Center and Greater Union Baptist Church To Tour Catalina

The Center for Environment, Commerce and Energy (Center), and its outreach arm, the African American Environmentalist Association (AAEA), are expanding our environmental outreach in the West. We have established a partnership with the Greater Union Baptist Church (GUBC) to operate an environmental tour program called “Compton To Catalina,” which will take students and other young people from Compton, California to Catalina Island.

Center President Norris McDonald is pictured above with GUBC Associate Minister Sam Darling, who also serves as the church's Outreach Coordinator.

The purpose of the program is to expose young people from Compton to the Pacific Ocean and an incredibly beautiful island. People take it for granted that the vast majority of this kids never get on the water and many people live their entire lives without directly experiencing the Pacific Ocean even though they live within five or ten miles of it. We believe that such early exposure to this environment could lead to a lifelong environmental stewardship ethic. Any support for the program is greatly appreciated.

To inquire about the program, please feel free to email us.

EPA Publishes Annual U.S. Greenhouse Gas Report

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released the national greenhouse gas inventory, which finds that overall emissions during 2007 increased by 1.4 percent from the previous year. The report, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2007, is the latest annual report that the United States has submitted to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change.

Total emissions of the six main greenhouse gases in 2007 were equivalent to 7,150 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. These gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride. The report indicates that overall emissions have grown by 17.2 percent from 1990 to 2007. The increase in emissions in 2007 was due primarily to an increase in carbon dioxide emissions associated with fuel and electricity consumption.

The following factors were primary contributors to this increase:

(1) increased demand for heating fuels and electricity due to cooler winter and warmer summer conditions in 2007 than in 2006;

(2) increased consumption of fossil fuels to generate electricity; and

(3) a significant decrease (14.2 percent) in hydropower generation used to meet this demand.

EPA prepares the annual report in collaboration with experts from multiple federal agencies and after gathering comments from a broad range of stakeholders across the country. The inventory tracks annual greenhouse gas emissions at the national level and presents historical emissions from 1990 to 2007. The inventory also calculates carbon dioxide emissions that are removed from the atmosphere by “sinks,” e.g., through the uptake of carbon by forests, vegetation and soils. Information on the greenhouse gas inventory report

Dana Perino Joins Burson-Marsteller

Dana Perino, left, President George W. Bush's last White House press secretary, will join Clinton administration adviser Mark Penn at public-relations firm Burson-Marsteller, where she will be "Chief Issues Counselor." Ms. Perino will probably focus on communications strategies for clients in the Washington policy debates over issues such as energy, climate change and health care. She may also develop business among newer defense and technology firms. (WSJ, 4/14/09)

Center Tours Southern California Edison Tech Center

Center President Norris McDonald toured Southern California Edison's Customer Technology Application Center (CTAC) and found the facility to be an incredible educational facility. The displays, models, replicas and audio visual presentations are housed in a 51,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility located just east of Los Angeles in the city of Irwindale. SCE CTAC staff are pictured below with McDonald.

The tour was arranged by Darius Pierce of LAGRANT Communications. McDonald is pictured below with LAGRANT General Manager Keisha N. Brown (center) and Pierce (right) at the LAGRANT office in downtown Los Angeles.

CTAC houses eight technologies centers, three classrooms, a computer lab and a 103 person theater-style conference center that offers customers, architects, engineers and contractors an array of programs and services that can help save energy, money and the environment. CTAC's interactive demonstration center includes:

Demand Side Management Display
Lighting Center
Commercial and Industrial Technology Center
Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
Chilled Water System
Electric Motors & Drives
Compressed Air
Refrigeration Demonstration
Foodservice Technology Center
Professional Wet Cleaning Demonstration
Plastic Injection Molding Display
High Volume Low Speed Fan
Daylight Harvesting System
Energy Management System
Electric and Magnetic Field (EMF) Lab and Power Quality Center
Technical Consultation

The tour was conducted by SCE Technical Consultant Jack Sherman and accompanied by Local Public Affairs Region Manager David A. Ford. Both are pictured with McDonald in the video featuring SCE's prototype hydrogen fuel cell lithium ion battery car.

Pentagon To Pursue Alternative Fuel Sources

The Center is promoting the Energy Defense Reservations (EDR) Program that combines the Defense Department working with private energy companies to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into diesel fuel and gasoline. The Defense Department is the largest consumer of energy in the United States and spent approximately $18 billion on energy last year.

The Pentagon has launched initiatives to find alternative fuel sources. The goals include saving money, preserving dwindling natural resources and lessening U.S. dependence on foreign sources. Other than fueling jet engines, the largest drain on U.S. military fuel supplies comes from running generators at forward operating bases. The Pentagon says that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have required from 50 million gallons to 500 million gallons a year.
To help reduce consumption, the Pentagon is using $300 million of the $7.4 billion it received from the economic stimulus package to accelerate existing programs for developing alternative fuels and saving energy.

The Pentagon is developing mobile units -- small enough to fit on a five-ton flatbed trailer -- that use an anaerobic microbial process to convert garbage into oil. Two prototypes -- known as the Tactical Garbage to Energy Refinery -- were deployed to Iraq and were successful in converting field waste -- paper, plastic, cardboard and food slop -- into biofuel to power a 60-kilowatt generator.

