EnviroPolitics Blog

Pennsylvania not following Jersey’s lead on solar rescue

NJ Gov. Chris Christie signs solar energy rescue bill

New Jersey’s Republican Governor Chris Christie on Monday signed into law a bill to rescue the state’s crashing solar energy industry by escalating the rate at which power suppliers must buy solar energy over the next 15 years.

The businesses of solar panel installers across the Delaware in Pennsylvania are reportedly in even tougher shape, but similar legislation there remains stuck in committee.

“There’s only eight legislative days left,” solar lobbyist Maureen Mulligan told NewsWorks yesterday. “So it’s not looking promising that the legislators would have the will to push it through.”

Advanced Solar Products CEO Lyle Rawlings hopes Christie’s approval eventually nudges Pennsylvania lawmakers.

“I would hope the fact that a conservative Republican governor in New Jersey recognized the economic importance of the solar industry in New Jersey would be a clue to the Pennsylvania governor and Legislature that the same can happen, and should happen, in Pennsylvania,” Rawlings said.

Good luck with that, Lyle. Unfortunately, you’re trying to save solar energy businesses and jobs in a state that seems entirely focused on shale drilling and warding off non-existent voter fraud threats.

Read the full NewsWorks story here.

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Pennsylvania not following Jersey’s lead on solar rescue Read More »

Will iPhone vs Android determine Obama vs Romney?

The mobile operating system you choose may determine the fate of the U.S. presidency in the November election. Certainly, it’s likely to dictate whether you’re bombarded with pro-Barack Obama ads or pro-Mitt Romney ads as you browse the mobile Internet this year.

That’s the conclusion drawn by InfoWorld in reporting on a anew study from Localytics which found that:

70 percent of the states with the most active iPhone users (New Jersey and New York among them)
vote Democratic
70 percent of the states with the most active Android users lean Republican, and
Critical swing states are clustered in the middle.

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The presidential candidates’ respective campaigns may use those nuggets of information as we head toward Election Day, Localytics predicts: “With the Obama and Romney campaigns seeking every advantage, targeted smartphone advertising will be useful when trying to reach Democratic and Republican voters and volunteers in swing states, which cluster around the average iPhone and Android distribution.”

During the 2008 election, both Obama and Republican challenger John McCain used mobile primarily to send unsolicited texts, which resulted in complaints to the FCC, according to Localytics.

Now the Democrats and Republicans have an opportunity to hone their mobile and online strategies. (A warning: Those spam texts may be just as prevalent this time around, along with an abundance of tweets.)

Here is the full InfoWorld story and the study from Localytics

We’re already dreading the incessant campaign ads sure to crowd out our favorite beer and truck commercials on NFL Sundays. To think that we also will get waylaid on our cells is just too much.

What’s your take? Let us know in the comment box below. If one isn’t visible, activate it by clicking on the tiny ‘comments’ link.

Our most recent posts:
Construction begins on Pennsylvania’s largest solar farm
NJ Sierra Club thanks (gasp) Christie for solar signing
Hearing set for third phase of NJ Superfund site cleanup
Appeals court affirms EPA’s revised NOx standards
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Will iPhone vs Android determine Obama vs Romney? Read More »

Construction begins on Pennsylvania’s largest solar farm

Posts for solar panels at what will be the largest solar farm in Pennsylvania

Community Energy Solar says it has closed
financing and commenced construction of its six megawatt Keystone
Solar Project south of the city of Lancaster, Pa.

The retail-marketing division of Community Energy Solar’s parent,
Radnor, Pa.-based Community Energy Inc., has committed to buying power
from the project. So has Exelon Generation, the Kennett Square, Pa.,
subsidiary of Chicago-based Exelon Corp. Both also helped
finance the project.

Other customers for power from the Keystone Solar Project include the Philadelphia Phillies and Franklin and Marshall College, which is located in Lancaster.

