Mark Warner: Clean Energy Transition Takes Time

Democratic Virginia Senator Mark Warner spoke last month at the Alliance to Save Energy's annual Great Energy Efficiency Day on Capitol Hill. The speech offered both optimism about the inevitability of America's transition to clean energy and also realism about the time it will take to fully realize the move away from fossil fuels.

Warner is also a pioneering executive in the telecommunications industry so he has seen firsthand the time it takes for a new technology to reach its apex. He stressed the need to let the public know that this transition to clean energy and creation of green jobs is not something that will happen overnight, but, like the Internet, will take years to live up to its promise. Warner reminded the audience that promises Bill Gates made about the Internet in the mid-90s have only started to come to fruition in the past couple of years in terms of data use and social networking. And between that period was the false start of the dot com bust.

Warner stressed the need to look at the clean energy issue as being about national security, job creation and energy efficiency. The focus on these three issues, as opposed to climate change, is especially important in light of the new majority in the House.

"We’re going to get to that tipping point," said Warner. "So if we can keep making incremental policy changes to move to that tipping point, along with the innovation that’s inherent in our society, we will get there and the Alliance is going to be an important part of that."

First Chevy Volt Sighting!

I was bicycling today in Vienna, Virginia and had my first Chevy Volt sighting. I gave the driver a big thumbs up and he gave me a wide eyed grin. I wonder if the guy in the gas-guzzling SUV idling behind us understood our moment -- a biker and an electric vehicle driver doing our part for American energy security.

I can't wait for my first Nissan Leaf sighting in the Washington area.

Onward with the electric future!

How Should U.S. React to Rising Oil Prices?

The turmoil in the Middle East is playing havoc with oil prices and Americans are paying the price at the pump. I just found out today that the airlines are imposing a $500 round-trip fuel surcharge, which will affect my upcoming trip to Argentina and Uruguay. Expect airlines to jack up prices even more thanks to instability in oil-rich countries like Libya.

So what is our oil-addicted country to do?

Maybe more states could follow Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley's lead by proposing to build offshore wind farms.

Or we could follow Spain's lead by lowering the speed limit.

Or how about following car-centric Los Angeles by promoting bicycling? On Tuesday the city approved a bike plan that will eventually add some 1,680 miles of interconnected bikeways.

Maybe we could encourage riding the bus as an ideal alternative to driving by implementing some of these innovative bus stop designs that make waiting for the bus more appealing.

Or we could look towards Sweden and harvest body heat to warm buildings. Engineers have found a way to harness the body heat from travelers at Stockholm Central Station to heat an office across the street, lowering that building's energy bill by 25%.

But don't forget about Virginia. The state recently built its first LEED Gold Hotel -- The Mason Inn and Conference Center on the Fairfax campus of George Mason University. What a great way to save energy and reduce our dependence on foreign oil!

Those are just a select few ideas for how we can come together to break our addiction to foreign oil once and for all. What sort of ideas do you have for American energy security? Now is the time to think big.

Movie Trailer: 'Revenge of the Electric Car'

Hollywood loves a comeback story. Ten years after Director Chris Payne's documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?," the major auto manufacturers are making amends by embracing electric with the Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, Ford Focus Electric and many more plug-ins rolling into dealer showrooms across America.

So Payne has made a follow-up film called "Revenge of the Electric Car." Don't you just love a Hollywood ending? Here is the trailer:



And the Sierra Club is charged up about electric vehicles as well, even starting a new "Go Electric" campaign to advocate for policies that make EVs more affordable and accessible. The environmental organization recently debunked nine myths about electric vehicles. Here is the truth about EVs from the Sierra Club.

Myth 1: Switching to an electric vehicle will just mean that the same amount of pollution comes from the electricity generation rather than from the tailpipe — I'll just be switching from oil to coal.

Reality: According to a range of studies, an electric car leads to 35 to 60% less carbon dioxide pollution from electricity than the CO2 pollution from the oil of a conventional car with an internal combustion engine.[1][2][3] In some areas, like many on the West Coast that rely largely on wind or hydro power, the emissions are significantly lower for EVs. And that's today. As we retire more coal plants and bring cleaner sources of power online, the emissions from electric vehicle charging drop even further. Additionally, in some areas, night-time charging will increase the opportunity to take advantage of wind power -- another way to reduce emissions.

A caveat to consider, according to some studies, is that when coal plants supply the majority of the power mix in a given area, electric vehicles may emit more CO2 and SO2 pollution than hybrid electric vehicles.[4] Learn where your electricity comes from, what plans your state or community has for shifting to renewables, and whether you have options for switching to greener power.

