Most affiliate programs will solely provide you something like 10% of the user’s 1st purchase. What’s more, for every existing eBay user who clicks through from your site and then places a bid or buys one thing, you’ll get 10c.
You’ll be able to be your own affiliate. If you only link to your own auctions along with your affiliate link number from your own website, then you’re getting cash while not sending patrons to anyone except yourself. There aren’t many affiliate programs which will say that.
Thus Where Do I Sign Up?
You’ll visit eBay’s affiliate program at http://affiliates.ebay.com/. Once you’re there, simply click ‘Be part of the Program’. You may then be required to sign up for Commission Junction, that is free.
How Can I Get People to Click the Links?
eBay suggest a range of ‘business models’ for their affiliates. Before individuals can click your affiliate links, they have to be at your website. There are 2 ways in which to get them there using a search engine, which eBay talk over with as ‘natural’ and ‘paid’ search.
Natural search: This is when someone finds your website in an exceedingly search engine’s normal results, either because something you wrote is relevant to them or you used SEO (search engine optimisation) techniques. Be careful not to use any dodgy ways to urge a high search engine ranking, though, or eBay might return when you and keep your affiliate money.
Paid search: This strategy involves paying for traffic to your web site or directly to eBay, by shopping for ads on search engines. If you opt for this selection, it’s really value putting ads on the less standard search engines instead of the large ones: they’ll have similar click-through rates as a share, but the value sometimes won’t be anywhere close to as high.
Content: What you’ll be able to do is simply have a traditional web site, with articles on a selection of subjects and perhaps a community forum. Run the website for pleasure, however place the occasional eBay affiliate link there.
Newsletters: Don’t ignore the potential of putting your affiliate ID in each time you send out a newsletter. You can get 10c for each bid it generates with no additional work, that may be enough for the email to get itself, whether it leads to any sales or not.
Sadly, our time along is sort of at an finish, but there’s one issue that I have left to show you. It’s referred to as the featured gallery, and it might help your sales. Look out for the subsequent email!
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LA Spars Over Green Energy
City officials and Los Angeles’s power company are sparring over big increases in electricity rates that the utility says it needs to pay for a push into renewable energy.
So far, the city council is balking at the requests. But both sides agree the utility will need more revenue, making some substantial increases likely later this year.
Los Angeles’s case could serve as a warning to officials in other cities and states who are also trying to change the energy mix of local utilities, substituting more power from renewable sources, such as wind and sun, for power from coal- or gas-burning plants.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the nation’s largest municipal utility, says it needs to collect significantly more money to manage costs associated with an ambitious plan to get more electricity from renewable resources and less from coal.
The utility currently gets about half of its power from coal, an unusually large amount for a utility in California, a state with no significant coal deposits.
The city’s goal is to get 20% of its electricity from green sources by the end of the year, which it is on track to achieve. It hopes to raise that to 35% to 40% by 2020.
Renewable power from sources such as wind turbines and solar farms, however, is considerably more costly than the coal-based electricity it replaces.
The city council had authorized the utility to raise rates 5%, or 0.6 cents a kilowatt hour, on April 1. That plan dissolved Thursday, when the utility’s board instead moved to impose an increase of about 5.7% and was halted by the city council, postponing any action for three months.
Jan Perry, a city council member who is chairwoman of an energy subcommittee, said the appointed utility board “overplayed its hand” in thinking it could ignore the wishes of the city’s elected officials.
Other council members accused the utility of extortion for threatening to withhold a $73 million payment to the city, which is running a deep deficit, until the department gets a satisfactory rate increase.
A looming revenue shortfall at the Los Angeles utility prompted its board last month to demand a double-digit increase of 2.7 cents a kilowatt hour this year, broken into several increases.
The budget crunch stems from lingering effects of high fuel costs two years ago and, more recently, increased purchases of renewable energy. The utility has been unable to charge customers the full amount of its rising costs because the city council has capped rates.
“The utility needs to raise rates. The mayor’s main concern is to make sure the citizens get something back for it, like cleaner energy and green jobs,” said Sarah Hamilton, press secretary for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
Many businesses oppose rate increases in a weak economy. On Tuesday, the city council heard objections from residents and business owners. A representative of brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, for example, indicated the rate increase could cost it up to $2 million a year.