The Pentagon is also investing $15 million of the stimulus money into developing lightweight, flexible photovoltaic mats that could be rolled up like a rug and used at forward bases to draw solar power for operating equipment. About $6 million is aimed at improving a program run by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to convert algae into jet propulsion fuel 8, or JP-8, that could power Navy and Air Force aircraft. Other initiatives include $27 million to develop a hybrid engine the Army could use in tactical vehicles and $2 million to develop highly efficient portable fuel cells that could reduce the battery load carried by infantry soldiers.

The Pentagon is also testing the use of solar and geothermal energy to provide power at installations. The Army, for example, is partnering with a private firm to build an enormous, 500-megawatt solar farm at Fort Irwin, Calif. The farm would supply the 30 to 35 megawatts needed to operate the installation, with the remaining available for sale to the California electrical grid.

The Pentagon is insulating thousands of tents in Iraq and Afghanistan with a two-inch layer of foam. The foam is sprayed like shaving cream from 55-gallon drums and hardens in about 20 minutes. This $95 million program dramatically reduced the amount of fuel needed for heating and cooling, saving $2 million in energy costs per day. (WashPost, 4/13/09)

$17 Million To Study Re-Licensing San Onofre Nuclear Plant

The California Public Utilities Commission, on a vote of 4-1, approved a rate hike last month that will allow Southern California Edison to collect an extra $2.1 billion in gross revenue over the next three years. The PUC granted the utility $106 million for incentive pay for rank-and-file employees, and $17 million to study the feasibility of re-licensing San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, whose licenses expires in 2022.

The heads of Asian, Hispanic and black business, church groups and Edison engineers, linemen and trainees stressed the need for investment and jobs at a hearing on the rate increase. It is estimated that the 2 percent increase will result in a $3 billion annual infrastructure spending to the Southern California economy, which includes the creation of as many as 38,000 new jobs. The hike will raise the average residential bill $2 or so, to $85 a month. (Turn, 3/12/09)

Kevin Book, Kevin Kolevar & Chase Hotto Form ClearView

Kevin Book, left, has left FBR Capital Markets and partnered with Kevin Kolevar, the former DOE Assistant Secretary for Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, and Chase Hutto, Vice President Cheney’s energy, environment and natural resources advisor to form a new firm, ClearView Energy Partners, LLC. The group brings together Book’s reputation for unbiased, prescient macro research with Hutto and Kolevar’s strategic and operational insights earned through decades of sector-specific experience in Washington.

ClearView will provide its corporate and financial-sector clients with projections of “what next” in Washington, analyses of how government actions affect energy fundamentals and guidance to help financial and physical players in the sector minimize risk and maximize value.(Source: Frank Maisano)

Southern Calif Edison Restores San Diego Wetlands Area

The San Dieguito Wetland Restoration Project is attracting a larger number of migratory and local birds than expected just months after being opened to ocean tides for the first time. Those monitoring the Southern California Edison (SCE) environmental project, including California Coastal Commission scientists and local birdwatchers, are encouraged at the quantity and rarity of bird species repopulating the new ecosystem. Scientists from the University of California, Santa Barbara’s (UCSB’s) Marine Science Institute, under contract to the California Coastal Commission to monitor the wetland’s development, report a rapid increase of shore birds foraging in a new 63-acre lagoon that is part of the 150-acre project.

Small numbers of local and migratory birds were expected to inhabit the wetlands since the new mudflats were opened to daily tides for just a few months. But the numbers and varieties of birds have started using the wetland. With millions of baby fish now circulating in the wetlands and the positive response by birds to the new nature preserve, the wetlands habitat is thriving.
The environmental goal of the San Dieguito Wetlands Restoration project is to create a variety of habitats that would increase and maintain fish and wildlife and ensure protection of endangered species. Scientists hope to use the restoration project as a model of how best to help species colonize man-made habitats. SCE plans to continue monitoring and testing the area for several years, giving scientists and marine estuary planners data on best practices for restoring other coastal lagoons.

SCE and other San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station owners – SDG&E and the city of Riverside – are constructing the San Dieguito Wetland Restoration Project as part of a program overseen by the California Coastal Commission to offset any impact on marine life caused by San Onofre’s use of ocean water for one of its cooling systems. The Wetland Restoration Project and the new Wheeler North Reef off San Clemente are the largest and most successful coastal power plant mitigation projects of their type.

Bird species found in the new lagoon include sparrows, gulls, sandpipers, terns, pelicans, hawks, coots, stilts, ospreys and hummingbirds. Rare birds that nest annually at the site include more than 40 pairs of Belding's Savannah Sparrow and a number of pairs of Least Bell’s Vireo. On the edge of the project several pairs of California gnatcatchers have been observed. Birdwatchers showed up at the site in large numbers after local bird expert Paul Lehman spotted an extremely rare and tiny sandpiper (Semipalmated Sandpiper) a few months ago. The number of bird species seen at the site has doubled during the past five years to more than 150 now documented with several endangered, rare, migratory and year-round species colonizing the wetlands. A killdeer (Charadrius vociferous) chose to build her nest in a location inside a gravel stockpile area centrally located in one of the most heavily traveled project areas. Her nesting site was cordoned off and she and her mate raised their babies until they flew the nest.

