Congestion expected after Toyota's green car orders soar

Pay particular attention to the end of the article which talks about the 2020 Olympics being the advent of a "hydrogen town" housing Olympic athletes.  That is only five years away.

There is a movement here in New England to get some hydrogen fueling stations in place.  The one controversy blocking some of that work is a sentiment that it still commits us to fueling our cars on fossil fuel and requires lots of processing and transportation.  Is using electricity a better choice?  How hard is it to build capacity and distribution for either technology?

Of course, most of us like having choices and that may end up driving the market place.  Let the consumer decide. 

Toyota has been swamped by orders for its first mass market hydrogen fuel-cell car, the company said Thursday, with demand in the first month nearly four times higher than expected for the whole year.

The Japanese auto giant said it had received more than 1,500 orders for its "Mirai" sedan since its launch in mid-December. It had planned to sell 400 in Japan over 12 months.

Unexpectedly high demand for the environmentally friendly four-door car -- which has a 6.7 million yen ($56,900) price tag -- means early buyers might have a bit of a wait.

"Due to the large volume of orders received, Toyota forecasts a significantly longer time to delivery than originally expected," the statement said.

Fuel-cell cars are seen as the Holy Grail of green cars as they are powered by a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, which emits nothing more harmful than water from its exhaust.

But a limited driving range and lack of refuelling stations have hampered development of fuel-cells and their cousin, all-electric cars, which environmentalists say could play a vital role in cutting greenhouse gas emissions and slowing global warming.

The Mirai can travel about 650 kilometres (400 miles) without refuelling, some three times further than an electric car, and its tank can be filled in a few minutes like gasoline engine vehicles, according to Toyota.

The car will hit the US and some European countries, including Britain, Germany and Denmark, this year, Toyota has said.

It hopes to sell more than 3,000 units by the end of 2017 in the United States, and up to 100 annually in Europe.

Japanese automakers, including Toyota's rivals Honda and Nissan, have been leaders in the green car sector.

This week, Honda unveiled the newest version of its FCV fuel-cell car at the Detroit auto show, with the vehicle set to hit the market next year.

Toyota has announced it is making thousands of patents for fuel cell vehicles royalty-free in an effort to encourage other automakers into the new industry.

News of the rapid success of the Mirai -- which means "future" in Japanese -- comes a week after the Tokyo metropolitan government announced the athlete's village for the 2020 Olympics would be a futuristic "hydrogen town".

On Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he wants all government departments to use fuel-cell cars, and pledged to cut red tape so it is easier to set up hydrogen re-fuelling stations.

Renewables Competitive With Fossil Fuels : IRENA

This is our Super Bowl victory.  Getting renewables on a competitive playing field with traditional sources of power will quickly move us to a clean-energy economy and a truly sustainable future.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says the cost of generating power from some renewable energy sources has reached parity or is cheaper than cost of fossil fuels.

The Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2014 report states biomass, hydro, geothermal and onshore wind are all competitive with or cheaper than coal, oil and gas-fired power stations – and that’s even without subsidies.

Individual wind projects are consistently generating electricity for USD 0.05 per kilowatt-hour without financial support, compared to  USD 0.045 to 0.14/kWh for fossil-fuel power plants.

Solar PV is rapidly closing the gap; with solar panel costs falling 75 per cent since the end of 2009 and utility-scale solar PV electricity generation costs plummeting 50 per cent since 2010.

IRENA notes a recent utility scale PV tender in Dubai was costed at just just 0.06USD/kWh.

Residential solar power systems are now as much as 70% cheaper than in 2008.

Between 2010 and 2014, the average LCOE (levelized cost of electricity) of residential systems in Australia declined by 52% and residential electricity price parity has been reached in parts of the nation. The report states the LCOE of solar PV in Australia is highly competitive due to the country’s excellent solar resources.

“Now is the time for a step-change in deployment for renewables,” said Adnan Z. Amin, Director-General of IRENA. “It has never been cheaper to avoid dangerous climate change, create jobs, reduce fuel import bills and future-proof our energy system with renewables. This requires public acknowledgement of the low price of renewables, an end to subsidies for fossil fuels, and regulations and infrastructure to support the global energy transition.”

