Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change
by Heather Zichal, The White House Blog, www.whitehouse.gov -- Sep 20, 2013
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The Administration has achieved a number of Climate Action Plan implementation milestones:
Cutting Carbon Pollution in America. In 2012, U.S. carbon pollution (CO2) from the energy sector fell to the lowest level in nearly two decades even as the economy continued to grow. Building on this progress, the Administration has taken important steps to promote American leadership in renewable energy, improve the efficiency of the commercial and housing sectors, and support cleaner and innovative conventional energy technology. Specifically:
-- The Department of the Interior (DOI) is making progress towards achieving the goal in the Climate Action Plan of permitting enough renewable energy projects on public lands by 2020 to power more than 6 million homes.
-- On June 28, DOI approved up to a 500 megawatt wind project in Arizona, which will provide enough power for 175,000 homes. The BP Wind Mohave County Wind Farm will be located on public land northwest of Kingman, AZ;
-- On August 13, DOI approved 40 megawatts geothermal energy project in California. The Casa Diablo IV Geothermal Project will be located near the town of Mammoth Lakes on Inyo National Forest lands and could power up to 36,000 homes with clean energy, and;
-- After holding the first-ever competitive offshore wind lease sale in July off the shores of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, DOI held a second offshore wind lease sale in Virginia on September 4. Bidders competed for access to more than a quarter of a million acres offshore;
The Climate Action Plan set a goal to reduce carbon pollution by at least 3 billion metric tons cumulatively by 2030 -- equal to more than half of the annual carbon pollution from the U.S. energy sector -- through energy efficiency standards set over the course of the Administration for appliances and federal buildings. In August, the Department of Energy (DOE) issued three new proposed energy efficiency standards. If the three proposed rules issued in August were to be finalized as proposed, taken together with the Administration’s accomplishments to date, we would surpass 60 percent of the President’s goal for emissions reductions from energy efficiency standards. Specifically, the Administration:
-- Proposed energy efficiency standards for metal halide lamp fixtures, such as the type of lighting often seen inside big box retail stores and sports stadiums. If adopted as final, this rule could cut energy bills by up to $3 billion and result in CO2 emissions reductions of over 40 million metric tons over 30 years;
-- Proposed energy efficiency standards for commercial refrigeration equipment, such as restaurant-size fridges or the deli case at a convenience store. If adopted as final, this rule could cut energy bills by up to $4 billion and result in CO2 emissions reductions of 55 million metric tons over 30 years, and;
-- Proposed energy efficiency standards for walk-in coolers and freezers, such as the milk display at the supermarket. If adopted as final, this proposed rule could cut energy bills by up to $24 billion and result in CO2 emissions reductions of 298 million metric tons over 30 years.
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About those 'record setting' Offshore Wind Energy Leases, by our US Government agencies:
A $1.6 Million Win In America's Second Offshore Wind Energy Lease Auction
by Silvio Marcacci, TheEnergyCollective.com -- Sep 7, 2013
Offshore wind took another major step toward becoming reality in America yesterday with the second-ever competitive lease sale to develop renewable energy in federal waters.
Virginia Electric and Power Company, a subsidiary of Dominion Virginia Power, won the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) auction to develop 112,800 acres about 23 miles from Virginia Beach with a final bid of $1.6 million.
Wednesday’s auction was the second successful DOI offshore wind lease sale held in a month, after a July 31st auction of 164,750 acres in New England, and could signal the start of a rush to develop new tracts of wind-rich areas off the Atlantic coast.
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Here's more on the story on the DOI Wind Lease off of Rhode Island ...
This Week at Interior September 20, 2013
link to video
posted by US Department of the Interior
I hope the Going Green news continue; "Bringing on-line 20,000 Megawatts of Renewable Energy by 2020" -- is a good goal to have.
And an even better goal to reach.