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Month: September 2018

Brother Emmanuel D. Kimathi talking about 2018 3rd Annual Black Sustainability Summit In, Atlanta, Ga. October 4-7. 2018

In 2018, we will host our first in-person summit in Atlanta, GA! October 4 – 7 2018.
We are keeping our online summit but adding an option to learn (in-person) the skills needed to contribute/support our sovereign spaces.
Mark your calendars because in 2019, we will head to Costa Rica to host our summit  and in 2020, we will host in Ghana, West Africa and give strength to two sovereign communities.

www.blacksustainabilitysummit.com

Join us in Atlanta for 3-days of workshops OR tune in online for 5-days of best practices and how-to information as we explore practical ways to incorporate sustainability into our daily lives, homes and communities.

Sustainable Community Solutions Network and the Afrikan Community Sustainability Collective welcome you on your journey to self-sufficiency. This October, we will present the third annual (virtual AND in-person) Sustainability Summit focused on serving members of the Afrikan diaspora and connecting thought leaders.

In-person sessions will consist of 3-days hands on training in Atlanta, GA and build the skill sets attendees need for development in tropical climates, particularly on the land in Costa Rica and Ghana, where upcoming summits will be hosted. In-person workshops will cover sustainable home building, agricultural/food system development, family governance, cooperatives, and holistic health/nutrition.

Five days of online sessions are built around the most pressing issues in the Black community and will feature virtual workshops by those who are doing the work across the globe.

​Online video presentations will include:

Sustainable Food Production                                      Traditional Afrikan Languages

Alternative Energy                                                        Water Purification and Irrigation

Eco Friendly Building Practices                                  Food Preservation

Community Development                                            Survival/Preparedness/Protection

Current Sustainable Communities

Join us in Atlanta or online and become an integral component of this his

Ronald BetheaAugust 11, 2018UncategorizedEdit
Ronald Bethea September 25, 2018 Uncategorized

B 22-0904 – Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018

Introduction Date: July 10, 2018 – Legislation Number: B22-0904 –  
Introduced by: Councilmembers Cheh, Allen, T. White, Nadeau, and Chairman Mendelson: Co-Sponsor(s): Councilmembers Gray, R. White, and Grosso
Committee Referral: Committee on Transportation and the Environment and Committee on Business and Economic Development
Additional Information
BILL SUMMARY – As introduced, this bill increases the Renewable Portfolio Standard to 100% by 2032, establishes a solar energy standard post 2032, and establishes standards electricity suppliers must meet regarding purchasing a percentage of their energy from long-term purchase agreements with renewable generators. It removes restrictions on energy efficiency measures. It expands the uses of the Sustainable Energy Trust Fund and also establishes an energy performance standard program for buildings at the Department of Energy and Environment. Among other things, it authorizes the Mayor to commit the District to participation in regional programs with the purpose of limiting greenhouse gas emissions and requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue regulations tying the vehicle excise tax to fuel efficiency.
Bill History:
Jul 10, 2018
B22-0904 Introduced by Councilmembers Cheh, Allen, T. White, Nadeau, and Chairman Mendelson at Committee of the Whole View Introduction
Jul 10, 2018
Referred to Committee on Transportation and the Environment and Committee on Business and Economic Development
Jul 20, 2018
Notice of Intent to Act on B22-0904 Published in the District of Columbia Register
Sep 14, 2018
Notice of Public Hearing Published in the District of Columbia Register View Public Hearing Notice
Oct 9, 2018
Public Hearing on B22-0904
Ronald Bethea September 25, 2018 Uncategorized

D.C. City Council bill would create distributed energy resources authority

Published: publicpower.org Date: September 25,2018

A bill introduced April 10 in the District of Columbia’s City Council would set up an independent authority to collect data on how and when energy is used by customers of local utility Pepco and create a marketplace for renewable energy to add to DC’s grid.

The bill, co-sponsored by Councilmembers Charles Allen and Mary Cheh, has been referred to the Committee on Business and Economic Development.

“With this bill, like any other legislative effort,” Allen said, “there will be opinions on both sides, but I have heard an outpouring of overwhelming support” since its introduction. “If this bill passes, it will be a monumental shift in the way we create and consume energy in the District. It will mean cleaner, more affordable energy and economic development and jobs for District residents.”

Cheh said that as the District pursues ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions “more and more of our buildings will be producing their own energy, though they remain interconnected with the electric grid to ensure stability.” As a result, the District needs “a neutral third party” to manage interconnection and provide access to data about the grid’s capacity and energy needs. “The Distributed Energy Resources Authority can fulfill that role.”

Currently, DC residents annually spend $1.8 billion to purchase fossil fuels, Allen said. Creating a marketplace for District businesses to add solar, wind and other renewable energy to help power the grid “keeps our money here and creates new jobs,” he added.

Pepco, a subsidiary of Chicago-based Exelon, installed smart meters not long ago in a project paid for by residents and the District government.

However, Pepco currently only provides households with usage data 24 hours later and only in 15-minute increments – not in real-time, Eric Salmi, Allen’s communications director, said Thursday.

That “doesn’t tell homeowners much about their consumption.”

The bill would allow ratepayers to see their energy usage in real-time and authorize third-party apps, for example, to identify which appliances are the largest source of energy use, he noted.

Some commercial customers now may be able to access their own data in something closer to real-time “by going behind the meter,” he said, “but that’s not easy to do and it’s not really an option for residential ratepayers.”

Included in the bill is a provision for creating a secure repository for the entire city’s data usage, which would provide for “a much fuller picture of energy demand across the city and in each home, allowing energy providers to have a much more accurate sense of usage and interconnected sources of energy generated locally,” Salmi added.

The Authority would place a priority on renewable, “non-wires” energy sources anytime Pepco identifies infrastructure needs that cost $25 million or more. The Authority would seek bids to build non-wires alternatives such as solar and battery storage. Pepco would be allowed to compete for the projects, alongside District residents.

Salmi said the Authority would use the data it has about energy generation and consumption to determine whether options like solar and battery storage can meet the capacity need Pepco has identified and do it at a lower cost, although he said the bill was not written to favor any particular technology.

If the non-wires analysis shows that non-wires alternatives are suitable for the project, the Authority would issue a formal request for proposals for construction of such options that meet the need. If a non-wires alternative cannot fulfill the need at a lower cost, Pepco would go ahead with its traditional project.

Generally, the lowest bid would be preferred. However, if two proposals are within 5%, preference goes to the bid that guarantees more jobs for District residents and/or a higher percentage of local and small business participation in the contract.

The intent of the bill, Salmi stressed, “was to allow the District’s energy market to be more nimble and adopt new technologies as they become viable.”

Pepco spokeswoman Tasha Jamerson said her utility fully supports and has demonstrated its commitment to modernizing the local electric system “and advancing innovative solutions to provide a more reliable, efficient, affordable and sustainable energy grid.”

Pepco, she said, plans to work closely with the City Council to discuss the impact the proposal would have on its customers and overall system reliability.

Ronald Bethea September 25, 2018 Uncategorized

Black Millennials for Flint is recognized for their service to create a #LeadFree DC at Congressional Black Caucus Week 2018

Author: Black Millennials for Flint: Published Tue, Sep 18, 2018 5:29 am

LEAD in the News 
Young, Gifted & Green Community Action Summit Achieves Largest Attendance to Date
The first Black Millennials for Flint Community Action Summit was held in 2016. The recent Young, Gifted and Green Community Action Summit taking place during Congressional Black Caucus Week 2018 demonstrated a 400% increase in attendance! That’s even more young, black and brown people advocating for a #LeadFreeUSA. Thank you for all your support! #BM4F!
OFFICIAL LEAD PREVENTION APP RELEASE
At this year’s Young, Gifted and Green Community Action Summit 2018, we launched our official Black Millennials for Flint lead reporting app tool available FOR FREE in Google Play Store. Stay tuned for the release to iStore. Download today: bit.ly/leadappdownload.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE APP
Kyle Kuzma’s dream of having a LeBron-like impact on his hometown Flint
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Black Millennials for Flint is recognized for their service to create a #LeadFree DC at Congressional Black Caucus Week 2018
The Green Room Awards Reception Award of Excellence 2018.
National Urban League Washington Bureau–Transforming Moments into Movements:  Mobilizing the Black Community for Sustainable Change
Black Policy Lab Panel with Think Rubix
Thursday Network Greater Washington Urban League Maudine Cooper Community Excellence Award 2018
‪Thank you to Stuck in the Middle for featuring Founder CEO & President LaTricea Adams speaking about their efforts to create a #LeadFreeUSA ✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 #BM4F‬
Introducing the 2018-19 Black Millennials for Flint Lead Prevention Ambassador Leadership Cohort
We are excited to welcome our inaugural Lead Prevention Ambassadors:

Aleksandra “Sasha” George
Erika Jauregui
Lauren Owan
Amanda Ri’Chard
Kristin Shymoniak
Jeovane Slater-Taylor

Stay tuned to learn more about this amazing group of environmental justice leaders!

