AB 811 – Creative Greenius

Power Companies Driving Drunk With Power – If Only PG&E and SCE Didn’t Hate Rooftop Solar So Much We Might Meet Our AB 32 Emission Reductions.

March 4, 2010March 4, 2010climate change, environment, fossil fuels, renewable energy, solar power, Sustainability3 Comments

It’s great that Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 510 on Monday. It lifts the current “cap” on rooftop solar from the crappy 2.5% to a BFD level of 5%. The cap has to do with what percent of rooftop solar customers get to participate in the “net metering” program that actually gives them credit for the solar power they produce and feed back into the grid.

But forgive me if I’m only offering a near-silent golf clap of applause, because this whole cap program is a joke and doubling it from 2.5 to 5% is throwing a meatless bone to starving dog.

There shouldn’t even be a cap. Everyone who generates solar and feeds it back into the grid should have not only net metering available to them but they should also be getting hefty feed-in tariffs too.

But if you read the news articles, solar advocates are supposed to be oh-s0-grateful and thrilled that the net metering cap wasn’t filled leaving no more room for new solar owners.

But as you can tell, I am NOT the least bit grateful and I’m NOT thrilled one iota. The Greenius says, the state should call this the Dunce Cap program since it makes fools out of anyone who thinks this is the way to get solar power on all the roofs in California that can generate clean, green renewable energy.

It isn’t and it never will be. Judged on the results, the current programs sucks. Big time.

Continue reading ➞ Power Companies Driving Drunk With Power – If Only PG&E and SCE Didn’t Hate Rooftop Solar So Much We Might Meet Our AB 32 Emission Reductions.

It’s 2010 – Are YOU Ready for The Greenius Decade?

January 11, 2010November 29, 2013citizen volunteer, climate change, electric cars, energy efficiency, environment, fossil fuels, plug-in cars, renewable energy, solar power, Sustainability, Yes We Can!2 Comments

I sure hope you’re strapped and ready to roll for the Greenius Decade because ready or not, it’s already begun and I guarantee you it will not be like any other decade you’ve ever experienced or even previsualized. The Greenius Decade will be all now and totally happening. The Greenius Decade is ready to discover the limits of the possible by venturing a little way past them into the impossible.

Continue reading ➞ It’s 2010 – Are YOU Ready for The Greenius Decade?

Cisco DeVries’ AB 811 Baby Goes Nationwide: President Clinton Backs USA PACE Bond Program

September 24, 2009September 24, 2009climate change, energy efficiency, environment, green buildings, renewable energy, Saving Energy, solar power, Sustainability, Yes We Can!1 Comment

Sept 24, 2009, New York City (Sourced from prnewswire) – The Clinton Global Initiative announced this afternoon a breakthrough for the long overdue clean energy retrofitting of America’s homes, commercial and apartment buildings.

President Clinton himself made the announcement of a national PACE finance program as part of the Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York. PACE stands for Property Assessed Clean Energy.

It’s exactly the same kind of land secured financing we’ve been reporting on here at Creative Greenius for over a year now in our coverage of AB 811. And it all began as the brainchild of Cisco DeVries, AB 811’s undisputed Godfather and its most effective champion.

Read the press release here.

Continue reading ➞ Cisco DeVries’ AB 811 Baby Goes Nationwide: President Clinton Backs USA PACE Bond Program

Your AB 920 Greenius Update & A Call For Three Times The Sun!

August 14, 2009carbon producers, climate change, environment, environmental legislation, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, green jobs3 Comments

One of the groups I support and learn from is Environment California who have been great advocates of AB 811 and AB 920, the one-two punch for solar we absolutely need to drive solar sales at the rate demanded by today’s CO2 levels. Dan Jacobson is the Legislative Director of Environment California and he’s both progressive and effective – and someone I admire a great deal.