The report says there are no technical barriers to the increased integration of variable renewable resources.

” At low levels of penetration, the grid integration costs will be negative or modest, but can rise as penetration increases. Even so, when the local and global environmental costs of fossil fuels are taken into account, grid integration costs look considerably less daunting, even with variable renewable sources providing 40% of the power supply. In other words, with a level playing field and all externalities considered, renewables remain fundamentally competitive.”

In terms of small scale off-grid and remote power, renewables now offer the best economic solution compared to diesel-fired generation – and this is  despite the reduction in oil prices at the end of last year and the beginning of 2015.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is the global hub for renewable energy cooperation and information exchange. It consists of 138 members (137 States and the European Union), including Australia.

- See more at: http://www.renewablenow.biz/the-sustainable-community.html#sthash.Bo1DJ9eU.dpuf

SUSTAINGATE, Is Your Team Green?

Sports, particularly the NFL, can be great role models if they embrace sustainability.  This weekend 100mm people will be focused on the big game.  What a great chance to showcase more than football skills.  What if, as an example, in AZ this Sunday the Super Bowl was a zero-waste event?  What if that was promoted heavily to the fans?  Of course, what if the fans played a major role in participating in a zero-waste Super Bowl?  

We wish both teams well, hope the fans enjoy a great game and the NFL steps back after and thinks about how this amazing platform could positively influence our kids and inspire them beyond the gridiron.  

With all the hoopla whirling around about under inflated footballs, and the crazy jokes that have come along with what seems to have captured the interest of the American public you, know ReNewable Now couldn't sit on the sidelines and not try to get into the fry of things. But you know what, who needs Deflategate when you have SUSTAINGATE?

Are the two teams heading into the Superbowl sustainable? Or are they just Greenwashing? Let's take a look at the team's stadiums that have been pulled into SUSTAINGATE- first we'll start with the New England Patriots' Gillette Stadium and see where it stands.

The Patriots' Gillette Stadium opened in 2002. Since then, stadium operators calculate annual savings of well over $1m through a 30% reduction in energy consumption from lighting and heating automation, recycling, solar arrays and LED lighting. The stadium also has a closed loop water system that reclaims upwards of 16m gallons of water a year in its own wastewater treatment plant.

Jim Nolan, Patriots and Gillette Stadium senior vice-president of administration, operations and finance, said: "If you include the wastewater re-use system that was included in the original design and construction of the stadium, our annual savings through sustainability initiatives exceed $2m annually."

In 2010, the Patriots installed at 500kW solar array and last year added a further 1.4MW that provides around 40% of the energy needs for Patriot Place, a mall next to the stadium. "We have found our sustainability measures to be very good for business," said Nolan. "There is investment to get initiatives off the ground once they're operational, they're cash positive. Specifically, I look at the solar arrays as being smart business deals and initiatives to reduce waste and utility consumption that are also cash positive."

Lets take a look at the Seahawks and some facts that we found on their home field CenturyLink Field.

• 97% of the Kingdome concrete was recycled, with 35% used in the construction of CenturyLink Field.

• 94% of waste generated at CenturyLink Field and CenturyLink Field Event Center is diverted from landfills. That's up from 47% just four years ago.

• In 2012 CenturyLink Field produced 5 million gallons of biodiesel through recycling of used cooking oil (that's a lot of garlic fries). And we're on track to do more this year.

• 614 recycle and compost bins are located throughout CenturyLink Field. 100% of food containers are compostable and all plastic bottles are recyclable.

• 100% of urinals have been retrofitted with ultra-low-flow water fixtures, saving more than 1.3 million gallons of water every year.

• We used 15% less water in 2012, enough to provide water for more than 21,533 people for a year. That's nearly the entire population of Bainbridge Island.

• 94% of cleaning and soap products we use are Green Seal certified. Our system eliminates the use of chemicals in general purpose cleaning and reduces overall chemical-based cleaning around the stadium.

