DOE Offers Support for Innovative Manufacturing Plant That Will Produce High-Quality Solar Silicon at Low Cost, Generate Over 2,000 Jobs in Ohio

Today, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the offer of a conditional commitment for a $275 million loan guarantee to Calisolar Inc. to commercialize the company's innovative solar silicon manufacturing process.

Calisolar's process should produce silicon for use in solar cells at less than half the cost of traditional polysilicon purification processes, which will reduce the overall cost of solar modules and panels. At full production, the manufacturing plant is expected to produce 16,000 metric tons [MT] of solar silicon annually, equivalent to more than two gigawatts of solar power generation per year.

The project will be built in three phases of 5,333 MT capacity each, and is expected to be located in a former General Motors stamping plant in Ontario, Richland County, Ohio. Calisolar estimates that the facility will generate, at its peak, nearly 1,100 permanent jobs, and up to 1,000 construction jobs.

"This innovative manufacturing process offers significant competitive advantages that will help the U.S. to out-innovate and out-compete our global competitors," said Secretary Chu [pictured]. "This project is part of our commitment to supporting important innovations that create jobs, strengthen our manufacturing base and position the nation as a global solar leader."

The project will manufacture solar silicon from lower-cost metallurgical-grade silicon feedstock that is then upgraded using Calisolar's proprietary silicon purification process. The company's unique process uses significantly less energy to produce solar silicon that performs as well as polysilicon products made from more expensive and energy-intensive traditional processes, with capital equipment and construction costs approximately one-sixth that of traditional polysilicon plants.

Calisolar is helping achieve the goals of the SunShot Initiative by lowering the cost of their solar cells through the use of less pure silicon, the raw material for solar cells. Their vertically integrated process -- from raw materials processing, all the way through solar cell production --uses lower-cost [50% less expensive], lower-quality materials while maintaining high-efficiency devices.

This work was supported by DOE through funding for the University of California at Berkeley, and through $3 million from the PV Incubator Program -- which leveraged $6.6 million in private-industry cost share and was run through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

DOE's Loan Programs Office administers three separate programs: the Title XVII Section 1703 and Section 1705 loan guarantee programs, and the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing [ATVM] loan program. The loan guarantee programs support the deployment of commercial technologies, along with innovative technologies that avoid, reduce, or sequester greenhouse gas emissions. ATVM supports the development of advanced vehicle technologies.

Under all three programs, DOE has issued loans, loan guarantees or offered conditional commitments for loan guarantees totaling over $33 billion to support 34 clean energy projects across the United States.

DOE has also issued conditional commitments or loan guarantees to support numerous other projects -- including four of the world's largest solar generation facilities, two geothermal projects, the world's largest wind farm, and the nation's first new nuclear power plant in three decades.

For more information, please visit the Loan Programs Office website: http://lpo.energy.gov/.

GoodBiz113's Take
DOE's just-announced investment in Calisolar Inc. has great potential to boost America's competitiveness in solar energy. Further, it will help generate much-needed manufacturing and construction jobs in Ohio.

Chalk it up as yet another win-win endeavor by the Obama Administration to simultaneously spur economic development and fuel advances in developing solar-energy technologies.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy [EERE]
____________________

HostGator.com: Green Web Hosting Made EASY and AFFORDABLE. ^AF

April 28: Free DOE Webinar Focuses on Calculating Loads for Heating and Cooling

The U.S. Department of Energy's [DOE's] Building Technologies Program [BTP] is offering a webinar on Thursday, April 28, 2011, from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Eastern, titled "Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning [HVAC] Right-Sizing -- Part 1: Calculating Loads."

Register now to attend this free webinar: http://bit.ly/RegistrationBTP.

Calculating energy requirements for heating and cooling a home is the first critical step in the design process for correctly sizing the HVAC system. Designers use models of electrical loads to help them select the optimal equipment and duct designs to deliver the appropriate volume of conditioned air to rooms of the home.

This webinar, presented by IBACOS -- one of DOE’s Building America research teams -- will highlight the key criteria required to accurately calculate heating and cooling loads. During the webinar, experts will also discuss current industry rules of thumb, perceptions, and barriers to correctly sizing HVAC systems.

Target audiences include residential builders and HVAC design firms, contractors, installers, manufacturers, and distributors.

Learn more about the webinar: http://1.usa.gov/WebinarsEERE.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy [EERE]
____________________

Green Your Home or Office with Solar Products Available Exclusively at Real Goods Solar. ^AF

Seize These Great Last-Minute Opportunities for the 2011 Department of Energy Small Business Conference & Expo -- Before They Expire

The 12th Annual U.S. Department of Energy [DOE] Small Business Conference & Expo is less than a month away. Whether you've been a small-business owner for a decade or a day, DOE invites you to join them at the Kansas City Convention Center from May 10-12, 2011, for a conference packed with keynotes, workshops, business matchmaking, and a very busy Expo.

The conference is right around the corner, and there are great opportunities which are about to expire. Take a moment now to:

* Register for the conference. Regular registration rates will expire on May 8, 2011. Registering now will save you $50 on the registration cost.

* Purchase an Expo Visitor Pass. If you cannot attend the entire conference, an Expo Visitor Pass will allow you to target the exhibitors and sponsors with whom you want to speak.

* Reserve an exhibitor booth. Only a few exhibitor booths remain. Get yours today if you are planning to exhibit -- before they're all sold out.

* Share your voice. Submit a 30-second video clip on how small business has affected your community.

* Sign up for business matchmaking sessions as a buyer or supplier. Visit the site to check out the buyers who have signed up, and the featured buyer categories.

For more information on the 12th Annual U.S. Department of Energy Small Business Conference & Expo in Kansas City, Mo., visit http://smallbusinessconference.energy.gov; or, call 877-837-8623.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Economic Impact & Diversity
____________________

Top Deals for the Business Traveler -- Only at Expedia.com! ^AF

Energy Secretary Chu Announces $112 Million in SunShot Initiative Projects to Advance Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing Partnerships in U.S.

As part of the SunShot Initiative, U.S. Department of Energy [DOE] Secretary Steven Chu [pictured] yesterday announced the selection of up to $112.5 million in funding over five years, to support the development of advanced solar photovoltaic [PV]-related manufacturing processes throughout the United States.

DOE’s SunShot advanced manufacturing partnerships will help the solar power industry overcome technical barriers and reduce costs for PV installations, help the U.S. regain the lead in the global market for solar technologies, and provide support for clean-energy jobs for years to come.

This program is modeled, in part, on SEMATECH [Semiconductor Manufacturing TECHnology]. Faced with falling U.S. market share for the domestic semiconductor industry from 57 percent in 1982, to 38 percent in 1988, SEMATECH began working with domestic equipment suppliers to improve their capabilities.

As a result of SEMATECH’s work to solve common manufacturing problems by leveraging resources and sharing risks, within 10 years the domestic semiconductor industry had grown by 16 percent. Through this award, SEMATECH will now apply similar ingenuity to helping the U.S. recapture the lead in solar manufacturing.

"Expanding the U.S. solar energy industry is an important part of the Administration's goals to diversify our electricity supply, and rebuild America’s manufacturing base to create jobs now and in the future," said Secretary Chu. "The SunShot Initiative will not only keep the United States at the forefront in solar energy research and development, but will help us win the worldwide race to build a solar manufacturing industry that produces solar systems that are cost-competitive with fossil fuels."

