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Tax Breaks Proposed for Hybrids, Wind and Solar Energy, Biofuels

September 12, 2008 2:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Richard Rubin, CQ Staff

The leaders of the Senate Finance Committee are trying yet again to extend tax breaks for renewable energy, revealing on Thursday another attempt to break a continued logjam.

Chairman Max Baucus and ranking Republican Charles E. Grassley released a new tax package that will top $40 billion once revenue estimates are finalized.

"Here we are again," said Baucus, D-Mont. "I'm starting to feel like Don Quixote, except I'm not jousting at windmills. I'm jousting for windmills."

Tags: biofuels, nuclear energy, Richard Rubin, solar power, tax incentives, wind

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Solar Power Provides Enough Energy for Everything, Expert Argues

September 8, 2008 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Solar power has the potential to provide for all the world's energy needs, the research director of a Paris-based institute told a European energy conference, according to Agence France Presse. Daniel Lincot, research director for the Institute for Research and Development of Photovoltaic Energy, says solar energy is so far providing only a negligible contribution to the global energy supply, but there's enough sunlight striking the Earth to cover all the planet's needs. Scientists at the conference called on governments around the world to speed up the deployment of solar power.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Tags: Agence France Press, Institute for Reserach and Deelopment of Photovoltaic Energy, solar power

Alternative Energy Advocates Bring Washington Agenda to Conventions

August 29, 2008 2:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

by Shawn Zeller, CQ Staff Writer

An energy efficient modular home on display at the Denver Sculpture Park during the Democratic National Convention. The event features displays on renewable technologies and ways to protect the environment at home. (Photo by Marc Piscotty for Congressional Quarterly)

Advocates for the solar energy industry were hoping for better results than the hometown baseball team when they took over the Colorado Rockies's Coors Field in downtown Denver this week.

The trade show and concert, called Sunfest, was the first ever for the Solar Energy Industries Association at a national political convention. It came at a critical time for the industry's lobbyists in Washington. Congress left the capital for the summer after several unsuccessful attempts by lawmakers friendly to the industry to extend tax credits aimed at encouraging the development of solar power and other alternative energy sources.

Tags: Democratic Convention, lobbying, Shawn Zeller, Solar Energy Industries Association, solar power

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Defense Department Marches U.S. Toward Green Living

August 11, 2008 1:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Department of Defense, which accounts for 1.5 percent of U.S. energy consumption, wants to get greener, and hopes its efforts will translate into benefits for civilian society as well, Reuters says. The military wants 25 percent of its energy to come from renewable sources by 2025. Among their goals are the development of portable solar and wind power stations.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Tags: Department of Defense, Reuters, solar power, wind

California Loans Promote Solar Power

August 1, 2008 6:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A law enacted this week allows cities and counties in California to make loans to homeowners wishing to install solar panels on their houses or upgrade to energy-saving appliances. According to the Los Angeles Times, the law allows residents to pay back the low-interest loans over decades through their property taxes. Lawmakers hope the program will boost the installation of solar panels, which can cost $15,000 to $30,000 per house.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Tags: California, Los Angeles Times, solar power

Countries set high targets for renewable energy

June 10, 2008 9:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Salon links to a report in the Guardian newspaper that lists the European Union countries with the highest and lowest targets for using wind, hydro, and solar power. Leading the list is Sweden, which got 40 percent of its power from renewables in 2005 and is aiming for 49 percent by 2020. Salon helpfully adds that the U.S. gets about 7 percent from renewables.

Tags: hydro, renewable energy, solar power, Sweden, wind