• Solar panels spanning the area of two football fields now sit atop CenturyLink Field Event Center, generating more than 800,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually. We now meet 30% of our facility's energy needs with solar power.

• Arch lighting has been converted to programmable LEDs, resulting in a huge energy savings (not to mention some eye-catching light shows).
• 
  
• 3.8 million pounds of CO2 was diverted from the atmosphere last year, the equivalent of permanently removing 260 cars from Seattle roadways.
• 
  
• In 2012, despite an increase in the number of visitors, we reduced our energy consumption by 12%.
• 
  
• Right now, 32% of our fans use public transportation to CenturyLink Field. We think we can do better. We continue to work with regional transit organizations to get the word out about game-day alternatives to driving.
• 
  
• CenturyLink Field installed six electric vehicle charging stations on site—four in the north parking lot and two in the parking garage.

• In 2010 our concessions partner implemented a sustainability program with suppliers to focus on using organic fruits and vegetables, sustainably harvested seafood, meats from humanely raised livestock, and local products whenever possible.

• On a typical game day we donate food to Food Lifeline and Operation Sack Lunch. Nearly 4,600 individual meals were donated in 2011 alone—that's 11,000+ pounds of food. (Or, as it's known around the Seahawks locker room, breakfast.)

When you look at both teams you have to say we found no fouls when it comes to their sustainability efforts, a matter of fact, both teams clearly have come clean on our SUSTAINGATE investigation.

We wish them both good luck for the big game this Sunday. And as far as the footballs are concerned, why not use a recycled NERF football and forget about all that hot air?

Gillette Stadium facts found at The Guardian

CenturyLink Field facts found at Defend Your Turf

- See more at: http://www.renewablenow.biz/renewable-living.html#sthash.8g7IT0Wj.dpuf

Denmark leads the way in wind energy production

 Denmark leads the way in wind energy production

 

Ned Haluzan

Denmark is yet again making the full use of its wind energy resources by setting another record. In 2014 this European country generated 39,1 of its electricity from wind. Transition to clean energy looks to be easy for Denmark and the country is well on track to achieve the 2020 energy goal of generating 50 percent of its power from renewables.

Denmark is these days more focused on offshore wind resources. In fact, in 2014, country added around 100 offshore wind turbines to its energy grid. Wind should play major role in Denmark's goal to achieve fossil-free energy use by 2050, especially offshore wind farms.

There are some energy analysts who believe that if Denmark continues this path of wind energy production it will soon suffer from an overabundance of wind energy. There is the fear that record wind energy production could lead to deflated prices which could result in energy companies charging customers more to account for the cost gap.

At this moment, however, Denmark is selling excess wind production to neighboring countries. Denmark is also one of the leading wind energy manufacturers in the world.

There are many prominent companies with base in Denmark such as Vestas and Siemens Wind Power. Denmark is the global leader in offshore wind turbine manufacturing with 9 out of 10 being produced in Denmark.

Denmark has a along history of wind energy use, with first wind turbines being installed back in 1970s.

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Thomas Edison: Champion of Renewable Energy

Not surprising that Thomas Edison contemplated wind and solar energy before most of us.  Think about where we'd be today if we had listened.

Thomas Edison: Champion of Renewable Energy

Thomas Edison, father of the electric light, saw the value of renewable energy

By Larry West

American inventor Thomas Edison often gets a bad rap from environmentalists. After all, he invented those incandescent light bulbs we’re all so busy replacing with more efficient models, not to mention a whole slew of power-thirsty machines and appliances—from the phonograph to the motion picture camera.

Almost single-handedly, it seems, Edison made modern civilization dependent on electricity—and the natural resources required to generate it.

Edison Experimented with Renewable Energy
But Edison was also a pioneer in renewable energy and green technology. He experimented with home-based wind turbines to generate electricity and provide homeowners with an independent source of power, and he teamed up with his friend Henry Ford to develop an electric car that would run on rechargeable batteries.

Most of all, Edison’s keen mind and insatiable curiosity kept him thinking and experimenting throughout his long life—and renewable energy was one of his favorite topics.

