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Wage confusion delays weatherization program
Olympian
11/19/2009
Washington's home-weatherization efforts have fallen at least two months behind goals set under the federal stimulus aid, the result of a mix-up over conflicting wage requirements under federal and state laws.
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'Cash for Caulkers' home weatherization program
New York Times
11/18/2009
The economy still needs help. So White House officials are looking at creating a new version of cash for clunkers -- this time for home weatherization. Call it "cash for caulkers."
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California rejects energy-hungry TVs
Los Angeles Times
11/18/2009
California moved to crack down on the sale of energy-gobbling big-screen television sets that now account for about 10 percent of a typical household's monthly power bill.
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Home energy-efficiency startup wins CA green contest
San Francisco Chronicle
11/18/2009
Startup companies with ways to save energy and make plastic from wastewater took top honors Tuesday evening in the 2009 Cleantech Open, an annual contest to find and nurture California's promising environmental entrepreneurs.
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Energy-efficient fish science
Juneau Empire
11/18/2009
Work at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries lab in Juneau has expanded beyond fish research to include energy conservation. The lab is using roof-top wind turbines and other modifications to cut energy use.
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A Q&A with Al Gore
Seattle Times
11/17/2009
On a book tour in Seattle, former Vice President Al Gore weighs in on the Copenhagen climate summit, Obama's efforts so far, the prospects for US legislation, pseudo-science and garden-variety denial.
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Is 'cash for clunker appliances' coming to Seattle?
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
11/17/2009
If you were hoping to buy a new, energy-efficient dishwasher or fridge with a federal rebate by Christmas, you're out of luck.
Cash for clunker appliances - officially known as the US Department of Energy's state energy efficient appliance rebate program - won't be available in Washington until February of next year.
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EPA has new 'green homes' Web site
Oregonian
11/17/2009
The US Environmental Protection Agency has a new "Green Homes" Web site that aims to guide homeowners and renters toward environmentally friendly home improvement and yard care.
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So you want a green career?
Los Angeles Times
11/15/2009
Although the recession has emptied shopping malls and filled jobless centers, the call has only gotten louder for renewable energy, environmentally gentle products and eco-friendly practices - and for people to make all of that happen. The giant push has even created job opportunities for those with little or no experience.
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Views: OR governor defends green tax breaks
Oregonian
11/15/2009
The growth in Oregon's renewable energy sector was not by accident - it was by design and the result of public policies that encourage new companies to move here and thrive here, writes OR governor Ted Kulongoski.
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Seal up your house to save money, guilt
Oregonian
11/11/2009
A little DIY advice from energy-conservation expert Marshall Runkel can help us seal the cracks and crevasses of our old homes, assuage our guilt, and save some money, all in a single weekend.
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Is U. of Montana green enough?
New West
11/11/2009
The University of Montana has launched its new Climate Change Studies minor program, the first of its kind in the nation. But its commitment to sustainability is evident in other ways: a greenhouse gas inventory, energy audits, an interdisciplinary curriculum on climate issues and a student-created revolving loan fund to pay for energy and waste saving projects on campus.
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Idaho 'smart grid' technology boosts efficiency
Boise Idaho Statesman
11/10/2009
Since 2005 Idaho Power has offered customers in Emmett different rates for different times of the day help people reduce their own bills and the utilities' demand for power. Thanks to a $47 million stimulus grant from the Obama administration's Department of Energy, all of Idaho Power's customers will have similar tools for reducing their power bills by 2012.
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A house made of straw and mud in Boise
Boise Idaho Statesman
11/09/2009
On a small lot tucked between conventional homes on Boise Avenue, Mark Lung is hard at work stacking bales of straw and mixing mud.
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No clear map to new energy plan
New York Times
11/08/2009
Congress is unlikely, this year or next, to establish the "cap and trade" system for curbing carbon emissions that President Obama and Democratic party leaders seek. Nor are world leaders next month likely to strike a concrete deal to limit emissions. The Democrats' challenge is to make enough progress to avoid defeat in the near term and achieve their priorities in the long run.
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Energy projects: crazy or revolutionary?
The Christian Science Monitor
11/08/2009
Last week, the US Department of Energy announced a series of new energy-efficiency projects that could “fundamentally change the way we use and produce energy.” The projects - such as trying to produce gasoline from sunlight and CO2 - are, in the words of one observer, so crazy they may actually work.
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Climate change: Threat or opportunity?
Washington Post
11/06/2009
A curious debate has broken out among American environmental groups, as the Senate balkily starts to focus on the threat of climate change. Is this really the time to talk about shrinking glaciers?
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Portland gets $5.6 million for energy retrofits
Oregonian
11/04/2009
Portland is getting $5.6 million in federal stimulus dollars for energy efficiency projects including upgrading traffic and pedestrian signals and paying for residential energy efficiency loans.
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Oregon reins in renewable tax breaks
Oregonian
11/03/2009
Oregon energy officials released new rules Tuesday aimed at curbing a controversial state program that grants lucrative tax subsidies for wind, solar and other renewable power plants. The changes are intended to rein in some of the runaway costs of the program.
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Campbell announces sweeping BC energy policy goals
Vancouver Sun
11/02/2009
BC's premier aims to make the province an international leader in green power development -- both for local energy needs and for export to the US and elsewhere in Canada. He's rolling out the red carpet, seeking proposals from private industry.
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WA, OR on cutting edge for green jobs
Vancouver Columbian
11/03/2009
The green research firm, Clean Edge, has released a study of "clean-tech" jobs, identifying the top 15 metro areas in the US for jobs in fields such as renewable energy and energy efficiency. The Puget Sound region (Seattle, Tacoma, Bremerton) and the Portland-Salem area in Oregon, ranked seventh and eighth, respectively.
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Green energy tax incentives cost Oregon more than predicted
Coos Bay World
11/02/2009
According to an investigation by the Oregonian, OR officials underestimated the cost of Gov. Ted Kulongoski's plan to lure green energy companies to Oregon with big subsidies, resulting in a program that cost far more than expected. Kulongoski's staff says that they had no idea the program would be this popular when they designed the policy.
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Northwest energy efficiency better in 2008
Coos Bay World
11/02/2009
Improved energy efficiency reduced power demand by an amount equal to about 148,000 homes across the Northwest last year.
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BC seeking green energy proposals from private industry
Toronto Globe and Mail
11/03/2009
British Columbia will ask private industry for a new slate of green electricity proposals in the spring, Premier Gordon Campbell says, as the government pushes to more quickly develop clean energy for the province and for export.
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Portland aims for Denmark-style bike culture
Willamette Week
11/02/2009
If city planners have their way, Copenhagen will be the model for Portland's urban transportation network. Bikes account for 55 percent of all trips in the Danish city, and 37 percent of commutes. Portland's commuting number -- near tops among large US cities and growing -- is a comparatively scanty 8 percent.
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