Green Investing News

December 2006 News Archives

2006: The year in environment - 2006-12-29
In October, the former chief economist at the World Bank, Nicholas Stern, warned that the economic affects of climate change could be dire, causing a huge global recession later this century.

Honda Sees Mass Production of Fuel-Cell Cars Possible by 2018 - 2006-12-29
Honda Motor Co. thinks it will be able to mass produce fuel-cell vehicles for the general market by 2018, Honda President Takeo Fukui said in a recent interview with Kyodo News.

University to Meet 20% Electrical Needs through Renewable Energy - 2006-12-29
Penn State has awarded contracts to meet more than 20 percent of its electrical energy needs through renewable energy sources for the next five years.

Oakland hopes to go 'green' by year 2020 - 2006-12-29
The task force's mission is to look at ways to decrease the reliance on fossil fuels and find alternatives

Unleashing the Power of the UK's Mersey River - 2006-12-29
According to the study, the Mersey is one of the best locations in the UK for the production of marine renewable energy because of its large tidal range of 8-10 meters and powerful tidal currents.

Nevada to Quadruple Its Geothermal Power, Says GEA Report - 2006-12-29
Nevada is on-track to be producing more than 1000 megawatts (MW) of geothermal power, a level that would meet roughly 25% of the state's total power needs, according to a new report from the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA).

California Governor to Propose $95 Million for Cleantech, Biotech and Nanotech Research - 2006-12-28
California Governor Schwarzenegger will propose nearly $95 million in the state budget to create the Governor’s Research and Innovation Initiative. This initiative is designed to provide funding for major projects that will grow California’s economic strength in key innovation sectors, including cleantech, biotech and nanotech.

City Testing Rubber Sidewalks, Solar Bus Shelters - 2006-12-28
Mayor Richard M. Daley's green initiative is gaining ground yet again -- this time with two new infrastructure technologies.

Now Looking Green Is Looking Good - 2006-12-28
The phrase and the concept — there is good money to be made in preserving the environment — is so often repeated that it has become a cliché. So it was probably inevitable that some enterprising advertising agency would figure that there is equally good money to be made from specializing in ads that promote greenness.

O2Diesel Secures Additional $1.0 Million to Continue Fuel Development for DoD - 2006-12-28
O2Diesel Corporation has received an additional $1.0 million in funding from the Department of Defense for 2007 to continue its existing demonstration projects and develop a cleaner-burning alternative diesel fuel.

Honda May Begin Production of Hybrids in US - 2006-12-27
Honda Motor Co. may begin to assemble hybrid vehicles at Honda’s new plant in Indiana, President Takeo Fukui told the Nihon Keizai Shimbun.

India's Big Plans for Biodiesel - 2006-12-27
Biodiesel could be an important renewable substitute for fossil fuels. And, in certain parts of the world, governments and some corporations consider the jatropha plant, common in hot climates, one of the most promising sources of biodiesel.

Solar-Powered Poultry House Set for 2007 - 2006-12-27
A first-of-its-kind solar-powered poultry house will soon begin operations at a [Delaware] farm owned by Allen Family Foods Inc. The house is part of a research project to evaluate the use of solar power as an economical source of energy for poultry houses.

Ford Chief Seeks Ideas From Toyota - 2006-12-27
Toyota and Ford officials, as well as Japanese media that first reported on the meeting, indicated the talks had focused on the development of environmentally friendly technology, like hybrid-electric and hydrogen fuel systems, as well as on ways that Toyota could help Ford improve its manufacturing efficiency.

Mercedes-Benz Fined $1.2 Million for Clean Air Act Violation - 2006-12-22
Mercedes-Benz will pay $1.2 million in civil penalties to resolve its failure to promptly notify the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about air pollution control defects on numerous 1998-2006 model vehicles. Mercedes must also improve its emissions defect investigation and reporting system to ensure future compliance, at an estimated cost of approximately $1 million per year.

Edison agrees to huge wind power deal - 2006-12-22
The Rosemead-based utility agreed to purchase at least 1,500 megawatts of power from the planned wind farm under a 20-year contract. The price was not disclosed.