Others said the city’s goal to generate green jobs was undercut by high electricity prices that would drive businesses from the city.
“We’re going to lose a lot of jobs,” warned Councilman Greig Smith. “And this proposal doesn’t shut down a single coal plant.”
Vacation Rentals Are an easy way Of Traveling With Your Family
Vacation rental is often fantastic alternative for families. It is as good as going to a traveler location and enjoying all the freedom you have at your home. Should you have a big family with kids and elders also take into account arranging holiday leases. Presently important tourists’ destinations on this planet have sufficient vacation lettings. There is no doubt vacation rentals by owner are an excellent alternative to spend a great vacation
The initial specific advantage that vacation rentals get over hotels will be the accessible living space. Vacation rentals are very roomy. This helps prevent you against obtaining claustrophobic sense of a hotel. Both children and elders can move about without restraint. Similarly the large windows and doorways of rentals bathe home with sufficient sunshine. This is often something that you simply will clearly skip in the hotel. Visualize stretching your lower limbs out at the fire place following a very tiring day trip. Specially booking cheap Florida villas, the light is always present. That is solely likely in a rental. Like wise you are unable to expect some morning freehand exercising inside your hotel room. You can also run about along with your kids in the room and have some light hearted moments.
Holiday lettings have particular bedrooms for children. Take as many rooms as desired. Apart from rooms for kids you can choose rooms for elders and a room yourself. You will get rentals with more than one bathroom. So you won’t really have to put up with a queue before the toilet. The best feature of vacation leases is the kitchen area. Almost all popular rentals have a very very well equipped kitchen. You can come across most useful aids together with crockery’s. Your loved ones gets to eat not simply what they feel like but also some delightful home made food. There can be no substitute to savoring home made delicacies while vacationing. And this is possible only when stay in vacation rentals.
If you rent a rental within the apartment complex with a swimming pool you can really have some carefree moments. You possibly can allow children to splash in the waters under an expert guidance when you relax by the pool side watching them play.
Best way to put 5S to work for you!
5S is a popular tool used in lean manufacturing environments and its primary benefit is its simple approach. Too many it appears just like good old fashioned common sense. This article outlines some of 5S’ obvious benefits.
Phase 1 - (æ•´ç†) Seiri (Sorting): This is a process to get rid of any unnecessary tools and equipment items from the workplace area. Everything else is either discarded or stored. This step is crucial to achieving greater efficiency through workplace design.
Phase 2 - (æ•´é “) Seiton (Set in Order): This process focuses on organising work areas for maximum efficiency by organising tools & equipment to promote optimum work flows through minimising movement. For instance, all tools & equipment should be located as close as possible to where they’ll be needed and processes designed to maximise efficiency. For example, if a tool is only to be used at the end of a machine, that’s where it should be located. Also Consider Floor Marking.
Phase 3 - (清枃) SeisÅ (Sweeping): This method relates to maintaining a disciplined, systematic approach to ensure a clean & tidy workplace and tip top machines. When every shift ends, work areas are tidied and tools and equipment are returned to their designated locations. This should be carried out every day, rather than become an ad-hoc activity that’s introduced when things become disorganised. This principle also suggests that by regularly cleaning machinery and retaining it close to its original condition when it ws bought, its efficiency and quality will not be greatly affected. Machinery that’s retained in good condition experience less unproductive downtime and will produce quality levels which are very close to new machinery.
Phase 4 - (清潔) Seiketsu (Standardizing): This requires that work practices are followed in a uniform and consistent manner. Many companies have followed the first three Ss many times, only to evidence conditions slowly deteriorate. The “Standardize” part of the 5s’ addresses this issue. It’s better described as the “what, when, whom, where” of 5S. For instance, when a specific machine needs to be maintained, there should be a system (typically checklists and documented instructions) that details what needs to be done, when it must be done, by whom and where.
Phase 5 – (躾) Shitsuke (Sustain the system): The process of sustaining the system is considered to be the more difficult S to accomplish. Years of experience showed that the other 4S’ were not always followed. Maintaining a strong focus on this innovative method of working is essential to prevent anyone slipping back into their previous habits and ways of working. One method to sustain the system is to carry out regular audits, although care must be taken to avoid a system isn’t punitive. The 5S system relies on staff involvement and commitment at every levels, and an audit that punishes people will potentially destroy any good work that should arise form the audit.