GroSolar of White River Junction, Vt., is the general contractor on the project, which is targeted for a fall completion. About 50 construction,
electrical, and other jobs are expected to be created at the site this summer.

Lancaster Township Supervisor Chair, Scott Kreider said: “They designed the project so that the land can be used for agriculture again when the project is complete.”

About
20,000 Canadian Solar 290 watt modules are being installed on fixed
tilt, ground-mounted aluminum racking and will be
interconnected to the PPL Electric grid at 12 kilovolts
with AE inverters and platforms.

The Project is expected to supply about 7.5
million kilowatt hours per year of solar generated electricity under a
fifteen-year power purchase agreement with Exelon.
Project developers say that annual environmental benefit equals that of about 3,000
zero-emission passenger vehicles or 285,000 newly planted trees growing
for ten years.

The solar project received financing and funding
from the Ben Franklin Technology Partnership, the Sustainable Energy
Fund and the State of Pennsylvania.

Our most recent posts:
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Construction begins on Pennsylvania’s largest solar farm Read More »

NJ Sierra Club thanks (gasp) Christie for solar signing

**Updated on July 26, 2012 to add more related news stories**

The New Jersey Sierra Club, which pulled out all the stops to oppose Republican Chris Christie’s gubernatorial campaign more than two years ago–and has issued almost daily news releases criticizing him since his election–was almost gracious today after Christie signed a bill to save the state’s endangered solar energy industry.

No, we are not missing the real news story here–the signing of the bill. That was expected.

The man-bites-dog event was the Sierra Club saying something positive about the Christie administration.

Today they had no choice. So they did.

Sort of.

Christie signed into law S-1925, a bill that won bipartisan support after many months of haggling among solar industry interests, electric utilities, big business organizations, the NJ Board of Public Utilities, and the state’s Ratepayer Advocate. (For details on the legislation, see related stories below).

The environmental community, including the Sierra Club, was solidly behind the legislation.

One green organization, Environment New Jersey, today said, graciously, of the signing:

“Today
we applaud the Legislature and the governor for supporting a bill to help New
Jersey continue to be the nation’s solar leader. We are pleased that the
measure passed both houses of the Legislature with overwhelming bi-partisan
support, reflecting the people of New Jersey’s strong support for clean, renewable
energy, regardless of party affiliation. And we applaud Governor Christie
for signing the bill into law today.

The Sierra Club, which issues statements on every major environmental bill and frequently on issues that have only tenuous connections to the environment (affordable housing, women’s health etc.) could hardly dodge this one. Even if Enemy #1 –Chris Christie, who they claim is on a mission to undo all essential environmental protections, actually did something that they advocated.

So, in paragraph two of his release today, Sierra Club Director Jeff Tittel said:

“This bill was a compromise since everyone had to give up
something. The bill is far from perfect, but without it there would be no solar
in New Jersey. We thank Governor Christie for signing the bill because it is
important in keeping the solar program moving forward in New Jersey.”

Circle this date on your calendar. On July 23, 2012, Jeff Tittel “thanked the governor.”

OK, now, don’t get too excited

Of course, Jeff reverted to form in paragraphs 3, 4 and 5.

Dispensing with the nice-guy crap, he then launched the expected barrage of drone attacks:

The dramatic decrease in solar was due in part to the failed policies of
the Christie administration to help keep the solar industry in our state
afloat.

The Administration
has eliminated the rebates for families and residents to put solar on their
homes and have made it difficult for small projects to get Solar Renewable
Energy Credits

The Governor has been
diverting money that could have gone towards solar and offshore wind projects
for his budget.

The Governor has
given $2 billion to subsidies for natural gas power plants, while eliminating
programs for solar and renewable energy.

Etc, etc etc.

It’s good to see that solar energy will live on in New Jersey. And, as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow, the Sierra Club will rise to the attack, criticizing whatever Chris Christie does.

Even when it’s something they want.