Canada Sets Biofuels Targets - 2006-12-22
The requirement for 5% of gasoline will amount to a requirement for about 2.1 billion liters (555 million gallons US) of renewable fuel per year in 2010; 2% of diesel fuel and heating oil will require almost another 600 million liters (159 million gallons US) in 2012.

Cellulosic Ethanol JV to Use Wood Chips - 2006-12-22
SunOpta Inc. signed a joint venture (JV) agreement with GreenField Ethanol Inc. to develop and implement commercial scale processes to produce cellulosic ethanol from wood chips.

Bay Area: Car-share world capital - 2006-12-21
Many are using automobile rental services in lieu of buying vehicles

SunOpta and GreenField Ethanol Create Wood-Chip Cellulosic Ethanol Joint Venture; NY State Makes Two Wood Cellulosic Ethanol Development Awards - 2006-12-21
SunOpta has signed a joint venture agreement with GreenField Ethanol—formerly known as Commercial Alcohols, Canada’s leading producer of fuel ethanol—to develop and implement commercial scale processes for the production of cellulosic ethanol from wood chips, including the planned establishment of one or more commercial scale plants employing the new process.

Wind energy scores major legal victory in U.S. - 2006-12-21
In a case watched closely by the wind industry, a jury in Texas has found a huge wind farm not responsible for creating a private nuisance - and awarded the plaintiffs nothing.

Nissan, NEC To Partner to Develop Li-Ion Batteries For Cars - 2006-12-21
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reports that Nissan Motor and NEC Corp. will partner in the development of li-ion battery technology for use in hybrid, electric and fuel-cell cars.

NYSERDA Awards Contracts to Two PHEV Conversion Companies - 2006-12-21
The New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) has made awards from its $10-million New York State Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) Technology Initiative to two PHEV conversion companies: Hymotion and Hybrids Plus.

Salt Lake mayor sees green future for city - 2006-12-20
Electric cars, high-efficiency light bulbs among money-saving initiatives

Greener city in blue bin success - 2006-12-20
More than 20% of household waste in Belfast is now being recycled, the city council has revealed.

China Halts Expansion of Corn Ethanol Industry; Focus on Biomass Feedstocks - 2006-12-20
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has ordered local governments to stop approving new projects that process corn for industrial uses, to use non-grain feedstocks to produce biofuels (e.g., cellulosic ethanol from biomass), and to develop the industry more effectively.

Sanyo to Spend Y19 Billion to Boost Solar Cell Capacity - 2006-12-20
Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. said on Tuesday it will spend 19 billion yen (US$161 million) to more than double its solar cell production capacity to better compete with larger rivals such as Sharp Corp.

Energy-efficent hybrid buses now on road - 2006-12-20
Diesel-electric buses use 50 per cent less fuel

Massachusetts Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Cape Wind - 2006-12-20
The Cape Wind project won a landmark victory this week in its quest to develop a 130 turbine wind farm off the Massachusetts coast. On Monday, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts upheld the May 2005 ruling by the state's Energy Facilities Siting Council that approved construction -- and operation -- of an 18-mile undersea cable to connect the proposed Nantucket Sound wind project to the mainland electricity grid.

Boston plans to amend its building code to require that all large-scale private construction be “green.” - 2006-12-20
Boston Plans to Go ‘Green’ on Large Building Projects

Massachusetts to Retrofit All Diesel School and Transit Buses in State - 2006-12-20
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is dedicating $22.5 million to retrofit 8,400 public school and regional transit buses in the state by 2010 in a deal designed to offset pollution from the Big Dig project in Boston.

Asian nations vow to tackle pollution - 2006-12-19
Twenty Asian nations have made an unprecedented commitment to improving urban air quality as experts branded as “conservative” newly-released data estimating 537,000 people die prematurely in Asian cities every year as a result of air pollution.