Edison Favored Renewable Energy Over Fossil Fuels
Edison knew that fossil fuels such as oil and coal wouldn’t last forever, and he saw the virtually untapped potential of renewable energy sources—such as wind power and solar power—that could be harnessed and put to work for the benefit of mankind.

In 1931, the same year he died, Edison told his friends Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone: “I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.”

Toyota & Dr. Michio Kaku Open the Door to the Hydrogen Automobile Future - See more at: http://www.renewablenow.biz/main.html#sthash.6weyXHKi.dpuf

One of the updates we covered this week on our main site.  We see hydrogen, though some don't like it because it is fossil fuel, as part of the fuel solution:



The Toyota is opening the door to the hydrogen future, making available thousands of hydrogen fuel cell patents royalty free. Announced today at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show, this Toyota initiative will spur development and introduction of innovative fuel cell technologies around the world.

Toyota will invite royalty-free use of approximately 5,680 fuel cell related patents held globally, including critical technologies developed for the new Toyota Mirai.  The list includes approximately 1,970 patents related to fuel cell stacks, 290 associated with high-pressure hydrogen tanks, 3,350 related to fuel cell system software control and 70 patents related to hydrogen production and supply.

“At Toyota, we believe that when good ideas are shared, great things can happen,” said Bob Carter, Senior Vice President of Automotive Operations at Toyota Motor Sales, USA Inc. “The first generation hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, launched between 2015 and 2020, will be critical, requiring a concerted effort and unconventional collaboration between automakers, government regulators, academia and energy providers.  By eliminating traditional corporate boundaries, we can speed the development of new technologies and move into the future of mobility more quickly, effectively and economically.”

Toyota has a long history of opening its intellectual properties through collaboration, and was instrumental in facilitating the widespread adoption of hybrid vehicles by licensing related patents.  Today’s announcement represents the first time that Toyota has made its patents available free of charge and reflects the company’s aggressive support for developing a hydrogen-based society.
                                                        
This Toyota initiative builds on previous commitments, including substantial financial support for the development of a hydrogen fueling infrastructure in California and the northeastern United States. In May 2014, Toyota announced a $7.3 million loan to FirstElement Fuels to support the operations and maintenance of 19 hydrogen fueling stations across California. In November 2014, Toyota announced a collaboration with Air Liquide to develop and supply a phased network of 12 state-of-the-art hydrogen stations targeted for New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

The hydrogen fuel cell patents will be made available to automakers who will produce and sell fuel cell vehicles, as well as to fuel cell parts suppliers and energy companies who establish and operate fueling stations, through the initial market introduction period, anticipated to last until 2020. Companies working to develop and introduce fuel cell busses and industrial equipment, such as forklifts, are also covered. Requests from parts suppliers and companies looking to adapt fuel cell technology outside of the transportation sector will be evaluated on a case by case basis.

Today’s announcement covers only fuel cell-related patents wholly owned by Toyota.  Patents related to fuel cell vehicles will be available for royalty-free licenses until the end of 2020. Patents for hydrogen production and supply will remain open for an unlimited duration. As part of licensing agreements, Toyota will request, but will not require, that other companies share their fuel cell-related patents with Toyota for similar royalty-free use.

- See more at: http://www.renewablenow.biz/the-sustainble-auto.html#sthash.NnMPWR8g.dpuf

Most fossil fuels are 'unburnable'

According to this article, we have backed ourselves into a carbon corner and have little room to breath.  Now is the turning point in our commitment to building a clean-energy economy.  Leaving fossil fuels unburned in the ground is a gift to the next generation, and paves the way for their good health and success.

Most fossil fuels are 'unburnable'

 

By Helen Briggs

                                         Getty Images 

 More than four fifths of the world's coal cannot be burned to meet climate targets, according to scientists
Most of the world's fossil fuel reserves will need to stay in the ground if dangerous global warming is to be avoided, modelling work suggests.

Over 80% of coal, 50% of gas and 30% of oil reserves are "unburnable" under the goal to limit global warming to no more than 2C, say scientists.

