Top Artists To Perform For Solar and Renewable Energy In Japan

Posted on June 28, 2011 by quest

Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Jason Mraz, The Doobie Brothers, Tom Morello, John Hall, Kitaro, Jonathan Wilson, Sweet Honey in the Rock, and special guests are coming together for a special benefit event on Sunday, August 7, at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA. Proceeds from the concert will be distributed to Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) to support Japan disaster relief efforts, and organizations worldwide working to promote safe, alternative, non-nuclear energy. The presenting sponsor VantagePoint Capital Partners is the leading global investor in energy innovation and efficiency. The show will begin at 3 PM. Children 10 and under admitted free on the lawn with an adult ticket. Tickets are on sale at Livenation

“The disaster in Fukushima is not only a disaster for Japan. It is a global disaster. We come together now across cultural boundaries, political and generational boundaries, to call for changes in the way we use energy, and in the ways we conduct the search for solutions to the problems facing humanity,” says Jackson Browne. “We join with the people of Japan, and people everywhere who believe in a non-nuclear future.” “From solar power plants and next-generation wind turbines to energy-efficient LED lighting and electric vehicles, we see technology innovations solving our most important energy needs,” says Alan Salzman, Managing Partner of VantagePoint Capital Partners, a global leader in funding the transformative energy companies of the 21st century. “We join with the many artists involved in this concert to raise funds for the Japan disaster relief efforts and call for sensible and clean energy solutions.”

It was shortly after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered multiple meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan that the decision was made to coordinate a benefit. Shoreline Amphitheatre was chosen because of its close proximity to the Pacific Rim, Northern California’s history and deep association with Japan. “The MUSE concert will not only be a great show, it will hopefully entice the public to become better informed of the tremendous dangers of nuclear power,” says Graham Nash. “We have to keep real and true information flowing so that people can act on it.” “We’re so lucky to have been able to bring back some of the original MUSE team to collaborate with some new and younger artists for MUSE 2, so that we can immediately help with the Japan relief effort and raise funds and awareness for the no nukes issue,” says Bonnie Raitt. “I’m excited to be a part of this important and truly collaborative effort. It’s going to be a very special, one of a kind event.”

The concert stage will be powered by an integrated system of clean, alternative energy sources, using solar, biodiesel, and wind technologies. The energy-saving GRNLite LED lighting rig for the show has been donated by Bandit Lites, and Schubert Systems has donated the sound rig. In addition, Shoreline is the largest Green certified concert venue in the United States and is a founding member of the Green Music Group. One goal is that the concert will inspire musicians in other areas to organize shows that both employ and promote safe energy alternatives, and that raise funds for disaster relief efforts and for groups—local, regional, national, and international alike—advocating non-nuclear programs and initiatives.

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Google Launches Largest Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Posted on June 11, 2011 by quest

Coulomb Technologies today announced that Google, Inc. has deployed more than 70 electric vehicle charging stations managed by the ChargePoint Network at its worldwide headquarters in Mountain View, CA. The charging stations are used by employee-owned electric vehicles, as well as the company’s growing car sharing program for Googlers (GFleet), which includes Chevrolet Volts and Nissan LEAFs. With plans for 250 more charging stations on its campus, and a goal to make 5 percent of its campus parking EV-ready, Google’s installation is the largest workplace charging installation for electric vehicles in the country. Google has created a video on their Green Blog detailing their green transportation initiatives.

“By investing in new, green transportation technologies, Google is making a significant contribution to reducing our own greenhouse gas emissions,” said Rolf Schreiber technical program manager, Electric Transportation, at Google. “Our EVs and charging stations are part of our broader green transportation system that includes biodiesel shuttles that Googlers use to commute to work instead of driving their own cars. But we’re only one company among many, so we hope our green transportation initiatives serve as a model for other companies to incorporate sustainability programs into their own workplaces.”

“Google continues to drive innovation and leadership in the workplace. The results of their clean transportation efforts are remarkable, taking the equivalent of over 2000 cars off the road every day,” said Bret Sewell, Coulomb Executive Vice President. “We are proud that the ChargePoint Network plays a key role in this success by providing Google a complete electric vehicle charging solution.”

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Obama Starts Federal Electric Vehicle Fleet

Posted on May 26, 2011 by quest

Today, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, General Services Administrator Martha Johnson, and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley announced a major step in moving the Federal fleet further towards advanced vehicles and decreased petroleum consumption, while also cutting costs associated with fuel consumption. Implementation of these new requirements will move the government to purchasing 100 percent alternative fuel vehicles by 2015 and drive agencies to meet the required 30 percent decrease in petroleum consumption by 2020 under Executive Order 13514 on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance signed by President Obama in October 2009.

In conjunction with the Memorandum, the General Services Administration (GSA) today launched a pilot project to incorporate electric vehicles and technologies into the Federal fleet. GSA announced its initial purchase of more than 100 electric vehicles for a vehicle pilot. These vehicles will be leased to 20 agencies, including the Department of Energy, and will be located in Washington, DC; Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; San Diego, CA; and San Francisco, CA. As manager of Federal fleets and buildings, GSA will also coordinate with these agencies to establish necessary infrastructure for fueling and recharging at Federal building locations receiving the first round of vehicles.