Why waste waste heat? - 2006-12-19
Technology captures energy from warm restaurant exhaust

Honda Chief Outlines Initiatives and Expansions; Cellulosic Ethanol Pilot Plant and Green Factory - 2006-12-19
In his year-end speech, Honda CEO Takeo Fukui described progress made on product initiatives announced in May and outlined a number of expansions the company is undertaking, including the building of an experimental cellulosic ethanol plant and the building of a “resource/energy-recycling Green Factory” which will reduce the amount of CO2 emitted per automobile produced by 20% compared to the level of 2000.

'Sustainability' gains status on US campuses - 2006-12-19
Arizona State University will launch the nation's first School of Sustainability next month

UK Offshore Wind Projects Given Green Light - 2006-12-19
The British government gave the go-ahead yesterday for two major offshore wind farms -- the London Array and the Thanet -- to be built off the southeast coast of England in the Thames Estuary. Together, the projects will boast more than 400 turbines and are expected to produce up to 1.3 gigawatts of electricity when fully operational.

Mandelson calls for open markets in green products - 2006-12-18
Europe's trade commissioner, Peter Mandelson, today called for global free trade in key green goods as a way of boosting the international fight against climate change.

Final NREL Report on GM Hybrid Buses in Seattle - 2006-12-18
The study, which focuses on a comparison of diesel buses operating from KCM’s Ryerson Base and hybrid buses operating from Atlantic Base because of their similar duty cycles, found that the hybrid buses from Atlantic Base had a 27% higher fuel economy on average compared with that of diesel buses at Ryerson Base.

Experimental Wind to Hydrogen System Up & Running - 2006-12-18
The system is designed so that hydrogen can be stored and used later to generate electricity from either an internal combustion engine turning a generator or from a fuel cell.

ITOCHU Announces Investment in Solar Energy Company NorSun - 2006-12-18
ITOCHU Corporation (TSE: 8001; ADR: ITOCY) has announced that it will invest JPY 1 billion (4% of outstanding shares after investment) in solar energy company NorSun AS (Oslo, Norway, CEO: Jon Hindar), which is planning to produce monocrystalline silicon wafers for solar cells.

Rotary engine revs for comeback - 2006-12-18
Reg Technologies Inc. says that its Radmax direct-charge engine is based on the Wankel rotary design but can deliver up to three times the power with half the weight of a true Wankel engine of the same size.

VERBIO to Build €100 Million Ethanol Plant in Germany - 2006-12-18
Vereinigte BioEnergie AG (VERBIO) plans to build a bioethanol facility in the seaport of Rostock, Germany in 2007 with an annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes (67 million gallons US) of ethanol. The total investment is expected to be around € 100 million (US$131 million).

China Clean Energy to Build Second Biodiesel Plant - 2006-12-15
China Clean Energy Inc. (CCE), a producer of biodiesel fuel and green specialty chemical products in China, plans to build a new biodiesel plant that will expand its production capacity by an additional 100,000 tonnes (30 million gallons US) per year.

Cape Wind's Prospects & Energy Output Get a Boost - 2006-12-15
Controversy still swirls around the proposal to place 130 wind turbines off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. One formidable political obstacle, however, will soon leave the scene, with a strong supporter taking his place.

BP and Roofing Company to Jointly Offer Solar Roofing - 2006-12-15
BP and Old Country Roofing (OCR) have signed an agreement to offer turnkey solar roofing solutions to more than 100 homebuilding companies and homeowners.

Governor Pawlenty Introduces Next Generation Energy Initiative - 2006-12-15
The Governor's proposals will build on Minnesota's nation-leading per capita renewable fuel use, one of which is to move the state closer to 25% of all types of the state's energy to come from renewable sources by 2025 (25x'25).

Greens Welcome Britain's "Zero Carbon" Homes Goal - 2006-12-14
Environmentalists praised plans laid out by Britain on Wednesday to tackle global warming by making all new housing "zero carbon" in a decade, but questioned what the term would mean in practice.

Global warming heats up green investing - 2006-12-14
What's the hottest way to counteract global warming? Invest.

Spain embraces the sun - 2006-12-14
A building code makes solar panels compulsory on all new and renovated buildings in Spain.

