PSC plans local hearing on We Energies rate hike

From a story by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: The state Public Service Commission announced Tuesday it will hold a public hearing in Milwaukee this fall on We Energies' rate increase proposal. Dates, times and locations will be announced later, but it's expected to take place in late September. The commission announced its decision via Twitter after putting out a schedule last week that called for a hearing in Madison only. The Cleaner Valley Coalition, a group concerned about pollution from We Energies' Milwaukee coal-fired power plant, had said Friday it was requesting a local hearing. The agency typically has held hearings in the Milwaukee area, but planned the hearing in Madison while encouraging utility customers to comment on the We Energies proposal electronically on...

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Great radio show today on WARL 1320 and Blog Talk Radio

If you get a chance, go to Blog Talk Radio and log on to Renewable Now.  You'll hear today's show, and others, and we'd like to get your feedback.My co-host today was Seth Handy, an environmental lawyer, and our guest was John Flaherty from Grow SmartRI.  We covered a lot of terrain, including getting some insight into the organization, locally and the national group, talked about their recent Summit, which filled the rooms of the Convention Center, and looked at changes in legislation--particularly returning a revamped historic tax credit to the State--and did so in a very fast-paced hour.Tune in on-demand or live each Weds, 12-1p, EST, and feel free to send us your comments while we are on the a...

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Manufacturing the future TODAY

A welcome video from AWEA to those attending WindPower2012 in Atlanta....

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From Sierra Club:

As you know, we are big supporters of moving to EV's and believe strongly we need to engage young people into the process.  In fact, we are just editing a new show, shot at a high school, that profiles teams of students creating new, sustainable companies.For now we profile a recent release from Sierra Club: "I am impressed and wanted to share with you an opportunity to help a group of high school students from Kansas City, MO make a 2,400 mile journey from San Diego, CA to Jacksonville, FL in a prototype ultra-high-efficiency plug-in electric vehicle that they designed and built.  The group, MINDDRIVE, is an educational program for at-risk urban high school students focused on hands-on activities in an automotive design class.  After a successful trip in 2010, this...

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From Barbara Seeley

Please let us know your thoughts on this: "For the past ten years, we have been fighting to restore critical Clean Water Act protections to 1,392 miles of streams and wetlands in Rhode Island, including those that feed Narragansett Bay and all of Rhode Island's great waters. Finally, we are on the verge of winning.But just as President Obama is about to sign off on the biggest victory for clean water in Rhode Island in decades, the “Dirty Water Gang” in Congress is trying to block us.Don't let them get away with it.In little more than a week, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on a provision to block Clean Water Act protections for 752 miles of Rhode Island's streams and 20 million acres of the nation's wetlands. Already, 29 members1 of...

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Thanks

To all veterans who have kept us unshackled, to great leaders who guided America, and many other countries through many difficult years, eras, to great business leaders who inspired and innovated us to this moment of great potential, and to all of you who help us aspire, imagine and move towards a cleaner, brighter future.We applaud you all and are honored to share the world with you, and help move the planet forward to its truly sustainable futu...

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Enjoy the show and tour 2012

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We are now on Blog Talk Radio; Listen in

Renewable Now with Jim Murphy "School Sustainability"by Renewable Nowin BusinessWed, May 23, 2012followh:311109s:3290277archived12pm ET  Join host Peter Arpinand guest Jim Murphy of Rhode Island College for an indepth disscussion on the sustainability of schools in the U.S.Play in your default player Download this episodeOpen in new win...

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RENEW Rips WPS’s Net Metering Proposal

For immediate releaseMay 23, 2012More informationMichael Vickerman608.255.4044, ext. 2  Another example of company backsliding on renewables In documents filed in conjunction with its pending rate case, Green Bay-based Wisconsin Public Service Corporation (WPS) proposed several rollbacks to its net metering service that would, if approved, sharply restrict a customer’s ability to generate electricity from renewable energy resources and sell a portion of it back to the utility.Net metering allows customers to sell the unused output from their solar electric or other renewable energy system back to the utility at the full retail rate from month to month, so long as the surplus electricity is less than or equal to the customers’ usage in a 12-month period.Currently, WPS customers...

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Great program from our exclusive educational partner, RI College

Program begins, 5/31, at RICENROLLMENT IS NOW OPENfor theSustainable Communities Initiative / Rhode Island College COMMUNITY LEADERS PROGRAMDesigned for aspiring community leaders and/or educatorsCourse runs May 31 - June 28, 2012Includes:Lectures delivered by sustainability thought leadersDiscussion activitiesLeadership trainingOnline and in-person learningPeer networkingAnd much more!Click here for details The mission of SCI is to catalyze positive social, environmental, and economic change by further engaging community residents in enrichment education, participatory research, and informed community activism.Special Thanksto SCI's fiscal agent:The Environment Council of Rhode Island (ECRI) Education Fund Forward...

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Update from Grow Smart

We are half way through broadcasting the 4 shows, great shows, we filmed with Grow Smart RI at the RI Convention Center.  The shows focused on the issues highlighted at their recent Summit.This came from them today: Having trouble viewing this email? Click hereGrow Smart Rhode Island Legislative Update:Act Now on Bond to Boost Economy and Environment We are writing to encourage you to voice your support for having the General Assembly place the proposed Local Farms, Open Space & Recreation bond issue on the November ballot.  We at Grow Smart believe that this bond issue would be an important investment in our future economic, environmental and social well being -- a means of protecting working farms, of expanding much-needed recreation facilities in our...