Social Media & Engagement
DOWNLOAD OUR SOCIAL MEDIA KIT
UPCOMING PROGRAMS & EVENTS
APPLY TODAY!
Community Partnerships
LEARN MORE ABOUT #BM4F
Learn more about Black Millennials for Flint’s work to create a #LeadFreeUSA!
Check out our Chief Advocacy Officer Michelle Mabson and Vlog Producer &
Chief Operating Officer Krys White speaking about the #FlintWaterCrisis.
Visual Documentarian:  Maurice Bland 

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Black Millennials for Flint · 2901 14th Street, NW · Washington, DC 20009 · USA

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Ronald Bethea September 21, 2018 Uncategorized

Closing Luncheon with NFL Hall of Famer, Aeneas Williams

 

Published:”U.S._Department_of_Education: September 20,2019

On behalf of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, we wish to thank all the attendees, exhibitors, conference donors, presenters, guest speakers, volunteers, staff and countless others for joining us at the 2018 HBCU Week Conference, HBCU Competitiveness: Aligning Institutional Missions with America’s Priorities.

FOR HBCU’s ALUMNI MOST LISTEN TO MESSAGE

2018 HBCU Week Conference Recorded Sessions

Ronald Bethea September 20, 2018 Uncategorized

NGLCCNY ACCENTURE Spotlight: Nedra Dickson

Published:The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce New York   Wednesday, June 7, 2017

From the right thing to do, to becoming an imperative. This is how Accenture, a leading global professional services company driving innovation in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations, began to realize it made business sense to utilize diverse suppliers. Committed to leveraging the right diverse suppliers across all categories, today Accenture’s US diverse spend is approximately 30% of the Procurement spend.
“My personal commitment to supplier diversity is to help diverse businesses grow,” said Nedra L. Dickson, Accenture’s Global Supplier Inclusion & Sustainability Lead.
Dickson has been with Accenture for over 16 year and started her career in the consulting practice, in NYC. She has worked in many of the practice areas including CIO (Computer Information Organization) and Procurement’s Sourcing and Category Management. Prior to her Supplier Inclusion & Sustainability role based in Atlanta, she led the NA Sourcing and Category Management team. Dickson was responsible for approximately $1B in subcontractor spend across all categories. This role allowed her to work closely with the Supplier Inclusion team and it was then that she learned about the amazing world of Supplier Diversity and Inclusion. Shortly then she began attending the conferences we all frequent today – NMSDC, WBENC and NGLCC, to meet diverse suppliers that could help Accenture and its clients.

When first introduced to a diverse business, Dickson was simply amazed. “Even though they were small, they did not lack in skills and ability to deliver key technology,” she said. She became determined to showcase the innovative work these diverse suppliers brought to the table. Soon as she noticed that many of the diverse suppliers were also community leaders and led efforts into helping others, Dickson made it a personal commitment to champion on their behalves and pay it forward.

One of Accenture’s greatest successes is their mentoring program called DSDP – Diverse Supplier Development Program, which is launched in 4 different geographies (US, Canada, UK, and South Africa). Dickson’s team gets the chance to partner handpicked diverse suppliers with key Accenture executives and mentor them on helping grow their business. Her team brings in key Accenture executives as presenters with many different topics (HR, Capital, RFP responses, Web-design, Branding) just to name a few. To date, there have been 125 diverse suppliers who have graduated the DSDP and half of them are currently doing work with Accenture.

When asked how she manages a global role from Atlanta, she says, “the time zones do present a bigger challenge as I’ve had to take calls at 4am and at midnight.” Managing 17 countries (US, Canada, UK, South Africa, Netherlands, Germany, France, India, China, Mexico, Australia, Spain, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina, Nigeria, Costa Rica), Dickson is fortunate to have and thankful to her team of seven that are fully dedicated to Supplier Inclusion and Sustainability. She also has the support of Supplier Inclusion Champions in each of the countries who are aligned to Accenture’s Global Procurement Sourcing team. “We made it a formal role to have 25% of their time dedicated to Supplier Inclusion,” she said.

Strongly believing supplier diversity must continue to bring innovation, Dickson, committed to paying it forward, sought out a diverse supplier and prior DSDP graduate to partner with – (an LGBTBE) Socio, a creative, comms and customer experience agency shaping how companies do business. Together, through Accenture executive sponsorship and Dickson’s leadership, they have created a graduate program called Hire Performance. You’ll hear more about Hire Performance as it continues to excel, however, here is its mission statement:

  • Hire Performance creates long-term value for Accenture, its clients, and our communities. We put DSDP graduates to work by aligning pipeline, innovation, and culture, which positions Hire Performance as the interface between Accenture’s business growth and our commitment to help Clients increase their diverse spend.

Accenture has been committed to inclusion and diversity for many years. They have a very successful LGBTQ ERG (Employee Resource Group). Wanting to know how to get involved on a more national level they sought out NGLCC to begin a national corporate partnership. Accenture recently announced that all US employees now have an opportunity to voluntarily identify their sexual orientation and gender. This information helps them better understand their workforce, informs their policies, and ensures they develop meaningful and relevant programs to support the engagement, career advancement and retention of their US employees. Currently, Accenture offers the opportunity to self-identify across several dimensions of diversity including ethnicity, disability and military experience.

“We believe the addition of LGBTQ Self-Identification—which is fully supported by our LGBTQ Employee Resource Group leaders—will further help us attract, grow and support our diverse workforce,” said Dickson.

Here are some thoughts to consider if you seek to engage with Accenture:

  1. The model is to staff every client engagement with an Accenture personnel. However, if they must augment staff, the goal is to ensure qualified suppliers are leveraged.
  2. Must invest time to understand the culture and dynamics of a global company; they are huge and complex.
  3. Understand what they do. Their website (accenture.com) has a lot of information about what they are doing in the market.
  4. Do not expect an immediate contract; it takes time.
  5. Professional services and technology focused businesses work best for Accenture but not limited to those areas.
  6. Highly focused on digital, big data and artificial intelligence.
  7. By 2020, they will open 10 innovation hubs in key cities and will expand their regional network of technology delivery centers across the US.
  8. Creating jobs across all their businesses – Strategy, Consulting, Digital, Technology and Operations.
  9. Will be looking for talent with a broad range of disciplines, including engineering, computer science, analytics, digital, design, security and other new economy skills at all career levels.
  10. Continue to network with personnel on a regular basis and remember, it does take time to build that right relationship.
Ronald Bethea September 19, 2018 Uncategorized

DCSEU Solar for All | September 2018 NEW DATE ANNOUNCED FY 2019 Solar for All Design Preview & Information Meeting

logos

NEW DATE ANNOUNCED:
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2018

2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
DCSEU Offices
80 M Street SE, Suite 310
Washington, DC 20003

Due to an existing Solar for All stakeholder meeting on the same day, we have moved the meeting to October 2, 2018.

The DCSEU has been working with the District Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) this summer to design and prepare the next round of Solar for All program initiatives to launch at the beginning of FY 2019. Please join the DCSEU for a preview and information session on this year’s planned Solar for All activities, including the proposed solicitations for both the Community Renewable Energy Facility (CREF) and Single Family markets expected to be released in October.

Please RSVP by 3:30 p.m. on October 1, 2018. If you are unable to join in person, please indicate that in your RSVP and the DCSEU will send Skype/dial-in information for the meeting.

For more information, please call 202-479-2222.

RSVP→
Ronald Bethea September 18, 2018 Uncategorized

New York PSC actions move state closer to energy storage, climate goals

Published: Utility Dive:  Author: Peter Maloney@TopFloorPower : Sept. 17, 2018

 

  • The New York Public Service Commission (PSC) last week took two steps aimed at bringing the state closer to meeting its climate goals.
  • The PSC accepted the results of the environmental assessment it commissioned of the state’s Energy Storage Roadmap, an action that brings the agency one step closer to implementing the state’s target of installing 1,500 MW of energy storage by 2025.
  • The PSC also expanded the types of technologies that are eligible to meet the state’s Clean Energy Standard to include stand-alone storage systems such as regenerative braking, with a rated capacity of 5 MW or less. Tidal energy generators, biomass generators and certain food-waste digestion configurations will also be eligible for compensation.