University College London research, published in Nature journal, rules out drilling in the Arctic.
And it points to heavy restrictions on coal to limit temperature rises.

"We've now got tangible figures of the quantities and locations of fossil fuels that should remain unused in trying to keep within the 2C temperature limit," said lead researcher Dr Christophe McGlade, of the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources.

"Policy makers must realise that their instincts to completely use the fossil fuels within their countries are wholly incompatible with their commitments to the 2C goal."
Past research has found that burning all of the world's fossil fuel resources would release three times more carbon than that required to keep warming to no more than 2C.

The new study uses models to estimate how much coal, oil and gas must go unburned up to 2050 and where it can be extracted to stay within the 2C target regarded as the threshold for dangerous climate change.

The uneven distribution of resources raises huge dilemmas for countries seeking to exploit their natural resources amid attempts to strike a global deal on climate change:
The Middle East would need to leave about 40% of its oil and 60% of its gas underground
The majority of the huge coal reserves in China, Russia and the United States would have to remain unused.

Undeveloped resources of unconventional gas, such as shale gas, would be off limits in Africa and the Middle East, and very little could be exploited in India and China.

Unconventional oil, such as Canada's tar sands, would be unviable.

The research also raises questions for fossil fuel companies about investment in future exploration, given there is more in the ground than "we can afford to burn", say the UCL scientists.

"We shouldn't waste a lot of money trying to find fossil fuels which we think are going to be more expensive," co-researcher Prof Paul Ekins told the BBC.

"That almost certainly includes Arctic resources. It will certainly include a lot of the shale gas resources in Europe, which have not really been explored or exploited at all."

Golden age
Carbon capture and storage would have only "a relatively modest effect" on how much fossil fuels can be used because of its expense and late introduction, the scientists added.

Emma Pinchbeck, WWF-UK's head of energy and climate change policy, said the study showed "yet again that the majority of the world's fossil fuel reserves, and coal in particular, must stay in the ground to stay within two degrees of warming".

And Rob Bailey, research director for energy, environment and resources at Chatham House, said the finding that half of natural gas reserves must remain untapped will make uncomfortable reading for governments seeking to replicate the US shale revolution and displace dirtier coal.

"The recently heralded golden age of gas will be short lived if we are to avoid dangerous climate change," he said.

Listen up Beijing

Part of our job is to share practices around the world.  We have a partner and contributor in Beijing and get first hand reports from him on living there dealing with the environmental disaster the City and China has become.

We were back in LA and S. Cal this fall came away convinced that some day they would see the end to dense fog over their beautiful City.  The air quality improvements were very noticeable...and enjoyable.  We spent a fair amount of time on top of buildings and got see hills in the distance.

As pointed out by the writer below, LA and CA are the models for trying to migrate away from a fossil fuel economy to a clean energy one  Through govt, academic, non-profit and corporate collaboration and enthusiasm, good things are happening in their march to offering citizens a healthy, vibrant quality of life.  We, too, hope officials in Beijing and other over developed cities take note and follow.

Listen up Beijing. This is what you can learn from Los Angeles about fighting smog

 By Jaime A. FlorCruz

A sense of humor helps. Beijingers coined the wry phrase '#APEC blue' after authorities used extreme measures to control pollution during November's APEC summit. The smog quickly returned after the summit finished and world leaders had departed. With snow forecast this week in the capital, locals have coined a new weather word: snoggy.

Face masks that protect against the smog are de rigueur for both a morning stroll .....