Lear Introduces SoyFoam for Automotive Seating - 2006-12-14
Lear Corporation, one of the world’s leading automotive interior suppliers, has developed a soybean oil-based flexible foam material—SoyFoam—for automotive interior applications.

London Provides First Street Recharging Points for Electric Vehicles - 2006-12-14
Westminster City Council in London has introduced two free street recharging points for electric cars—the first on-street points in the UK. Westminster already provides 48 free recharging stations, but these are located in 13 of the city’s parking garages.

80 Members of Congress Pen Letter to President Bush to Fund Renewable Energy - 2006-12-14
Eighty Members of the U.S. House of Representatives took time this week to send a letter to President Bush seeking substantially higher funding levels for renewable energy and energy efficiency in the White House's Fiscal Year 2008 (FY'08) budget request for the U.S. Department of Energy.

REC to Build World's Biggest Solar Plant in Norway - 2006-12-14
Renewable Energy Corporation will build the world's biggest solar energy equipment plant in its Heroeya facility in southwestern Norway for 2.5 billion Norwegian crowns (US$407.8 million).

Study Finds Mixed Prairie Grasses Better Source of Biofuel - 2006-12-13
University of Minnesota research shows mixed grasses produce 238% more bioenergy than single plant species, including switchgrass.

China Wants to Slow Growth in Carbon Emissions - 2006-12-13
China wants to slow its growth in carbon emissions, a top energy policy maker said on Tuesday, as the world's number two producer of greenhouse gases threatens to overtake the United States by 2009.

Spire Announces Production Line for Thin Film PV Modules - 2006-12-13
Spire, which is introducing its new thin film module production line to address needs of the expanding PV market, has been developing machines for the generation of thin-film materials.

Akeena Solar Inc. Registration Statement Declared Effective by Securities and Exchange Commission - 2006-12-13
Akeena Solar, Inc. (OTC BB: AKNS), a leading designer and installer of solar power systems, today announced that it has received notice from the Securities and Exchange Commission that the company's recently filed Form SB-2 Registration Statement has been declared effective.

NZ Draft Energy Strategy Embraces Biofuels and Plug-In Hybrids - 2006-12-13
The strategy outlines major efforts in making electricity generation more renewable and in reducing GHG emissions from transport via a number of initiatives, including renewable fuels, increasing vehicle efficiency, and introducing plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

DOE Study: Off-Peak Production from US Grid Could Support 184.8 Million Plug-In Hybrids - 2006-12-13
A new study for the US Department of Energy finds that off-peak electricity production and transmission capacity could power 84% of the country’s 220 million vehicles if they were plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).

Epson Switches to Environmentally-Conscious Standardized Packaging for LFP Ink Cartridges - 2006-12-13
These changes result from a comprehensive review of materials and specifications aimed at reducing environmental impact. Product shipments will progressively switch to the new specifications from late December.

S.J. selected as site of major solar plant - 2006-12-12
MOVE BY NANOSOLAR ESTABLISHES VALLEY AS `CRADLE FOR CLEAN TECHNOLOGY' IN U.S.

Western GeoPower Gains $2.5 M for "Unit 1" - 2006-12-12
The new power plant, to be named Western GeoPower Unit 1, is due to commence commercial operations in late 2009, providing approximately 200,000 megawatt-hours per year of clean, base-load electricity to the California market.

No 10 hosts green business summit - 2006-12-12
Executives from some of Britain's biggest firms, with a combined total of 250 million customers, met at 10 Downing Street yesterday to work out a combined plan for a new range of "green" products, to be launched in the new year.

U.N Launches Working Group on Responsible Property Investment - 2006-12-12
Investors worldwide must embed environmental thinking in the heart of their property investment portfolios if the financial services sector is to play a pivotal role in halting climate change, the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Working Group warns.

Roanoke policies turning green - 2006-12-12
Bit by bit, city hall is turning a darker shade of green -- using biodiesel fuels, waterless urinals, curbside recycling and other measures -- in an effort to improve its environmental record.