Additional information about the San Dieguito Wetland Restoration Project

Anti Nuclear Activists Oppose Calvert Cliffs Third Reactor

The Chesapeake Safe Energy Coalition (CSEC) released a new report outside of the Maryland Public Service Commission headquarters on March 31 that shows renewable energy sources can produce more electricity than nuclear power plants and for less money.

These antinuclear groups want to stop the planned construction of another reactor at the current Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant site. They are asking the Public Service Commission to deny UniStar Nuclear Energy, the joint venture of Constellation and Electricite de France, its request to build a third nuclear reactor in Calvert Cliffs, Calvert County.

Members of the Chesapeake Safe Energy Coalition include: Beyond Nuclear, Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility, Clean Water Action Green Party (MD), Maryland PIRG, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Public Citizen, and Sierra Club-Maryland. (HometownAnnapolis.com, 4/1/09)

Absorption Chillers: Think Large Air Conditioner

Absorption chillers use thermal energy sources to produce chilled water. Water has a very high specific heat and latent heat of vaporization, which makes it a great refrigerant. How is water boiling at 212°F going to create chilled water at 44°? First, the boiling temperature of water is a direct function of pressure and at a pressure of 1 atmosphere (29.92 Hg), water boils at 212°. When the pressure on the water is decreased, the water boiling temperature is lowered. Absorption chillers have substantially reduced internal pressures to take advantage of the lower water boiling temperatures. Absorption chiller internal pressures can range from 0.1 atmosphere (atm) to below 0.01 atm. The Capitol Power Plant uses an absorption chiller to produce chilled water to provide air conditioning to Congress (below).

There are a number of absorption chillers available, including single-effect indirect-fired (steam, hot water); double-effect indirect-fired; and double-effect direct-fired (gas and/or oil burner). Single-effect absorption chillers have a single generator/concentrator and condense all vaporized refrigerant in a single condenser. Double-effect absorption chillers have two generator/concentrators and the vaporized refrigerant from the high temperature generator/concentrator is the thermal source for the low temperature generator/concentrator, reducing the cooling requirement for the vaporized refrigerant (See Figure 2).

The single-effect indirect-fired absorption chiller has five main steps (Figure 1): 1) condensing (condenser), 2) expansion (expansion pipe), 3) evaporation (evaporator), 4) absorption (absorber), and 5) generator/concentrator.

1) Condenser. In the condenser, the cooling water absorbs the heat of condensation from the vaporized refrigerant, changing the refrigerant into a liquid.

2) Expansion. The liquid refrigerant (water) travels from the condenser through expansion piping to the evaporator during which the liquid refrigerant experiences a drop in pressure and temperature.

3) Evaporator. The liquid refrigerant (water) is pumped to the chilled water tube bundle top and sprayed on the tube bundle. At the low evaporator pressure, the liquid refrigerant vaporizes at approximately 38°, removing energy from the chilled water. Liquid refrigerant that is vaporized travels from the evaporator to the absorber.

4) Absorber. The vaporized refrigerant enters a liquid lithium-bromide solution spray within the absorber. The lithium bromide solution absorbs the vaporized refrigerant and the cooling water absorbs the heat of vapor absorption. After the absorption, the liquid lithium-bromide solution takes one of two paths. One path has the liquid bromide solution mixing with a concentrated lithium bromide solution and being pumped to the absorber spray nozzles. The other path has the liquid bromide solution being heated and pumped to the generator/concentrator.

5) Generator/concentrator. The lithium-bromide solution enters the generator/concentrator and is heated by steam or hot water, raising the lithium bromide solution to a temperature where the liquid refrigerant (water) vaporizes and travels to the condenser, completing the refrigerant cycle. The concentrated lithium bromide solution flows down to the absorber, completing the absorber cycle.

By Vincent A. Sakraida

For Engineered Systems

Obama/Medvedev To Transform Swords Into Plowshares?

Nuclear warheads can be converted and used as fuel in nuclear power plants. This could hold the key to the G-20 announcement by President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that they want to reduce each nation's long-range nuclear arsenals. The two presidents have started negotiations on a new strategic arms-control treaty that would cut each nation's long-range nuclear arsenal further than previous agreements. In a separate joint statement, the two leaders pledged to begin working immediately on an agreement to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which will expire at the end of this year. They committed to reducing their nuclear arsenals to levels lower than those mandated by the Moscow Treaty of 2002, which calls for both nations to have no more than 1,700 to 2,200 warheads by Dec. 31, 2012.

The statement also called for "international negotiations for a verifiable treaty to end the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons," a step that has never been taken before. Obama also pledged to work for ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which the Senate rejected in 1999. The arms-reduction talks are designed to produce a treaty that contains stringent measures to verify warhead and missile levels.

