Cortland Coleman

New Jersey has a lot to be proud of: Sinatra, The Soprano's, the shore, solar power.

Solar power? New Jersey? Oh yeah. Big time.

In fact, the state has provided such strong leadership and vision on solar that it is #2 nationwide in solar panel installations, right behind California. Part of the success story has been fueled by government support in the form of rebates for residential and commercial installations.

Now, with the state facing budget constraints and the program blanketed in applications for rebates, regulators are seeking a new model to support the future of solar energy in New Jersey. New programs could take the form of energy credits, tax incentives, etc., but will probably move away from cold, hard cash rebates. A new model will have its winners and losers, it supporter and detractors. What's important is the continued support, vision and leadership that has gotten us to the enviable #2 ranking.

New Jersey and solar have been perfect together. Let's keep it that way.

Note - For those who don't know, "New Jersey and You: Perfect Together" was the state's slogan for many years.

General Electric's Ecomagination program, the company's clean tech division, has been a major success with increasing revenues and a long list of orders. GE builds much of the devices, equipment and infrastructure necessary to install, generate and distribute renewable energy around the world. It's been resoundingly applauded and rightfully so. Unfortunately, that hasn't done anything to help GE's stock which currently trades in the sub-$30 area, not a great place for the one-time bellweather. So, why isn't the success of Ecomagination translating to gains in the stock's price? Dow Jones & Company believe it's due, in part, to bad public relations. From their subscriber newsletter Tommorow's News Today:

Ecomagination also suffers from the perception that, however fast growing, it’s mainly a “green” marketing slogan around products that GE would be selling anyway.

That's unfortunate because the success of the program is directly attributable to GE's committment to serve the clean tech industry. They've been an early, effective and visionary leader in the renewable enrgy sector. It seems that the Ecomagination's accomplishments are simply not being communicated effectively. While it's responsible for only a small slice of GE's total revenue pie (8% of $173B), it's list of worldwide accomplishments - heralded by governments, business and environementalists - is impressive and worthy, yet it fails to add to shareholder value.

Remember, the first step in solving a problem is admitting you have a problem. Time to re-think the 'ole communications strategy. Ecomagination is definitely worth it. 

An unfortunate but revealing data point confirms what many of us all already know: telecommuting programs are not supported nor endorsed at work. There is a silent yet undeniable hesitation to support a program that, admittedly, would give employers less control. Of course, on the flip side of middle managers having less control, companies that actively support telecommuting experience reduced costs, enhanced productivity amongst their workforce and less "sick time" abuse. Of course, telecommuting holds huge environmental benefits since it takes cars off the streets, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption while making our highways safer. As if that weren't enough, employees who telecommute are happier, committed and more loyal to their employers.

I think it's time for a telecommuting revolution!

The western United States is leading the way in recycling compact fluorescent light bulbs. The dirty little secret of CFL's is the mercury they contain, mercury that could seriously harm someone who comes in contact with the substance. Yes, the bulbs are great for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but don't break a bulb anywhere near growing children - the effects of mercury on the nervous system are catastrophic. There is a massive amount of opportunity in CFL recycling, but it's great to see the western U.S. providing leadership and vision here at home. Maybe this will even spark a little healthy competition with eastern states.

You want your business to do the right thing for the environment, but you can't afford a high-priced consultant to come poke around your office to determine what to do first. If this sounds familiar, or you just want your workplace to be a little more environmentally-friendly, then take a look at NRDC's Greening Advisor. It is a one-stop shop to green up your operations. The Advisor focuses on specific areas of opportunity like purchasing, water use, air quality, etc. It's a great way to green your operation, enhance productivity and decrease expenses.

The major oil companies have been endlessly touted their committment to renewable energy sources in a carbon-restrained world, but is their resolve borne out in their investments? Not quite. According to the Dow Jones (certainly no Mother Jones):

"As the companies continue to garner plenty of cash from high oil prices, which reached record highs of more than $123 a barrel this week on the New York Mercantile Exchange, they continue to steer their funds to share repurchases
and avoid any major jump into unconventional fuels."

How are oil companies using those windfall profits? They're investing in their core business - oil. That's not surprising, but it does indicate two things:

1. Greenwashing is big business for some businesses, and

2. It's going to take smaller companies truly dedicated to clean energy to significantly alter the landscape of energy generation in 21st century America.

Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon doesn't mind a fight. In fact, he's tangled with governors, environmentalists and NBA fans. McClendon is not a typical CEO and Chesapeake is not a typical natural gas company. The business he co-founded with $50,000 has seen massive shifts in the market and stock price, but is now worth $25 billion. Chesapeake is in a fortuitous spot thanks to the anticipated decline of coal, booming international development and smart choices early on in natural gas. But, McClendon's not finished yet. Read this entertaining article to learn more about his plans for clean energy, the (Oklahoma!) Sonics and your bank account.

I recently attended an excellent 1-day symposium at Rutgers dealing with the impacts of climate change on water resources. I twittered the discussion which piqued James Governor's interest over at Greenmonk. He asked for a brief write-up which is now a guest post on the Greenmonk site. Thanks, James!

Those folks unfamilar with Governor's work should check out his research analysis company (very innovative stuff) and follow James on twitter.

Tom Konrad has an excellent post on the communications and marketing of energy efficiency. This is one of the low-hanging fruits of greenhouse gas emission reduction but its one of the measures with the biggest potential. Some may even come to rely too heavily on efficiency, casting aside mandatory reductions from coal-burning power plants. Emission reductions from energy generators are a must in fighting climate change, but energy efficiency definitely has a big seat at the table and Konrad wisely argues that most utlities and those that regulate them are going about marketing energy efficiency incorrectly.

Because public utilities are regulated, it falls on the regulator to ensure that the utilities incentive includes those factors which will actually increase the adoption of energy efficiency.  Normal businesses have found that the factors to emphasize are non energy benefits such as comfort, health, and safety.  These factors are out of favor in regulatory circles, because they are difficult to value in dollars and cents.      

Difficult to value does not mean without value.  People buy things they value, and when it comes to home energy efficiency, they are buying health and comfort, with a dash of energy savings... not the other way around.

That's sage advice. People aren't going to turn the furnace down to save what they think will be a few nickels, but they will better manage their home and its energy consumption if doing so will make them healthier and more comfortable, and they may even save a few nickels in the process.

Interested in climate change, communications or environmental PR? I'm heading to Princeton tomorrow for a day-long masterclass on climate change communications. I will not be live-blogging the event, but I will be live-twittering it. So be sure to follow me on twitter if you want to take in the lessons from the event without having to travel Princeton University.

ENS has a fascinating story about the Kivalina village in Alaska. The natives are suing a group of oil and energy companies for contributing to global warming, which they understandably feel is hastening their homes' demise into the Chukchi Sea due to more powerful storms, increased erosion, sea rise, etc.

British Petroleum is not seeing the profits it had hoped for from its renewable energy investments. In fact, returns have been so weak that the oil giant is considering selling off parts of its renewables business. To BP's credit, the company will focus on what it knows best and that's good news for investors. To BP's discredit, the company is abandoning the next generation of the energy generation in favor of yesterday's solutions.