EC eyes 20 percent renewables target for 2020 - 2006-12-12
The European Commission will nearly double its target for the adoption of renewable energy in 2020 versus its goal for 2010, the EU Parliament member coordinating energy views told reporters on Monday.

Ethanol plant to add wind turbines - 2006-12-08
The Corn Plus ethanol plant in Winnebago is to add wind turbines to its facility during the next three to four months, moving closer to its ultimate goal of using no outside energy in the processing plant.

U.S. Army Stands to Gain Lightweight Portable Power - 2006-12-08
DuPont Fuel Cells and SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG announced the U.S. Department of Defense has completed a successful initial review of its program to introduce a reliable, lightweight, portable fuel cell power system for soldiers in the field using a modular power capability integrated onto the soldier's ensemble.

Solar Industry Preparing for California Solar Initiative - 2006-12-08
As the start date for the California Solar Initiative (CSI) approaches, members of the solar business community are getting ready to make the change from a capacity-based payment structure to a performance-based incentive (PBI) structure.

Mixed Prairie Grasses Are Better Biofuel Source - 2006-12-08
A new study led by David Tilman, Regents Professor of Ecology in the University of Minnesota’s College of Biological Sciences, indicates that mixtures of native perennial grasses and other flowering plants provide more usable energy per acre than corn grain ethanol or soybean biodiesel and are far better for the environment.

CPUC Proposed Decision: RECs Belong to Solar System Owners - 2006-12-07
This reverses a proposed decision from early November that would have granted utilities full ownership of RECs. Many solar advocates and consumers argued that gifting RECs to utilities would have eliminated an important source of revenue for solar owners.

Expect 1,500 MW from Offshore Wind Energy in Germany - 2006-12-07
According to the CEO at REpower Systems AG, Professor Fritz Vahrenholt, it is realistic to expect offshore wind farms with an output of 1,500 megawatts (MW) in Germany by the end of 2011.

Occidental Petroleum Withdraws from Amazon - 2006-12-07
Occidental Petroleum announced it would withdraw from the Peruvian Amazon. For the first time in 30 years, the company will not be drilling in the Amazon.

County to seekways to reduce air pollutants - 2006-12-06
The Board of Supervisors agreed Tuesday to initiate an effort aimed at making Ventura County a world leader in reducing climate change. Voting unanimously, the board directed County Executive Officer Johnny Johnston to prepare a plan of action for cutting greenhouse-gas emissions by county agencies.

State proposes new system to curb `greenhouse gas' effect - 2006-12-06
ALBANY, N.Y. The state has proposed a new system that would reduce smokestack emissions that contribute to air pollution and acid rain.

China's Geothermal City Opens New Heating Utility - 2006-12-06
The first phase of a new geothermal district heating utility in China's official geothermal city, Xian Yang, opened this week.

US Sales of Hybrids in November Up 13.8% Year-on-Year - 2006-12-06
Sales of hybrids in the US in November rose to 18,283 units, up 13.8% from the 16,065 sold in November 2005. The October 2006 tally does not yet include sales of GM’s VUE Green Line Hybrid.

TNT Launches Newton 7.5-Tonne Electric Trucks in London - 2006-12-06
TNT Express and TNT Logistics, in partnership with Smith Electric Vehicles, has unveiled the world’s first high performance 7.5-tonne zero emission electric vehicles—both Newton models—due to go into service in London.

Turning Switchgrass into Low Cost Ethanol - 2006-12-06
University of Rhode Island scientist aims to genetically modify switchgrass and produce 100% ethanol for less than $1 per gallon.

EIA Energy Outlook 2007 Sees Shift Towards Biofuels, Coal-to-Liquids, and Accelerated Efficiency Improvements - 2006-12-06
The reference case in the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) early release edition of Annual Energy Outlook 2007 (AEO2007) projects more biofuels (both ethanol and biodiesel) consumption, growth in coal-to-liquids (CTL) capacity and production, growing demand for unconventional transportation technologies, growth in nuclear capacity and generation, an expansion in coal-fired power generation and accelerated improvements in energy efficiency throughout the economy.