Yesterday’s investments are part of DOE’s SunShot Initiative, which aims to reduce the total costs of photovoltaic solar energy systems by about 75 percent, so that they are cost-competitive at large scale with other forms of energy without subsidies by the end of the decade. Achieving this goal -- equivalent to approximately $1 a watt, or roughly 6 cents per kilowatt-hour for utility systems -- would allow solar energy systems to be broadly deployed across the country.

By engaging multiple companies across the PV supply chain, the SunShot advanced manufacturing partnerships program intends to have broad impact on the U.S. solar industry:

* Selected projects will create organizations designed to bring PV companies together in a coordinated environment to address common technology needs.

* The facilities established through these projects will provide services, tools and facilities to PV companies and suppliers -- to assist them in developing and demonstrating new technologies, and in making the transition to commercial production.

* The program will also link universities and national labs with PV cell, materials, and equipment suppliers to help speed the rate of innovation through coordinated and focused PV manufacturing development.

The selected industry-focused organizations will strongly leverage industry, state, and local funds, and are expected to achieve financial self-sufficiency after five years.

DOE Funding Fuels Coast-to-Coast Collaborations
Funding was made available for applicants in university and industry. Both topics consider collaborative research models to accelerate manufacturing-related technologies and provide maximum leverage to federal funding.

Following are the selected projects:

* Bay Area PV Consortium [Stanford, Cal.] -- $25 million for University-Focused Development
Bay Area PV Consortium [BAPVC] will fund industry-relevant research and development to impact high-volume PV manufacturing, using a competitive selection process open to all universities.

This project, managed by Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, will develop and test the innovative new materials, device structures, and fabrication processes necessary to achieve cost effective PV modules in high-volume production. The research will advance technologies that reduce manufacturing costs and improve device performance characteristics to help achieve SunShot’s price targets.

An industry board composed of representatives from PV companies will determine the specific topics for research and development to assure close alignment with industry and manufacturing needs.

* SVTC Technologies [San Jose, Cal.] -- $25 million for Industry-Focused Development
SVTC will create a fee-for-service PV manufacturing development facility [MDF] that will enable startups, materials suppliers, and other PV innovators to eliminate a major portion of their upfront capital and operating costs during product development and pilot production. This will potentially accelerate development and time to market by 12 to 15 months.

The MDF will focus on commercialization of silicon PV manufacturing processes and technologies, and aim to reduce the costs and development time for participating PV industry leaders to deliver innovative, emerging technologies from the laboratory to commercial manufacturing lines.

The MDF will support SunShot targets by strengthening and accelerating growth along the PV manufacturing industry’s entire supply chain by reducing the cost, time, and risk associated with commercialization.

* U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium [Albany, N.Y. and Palm Bay, Fla.] – $62.5 million for Industry-Focused Development
Managed by SEMATECH, the U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium [PVMC] will coordinate an industry-driven research-and-development initiative to accelerate the development, manufacturing and commercialization of next-generation copper indium gallium selenide [CIGS] thin-film PV manufacturing technologies, driving down the cost and risk of bringing them to the marketplace.

PVMC -- with its major partner, the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the State University of New York at Albany -- will establish manufacturing development facilities that PV companies and researchers can use for product prototyping, demonstration, and pilot-scale manufacturing to evaluate and validate CIGS thin-film and PV manufacturing technologies.

PVMC will also work with the University of Central Florida to develop cost-effective, in-line measurement and inspection tools to enable increased PV manufacturing yield.

In addition, PVMC will operate complementary programs to foster new PV technologies and firms, and to develop the U.S. PV workforce. The proposed project will use heavy industry leveraging funds for every $1 of DOE funding.

The SunShot program builds on the legacy of President John F. Kennedy's 1960s "moon shot" goal, which laid out a plan to regain the country's lead in the space race and land a man on the moon. The program will aggressively drive innovations in the ways that solar systems are conceived, designed, manufactured and installed.

For more information and to follow the SunShot Initiative's progress, visit the SunShot Initiative website: http://1.usa.gov/SunShotDOE.

GoodBiz113's Take
DOE's just-announced solar manufacturing partnerships will boost American competitiveness in the global solar energy industry and lower the cost of clean, renewable energy. Further, they'll promote entrepreneurship and generate much-needed jobs.

Chalk it up as yet another win-win-win-win endeavor by the Obama Administration -- one that holds far-reaching potential for decades to come.

SOURCES: NASA, U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy [EERE], Wikipedia
____________________

HostGator.com: Green Web Hosting Made EASY and AFFORDABLE. ^AF

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export Initiative Announced Today

Today, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke [pictured] joined seven other U.S. government agencies in launching a coordinated effort to promote renewable energy and energy-efficiency exports: the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export Initiative.

The initiative was developed through the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee Working Group on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, which includes representatives from the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Energy, State, and Agriculture. Other members include the Export-Import Bank of the United States [Ex-Im]; the Overseas Private Investment Corporation [OPIC]; the U.S. Trade and Development Agency; and the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

Through the initiative, the U.S. Government will support renewable energy and energy efficiency [RE&EE] exporters by offering new financing products; enhancing market access; increasing trade promotion; and improving the delivery of export promotion services to current and future RE&EE companies.

"The initiative lays the foundation necessary to help U.S. renewable-energy and energy-efficiency companies take better advantage of current market opportunities," Locke explained. "It also positions federal government programs to better support U.S. global competitiveness in these sectors over the long run."

Energy is a $6 trillion global market, and clean energy is the fastest-growing sector.

The initiative, which is described in a report being released today by the Commerce Department, comes on the heels of formation of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee, which is made up of industry leaders. Locke chaired the committee’s first meeting today. This committee will advise Secretary Locke on the development and implementation of programs and policies that will help to expand the competitiveness of the U.S. renewable-energy and energy-efficiency industries.

This initiative is the U.S. Government’s first-ever coordinated effort to support the promotion of renewable energy and energy-efficiency exports. Through the implementation of 23 inter-agency actions, the initiative is designed to facilitate an increase of RE&EE exports during the next five years, helping to meet the goals of the National Export Initiative and President Obama’s challenge to become the leading exporter of clean-energy technologies.

As part of the initiative, the federal government is launching a new online portal to provide renewable-energy companies easy access to U.S. Government export resources. Further, the Commerce Department is committing to an increased number of RE&EE trade and trade-policy missions.

Additionally, the initiative calls for:

* Creation of foreign buyers' guides for U.S. RE&EE technologies;
* Commitment by OPIC to invest an additional $300 million in financing for renewable-resource projects in emerging markets, plus additional new products for energy efficiency-subordinated debt financing and clean-energy technology equipment leasing;
* Streamlining of RE&EE financing applications at both OPIC and Ex-Im;
* Formation of a new subcommittee at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to address market access barriers facing the U.S. RE&EE industry in foreign markets; and
* Expansion of USDA’s Market Access Program [MAP] to include biomass wood pellets. [Currently, the program focuses on biofuel products, but not biomass.]

The report is available for download from the new Web portal at http://export.gov/reee.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce
_____________________

Top Travel Deals at Expedia.com [affiliate link]

DOE Announces $30 Million for Energy-Efficient Housing Partnerships

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy announced 15 research-and-deployment partnerships to help dramatically improve the energy efficiency of American homes. These highly qualified, multidisciplinary teams will receive a total of up to $30 million for the initial 18 months of the projects to deliver innovative energy efficiency strategies to the residential market, and address barriers to bringing high-efficiency homes within reach for all Americans.