The Megatons to Megawatts Program is a unique, commercially financed government-industry partnership in which bomb-grade uranium from dismantled Russian nuclear warheads is being recycled into low enriched uranium (LEU) used to produce fuel for American nuclear power plants. USEC, as executive agent for the U.S. government, and Techsnabexport (TENEX), acting for the Russian government, implement this 20-year, $8 billion program at no cost to taxpayers. The U.S. is also building a facility in South Carolina that will convert plutonium into a fuel that can be used in commercial nuclear power plants. This mixed oxide (MOX) fuel is currently used in American plants and in other countries. (WashPost, 4/3/09)

Center Supports Commercial Nuclear Power For U.A.E.

We support the U.S. assisting the United Arab Emirates in establishing the first Arab commercial nuclear power program. In fact, if America does not wake up, U.A.E. will build a new plant before us. They want to complete a plant by 2017. Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (NEC) is the equivalent to our Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and NEC oversees Abu Dhabi's nuclear program.

President Obama should continue support for the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP). Former President George W. Bush signed a treaty during his last week in office that would allow American firms to engage in nuclear trade with the U.A.E. Under the terms of the treaty, U.A.E. will buy approved nuclear fuel on the international market, rather than enriching uranium or reprocessing plutonium. It will also open its facilities to random international inspections.

General Electric Company and Westinghouse Electric Co. are among the U.S. firms interested in the initial $20 billion in reactor work. U.A.E. has already signed a nuclear-cooperation agreement with France, and has tentative deals with Japan and Britain. Companies such as France's Areva SA and Korea Electric Power Company are preparing to make bids for contracts that could ultimately top $40 billion.

Projections indicate that U.A.E's electricity demand will reach 40,000 megawatts by 2020 from around 16,000 megawatts today. Nonnuclear options, such as coal-fired plants, solar energy or alternative fuels, were seen either as insufficient to meet demand, too expensive or harmful to the environment. U.A.E. officials believe nuclear power is the most practical and clean alternative. (WSJ, 4/2/09)

Global Map of Nuclear Plants

American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman and Chairman Edward J. Markey of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee have released a draft of energy legislation that will create millions of clean energy jobs, put America on the path to energy independence, and cut global warming pollution. The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) has four titles:

1) A clean energy title that promotes renewable sources of energy, carbon capture and sequestration technologies, low-carbon fuels, clean electric vehicles, and the smart grid and electricity transmission;
2) An energy efficiency title that increases energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy, including buildings, appliances, transportation, and industry;
3) A global warming title that places limits on emissions of heat-trapping pollutants; and
4) A transitioning title that protects U.S. consumers and industry and promotes green jobs during the transition to a clean energy economy.

The Energy and Commerce Committee will complete consideration of the legislation by Memorial Day. The preliminary schedule follows:

Week of April 20: Energy and Environment Subcommittee Hearings
Week of April 27: Energy and Environment Subcommittee Markup Period Begins
Week of May 11: Full Energy and Commerce Committee Markup Period Begins

The Center is recommending that two provisions should be added to the global warming title in ACES:

1) Nuclear power will qualify as a renewable resource to meet the requirement to have 25 percent of electricity derived from renewable energy by 2025.

2) Distribute allowances free to utilities and use the Acid Rain Program as the model for auctioning allowances to provide an appropriate market price signal to sellers, purchasers and government agencies.

The draft legislation does not address whether 100 percent of the allowances, or a smaller percentage, will be auctioned. The Center opposes auctioning the allowances, except as minimally implemented in the Acid Rain Program. The Center also finds it interesting that the draft bill exempts New Source Review from the program and CO2 from being regulated as an EPA criteria pollutant:

Clean Air Act Exemptions. The draft provides that CO2 and other greenhouse gases may not be regulated as criteria pollutants or hazardous air pollutants on the basis of their effect on global warming. The draft also provides that new source review does not apply to these global
warming pollutants.

Documents

American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 Discussion Draft Full Text

American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 Discussion Draft Summary

Was John Dingell Pushed Off Stage Too Soon?

Did the House Democratic Caucus miscalculate last year in ignoring seniority and allowing Representative Henry Waxman (D-Calif) to topple the legendary-decades-long serving chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee John Dingell? At the time it probably seemed to be the right thing to do because many felt that Dingell would be less friendly to the Obama agenda than Waxman. Waxman is clearly more aggressive on the environmental agenda items. The auto companies flying into Washington, D.C. on private jets with cup in hand [$25 billion loan request] at about the time of the caucus vote probably did not help Dingell either. In Washington, Dingell was the walking, breathing, talking symbol of Detroit for about the last four decades.

Maybe at 82, some thought Big John had lost a step. Our president tells us that even though former chairman Dingell is on crutches, he was getting around like a man half his age at a recent bill signing at The White House (see photo upper left). It is also ironic that Dingell would be toppled because he had acquiesed to increasing automobile fuel economy standards. There were grumbles last year though that the former chairman was not moving fast enough on climate change legislation. The House even set up another informal committee headed by Ed Markey (D-Mass) to hold hearings on climate change.

Regardless of all of this, John Dingell's vast experience might still be very helpful right now in harmonizing our nation's need for climate change mitigation with some sort of resolution to the Detroit automaker business debacle. Representative Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) defeated Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) on a vote of 137-122 in November after the presidential election . We will leave it to history to see if that close vote got it right.

