New Bill to Raise Energy Efficiency and Encourage Saving Measure - SlashGear
Slashgear talks about the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.

The new energy bill, Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, signed by President Bush has meaningful purpose not only to increase efficient in automobile industrial but also the daily used household electronic product.

New regulation requires that by 2012 to 2014, all light bulbs must use 25 to 30 percent less energy than they do today. It also promoting more efficient home electronic devices and require energy consumption to be disclosed to consumers. That including your PC, monitor, set top box, DVR and flat screen TV, power adapter. Battery charger was excluded from the Art but will be reviewed if changes are need in the future in July 2011 by the Department of Energy

Wired.com reports on the Democratic presidential candidates’ views on climate change as documented by the journal Science.

What do the would-be Presidents say about science? The journal Science just released its rundown of the most prominent candidates’ positions. None of the campaigns gave Science direct access to the candidates, though that may be a good thing: when it comes to details, advisers are probably the best sources of information. Below is a quick synopsis of the leading Democrats’ positions; the Republicans are here, and expect a future post on less-prominent candidates excluded by Science.

Barack Obama. The freshman senator from Illinois promises to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 and spend $150 billion on biofuels. He’s supported embryonic stem cell research and increased funding for avian influenza programs. He also wants to double federal spending on basic research, expand internet access and spend $18 billion on science-related education initiatives. However, he’d take money from NASA programs to pay for this. Like Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, he promises to end political interference with science; unlike them, scientists applaud him for already doing this in his work as a community activist, state legislator and freshman Senator. But in that credit, some find reason for concern: will his ideals hold up on the national stage?

Wired.com Full article »

Claudine Schneider introduces an industry alliance of manufacturers, integrators and financiers “focused on accelerating the promise of solar energy in the United States.”

It would be wonderful if we had leadership from Washington, but state governments have filled the (what I hope is a temporary) vacuum. Sad that we must move piecemeal across the country designing solar policy to open up markets. But that is precisely the role of the newly formed Solar Alliance: to assist state policy makers create the most equitable, transparent, cost-effective, sustainable foundation upon which this renewable resource can thrive.

We, at the Solar Alliance, have made it clear what the basic ingredients are for such a market. We call it the “Four Pillars”. Those pillars include Net Metering, Interconnection, Incentives and Utility Rates. One or two of these policies will not make a solar market. All four pillars are required.

Read more about Solar Alliance at RenewableEnergyAccess.com

I don’t claim to understand how things work in Washington, but this one is pretty much a no-brainer. By not extending tax credits for renewable energy, our elected leaders are ignoring the desires of up to 90% of Americans who wish to get the renewable energy industry launched.

Pelosi and Reid are just about to do the stupidest thing imaginable: pull the rug out from underneath the blossoming renewable energy economy at the time when we need it most.

(Start reaching for your phone…)

Just as every single magazine in the country is giving the energy crisis more press than Paris Hilton, and just as renewable energy is becoming the entrepreneurial equivalent of the internet revolution and just as the news about climate change is getting weirder and scarier every time we open the freakin’ paper, our crazy-assed Democratic leaders are completely dropping the ball, and you gotta call Capitol Hill right now and tell them to get their head’s straight fast.

As Adam Browning of Vote Solar put it “Thursday morning, Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi decided to drop the renewable energy standard out of the energy bill and drop the tax title. No tax title means no extension of the investment tax credit for solar, and no extention of the production tax credit for wind. Let’s see…nothing for solar, plus nothing for wind, hmmm, add no renewable energy standard, carry the zero…yep, that adds up to precisely nothing for renewable energy.

Got that? Congressional leadership is moving an energy bill with nothing in it for renewable energy. Dropping the biggest pro-solar provision this country has ever seen, just when the industry is gaining momentum and making an impact.”

Pelosi’s offices number is 202- 225-4965
Reid’s office’s number is 202-224-3542

Read more at Huffingtonpost.com

See also: Energy Bill 2007 Could Give Renewables the Green Light — or a Lump of Coal (Energy Priorities)

Energy Priorities Magazine reports on two energy bills that Congress has been working on.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 enacted renewable energy tax credits, but most expire at the end of 2008. That tosses many tax and regulatory policies back up in the air. Congress has been working on two energy bills aimed at weaning the U.S. off oil, creating American jobs and addressing climate change. What will be in the 2007 energy bill, and what do renewable energy industry executives foresee if it passes — or if it doesn’t?

Energy Bill 2007 Could Give Renewables the Green Light — or a Lump of Coal (Energy Priorities)