Myth 2: Plug-in cars will lead to the production of more coal and nuclear plants.

Reality: Even if the majority of drivers switched to electric, the existing electrical grid's off-peak/nighttime capacity for power generation is sufficient without building a single new power plant. Studies have shown that electric vehicle owners will largely charge their vehicles at night when there is plenty of capacity on the grid. In some areas, new "smart charging" allows you and the utility to set up a system by which you and other electricity users distribute the load evenly during charging so that the system is not overwhelmed by increased demand.

Myth 3: Electric car batteries pose a recycling problem.

Reality: Internal combustion engine vehicles use lead-acid batteries, and their recycle rate is about 98% in the US. The newer batteries for electric vehicles, such as those made of lithium-ion, include even more valuable and recyclable metals and will have a life well beyond the vehicle. In fact, a Belgian company plans to use Tesla Motor's electric vehicle battery pack material to produce an alloy it can further refine into cobalt, nickel, and other valuable metals as well as special grades of concrete. Technology will soon allow for EV batteries to store energy produced by solar or wind power.

Myth 4: My electricity bill will go way up.

Reality: While you'll spend more on electricity, the savings on gas will more than cover it. If you drive a pure battery electric vehicle 12,000 miles a year at current electricity rates (assuming $.12 per kilowatt hour though rates vary throughout the country), you'll pay about $389 per year for the electricity to charge your battery, but you'll save about $1200 in gas (assuming $3 per gallon, a 30 miles per gallon vehicle, and 12,000 miles driven). So $1200 minus $389 equals $811 in savings -a 68% reduction in fueling costs. Some utilities are offering EV owners lower off-peak/nighttime rates. The more we successfully advocate for these off-peak incentives, the lower your electricity payments will go.

Myth 5: Electric vehicles will just fail again like they did before.

Reality: Manufacturers are serious this time -- rolling out more than a dozen new plug-in models in the next couple of years, starting now. With higher gas prices and climate change worrying many consumers, stricter fuel economy standards for new vehicles required of auto manufacturers, and billions of public and corporate dollars being spent on an EV infrastructure and research in the US, EVs are here to stay.

Myth 6: My battery will run out of juice.

Reality: The majority of drivers in the US drive less than 35 miles each day, sufficient for a fully charged pure electric vehicle (most can go 80 to 140 miles on one charge), and an extended range electric vehicle (that drives about 35 miles on electric and then the gasoline power kicks in). Using a 220-volt outlet and charging station, a plug-in hybrid recharges in about 100 minutes, an extended range plug-in electric in about four hours, and a pure electric in six to eight hours. A regular 110-volt outlet will mean significantly longer charging times, but for plug-in hybrids and extended range electrics, this outlet may be sufficient. Most of the time, the battery will not be empty when you plug in, thus reducing charging time.

Most people will charge at home. However, some businesses and public entities are beginning to install 220-volt public chargers. Some are installing fast-charging stations along highways and in public places that can re-charge a car to 80% of battery capacity in less than 30 minutes.

Myth 7: Electric vehicles are much more expensive than traditional vehicles.

Reality: While the initial sticker price of EVs is higher than traditional vehicles, you need to do the math to account for a variety of factors. For individual consumers, there is currently a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 for the purchase of an electric vehicle, as well as a partial federal credit for the charging unit. Several states have additional tax credits on top of the federal ones. Additionally, the average EV driver will save more than $800 a year in fuel (the cost of electricity compared to gasoline). Due to a cleaner, more streamlined system under the hood, an EV may save the average driver about 46% in annual maintenance costs, according to one federal government study.[5]

Myth 8: Electric vehicles are only available in California.

Reality: While EVs are not yet available for purchase in every state, they are quickly becoming available in many. The fully electric Nissan Leaf is being sold to customers in California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and Tennessee. The Chevy Volt, an extended range plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, is currently being sold at select dealerships in California, Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Washington, DC. Customers in nearly all states are expected to be able to purchase or lease a Leaf, Volt, or plug-in Toyota Prius by late 2011 or early 2012. The Tesla Roadster, a fully electric luxury sportscar, is available in several locations throughout the country. By 2012, many other models will become available nationwide, including the Ford Focus EV, Tesla Model S, and the Mitsubishi iMiev.

Myth 9: Charging an EV on solar power is a futuristic dream.