Governor Christie signs New Jersey solar legislation
Christie signs solar rescue bill
Christie Signs Solar Bill Increasing N.J. Energy Requirement
Solar ‘resurrection bill’ will keep spotlight on vital industry
N.J. aims to reinvigorate solar energy development
Solar industry to get a boost New Jersey solar bill risks ‘triggering new SREC crash’

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************************************************************************************************************For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a free subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment
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NJ Sierra Club thanks (gasp) Christie for solar signing Read More »

Hearing set for third phase of NJ Superfund site cleanup

Workers at Cornell-Dubilier Superfund site in 2009/Star-Ledger photo

A massive cleanup of a contaminated site in South Plainfield, NJ that has already cost
the EPA $133 million is about to enter a third phase.

The Environmental Protection Agency plans to hold a public meeting at 7 p.m., Aug. 7,
to explain its proposed plan to prevent contaminated ground water at the Cornell-Dubilier Electronics Superfund site from being used as a source of drinking water.

The meeting will be held at the South Plainfield Senior Center, 90 Maple Avenue, South Plainfield. Comments will be accepted until August 20, 2012.

The EPA says that Cornell-Dubilier Electronics, Inc. manufactured electronics parts at
the 26-acre facility from 1936 to 1962. PCBs and solvents were used in the manufacturing process and the company disposed of PCB-contaminated materials and other hazardous wastes at the facility property.

Ground water at the site is contained within underground layers of rock and soil. Municipal water supply wells in Middlesex County draw ground water from some portions of the rock formations to the north of the site.

Contaminated ground water will not be treated

According to an EPA news release:

After extensive soil and ground water studies, the EPA has concluded that it is not feasible to treat the contaminated site ground water because of the complex rock formations underlying the site. The depth, nature and variety of the rock formations would present extreme technical challenges for any active treatment.

The EPA is proposing to install additional ground water monitoring wells to monitor the ground water and to put into place restrictions that will prevent the use of untreated ground water as drinking water. In addition, the EPA’s plan calls for periodic sampling to ensure that potentially harmful vapors from the contaminated ground water do not seep into nearby buildings.

Recent periodic indoor air testing inside nearby buildings shows that vapors are not currently getting into the structures.

Under the first phase of cleanup, which is continuing, the EPA has cleaned up nearby residential, commercial, and municipal properties.

During phase two of the cleanup, the EPA cleaned up the contaminated buildings and soils at the former facility property, demolishing 18 contaminated buildings and removing 26,400 tons of building debris off-site to be disposed of properly. The EPA also excavated some 21,000 tons of contaminated debris and soil from an undeveloped area of the facility.

For more, see the EPA’s full news release and Star-Ledger story

Our most recent posts:
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NJ publisher and recycling pioneer, Richard Scudder, 99

************************************************************************************************************For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a free subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment
************************************************************************************************************

Hearing set for third phase of NJ Superfund site cleanup Read More »

Appeals court affirms EPA’s revised NOx standards

Nitrogen Dioxide

[Update: Thank you, Howard Wein of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, for pointing out our use of the wrong chemical graphic in the earlier version of this post. We long feared that flunking high school Chemistry in both regular and summer session would come back to haunt us.]

Yesterday, in American Petroleum Institute v. EPA, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed EPA’s revisions to the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

The revisions adopted, for the first time, an hourly NAAQS for NO2 , in addition to the
annual standard.

Foley Hoag‘s Law and the Environment blog reports on the decision, including a stinging
slap-down of one of API’s arguments.

You can read it in Not a Good Start for Challenges to EPA NAAQS Revisions.

Related:
EPA final rule on Air Quality Standards for Oxides of Nitrogen and Sulfur
EPA Fact Sheet

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Two regional land conservation groups join forces

************************************************************************************************************For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a free subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment
************************************************************************************************************

Appeals court affirms EPA’s revised NOx standards Read More »