President Barack Obama On NAFTA

President Obama is in a precarious position regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) because of the current turmoil in global economies. He opposed the treaty during the campaign but is moderating his position some now. During the Democratic presidential primaries, presidential candidate Obama's position was that the U.S. should opt out of the agreement or seek a fundamental re-negotiation in the near future. But in a recent interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation when he visited that country, President Obama made the following statement:

"NAFTA, the basic framework of the agreement has environmental and labor protections as side agreements -- my argument has always been that we might as well incorporate them into the full agreement so that they're fully enforceable. Canada is one of our most important trading partners [with $1.5 billion in trade between the two countries] and it is not in anybody's interest to see that trade diminish."

In a debate during the Ohio primary, candidate Obama stated: "We should use the hammer of a potential opt-out as leverage to ensure that we actually get labor and environmental standards that are enforced." President Obama's current position is not fundamentally different in content (labor and environmental standards should be added to the main body of the agreement), but he is placing far more emphasis on working together to preserve NAFTA. The Center appreciates President Obama's consistent focus on environmental standards. During the primaries, NAFTA was seen as a threat to American jobs, whereas now there a need for cooperation due to a global economic crisis of historic proportions. (WashPostBlog-The Fix)

Supreme Court Rules Cooling Water Costs Can Be Considered

The Supreme Court ruled today that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can compare costs with benefits to determine the technology that must be used at structures that cool water at electricity power plants. By a 6-3 vote, the high court handed a victory to Entergy Corporation, other electric utilities and the general public. The justices overturned a ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York that previously ruled that the Clean Water Act does not permit the EPA to consider the cost-benefit relationship in deciding the best technology available to minimize adverse environmental impact.

The Center supports the U.S. Supreme Court decision.

The Supreme Court's decision is a victory for global warming mitigation because nuclear power plants do not emit any greenhouse gases and some traditional environmental groups are trying to use water permits as a way to shut them down. Although some fish eggs are destroyed by all power plant intakes, unreasonable expenses that would close plants and lead to rate shock to customers should be considered. The Supreme Court made the right decision. Morever, current Ristroph Screens provide sufficient protection at these intake areas. A negative ruling could have required hundreds of power plants to install super expensive cooling towers. Companies would shut down older plants before building cooling towers.

Voting with the majority were Justices Antonin Scalia, Chief Justice John Roberts, Stephen Breyer, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. Dissenting: Justices John Paul Stevens, David H. Souter and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The majority noted that:

"We conclude that the EPA permissibly relied on cost-benefit analysis in setting the national performance standards."

Center President Norris McDonald, pictured above right, attended the December 2, 2008 hearing. (AP, Reuters)

Dominion Virgina Power Seeks 6.9% Rate Increase

Dominion Virginia Power has submitted a request to a three member regulatory panel of the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) seeking to raise electricity rates 6.9 percent during the next 14 months to pay for equipment, salaries, plant construction and conservation projects. The request comes a year after the state's largest energy provider raised rates by 18 percent to cover fuel costs, the largest one-time rate increase in three decades. Before Dominion won approval for last year's boost, the average home electric bill was $91. If the SCC approves this one, the average monthly bill will hit $116 by May 2010.

Dominion serves nearly 2.4 million homes and businesses statewide, including 800,000 customers in Northern Virginia.Dominion said incremental increases proposed for Sept. 1 and Jan. 1 will pay for operating costs, power plants in Buckingham and Wise counties and conservation programs. The increase also includes a 13.5 percent profit for the company and its investors.

Baltimore Gas and Electric raised rates 72 percent in 2006. The average bill for Pepco customers in Montgomery and Prince George's counties increased 86 percent between June 2005 and June 2008, officials with the utility said. The increase was 65 percent for customers in the District. Maryland's average Pepco bill was $168 in January. Pepco is expected to seek a rate increase in the District later this month, but has no current plans to file for a rate increase in Maryland. (WashPost, 4/1/09)

1st Solar Breeder Plant Now Owned By BP Faces Layoffs

British energy company BP PLC has announced that its American subsidiary BP Solar is laying off 140 employees at its Frederick plant in November. The company informed workers of the decision Tuesday.The layoffs amount to a 23 percent cutback in the factory's 600-member work force. The company announced in February that increased global competition had forced it to cancel expansion plans for the plant, which makes solar energy cells. It makes electricity from the photovoltaic panels on its roof, thus making it a breeder plant. The plant was originally owned by Solarex. (BaltimoreSun.com, 3/31/09, AP)

Center Attends Wilderness Bill Signing at The White House

Center President Norris McDonald attended the signing of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 at the White House today. The bill signing ceremony was held in the East Room and President Obama gave a speech before sitting down to sign the bill. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar spoke before the bill signing too. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid also attended the signing. Council on Environmental Quality Chairwoman Nancy Sutley and NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco were also in attendance.