Reality: The technology to power your EV with solar power is already available. The investment in solar panels pays off faster when the solar power is not only replacing grid electricity, but replacing much more expensive gasoline. According to Plug-In America, EVs typically travel three to four miles (or more) per kWh (kilowatt hour) of electricity. If you drive 12,000 miles per year, you will need 3,000-4,000 kWh. Depending on where you live, you will need a 1.5kW-3kW photovoltaic (PV) system to generate that much power using about 150 to 300 square feet of space on your roof. Utility credits for the daytime solar power can offset the cost of charging the car at night. If solar PV isn't feasible at your home, find out if your utility offers a green energy option.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: The Greenest Republican in America

Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is flexing his muscles for the environment by going on a world tour to tout clean energy solutions to national security issues created by America's dependence on foreign oil from unstable countries like Libya.

"Why should a dried-up little country like Libya with a crazy dictator play havoc with America’s economy and security?," the Governator said yesterday at a speech in suburban Washington.

Are you going to argue with The Terminator?

Click here to read Politico's story on Arnie going green.

Stop the Escalators!

Washington Metro needs to stop all their non-essential escalators immediately.

The beleaguered transit system must take action on the independent audit conducted by Vertical Transportation Excellence that explains why the escalators are breaking down so often, putting thousands of passengers in danger. The full 308-page VTX report can be found here.

Meanwhile, I believe riders would understand the need to shut down the escalators if it means Metro is finally taking seriously how dangerous their escalator system has become due to many years of poor maintenance practices and general neglect. Plus, it might do some riders good to get more exercise by walking up and down the steps.

This would of course not apply to the deep underground stations such as Rosslyn and Dupont Circle where working escalators are essential. Metro has the most escalators (588) of any transit system in the nation and it would be logistically impossible to halt every single one.

But something drastic must be done ASAP. Otherwise, I fear another incident such as the horrific malfunction that caused this chaotic scene caught by a surveillance camera at the L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station the day of the John Stewart and Stephen Colbert rally in October.

Video: L'Enfant Plaza Escalator Malfunction: MyFoxDC.com

Electric Current Events: Middle East Revolutions and the Need to Revolutionize American Clean Energy

California Representative John Garamendi, left, visits a Shiloh II Wind Farm in Solano County.

By Congressman John Garamendi

Pro-democratic movements in the Middle East are in the midst of their rendezvous with destiny, but America’s destiny can no longer be linked with the fates of dictators, military juntas, and theocratic regimes. We must develop energy independence; we must Make It In America.

America must develop a national energy plan that prioritizes the need to (1) Make It In America, (2) transition away from dirty fossil fuels, and (3) secure energy independence. The events unfolding in the Middle East – and subsequent spikes in fuel prices – demonstrate America’s need to transition away from unclean energy from an unstable part of the world.

We spend 16 percent of our defense budget – more than $100 billion – securing oil shipments in the Straits of Hormuz and elsewhere, and there is little doubt that American foreign policy has been perversely shaped over the years by the raw calculus of oil politics (see: U.S. policy in Iraq over decades). It’s long past time that we wean ourselves off of foreign dirty fossil fuels. Energy security is national security.

A comprehensive national clean energy plan, including solar, wind, geothermal, cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels, and the Integral Fast Reactor is necessary to break our dangerous addiction to oil and to keep America safe. We have the technology and resources to be completely energy independent, creating thousands of good American jobs and strengthening our global competitiveness.

In 2009, the United States received 8 percent of its total energy consumption from renewable sources of energy and 9 percent of its energy from nuclear power. Renewable sources of energy are anticipated to reach 17 percent of total energy consumption by 2035, but this will not provide the baseload power that is needed to meet our future energy demands.

According to a recent Pew study, between 1998 and 2007, clean energy jobs “from scientists and engineers to electricians, machinists and teachers” grew almost three times faster than jobs in the overall economy. An analysis by the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory at the University of California at Berkeley suggests that transitioning to a 20 percent renewable portfolio standard by 2020, utilizing 40 percent biomass, 55 percent wind, and 5 percent solar, would create 188,018 jobs.

Clean energy is good for the environment, good for national security, and good for thousands of Americans who desire a rewarding career. That’s why I’ve authored Make It In America legislation that requires clean technology made with federal taxpayer dollars to be made in America. If we don’t Make It In America, we’ll buy it from a global competitor. China is now the world’s third largest wind power producer and the world’s fifteen largest photovoltaic solar power stations are in the European Union.

2011 has been electrifying year for millions of ‘small d’ democrats and people throughout the Middle East, but if we don’t act fast, we risk letting the 2010s be known as the decade the lights went out in America. For centuries, America has led the world on a long march toward freedom and democracy. Let’s reclaim our clean energy leadership and lead the world toward clean energy independence.

Congressman John Garamendi represents California’s 10th Congressional District. As a state legislator in the 1970s, he authored the first renewable energy tax credit in America.