The detailed New York Energy Storage Roadmap lays out a comprehensive vision for using energy storage to meet the state’s energy goals, such as meeting 50% of electric power needs with clean energy sources by 2030.

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo has called for an energy storage target of 1,500 MW by 2025. But the roadmap’s overall analysis, conducted by the Department of Public Service and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, supports an even more aggressive target, as high as 3,000 MW. And, as analysts have noted, moving the target to 2030 would better align the deadline of the state’s Clean Energy Standard with the energy storage target and allow more time to meet a higher target.

The environmental review of the roadmap found that energy target would bring positive environmental impacts such as reductions in peak load demand during critical periods, increases in the efficiency of the grid and the displacement of fossil fuel generation by allowing greater integration of renewable energy resources.

Storage systems could mitigate the impact of as much as 2 million metric tons of avoided greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the level of criteria air pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and particulate matter, the PSC said.

With the environmental impact assessment of the roadmap approved by the PSC, the plan moves one step closer to implementation.

In a separate action, the PSC expanded the types of technologies that qualify to meet the state’s Clean Energy Standard. For the first time, some stand-alone storage systems will be eligible to help meet the clean energy target.

“New York’s Clean Energy Standard laid the groundwork to create enough renewable energy to meet half of the State’s electricity needs by 2030,” PSC Chair John Rhodes said in a statemen

Ronald Bethea September 17, 2018 Uncategorized

Hurricane Florence triggers coal ash spill, cuts power to millions

Published:  Utility Dive : Sept. 17, 2018  Author: Gavin Bade@GavinBade

  • Record-breaking rains from Hurricane Florence caused the release of more than 2,000 cubic yards of coal ash from a Duke Energy power plant in North Carolina, the utility announced Sunday, some of which may have reached nearby waterways.
  • Erosion from rains caused the failure of a slope storing ash in a pond at the Sutton power plant in Wilmington, N.C., the utility said. Some of the ash may have reached Sutton Lake, the cooling pond for the plant that is used for recreation by residents in the area.
  • More than 470,000 people remain without power after the storm in North Carolina, 17,000 in South Carolina, and 14,700 in Virginia, according to PowerOutage.US. Duke said it restored power to more than 1 million customers over the weekend.

The amount of coal ash released from the Sutton plant is relatively small compared to major spills, but it underscores the inherent risks of storing the waste product in close proximity to waterways and local communities.

Coal ash, created by burning coal for electricity generation, contains heavy metals like mercury and lead known to be harmful to humans. Duke said enough ash was released to fill two-thirds of an Olympic-sized swimming pool, but most of it was caught in a ditch surrounding the storage facility.

“Coal ash is non-hazardous, and the company does not believe this incident poses a risk to public health or the environment,” the company said.

As the weather clears, state officials will inspect the facility to better assess the spill and how much ash may have entered Sutton Lake or the nearby Cape Fear River, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) said in a statement.

“Once the damage is assessed, DEQ will determine the best path forward and hold the utility accountable for implementing the solution that ensures the protection of public health and the environment,” the agency said.

Duke has struggled publicly with coal ash management since 2014, when one of its facilities spilled tens of thousands of tons of ash into the Dan River in West Virginia. The utility pled guilty to multiple criminal violations of the Clean Water Act in 2015, and in 2016 announced it would excavate its highest-risk ash ponds and move the contents to lined landfills.

The Sutton plant, a gas generator converted from coal in 2017, is one of those facilities. Duke plans to close the two ash ponds at the plant in 2019, transferring the contents to a nearby dry storage landfill, and the utility said excavation had already begun at the facility when the storm hit.

Environmentalists say incidents like the Sutton plant spill show why Duke should go beyond storing coal ash at its plants and instead move it to lined facilities away from waterways.

The incident “illustrates the dangers of Duke Energy’s practice of disposing of coal ash near waterways throughout North and South Carolina,” Frank Holleman, senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, said in a Sunday statement. “After this storm, we hope that Duke Energy will commit itself to removing its ash from all its unlined waterfront pits and, if it refuses, that the state of North Carolina will require it to remove the ash from these unlined pits.”

Climate scientists say the intensity and frequency of storms like Florence are likely to increase as global temperatures rise. The storm dropped more than 40 inches of rain in some areas of North Carolina this weekend, even as it weakened to a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall. More than a dozen people have died in its path.

Duke said it had more than 20,000 workers on hand to respond to the hurricane and shut down its Brunswick nuclear plant on the North Carolina coast ahead of the storm. Florence has now been downgraded to a tropical depression, but the utility warned more outages are likely as its remnants move through the Carolinas this week.

Follow Gavin Bade on Twitter

Ronald Bethea September 17, 2018 Uncategorized

JPMorgan Chase Launches AdvancingCities, a $500 Million Initiative to Create Economic Opportunity in Cities

Published: JPMorgan Chase Media Relation September 12, 2018 (New York, NY)

The AdvancingCities Challenge will encourage the development of creative solutions to drive inclusive growth through collaboration between civic, business and community leaders

JPMorgan Chase today announced the creation of AdvancingCities, a new $500 million, five-year initiative to drive inclusive growth and create greater economic opportunity in cities across the world. AdvancingCities applies insights from JPMorgan Chase’s proven model for impact in Detroit, Chicago and Washington, D.C., and combines the firm’s lending capital, philanthropic capital and expertise to make investments in cities.

Based on the firm’s previous experience, JPMorgan Chase expects its AdvancingCities investment to attract an additional $1 billion in outside capital, resulting in a total of $1.5 billion directed to efforts that will increase inclusive growth in cities. The firm will invest in cities where conditions exist to help those who have not benefited from economic growth. This includes demonstrated, strong collaboration across the public and private sectors on solutions that create opportunity for people at risk of being left out of economic growth. Specifically, AdvancingCities will deploy investments and encourage creative, forward-looking solutions that create more widely shared prosperity in two ways:

  • AdvancingCities Challenge: JPMorgan Chase will launch a challenge to source and seed innovative solutions that help drive inclusive growth in up to 30 communities. The AdvancingCities Challenge will make investments in select cities to support collaborative and sustainable solutions that address cross-cutting challenges and help more people benefit from a growing economy. Successful proposals will support existing local coalitions of elected, business and nonprofit leaders working together to address major social and economic challenges such as employment barriers, financial insecurity, and neighborhood disinvestment. Proposals must incorporate at least two areas of focus within JPMorgan Chase’s Model for Impact. Cities interested in applying for the AdvancingCities Challenge should visit www.jpmorganchase.com/advancingcities. The RFP goes live today, September 12, and closes on November 30, 2018. Winners will be announced in the spring of 2019.
  • Targeted City Investments: In addition to the AdvancingCities Challenge, JPMorgan Chase intends to make large-scale investments in cities where the conditions are right for success and broader, deeper investments are needed to drive inclusive growth around the world. This fall, the firm will take this model for impact abroad and announce a new large-scale investment in a global city where the benefits of economic growth are not reaching everyone.

“Opportunity is not shared equally across neighborhoods,” said Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO, JPMorgan Chase. “Businesses can and must step up to help change the status quo by creating a better future for all, no matter where they live. It is in our best interest and the right thing to do.”

Investment Model for Impact

JPMorgan Chase’s investments will continue to focus on four strategic drivers of inclusive growth, around which the firm has developed several global initiatives over the last five years. These initiatives are specifically focused on equipping workers with 21st century job skills, providing the capital and expertise that women and minority entrepreneurs need to grow their businesses, investing in locally-driven solutions to revitalize distressed neighborhoods and helping families build strong financial futures.

Half of the $500 million will consist of philanthropic investments and up to $250 million will be low-cost, long-term capital deployed by the new AdvancingCities Investment Fund. This capital will be used to fund sustainable projects in critical sectors of underserved neighborhoods that frequently lack access to traditional financing, such as affordable housing, commercial real estate and small businesses.

The firm expects its investment to leverage an additional $1 billion in outside capital. This estimate is based on the firm’s experience in Detroit, where $50 million in loan funds supporting Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) have leveraged over $233 million from outside investors (4:1 ratio) and its national PRO Neighborhoods initiative, which has enabled CDFIs to leverage an additional $549 million in capital (a 11.4:1 ratio) for neighborhood revitalization projects.

The firm will also leverage the expertise of its employees through its Service Corps and use data from the JPMorgan Chase Institute to maximize the strategic impact of these investments.

