Kersten Study Estimates AB 1543 (Alejo) Creates Millions of Jobs in California and the U.S.A.

A report released today by California policy researchers David Kersten and former California State Senate policy expert Elizabeth Kersten found that “AB 1543 would have a massive impact on the creation of new jobs in the United States, particularly California. ”

AB 1543, authored by Assemblyman Luis Alejo (D-Salinas) represents a basic fair idea: California State and local governments should not spend California taxpayers’ money overseas.

The California Labor Federation (representing 2.1 million union members in manufacturing, retail, construction, healthcare, public sector, hospitality, entertainment, and other industries) has stated, “AB 1543 will create a billion-dollar market for goods manufactured in California, creating an incentive for companies to create and retain jobs in the state. California is still a global economic power and we can leverage that power to rebuild and strengthen our economy.”

The report by Kersten Communications entitled, “Examining the Policy Foundations and Economic Benefits of AB 1543 (Alejo, 2012) The California Buy American Act,”, contains the following conclusions:

California State and local governments are spending an estimated $44.75 billion annually to purchase goods with taxpayer funds that are manufactured abroad.

The passage of AB 1543 would lead to the creation and annual support of between 938,000 and 2.4 million new manufacturing jobs.

Over the years, offshoring practices of some of America’s largest and most powerful corporations, serving California governmental agencies, such as IBM, Apple, Cisco, and Intel have cost the state large amounts of manufacturing jobs.

These companies manufacture up to 85% of their goods abroad.

California state and local governments are exporting large amounts of taxpayer dollars abroad to support the economies of Asia, particularly China and India, and the Far East, among others.

AB 1543 would require that, starting in 2014, at least 70% of these taxpayer funds be spent on manufactured goods made in the United States.

Jim Gonzalez, Chair of the Renewable Energy Accountability Project stated, “During the last ten years, 600,000 Made in America manufacturing jobs were shipped overseas from California. In the United States, over 6 million Made in America manufacturing jobs were lost during the same period.”

“We can either continue to wring our hands and give lip service to creating manufacturing jobs, or we can pass AB 1543. AB 1543 will assure that renewable energy manufacturing jobs remain in the USA,” Gonzalez concluded.

The Renewable Energy Accountability Project (REAP) is a leading national grass roots environmental organization committed to achieving clean energy independence and ending global warming pollution.

REAP is a non-profit sponsor of AB 1543; and commissioned the Kersten Report.

www.REAPinfo.org

A copy of the Kersten Report is available at this link: www.REAPinfo.org

The Kersten Report was co-authored by David Kersten and Elizabeth Kersten.

David Kersten has more than 12 years of professional work experience, including stints as a Capitol staffer, lobbyist, campaign consultant and journalist. Kersten holds a master’s degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University and graduated with honors with a bachelor’s degree from the University of California San Diego in 1998.

Elizabeth Kersten is the former executive director of the Senate Office of Research, provides public policy consulting to Kersten Communications. Elisabeth currently serves as a Clinical Professor for the School of Policy, Planning and Development at the University of Southern California’s (USC) State Capitol Center where she teaches courses on political leadership in public sector organizations. Mrs. Kersten retired from her position as the executive director of the Senate Office of Research in January 2004.

SOURCE Renewable Energy Accountability Project

The Billion Dollar Green Challenge (The Challenge) encourages colleges, universities, and other nonprofit institutions to invest a combined total of one billion dollars, within two years, in self‐managed green revolving funds that finance energy efficiency improvements.

Green revolving funds invest in energy efficiency projects to reduce energy consumption and reinvest the money saved in future projects. They are called “revolving funds” because the funds loan money to specific projects, which then repay the loan through an internal account transfer from savings achieved in the institution’s utilities budget. Participating institutions will achieve reduction in operating expenses and greenhouse gas emissions, while creating regenerating funds for future projects.

Benefits

Having a green revolving fund ensures that an institution will always have a source of financing for sustainability projects, thereby building in a system for on-going savings. For example, if money allocated to further sustainability efforts is spent on a one-time project, there are no additional benefits beyond that one improvement. However, those same funds could instead be used to create a GRF, which then lends the money to the project. This process not only accomplishes the original goal, but also captures the continued fiscal savings and makes them available to lend to new efficiency projects.

Institutions can benefit from establishing green revolving funds and joining The Challenge in many ways:

• Benefits of implementing a green revolving fund
• Reduction in carbon emissions and resource consumption
• Financial savings
• Growing financial resources for future project investment
• Educational opportunities for research and teaching
• Fostering a culture of sustainability and resource efficiency

Benefits of joining The Billion Dollar Green Challenge

Green Revolving Investment Tracking System (GRITS)—an advanced web-based tool for managing an institution’s green revolving fund

Access to peer institutions’ project-specific data to use for benchmarking and analysis

Connections to peer support and expertise at schools with existing green revolving funds

Resources on green revolving fund best practices

Technical assistance (up to five hours of free consulting during the fund formation process)

Invitation to conferences and meetings related to green revolving fund development

Recognition of leadership and positive media attention

What’s Involved

Any college, university or other nonprofit institution may join The Billion Dollar Green Challenge. The Challenge provides numerous benefits including helping streamline the formation and ongoing operation of an institution’s green revolving fund. In order to join, an institution must commit to the following:

1) Enlarge or maintain an operating green revolving fund so that the fund size will either continue to surpass, or will surpass within four years, the smaller of:

One percent of the institution’s endowment value, OR One million dollars

As part of this plan, at least 50 percent of money saved through a project investment by the revolving fund will return to the fund to be re-invested in future projects—at least until the full cost of the project has been repaid. To qualify, an existing fund must also be operational and have mechanisms in place to identify projects and make investments.

