Sempra Generation A Solar Energy Champion

Posted on October 21, 2011 by quest

Sempra Generation has received the 2011 Solar Energy Industries Association Solar Champion Award in the Project Developer category. The national recognition is based on the significant impact the company has made over the last year in “helping build a strong solar industry to power America, and contributing to the industry goal of achieving 10 gigawatts of new annual installed capacity by 2015.”The award was announced at the Solar Power International 2011 conference, which was held in Dallas. Solar Energy Industries Association is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Working with its 1,000 member companies, the organization is helping to grow and advance the solar industry through advocacy, policy development and education on the benefits of solar energy.

“We are truly honored to be recognized by the Solar Energy Industries Association, which is leading the way to advance and grow the U.S. solar industry,” said Jeffrey W. Martin, president and chief executive officer of Sempra Generation. “Solar power is positively impacting communities and local economies across the country, and we are excited to have the opportunity to support America’s transition to a cleaner energy future.””Innovative utility-scale solar project developers are a key piece of the industry’s vision of installing 10 gigawatts of solar each year by 2015,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of Solar Energy Industries Association. “Sempra Generation is helping the utility-scale market make significant strides in meeting that goal to power two million more homes year in and year out with clean, reliable solar energy.”

Sempra Generation is a leading developer of utility-scale solar projects in the U.S. The company operates the 48-megawatt (MW) Copper Mountain Solar 1 project in Boulder City, Nev., which is currently the largest photovoltaic solar plant in the U.S. Construction is expected to begin on a 150-MW expansion of this landmark solar installation in 2012. The company also recently broke ground on its 150-MW Mesquite Solar 1 project in Arizona, with completion anticipated in 2013.

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Revenge of the Electric Car LA Screening By REC Solar

Posted on October 19, 2011 by quest

REC Solar, a leading provider of home and commercial solar electric systems in the United States, took a lead in the movement for emissions free driving by announcing their sponsorship of the movie “Revenge of the Electric Car.” On Oct. 13, REC Solar hosted an advanced VIP screening of the feature film in Los Angeles – a week prior to the film’s premier on October 21st. More than 100 luminaries from diverse, but complementary industries including solar, electric vehicle (EV), utilities, government, media and entertainment were in attendance. “Revenge of the Electric Car,” from director Chris Paine who also brought us the 2006 film “Who Killed the Electric Car?,” takes viewers behind the scenes of Nissan, General Motors and Tesla Motors to chronicle key players in the race to create the cleanest vehicle. Filming started in 2007 and didn’t stop until each company’s electric cars were sold to the public. Paine has said, “You can’t kill an idea whose time has come.”

As soon as 2012, nearly 125,000 electric vehicles are expected to roll into traffic. EV enthusiasts, called “Revengers” by film promoters, also embrace solar power with most expressing interest in installing solar systems for their homes, if they have yet to do so.

Revenge of the Electric Car

“The industry is now forecasting one million electric vehicles to be on the road by 2016 which won’t just have an impact on [fossil fuel usage], but also on the environment when used with a solar system. The more solar energy is used with electric vehicles, the cleaner the environment becomes,” said Angiolo Laviziano, co-founder of Mainstream Energy, parent of REC Solar. “It is exciting to see the energy revolution unfolding in front of our eyes.”Other events such as National Plug-in Day are also bringing the electric vehicle center stage. By hosting the showing, REC Solar is calling attention to the ultra-sustainable intersection of solar and EV industries. When EVs are solar-charged, they are essentially “running on sunshine,” reducing greenhouse gases and lessening dependence on fossil fuels for a more secure, sustainable world – while at the same time delivering economic benefits to their drivers.

Environmental Media Awards Honor Justin Timberlake

PBS Wins Environmental Wildlife Film Festival

Posted on October 17, 2011 by quest

Nature, the number one documentary series on PBS, adds to its accolades a coveted Grand Teton Award for Broken Tail: A Tiger’s Last Journey, given at the 2011 Jackson Hole Wildlife Festival recently at Grand Teton Park. This is Nature’s first time in receiving the Festival’s top prize, considered as one of the wildlife industry’s highest honors. In total, Nature received six of 22 awards bestowed by the Festival. Two of the winning films will premiere this fall on PBS. They include the season opener Radioactive Wolves and My Life as a Turkey. The series Executive Producer Fred Kaufman, and his colleagues Bill Murphy and Janet Hess were honored to be part of this historic night.

Launched in 1991, the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival’s biennial conference is an unmatched international industry event drawing 650+ international leaders in science, conservation, broadcasting and media. Internationally renowned as one of the largest and most prestigious competitions of the nature genre, this year’s competition included 510 films from more than 30 countries — a record number of submissions competing for 22 special category awards. More than eighty judges from North America, Europe, Asia and Africa participated in the preliminary selections.Celebrating its 30th season, Nature is a production of THIRTEEN in association with WNET, the parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21, New York’s public television stations and operator of NJTV. For nearly 50 years, WNET has been producing and broadcasting national and local documentaries and other programs for the New York community.