Criteria for AdvancingCities Investments

To help more people benefit from economic growth in cities, the firm takes an integrated and sustainable approach to its investments. Deep engagement and meaningful collaboration among city leaders, businesses and nonprofits is required to drive change at the scale and pace needed to tackle the complex challenges facing communities. Working with local civic, community and business leaders, the firm’s investments will:

  • Connect more people to jobs with a pathway to a career and greater financial security;
  • Provide small businesses with critical resources they need to grow, create jobs and fuel economic growth in underserved communities;
  • Revitalize economically distressed neighborhoods by preserving affordable housing and boosting opportunity.

Solutions will help break down silos between local programs, strengthen underlying systems and advance holistic solutions to create more widely-shared prosperity. Based on learnings from past investments, AdvancingCities will make investments in cities that demonstrate the following:

  • Commitment to tackling barriers to economic opportunity and upward mobility;
  • Innovative strategies that make measurable progress to solve challenges related to inclusive growth;
  • Presence of high-capacity nonprofits and government entities and strong engagement from the business community working together to implement solutions;
  • Alignment between the future challenges and opportunities in the city and JPMorgan Chase’s four philanthropic areas of focus, which include jobs and skills training, neighborhood revitalization, small business growth and consumer financial health;
  • Overlap with the firm’s geographical business footprint and resources; and
  • Opportunities to use the firm’s data, employee expertise and business lending capital to create sustainable solutions.

“We have seen a lot of mayors stepping up and partnering with business and community leaders to do what’s right for their cities,” said Peter Scher, Head of Corporate Responsibility, JPMorgan Chase. “We are excited to take learnings and best practices from investments in Detroit, Chicago and Washington, D.C. to more cities and test solutions that can help more people share in the rewards of a growing economy.”

“Like many cities, Detroit’s growth remains dependent on cooperation to help solve our biggest challenges,” said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. “JPMorgan Chase has been at the table with us for a long time and their investment has been critical to ensuring the city’s recovery benefits everyone. I’m hopeful experiences and lessons from their investment in Detroit will be valuable to mayors in other cities.”

Sharing Insights and Expertise

As AdvancingCities works to drive inclusive growth solutions, practical insights and lessons will be shared with policymakers, community leaders and the private sector by:

  • Ensuring data and analysis can be put to use by practitioners and a wide range of policymakers. JPMorgan Chase will also support peer learning to share best practices, enhance field building, and strengthen the capacity of the firm’s partners.
  • Creating partnerships with other investments to scale efforts and layer investments where there are complementary strategies.
  • Leveraging the firm’s insights and expertise of internal and external advisors to proactively engage policymakers and leaders to better inform solutions at the local, state and federal level.

JPMorgan Chase has also established an External Advisory Council, which will offer unique expertise and substantive input that informs AdvancingCities’ approach to driving inclusive growth in communities.

The Council consists of the following civic and business leaders, as well as community development and inclusive growth experts who will help inform the work of AdvancingCities:

  • Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder-in-Residence, PolicyLink
  • Freeman Hrabowski, President, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
  • Gerard Mestrallet, Chairman, Engie (Paris, France)
  • Marc Morial, President, National Urban League
  • Janet Murguia, President and CEO, UnidosUS
  • Michael Nutter, former Mayor of Philadelphia and David N. Dinkins Professor of Professional Practice in Urban and Public Affairs
  • Rip Rapson, President and CEO, The Kresge Foundation
  • Ashley Swearengin, former Mayor of Fresno and current President and CEO of the Central Valley Community Foundation

“Mayors can get a lot done, but they can’t do everything,” said Michael Nutter, former Philadelphia Mayor and current David N. Dinkins Professor of Professional Practice in Urban and Public Affairs at Columbia University. “You need leadership from community organizations and business leaders too in order to attract additional investment and build support for solutions. JPMorgan Chase’s AdvancingCities effort is designed to do just this by laying out clear goals, encouraging partnerships and future investments that help more people share in economic growth.”

For more information, visit www.jpmorganchase.com/advancingcities.


About JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.6 trillion and operations worldwide. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing, and asset management. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of consumers in the United States and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.

Ronald Bethea September 17, 2018 Uncategorized

Solar Project to Bring Energy to Three D.C. Institutions

Published: June 24, 2014 George Washington University Media Relation

Capital Partner Solar Project

Solar Project Brings Energy to Three D.C. Institutions Capital Partners Solar Project is an innovative renewable energy project that provides solar power for the George Washington University (GW), American University (AU) and the George .

WASHINGTON—The George Washington University (GW), American University (AU) and the George Washington University Hospital (GWUH) announced Tuesday that they will create a renewable energy project that brings solar power from North Carolina to the D.C. institutions, showing that large organizations in an urban setting can meet energy needs while significantly reducing their carbon footprints by directly tapping offsite solar energy.

The project, named Capital Partners Solar Project and supplied by Duke Energy Renewables, comprises 52 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaic (PV) power, which is the equivalent of the electricity used in 8,200 homes every year. It is the largest non-utility solar PV power purchase agreement in the United States in total contracted megawatt hours and the largest PV project east of the Mississippi River.

“Thanks to this innovative partnership, the George Washington University will now derive more than half of all its electricity from solar energy,” said GW President Steven Knapp. “This will greatly accelerate our progress toward the carbon neutrality target we had earlier set for 2025.”

The project, orchestrated by CustomerFirst Renewables (CFR), will help GW, AU and GWUH meet their climate action plan commitments without incurring additional costs. The partners will break ground on the first site this summer and panels will begin to deliver electricity by the end of the year.

When fully operational at the end of 2015, Capital Partners Solar Project will generate 123 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of emissions-free electricity per year, drawn from 243,000 solar panels at three sites. That translates to eliminating roughly 60,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year or taking 12,500 cars off the road.

“American University is firmly on its way to achieving carbon neutrality by 2020,” said AU President Neil Kerwin. “We are home to the largest combined solar array in the District, are resolved to growing green power through our purchase of renewable energy certificates and are now a partner to the largest non-utility solar energy purchase in the United States.”

Under the agreement and once the project is complete, GW will receive roughly 86.6 million kWh, AU will receive 30 million kWh and GWUH will receive approximately 6.3 million kWh annually. The solar power will fuel more than half of GW’s and AU’s electricity needs and more than a third of GWUH’s need.

“Duke Energy looks forward to working with these leading D.C. institutions on an innovative solar project that demonstrates their leadership in sustainability and, at the same time, provides them with low-cost energy at a stable price for years to come,” said Greg Wolf, president of Duke Energy Renewables.

Solar power generated at the panel sites in North Carolina will move through a North Carolina electrical grid into the D.C. regional grid, increasing the amount of solar energy in the region.

“Great organizations define the future. They embrace new ways of thinking and become part of something bigger than themselves. It parallels our rich corporate heritage of serving others—like sponsoring wounded warriors and responding to the emerging mental health crisis. We have a responsibility outside our four walls to the world beyond,” said Barry Wolfman, CEO and managing director of GWUH. “Joining this partnership to embrace alternative power reflects our daily work as health advocates—caring, healing, teaching and birthing new generations. Our work and this project pave the way for a brighter future in the nation’s capital and the world as a whole. It’s simply the right thing to do, and we are proud to be a part of it.”

The project also has economic benefits, both for the partners and North Carolina communities.

“We believe our support of solar energy is creating excitement about making investments in our community,” said Jon Crouse, trustee for one of the parcels of land in phase one of the project. “The opportunities the project presents—hundreds of construction jobs, the sale of materials and consumables and an increase in the tax base—are huge for our county. For the landowners and farmers, it enables us to diversify from a fully agricultural portfolio, build economic sustainability and become part of a larger effort to be good stewards of the environment.”

He will have panels on 25 percent of his acreage, while 75 percent of the land remains dedicated to agriculture.

For the partners, the 20-year agreement will provide fixed pricing for the solar energy at a lower total price than current power solutions and is expected to yield greater economic savings for the partners as traditional power prices are anticipated to increase at a higher rate over the same period.

“CustomerFirst Renewables was delighted to have the opportunity to play a central role in making this solar project happen and believe that together we have created a blueprint for other large electricity end-users who want access to renewables that can really move the needle,” said Gary Farha, president and CEO of CFR, the organization that designed and structured the end-to-end solution, including helping to select and negotiate the deal between the partners and Duke Energy Renewables.

This latest commitment is another step toward carbon neutrality for both universities, continuing the pledge the institutions made with D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray in 2012 to make D.C. the greenest college town in America.