2) Initiate the process of creating a green revolving fund that will meet the requirements listed above. The progress will be tracked according to four quarterly benchmarks within the indicated time periods—starting from the date an institution joins The Challenge:

Within three months: Form a multi-stakeholder working group, or assign an existing group, (which may include faculty, students, staff, administrators, trustees) to lead the process of establishing the fund guidelines and operating procedures.

Within six months: Complete an energy audit for approximately 10 percent or more of the building square footage on campus. Audits may be conducted by consultants, university staff, or students with faculty or staff support. An audit completed within the past five years can fulfill this requirement.

Within nine months: Formalize a guiding document to outline the operational procedures for the fund including the process for reviewing project proposals, making investments and tracking savings.

Within twelve months: Approve fund investment in at least one project.

Once an institution establishes a green revolving fund or for institutions with already established funds

Institutions that join The Challenge with an existing green revolving fund agree to:

Engage with other institutions that make reasonable requests for advice or assistance (staff time permitting).

Compile an annual update on the activities of the fund (including its current size, project loans approved, and other relevant information).

Financial Commitment

In order to fully participate in The Challenge and gain access to the Green Revolving Investment Tracking System (GRITS), an institution will pay an annual 1/20th of one percent administrative fee (not to exceed $2,500), based on the current size of its green revolving fund. For example, a $1,000,000 green revolving fund would pay a $500 administrative fee while a $3,000,000 fund would pay a $1,500 administrative fee.

Withdrawal

An institution may opt to withdraw from The Challenge at any time. If an institution does not meet a benchmark deadline without asking for an extension, it has three months to become current or may be automatically withdrawn from The Challenge.

Source: www.greenbillion.org press release

A new study estimates that in 10 yearsKentucky could create over 28,000 jobs while lessening the growth of electricity bills by passing clean energy legislation currently in front of the General Assembly. Synapse Energy Economics produced the study, which is an analysis of the Clean Energy Opportunity Act (HB 167) introduced by RepresentativeMary Lou Marzian.

“This study confirms that legislation to diversify our electricity portfolio would be economically beneficial toKentucky,” said Justin Maxson, President of the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED). “The bill would allow the state to hedge against increasing rates by making homes and businesses more energy efficient. And it would spur the creation of clean energy jobs installing renewable energy projects and making energy efficiency upgrades.”

“The era of cheap energy is coming to an end,” said Maxson, “and it is really a question of whether we inKentucky take advantage of the opportunities that exist in the clean energy economy of the future.”

The Clean Energy Opportunity Act calls for the establishment of a renewable and efficiency portfolio standard (REPS). An REPS requires utilities to obtain a small but growing share of their electricity from clean renewable energy and increase their energy efficiency programs. The bill would require utilities to get 12.5 percent of their electricity from renewable energy and achieve 10.25 percent cumulative savings from energy efficiency efforts by 2022.

Synapse’s study is a high level analysis of the proposed legislation’s impacts on Kentucky’s electricity bills, jobs, and economy. The study concludes that making small but significant steps to begin diversifying Kentucky’s portfolio over the next ten years will lower the bills of Kentucky’s residents, business owners, and industrial facilities compared to their bills without a clean energy standard.

Synapse projects that, under the REPS, average annual electricity bills could be eight percent to 10 percent lower than under a do-nothing scenario. In addition to saving Kentuckians money, the REPS would lead to over 28,000 net new jobs over and above any jobs lost in fossil fuels and add $1.5 billion to gross state product once fully implemented in 2022.

“Efficiency and renewables are already the emerging trend in construction in the Commonwealth,” saidKentucky solar entrepreneur Matt Partymiller of Solar Energy Solutions in Lexington. “This report by Synapse captures what Kentucky engineers and contractors already know and what other states have already seen. Legislation like the Clean Energy Opportunity Act will provide the tools necessary forKentucky builders to create jobs while ensuring Kentucky energy costs stay low.”

The study’s findings are supported by what neighboring states that have passed similar legislation have experienced. North Carolina has seen tremendous growth in the number of clean energy firms operating in their state since passing an REPS in 2007. Ohio built on the strengths of its traditional manufacturing sector to start building clean energy equipment in state, and reap real economic benefits from their 2008 law.