“As the nation’s largest vehicle fleet operator, the President’s fleet management directives and GSA’s electric vehicle pilot will cut the Federal fleet’s petroleum use and support the development of domestic, clean energy technologies – supporting the President’s goal of cutting imports by a third by 2025 and continuing to build a 21st century clean energy economy, while also saving taxpayer dollars,” said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

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UCLA Predicts L A To Be Electric Vehicle Leader

Posted on May 16, 2011 by quest

Los Angeles will be a U.S. leader in electric vehicle adoption, according to a new study published by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and the UCLA Anderson School of Management. “This offers the city the opportunity to reduce the local and global environmental impacts of vehicle travel, as most Angelenos rely on an automobile for much of their travel,” said Luskin Center project director Juan Matute.

“Based on our study, we expect that rising gasoline prices will naturally shift the demand from conventional combustion cars to electric vehicles,” adds study co-author Jeffrey Dubin, UCLA Anderson School of Management adjunct professor of economics and statistics.“For many buyers, electric vehicles will be hard to ignore,” said Luskin Center director and associate professor of public policy, J.R. DeShazo. “However, the analysis predicts just over 2,000 electric vehicles will be sold in Los Angeles in 2011. This number is due to the limited supply of electric vehicles; even if more residents are inclined to purchase them, it just isn’t possible right now.”

The research team predicts that the supply of electric vehicles will be limited until 2013 or 2014. In 2015, the team predicts that electric vehicles will comprise 9% of new vehicles purchased by Los Angeles residents. One area where the City can have a significant impact is by helping renters and residents of multifamily housing—who comprise about 70% of L.A. residents—access charging areas. Many of these residents do not own their garage, and face difficulties in installing electric vehicle charging equipment at home. Those who park on the street have even greater difficulty accessing charging at home.

UCLA Anderson MBA students Ross Barney, Annamaria Csontos, Jonathan Um, and Nini Wu conducted the year-long study under the direction of Professor Jeffrey Dubin. The research team worked with the City of Los Angeles and the Clinton Climate Initiative to conduct the study.

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Electric Vehicles Get Charge From DC

Posted on May 4, 2011 by quest

Four House members today introduced a bill to boost the deployment of electric vehicles – including providing up to $300 million to 10 cities to jump-start EVs. The measure also would provide up to 500,000 people with additional $2,000 tax credits to buy EVs – on top of the existing $7,500 federal tax credit.

The bill is similar to legislation last year and embraces much of what President Barack Obama proposed earlier this year. Reps. Judy Biggert, R-Ill.; Ed Markey, D-Mass.; Jerry McNerney, D-Calif.; and Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., introduced the Electric Drive Vehicle Deployment Act, to provide grants to help regional communities establish themselves as models for the successful development, installation and deployment of advanced electric vehicle infrastructure, including public charging stations. The bill also offers additional consumer incentives for the purchase of EVs, promotes utility modernization to accommodate electric vehicle deployment and encourages domestic production of EV components.

“If we’re ever to break our addiction to expensive foreign oil, we’re going to have to give a jump-start to sound alternatives. Consumers want to enjoy a cheaper, gas-free commute, but they need to have confidence in their access to things like charging stations,” Biggert said.
The members said – as gas prices near a record level above $4 a gallon – the bill would help wean the nation off foreign oil. “As America experiences the rise and fall of gas prices alongside the rise and fall of al-Qaida leadership and other Middle Eastern despots, it is time to tell the oil sheiks funding terror networks that America needs their oil as much as we need their sand,” Markey said. Source: David Shepardson Detroit News Washington Bureau

GREEN NEWS NOW

Americans Ready For Electric Vehicles

Posted on April 27, 2011 by quest

Plug-in electric vehicles may just be entering the market, but most U.S. consumers are ready to buy them. E Source recently analyzed data from the Nielsen Energy Survey and found that 85 percent of U.S. consumers say they would purchase a battery-driven car either right away (3 percent), when their current car needed replacement (57 percent), or when the technology is proven and it becomes more mainstream (25 percent). The caveat is that consumers strongly prefer (58 percent) plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) versions such as the Chevrolet Volt. PHEVs have greater range than electric-only cars like the Nissan Leaf and only 8 percent of consumers prefer them. “We are seeing a substantial willingness for drivers to move to plug-in electric vehicles, but only if the manufacturers can provide the easy extended range of travel that Americans are used to,” says Bill LeBlanc, senior advisor at E Source.

E Source also reports that younger drivers are more willing than older drivers to purchase the electric-only cars, and people who describe themselves as liberals are similarly more inclined to desire the all-electric cars than those classified as conservatives. “We see that all ages and all political mindsets like the plug-in hybrid vehicles equally,” says LeBlanc. “But when it comes to the all-electric car, it appears to be seen as more of a ‘green’ purchase, rather than as a practical upgrade to a more-efficient vehicle.”

Another factor that E Source looked at was how far people drive each day and how that affects their desire for a plug-in electric vehicle. Daily driving habits don’t seem to affect desire for the all-electric vehicle; however, desire for the PHEV grows as people spend more time in their cars. “Overall, the survey supports the existence of a huge untapped market for electric vehicles that can be charged at night at home. People seem very ready to move to the next generation of cars and dramatically decrease the frequency of their visits to the gas station,” reports LeBlanc.