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Comment by Bruce Eric Montgomery on August 7, 2009 at 2:20pm

The 8th annual Illinois Renewable Energy and Sustainable Lifestyle Fair will be held on Saturday, August 8th (from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) and Sunday, August 9th (from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) at the Ogle County Fairgrounds, in Oregon, IL.

The Fairgrounds open at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Comment by Michael, Houston on November 1, 2008 at 7:43am

JOBS UPDATE
Thousands of new GREEN JOBS are now posted on GREEN JOBS NOW! group page. Join the group today and we will keep you informed. http://push.pickensplan.com/group/greenjobsnowcom
Tell your friends looking for a job to sign up on the PickensPlan and upload their resume FREE at: www.green-jobs-now.com
Melissa
coordinator@green-jobs-now.com

Comment by Bruce Eric Montgomery on October 16, 2008 at 12:26pm

Report: 4.2 million new 'green' jobs possible

WASHINGTON — A major shift to renewable energy and efficiency is expected to produce 4.2 million new environmentally friendly "green" jobs over the next three decades, according to a study commissioned by the nation's mayors.

The study to be released Thursday by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, says that about 750,000 people work today in what can be considered green jobs from scientists and engineers researching alternative fuels to makers of wind turbines and more energy-efficient products.

But that's less than one half of 1 percent of total employment. By 2038, another 4.2 million green jobs are expected to be added, accounting for 10 percent of new job growth over the next 30 years, according to the report by Global Insight, Inc.

"It could be the fastest growing segment of the United States economy over the next several decades and dramatically increase its share of total employment," said the report, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.

However, the study cautioned such job growth won't be realized without an aggressive shift away from traditional fossil fuels toward alternative energy and a significant improvement in energy efficiency.

For example, it assumes by 2038 alternative energy will account for 40 percent of electricity production with half of that coming from wind and solar; widespread retrofitting of buildings to achieve a 35 percent reduction in electricity use; and 30 percent of motor fuels coming from ethanol or biodiesel.

Alternative energy such as wind, geothermal, biomass and solar, currently accounts for less than 3 percent of electricity generation and nonfossil sources such as ethanol and biodiesel about 5 percent of all motor fuels, the report notes.

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, the conference's president, said the report makes "a very compelling economic argument for investing in the green economy and that we're going to get a huge return for it."

"These are things we have to do," said Diaz in a telephone interview, adding that "Washington needs to get on the train."

Presidential candidate Barack Obama has cited the jobs potential if the country embraces alternative energy and efficiency.

Democratic nominee Barack Obama predicts investments in a "clean energy economy" over the next 10 years "will help the private sector create 5 million new green jobs" — a more ambitious projection than outlined by the study provided the mayors.

The report, being presented at a mayor's conference in Miami, predicts the biggest job gain will be from the increased use of alternative transportation fuels, with 1.5 million additional jobs, followed by the renewable power generating sector with 1.2 million new jobs. Another 81,000 additional jobs will be generated by industries related to making homes and commercial buildings more energy efficient, the study said.

And it predicted an additional 1.4 million green jobs related to engineering, research, consulting and legal work.

"We're trying to show the size of the green jobs economy" assuming policy shifts toward less dependence on fossil fuels, said Jim Diffley of Global Insight.

Comment by Bruce Eric Montgomery on October 8, 2008 at 1:26pm

Please share this news with your colleagues – hope to see you there!

T. Boone Pickens is bringing the Pickens Plan for Energy Independence to Chicago in a town hall meeting set for next Tuesday, October 14, from 10:30 a.m. – noon at Navy Pier (Grand Ballroom).

US Rep. Rahm Emanuel will address the town meeting to highlight Chicago 's strengths in leading the nation to energy independence. We also expect Mayor Richard M. Daley to attend and make brief remarks.

The Town Hall meeting will feature Mr. Pickens' presentation of his "Pickens Plan," which has attracted wide attention since he announced it earlier this year. He will then host a Q&A session with the audience.

In their remarks, Rep. Emanuel and Mayor Daley will showcase Chicago as ready, willing and able to lead the nation in creating new business and new job opportunities in alternative and renewable energy. To that end, the Chicago Manufacturing Center is organizing an industrial showcase featuring five companies that are developing new products in renewable/alternative energy, are suppliers to the renewable energy industry, and/or are implementing new technologies and processes that dramatically reduce energy consumption, cost, and emissions at their facilities.

In announcing his participation in the Town Hall, Rep. Emanuel stated, "Our energy crisis directly affects our national security, our economic security, and our environmental security. I think we need to look at our current energy situation the same way previous generations looked at the great challenges of their day. For centuries, Americans have been at the forefront in developing the technologies that move people. We connected our railroads from east to west, we put a man on the moon, and we built a state-of-the-art interstate highway system connecting New York to California and Chicago to St. Louis . Our commitment to progress and overcoming obstacles made us global leaders in technology. Now we are faced with an obstacle that has been looming since the oil shocks of the 1970's: our nation's addiction to foreign oil. We have an obligation - to our citizens and to our world - to rise to the challenges of the next frontier in energy."