GW works to integrate sustainability into practice, research, teaching and outreach. The university was the first in D.C. to sign the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment, agreeing to reduce its total carbon footprint by 40 percent by 2025. The university also has eight LEED-certified buildings (with six more targeting certification) and four green roofs. Meanwhile, GW launched an interdisciplinary sustainability minor, and more than 120 faculty conduct research on sustainability initiatives. The university also recently hired Kathleen Merrigan, former U.S. Department of Agriculture deputy secretary, as executive director of sustainability. In this role, she is responsible for advancing GW’s prominence as an academic leader in multidisciplinary sustainability. GW and Duke Energy also are finalizing a memorandum of understanding that will launch a multiyear research collaboration. Duke Energy will provide resources and share data that will provide GW researchers with the ability to describe and communicate the impacts of this landmark energy project.

AU’s contributions to creating a sustainable D.C. are unparalleled, starting with its commitment to become carbon neutral by 2020. Sustainability carries throughout the university, through its academic centers, programs, degrees and courses. Faculty members research sustainability on and off campus, such as analyzing AU’s 10 green roofs and others in the District for their environmental benefits. Students lead sustainability efforts through programs, clubs and an organic garden, and participate in research, including in AU’s carbon-offset project. New buildings are LEED Gold certified, and 25 existing buildings are also tracked for LEED, as AU is one of only three schools in the world using LEED Volume certification. In 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized AU as one of four universities nationwide helping advance the development of the country’s voluntary green power market through purchase of renewable energy certificates.

Last fall, GW Hospital initiated an internal “Healthier, Happier” campaign to highlight current sustainability efforts and also to garner the support and ideas of frontline staff. The campaign’s combined focus is on healthier food, leaner energy, safer chemicals, less waste and smarter purchasing, and GW Hospital is proud to showcase achievements in all of these areas. From healthier food options in the cafeteria to installing more efficient lighting to increased use of “green” cleaning chemicals, GW Hospital strives to not only excel in clinical care but also in a commitment to sustainability and caring for the environment.

Duke Energy Renewables has invested more than $3 billion in renewable energy over the past seven years and currently owns and operates almost 1,800 MW of large-scale wind and solar energy facilities across the nation. In 2013, Duke Energy company-wide owned or contracted for 2,620 MW of renewable energy—wind, solar and biomass—and is on track to reach 6,000 MW of renewable energy by 2020. Two Duke Energy businesses were among the top 10 utilities in the nation in 2013 for adopting new solar energy, according to rankings released last month by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA). The company also recently completed a 10-year, $9 billion generation fleet modernization program that allowed the company to retire more than 3,800 MW of older coal-fired units and reduce its carbon emissions by 20 percent since 2005. For eight consecutive years, Duke Energy has been named to the elite Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for excellence in environmental, social and financial performance.

The George Washington University
In the heart of the nation’s capital with additional programs in Virginia, the George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the District of Columbia. The university offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study, as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate and professional students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and more than 130 countries.

American University
American University is a leader in global education, enrolling a diverse student body from throughout the United States and nearly 140 countries. Located in Washington, D.C., the university provides opportunities for academic excellence, public service and internships in the nation’s capital and around the world.

The George Washington University Hospital
The mission of The George Washington University Hospital is to provide high-quality health care, advanced medical technology and world-class service to its patients in an academic medical center dedicated to education and research.

Duke Energy Renewables
Duke Energy Renewables (DER), part of Duke Energy’s Commercial Businesses, is a leader in developing innovative wind and solar energy generation projects for customers throughout the United States. The company’s growing portfolio of commercial renewable assets includes 15 wind farms and 21 solar farms in operation in 12 states, totaling almost 1,800 megawatts in electric-generating capacity. Learn more at www.duke-energy.com/renewables. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at www.duke-energy.com.

CustomerFirst Renewables
CustomerFirst Renewables (CFR) is an innovative renewable energy integrator focused on bringing large-scale solutions directly to businesses and institutions across North America. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in the Washington, D.C., area, CFR delivers competitively sourced electricity and environmental attributes from customer-dedicated renewables that replace traditional supply and meet up to 100 percent of power needs regardless of customer location(s), typically cost less than brown power, mitigate uncertainty around future electricity prices and reduce carbon footprint. With more than 100 years of electric industry experience and a top-tier management consulting approach, CFR has a unique ability to listen to customer needs and apply distinctive problem-solving skills and expertise to produce solutions that create tremendous value for customers.

-GW-

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Kurtis Hiatt
The George Washington University
202-994-1849, kkhiatt@gwu.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site Visit Summary:
Duke Energy Renewables is a part of Duke Energy, the largest electric power holding
company in the United States. Duke Energy serves 7.4 million customers over 95,000
square miles with a total generated capacity of 50,200 MW [3]. Duke Energy Renewables
operates 2,500 MW of renewable energy in large scale wind and solar developments. One of
these sites is Colonial Eagle One, a 20 MW capacity solar farm in Pasquotank County.
Fig 2. Colonial Eagle One Solar Farm [26]
Fig 3. Colonial Eagle One Site Visit
Colonial Eagle One is situated just outside Elizabeth City, North Carolina in Pasquotank
County. It sits on approximately 204 acres of farmland, of which 121 acres have been
covered by photovoltaic modules. It was designed, engineered, and constructed by Sun
Energy 1.There are over 95,000 photovoltaic modules with a 30-year designed system life;
they provide an overall AC capacity of 20 MW interconnected to a 34.5 kV grid. These
modules are mounted on racks which track the sun throughout the day, providing larger
energy gains. The estimated environmental attributes include preventing 3,750 tons of CO2
from being released and saving 7.5 million gallons of water from being consumed [4].
This report will take a look at the economic viability of the site, the role of state and federal
tax credits, and the alternative economic opportunities for the land, be it agricultural or
another energy resource.

Ronald Bethea September 15, 2018 Uncategorized

Solar Farm Land Lease Rates: How Much are Solar Farms Worth to Landowners?

Publisher: Minute Blog Date September 14, 2018

leasing land for solar farm

(Please Note: Landmark does not build solar farms. We only buy existing solar leases that are currently generating rent for property owners, or provide land financing for solar developers) Solar energy in America is on the rise: according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), in 2016, solar installations represented the largest source of new energy generating capacity in the United States, beating out other green energy-rivals like as natural gas and wind. 1 During this time, the U.S saw more than 10.5 gigawatts (10,500 megawatts) of utility-scale solar installations added to the grid, pushing total photovoltaic capacity to nearly 40 gigawatts.2  This capacity firmly positions the U.S as the world’s 4th largest solar power (behind China, Japan, and Germany), but things are just getting started, because it’s been reported that an additional 12 GW of solar capacity is set to go live this year .3This rapid expansion of solar energy has created significant financial opportunities for both landowners and farmers, since solar farming has become increasingly more valuable over time.

leasing land for solar farm

Why Has Solar Farming Grown More Valuable?

Simply put, solar developers need land for their new solar projects, but land is a commodity that is not always widely available, so solar land leases are often the only viable option.

These solar leases can be extremely valuable to landowners, and using Craven County, NC as an example, can help landowners generate up to $4,000 per acre in annual rental payments from solar developers.4

However, there’s a lot to take into consideration before entering into a solar lease with a developer, and to help our readers better understand the nature of solar farm lease rates, this article will discuss the importance of solar development in the U.S, how land for solar development is evaluated, and how Landmark Dividend can help property owners get the most out of their solar lease.

Solar Growth in the United States

solar farm leaseThe quick expansion in the solar industry has come as a result of two major factors: government programs like the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and falling photovoltaic (PV) prices—both of which contribute to solar developers seeing a much faster return on their investments, making solar development a much more lucrative prospect.

For example, the ITC provides solar developers with a 30% tax credit on the price of a solar installation, and in some regions, solar energy production has fallen to as low as 4 cents per kilowatt-hour, making solar energy even cheaper than traditional fossil fuels.

Additionally, solar power is perhaps the world’s best bet for reducing carbon emissions. If current progress continues, it’s quite possible that solar energy installations could effectively reduce carbon emissions around the globe by nearly 6 billion tonnes per year.5

Opportunities for Landowners & Farmers

This rapid expansion of solar energy production and the creation of solar farms across the United States are generating a number of financial opportunities for landowners, and especially large landowners, like farmers.

Solar farms are especially interesting for American farmers, since depending on the crop, solar farm profits from photovoltaic panels could end up being far greater than traditional farming practices, especially in the right climates.