....and sporting events like the recent Beijing marathon. Fashion designers are even incorporating face masks into designs and runway shows. Schools keep students indoors during heavy smog. The International School of Beijing has erected a huge dome to allow kids space to roam and breathe. Otherwise they would have little opportunity for physical exercise in clean air. The pollution problem is also driving innovation. Infipure's "nose mask" claims to cut 99% of PM 2.5 particles without the bulkiness of a surgical face mask. The disposable filters, made from non-toxic, latex-free materials, are inserted into your nostrils and aim to be undetectable. Artists have come up with their own take on the problem. Chiu Chih has designed a a bold, abstract take on an oxygen tank -- a potted plant inside a clear backpack hooked up to two tubes to funnel fresh air into a face mask. British artist Matt Hope attached a small generator to a bike's back wheel and as he pedals, electricity is produced to power his homemade filtration system. He says it's "an ironic commentary about living in China." Thomas Talhelm started worrying about the air inside his Beijing home in 2013 but couldn't afford the luxury of an expensive air purifier. He created an air purifier consisting of a basic household fan with a HEPA filter attached to it. But it's not always gloomy. Clear days provoke a frenzy of photo taking in and around the Chinese capital. These days though are not common enough. Editor's note: CNN's Beijing bureau chief Jaime FlorCruz has lived and worked in China since 1971. He studied Chinese history at Peking University (1977-81) and was TIME Magazine's Beijing correspondent and bureau chief (1982-2000).

Beijing (CNN) -- For years China has been the envy of the world, hailed as the great 'economic miracle' thanks to its sustained double-digit growth.

Of late, however, the Middle Kingdom has also become the poster boy for environmental degradation, a target of ridicule for Beijing's now notorious "airpocalyse."

Even U.S. President Barack Obama could not resist dissing Beijing's bad air.

Seoul's smog problem

"I would just point to one simple example, and that is you would not want your kids growing up in Beijing right now, because they could not breathe," President Obama said while defending his controversial environmental regulation last week.

"And the fact of the matter is that used to be true in Los Angeles -- as recently as 1970. And the reason it changed was because of the Clean Air Act," he added.

READ: Unmasking a new trend: Stylish smog masks

Lessons

Like LA, Beijing sits in a virtual 'bowl.'

Surrounded by mountain ranges, air -- clean or dirty -- typically gets trapped when there's no wind blowing. This similar geography hopefully delivers valuable anti-pollution lessons Beijing can heed.

Speaking at a recent forum held at the Stanford Center in Peking University, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said that pollution isn't the result of bad geography alone but "human activity in that bad geography."

Like Beijing today, LA in the last century went through a rapid rise in population and an economic boom.

"With this followed demands for more power, more jobs, and the rising middle class that did things like buy cars and drive them," Garcetti said.

"We grew and are proud of that growth, as you here in Beijing should be too. But it came at a cost."

"Our first smog attack came near World War II, and it was so bad that some thought it was a chemical weapon attack by Japanese forces during the war."

As the LA population grew, smog in the 1950s and 1960s got worse.

"Our economy thrived but our air did not. Like Beijing today, 60 years ago LA was fumed up from oil refineries, power plants, our steel and chemical plants," Garcettie said.

Pollution came at a human cost.

"In the 1970s when I grew up. We breathed the dirtiest air in the world," Garcetti explained. "Kids were kept from playing outside. Emergency rooms were filled with patients."

Three step plan to beating pollution

Garcetti ticked off three effective measures to combat the smog.

Step 1: Face the truth, accept it and own it. When LA was in self-denial, "we used polite words to describe smog, like 'it's just a hazy day' or 'it's overcast'," Garcetti recalled.

Step 2: Build a strong government for enforcement. In 1963, the government passed its first Clean Air Act, which mandated governments at federal and local levels to get involved. In 1970, it passed its first emission standards for cars.

Step 3: Get the public sector and ordinary people involved to make sure that the government's held accountable. Private groups and civil society played important roles as whistle-blowers and watchdogs.

The city did not have to sacrifice growth either, Garcetti said.

"When you pair a regulation with innovation, you get a pro-growth policy," he said.

"Turning to new green energy not only improved LA's pollution problem, it sparked an entirely new clean tech industry that attracted new businesses in our city and employed tens of thousands of people."

"Today, I'm the mayor of a city that has seen the population double at the same time we reduced ozone level by nearly two thirds. We have beautiful sunny days, with clear skies throughout most of the year."

Consolation

It may be a small consolation for Beijingers to know that when LA was mired in bad air and dirty water, the skies in the Chinese capital were clear.

