Tag Archives: Energy Crisis

Homeowners are passing on energy rebates

From Alaska Dispatch, Wednesday, December 23, 2009:

Massive initial interest in a state program to help people make their homes more energy efficient could be tapering off, even as some areas of the state face the likelihood of increased home heating costs in coming years.

As of Dec. 16, nearly 19,000 Alaskans have started the multi-step Home Energy Rebate Program funded by Gov. Sarah Palin and the Legislature and managed by the Alaska Housing Finance Corp.

They’ve paid for certified technicians to rate their current home energy efficiency and recommend upgrades that would be eligible for a state refund, up to $10,000. But only about 200 people have followed through with improvements and filed their claims, and the window to do so is closing daily for the flood of folks who jumped at the chance.

If this trend continues during the next several months, the program will end up with a financial cushion of funds set aside for improvements that weren’t cashed in on. But it’s leaving some to wonder: In a state with some of the highest energy costs in the nation, where homeowners stood to benefit significantly — exactly what happened?

Click here to read the full story.

Climate change costly for Inuit: study

From CBC News, Tuesday, December 15, 2009:

A new study suggests the financial burden of Arctic climate change is already falling on Inuit people and the heaviest costs are hurting those families least able to pay.

The study backs demands made by Inuit leaders for a share of global funds being proposed to help adapt to a warming planet. It says governments should shift some of their funding focus to help the Inuit meld new tools with traditional knowledge to survive in today’s North.

“Inuit can adapt to climate change,” says James Ford, a geographer at Montreal’s McGill University, whose paper will be published early in 2010. “We have a number of concerns about whether Inuit can afford to adapt.”

Click here to read the full story.

EIA: Oil and Fuel Prices on Their Way Up as Economy Recovers

From the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Wednesday, November 11, 2009:

Current optimism for a continued economic turnaround is driving oil prices higher, despite high inventories, according to the DOE’s Energy Information Administration (EIA). The EIA released its monthly “Short-Term Energy Outlook” on November 10. Its forecast for the average price of oil during the winter heating season is now $77 per barrel of oil, up from a $70 forecast a month ago. Assuming that U.S. and world economic conditions continue to improve, the EIA is forecasting that oil will reach a monthly average of $81 per barrel by December 2010. The EIA also notes that should the economic recovery stall, oil prices will likely weaken. The report notes that sustained economic growth in China and other Asian countries is already beginning to cause a rebound in world oil consumption.

In general, gasoline and diesel fuel prices follow oil prices, and the current trends are no exception. The EIA expects regular grade gasoline prices to average $2.66 per gallon in the fourth quarter of 2009, up from the average price of $2.55 per gallon in September and October. Gasoline is expected to average $2.81 per gallon in 2010. Meanwhile, diesel fuel averaged $2.63 per gallon in August and September and is expected to escalate in price, averaging $2.79 per gallon during the fourth quarter of 2009 and rising to $2.94 per gallon for 2010. See the EIA’s “Short-Term Energy Outlook.”

Obama orders energy efficiency standards upgraded

From the New York Times on Thursday, February 5, 2009:

President Obama ordered the Energy Department on Thursday to immediately draft long-overdue standards to make a variety of appliances and light bulbs more energy efficient.

Over the last three decades, Congress has demanded stricter efficiency standards on 30 categories of products, as varied as residential air-conditioners and industrial boilers. But successive administrations have failed to write regulations to enforce the laws, even when ordered to by the courts.

In remarks to employees of the Energy Department, and in a presidential memorandum, Mr. Obama said he intended to comply with the laws, starting this year with nine categories of products, including ovens, vending machines, microwave ovens, dishwashers and light bulbs.

He said the new standards would cut energy use and reduce emissions of the heat-trapping gases that scientists blame for global warming.

Click here to read the whole article.

