Green news harvest: Tracking Congress' signals
Rep. Waxman dethrones Rep. Dingell in energy post, Sen. Boxer calls for quick action on climate change, and "hypermiling" is Oxford English Dictionary's word of the year.
Here's a sampling of green-tech news, with quick commentary.
- Waxman Defeats Dingell in Race for House Energy Committee Chair - The Washington Post
California Rep. Henry Waxman's win is potentially significant change for clean-energy legislation, as Michigan Rep. John Dingell had been criticized for resisting higher fuel economy standards. - Boxer to move 'streamlined' climate bill - TheHill.com
California Sen. Barbara Boxer looks to quickly live up to Obama's environmental pledges, with climate change legislation and $15 billion a year on renewable energy. - Oil could fall to $40/bbl in 2009: Deutsche Bank - Reuters
In general, falling oil prices are bad for the clean-tech sector, particularly biofuel firms. - Clean Energy Confronts Messy Reality - The Wall Street Journal
Utilities are scaling back capital-spending plans, with renewable-energy projects getting the ax. - Omron Prototypes Compact, Simple Vibration-powered Generator -- Tech-On!
Japanese firm looks for cheap, small chips to turn vibrations into electrical energy. - Electricity from Waste Heat - Technology Review
This report focuses on another company jumping into the waste heat business. Talk about a cheap energy source. - Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year: Hypermiling - Gas 2.0
If you're not hypermiling when you drive, you're apparently out of touch. - Software Billionaire Tom Siebel Assembling $20M Green Building Contest - Greentech Media
The latest software guy to get the green-tech bug. - Leading Entrepreneurs View Climate Change as a Growing Strategic Concern, According to New Ernst & Young Survey - Press release
Data shows that climate change is a business driver, creating demand for clean-tech products. - Patrick pushes solar for big-box stores - The Boston Globe
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick looks to tweak building codes to incentivize energy efficiency and solar endeavors. - Utilities to test solar at existing gas plants - Las Vegas Review-Journal
This sounds obscure, but it's actually one way to significantly reduce the cost of solar-thermal power plants.
