John Farrell

26 Oct 2004

Federal Legislation Supports Distributed Energy Technologies

by John Farrell | Date: 26 Oct 2004 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0

Two pieces of legislation have been passed recently by the U.S. Congress contain some provisions that will provide financial incentives for distributed energy technologies including biomass, wind, solar and geothermal. The Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004 [H.R. 1380] and the 2004 American Jobs Creation Act [H.R. 4520] have been signed into law by President Bush. Some of these incentives are new, some are extensions of incentives that have lapsed with the inability of Congress to pass a comprehensive energy bill in the past two years.

15 Oct 2004

Internet Over Powerlines Takes Step Forward

by John Farrell | Date: 15 Oct 2004 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0

On October 14, 2004 the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released a joint statement related to new FCC rules to facilitate the widespread adoption of broadband internet access over electric power lines, known as Access BPL [Action by the Commission, October 14, 2004 by Report and Order (FCC 04-245)]. The BPL ruling will not only provide households with another option in broadband internet service but it is expected to lead utilties to provide more efficient management of their power supply system, and ensure increased operational reliability.… Read More

27 Sep 2004

California Adopts First Rules Limiting Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Cars and Trucks

by John Farrell | Date: 27 Sep 2004 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0

On September 24, 2004 the California Air Resources Board announced that they had approved a landmark regulation that requires automakers to begin selling vehicles with reduced greenhouse gas emissions by model year 2009.

24 Sep 2004

Delay in Enacting New Efficiency Standards Costs Billions – New Study Released

by John Farrell | Date: 24 Sep 2004 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0

Each year’s delay in setting three new Department of Energy appliance efficiency standards costs consumers and businesses billions of dollars in higher energy bills, according to a new study by the Appliance Standards Awareness Project [ http://www.standardsasap.org/] Implementing new efficiency standards for residential furnaces and boilers, commercial air conditioners, and distribution transformers could decrease our annual energy use significantly – enough electricity to power about 330,000 typical U.S homes and natural gas to heat about 170,0

21 Sep 2004

Watercraft Motor Ban Dramatically Improves Lake Tahoe Water Quality

by John Farrell | Date: 21 Sep 2004 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0

Since a 1999 ban on two-stroke, carburetor engines went into full effect in 2001, levels of burned and unburned gasoline products in Lake Tahoe have declined by 80-90 percent according to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). The 1999 ban was instituted by the Governing Board of the TRPA, a bistate organization established to protect the lake. The board voted in favor of the engine ban after it reviewed data that estimated each day of the boating season resulted in carbureted two-stroke engines releasing 770 gallons of fuel into the lake.

10 Sep 2004

Here Come the Low-Mileage Hybrids

by John Farrell | Date: 10 Sep 2004 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0

by David Morris

Originally published on Alternet – http://www.alternet.org/ – September 1, 2004

Equating a hybrid with a high-efficiency car was sufficient so long as a hybrid was a high-efficiency car. Enter the Ford Escape Ã‚â€“ it ain’t no Prius.