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Follow up on 38 Studios Post

One of our regular contributors, Greg Gerritt, from the Environment Council, sent us, in response to our blog, a letter to the editor he had just sent to the Providence Journal.We thought this was a good follow up to our posting.  Again, we are non-political, we are not here to slam Keith  Stokes or anyone at EDC, but feel it is important, as part of our coverage of the "business side of green" to cover this major story and its fall out:"To the editor,  I have seen a number of people praise Keith Stokes on his way out of the door at the RI Economic Development Corporation, but I think it bears remembering that 38 Studios is the second major blunder of this sort in his economic development career.  Mr. Stokes was completely taken in by the con men who convinced most of the...

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Great new show this weekend with Grow Smart RI

Enjoy the show.  We look forward to your feedback.Note the 1:30 start time tod...

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Updates/38 Studios

We've been on the road this week a lot, so we are just getting caught up on the blog.  We'll have a few postings this weekend.It has been an interesting week here in RI.  Lots of controversy surrounding the default of payments by 38 Studios, a company enticed into RI by the State's EDC with lots of loan guarantees and incentives.  The deal was slammed at the time as too rich (75m in guarantees on a small, 125m fund), and too heavy into a start up with no demonstrated cash flow to repay their debt.We have mixed emotions (and will tie this into "the business side of green") on this.  We agree it was a crap shoot at the time.  The then Governor liked big deals and big PR.  This one had his signature all over it.Yet, the intent of clustering a new industry in the...

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New Leadership series from RI College

Good to see more and more of these types of classes springing up.  RI College is a good partner to the show, and a true leader in education moving into a sustainable model.Send us your information and we'll post it here as well.rogram begins, 5/31, at RICENROLLMENT IS NOW OPENfor theSustainable Communities Initiative / Rhode Island College COMMUNITY LEADERS PROGRAMDesigned for aspiring community leaders and/or educatorsCourse runs May 31 - June 28, 2012Includes:Lectures delivered by sustainability thought leadersDiscussion activitiesLeadership trainingOnline and in-person learningPeer networkingAnd much more!Click here for details The mission of SCI is to catalyze positive social, environmental, and economic...

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From Green Biz.com

PG&E's new EV proposal lays groundwork for $1-per-gallon fuelIt is so good to see a utility use it's spare capacity to offer discounted charging rates to EV owners.  What a great incentive to switch over to an electric vehicle; in essence, running the car on $1 per gallon.  Would you need any more of an incentive than that?Take a look at the story:  "[Editor's note: PG&E's new yet-to-be-approved rate proposal could significantly reduce the cost to charge electric vehicles in its Northern California territory, giving corporate fleet owners in the area another reason to consider EVs -- a lower, more predictable fuel cost over which they can assume greater control by optimizing charging conditions. Meanwhile, companies like...

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Thank you to Barbara Seeley

For sending us the link to Planet Forward.  Very cool site.Here's a first story we'll share from the site, but there will be plenty more, too: PARC Hydrodynamic Separation (HDS) for cleaning waterby Kelly Brieger | 12:18 pm May 11th, 2012 | Be the first to comment! »PARC’s breakthrough clean water platform technology, Hydrodynamic Separation (HDS), can potentially provide multiple benefits, such as: Compact form factor – ideal for space- and weight-constrained sites; Modular and scalable – easily increase or decrease volume capacity; Low energy operation – can be used in a low pressure (i.e., gravity fed); Low operating and maintenance costs – contains no moving parts or physical filters; Reduction in cap-ex – potential...

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Enjoy the Grow Smart Shows

We just finished filming some of the Grow Smart Summit, which was fantastic and you'll be seeing segments of it hit our site soon, but we also shot 4 great shows in advance of the Summit, and they premier this weekend on ABC 6 and the Live Well Network.  Here's the pro...

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RENEW Wisconsin seeks nominations for board of directors

Call for nominations to RENEW Wisconsin board of directorsRENEW Wisconsin invites you to put yourself or another current RENEW member on the ballot for elections to a three-year term on the board of directors.Your participation would help shape policies and programs to help lead and represent businesses, organizations, and individuals who seek more clean, renewable energy in Wisconsin.As a board member, you can have fun and contribute to moving RENEW closer to achieving these solar, wind, and bio-energy goals in 2012:• Organize stakeholders to articulate public policy messages on clean energy;• Increase funding for renewable energy in the Focus on Energy program;• Take the lead on wind permitting issues in Wisconsin;• Advance third-party ownership of clean renewable energy systems;• Overhaul...

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Navy to demonstrate Great Green Fleet - Topix

Navy to demonstrate Great Green Fleet - To...

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Don't forget to attend the Grow Smart Summit on Friday if you are nearby

Power of Place Summit - Friday, May 11, 2011 There's just 1 day left to register online for this Friday's Power of Place Summit.There's now 414 registered. Are you on the list?And did you catch Grow Smart's interview in the Sunday Projo series on Reinventing Rhode Island?Summit: Leveraging the Power of Place   for a Stronger Rhode IslandKeynote address will connect demand for great place-making with economic opportunity in a knowledge-based economyProminent national real estate developer, land use strategist, teacher, researcher and author Christopher Leinberger and Smart Growth America's Geoff Anderson will headline Summit with a co-presentation about how 21st century economic...

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Interesting story from EcoGeek

Pollution-Absorbing Paint Cleaning Up the Air in ManilaManila is one of the top five dirtiest cities when it comes to air pollution. Residents have high rates of asthma and air pollution is responsible for about 4,000 deaths a year. The city is trying to tackle the problem with an innovative solution -- paint.The city has begun using a paint called Boysen KNOxOUT that is able to filter out nitrogen oxides from the air. The chemical within the paint reacts with sunlight and water vapor making it absorb NOx at a rate of about 20 percent. The city is also taking a beautifying approach by not just slathering the paint on surfaces, but by using it to paint murals along the main highway in Manila, putting the paint right...

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