“We are elated that Nature has received this honor,” said Paula Kerger, President and CEO of PBS. “In today’s crowded media landscape, Nature stands out as a high quality wildlife series that continues to attract audiences and leading filmmakers alike. As one of our most broad-reaching series, we have WNET and their producing partners to thank and congratulate them on receiving the Grand Teton Award.””We are privileged to join the pantheon of past winners of Jackson Hole’s Best of Festival prize,” stated Neal Shapiro, President and CEO of WNET. “The recognition is a testament to Nature’s 30-year commitment to bring the wonders of wildlife and critical environmental concerns to millions of public television viewers each week. I am truly proud of our team.”

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Solar Jobs Growing Faster Than Other Employment

Posted on October 17, 2011 by quest

As Solar Power International begins today in Dallas, TX the Solar Foundation released its second annual review of the U.S. solar workforce. The “National Solar Jobs Census 2011: A Review of the U.S. Solar Workforce” found that hiring in the solar workforce is on the rise. More than 100,000 Americans are now employed in the solar industry. “The solar industry has grown into a major economic force with more than 100,000 employees in the United States,” said Andrea Luecke, executive director of The Solar Foundation. “We expect even greater growth in the foreseeable future. But policymakers, workforce training providers, and the industry must work together to continue creating good jobs for skilled workers.” Solar Power International 2011, runs today until October 20, and is expected to attract 24,000 professionals from businesses spanning the entire spectrum of the industry.

California continued to be the national leader in solar employment, with 25,575 workers. Rounding out the top 10 states are Colorado, Arizona, Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, Texas, Oregon, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Colorado, Arizona, Florida, Oregon, New Jersey and Massachusetts showed the strongest growth rates from August 2010.

The Census also found that solar employers expect to increase the number of solar workers by 24 percent, representing nearly 24,000 net new jobs by August 2012. Over the next 12 months, nearly half of solar firms expect to add jobs.”These survey responses merely reflect employers’ best estimates at expected new hiring, but it demonstrates a clear growth pattern for the industry and tremendous optimism by employers in the industry,” said Luecke. “Employers expressed similar optimism last year, but failed to meet their hiring expectations because of stalled legislative initiatives and continued policy uncertainty.”

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Dereliction Of Foodies

Posted on October 15, 2011 by quest

As urban farming becomes a valid source of obtaining fresh foods with local sources addressing energy and conservation concerns, will the direction we work towards be thwarted by local government or lack of necessary resources to continue our efforts?

The short answer to a long question is there are no guarantees. I have watched one community garden after another closed for a variety of reasons. All who partake should be aware of legalities http://www.theselc.org/food-and-livelihoods-project/ and poised to take action as the South Central Farmers in Los Angeles have. Although they didn’t prevail in the legal sense a commitment to continue sent them in many directions. Some facilitated by the mayor whose campaign led the farmers to believe he would be able to help them. During times like this when good food is unaffordable to many and we realize that subsidized means substandard products it is important to continue efforts and sometimes battles for the right to clean water and fresh foods. http://gefoodlabels.org/ By Susan Rigali

Susan Rigali is Owner/Executive Chef of Savor Solar. She has invested a significant amount of her career to education and research in the areas of food safety and the slow food movement. She has been a part of many organic urban gardening projects in L.A., which aim to transform socio-economic barriers that keep families from accessing healthy food and practicing eco-friendly lifestyles. For the majority of her career, Susan has worked in connection with the unique world of film and television production. Her accomplishments range from large scale events to intimate dining affairs.

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Environmental Media Awards Honor Justin Timberlake

Posted on October 15, 2011 by quest

Toyota and Lexus are once again celebrating the entertainment industry’s environmental efforts as the presenting sponsors of the Environmental Media Awards today Saturday, Oct. 15 at 6:00 PM. In its 21st year, the annual event honors film and television productions that communicate environmental messages in the most creative and influential ways. This year’s honorees are actor and musician Justin Timberlake (In Time Movie), communications executive Marc Nathanson, Southern California Edison, and the Producer’s Guild of America’s environmental initiative – PGA Green. The nominees include films such as Yogi Bear, Disneynature African Cats and The Other Guys, and TV programs such as The Good Wife, Nurse Jackie, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Biggest Loser and Futurama. This year marks Lexus and Toyota‘s 11th year as the presenting sponsors. The ceremony will be held at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, CA.

“More than a decade ago, Toyota and Lexus joined forces with the Environmental Media Association to help communicate the benefits of hybrid technology. It’s inspiring to see how EMA links the power of celebrity and the influence of entertainment to environmental awareness,” said Dian Ogilvie, senior vice president and secretary of Toyota Motor North America. “We congratulate the nominees and special honorees, and we thank you for continuing to convey environmental messages and actions in creative and influential ways.”

The Environmental Media Association doesn’t just recognize sustainable productions throughout the entertainment industry, but keeps productions environmentally responsible as well. Some of things the EMA does to green up the event include; using dinnerware that is compostable, use of local, seasonal, organic food and the event is completely water bottle free. The 21st Annual Environmental Media Awards, honoring film and television personalities, productions, musicians and musical tours that convey environmental messages in the most creative and influential ways, will be our most eco-friendly show to date. You can watch the Environmental Media Awards Saturday, October 15 6pm PT LIVE at www.Facebook.com/EMAOnline.