Farmers Insurance Extends Hybrid and Alt-Fuel Discounts to 37 Additional States - 2006-12-05
Farmer Group of Companies is expanding its discount to its auto insurance customers who own a hybrid or alternative fuel vehicle to 37 additional states.

PG&E Cleared to Add New Renewable Geothermal Energy - 2006-12-05
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to contract for up to 120 megawatts (MW) of clean geothermal renewable energy under California's Renewables Portfolio Standards (RPS) Program.

America's largest firms pledge to go green - 2006-12-05
From Wells Fargo to Hewlett-Packard, some 40 Fortune 500 companies pledge to purchase green power.

Worldwide Demand for Hybrids Projected to Grow Rapidly - 2006-12-05
The Freedonia Group, a Cleveland, Ohio-based market research firm, projects that worldwide demand for hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) will advance rapidly to 3.9 million units in 2015 and then to nearly double that number by 2020.

200 MW Ocean Energy Plant Proposed in NZ - 2006-12-05
Once completed in 2011, the $400 million project is expected to generate about 4% of New Zealand's annual energy supply.

Japan Planning Even Tougher Fuel Economy Requirements - 2006-12-05
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reports that Japan will implement regulations requiring automakers to improve the fuel efficiency of their vehicles by about 20% by 2015.

PSE to Develop Solar-Power Facility in Pacific Northwest - 2006-12-05
At 500 kilowatts (kW), the pilot solar project would roughly double the state's entire solar-powered electricity generation and be four times bigger than any solar facility in the Northwest.

CEO values different kind of green - 2006-12-04
For many CEOs, green is the color of profits. But Xcel Energy's Dick Kelly is a different kind of leader. Fueled by a love of Colorado's beauty, he is environmentalists' surprising ally.

Report: British Government to Spend £1 Billion to Green Fleet - 2006-12-04
The Times reports that the British Government will spend £1 billion (US$1.33 billion) replacing 78,000 ministerial and civil service vehicles under a program to cut costs and reduce carbon emissions from its light-duty fleet by 15% by 2010-2011.

Saturn Aura Green Line Hybrid to Offer 25% Fuel Economy Improvement Over Non-Hybrid - 2006-12-04
The Aura Green Line’s base price is expected to start below $23,000, and will be available at Saturn retailers in spring 2007.

Chinese Government to Start Buying Green - 2006-12-04
China's Ministry of Finance and the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) have announced that starting in 2007, the nation’s central and provincial governments will prioritize their purchasing of environmentally friendly products and services.

IRS Distributes $800 M to Renewable Energy Projects - 2006-12-04
Of the approved government projects, 401 are for solar facilities, 99 for wind facilities, 23 for landfill gas facilities, eight for hydropower facilities and one for an open loop biomass facility.

Mascoma and Tamarack Energy Focus on Cellulosic Ethanol - 2006-12-01
Tamarack Energy and Mascoma Corporation will collaborate on the joint development of cellulosic ethanol facilities in New York, as well as follow-on opportunities in Pennsylvania and New England states, leveraging wood mills and other production facilities.

SolarWorld Group Expands Module Recycling to U.S. - 2006-12-01
SolarWorld Industries America, subsidiary of Germany-based SolarWorld Group, expanded its solar module recycling program to include the U.S. market by offering customers the opportunity to return used and end-of-life solar modules.

Forecast: U.S. Renewable Energy to Hit 700 GW - 2006-12-01
Leading experts predict that policy goal of 25% renewable production capacity by 2025 could potentially double.

Feed-in Tariffs Good for North American Renewable Energy Markets - 2006-12-01
Ontario's Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program, which sets tariffs for clean energy fed into the grid, is a big step for renewables in North America and could open up more opportunities for similar programs elsewhere in Canada and the United States, according to a leading industry analyst.

Auto Industry Should Speed Fuel Economy Fixes - Expert - 2006-12-01
While plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cells are likely one day to help cut US gasoline consumption, major fuel savings can be achieved now if automakers put existing technologies to work under one hood.