And even in situations where solar is not a more valuable option, it still might be preferable, especially since solar farm maintenance and upkeep is typically less exhaustive and far less of a hassle compared to traditional farming, for crops like sweet cherries, which often have to be picked by hand.

However, not all properties can be converted into utility-scale solar power plants, as the criterion for which a property is judged is very strict.

How do I Obtain a Solar Lease?

While it is possible to get in touch with a solar developer on your own, it is more likely the case that a solar developer will contact you first.

Developers typically have an acute understanding of where the most valuable land is located and they are also typically pretty quick to act on any new prospects.

How are Solar Farm Land Lease Rates Determined?

Determining the value of a solar farm lease rates usually comes down to a two-step process consisting of an evaluation of the land itself and the actual lease negotiation.

solar farm profits

Property Evaluation

When a property catches the attention of a solar developer, they will usually send out a surveyor to determine whether or not the property meets certain criteria, which commonly includes site characteristics such as the following:

Amount of Land Available

For a typical solar installation, the general rule of thumb is that for every 1kW of solar panels needed, the area required is approximately 100 square feet.

This means, that, for a 1mW solar PV power plant, the area required is about 2.5 acres or 100,000 square feet. However, it’s important to keep in mind that this amount of land is just for the panels themselves, and doesn’t include the space required for other solar equipment, which can bring the total closer to about 4 acres for a 1mW farm.6

Amount of Sunlight

This one is fairly obvious: the land in question must receive an adequate amount of sunlight, or more specifically, solar irradiance, on an annual basis, and the property itself should be free of as many sunlight blocking obstructions as possible (i.e., tall trees, buildings, or anything else that might cast a shadow).

In some cases, these items can simply be removed, but doing so can sometimes make the development of the land too costly of an endeavor, leading the developers to look elsewhere.

Proximity to Grid Infrastructure

One of the most important factors taken into consideration during the evaluation process is the property’s proximity to important infrastructure like roads and grid connection points.

Infrastructure components such as these are incredible expensive to create, and require careful navigation of local regulations, so developers are highly likely to avoid selecting land that doesn’t already have these things in place.

It’s safe to say that if the property in question is too far from the necessary infrastructure, or the infrastructure simply doesn’t exist, it is very likely that the property will be declared unfit for the development of a solar farm.

Quality of Soil

The quality of both the terrain and soil also places a major factor in the evaluation process, as property that is sloped, excessively rocky, or unstable can become a major problem for solar development.

For example, if the property happens to be littered with large boulders, the developer will have to take into consideration the cost of removing these boulders into their budget, which may or may not affect their decision to develop the land.

The Lease Negotiation

If the property passes the evaluation phase, the solar developer will then present a draft of the solar lease agreement to the property owner.

The solar lease agreement will contain items such as the monthly rent that will be paid the property owner, the length of the lease, and how much acreage the development will require.

How Much Money Can a Solar Farm Make?

Rental fees paid to the property owner can vary widely based on the unique characteristics of the land and the size of the solar installation.

On average, the solar farm profit per acre is somewhere between $21,250 and $42,500 per acre on an annual basis.

As you can see, solar farming can be quite profitable for some landowners, as most solar installations require, at minimum, 4 acres of useable land; however, there are some solar farms that span hundreds of acres, netting property owners hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

Things to Consider Before Signing Your Solar Lease

solar farm land lease ratesThe quick expansion in the solar industry has come as a result of two major factors: government programs like the Investment Tax Credit (ITC)
Before leasing land for a solar farm, there are a few items that property owners should take into consideration.

First, even though solar farms typically require less maintenance than other forms of energy generation, they can still have a dramatic effect on the local surroundings.

For example, service roads are typically built to grant vehicles access to different components of the solar installation, which might necessitate the clearing out of high-value crops and other natural vegetation such as trees and shrubs.

Second, during the lease negotiation, it’s important to figure out who will be responsible for large financial liabilities, like real estate taxes, landowner insurance premiums, and other expenses associated with the property.

Additionally, it’s critically important to discuss what happens to the solar installation once the lease has ended, as many property owners may want to return the land back to its original condition, which can be an extremely costly endeavor if done without assistance.

Landmark Dividend’s Role

As one of the nation’s largest lease acquisition companies, Landmark Dividend can provide value, capital, and liquidity to qualified property owners with a solar lease agreement.

While the annual income from a solar lease can be substantial, Landmark Dividend can provide you with a large, lump sum payment for the entire value of your lease now, so that you have the financial flexibility to pursue goals such as starting a new business, purchasing additional real estate, or even retiring early.

Contact Landmark Dividend

Even if you’re not interested in selling your solar farm lease, we can still provide you a no-obligation analysis and valuation of your lease to determine its true market value if your site meets our criteria.

Please contact Alex Stone, Senior Vice President, Landmark Dividend, by email at astone@landmarkdividend.com. You can also click here to submit your information online so that we may contact you.

1. https://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-market-insight-report-2016-year-review
2. http://e360.yale.edu/features/northern-lights-utility-scale-solar-power-spreading-across-the-us
3. https://interestingengineering.com/top-10-performing-countries-for-solar-energy
4. https://craven.ces.ncsu.edu/considerations-for-transferring-agricultural-land-to-solar-panel-energy-production/
5. https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/02/for-a-brighter-future-science-looks-to-re-energize-the-common-solar-cell/
6. http://www.solarmango.com/ask/2015/10/23/what-type-of-land-is-suitable-for-solar-farm/

Ronald Bethea September 15, 2018 Uncategorized

The Fourth Annual State of African American Small Businesses: Using Your Business to Build Wealth for Generations

Friday, September 14
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Location: 140A

Member(s)

    • Donald Payne, Jr.

      Member of Congress representing New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District
      U.S. House of Representatives

Invited Moderator(s)

    • Jill Johnson

      CEO
      Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership

Invited Panelist(s)

  • Damien Hooper- Campbell

    Chief Diversity Officer
    eBay

  • Jean-Robert Baguidy

    Sr. Business Development Specialist
    U.S. Department of Commerce/Minority Business Development Agency

  • Angel Anderson

    Spice Shop Owner
    The SpiceSuite

  • Harry Thomas, Jr.

    Vice President, Bethesda Field Office
    McDonald’s USA, LLC

  • CB

    Cory Booker

“Building Your Brand and Accessing Capital to Create a Business Empire”
This session will include an annual update on the advancements of African Americans in entrepreneurship and small businesses, and an esteemed panel will offer tips on building a thriving business in emerging industries that can withstand the test of time to create generational wealth.

Ronald Bethea September 11, 2018 Uncategorized

ENERGY BRAINTRUST: The State of Diversity in the American Energy Sector

Friday, September 14
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Location: 145A

Member(s)

  • Sheila Jackson Lee

    Congresswoman
    U.S. House of Representatives

Ronald Bethea September 11, 2018 Uncategorized

Keeping It Green: Infrastructure, Jobs, and Economic Vitality

Author:  48th CBC Foundation Brain Trust :Published September 11,2018 Washington,DC.

Thursday, September 13
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Location: 103B

Member(s)

    • A. Donald McEachin

      Member of Congress
      U.S. House of Representatives

Invited Moderator(s)

    • SS

      Symone Sanders

      Strategist, Communications Consultant and CNN Political Commentator
      Principal, 360 Group LLC

Invited Panelist(s)

  • RC

    Rory Christian

  • KW

    Karen Weaver

  • GC

    Gilbert Campbell

    Co-Founder and Managing Partner
    Volt Energy

  • ND

    Nedra Dickson

  • RB

    Roxanne Brown

Our nation is in dire need of comprehensive infrastructure investment—and our planet is in dire need of an energy revolution that minimizes climate change and puts us on the path to a more sustainable future. By making strategic investments in a clean energy economy powered by well-paying green collar jobs, we can meet both these needs at once—in a way that helps us grow a prosperous and inclusive green economy. This panel will focus on the unique relationship between infrastructure, environmental protection, environmental justice, and economic developmen

Ronald Bethea September 11, 2018 Uncategorized

Northwest Renewable Energy Institute

Author: Northwest Renewable Energy Institute : Published September 11,2018

Our six-month training program will prepare you for a job in the rapidly-growing green energy industry.

