Clean energy breaks into respectability

By Greg Harman
gharman@sacurrent.com

Goddamn Queque. You get horned into answering one question, say, divulging the latest gossip floating around CPS Energy service centers, and pretty soon your whole day is sunk.

Hopefully, you appreciate this week's offering. Understand the price being I couldn't wear down my heals loitering on the steps of the San Antonio City Hall hearing about all the brilliant things That Damn Utility is hellbent on quietly savaging.

My pal Arjun — that academically maniacal clean energy devata — was doing his bit por la causa patienty (or, likely, not so patiently) explaining how SA can best get through the energy crunch WITHOUT NUCLEAR.

Clinging to his credentials and good (non-polluting) cheer would be Councilmember Mary Alice Cisneros, local Sierra Clubbers, Austin bravehearts like the good SEED's Karen Hadden, and assortment of low-energy buffs.

Press release nuggets:

Energy efficiency is a viable, affordable and effective way to meet the future energy needs of San Antonio according to a new study by Dr. Arjun Makhijani, energy expert and president of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, based in Takoma Park, Maryland.

"There is good news for San Antonio. The city has great potential for energy efficiency. The overall affordable economic potential for San Antonio is about 2,000 MW [megawatts] if all buildings could be retrofitted or built for efficiency. With vigorous and visionary leadership, about half of this potential can be achieved by 2020. Making homes and businesses more efficient will save consumers money and make San Antonio a cleaner and better place to do business." said Dr. Arjun Makhijani, energy expert and president of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, based in Takoma Park, Maryland.

"Energy efficiency is the fastest way to meet increasing energy needs, and will help create jobs in San Antonio. Improvements in insulation, air conditioning, lighting and window shading can make homes and office buildings cooler and more comfortable, while putting people to work and saving money," said Makhijani.

Dr. Makhijani's study was commissioned by the Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) Coalition, with help from the Alamo Group of the Sierra Club and the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club.

The cause of energy efficiency and renewable power has finally taken root within (as it increasingly refers to itself) our local MSM — with headline berries ripe as germ-lab hallelujahs (you'll just have to wait for Queque to clue you in there), witnessed by Carlos Guerra playing 1B enforcer to Tony Caputo's 1A story on the press conference.

How wonderful it is that?

There's a little note inside Tony's story about CPS Energy's own investigation as to how much energy they can save through efficiency. Whatever that number, I'm sure the City Council is just flush with pride in their utility and that CPS took their request for review as seriously as they did.

Can't wait to hear what the college student they hired to do this work comes up with.

[Image up top is from Arjun's Powerpoint — Arizona Public Service Company's planned 280 MW solar field planned for 2011. Would be the largest concentrating solar plant in the world. Course it'll take thumbs up from Congress and European know-how to build the thing.]

Posted by gharman on 8/12/2008 11:54:45 AM
Permalink | Comments

Share |

Go back to Curblog