Green Jobs Create Economic Energy

In a recent story, "Up on the Roof, New Jobs in Solar Power", the New York Times reports strong economic activity in the renewable energy sector. And despite the downturn, many in the industry predict continued growth. 

Barry Cinammon, CEO of Akeena in California, anticipates that his solar business "will increase 40 percent from last year."

This anecdotal evidence corroborates what The Solar Energy Industries Association reports in its "Blueprint for Job Creation and Economic Security", (updated December 11, 2008) which outlines how the solar industry, in particular, has the potential to create "more jobs, per Megawatt, than any other source of energy."

The jobs potential for renewable power industries is especially strong in the inner city, according to Van Jones of the Ella Baker Center who, along with Majora Carter of the Majora Carter Group has started an organization called Green for All. 

Green For All is a strong proponent of "green collar jobs" which can be channeled and encouraged in the inner city, which has a disproportionately high unemployment rate - and therefore a high number of trainable men and women who are ready to work in all facets of growing renewable energy industries - manufacture, installation, design, sales, leasing, you name it.

Check out the Green Jobs Guidebook that was created in collaboration between the Environmental Defense Fund and the Ella Baker Center.

 - - Norris Lozano

Governor Schwarzenegger sets Renewable Portfolio Standard target

We commend California Governor Schwarzenegger for his effort to streamline the permitting process for renewable energy solutions in California. Last week, the Governor signed Executive Order S-14-08 to "compel the California Energy Commission and the Department of Fish and Game to work more closely on dealing with conflicts between renewable energy developers and environmentalists over building power plants and transmission lines." The story was reported across the state and the nation, as it also raises the requirement for utilities to provide 33 percent of utilities' electrical power to come from renewable sources by 2030. The current law requires 20 percent by 2010. With this new law, California jumps further to the fore in the renewable energy field which, by many predictions, has the potential to generate thousands of new "green collar" jobs in the United States.

- Norris Lozano

Heal the Bay, South LA

Heal the Bay is an organization I have been interested in for some time. It was founded on the simple premise that Santa Monica Bay, which in 1985 was suffering from some of the highest levels of contamination found anywhere among US coastal waters, represented the health of the entire ecosystem of the area. Heal the Bay, Heal our City, is the underlying message. They have a great website, a huge membership, and do excellent research and community outreach.

On its website, Heal the Bay highlights a positive development from the LA City Council earlier this month. City Council has passed three far-reaching ordinances: Low Impact Development, Green Building and Drought Tolerant Landscaping. In the context of Heal the Bay, these new ordinances pull our work at Urban Development & Finance into sharp focus.

Quoting the site, the ordinances rule that:

+ All new developments must install smart irrigation controllers for landscape irrigation
+ In 2010 all buildings above 10,000 square feet and greater must be LEED certified those developments above 25,000 square feet or higher than 75 feet must receive LEED Silver certification
+ All new developments must consume at least 15% less energy than required by 2005 state efficiency standards
+ A minimum of 75% of total landscaped area shall be plants that are drought-tolerant. Only 25% of the landscaped area can be turf.

Our goals for two significant projects in South LA (Montclair West Adams and Bethany Square) are to exceed these standards. And when we do, we hope the effects are felt all the way to the Coast.

- Norris Lozano

From the ashes... a solar tax credit bill

It's been one of the wildest months in financial history, and watching the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 go down in flames was one among many shocks. The benefits that can pour forth from these stimulus programs are extraordinary in any market conditions, not the least of which are a great leap forward in America's technology leadership, "green collar" jobs, a reduction in emissions, and reduced dependency on foreign oil.

So it was a surprise and relief to see the bill come back to life as part of the $700 billion relief package, passed by Congress and signed by the President this week. Many of us who are involved in green buildings and renewable energy development are looking forward utilizing these important tools to help create a triple bottom line opportunity within all of this economic turmoil.

-Norris Lozano

Senate votes to extend Solar, R + D credits

I am excited to report that the $17 billion Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 has been passed by the US Senate by a vote of 93-2. The House still has to approve the renewable energy credits portion of the bill. Reuters reports that the White House said Tuesday morning that it will sign the legislation.

The Act, part of a major tax relief bill, extends investment tax credits for the solar power industry for 8 years until 2016. The Act also benefits homeowners who install solar or wind systems on their homes, eliminates the $2000 cap on residential systems, and allows utilities to utilize the commercial credit. 

Also, the Act allows those taxpayers who trigger AMT to take the solar credit. The Tax Policy Center estimates that roughly one in three tax payers could trigger AMT by 2010.

   -Norris Lozano

Read an article on the Senate action here.

Light It Up

As many are aware, deployment of new technologies for production of renewable energy is potentially the largest economic opportunity in the United States. The triple bottom line benefits for US business owners, workers, homeowners, school children, etc. are extraordinary.  An article that appeared in the Wall Street Journal online expands on this compelling foundation: extension of the Solar Investment Tax Credit is estimated to produce more than 1.2 million employment opportunities, including 440,000 permanent jobs, and $232 billion in investment in the US alone. We urge members of Congress to pass this critical legislation without delay.

     - Norris Lozano

Proverb

Here's a proverb I like:

"When the sun comes up, the gazelle wakes up knowing that it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be eaten. The lion knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve.

So it doesn't matter whether you're a gazelle or a lion, when the sun comes up, you'd better be running"

     -Norris Lozano