Our Next Class Starts on November 5, 2018
Northwest Renewable Energy Institute can prepare you for a career as a wind turbine technician, the fastest growing green energy job.
Graduates from our program are in demand. Most of them are even offered employment before they even graduate. Are you ready for a great job in green energy?
​Northwest Renewable Energy Institute offers:

  • Affordable tuition
  • Six, month program, the shortest accredited program in the nation.
  • Small class sizes for individual instruction
  • Financial aid for those who qualify
  • Graduate job placement assistance
  • ​Student housing
Our program also includes the following industry certifications and learning benchmarks required by most wind turbine employers:

  1. ENSA Safe Access and Rescue Certification
  2. OSHA 10-hour Construction Training Certification
  3. CPR/First Aid Certification
  4. NFPA 70­E (electrical safety training)
  5. HYTORC  Certification (hydraulic torqueing and tensioning)
Ronald Bethea September 11, 2018 Uncategorized

YOUNG, GIFTED & GREEN BLACK MILLENNIAL’S FOR FLINT COMMUNITY ACTION SUMMIT

Author: Black Millennial’s for Flint: Published September 11,2018

Date: Thursday,  September  13, 2018: Time of Summit : 2:00- 5:00 pm

Location  Thursday Marshall Center  for   Services Washington DC  1816 12th Street NW 2009.

Black Millennials for Flint, the first African American & Latino grassroots organization focused on lead prevention in US History, invites all environmental justice and civil rights advocates, activists and leaders across the country to participate in our 2nd Annual “Young, Gifted & Green Community Action Summit” during Congressional Black Caucus Week 2018. African American & Latino Millennials MUST come together to advocate and fight for a #LeadFreeUSA. This event will include panel discussions, presentations and workshops to inspire the next generation of African American & Latino environmental justice leaders. The post-reception will include an awards ceremony honoring legislators and community leaders advocating for lead prevention.

 

 

Ronald Bethea September 11, 2018 Uncategorized

Why Have DC SREC Prices Fallen by 15% in the Past Year?

Publisher: Honey-Dew  Energy Advisors : June 11, 2018

Why Have DC SREC Prices Fallen by 15% in the Past Year?

SRECS, or Solar Renewable Energy Credits, are the most important incentive for DC’s solar market. The revenue generated from their sale is about three times greater than the value of the underlying electricity. Solar PV System owners are awarded SRECs through Pepco for each megawatt hour (1,000,000 kWhs) of energy the system generates over the lifetime of the system, which is typically 25 years. The system owner may then sell those SRECs to fossil fuel based electricity suppliers at a market based price.

Just like any other market, price is determined by supply and demand. The supply of SRECs is determined by the amount of solar energy generated within the District. Demand for SRECs is driven by the ACP, or Alternative Compliance Payment, that is levied on the fossil fuel electric suppliers.The ACP is currently $500/MWh, declining to $400 in 2024.

The ACP is determined by City Council and Public Service Commission through it’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS) legislation. The RPS sets a goal for what percentage of DC’s electricity should come from renewable sources, with a specific carve out for solar energy. Though the percentage of new solar energy generation is growing steadily, DC consistently falls short in meeting its RPS goal. As of March, the District is falling short of its 2018 RPS goal of 94.5 megawatts by around 22 megawatts or 23%.

Chart from DC Public Service Commission May 2018 RPS Compliance Report

Given this shortfall and the fact the RPS Expansion Amendment Act of 2016 augmented the ACP from 2016 – 2032, it’s counterintuitive to find that the value of SRECs has declined by 15% over the past year, as demand appears to be outpacing supply. See graph above from SRECtrade.

The PSC explains the cause of this price drop in its quarterly RPS report last month. The RPS Amendment Act of 2016 contained a provision that allowed third party suppliers to grandfather in supply contracts entered into prior to 2016. These suppliers can pay a $350 fee instead of purchasing a $380 SREC, hence suppressing demand. Given that these contracts last between 1 and 5 years, we can expect this price lull to gradually phase out by 2023.

Here are some other upcoming policies that are likely to increase the price of DC SRECs in the coming years:

  • City Council is currently considering charging a fee on carbon production in DC. Ratepayers can avoid this fee by either purchasing RECs or going solar directly. Given the high percentage of renter in the district, the former is more likely to be impacted. This will increase demand for SRECs.
  • Phil Mendelson, Chairman of the City Council, has sponsored legislation to increase the RPS to 100% by 2050, keeping a strong solar carve out.
  • The Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which pays for 30% of the cost of every solar energy system, is set to expire in 2021. This will increase the cost of solar deployment and lower supply
  • Land in DC is super expensive. The law of declining marginal returns will kick in as the solar market saturated and we run out of space. If a certain Seattle based tech company moves into town, this could further tighten the real estate market and spur more redevelopment. This will put a ceiling on solar deployment.

Given that we have yet to be really hit by Trump’s trade war, the ITC remains in place, and the SREC market is likely to remain strong, there has never been a better time to invest in a DC solar energy system.

Ronald Bethea September 8, 2018 Uncategorized

CCAN Action Fund : Make your voice heard this election.

These are Maryland's Clean Energy Voters

Maryland voters are speaking up for their future. WATCH this inspiring video — then sign the pledge to be a clean energy voter today! http://bit.ly/CleanEnergyVoter2018

Posted by CCAN Action Fund on Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Quick thing number two: Share the video with all your friends. Share it on Facebook. Share it on Twitter. Forward this email far and wide!

Quick thing number three: Sign the “Clean Energy Voter” pledge. It will help us show Maryland candidates just how many voters like you demand clean energy. 

The elections are really heating up in Maryland. From your local elections to the gubernatorial race, voting this fall is going to be more important than ever.

And now, YOU have the opportunity to let your candidates know what you care about most: a clean, healthy, livable future for everyone in Maryland.

The elections have never been more important. Here in Maryland, we’re currently facing an onslaught of fracked-gas pipelines and compressor stations and more. If we sit idly by, Maryland could become locked into fossil fuel infrastructure for decades.

We don’t want that to happen. We need clean, renewable energy to replace our outdated fossil fuel economy. We need to push for more wind and solar instead, like by passing the Clean Energy Jobs Act next year. 

Watch the “Clean Energy Voter” video, then take the pledge to be a “Clean Energy Voter.” As the elections continue to heat up, we’ll deliver the “Clean Energy Voter” pledge to Maryland’s candidates for state legislature and governor. It’s time to let our leaders know: We believe in a clean energy future for Maryland.

The Clean Energy Jobs Act would double wind and solar in Maryland while investing in workforce development and keeping rates low. It is the best way to get to a future powered by 100% renewable energy in a way that is just and equitable. Have questions about the policy? Listen to a recording of our call with wind and solar experts explaining the bill here.

After the devastating floods in Ellicott City, it’s never been more important to move quickly toward clean energy. Make your voice heard. Sign the “Clean Energy Voter” pledge today.

For a clean energy future, 

Mike Tidwell
Executive Director
Chesapeake Climate Action Network

Ronald Bethea September 5, 2018 Uncategorized

Face the heat: Should EV incentives be restructured for battery degradation?

Author: Herman K. Trabish Published: Aug. 28, 2018

A new study advocates scaling electric vehicle incentives based on how quickly batteries wear out, but critics say it misses the bigger picture.

The striking growth of electric vehicles (EVs) has been supported by policies intended to eliminate noxious emissions and transform the transportation sector.. A century after EVs fell out of the car market because gasoline-powered vehicles were cheaper to operate, forecasts show battery-powered transportation could take the market back because it is cleaner and becoming affordable. But controversial new research proposes revising EV policy because batteries degrade over time, increasing costs and emissions.  EV experts say the research is incomplete and outdated.

“Battery sizes and lifespans are going up and grid emissions are going down as renewables penetrations increase,” Chris Nelder, a mobility practice manager with think tank Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), emailed Utility Dive. “Question all assumptions.”

EVs and battery degradation

EVs will be 24% of U.S. light-vehicle fleet in 2030, according to “Predictive modeling of battery degradation and greenhouse gas emissions” from Case Western Reserve University researchers. They will be 33% of the global feet in 2040, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s 2018 forecast, and 30%, according to BP’s 2018 forecast. Transportation sector greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were 28% of total U.S. GHGs in 2016 and cars and trucks were 83% of that, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA has targeted a 36.5% reduction in light duty vehicle fleet GHG emissions by 2025, the Case Western paper reports.

A range of federal, state, and local policies and incentives support that target and other more specific emissions reductions. The most prominent is a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 for the purchase of a zero-emissions vehicle. Emissions from EVs vary with the power mixes on the grids charging them, according to a 2018 assessment by Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) senior engineer David Reichmuth. From 2016 EPA sub-grid data on U.S. power plants emissions, “75% of people now live in places where driving on electricity is cleaner than a 50 MPG gasoline car,” UCS found. “Based on where people have already bought EVs, electric vehicles now have greenhouse gas emissions equal to an 80 MPG car, much lower than any gasoline-only car available.”