A total of up to $20 million per year will also be made available for the partnerships of three potential one-year extensions. These research-and-deployment partnerships will provide technical assistance to retrofit projects, and will leverage industry expertise and funding to support DOE's energy-efficiency retrofit programs.

This effort will support the department's Retrofit Ramp-Up initiative, announced by Vice President Joe Biden in April [see GoodBiz113 article, "Vice President Biden Kicks Off Earth Day Activities; 25 Communities Selected for Recovery Act 'Retrofit Ramp-Up' Energy-Efficiency Awards"], which brings communities, governments, private-sector companies and nonprofit organizations together to deliver energy-efficiency upgrades, or retrofits, to entire neighborhoods and cities.

"Home energy efficiency is one of the easiest, most immediate and most cost-effective ways to reduce carbon pollution and save money on energy bills, while creating new jobs," said Secretary of Energy Steven Chu [pictured]. "By developing and using tools to reduce residential energy use, we will spur economic growth here in America, and help homeowners make cost-cutting improvements in their homes."

The partnerships announced today will provide additional support to ongoing retrofit initiatives that are making cost-effective energy efficiency retrofits easily accessible to hundreds of thousands of American homes and businesses. These partnerships will research and deploy new technologies and demonstration projects, and provide systems engineering, quality assurance, and outreach for retrofit projects throughout the country.

Existing techniques and technologies in energy efficiency retrofitting -- such as air-tight ducts, windows and doors; heating and cooling systems; insulation and caulking -- can reduce energy use by up to 40 percent per home, and cut energy bills by $40 billion annually.

The following selections were made though the DOE Building Technologies Program, which forges research partnerships across the residential building industry to develop cost-effective solutions that dramatically reduce the average energy use of housing while improving comfort and quality. To find out more, visit http://bit.ly/BuildingTechDOE.

To further support the broad deployment of energy-efficient building retrofits, DOE is hosting the Residential Building Energy Efficiency Meeting 2010 in Denver, Col., from July 20-22, to present cutting-edge research results; identify key stakeholder and market transformation needs; and facilitate collaboration opportunities between conference participants. This conference is targeted to researchers, architects, contractors, manufacturers, builders, utilities, legislators, lenders, realtors, auditors, raters, installation technicians, homeowner association representatives, and anyone else interested in creating substantial connections with the field.

The following is a brief description of the selected teams -- each of which will receive between $500,000 and $2.5 million, depending on their performance:

* Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions [ARIES], led by Levy Partnership of New York, N.Y. ARIES will focus on energy solutions for new and existing affordable housing, including factory- and site-built homes. ARIES is a broad-based industry team of more than 50 organizations, including implementers, product suppliers and trainers. The ARIES technical team members include CDH Energy, Southern Energy Management, Syracuse University Center of Excellence, and NTA Inc.

* Alliance for Residential Building Innovation [ARBI], led by Davis Energy Group [DEG] of Davis, Cal. ARBI will focus on resolving technical and market barriers to large-scale implementation of innovative energy solutions for new and existing homes. Team members are effectively aligned for retrofit activities -- providing considerable experience in audits, home-performance contracting, marketing and finance. Specific partners include Rocky Mountain Institute, UC Davis, Heschong Mahone Group, Green Home Solutions, and Bevilacqua-Knight.

* Building America Retrofit Alliance [BARA], led by Building Media Inc [BMI], based out of Wilmington, Del., and the New Jersey Institute of Technology [NJIT], located in Newark, N.J. BARA will focus on innovative market-delivery strategies to improve energy efficiency in our nation's existing housing stock. This team has very unique capabilities in the areas of training and outreach. Additional team members include Steve Easley and Associates, Confluence Communications, DuPont, Louisiana State University, Enterprise Community Partners, Institute for Business and Home Safety, and Hancock Software, among others.

* Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction [BA-PIRC] research team, led by the Florida Solar Energy Center [FSEC], a research institute of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla. BA-PIRC will focus on cost-effective efficiency solutions for new and existing homes in hot, humid and marine climates. FSEC possesses extensive residential energy research facilities, including the Manufactured Housing Laboratory, the Flexible Roof Facility, the Building Science Lab, the Hot Water Systems Laboratory, and the Climate-Controlled Air Conditioning Laboratory. Team members include Newport Partners [NP], Washington State University [WSU], Northwest Energy Works [N.E.W.], Residential Energy Services Network [RESNET], Building Performance Institute [BPI], WellHome, Florida Home Energy and Resources Organization [Florida H.E.R.O.], Calcs-Plus [CP] and TexEnergy Solutions.

* Building Energy Efficient Homes for America [BEEHA], led by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln [UNL] and the University of Florida [UF], headquartered in Lincoln, Neb., and Gainesville, Fla., respectively. This team possesses impressive simulation and computing facilities, as well as building systems research laboratories. This multidisciplinary research team will explore and deliver systems-engineered solutions for new and existing homes. Industry partners for this team include HearthStone Homes, Rezac Construction, Barry Rutenberg and Associates, G.W. Robinson Homes, Tommy Williams, and Johnson Controls.

* Building Industry Research Alliance [BIRA], led by ConSol with headquarters in Stockton, Cal. BIRA's research will focus on energy and peak reduction in homes by evaluating technologies and market-delivery approaches for neighborhood-scale implementation. The research will target a diversity of homes and a variety of strategies for retrofit implementation. Team members include more than 80 research organizations and building industry partners, such as Washington State University, Arizona State University, UC Davis, General Electric, Ennovationz, Sacramento Municipal Utilities District, San Diego Gas & Electric, Arizona Public Service, Salt River Project, and Bank of America.

* Building Science Corporation [BSC] in Somerville, Mass., is a leading developer of energy systems for durable, high-performance homes. With an impressive depth of capabilities in all key areas required to complete the proposed research, BSC will focus on advanced technical solutions, code barriers, and market demonstrations for new and existing homes. The BSC team includes Affordable Comfort, ARES Consulting, Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, DEAP Energy Group, National Grid, and a wide array of material suppliers and manufacturers.

* Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings [CARB], led by Steven Winter Associates Inc., Norwalk, Conn. The CARB team has extensive experience successfully conducting and completing team-based advanced building systems research, whole-house research, and outreach. The CARB team will focus on innovative market delivery and cost-effective demonstrations of high-performance retrofits and new homes. Team members include MaGrann Associates, Alliance to Save Energy's BCAP, Pratt Center for Community Development, University of Florida's PREC, Green Builder Media, Jay Hall and Associates, Masco, and a broad spectrum of additional stakeholders in the residential energy industry.

* Habitat Cost Effective Energy Retrofit Program Team, led by Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Mich. This team will focus on applying innovative retrofit technologies, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. These efficiency technologies can deliver energy savings up to 50 percent, and will focus on addressing affordable housing in cold and mixed-humid climate regions. The team's vision is to improve retrofit methodologies by validating cost-effective strategies through test homes, and identifying technology gaps that must be addressed. The Dow team includes Michigan State University, Ferris State University and Habitat for Humanity, with technical contributions from Duke Energy, DTE, and Exelon.

* Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems [CSE] in Cambridge, Mass., will deploy large-scale energy savings by integrating efficiency and renewable energy systems in new and existing homes. The team members have extensive experience in whole-house system integration research -- from simulation through commissioning. Team partners include Owens Corning, researchers from MIT, Conservation Services Group, Boston Redevelopment Authority, and Austin Housing and Economic Development, plus several additional team members from the residential buildings community.

