I wanted to let you know that I will not be posting updates for this coming week.  I am heading to NH to canvas neighborhoods and make phone calls on behalf of the Obama campaign.  I will continue posting as soon as I return.  In the meantime, be sure to take a look at this brief yet, informative interactive map which shows you the electricity portfolios of US states.

BroadStar Wind Systems will be unveiling it’s innovative new wind turbine design this week at the BWEA30 event in London.  The new design uses horizontal blades arranged in a rotating cylindrical structure, which can be placed on buildings or to infill existing wind farms. The goal of this new design is to create new and affordable markets for capturing wind energy.

If you have not already read about the innovative business model that Recurrent Energy is built around, you might want to spend some time reading about their, “solar as a service” approach to enabling commercial, residential and government entities to adopt a solar energy infrastructure without investing in the upfront costs.  EIA’s updated Annual Energy Outlook makes the succinct but relevant point that in order to see continued participation in renewables from the residential and commercial sectors, we’re going to need to find more and more innovative models for making the technology and the energy accessible, without the initial costs, the risk of ownership as well as operation and maintenance costs.

The DOE is supporting the roll-out of an upcoming web-based mapping application to determine the solar energy potential of rooftops in 25 US cities.  Until that application is released, I recommend using the United States Solar Atlas.

If the next US President accepts the agreements of the Kyoto Protocol, the carbon market is estimated to reach $3 trillion by 2020.  Now more than ever, investors are looking for data to guide their carbon market investment strategies.  Carbon Disclosure Project data is now available via the BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL service.  This new dataset will make available information regarding a company’s GHG emissions and energy consumption.

For investors looking to gain more knowledge and insight into this emerging market, it has just been announced that the Koelnmesse group will hold Carbon TradeEx America in Washington D.C. this coming April.

A friend just asked me about my thoughts on California’s upcoming Proposition 7.  Many individuals and organizations within the renewable energy industry (especially solar) oppose this proposition based on the language and definition around the size of the producers (the proposition explicates that the producer must generate 30MW or more).  One point that I do not see being made by many is regarding the goals of the proposition.  The proposition aims for 50% renewables by 2025.  I think we can do better than that.  California often sets the tone and pace of technology development in this country and I would like to see the state take on a much more ambitious goal.

For those interested in this proposition, I recommend becoming familiar with the existing renewable portfolio standards in the US as well the concepts behind and implications of distributed generation systems.

Economists and industry experts vary widely in terms of what they think the impact of the economic crisis is going to be on the development of renewable energy technologies and infrastructures in the US market.  For anyone interested in this topic, I’d like to point you towards a few articles:

The End of Green – Thomas Friedman
Climate deal seen helping overcome financial crisis – Reuters
Economic Crisis and Renewable Energy – sustainablebusiness.com
Sunny outlook for solar industry – San Diego Union Tribune

A number of people have been asking me for a quick fact sheet that compares the US Presidential Candidates in terms of their stances on energy and climate change.  Grist has a very easy to read and digestible page for comparing the candidates.

Last week, Sandia National Laboratories was to manage a new DOE renewable energy program called Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems (SEGIS). The Department of Energy will invest up to $24 million in fiscal year 2008 as well as beyond.  >> Read more

(ppm) of carbon dioxide.

After the Industrial Revolution, we began an increased rate of fossil fuel consumption to support our new industrial infrastructures. We determined city locations, water infrastructures, agricultural and crop selection based on the existing climate and the capabilities of the natural capital base which existed at this time.

By the late 1950’s, we were at 315 parts per million.

Today, we are at 380 parts per million.

Currently, we increase by about 2 parts per million/yr.
This increase represents roughly 8 billion metric tons of carbon annually.

Scientific data seems to agree that we should not go above 450 ppm.
This number is disputed among the scientific community and typical ranges between 420 pm and 450 ppm.

Be sure to review Robert Socolow and Stephen Pacala’s “Stabilization Wedges” as an approach to stabilizing the carbon content in our Earth’s atmosphere.