Dan’s been a big help to California Assemblyman Jared Huffman’s efforts to get AB 920 turned into the feed-in tariff law that will drive sales of solar literally through and onto every available rooftop in the Golden State. And if you talked with Lawrence Cooper he’d probably tell you it would be a big help in getting to 33% renewable energy in California. Lawrence Cooper works with Assemblyman Huffman, and AB 920 is one of his big responsibilities.

I heard from Cooper a couple of times this week with updates on the progress of AB 920 which is expected to be heard on Monday in Senate Appropriations, where it will be referred to the suspense file due to the cost. Cooper and his team will then start to work to get the bill out of suspense.

Cooper has already worked long and hard, including setting me straight about SCE’s support for the bill. I had gotten that wrong in my piece on Monday and Cooper was kind enough to correct me without beating me up.

Continue reading ➞ Your AB 920 Greenius Update & A Call For Three Times The Sun!

The Greenius Solution To All California’s Problems: AB 920 + AB 811 UPDATED

August 10, 2009August 13, 2009citizen volunteer, climate change, electric cars, energy efficiency, environment, environmental legislation, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, green building, green jobs, Killer Coal, plug-in cars, politics, renewable energy, Saving Energy, solar power, Yes We Can!6 Comments

AB 920 + AB 811 = Solar Powered Electric Cars & PV Powered Charging Stations

I used to get frustrated with people when they couldn’t grok what was so blatantly obvious to me. The dots that other folks were failing to even see, already looked pre-connected to me – like those incredibly real artificial Christmas trees with the lights already set in place and ready to plug-in.

It took me about five decades to realize that I was just wired to see things a certain way and that most other people come at the same things from a very different angle.

What I’m seeing plain-as-day right now is the simple and obvious solar solution to all of California’s budget and growth problems.

But I’m also seeing something even bigger and better than that. And you’ll be seeing it too, right after the jump…

Continue reading ➞ The Greenius Solution To All California’s Problems: AB 920 + AB 811 *UPDATED*

California Goes To Hell In A Handbasket But Greenius Says AB 811 is Our Route To Green Heaven

July 25, 2009July 25, 2009carbon producers, climate change, energy efficiency, environment, environmental legislation, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, green building, green buildings, green education, green jobs, News Media, politics, renewable energy, Saving Energy, solar power, Sustainability4 Comments

P1040763 As my beloved state of California’s driftless and leaderless economy was being driven deeper and deeper into the toilet by the least impressive occupants of Sacramento in modern history, I hopped in my del Sol Greeniusmobile and motored to downtown Los Angeles last month headed for the palatial headquarters of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the MTA.

I had ventured forth from the calm, cooling breezes of my mellow beach community because the treasure map I had recently discovered showed that over $600 million was available inside that building.

The treasure chest was cleverly disguised in the form of Federal stimulus money from the ARRA, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Imagine that.

While it’s sad but true that the entire gang in Sacramento can no longer figure out how to make California work, President Obama and his “Yes I Can” team do know what they’re doing. That’s why they have authorized over $7 billion bucks in energy efficiency and clean energy programs for the USA. And damned if California isn’t going to score like a horny Republican Governor on Viagra in Argentina.

Continue reading ➞ California Goes To Hell In A Handbasket But Greenius Says AB 811 is Our Route To Green Heaven

Superstars of AB 811 Rock Palm Desert @ EcoMotion Conference

June 16, 2009June 18, 2009climate change, environment, green building, renewable energy, Saving Energy, solar power, water conservation, Yes We Can!5 Comments

Part I – Burning Man’s Got Nothing On This “World Changing Revolutionary Movement”

P1040634 — Left: Bob Williams, Royal Bank of Canada Capital Markets Right: Cisco DeVries, Renewable Funding

You know you’re at some kind of special conference when all the sessions seem to end way too soon and the eight hour agenda blasts by like the all star jam session at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame dinner.

