Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Public Citizen, texas energy future on February 19, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
We had a meet a greet after the Texas Energy Future conference yesterday, and Boy Oh Boy was it a rip-roaring good time. Here are a few pictures of last night’s festivities. Look for yourself if you were there, and if you missed out… be jealous, and next time, Get Your Butts Over Here! Public Citizen knows how to party!
More embarrassing photos after the jump!
Posted in Global Warming, tagged China, Pasadena, roger efird, solar, solar cells, sunpower, suntech, Texas, texas energy future, tom werner on February 19, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
We’ve said before that if Texas adopts a policy goal of 2,000 MW of distributed solar by 2020 (the equivalent of solar on 500,000 homes), the state will be able to create as many as 21,500 jobs, stabilize energy prices, and avoid 29 million tons of climate change pollution.
But wait, there’s more!
At the Texas Energy Future conference yesterday, keynote speaker Tom Werner, CEO of SunPower Corporation (manufacturer of the world’s most efficient solar panels and cells) said that if Texas adopted a 2000 MW goal, that would be enough of a capacity commitment to justify the capital costs needed to build a new manufacturing plant here.
Roger Efird, President of Suntech America (the leading world manufacturer of solar panels and cells) also said that he wants Suntech to be the first company to export jobs out of China and into Texas. He concurred that a 2,000 MW goal would be enough of a state commitment to locate new manufacturing facilities right here in the Lone Star State. Suntech’s solar cells themselves are already produced in Pasadena, and the aluminum is locally made as well — but then shipped off to China, where the glass is made and final assembly occurs. That’s a pretty inefficient process — shipping heavy containers out to China, and then shipping back every heavier and more fragile solar panels back again for installation in the United States. Suntech would much rather be able to do all of their business in-state, but right now the economics just aren’t right for that to happen. Time for the Texas Legislature to get cracking on an aggressive solar committment and incentive program!
Posted in Global Warming, tagged 81st Texas Legislative Session, alliance for a clean texas, California, clean jobs, climate change, denver museum of nature, Energy Efficiency, green power, Lloyd Doggett, mark strama, obama, Rodney Ellis, solar, state legislature, Texas, texas capitol, van jones, wind energy on February 19, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Bright and early yesterday morning, US Representative Lloyd Doggett, State Senator Rodney Ellis, State Representative Mark Strama, and environmental and civil rights advocate Van Jones stood together to tout the Alliance for a Clean Texas’ Texas Energy Future: Clean Jobs, Green Power Conference.
Rodney Ellis opened up the press conference, stating that this year’s legislative session looks to be a very green session. He also mentioned, as he has before, that the legislature is at a crucial moment in terms of climate change action. If the legislature doesn’t act this year, the federal government will likely pass and begin implementing comprehensive global warming legislation before the state legislature will have a chance to meet again. If Texas is not prepared for this kind of drastic policy change, we may not have a chance to address these issues again until 2011.
Senator Ellis then gave the mic over to the group he termed the “Dapper Three” (swoon!).
Continue Reading and watch video of Van Jones after the jump! (more…)
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