* Integrated Building and Construction Solutions [IBACOS] in Pittsburgh, Penn., will develop and demonstrate integrated systems of design, procurement, construction, quality assurance and marketing needed to transform residential retrofits and new construction across the U.S. IBACOS team members include Advanced Energy, Criterium Engineers, EcoBroker International, GreenHomes America, and the Potomack Group -- along with a wide range of highly experienced residential building scientists, researchers, architects, green-building realtors, retrofit specialists, program evaluators and trainers.

* National Association of Home Builders [NAHB] Research Center Industry Partnership for High Performing Homes. The NAHB Research Center is located in Upper Marlboro, Md., and has over 40 years of experience as an integrated, system-based technology advancement center with the primary mission of removing technological and regulatory barriers to innovation by leveraging its access to remodelers and home builders. Team members include Southface Energy Institute, USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Business Excellence Consulting, Brick by Brick, Residential Building Industry Consulting Services, Concurrent Technologies Corporation, Greenbelt Homes, plus many others.

* National Energy Leadership Corps [NELC], led by Pennsylvania State University in State College, Penn. The NELC will focus on a new approach to home and homeowner assessment that facilitates multiple levels of energy-efficiency measures for existing homes -- including modest and low-cost improvements, extensive energy retrofits, occupant interactions, and the introduction of advanced energy controls and renewable-energy technologies. NELC team members include a broad diversity of partners, such as SmartDwell, Sequentric Energy Systems, Envinity, GroundedPower, ONTILITY, Eaton Corporation, Lutron Corporation, Schneider Electric, Pittsburgh Green Innovators, Partnership for Achieving Construction Excellence [PACE], Conservation Consultants, East Liberty Development, and the Green Building Alliance.

* NorthernSTAR Energy Efficient Housing Research Partnership Team, led by the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minn. The NorthernSTAR team embraces the philosophy that achieving optimal energy efficiency in houses, neighborhoods and communities requires a holistic performance approach, using an integrated implementation process. This team will develop and deploy high-performance energy-efficient solutions for new and existing homes in cold and severe cold climates. Team members include the Center for Energy and the Environment, Building Knowledge, Building Green, Hunt Utilities Group, Verified Green, Energy Center of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corps, McGregor Pearce, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the University of Wisconsin, and Wagner Zaun Architecture.

* Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit [PARR], led by the Gas Technology Institute in Des Plaines, Ill. PARR has strong experience in design, development, integration, and testing of advanced building energy equipment, components and systems in laboratory and test house settings. The team will focus on improving performance, quality and market acceptance of residential retrofits in cold climates. Team members include CNT Energy, the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, the Building Research Council at the University of Illinois, and Future Energy Enterprises, among others.

GoodBiz113's Take
Kudos to Secretary Chu for once again exercising his distinct brand of vision and leadership to fuel such a far-reaching and innovative endeavor that holds so much long-term potential. Current and future generations -- not to mention, American small businesses, our economy and the environment -- will greatly benefit from funding these win-win-win synergies.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy
____________________

Green Your Home or Office With Solar Products Available Exclusively at Real Goods Solar. [affiliate link]

Vice President Biden Kicks Off Earth Day Activities; 25 Communities Selected for Recovery Act 'Retrofit Ramp-Up' Energy-Efficiency Awards

Today, Vice President Joe Biden [pictured] kicks off five days of Administration events around the 40th anniversary of Earth Day with the announcement of the selection of 25 communities for up to $452 million in Recovery Act funding to "ramp-up" energy-efficiency building retrofits.

Under the Department of Energy’s Retrofit Ramp-Up initiative, communities, governments, private-sector companies and nonprofit organizations will work together on pioneering and innovative programs for concentrated and broad-based retrofits of neighborhoods and towns -- and, eventually, entire states. These partnerships will support large-scale retrofits and make energy efficiency accessible to hundreds of thousands of homeowners and businesses.

During the next three years, the models created through this program are expected to save households and businesses about a $100 million annually in utility bills -- all while leveraging private-sector resources -- to create what funding recipients estimate at about 30,000 jobs across the country.

"For 40 years, Earth Day has focused on transforming the way we use energy and reducing our dependence on fossil fuel," said Vice President Biden. "But this year, because of the historic clean-energy investments in the Recovery Act, we're poised to make greater strides than ever in building a nationwide clean-energy economy. This investment in some of the most innovative energy-efficiency projects across the country will not only help homeowners and businesses make cost-cutting retrofit improvements, but also create jobs right here in America."

"This initiative will help overcome the barriers to making energy efficiency easy and accessible to all – inconvenience, lack of information, and lack of financing,” said Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu. "Block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood, we will make our communities more energy-efficient and help families save money. At the same time, we’ll create thousands of jobs and strengthen our economy."

In addition to the $452 million Recovery Act investment, the 25 projects announced today will leverage an estimated $2.8 billion from other sources over the next three years to retrofit hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses across the country. Overall, the program funding was eight times oversubscribed, with more than $3.5 billion in applications received for the just over $450 million in Recovery Act funds available, indicating significant demand for investment in energy-saving and job-creating projects like these nationwide.

Grantees will employ innovative financing models to make these savings accessible; e.g., by offering low- and no interest loans that are repaid through property tax and utility bills. In implementing these projects, grantees will deliver verified energy savings and incorporate sustainable business models, to ensure that buildings will continue to be retrofitted after Recovery Act funds are spent. The Department will use the lessons learned from these pilot programs to develop best-practice guides to comprehensive retrofit programs that can be adopted and implemented by other communities across the country.

The Retrofit Ramp-Up projects, which are part of the overall $80 billion Recovery Act investment in clean energy and energy efficiency, complement the Obama Administration’s "Recovery Through Retrofit" initiative, which lays the groundwork for a self-sustaining and robust home energy-efficiency industry. The awards are the competitive portion of DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant [EECBG] Program, which was funded for the first time under the Recovery Act to help state, local, and tribal communities make strategic investments in improving energy efficiency, and reducing energy use and fossil fuel emissions.

Secretary Chu, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Carol Browner, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change, joined Vice President Biden today for the announcement, which was the first of more than two dozen events and activities Administration officials will participate in and around Earth Day.

In addition to today’s event, President Barack Obama will host an Earth Day reception with environmental leaders on Thursday, April 22; a video message from the President will air as part of events on the National Mall on Sunday, April 25; and Administration officials will participate in educational programs with school children, visit wetland and coastal restoration projects, and participate in community service projects as part of the President’s Earth Day call to action.

The events will highlight some of the ways in which the Administration is working to improve the environment, transform American infrastructure for greater energy efficiency, and build a clean-energy economy that supports the jobs of the future. As part of the events, Administration officials will also continue the push for Congress to act on HOMESTAR legislation and comprehensive energy and climate change legislation that will ultimately benefit individual homeowners and small businesses alike.

A full roster of Administration Earth Day activities is below, and more information on the President’s Earth Day call to action is available at www.WhiteHouse.gov/EarthDay.