The House approved the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (H.R.146) on a vote of 285 to 140 on March 25, 2009 that includes the largest expansion of the wilderness system in 15 years -- 2 million acres in nine states -- and launched one of the most ambitious river restoration efforts in the West. The bill passed in the Senate on March 19, on a vote of 77-20. (The White House)

The bill was a massive omnibus, incorporating 164 different pieces of legislation. Major Highlights include:- Protecting treasured places like: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan, Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia, Oregon’s Mount Hood, Idaho’s Omyhee Canyons, the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, Zion National Park in Utah, as well as lands in Virginia and New Mexico;- Designating more than 2 million acres of federal lands as wilderness;- Creating the 26 million acre National Landscape Conservation System within the Dept. of Interior;- Protecting more than 1000 miles of rivers by adding them to the National Wild and Scenic System;- Designating thousands of miles of trails for the National Trails System and creating several new National Conservation Areas. (More)

Photos: President Obama in background in upper photo and Norris McDonald with former Maryland State Senator Gloria Lawlah (now Maryland Secretary of Aging) in lower photo.

President Announces Forum on Energy & Climate Change

President Barack Obama has announced the launch of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate. The Major Economies Forum will facilitate a candid dialogue among key developed and developing countries, help generate the political leadership necessary to achieve a successful outcome at the UN climate change negotiations that will convene this December in Copenhagen, and advance the exploration of concrete initiatives and joint ventures that increase the supply of clean energy while cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

President Obama has invited the leaders of 16 major economies and the Secretary General of the United Nations to designate representatives to participate in a preparatory session at the Department of State on April 27-28 in Washington, D.C. The preparatory sessions will culminate in a Major Economies Forum Leaders’ meeting, which Prime Minister Berlusconi has agreed to host in La Maddalena, Italy, in July 2009.

The 17 major economies are:

Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Denmark, in its capacity as the President of the December 2009 Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the United Nations have also been invited to participate in this dialogue. (The White House)

The Center attended the protest rally (see video below) and the "Major Economies Meeting on Energy and Climate Change at the U.S. Department of State on November 12, 2007. President Bush addressed the delegation at the State Department on the second day. Center President Norris McDonald attended the speech. He also spoke briefly to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice (see picture below).

FOX News Launches The FOX Nation Web Site

Rupert Murdoch wants FOX News to be as competitive on the web as it is on cable television. As such, he has launched a new Web site to spread the conservative point of view. The Center simply wonders how much and how well they will cover energy and environmental issues. Here is how they describe themselves on their Web site:

The Fox Nation was created for people who believe in the United States of America and its ideals, as expressed in the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Emancipation Proclamation. It is a community that believes in the American Dream: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. One that believes being an American is an honor, as well as a great responsibility—and a wonderful adventure.

This is a place for people who believe we live in a great country, a welcoming refuge for legal immigrants who want to contribute their talent and abilities to make our way of life even greater. We believe we should enjoy the company and support of each other, delighting in the creativity, ingenuity, and work ethic of one and all, while observing the basic rules of civility and mutual respect and, most importantly, strengthening our diverse society by striving for unity.

The Fox Nation is for those committed to the core principles of tolerance, open debate, civil discourse--and fair and balanced coverage of the news. It is for those opposed to intolerance, excessive government control of our lives, and attempts to monopolize opinion or suppress freedom of thought, expression, and worship.

Of course for the best and latest information on energy and environmental issues, one need only visit our Center site daily. And the Center is 'really' nonpartisan. We provide a real 'fair and balanced' view of the energy and environmental world. (Wash Post, 3/30/09)

Thermal Oxidizers

Regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs) and other types of thermal oxidation systems can be a highly effective and energy-efficient method of abating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other pollutants emitted by industrial plants. Thermal oxidizers are essentially incinerators that thermally or catalytically convert pollutant-laden emissions into CO2 and water vapor. The oxidation process typically achieves better than 99-percent destruction/removal efficiency (DRE) levels for VOCs, hazardous air pollutants (HAPS) and odors. The thermal oxidation temperature is 1,400 to 1,600 degrees F.

Regenerative thermal oxidizers minimize fuel consumption by regenerating, or reusing, heat generated by the system. Prior to being exhausted to the atmosphere, the hot, purified air passes through a media bed to capture heat energy that will be used to pre-heat incoming air. RTOs can operate at thermal efficiencies of 85 to 99 percent, reducing or eliminating the need to burn natural gas in the combustion chamber. Once the system is sufficiently heated, the natural gas burners can be turned off if enough flammable gas is present in the exhaust stream.

A regenerative catalytic oxidizer (RCO) is similar in design to an RTO, except that the ceramic heat exchange media closest to the combustion zone is coated or impregnated with precious metals that function as a catalyst. The metals enable oxidation at significantly lower temperatures (600°F to 1,000°F). A catalytic system requires the presence of the type of VOCs that will oxidize at these lower temperatures.

By Paul Sims, Global Market Manager - Environmental at Koch Knight LLC. (Pollution Engineering, March 2009)

J. Charles Fox Appointed Adviser: Chesapeake Bay Program

J. Charles 'Chuck' Fox, right, has been appointed to serve as a senior adviser to the Chesapeake Bay Program and the Anacostia River. His appointment was announced on March 12 by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson.