Synapse carried out the study for the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development, aBerea-based economic development organization, and the Kentucky Sustainable Energy Alliance, a coalition of over 50 businesses, affordable housing advocates, non-profit organizations and faith-based groups. MACED and KySEA wanted to understand the economic impacts of an REPS in Kentucky, and a comprehensive analysis of a bill like the Clean Energy Opportunity Act has not been part of the policy conversation until now.

The report can be accessed at www.maced.org/files/Potential_Impacts_of_REPS_in_KY.pdf.

The U.S. Department of Energy today announced more than $7 million to fund four projects in California, Washington, and Oregon to advance hydrogen storage technologies to be used in fuel cell electric vehicles. The 3-year projects will help lower the costs and increase the performance of hydrogen storage systems by developing innovative materials and advanced tanks for efficient and safe transportation. These investments are a part of the Department’s commitment to U.S. leadership in advanced fuel cell technology research to help domestic automakers bring more fuel cell electric vehicles into the mainstream market.

“Targeted investments in cutting-edge hydrogen storage technologies will spur American ingenuity, accelerate breakthroughs, and increase our competitiveness in the global clean energy economy,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “As we focus on energy security, strengthening our portfolio to include domestically-produced hydrogen and American-made fuel cells for transportation and energy storage applications will create new jobs and reduce carbon pollution.”

The Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is providing more than $7 million to the selected organizations, which are in turn providing close to $2 million in cost share. The projects focus on lowering the cost of compressed hydrogen storage systems and developing advanced materials for hydrogen storage. Compressed hydrogen storage provides a near-term pathway to commercialization, and reducing the costs of compressed tank systems will accelerate their market availability and adoption. Advanced materials-based hydrogen storage technologies will enable more efficient storage at lower pressures than current compressed hydrogen tanks.

As part of DOE’s portfolio of zero-emission electric vehicle technologies that reduce dependence on foreign oil, the innovations achieved through these projects will address technical barriers to storing hydrogen onboard fuel cell electric vehicles. The research may also advance energy storage applications that could enable more efficient use of renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.

 The four projects selected for award are:

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory – Richland, Washington – Up to $2.1 million

DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, in collaboration with Ford Motor Company, Lincoln Composites, Toray Carbon Fibers America, Inc. and AOC Inc., will use a coordinated approach to reduce the costs associated with compressed hydrogen storage systems. The project will focus on improving carbon fiber composite materials and the design and manufacture of hydrogen storage tanks. Through these advances, the team expects to lower the cost of manufacturing high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels by more than a third relative to current projections.

HRL Laboratories, LLC – Malibu, California – Up to $1.2 million

HRL Laboratories will investigate an innovative approach to hydrogen storage using engineered liquids that can efficiently absorb and release hydrogen gas. Liquids confined in porous structures have been shown to absorb significantly more gas and could create sites for hydrogen molecules that did not exist in the bulk liquid alone. HRL will use this concept to develop composite materials capable of dissolving up to 50 times greater quantities of hydrogen than in the bulk liquid, with the goal of enabling a high density, compact hydrogen storage option.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory – Berkeley, California – Up to $2.1 million

DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, partnering with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and General Motors, will use a theory-guided approach to synthesize novel materials with high hydrogen adsorption capacities. The team will develop and test “metal-organic framework” materials that have surfaces allowing high density of hydrogen, as well as materials with pores engineered to enable hydrogen storage at near-ambient temperatures.

University of Oregon – Eugene, Oregon – Up to $2.0 million

The University of Oregon, along with The University of Alabama, DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Protonex Technology Corporation, will develop and test promising new materials for hydrogen storage. The proposed chemical hydrogen storage materials could enable liquid refueling, and regeneration of the hydrogen storage material, within temperature and pressure ranges suitable for both onboard mobile and stationary fuel cell applications.

The public, replacement school is being built on Fort Huachuca, the Army’s leading intelligence training facility at 155 Carter Avenue, Fort Huachuca, Arizona 85670. The new Colonel Smith Middle School will be the first Net Zero Energy Building in Arizona and 12th in the nation. The $17M school will generate more energy than it consumes on an annual basis through its energy-efficient design, solar potable water heating, photovoltaic panels, and wind machines.

Monday’s topping out ceremony attendees included: School Superintendent, Dr. Ronda Fruehauf; five Fort Huachuca School District Board Members; Army Post Commander, Colonel Faulkner; District Project Manager, Tony Wall with 3W Management; representatives from Emc2 Group Architects Planners; and representatives from Fanning/Howey Architects. The event included a speaking presentation, and a signing and raising of the final beam.

With an instructional focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), planners of Colonel Smith Middle School complex re-thought the traditional design of educational buildings. Facilities will support a project-based learning model with flexible common and collaboration spaces, and facilitate learning both indoors and outdoors. The 88,693 square foot school will accommodate approximately 350 students in grades 6, 7, and 8.

Shawn Rosenberger, General Manager of Turner Construction Company,Arizona, states, “Colonel Smith Middle School defines innovation. Not only is this one of the few Net Zero buildings in the country, the design is a total transformation from the typical classrooms where most of us went to school. Turner is proud to be a part of this stellar team and this remarkable project.”