But that’s the way it felt to the Creative Greenius as I covered the EcoMotion Palm Desert AB 811 Conference on Friday at the University of California Riverside Graduate Center. Admittedly I am a geek when it comes to AB 811 type programs that give people loans to put solar on their roof and add energy efficiency to their homes. And I tend to get a little fired up when I’m around people who actually make things happen instead of just pontificating about it. Imagine that…

EcoMotion’s President, Ted Flanigan made sure Friday was one of those rare days filled with all substance and no smoke, mirrors or dog & pony shows. What an exhilarating difference a well organized and smartly thought-out lineup can make. Just ask Los Angeles Lakers Basketball fans.

Continue reading ➞ Superstars of AB 811 Rock Palm Desert @ EcoMotion Conference

Solar Powered Greenius Producing Massive South Bay Energy

June 11, 2009June 12, 2009citizen volunteer, climate change, electric cars, environment, environmental legislation, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, green building, plug-in cars, politics, renewable energy, Saving Energy, solar power, Sustainability, Yes We Can!5 Comments

Marilyn Lyon of the SBESC with your Creative Greenius at the PV Street Fair June 7

As our climate change crisis worsens and spins out of control with each passing day there’s no time to spare for those of us whose job it is to educate and motivate our fellow citizens to actions that cut our greenhouse gas emissions. I’m talking about committed environmental journalist/activists like myself who believe we have a responsibility to play more than a stenographers role in covering the single greatest threat to our civilization of our lifetimes.

That’s just one reason I spent 12 hours on behalf of the South Bay Environmental Services Center talking to people at the Palos Verdes Street Fair last weekend. And when you hear the questions folks ask at events like these you instantly realize just how little people know and understand about what’s happening to our climate and their world. Most have no idea. It’s not their fault either – their local governments and the mainstream media have failed them big time. That’s certainly the case here in Torrance, California where I live and work.

The good news is that positive things ARE happening and our efforts are starting to make a difference. It’s all happening excruciatingly too slowly of course, and at the pace we’re currently on we are quite simply as doomed as doomed can be – but in the meantime it IS starting to happen and the first signs of momentum are now starting to show. As all Lakers and NBA fans know, if you’ve got Mr. Momentum wearing your jersey you’re going to go on a scoring run. It’s a slam dunk.

Continue reading ➞ Solar Powered Greenius Producing Massive South Bay Energy

Greenius Headed To Palm Desert Looking for AB 811 Green to Green the Grid

June 4, 2009June 4, 2009climate change, environment, environmental legislation, Environmental Politics, renewable energy, solar power, SustainabilityLeave a Comment

Greenius Goes All AB 811 Over Green Task Force

May 31, 2009June 1, 2009citizen volunteer, climate change, environment, environmental legislation, Environmental Politics, green building, green education, Killer Coal, renewable energy, Saving Energy, solar power, Sustainability2 Comments

Creative Greenius talks AB 811 Financing to the Green Task Force / photo (c) Debra Bushweit Galliani

Last Thursday afternoon your Creative Greenius took yet another step on my journey to employ my professional skills, talents and resources for greater green good and not just to line my own pockets.

And so it was that I found myself in the Hermosa Beach City Council Chambers addressing the Green Task Force audience you cannot see in this photo as I presented my Finding The Green To Green The Grid House By House PowerPoint. (Click Here to Download a PDF copy of my presentation)

That audience is made up mostly of city staff members from the 17 different cities that make up the South Bay COG plus some interested citizens of those cities. On this day it also included several board members of the Environmental Priorities Network, the Reverend Ron and even Mrs. Greenius.

Fortunately I suffered no stage fright or stress because I had spent many weeks researching, interviewing, analyzing and then crafting a presentation that simplifies the information and makes the subject clear and easy for everyone to understand. For the past two decades I’ve been one of the top freelance pros in the United States doing this kind of work for my multinational corporate clients. I bring the same level of focus, dedication and work ethic to the pro bono work I’m now doing.

But I also bring something more on top of all that.

Continue reading ➞ Greenius Goes All AB 811 Over Green Task Force