Month: April 2012

GE Solar EV Carport: A New Era for Charging

A solar-powered electric vehicle charging carport at dusk with LED lighting illuminating parked EVs beneath solar panels, with visible battery storage units nearby.

OCTOBER 5, 2011 Earlier this summer, we featured the new 100-kilowatt-hour, solar-powered, electric vehicle-charging carport that GE installed in Plainville, Connecticut. While carports may conjure images of 1960s suburbia, this one is decidedly non-retro, with its ability to fully charge 13 EVs a day with renewable energy. Great idea, advanced technology and cool design, and as of today, not a one-off deal: GE Energy Industrial Solutions and U.S. solar power distribution and integration company Inovateus Solar, who collaborated on the Plainville carport, announced a partnership agreement at Greenbuild 2011, the world’s largest green building confab. A rendering of the GE/Inovateus Solar carport. The concept, as installed in Plainville, is holistic and simple: solar panels generate enough energy to offset the power needed to charge—with 6 Level 2 GE DuraStation1 EV charging stations—up to 13 EVs a day with enough juice left over for the parking lot’s overhead lighting. The new partnership will replicate that model, scalable to differing needs, at a variety of sites, from universities to municipal and office buildings to sports complexes. Inovateus will incorporate GE’s EverGold* Solar combiner boxes and safety switches, DuraStation and WattStation EV charging stations and its more traditional electrical distribution panels and switches into the carports.

Cool Greening Weather Channel Style

How You Can Become More Ecologically Conscious

The Weather Channel Goes Green: A Look at their Environmental Initiatives Introduction The Weather Channel is one of the most popular sources of weather news and updates in the world. With millions of viewers, it's no surprise that they are using their platform to create awareness about climate change and promote eco-friendly practices. In this... Continue Reading →

Wind Turbine Cowboys Greener Than Weather Channel

In celebration of “Green is Universal’s” Earth Week, The Weather Channel presents its latest original series “Turbine Cowboys,” premiering Tuesday, April 17 at 9 p.m. ET. As CleanTechnica reported: “Turbine Cowboys” is a reality series. It premiered on The Weather Channel. So anyone with an interest in clean energy should check it out. So given... Continue Reading →

Gulf of Mexico Program: New Director Announcement

Illustrated map of the Gulf of Mexico region showing river inflows, wetlands, fisheries, and energy infrastructure, highlighting the scope of EPA’s Gulf of Mexico Program.

(ATLANTA – April 3, 2012) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection of Ben Scaggs as the Director of the Gulf of Mexico Program. In his new role, Scaggs will be responsible for overseeing a broad program designed to facilitate collaborative actions to protect, maintain, and restore the health and productivity of the Gulf of Mexico in ways consistent with the economic well-being of the Region. A native Mississippian, Scaggs began his career working on Capitol Hill for the Veterans Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives then transitioned to work as a legislative assistant for Congressman G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery representing Mississippi’s 3rd District. After completing a Master’s degree in Public Administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill he worked for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, DC. He joined EPA in 1991 and currently serves as EPA’s Office Director overseeing the Agency’s operation in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, which is the largest agency presence outside of Washington, DC. Over the course of his 20 years at the Agency he has worked in the Office of Air and Radiation and as an acting Enforcement Branch Chief, in Region 4.

Sens. Kerry and Snowe Introduce Bill Supporting Fisheries Research and for Ocean Fish Management

Conservationists, Fishermen Back Exclusive Funding Source for Ocean Fish Management Sens. John Kerry (D-MA), Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME), John D. Rockefeller (D-WV), Scott Brown (R-MA), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced the Fisheries Investment and Regulatory Relief Act (FIRRA). A companion bill is expected in the House by Reps. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Frank Guinta (R-NH). This bipartisan legislation would ensure that key programs critical to sustainably managing ocean fish populations, and the fishermen and communities that depend on them, would receive increased and sustained funding. The bill would provide approximately $100 million annually for much-needed scientific research, monitoring, data collection, and assistance to fishermen and coastal communities by redirecting a portion of existing import duties on fish and fish products to support key programs.

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