Eshone Energy applauds Obama’s recent speech at the White
House where President Obama admonishes Washington’s response to California’s
Renewable Energy efforts.
“California has shown bold and bipartisan
leadership through its effort to forge 21st-century standards, and over a dozen
states have followed its lead,” Obama states. “But instead of serving as a partner,
Washington stood in their way. This refusal to lead risks the creation
of a confusing and patchwork set of standards that hurt the
environment and the auto industry.”
Reversing
the effects of Global Warming requires world-wide efforts on the part of the
governments and its citizens. In the
United States, while each person, city, state can implement change, patchwork
standards are a very real possibility if Washington doesn’t provide the
necessary unifying leadership. “The days of Washington dragging its heels are
over…We cannot afford to pass the buck or push the burden onto the states,”
Obama then went on to say, “that's why I'm directing the Environmental
Protection Agency to immediately review the denial of the California waiver
request and determine the best way forward. This will help us create
incentives to develop new energy that will make us less dependent on the oil
that endangers our security, our economy and our planet.”
Based
on this speech, the Huffington Post, felt that “California was handed a
big environmental victory when President Barack Obama endorsed a key part of
the state's greenhouse gas reduction plan.
He also gave a public boost to the Golden State, offering a clear sign
that liberal-leaning California can expect a friendly relationship with his
administration after eight years of clashes with former President
George W. Bush.”
As
expected, this recent news has California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
feeling pumped. "For too long, Washington
has been asleep at the wheel when it comes to the environment," he
said. "Now California finally has a partner and an
ally in Washington, in the White House."
Below are a few of the
latest and greatest Obama led efforts towards renewable energy while keeping an
eye out specifically to help put Solar Power in Schools:
- As noted at PV-tech.org on January
29, 2009: “The U.S.
House of Representatives last night passed President Obama's $819 billion stimulus bill that
looks set to benefit the renewable energy industries. The bill
features a provision that will allow projects to convert investment tax credits
into direct payments to investors in those projects for the next two years.
However, there is some doubt amid this cause for jubilance, as it seems there
is a second version of the same bill being passed around the U.S. Senate that
omits this provision. While it is claimed that the two versions of the bill
will be merged at some point in the future, the Senate will vote on its version
of the bill next week and it is a cause for concern for the solar industry that
the provision might eventually be phased out of the merged bill…”
- As
noted in CNNMoney.com on February 4, 2009, writer Steve Hargreaves asks,
A big chunk
of the nearly $900 billion economic rescue package may go to alternative energy
and environmental projects. Who will benefit, and is it enough?
Here are a few of the grant breakdowns:
-
Renewable
energy loans - $8 - $10
billion. This funding will allow for stalled projects to continue and new
projects to be launched.
- Smart
grid - $4.5 billion to
go towards a digitized power grid. The money would be used for matching grants
to utilities and to set up pilot programs in select cities.
- Large
renewable projects - $17
billion for tax credits against prior profits.
-
Renewable
energy bonds - $1.5
billion – Allows local and state governments to raise money for renewable
energy projects by issuing bonds backed by the federal government.
- Renewable
energy manufacturing - $1.4
billion - In Senate version only - Tax credits for companies who manufacture
renewable energy components such as solar panels.
-
Small
scale renewables - $1
billion – Removing the cap on the 30% tax credit for businesses investing in
solar power.
Editor’s Note: Stay
tuned for more details as they are unearthed.
Please feel free to post your comments and questions below and Eshone Energy will do their best
to dig up the facts that you need.
Ingrid McCleary
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