The Case Western researchers studied state by state emissions and performance variations from the degradation of a 2013 Nissan Leaf 24 kWh lithium-manganese-oxide–graphite (LMO) battery pack. The model, however, can be used to evaluate other EVs, according to the paper. It assumed individual states’ 2012 grid power mixes. With degradation, internal resistance increases, and the charge-discharge cycle becomes significantly less efficient, it found.

The industry standard for a battery’s full life is to 30% efficiency loss, according to the paper. Depending on variables, including the power mix of the grid, the climate where the vehicle is used, and the driving habits of the vehicle owner, “energy consumption and GHG emissions can be increased by 11.5% to 16.2%.”This finding should be considered in EV policymaking, the paper recommends. States with significant GHG reductions “should be provided with enhanced incentives” but “states with small or no GHG emission reductions should be provided with less or no incentives.”This proposal “could apply to the $7,500 tax credit,” Associate Professor of Engineering and paper lead author Chris Yuan, who described himself as an EV advocate, emailed Utility Dive.

Focusing incentives based on current or past local emissions profiles is “a short-sighted view,” UCS’s Reichmuth told Utility Dive. “That trades small or non-existent emission changes in the short term for the longer-term benefits of transformative change to low emission transportation.”

Battery degradation varies by state. Above, the top and bottom five states for annual battery cycling capacity loss (c), the top and bottom five states for annual calendar capacity loss (d), and the annual and total battery capacity loss by state (e).
Credit: Case Western Reserve University

Battery degradation and its impacts

EV batteries undergo a “complex degradation process” that involves two cycles, the Case Western paper reports.

One is the cycling capacity loss due to charging and discharging, which degrades the battery’s electrodes and causes lithium loss. The other is “calendar capacity loss,” due to self-discharge and side reactions that occur as the battery’s state of charge, age, and ambient temperature changes.

State by state operating conditions cause varying battery degradations, and “temperature-induced calendar loss dominates battery degradation, particularly in the first year,” the paper reports. The result is that “electricity consumption and GHG emissions in each state are largely different.”

Hotter weather and increased driving also accelerate battery degradation by requiring more frequent recharging. The result is increased electricity consumption and increased GHG emissions that cause decreased driving range, decreased cycling efficiency, and earlier battery replacement.

“States with a high annual travel demand above 18,000 km and a high ambient temperature above 28°C in summer have more severe capacity losses,” the researchers reported. Nationally, “battery life is ranging between 5.2 years in Florida and 13.3 years in Alaska.”

The researchers tested their conclusions against different assumptions. Battery performance varied only 1% with a 40% increase in travel, and only 6% with a 20% increase in battery power. GHG emissions, however, fell “proportionally” to an increase in penetration of renewables in the grid power mix.

The findings could be used by EV battery designers to “improve the EV battery performance under different operation conditions,” the paper suggests. Where ambient temperature is above 28°C, battery life can be significantly extended by “a temperature control system” for when the EV is not operating.

The findings could also be used to optimize “the scheduling of battery replacement, inventory planning, and control of the battery supply,” the paper adds.

Case Western’s research was limited to the air-cooled 2013 Nissan Leaf 24 kWh LMO–graphite battery pack, the paper acknowledges. “The advancement of battery and vehicle technologies” and “different sizes and chemistries of the battery pack may affect the final results.”

On the other hand, the advanced technologies that make fast-charging more accessible “could induce extra degradation,” the paper notes. That would “increase the unit energy consumption and GHG emissions from the EV if being used on a regular basis.”

With the newest EVs, UCS estimates that 99% of the U.S. population would get more than 50 mpg.
Credit: UCS EV paper

Points of contention:

1. More batteries

Reichmuth, RMI’s Nelder, and Noah Barnes, spokesperson for advocacy group Plug In America (PIA), said the paper’s conclusions are significantly compromised by its focus on only one battery design. “Battery degradation is important,” Reichmuth said. “But this study was of an air-cooled battery. The Tesla and the Chevy Bolt have liquid-cooled batteries and that will make a difference on real world performance.”Data from PIA surveys of Tesla Roadster and Model S drivers found “no correlation between climate and battery capacity loss but Nissan Leaf drivers reported a correlation, Barnes said. “Battery life depends on many factors and there’s no inherent reason for batteries to degrade more quickly because of climate. Some may today, but we expect that to improve over time.” There are batteries with capacities ranging from 40 kWh to 100 kWh that will all have different degradation and performance profiles, Nelder added.  The research was limited to the one battery, Yuan agreed. “For other emerging batteries, we need to test their performance under different conditions to see how [degradation] will change.”

2. The power mix

The power mix on the 2012 grid was far more fossil fuel-intensive than today’s grid and the trend is toward higher penetrations of emissions-free generation, the EV advocates agreed. Modeling with newer data, as UCS did, “will definitely have an impact,” Yuan said. But the change “is happening gradually” and the impact of updated grid data on the paper’s findings “will not be significant.” RMI’s Nelder sharply disagreed. The UCS results show that cleaner grids can make driving EVs the cleaner option. And “the share of coal-fired power in extra coal-heavy states should not be projected forward,” he added. “Many of those plants are already on the chopping block. “More significantly, by switching from internal combustion engines (ICEs) to EVs, “you open a pathway for decarbonization of transportation via decarbonization of grid power,” he added. “There is no such pathway if we stay on ICE vehicles.”

3. State by state?

The paper’s state-level modeling is also problematic, Reichmuth said. “UCS used EPA sub-regions because the grid region power mixes don’t match state boundary lines. Many states get electricity from more than one system provider and some get electricity from other states.” The “bigger picture” is that, “over the last decade, coal has dropped from nearly 50% of the grid mix to 30% and utility-scale wind and solar are nearing 10%,” he added. “It’s less important what the emissions of a Nissan LEAF in any one state were in 2012. What’s important is being able to make substantial reductions in transportation emissions in the coming decade.” Many factors besides the state-level grid mix affected the assessment, Yuan said. Future studies may offer more insight on variations at grid sub-regions. Both Reichmuth and Barnes stressed that ICE vehicles’ emissions also go up in hotter states. “The higher the energy requirement for both vehicles, the more EVs save in GHG and cost,” Barnes said.

4. The $7,500

Both Reichmuth and Barnes objected to the idea of calibrating the $7,500 tax credit according to local efficiencies and emissions. “Greenhouse gas emissions are a global problem, not a state-by-state problem, and every electric vehicle put into service benefits the planet,” Barnes said. “The federal government should make the incentive simpler and more accessible by making it a time-of-purchase rebate,” he said. “It should not create more confusion by modifying incentives by state. “Accelerated battery degradation that leads to early replacement may not be the burden described in the paper, Reichmuth said. “The second-life and recycling-remanufacturing market is in its infancy, since most EVs and EV batteries are less than five years old,” Reichmuth said. “Pilots are beginning to show their potential.”

“There does not seem to be any technical reason why batteries can’t be reused.”

David Reichmuth

Senior engineer, Union of Concerned Scientists

A BMW and Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) 2015-2016 test proved the effectiveness of used EV batteries and managed EV charging in demand response (DR). It included eight used BMW EV batteries, which provided 80% of the 19,500 kWh supplied to the PG&E system for 209 DR events over 18 months.

Earlier this year, Nissan began making remanufactured Leaf batteries available at about $2,850 in Japan, which is less than half the new battery cost of about $6,200, according to Inside EVs.

“Batteries will eventually degrade, but there will be options for remanufacturing or reusing them,” Reichmuth said. “There does not seem to be any technical reason why batteries can’t be reused.”

It is too early in the development of EVs to put together the benefits of second life opportunities and the costs of battery degradation, he added. “If a car with a 300-mile range drops to 200 miles, that might serve the driver’s needs but if a 60-mile range drops to 40 miles, that might matter.”

It is also not clear how second life uses and will affect lifecycle GHGs, Yuan said. His team’s current work may supply answers. Battery replacement will increase the “manufacturing GHGs” while second life opportunities “may further affect the overall lifecycle GHGs.”

“This paper points out the importance of continuing to reduce emissions from the electricity sector and the need to consider total lifecycle emissions when designing EV policies,” Reichmuth responded. “But for air quality and for GHGs, we need to move to cleaner transportation, and we can’t wait for the power sector to be perfect, and we can’t wait for EVs to be perfect.”

Ronald Bethea September 5, 2018 Uncategorized
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