Sep 12 12

The Green Jobs Source for Wednesday, September 12

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This is The Source for September 12, 2012, green jobs news every day from the BlueGreen Alliance. Don’t forget to “tell your friends” about this great resource. You can sign up here.

TOP THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW FOR SEPTEMBER 12

No vote scheduled in Senate. A vote on the Senate’s tax extenders package — which includes an extension of the Production Tax Credit for wind energy — has not yet been scheduled on the Senate’s calendar, and Politico says Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is “not making any promises to do so.”

Another Plant Closure. Katana Summit LLC has said it plans to close its wind tower manufacturing plants in Columbus and Ephrata, Washington if a buyer cannot be found. This is just the latest in a number of layoffs and plant closures occurring around the country linked to inaction by Congress on the Production Tax Credit for wind energy.

Climate Change Fear. A new annual survey from the Carbon Disclosure Projectfound more than a third of major companies “see the physical risks of a changing climate such as extreme weather, rising sea levels and water scarcity as a real and present danger” and 78 percent are integrating climate change into their business strategy.

ISSUE IN-DEPTH: PRODUCTION TAX CREDIT

Articles, columns and letters to the editor about the Production Tax Credit for wind energy from across America include:

Midwest Energy News: Jobs on the line as wind tax credit hangs in the breeze
Stateline: Wind Subsidies Raise a Storm in Heartland States

National and International Blue-Green

E&E News says last year’s “bad snow year” may be a sign of what’s ahead for the ski industry.

Gene Karpinski, President of the League of Conservation Voters, explains why Congress should pass the Safe Chemicals Act over on The Hill’s Congress Blog.

The New York Times looks at several big-box retailers that are using rooftop solar power to meet their energy needs.

Jennifer Granholm explains why she is obsessed with “Made in the USA” on Politico.

According to Recharge News, Spain’s Iberdola has retained its top spot for global installed wind capacity.

To the States

A Republican lawmaker proposed legislation freezing Wisconsin’s renewable energy mandate. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has more.

The Times-Picayune overviews BP’s proposal to “’deep clean’ the sand on beaches along the Louisiana coastline where tar balls and tar mats from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico were uncovered by Hurricane Isaac.”

The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation in Indiana is taking steps to reduce its energy demand. The Evansville Courier & Presshas more about the action that could save cut energy costs by $.7.5-$11 million over the next ten years.

KHON says the Department of Energy is studying a number of renewable energy possibilities in Hawaii.

Blue-Green Links

USA Today: Trade deficit grew in July, exports to Europe dropped

Hill: EPA official: GOP bill would 'cripple' global climate efforts

KTOO News: Study says otters help combat global warming

Reuters: In unlikely turn, conservationists lobby to save Gulf oil rigs

New York Times: The Growing Might of Solar Power

Politico: House Republicans slam Steven Chu memo

GreenBiz.com: Kara Hurst named to lead Sustainability Consortium

Politico: Barack Obama’s campaign against coal

New York Times: Plasma Gasification Raises Hopes of Clean Energy From Garbage

Fuel Fix: Nations meet to keep Caribbean clean amid oil quest