I fondly remember Beijing in the 1970s and 1980s, when rivers where clean and people fished and swam. Except for the few days when sand storms whipped up from the Gobi desert swept over Beijing, the city's sky was typically blue.

Of course, Beijing then had a few industries, life was spartan, population movement was severely restricted, and most people got around via bicycles, not cars.

The encouraging news is residents and officials in Beijing now agree that China needs to clean its air.

Last month, when Beijing hosted the annual APEC summit meeting, Chinese officials pulled out all the stops to ensure the sky was clear -- forcing factories to close, limiting the number of cars on the road and declaring a six-day holiday to encourage citizens to leave Beijing.

It largely worked. Most of the days turned out to be smog free, prompting people to coin the phrase "APEC blue."

Of course, these are short-term fixes and China needs to make sure long-term measures come to fruition.

China's foreign ministry said in response to a question on President Obama's swipe it hoped that "APEC blue" could last permanently.

Let's hope they're successful because at stake is the health and well-being of millions of Chinese, not to mention China's national pride.

Watch and listen tonight

To our special live coverage of the discussion around energy deregulation and how it impacts consumers:

Show Description:

The cost of electricity continues to grow with some areas in the United States seeing an increase of over 11% in just one year.

Electricity, is of course, a part of the background ‘stuff’ of daily life for homes and businesses. As an operating expense, it is one that is borne by us all, big and small.
But do we know or understand how rates are determined and what, if any, control we or anyone has in limiting rate increases? Entering into the energy arena  are 3rd party suppliers of electricity. Who are they, how do they operate and are they good for the consumer?

In this very special live broadcast we will discuss the following:

• How the electricity utility is regulated (past & present)
• Why electric cost have grown
• Energy deregulation in Rhode Island, PROS & CONS
• What, and Who, are 3rd Party Electrical Companies?
• What the consumer needs to know when shopping for a supplier
• The future role of National Grid
• The customers rights in a deregulated market
• Ways both families, and businesses can save on electrical costs

Special Panel Guests:

	Paul Roberti, RI Public Utilities Commissioner Paul Roberti was appointed to the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission for a six-year term expiring March 1, 2015.  Previously, he served 17 years in the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office, most recently as Assistant Attorney General and Chief of the Regulatory Unit. Commissioner Roberti currently serves as Chairman of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ (NARUC) Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety.  He is a member of the Board of Directors of NARUC and the National Regulatory Research Institute.
	Elizabeth Arangio, National Grid Elizabeth Arangio is Director of Gas Supply Planning for National Grid. Her area of expertise has to do with the procurement of natural gas, gas availability, pipeline constraints driving up the price of electricity and the future of gas supply in New England.
	Larry Chretien, Executive Director PPL Larry Chretien is the executive director of People’s Power & Light, a nonprofit organization based in Providence with a mission of making energy more affordable and environmentally sustainable.  PP&L operates buyers groups for renewable energy and discount heating oil and it promotes energy efficiency to its members and the general public.  It works directly with consumers and advocates for pro-consumer, pro-environment public policies.
	Steve Holland, CEO of Rhody Energy Savings Steven Holland is the President & CEO of Rhody Energy Savings a trusted advisor, with a strong fundamental understanding of deregulation and the renewable energy markets.  Committed to fully educating our clients, market research and multiple top tier supplier relationships provides RES clients access to extreme market depth and understanding.
	Michael Fallquist, CEO of Viridian Michael Fallquist  started with one boldly simple idea—affordable, higher quality, green energy for everyone—and seasoning it with his characteristic commitment to social responsibility and individual empowerment,. Today that brainchild, Viridian, is a vibrantly healthy, flourishing company that stands at the forefront of the sustainability movement. Prior to founding Viridian, Michael was CEO of Commerce Energy, a publicly-listed natural gas and electricity retailer, where he was deeply involved in the day-to-day activities of a national energy company,.

- See more at: http://wrnpradio.com/future-of-energy-purchasing.html#sthash.1vOfdSpP.dpuf