For more information please call 1-866-777-1360 or check out www.creativesafetysupply.com
How To Buy The Best Wood Pellet Boilers
The last few years have seen a speedy growth in the popularity of wood pellet stoves. The two main reasons for this are the constantly unstable as well as increasing oil in addition to gas prices, in addition to the awareness that the use of oil along with gas is causing carbon emissions which are accelerating climate change. Biomass pellet stoves are a practical option, as they are still highly automated and can easily fit in to the modern behavior, unlike log fires for instance which require far more maintenance. As biomass pellets are a carbon neutral fuel source, a variety of discount incentives are offered by the government to decrease the costs involved. Oil along with gas prices will continue to increase as well as increased green taxes. Therefore the fuel savings of biomass pellets will continue to increase in the future. As the pellet stove market continues to grow, the choice of accessible pellet stoves continues to grow, on the other hand the features on the stoves as well as boilers varies widely. The Biomass Pellet Stove plus Boiler Guide can help in choosing the best pellet stove or boiler for your budget, in addition to keep pellet fuel costs to a minimum.
Learn more about Pellet Stoves Pros and Cons
The growing pellet stove as well as pellet fuel market provides an opportunity to develop local jobs generating pellet fuel plus servicing pellet stoves as well as boilers. A wide collection of local wood resources can be turned into fuel pellets, these include biomass resources, agricultural waste along with purpose grown fuel crops. These resources could then be harvested in addition to upgraded into fuel pellets. By keeping the whole cycle of production as well as consumption within the local area means cheaper pellet fuel prices as well as reduced transportation with less carbon emissions generated. Though not all pellet stoves can use all fuel pellets.
Read more about Pellets Stoves
Though a wide selection of energy pellets can be made locally, only a few designs of pellet stove can use the pellets efficiently. Changes in ash content in addition to other complications can prove to be serious issues for some pellet stoves, while others are much more energy flexible plus reliable. However many of the features in the design of the stove which limit its abilities are not well known. Also these differences in abilities cannot be seen in price of the pellet stove. As many of the more reliable pellet stoves are actually cheaper than less reliable stoves. At PelHeat we develop along with promote pellet production as well as burning solutions, plus to aid consumers in choosing more energy flexible as well as reliable pellet burners we have developed the Pellet Stove and Boiler Guide. The guide will show the features to look out for and which to avoid when purchasing a pellet stove or boiler. To learn more please enter your email along with name in the form below.
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Big Energy Firms Blocking Solar Power in South
As citizens, businesses and non-profit organizations seek to transition to cleaner power sources like solar and wind, some big energy firms whose business models rely on polluting sources are standing in the way.
In Georgia, the energy company Georgia Power has lobbied for favorable public policies at the Public Service Commission (PSC) and State legislature that are making it difficult for the state’s residents to transition to solar power.
IPS learned that the Dekalb County school system wanted to put solar panels on their schools, but could not do it because of state policies like the Territorial Electric Service Act of 1973 which gives Georgia Power a monopoly over the purchase of energy.
“In Georgia, we have about a dozen state policies preventing creation of solar energy,” James Marlow, vice chair of the Georgia Solar Energy Association, told IPS. “One of those is the Territorial Act.”
“If you’re looking at a school, one of the common ways of setting up solar panels is using a power purchase agreement or PPA,” Marlow said.
Typically, one of the biggest obstacles for businesses and organizations to switch to solar energy is the initial cost of obtaining and installing the panels. A PPA allows a school system, for example, to obtain the panels for no cost from a solar installation company which finances the panels.
Then, the school can purchase the energy from the solar installation company, which would own the panels, for a 20-year period. Marlow said that a PPA client typically pays for the panels after the first five years and then saves money on energy for the next 15, all the while avoiding the use of dirty energy.
However, because of Georgia’s Territorial Act, individuals, organizations, and businesses with solar panels can only sell their energy to Georgia Power. This means they cannot enter a PPA with a solar installation company and may have difficulty affording the panels in the first place.