RETROFIT RAMP-UP AWARDS
The following governments and nonprofit organizations have been selected for Retrofit Ramp-Up awards. These projects are planned to begin in fall 2010. Final award amounts are subject to negotiation:

* Austin, Texas -- $10 million
* Boulder County, Colorado -- $25 million
* Camden, New Jersey -- $5 million
* Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning -- $25 million
* Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance, Ohio -- $17 million
* Greensboro, North Carolina -- $5 million
* Indianapolis, Indiana -- $10 million
* Kansas City, Missouri -- $20 million
* Los Angeles County, California -- $30 million
* Lowell, Massachusetts -- $5 million
* State of Maine -- $30 million
* State of Maryland -- $20 million
* State of Michigan -- $30 million
* State of Missouri - $5 million
* Omaha, Nebraska -- $10 million
* State of New Hampshire -- $10 million
* New York State Research and Development Authority -- $40 million
* Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -- $25 million
* Phoenix, Arizona -- $25 million
* Portland, Oregon -- $20 million
* San Antonio, Texas -- $10 million
* Seattle, Washington -- $20 million
* Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance -- $20 million
* Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, Ohio -- $15 million
* Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation -- $20 million

For more information on the selected projects, visit http://bit.ly/RetrofitProjects.

A map of the selected projects is available at http://bit.ly/RetrofitMap.

RETROFIT BY THE NUMBERS
* Residential and commercial buildings consume 40 percent of the energy and represent 40 percent of the carbon emissions in the United States. Building efficiency represents one of the easiest, most immediate and most cost-effective ways to reduce carbon emissions and save money on energy bills while creating new jobs.

* Existing techniques and technologies in energy-efficiency retrofitting can reduce energy use by up to 40 percent per home and lower total associated greenhouse gas emissions by up to 160 million metric tons annually.

* Residential and commercial retrofits also have the potential to cut energy bills by $40 billion annually.

ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL EARTH DAY EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Carol Browner, Director of Energy and Climate Change Policy
Thursday, April 22 @ 12:00 p.m. ET -- Live Web Chat
Carol Browner was the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under President Bill Clinton [the longest ever to hold that post], and currently serves as Director of the Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy. Tune in to the White House website to learn more about President Obama's efforts to build a clean-energy economy and protect our environment: http://bit.ly/EarthDayLiveChat.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar
Thursday, April 22 -- Washington, D.C.
Secretary Salazar will make remarks on the National Mall for Take a Child to Work/40th Anniversary Earth Day/Buddy the Bison Hike sponsored by the National Park Service. Five hundred local students will participate in the event.

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke
Wednesday, April 21 -- Washington, D.C.
Secretary Locke will deliver keynote remarks at the Creating Climate Wealth Summit at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. He will address how energy reform can strengthen our security and spur economic growth.

Thursday, April 22 – Jersey City, N.J.
Secretary Locke will speak in Jersey City, N.J., at the Lincoln Park restoration project, that is turning a landfill into a healthy wetland. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] funded this habitat restoration project through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act [ARRA].

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis
Thursday, April 22 – Online Web chat
On Thursday, Secretary Hilda L. Solis will host an interactive Web chat to discuss issues and opportunities related to Earth Day. Also on Thursday, the Department of Labor will issue a report detailing opportunities made available over the past year -- including $490 million in Recovery Act funding for green jobs training.

Friday, April 23 – Washington, D.C.
On Friday, a Job Corps ceremony will honor a winning Job Corps Center for their green construction project.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
Thursday, April 22 – Chicago, Ill.
Secretary Sebelius will hold an Earth Day health event with Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Ron Sims at Roosevelt Gardens, a Chicago Housing Authority site.

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan
Thursday, April 22 – Washington, D.C.
Secretary Donovan will deliver remarks at the Earth Day Network’s 40th Anniversary of Earth Day rally on the National Mall. There, he will highlight the President’s Earth Day call to action and HUD’s efforts to develop more sustainable, inclusive neighborhoods -- all while increasing green-job and green-housing opportunities for families across the country.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood
Thursday, April 22, Secretary LaHood – Chicago, Ill.
Secretary LaHood will attend an Earth Day event at Daley Plaza. The event includes a school climate video competition for participating school groups, and will have alternative-fuel vehicles on display.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu
Thursday, April 22 -- Washington, D.C.
Secretary Chu will speak at an Earth Day celebration for Department of Energy employees.

Friday, April 23 – Philadelphia, Pa.
Secretary Chu will hold a clean-energy event that focuses on the benefits of energy efficiency.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan
Thursday April 22 – Washington, D.C.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will deliver remarks at a ceremony commemorating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day at the National Mall in Washington. Secretary Duncan will discuss how education can play a role in developing a green economy.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson
Wednesday, April 21 – Pittsburgh, Pa.
Administrator Jackson will be in Pittsburgh for an ENERGY STAR® event with children from the Sarah Heinz House Boys and Girls Club. This is a club that provides children and teenagers with strong role models and a safe, fun place to go after school, on weekends, and during the summer.

Thursday, April 22 -- New York City
The Administrator will participate in an urban-focused community service project with Green For All at the Grant Houses Community Garden in Manhattan. Administrator Jackson will take a tour of the garden, deliver remarks to press, students and volunteers, and participate in a planting activity with volunteers. The Administrator will also be a guest on "The Late Show with David Letterman" to talk about the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and President Obama’s clean-energy and green-jobs agenda.

Friday, April 23 through Sunday, April 25 -- Washington, D.C.
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, the EPA will be hosting a celebration event on Saturday and Sunday, April 24-25, on the National Mall. The event will feature a variety of interactive, family-friendly exhibits that highlight the work of the agency and celebrate its 40th anniversary this year. Administrator Jackson will appear on the National Mall on Friday to visit the Office of Research and Development’s P3 student participants and recognize winners. P3 is the next step beyond P2 -- pollution prevention -- and focuses on the three components of sustainability: people, prosperity, and the planet.

White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley
Sunday, April 25 – Washington, D.C.
Chair Sutley will deliver remarks at the Earth Day Network’s 40th Anniversary of Earth Day festivities on the National Mall. She will focus on the Obama Administration’s environmental agenda, and how the transition to a clean-energy economy can create millions of American jobs while reducing our dependence on foreign oil.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary Grindler
Thursday, April 22 – Washington, D.C.
The Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary Grindler will attend the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division’s [ENRD] Earth Day 2010 event on April 22 at Marvin Gaye Park, where it has held its annual Earth Day service celebration since 2004. In those five years, the Division has been able to help the park purchase over $7,500 worth of trees and landscaping materials as part of the park revitalization event. ENRD has also devoted over 2,500 hours of employee time to planting trees, removing trash, laying sod, and gardening.

Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan and Agriculture Undersecretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager
Friday April 23 – Sussex County, Del.
Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan will travel to Delaware on Friday to participate in a groundbreaking ceremony for a project that will modernize water quality and public sanitation services in Sussex County through the upgrading of the Inland Bays Wastewater Treatment Facility.

Friday April 23 – Woodland Park, Col.
Agriculture Undersecretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager will travel to Woodland Park, Col., where he will participate in an event marking the use of Recovery Act funds to improve drinking water quality in a subdivision.

Commerce Department Senior Officials
Earth Day Week
From April 17 through 23, the Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] leadership is holding events at Recovery Act coastal restoration projects in eight states. The events will highlight job creation in Huntington Beach, Cal.; Cape Hatteras, N.C.; Seattle, Wash.; Muskegon Lake, Mich.; Grande Isle, La.; Maunalua Bay, Hawaii; Jersey City, N.J.; and Florida Keys, Fl.