More clean energy tax credits for homeowners

From the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy office, posted on 2/18/09, retrieved on Friday, March 6, 2009:

President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on February 17, and the tax section of the act provides greater tax credits for clean energy projects at homes and businesses and for the manufacturers of clean energy technologies. For homeowners, the act increases a 10% tax credit for energy efficiency improvements to a 30% tax credit, eliminates caps for specific improvements (such as windows and furnaces), and instead establishes an aggregate cap of $1,500 for all improvements placed in service in 2009 and 2010 (except biomass systems, which must be placed in service after the act is enacted). The act also tightens the energy efficiency requirements to meet current standards. For residential renewable energy systems, the act removes all caps on the tax credits, which equal 30% of the cost of qualified solar energy systems, geothermal heat pumps, small wind turbines, and fuel cell systems. The act also eliminates a reduction in credits for installations with subsidized financing.

Click  here to read the whole posting, and to link to additional Federal documents.

Governor Palin proposes energy corporation

From the Anchorage Daily News on Sunday, February 8, 2009:

Gov. Sarah Palin plans to introduce a bill calling for creating a joint corporation of the six Railbelt electric utilities.

Palin says such an entity could unite a “fragmented group of rival utilities” and could save rate payers $40 million annually.

The utilities are Fairbanks-based Golden Valley Electric Association, Homer Electric Association, Anchorage’s Municipal Light and Power, Chugach Electric Association, the City of Seward and Matanuska Electric Association.

Click here to read the whole article.

Alaska state officials promise aid to hurting Southwest Alaska villages

From the Arctic Sounder on Thursday, January 29, 2009:

State officials assessing hardships on the lower Yukon River area for a possible disaster declaration said they’ll push to create a fuel voucher that could help the poorest families.

After two days of listening to crushing testimony from scores of residents in Emmonak and Kotlik, the team said they would do all they can to quickly help.

“In both communities, we hear loud and clear that the children are going to school not ready to learn, that they’re hungry and cold. That’s really troubling to me,” said Tara Jollie, director of the state Division of Community and Regional Affairs.

“We’re hearing that there are families that are hungry and that’s not acceptable,” she said.   

Click here to read the whole article.

Debating the effectiveness of reducing carbon emissions

From npr.org on Wednesday, January 21, 2009:

With awareness of global warming rising, going “green” and reducing one’s “carbon footprint” have become pop culture catchphrases. But addressing climate change on a global, governmental level is still a matter of heated debate.

With potentially staggering costs involved, are efforts to make major reductions in carbon emissions even worth it? Would the money be better spent elsewhere? Or, does the amount of money involved become less important when considering the possible consequences of climate change?

A panel of experts recently took on these questions in an Oxford-style debate. The motion for the Jan. 13 debate, part of theIntelligence Squared U.S.series, was: “Major Reductions in Carbon Emissions Are Not Worth the Money.”

Click here to read the summary and listen to the broadcast.

Homebuilders confidence in housing market at new low

From the Anchorage Daily News on Wednesday, January 21, 2009:

 A key gauge of homebuilders’ confidence sank to a new low this month, as the deepening U.S. recession and rising unemployment erode chances for a housing turnaround.

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo housing market index released Wednesday dropped one point to a record 8 in January. The index was at 9 for the previous two months.

Index readings higher than 50 indicate positive sentiment about the market. But the index has drifted below 50 since May 2006 and has been below 20 since April. The slide in builders’ confidence accelerated in the wake of the U.S. financial crisis, slipping three points in October and then five points in November.

Click here to read the whole article.

Obama's energy "czarina"

From the transcript of a video interview with Carol Browner, proposed assistant to the president on energy and climate, the Washington Post on Thursday, January 15, 2009:

LR: What Bush initiatives do you have your eye on to roll back?

CB: Unfortunately, the list is rather long. . . . The Supreme Court ruled almost two years ago now that the EPA has some authorities to look at greenhouse gas emissions. . . . The current administration declined to do that.

and …

LR: How do you get the American people to change the way they do business?

CB: I don’t doubt that somebody will say, “Oh my gosh, they’re talking about we are never going to be able to drive our cars again.” We are not talking about not driving cars. We are talking about driving different cars . . . cleaner cars. We recognize that, for many Americans, cars are an important part of how they get to work. . . . It’s about figuring out ways to make our lives better. . . . It’s a win-win.

Watch the whole interview here.