Most recently, he was a senior officer for The Pew Charitable Trusts, managing its international marine conservation programs. A former federal and Maryland environmental official, Mr. Fox was assistant administrator of the EPA's water division under former president Bill Clinton and has also served as secretary of Maryland's Department of Natural Resources from September 5, 2001 to january 15, 2003. Mr. Fox served as Assistant Secretary for Policy Coordination, Maryland Department of the Environment, 1995-97, Associate Administrator, Vice President Gore Office of Reinvention, 1997-98, Assistant Administrator for Water, 1998-2001, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (special assistant, 1993; chief of staff, Office of Water, 1994-95).

The Chesapeake Bay Program is a unique regional partnership that has led and directed the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay since 1983. The Chesapeake Bay Program partners include the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia; the District of Columbia; the Chesapeake Bay Commission, a tri-state legislative body; the Environmental Protection Agency, representing the federal government; and participating citizen advisory groups.

Center President Norris McDonald and Mr. Fox worked together at the Environmental Policy Center/Institute (now Friends of the Earth) in the early 1980's.

Maryland Legislature Approves Greenhosue Gas Bill

The Maryland House of Delegates has voted 107-31 for a measure that commits the state to a 25 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.The measure seeks to reduce greenhouse gas through renewable energy and recycling, easing concerns by industry that the burden won't be put entirely on them.

Business and labor organizations support the bill because the current proposal specifically requires the state to ensure there will be no loss of manufacturing jobs as a result of the measure.

The Senate also has approved a similar bill. (BaltimoreSun.com, 3/26/09)

Republican Alternative Budget Includes Energy & Environment

The Republican Road to Recovery, March 2009 has been highly criticized for only being 19 pages long. But it does include some specifics on energy and environmental issues (pp 11-13).

The Center agrees that high electricity prices are bad for Americans.

The Center agrees that we should reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

The Center disagrees with increased Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) drilling. Our oceans and beaches are too precious to put at risk of oil spills. As an alternative we support coal-to-liquids, shale-to-oil and oil sands conversion --all utilizing nuclear energy as the power source.

The budget is right to point out the hypocrisy of Democrats about wind power. Local environmentalists, NIMBYs and the Kennedy's are the first to oppose wind projects when they are proposed in their backyards. The high power lines too. The Center supports Cape Wind, other wind projects and the power lines that go with them.

We also agree with support for nuclear power.

EPA Public Hearing on Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting

The Federal Register published a notice on the Public Hearings for the proposed Mandatory Reporting Rule for Greenhouse Gases on March 25, 2009.

There will be two public hearings for this proposal. EPA encourages those who wish to attend or give public comments, to register on-line in advance of the hearing. EPA will web stream both public hearings. The meeting information pages will be updated with this information as it becomes available.

Federal Register Notice of Public Hearings (PDF), (2 pp, 72.7 KB, About PDF)

April 6 and 7, 2009, at EPA Potomac Yard Conference Center, Arlington, VA; and

April 16, 2009, at Sacramento Convention Center, Sacramento, CA.

Wilderness Bill Passes Congress Protects 2 Million Acres

The House approved the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (H.R. 146) on a vote of 285 to 140 on March 25, 2009 that includes the largest expansion of the wilderness system in 15 years -- 2 million acres in nine states -- and launched one of the most ambitious river restoration efforts in the West. The bill passed in the Senate on March 19, on a vote of 77-20. President Obama will sign the bill on Monday, March 30. Provisions by state include:

California:
* Preserve nearly 450,000 acres of wilderness and 73 miles of wild and scenic rivers near Santa Clarita and along the California Nevada border, including the White Mountains.
* Protect some 190,000 acres in Riverside County as wilderness, including parts of Joshua Tree National Park.
* Protect about 70,000 acres of wilderness, including the new John Krebs Wilderness, named for the former congressman and conservationist who fought to protect these lands in the Mineral King Valley.
Colorado:
* Protect nearly 250,000 acres of Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park.
* Protect 66,000 acres of red rock sandstone canyons, cliffs, streams and waterfalls in western Colorado.
Idaho:
* Protect as wilderness 517,000 acres in Idaho's Owyhee Canyonlands.
Michigan:
* Protect 11,739 acres of wilderness at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
New Mexico:
* Protect more than 15,000 acres in San Miguel County as wilderness.
Oregon:
* Protect 13,700 acres of old-growth forest in Oregon's Siskiyou National Forest.
* Protect more than 128,000 acres of national forest on Mount Hood.
* Protect nearly 31,000 acres of wilderness in the Badlands just east of Bend.
Utah:
* Protect more than 250,000 acres of wilderness in and near Zion National Park.
Virginia:

* Protect 43,000 acres of the Jefferson National Forest as wilderness, and 12,000 as a national scenic area.
West Virginia:
* Protect 37,000 acres in the Monongahela National Forest.

Source: Associated Press, L.A. Times, (Omnibus Wilderness Bill Key Provisions, The Wilderness Society)

Fred Krupp Has It Right On Cap-&-Trade: AGAIN

Fred Krupp, right, is the Godfather of cap-and-trade and he nails it once again in an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal. We agree with Mr. Krupp on this issue. He did not state his position on auctioning in the article but we hope he stays true to the Acid Rain Program he helped draft and approve and agrees that allowances should be allocated free. He rejects a carbon tax and we oppose such a tax too.

