What do you love for Valentine’s Day? How about a possibility for the USA to move towards transformation? It is hard to believe we may see some governmental support for Alternative and Renewable Energy & Technology: Green Building, Solar, Wind, Plug in Electric Vehicles, a Smart Grid, the fact that these are finally being recognized is a demonstration of love of our earth and humanity, consciousness growing– on Valentine’s Day in the USA. Here is what appears to be in the box of candy, but one never knows when you bite into it, what is on the inside….
Renewable Energy Incentives
$20 billion in tax incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency over 10 years, including: extending tax credits for energy produced from wind, geothermal, hydropower and landfill gas; (This is very exciting!)
grants to build renewable energy facilities ;(hope many can benefit, this is great especially if policy comes into play to inspire people towards transformation)
tax credits for purchases of energy-efficient furnaces, windows and doors, or insulation;(NYSERDA co-generation, heat coolant geothermal?)
tax credit for families that purchase plug-in hybrid vehicles (finally incentives, the Electric Vehicle will indeed be resurrected, and with better batteries: A123 )
Energy
About $50 billion for energy programs, focused chiefly on efficiency and renewable energy, (ok, this gets us going!) including
$5 billion to weatherize modest-income homes;
$6.4 billion to clean up nuclear weapons production sites; (this merits further discussion later)
$11 billion toward a so-called “smart electricity grid” —Yes, it is so anitquated our Grid, it’s time to reduce waste;
$13.9 billion to subsidize loans for renewable energy projects (Elation! World Team -Dream to Reality);
$6.3 billion in state energy efficiency and clean energy grants(NYSERDA’s deserves support for their programs)
$4.5 billion make federal buildings more energy efficient (“Got to be the change ….”)
Elated about most of this but, we will discuss the nuclear waste issue when we are not in a mode of gratitude…
Science
$3 billion for the National Science Foundation for basic science and engineering research; (Yes, hopefully explore the ocean and more with Tidal Energy)
$1 billion for NASA;
$1.6 billion research in areas such as climate science, biofuels, high-energy physics and nuclear physics. .
Infrastructure
$46 billion for transportation projects, including $27 billion for highway and bridge construction and repair;
$8.4 billion for mass transit;
$8 billion for construction of high-speed railways and $1.3 billion for Amtrak;
$4.6 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers;
$4 billion for public housing improvements;
$6.4 billion for clean and drinking water projects;
$7 billion to bring broadband Internet service to underserved areas.
Expanded college credit
About $13 billion to provide a $2,500 expanded tax credit for college tuition and related expenses for 2009 and 2010. The credit is phased out for couples making more than $160,000.
It will be interesting to see what legislation actually goes into effect and becomes solid. We focused on the legislation that aligned with the core competencies of the work we have been focused on developing with World Team for almost two decades. The other issues are significant as well but, and like cells of our body all contribute to the whole of this will become emergent.
Now property owners in Lake Placid, New York, will have an opportunity to start saving money from their homes and businesses, with renewable energies. On Saturday, October 18, the Mayor of Lake Placid, the municipal electric department, the region’s energy efficiency program (IEEP), and World Team Now, (aka World Team Now), along with Lake Placid icon Betty Eldridge, will launch an initiative to showcase renewable energy options. Through this local team initiative, owners with renewable energy system(s), such as solar, will be gifted a “Net Meter”. The Net Meter can measure, not only the use of electricity but also the electricity produced on site by the home or business, which will be “bought back” from Lake Placid Village Electric. There will be lead-up events taking place at Mrs. Eldridge’s residence in Lake Placid on Sunday, September 28th, and Saturday, Oct. 4th. Mrs. Eldridge will host a tour of her environmental model home, as well as lead an outdoor cleanup. See http://worldteamnow.org. The initiative is a joint effort between local/regional bodies, World Team and World Team Now, a 501(c)(3) whose mission is to activate a global forum to implement sustainable solutions for environmental and social issues. The program will give local customers an incentive to invest in renewable energy options through the use of this single device – the net meter.
“Betty is the perfect role model for this net metering initiative,” says Suzanne Maxx, founder and president of World Team Now, and a former student of the North Country School. “She is a pioneer, like Eleanor Roosevelt.”
