Austin Approves Solar

Thursday was encouraging, as the Austin City Council voted 7-0 to continue negotiations with Gemini to build what would be the largest solar power plant in the U.S., a 30-megawatt plant in Webberville.

Encouraging because today Austin put goals first, and economic efficiency arguments (which are greatly lacking in street-cred. these days) in their rightful place. As the seconded motion to vote on the proposal was on the table, a research scientist rushed into the room, asking the council to allow him time to speak.

The scientist stated that a solar plant would reduce Austin’s carbon emissions by .5 percent, whereas a nuclear plant could reduce the carbon emissions by 60 percent.

Nevertheless, the council approved negotiations with Gemini and established parameters: all tax benefits from building a solar plant must pass through to consumers, a council-approved stakeholder task force must be involved in the negotiations, and the related local Green Choice option (a plan that would allow residents to affirmatively indicate their preference for green-produced power) would be specifically labeled as a choice for solar, rather than as a general choice for renewables, which would also include biomass and wind power.

Among the supporters of green lighting the negotiations were Public Citizen, Austin Energy, and a renewables expert who had been part of a losing bid to build the solar plant. The expert, Mr. Sicilliano, recommended that Austin capitalize on Gemini’s below-market bid.

David Power, Deputy Director of Public Citizen, along with several other supporters, urged the council to include all stakeholders in the negotiations process, including both individuals and industry players.

Several benefits of the solar project were cited during the meeting, including the following: a Gemini representative claimed that 50 percent of the labor in building the plant could come from Austin, $30-45 million in local materials could be used, resulting increases in electricity prices could be limited to 1.5 percent, there is no risk of transmission congestion, and solar will fill in wind-power’s gaps during peak demand in the summer.

More Mass Transit?

From The Energy Collective:

“The House of Representatives approved the conference report of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act today, by a vote of 246-186. Not a single Republican joined Democrats in approving this version of the bill, which was the product of long negotiations between leadership in both the House and Senate, as well as a block of centrist Senate Democrats and Republicans who have taken control of much of the debate on the stimulus. . .

Public Transit and Rail – Subtotal: $16.2 billion
$8 billion for construction of high speed passenger rail and intercity passenger rail service.

$1.3 billion for Amtrak (the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) rail investments.

$6.9 billion for public transit construction, maintenence and upgrades.”

Read the rest on The Energy Collective

Sustainability as Compassionate Action

Today’s paper for my Topics in Sustainable Development class is a 2-page essay.  Unlike previous postings, this paper is presented in a more traditional format.   Our essays were written in response to the following:

Andrew Light: “The Moral Journey of Environmentalism: From Wilderness to Place”

Chusid: “Natural Allies: Historic Preservation and Sustainable Development”

Vincent B. Canizaro: “Regionalism, Place, Specificity, and Sustainable Design”

Donovan Rypkema: “Historic Preservation and Affordable Housing: The Missed Connection”

Click the following link to view the essay:

The Dell Social Innovation Competition

The University of Texas and Dell are sponsoring a competition to fund a social innovation submitted by a college student.

Please check out the ideas submitted for Dell’s 2009 social innovation competition and vote for mine if you like it.  My idea is “Internet Consortiums on Global Social Issues”.  You can read it and others and vote here.

From The Dallas Morning News:

“Texas clean-air bill proposes higher energy efficiency standards

12:00 AM CST on Friday, January 30, 2009

 

By TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News 

tstutz@dallasnews.com

AUSTIN – New homes in Texas would have to be at least 15 percent more efficient in energy use and new appliances would have to use significantly less electricity than they do now under a clean air bill filed Thursday in the Senate.”  Link to article.

Ma

Students in the TSD class mentioned a New York Times reference to “green” modern prefab in Austin.  Check out Ma prefab by Austin design/build firm KRDB–look here .

More Sustainability Papers

My Topics in Sustainable Development class read more papers this week, and I am again posting the summaries I turned in.  Shared Equity Ownership is a new concept for me, so I am still developing an opinion and the prompt was to write a critical analysis.  But I enjoy developing or changing my mind about things and because alternative homeownership forms obviously work, it seems likely I will.  The papers we read this week were:

“Recovery and renewal for survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in Texas” by Kristin Carlisle.

“Green Cities, Growing Cities, Just Cities?” by Scott Campbell

“Shared Equity Homeownership”, Chapters 1, 2, 5 by the National Housing Institute

Summaries of Sustainable Development Papers

My Topics in Sustainable Development class at UT recently read three papers on the topic of–sustainable development. We were asked to write a summary and critical analysis that totaled no more than 2 pages.  Click the link below to read my summary.  The papers were:

“Sustainable Policy? A Public Debate about Nature Development in the Netherlands” by Wiebe E. Bijeker.  

Chapters 1 & 2 of “Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature” by Douglas Farr. Hoboken, NJ.: Wiley, c2008

“Ecology and Land Development: Past Approaches and New Directions in the Practice of Sustainable Development” edited by D.R. Porter. Washington, D.C.: Urban Land Institute.

It will take more than being Green. . .

 

balewatch.com

One of the most effective ways Americans can advance sustainability is to differentiate more between desire and necessity and moreover, to reevaluate their perceptions of what is desirable.  Sustainability is not just about being “green”, it’s about being more conservative as well.  For example, reducing energy demands instead of maintaining the same demands but meeting them with solar.  A green McMansion advances the same gluttunous attitudes that lie at the root of our environmental problems.  We need to see ourselves as the people who live in smaller dwellings.  We need to see our dwellings as a more functional place and less as a symbol of our accomplishments.  Please go to www.balewatch.com to view plans for about 60 dwellings starting as small as 275 sq (up to 10,000 sq. ft.) and with estimated building prices starting as low as $10/sq. ft.  and which incorporate considerations such as green building, replicability, energy (physiological/metaphysical).

Citywide No-Gas-Vehicle Day

I’m thinking more about the possibility of a city-wide “no travel day”.   It would be powerful to have a day where everyone chose not to drive gas-powered vehicles (except emergency vehicles, etc.) for several reasons.  One is that it would be interesting to see the effect on the city’s ozone levels for the day.  But, more importantly, it would deliver a powerful message and example.  Each individual choosing to make global warming and resources a priority for a day would show that people can work together toward direct solutions. It would be important because it would reveal that we can sometimes create solutions without persuading rulemakers, without jumping through the hurdles of bureaucratic agencies, without conflicts with corporations, and without appeals to those with money. A citywide no travel by gas-powered vehicle day would demonstrate that with our individual choices and cooperation, we can directly impact our environment.  Moreover, it would be an opportunity to encourage people to use their local resources.  ”It is possible to join forces, to identify common goals, and to agree on common action.”–Gro Harlem Brundtland.