Some highlights:

Curbing carbon emissions will spur a new generation of competition for the old ways of generating energy.

From an environmental point of view, the difference is stark. A cap is a legal limit on pollution. There is no guessing what will happen -- the level of emissions is set in law, and enforcement of
that limit proceeds accordingly.

Moreover, to require that other countries make the reciprocal commitments necessary to lower global pollution, we have to enact our cap -- and have other nations do the same in a transparent, verifiable and enforceable way. A carbon tax doesn't make such a system of commitments
possible.

From an economic point of view, the case for a cap is also strong. A well-designed cap will push our economy towards clean, domestic energy in the most flexible way possible, leaving business free to grow and thrive.

The system directly engages the profit motive in pursuit of the environmental goal. In addition, establishing the cap level in law will give companies the certainty necessary to make major, job-creating capital investments now.

Finally, rather than debate economic theory, we can look at history. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush and a Democratic Congress joined together to pass the world's first cap-and-trade law to limit the pollution that causes acid rain. It was a simple, straightforward plan to have government set the rules and let the people involved solve the problem. It worked faster and cheaper than anyone predicted.

Mr. Krupp is president of the Environmental Defense Fund.

EPA 'Reviews' Hundreds of Coal Mining Permits

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is 'reviewing' hundreds of mountaintop coal-mining permits to evaluate the projects' impact on streams and wetlands. The decision was announced Tuesday by EPA administrator Lisa Jackson. It targets a controversial practice by coal-mining companies that dump waste from mountaintop mining into streams and wetlands.It could delay more than a hundred permits being sought by companies wanting to begin blasting mountaintops to access coal. The EPA also denied two permits the Army Corps of Engineers was planning to issue that would allow companies to fill thousands of feet of streams with mining waste in West Virginia and Kentucky. The agency says the projects could damage aquatic resources.

EPA has sent two letters to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expressing serious concerns about the need to reduce the potential harmful impacts on water quality caused by certain types of coal mining practices, such as mountaintop mining. The letters specifically addressed two new surface coal mining operations in West Virginia and Kentucky. EPA also intends to review other requests for mining permits. The two letters reflect EPA’s considerable concern regarding the environmental impact these projects would have on fragile habitats and streams. EPA’s letters, sent to the Corps office in Huntington, WestVirginia, stated that the coal mines would likely cause water quality problems in streams below the mines, would cause significant degradation to streams buried by mining activities, and that proposed steps to offset these impacts are inadequate. EPA has recommended specific actions be taken to further avoid and reduce these harmful impacts and to improve mitigation. The letters were sent to the Corps by EPA senior officials in the agency’s Atlanta and Philadelphia offices. Permit applications for such projects are required by the Clean Water Act.

EPA also requested the opportunity to meet with the Corps and the mining companies seeking the new permits to discuss alternatives that would better protect streams, wetlands and rivers. The Corps is responsible for issuing Clean Water Act permits for proposed surface coal mining operations that impact streams, wetlands, and other waters. EPA is required by the act to review proposed permits and provides comments to the Corps where necessary to ensure that proposed permits fully protect water quality. Because of active litigation in the 4th Circuit challenging the issuance of Corps permits for coal mining, the Corps has been issuing far fewer permits in West Virginia since the litigation began in 2007. As a result, there is a significant backlog of permits under review by the Corps. EPA expects to be actively involved in the review of these permits following issuance of the 4th Circuit decision last month. EPA is coordinating its action with the White House Council on Environmental Quality and with other agencies including the Corps. More information on wetlands and the letters. (EPA, WSJ, AP, 3/24/09)

Rockefeller Foundation Commissions Authors On 2050 Cities

"Century of the City: No Time to Lose"

by Neal R. Peirce and Curtis W. Johnson with Farley M. Peters

The Rockefeller Foundation, 447 Pages

One in every ten people lived in urban areas a century ago. Now, for the first time ever, most people live in cities. By 2050, the United Nations projects, almost three-quarters of the world's population will call urban areas home. The majority of this growth is centered in struggling, developing countries of the Global South, but cities in developed (or Global North) countries face increasingly complex challenges as well.

Around the world, unplanned urban expansion is multiplying slums, overburdening housing, transportation and infrastructure systems, stifling economic growth, and leaving millions vulnerable to new environmental and health threats.

To help manage and plan for this accelerating urbanization, the Rockefeller Foundation convened an exceptional group of urbanists--leading policy makers and government officials, finance experts, urban researchers, members of civil society organizations, and other innovators--for a Global Urban Summit at the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center. This book shares their diverse perspectives, creative approaches, and urgent agenda for harnessing the vast opportunities of urbanization for a better world.

TO ORDER, email rockefeller@forbesamg.com and include 'Century of the City' in the Subject line of the email form. There is no charge for the books; however, you can order only up to two copies this way.

Greater Quantities: For consideration of requests for multiple copies for pertinent conferences or other group purposes, please email details of your request to rderrick@rockfound.org and put 'Century of the City multiple request' in the Subject line.

Hat Tip: Dr. Lenneal Henderson, former Center board member, who helped track the meetings and compile the research for the book that resulted from the month-long Global Urban Summit in Bellagio, Italy in July 2007.