Office of Science and Technology Policy Director John Holdren
Thursday April 22 – Berkeley, Cal.
Office of Science and Techology Policy [OSTP] Director John P. Holdren will be in Berkeley, Cal., where he will give a free, public, evening lecture on the topic of: "Science and Technology for Sustainable Well-Being: Priorities and Policies in the Obama Administration," to be held in Sibley Auditorium in the Bechtel Engineering Center at the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Holdren will also note that April 22 marks not only the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, but also the 15th anniversary of a federal program that embodies the central principles of Earth Day: the Global Learning & Observations to Benefit the Environment, or GLOBE, program. Tomorrow, OSTP will release a new report that affirms the many benefits of that environmental education program -- launched on Earth Day 1995 -- and lays out a map for future accomplishments.

GLOBE is just one element in an array of programs and activities being supported by the Administration in the domain of environmental science and education. For more details about GLOBE, visit http://www.globe.gov/.

Veterans Affairs Officials
Weeklong
Hospital directors and regional office directors will lead Earth Day events at VA health facilities across the country -- including Martinsburg, W.Va.; North Texas; Clarksburg, Va.; Saginaw, Mich.; Battle Creek, Mich.; San Diego, Cal.; Spokane, Wash.; Fresno, Cal.; Los Angeles, Cal.; Long Beach, Cal.; Reno, Nev.; Tucson, Ariz., Boise, Idaho; Menlo Park, Cal.; Palo Alto, Cal.; and Ft. Harrison, Mont.

Treasury Department Initiative
Earth Day Week
With Americans poised to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day this week, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced a broad, new initiative to dramatically increase the number of electronic transactions that involve Treasury, plus millions of citizens and businesses -- a move that is expected to save more than $400 million and 12 million pounds of paper in the first five years alone. Treasury will also make an announcement about a change in the Department’s energy consumption that, when coupled with the move from paper to electronic transactions, will greatly reduce Treasury’s environmental impact.

NASA
Earth Day Week – Washington, D.C.
NASA's participation in the celebration of Earth Day's 40th anniversary on the National Mall in Washington began on Saturday, April 17. The agency's involvement includes nine consecutive days of activities and exhibits open to the public. The NASA Village, which contains three domed tents, will highlight the use of NASA science and technology to advance knowledge and awareness about our planet and sustain our environment.

GOODBIZ113'S TAKE
Thanks to President Obama's pivotal Recovery Act and his hand-picked Administration of innovative thought leaders and get-it-done men and women, America is finally beginning to turn the corner on far too many years -- eight, to be exact -- of environmental neglect.

With patience, pragmatism, and collaborative, can-do spirit and action, individuals, businesses, nonprofits and public agencies can sustainably prosper in this ecosystem called Earth.

Happy Earth Day, one and all!

SOURCES: Organizing for America, U.S. Department of Energy, The White House
_____________________

Shop Amazon.com: Green Office -- Environmentally Friendly Office Supplies, Electronics, Furniture, Lighting & Accessories.

DOE Releases New Report on Benefits of Recovery Act for Small Businesses in Clean Energy, Environmental Management Sectors

The U.S. Department of Energy today released a new report -- "Small Businesses Helping Drive Economy: Clean Energy, Clean Sites" -- that highlights the benefits of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 [ARRA] to small businesses throughout the clean, renewable-energy industry and environmental management sector.

This report found that, as of early March 2010, small businesses have been selected to receive nearly $5.4 billion in funding across a number of Recovery Act and related programs -- including loans, loan guarantees, grants, contracts and tax incentives -- in partnership with the U.S. Department of Treasury.

The report highlights 26 small businesses in a range of clean-energy technologies -- e.g., wind, solar, biofuels -- along with critical new infrastructure, such as Smart Grid, advanced batteries, energy storage, and energy-efficiency tools. It also notes small businesses that are helping to advance responsible environmental cleanup efforts.

Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu [pictured] and Small Business Administrator Karen Mills highlighted the report as part of a media conference call. The call also featured Scott Lang, CEO of Silver Spring Networks, and Harrison Dillon, president and CTO of Solazyme Inc.

"Small businesses are the backbone of job creation in this country and have been a springboard for innovation in the clean-energy sector," said Secretary Chu. "The work these companies do and the innovation they produce will go a long way in helping our economy grow, and our nation succeed."

SBA Administrator Mills concurred. "Small businesses have created about 64 percent of the new jobs over the past 15 years," she noted. "Already, small businesses are one of the driving forces in the green-energy sector. With resources like those provided through the Department of Energy and SBA, we have a unique opportunity to support the creation of good, well-paying jobs here at home -- jobs that will also help keep America competitive."

Read the full report: http://bit.ly/SmallBizCleanEnergy.

Some success stories highlighted in the report include:

* UQM Technologies Inc., of Frederick, Col., is a well-established supplier of prototype electric propulsion and generator systems -- including electric rotating machines and drive electronics. For more than two decades, the company has supplied these systems to both established and aspiring automakers. In 2006, UQM completed an R&D project with the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy [EERE] Vehicle Technologies Program to design a power-dense motor for use in electric drive vehicles. UQM is now positioned to take its technology into production, establishing a U.S. volume manufacturer of electric drive systems. The $45 million grant that UQM received under the Recovery Act will enable UQM to establish manufacturing facilities for production volumes of 120,000 electric drive systems per year, powering all-electric, hybrid-electric, plug-in hybrid-electric passenger cars and hybrid-electric trucks and buses, creating up to 3,000 jobs.

* Silver Spring Networks, based in Redwood City, Cal., did not receive a direct grant under the Smart Grid Investment Grant [SGIG] Program, but it is still a big winner through its partnerships with many utilities around the country. For instance, Florida Power & Light [FPL] received a $200 million grant for its Energy Smart Miami project, which represents the foundation of a $700 million investment to deploy Smart Meters to every residential FPL customer in Florida. Silver Spring provides the hardware, software and services that connect every device on the grid, creating a unified Smart Energy Platform. Other utility clients of Silver Spring who received SGIG grants include Pepco Holdings Inc., Oklahoma Gas & Electric, and American Electric Power.

* Solazyme Inc., a San Francisco-based company, is a true start-up success story. Founded in 2003 by a scientist and entrepreneur who were among the first people to focus on algae as an alternative to conventional fuels, the company has pioneered a new technology to produce biodiesel and green diesel from algae oil. Like most emerging technology companies, Solazyme faced a huge obstacle in obtaining adequate funds to commercialize its technology. However, with a $21.8 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act [ARRA] grant under the Biomass Program, Solazyme will now be able to build its first integrated algae fuel refinery and help lay the foundation for subsequent large-scale development of an "advanced biofuels" industry. The project will create jobs in California and Pennsylvania.

* FloDesign Wind Turbine Corp. is a fledgling start-up that won an MIT clean-energy competition last year. The company is developing a new high-efficiency shrouded wind turbine capable of delivering significantly more energy per unit of swept area. FloDesign Wind’s $8.3 million ARPA-E grant represents a major increase in resources for the company that will have a dramatic effect on its ability to ramp up technology development.

* Universal Display Corporation was awarded a $4 million ARRA grant by DOE, under the Building Technologies Program [BTP] to scale and transfer its technologies to a partner pilot organic light-emitting diodes [OLED] manufacturing line to be set up in the U.S. The project will facilitate the growth of the embryonic OLED lighting industry by providing prototype lighting panels to U.S. luminaire manufacturers -- to incorporate into products, to facilitate testing of design, and to gauge customer acceptance. Part of a new DOE initiative designed to help establish and maintain U.S. leadership in solid-state lighting manufacturing, the funding will help UDC lay the foundation for the development of an OLED lighting industry in the U.S.

