Alternative Resources Used To Develop HCP

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Participating today in the World Wildlife Fund's Climate Camp -- a five day program to help conservation practioners, resource managers and others grappling with climate change -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced the launch of its Operations & Maintenance Habitat Conservation Plan (O&M HCP).

Developed in collaboration with federal and state natural resource agencies, the O&M HCP is an innovative new program that allows for a regional, activity-based approach to comply with the state and federal Endangered Species Act throughout the utility's northern and centralCalifornia service area.

"PG&E's regional mitigation plan is a creative and responsible corporate approach to protecting imperiled species," said Susan Moore,field supervisor in the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office.

PG&E's Operations & Maintenance Habitat Conservation Plan is an extension of the utility's commitment to serve its customers and protect the environment by effectively balancing the utility's need to maintain existing gas and electric infrastructure, and perform work in a way that avoids and minimizes impacts to protected wildlife and plant species.

"Our extensive network of gas and electric infrastructure spans over 74,000 square miles and is home to wildlife and other important natural resources," said Steven Kline, vice president, corporate environmental and federal affairs at PG&E. "As we upgrade and maintain our gas and electric facilities to meet California's growing needs, protecting threatened and endangered species and their habitats is critical. PG&E's new Habitat Conservation Plan will protect more than 175 sensitive wildlife and plant species system wide, and is the latest example of how we are developing innovative solutions to ensure responsible stewardship of these resources while continuing to provide our customers with safe, reliable and clean energy."

The utility's new O&M HCP program is designed to ensure the long-term protection of sensitive species through a process that allows PG&E to access and maintain its facilities in a timely manner. Unlike most HCPs which govern habitat protection for future land development, PG&E's O&M HCP is the first to be activity-based, addressing protection for existing land uses. Other innovative aspects of the program include the wide range of sensitive species to be covered and the governance of many small-scale operational activities dispersed over a large geographic area. This approach improves PG&E's service to customers by avoiding schedule delays associated with acquiring individual, project-by-project permits for threatened and endangered species.

Developed in collaboration with federal and state natural resource agencies, the O&M HCP program also allows PG&E to more effectively partner with local stake holders and environmental groups in support of habitat and species conservation efforts. As part of the program, PG&E is looking forward to partnering with local, state and federal conservation organizations to protect 15,000 acres of sensitive habitat.

PG&E's O&M HCP will first be rolled out to the San Joaquin Valley region in early 2008, the first in a series of six regions that cover PG&E's service area stretching from Eureka in the north to Bakersfield in the south. Additional regions include the Bay Area, Sacramento Valley, North Coast, Central Coast and Sierra Nevada. Recognizing the unique features of each region, PG&E is developing the plans to reflect the species, geography, and operational activities specific to each region. All six regions will roll up into one permit -- PG&E's Operations andMaintenance HCP.

The San Joaquin Valley O&M HCP will cover almost all of the utility's routine operations, maintenance, and minor new construction activities that occur within the San Joaquin Valley for the next 30 years. It also establishes clear goals and measures for protecting, managing and monitoring 23 wildlife and 42 plant species, including the San Joaquin kitfox, California red-legged frog, vernal pool fairy shrimp and western burrowing owl.

Greenhouse Gas Recycling Cars?

ScienceDaily (Feb. 14, 2008) — Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a strategy to capture, store and eventually recycle carbon from vehicles to prevent the pollutant from finding its way from a car tailpipe into the atmosphere. Georgia Tech researchers envision a zero emission car, and a transportation system completely free of fossil fuels.
Technologies to capture carbon dioxide emissions from large-scale sources such as power plants have recently gained some impressive scientific ground, but nearly two-thirds of global carbon emissions are created by much smaller polluters — automobiles, transportation vehicles and distributed industrial power generation applications (e.g., diesel power generators).

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Hybrids Not All They're Cracked Up To Be?

(Feb. 7, 2008) — Hybrid electric vehicles that run on both conventional gasoline and stored electricity can be no more than a stop gap until more sustainable technology is developed, according to researchers in France. They suggest that the adoption of HEVs might even slow development of more sustainable fuel-cell powered electric vehicles.

Jean-Jacques Chanaron Research Director within the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Chief Scientific Advisor at the Grenoble School of Management and Julius Teske at Grenoble, question strongly whether the current acceptance of hybrid vehicle technology particularly in the USA is in any way environmentally sustainable.
The researchers have analyzed the spread of this technology including the non-financial driving factors for its adoption. They point out that most manufacturers are rapidly integrating hybrid electric vehicles into their technology portfolio, despite the absence of significant profitability

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BP Expands into Solar Energy

VACAVILLE, Calif., Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- OCR Solar & Roofing and BP
Solar, a global leader in solar energy, today announced an expanded
agreement to provide turn-key solar installations to production
homebuilders throughout Northern and Central California. Within the
framework of the expanded agreement, valued at over $10 million, OCR Solar
& Roofing will receive the exclusive right to offer BP Solar's
market-leading EnergyTile roof-integrated solar modules to production
homebuilders in Northern and Central California. In addition, OCR Solar &
Roofing will also offer BP Solar's low profile Integra(R) framing system
for asphalt shingle roofs.

Originally purchasing solar modules under a nonexclusive supply
agreement, OCR has seen an increase in its solar revenue by over 300% since
offering BP Solar's products, and the company expects the growth rate to
more than quadruple in 2008.

"Our agreement with BP Solar is built on a strong relationship which
will strengthen the support that we provide to our homebuilder customers,"
said Aaron Nitzkin, vice president, Solar Division for OCR Solar & Roofing.
"It is a great time in California for new home renewable energy solutions,
and we plan to aggressively educate homebuilders and consumers this year on
the impact and significance of solar energy."

Unlike most solar providers that just install solar panels, OCR
installs both the roofing and solar electric systems. OCR provides this
turn-key solution to many of the region's leading homebuilders, including
Christopherson Homes, Pinn Brothers Fine Homes, Ponderosa Homes, and Tim
Lewis Communities.

"This key relationship with OCR allows us to further our goal of
becoming a leading provider of solar electric systems on new homes in
California," explained Geoff Slevin, vice president of Sales and Marketing
for BP Solar, North America. "We are confident that with our solar
expertise and products along with OCR's strong roofing reputation, we will
be able to make that happen."

The agreement is designed to support new homebuilders by offering roof-
integrated solar electric systems for energy-efficient homes. Benefits to
the homeowner include dramatically reduced or even eliminated electric
bills, improved comfort, federal tax credits and an aesthetically pleasing
roof design.