For those who are able to buy or lease their own solar panels, selling that energy to Georgia Power–the only allowed buyer–is subject to the rules of Georgia Power’s net metering program. Net metering is where residents and businesses with solar panels sell any excess energy produced by the solar panels to Georgia Power for use by other customers.
“The problem with the current net-metering program is… there’s a waiting list and it’s limited. Net-metering in Georgia has a cap of 100 kilowatt hours,” Marlow said, adding that one state in the US South, North Carolina, is taking the lead on solar power. “In North Carolina, that cap is two megawatts.”
“We requested a 5 megawatt cap in Georgia. Georgia Power has lobbied to limit that to a smaller number,” Marlow said.
But why would Georgia Power put a cap and waiting list on purchasing solar power from Georgia residents and businesses?
The company explains that its ability to purchase solar power from Georgians with solar panels is limited by the proceeds of its “green energy blocks” program, wherein Georgia Power customers are allowed to pay extra to purchase blocks of solar energy.
“We had to cap the amount we would buy back, because there’s only so much the program would bear as we rolled it out and it started to be developed,” Ervan Hancock, Georgia Power’s renewable and green strategy manager, told the Savannah Morning News newspaper in July 2009.
“Georgia Power will only buy solar energy if it’s funded through purchase of green energy blocks. Right now they only have 4,500 customers such as the US Center for Disease Control and Warner Robins Air Force Base. The funding from that goes to buy solar energy from your rooftop,” Marlow said.
However, Georgia Power charges more for solar power than it does for coal-based power, so there’s no incentive for most customers to purchase it. “They purchasers of the blocks would pay a slight premium to buy clean energy versus buying coal energy,” Marlow said.
Many of the purchasers of blocks of solar energy are government agencies that need to comply with government mandates to support clean energy, Marlow said.
Other states like Colorado have taken a different approach to encourage the use of solar panels. They charge all energy customers 50 cents a month, a very low amount, to support the purchase of solar energy from producers.
According to the Morning News, the Tennessee Valley Authority has enrolled 13,000 green-power customers and has no cap on the annual amount of green energy it will buy from producers. Florida Power & Light “is building three solar facilities that combined will generate 110 megawatts of electricity… Duke Energy in North Carolina plans to invest 50 million in rooftop installations.”
To be sure, Georgia Power is only following the regulations established by the legislature and PSC. However, they lobbied for those policies to be enacted in the first place, Marlow said.
“At this point, the utilities are opposed to solar and they’re not working to foster its development,” Marlow said.
In addition to regulatory tricks, there are more direct ways in which big energy companies like Georgia Power are blocking solar and wind power.
“They are trying to block clean energy by trying to flood the market with cheap, dirty energy,” said Erin Glynn, director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign, referring to companies attempting to build two new coal plants and two new nuclear reactors in Georgia alone. As previously reported by IPS, numerous coal and nuclear plants are in planning stages throughout the U.S. South.
“If you build these giant power plants, there will be no demand for clean energy. The clean technologies are here today. People have solar panels. The companies are blocking the market,” Glynn said.
Big energy companies are lobbying at the state and national levels to prevent public policies from shifting towards renewable energy production as well. Georgia Power’s parent company, Southern Company, employed 63 lobbyists to fight the recent federal clean energy bill.
A recent report from the Centre for Public Integrity (CPI) shows that many big utility companies employed two dozen or more lobbyists to oppose the clean energy bill, while Southern Company had far more lobbyists than any other company.
“We feel it’s very important to educate our legislators, and we continue to work with Congress to further address the issues we see as critical to our ability to provide affordable, reliable energy,” Southern Company spokeswoman Terri Cohilas told CPI.
Southern Company argues that pursuing renewable energy or taking steps to address carbon dioxide’s recent classification as a pollutant will drive up the cost of energy to consumers. However, Marlow believes that dirty and clean energy are quickly approaching “cost parity,” and he said there are indirect costs of dirty energy such as high asthma rates near coal plants.
Twenty-nine states have a renewable portfolio standard, which requires that a certain percentage of the state’s energy will be renewable by a certain date.
“California and Colorado will require 30 percent comes from renewable by 2020,” Marlow said. “North Carolina requires 12 percent. Georgia has no requirement. North Carolina is the only state in the Southeast that has a renewable portfolio standard.”