In toto, the Recovery Act awarded DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy [EERE] $16.8 billion for its programs and initiatives. For details about EERE's funding and how it is being spent, go to: http://bit.ly/RecoveryActEERE.

SOURCES: Recovery.gov, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Small Business Administration
____________________

Green Your Home or Office With Solar Products -- Available Exclusively at Real Goods Solar.

Senate Unanimously Passes Kerry Small-Business Innovation and Technology Funding Plan

Senator John Kerry [D-Mass.], a senior member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, applauded yesterday's unanimous Senate passage of two small-business research programs that Kerry originally sponsored as the committee’s former chairman.

The Small Business Innovation Research [SBIR] and Small Business Technology Transfer [STTR] programs, administered under the Small Business Administration [SBA], offer competitive awards to innovative small businesses. Reflecting Kerry’s original legislation, yesterday’s vote will reauthorize the SBIR and STTR programs for eight years, making the new sunset date for both programs Sept. 30, 2017.

"This is a shot in the arm for small businesses in Massachusetts and throughout the country," said Kerry. "This vote ensures that these programs do not lapse, so that small, high-tech firms, from Springfield to Newburyport, can continue to utilize them to develop technologies to keep our military strong, advance medical breakthroughs, and develop energy sources that are renewable and clean."

Small businesses awarded funding through SBIR or STTR work through three incremental phases. Yesterday’s legislation will increase the awards from $100,000 to $150,000 for Phase I, and from $750,000 to $1 million for Phase II.

SOURCES: Library of Congress, Sen. John Kerry's Online Office, U.S. Small Business Administration
____________________

Duct Tape Marketing® Ultimate Marketing System: Simple, Effective and Affordable Small Business Marketing

Verbatim: Leading Women Small-Business Champions Promote Rural Economic Development, Green Technology, Worker Safety, Streamlined SBA Lending

Periodically, GoodBiz113 presents diverse views on small business and entrepreneurship -- directly from those who help shape small-business policies and practices. Since this is Mother's Day Week, we're focusing on what some key women influencers said last week. Oh, and on May 10, make time to remember those special women in your life!

"This funding will immediately stimulate our local economy by creating jobs and will lay foundations for long-term economic strength by upgrading and modernizing important infrastructure. We've taken important steps toward economic recovery already, and we'll continue working over the coming months and years to ensure our economy thrives. But I'm glad this funding is reaching our communities quickly and is supporting important projects that will boost the economy." -- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen [D-N.H., pictured], announcing that the city of Franklin, N.H. [population 8,735] will receive $3,555,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act [ARRA] funds through the U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] for water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

The funds will be used to interconnect Franklin's water infrastructure with adjacent public water systems, which will create jobs and improve vital infrastructure. Funding will be provided through the USDA's Water and Environmental Program, which provides loans and grants to ensure that the necessary investments are made in water and wastewater infrastructure to deliver safe drinking water and protect the environment in rural areas.

Shaheen, a former small-business owner, became the first woman elected governor of New Hampshire, serving three terms from 1997-2003. In 2008, she became the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from New Hampshire, and now serves on the U.S. Senate committees on Foreign Relations, Energy and Natural Resources, and Small Business and Entrepreneurship. [April 28, Jeanne Shaheen: U.S. Senator for New Hampshire]

* * *

"The Clean Air Act is a landmark environmental law that has served us well for nearly four decades, but it simply was not written with the complexities of climate change in mind. The reforms needed are sweeping, and Congress must craft a policy that takes small business needs into account... Green entrepreneurship holds enormous potential for the lagging U.S. economy. Capping carbon emissions will not only protect our environment, but create an enormous market for the renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies being developed by our nation's entrepreneurs." -- Rep. Nydia Velázquez [D-N.Y.], chair of the U.S. House Committee on Small Business, during a hearing about how entrepreneurs and family farmers can play a role in addressing climate change, as well as the effect emission reductions could have on the small-business economy.

With their innovation and ingenuity, small businesses are leading developers of cutting-edge "green" technologies. Lawmakers noted that entrepreneurs make up 90% of the renewable-energy sector that is harnessing wind and solar power, as well as producing biofuels. The renewable-energy and efficiency sectors are leading a new wave of growth, and are expected to account for one out of every four jobs by 2030. Small businesses are also instrumental in efforts promoting energy efficiency in both existing and new buildings.

As stewards of the land, small family farmers are also keenly aware of the implications of climate change. In addition to promoting sound practices to conserve the land and stop runoff, representatives from the National Farmers Union told members of Congress about the lessons they have learned trading carbon offsets on the Chicago Climate Exchange. The revolutionary exchange boasts 3,500 members and trades $9 million worth of carbon credits, enough to mitigate 320,000 cars. [April 29, U.S. House Committee on Small Business]

* * *

"The goal of the process is to develop recommendations designed to assure accuracy of the supporting analyses and to identify alternatives that may reduce the burden on small businesses... I am alarmed that workers exposed to food flavorings containing diacetyl may continue to be at risk of developing a potentially fatal lung disease. Exposure to this harmful chemical already has been linked to the deaths of at least three workers. These deaths are preventable, and it is imperative that the Labor Department move quickly to address these hazards." -- Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, announcing that the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA] will convene a Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act [SBREFA] panel May 5 on a draft proposed rule on occupational exposure to diacetyl and food flavorings containing diacetyl.

Solis' interest in this issue began when she was a member of Congress, and workers in her former California district developed irreversible lung disease after being exposed to this workplace hazard. At one time, she urged OSHA to issue an emergency temporary standard to protect these workers.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their workers. OSHA's role is to promote the safety and health of America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. [April 29, U.S. Department of Labor]

* * *

"Women business owners play a huge economic, cultural and social role in every part of American life... Women business owners are at the forefront of change and progress in this country. Addressing their special needs and helping them break down obstacles are critical to the nation’seconomic recovery. Ana Harvey is the right person to help SBA accomplish that task.” -- SBA Administrator Karen Gordon Mills, announcing that Ana Recio Harvey will serve as associate administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership.

Harvey is an experienced entrepreneur and was recently the president of the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. As associate administrator of the Office of Women’s Business Ownership, Harvey will manage the agency’s efforts to promote the growth of women-owned businesses through programs that address business training and technical assistance, and provide access to credit and capital, federal contracts and international trade opportunities. [April 30, U.S. Small Business Administration]

* * *

“Today’s move by the SBA to streamline size standards for 7[a] loans will make as many as 70,000 more businesses eligible for government-backed loans... With banks throughout the country tightening lending standards to Main Street businesses, these companies have found it harder and harder to stay open. Increasing 7[a] size standards means more Main Street businesses that have been shut out of traditional lending markets will have the opportunity to utilize provisions of the Recovery Act to grow and strengthen their business.” -- Sen. Mary Landrieu [D-La.], chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, commenting on SBA's new rule to temporarily streamline size standards for businesses eligible to receive 7[a] loans. Sen. Landrieu had previously fought to streamline 7[a] size standards in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and in two separate bills last Congress.

According to the SBA, this temporary 7[a] loan size standard will parallel the standard for the agency’s 504 Certified Development Company loan, and will allow businesses to qualify based on net worth and average income. The net worth for the company and its affiliates can’t be in excess of $8.5 million, and average net income after federal income taxes [excluding any carry-over losses] for the preceding two completed fiscal years can’t be more than $3 million. The 7[a] program is the SBA’s largest lending program. [May 1, U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship]

SOURCES: Jeanne Shaheen: U.S. Senator for New Hampshire, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. House Committee on Small Business, U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, U.S. Small Business Administration, Wikipedia
____________________

A Traveler's Guide to Going Green! Green Hotels, Tips for Responsible Travel, Reducing Your Carbon Footprint, Plus More on Expedia.com.

Ten Things a Company Can Do to Support Earth Hour

On March 28, 2009, at 8:30 p.m., tens of millions of people around the world will turn out their lights for one hour -- Earth Hour — to demonstrate their concern for our living planet, and send a loud message to our leaders that they support action on climate change. Here are a few ideas for ways your organization can support and publicize the annual World Wildlife Fund-originated event:

1. Hold a contest among employees, with a prize for the best ideas for reducing waste and cutting energy consumption in your company’s daily operations.

2. Ask your business partners, suppliers and industry peers to support Earth Hour. Hang banners and posters so that your support is visible to all who enter your offices or buildings.

3. Turn your website “go black” during the week leading up to Earth Hour; make all white backgrounds black and all black text white. [Google did this in 2008!] Post a blurb about the event on your homepage that links to the Earth Hour home page.

4. Hold a companywide event or celebration for employees the week proceeding Earth Hour and serve “green-themed” refreshments. Host an Earth Hour “lights out” party for your staff, customers and vendors on the night of the event. Be sure to turn out the lights, etc., at 8:30 p.m. local time.

5. Schedule a meeting or send an e-mail to employees from the chairman or CEO explaining why the company is supporting Earth Hour, and urge them to “turn out” at home. The entire executive team, including the CEO, should pledge to participate as well.

6. Create an Earth Hour section on the company intranet where employees can post ideas for celebrating Earth Hour and photos following up the event.

7. Hold employee contests, with awards going to the staff member who recruits the most people to sign a pledge to say they will participate, or who comes up with the most creative promotional idea for Earth Hour.

8. Ask the company cafeteria to hold a special candlelight lunch the week of Earth Hour, featuring dishes prepared using organic and sustainably products to remind employees about the event.

9. Create special TV, radio and newspaper ads to showcase your company’s participation in Earth Hour, and to urge others to join.

10. Issue a news release and contact news media and radio stations and tell them what your company is doing to support Earth Hour and why.

For a variety of Earth Hour-related downloads -- e.g., T-shirt logos, posters, postcards, iPhone wallpaper, stickers -- go to: http://www.earthhour.org/downloads/.
____________________

Build Your Own Professional Solar and Wind Power Generators Faster and Cheaper Than You Ever Thought Possible!

Franken Proposes Bold Economic Solutions for Middle Class, Main Street

DFL U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken today addressed the Humphrey Institute 2008 Candidate Forum at the University of Minnesota. In his remarks, Franken called for bold action to help Minnesota's middle class: cutting taxes on working families; ending giveaways to special interests and companies that outsource; creating jobs by investing in short-term infrastructure projects; and helping small businesses find credit in an uncertain economy.

Franken also reiterated his opposition to the $700 billion Wall Street bailout, describing his concerns with the lack of oversight for the financial-services industry and the failure of Washington to address the housing crisis that sparked the economic downturn.

"We have got to change the way Washington handles the economy," Franken told the audience. "There are too many people there who believe that wealth comes from the top -- that what drives our economy is when a CEO gets a big tax cut and builds, oh, I don't know, a seventh house.

"Well, I guess that does create a few jobs, especially if it's a really fancy house. But I grew up in a middle-class family in St. Louis Park [Minn.]. And I know that it's the middle class that is the engine of prosperity in America. And what drives our economy is when everyone has a good job, and makes a decent wage, and we're building millions of homes.

"So, I believe that if we're going to re-build our economy in the wake of this massive collapse, it's going to start with re-building the middle class. That means stopping the giveaways to the special interests and putting more money in middle-class family budgets. And it means creating and protecting good jobs that offer people a chance to get ahead.

"This bailout was the exclamation point on eight years of economic mismanagement. Now is the time for us to change fundamentally the ways of Washington, so that at least it might, indeed, be the end of the sentence.

"And if we make that change, we'll be alright. We are Americans. We are the country that beat communism and beat fascism, and we can beat this crisis.

"But the people who will get our economy moving again don't work on Wall Street. They work here on Payne Avenue and in every city and town in this country. They own body shops and hair salons, and they sell bicycles and lawnmowers and homemade cookies. And, you know what? They need help. They need it now. And it's time Washington got to work."

SOLUTIONS FOR THE MIDDLE-CLASS ECONOMY: AL FRANKEN'S PLAN TO CREATE JOBS IN MINNESOTA

Al Franken believes that we need fundamental change from the policies that have put our economic security at risk. But the best way to emerge from the current economic downturn is by creating and protecting middle-class jobs here in Minnesota.

A Lifeline for Minnesota Small Businesses
Minnesota's small businesses -- which create four out of every five jobs in our state -- are paying the price for the mess on Wall Street. They are finding it harder and harder to obtain the credit they need to cover start-up costs, expand their operations, or hire new employees. To help them, Al Franken will work to unfreeze the credit market.

* Expand the Small Business Administration's Loan Guaranty Program by $1 billion, and make another $4 billion available for direct loans to small businesses.

* Simplify the loan approval process and eliminate fees for lenders and borrowers, and expand the network of lenders to increase liquidity and help small businesses get better loan rates.

Create Jobs by Investing in Infrastructure
According to the Department of Transportation, each $1 billion invested in transportation development creates over 47,500 jobs and over $1.3 billion in worker income -- and up to $6 billion in additional gross domestic product. Right now, there are projects ready to be started -- and Minnesotans ready to do this important work.

* Create nearly 150,000 jobs by investing $2 billion to pay for deferred infrastructure repair projects, and another $1 billion for capital costs of facilities and equipment needed to improve multi-modal transportation options like the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative.

An Apollo Program to Create Green Jobs
Our energy crisis could be a huge opportunity for Minnesota. With an Apollo program for renewable energy and energy efficiency, we can end our dependence on foreign oil, make our nation more secure, improve our environment -- and create "green" jobs by making Minnesota the epicenter and the engine of a new energy economy.

* Invest in research and development into new and existing renewable energy technologies: wind, solar, biofuels, carbon sequestration, and more.

* Support U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar's work to make increased availability and use of rail -- light rail, commuter rail, inter-city passenger rail -- a reality.

* Work with entrepreneurs in Minnesota to support energy-efficient technologies, such as windows and other "green building" initiatives.

End Tax Breaks for Companies That Ship Jobs Overseas
We've lost over 600,000 jobs in America just this year. Now, Minnesota's unemployment rate is the highest it's been in 22 years -- with 170,000 people unable to find work. Part of the problem is that we've seen our tax code changed to encourage companies to ship American jobs overseas. Al Franken will work to reverse that.

* Strip companies of the nearly $40 billion in tax breaks they received to ship American jobs overseas, and use that money to promote domestic manufacturing.

* Support worker re-training programs that help those whose jobs have been lost.

GoodBiz113's take: Al Franken's proposed solutions are bold -- and very much needed in order to help get small businesses, and our nation, moving again. Kudos to Al Franken for having the vision and guts to conceive and articulate such a far-reaching strategy.

SOURCE: Al Franken for U.S. Senate, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Small Business Administration
____________________

Not sure where your polling place is? At VoteForChange.com, you can find out exactly where to vote and get crucial voting information.