The Chicago Manufacturing Center views the "New Energy Economy" as a tremendous growth opportunity for small and mid-sized manufacturers in our region. Sustainable manufacturing and renewable energy production are key elements of the Chicago Climate Action Plan announced recently by Mayor Daley.

We invite you to participate in the October 14 Town Meeting to learn more about these opportunities and to take part in the discussion. This event is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested. You can confirm you attendance by e-mail to townhall@respublicagroup.com

Bruce Montgomery
Montgomery & Company
Technology | Innovation | Commerce
onepresence@yahoo.com

Comment by Bruce Eric Montgomery on August 20, 2008 at 5:26pm

Area Builders Bring Nation's First Green Job Curriculum to District of Columbia

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Councilmember At-Large Kwame Brown today joined the Green Builders Council of DC (http://www.builditgreendc.org), a coalition of more than 30 local builders and developers, to unveil the nation's first green collar job training curriculum for the Washington, DC area construction industry.

The curriculum will train current construction workers, plus Career and Technical Education students entering the District's construction trades programs, in environmentally-sensitive construction methods and green building rating systems as certified under the U.S. Green Building Council's ( http://www.usgbc.org) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard.

Thanks in part to the leadership of the members of the Green Builders Council of DC more than 100 buildings in the District, totaling over 120 million square feet, are already LEED certified. Including planned projects, members of the Green Builders Council will be responsible for more than 200 million square feet of LEED certified construction in the District. Upon successful completion of this curriculum, students will earn industry-recognized credentials that can help them gain employment at these and other green building projects across the District.

"The demand for District residents who can fill green collar jobs is only expected to grow. Now DC workers and Career and Technical Education students will be able to gain a valuable skill set that will benefit their careers and our city's green future," said Mayor Fenty.

"Now, when people ask me what a green collar job is, I can point to specifics. This training will lead to important results: A greener, more sustainable city and the jobs that go with it," said Councilmember Brown. "The District is looking ahead to the future, and we're fortunate to have partners who want to bring hope to our young people."

"Mayor Fenty and the City Council have been longtime advocates of initiatives that create jobs and promote a more sustainable city. Today, the private sector is proud to do its part," said Ted Trabue, director of the Green Builders Council of DC. "With this first-of-its-kind curriculum we're not just empowering District workers to take advantage of the green jobs of tomorrow, we're helping to grow this city's green economy and paving the way for other green collar workers across the country."

Specifically, the curriculum will train workers and students to be proficient in:
-- Recognizing the challenges that construction presents to the environment;
-- Understanding the life cycle phases of a building and their impacts on the environment;
-- Identifying eco-friendly alternatives to conventional building practices and understanding the costs and benefits of those alternatives, and;
-- Understanding the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating process and being able to apply construction practices that contribute to a building's LEED rating.

The new curriculum is the product of a partnership between the Green Builders Council of DC and the Florida-based National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) ( http://www.nccer.org/). The Green Builders Council of DC and NCCER commissioned the Sustainable Facilities and Infrastructure Research Team of the Myers-Lawson School of Construction at Virginia Tech University ( http://www.mlsoc.vt.edu/) to develop the curriculum. An updated version will be prepared in the coming months to train workers in the U.S. Green Building Council's revised LEED standards for 2009.

The curriculum has been endorsed by the U.S. Green Building Council as well as Green Advantage ( http://www.greenadvantage.org/), an organization providing environmental certification for construction trades workers who demonstrate knowledge of current green building principles, materials, and techniques.

The training curriculum will be taught by NCCER-accredited training sponsors, including the Academy of Construction & Design at Cardozo Senior High School in Northwest.

The local builders and developers who are members of the Green Builders Council of DC have been leaders in green building and green jobs in the DC area for years. Their member firms have constructed over 100 projects totaling more than 120 million square feet that are certified LEED buildings and currently employ over 450 workers who are accredited by LEED as experts in environmentally friendly construction. George Hawkins, director of the DC Department of Environment, recently praised the Green Builders' Council of DC for "leading the charge on the business side of greening this great District."

http://www.builditgreendc.org

Comment by Bruce Eric Montgomery on August 8, 2008 at 6:23am

'Green-collar' jobs a growth area, U.S. group says

Companies are stepping up their environmental initiatives, and that may mean a boom in "green-collar" jobs.

A recent forecast by the American Solar Energy Society found that renewable energy and energy-efficient industries were responsible for the creation of nearly 8.5 million jobs in 2006, and by 2030 that number is expected to reach 40 million.

Colleges and universities are taking notice, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., a job placement consulting group.

Many have introduced specialized degree programs in eco-commerce, environmental accounting, green and social marketing, and ecological economics.

"The demand for 'green-collar' jobs is really exploding, especially as the cost of energy continues to climb," said John Challenger, the group's chief executive. "Students need to start thinking about developing skills that will give them an edge for these types of careers that did not even exist until recently."

Popular jobs include urban planners, forestry professionals and environmental lawyers, Challenger said. There is also a growing demand for architects and engineers with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit.

Comment by Tom Czubernat on July 29, 2008 at 6:49pm

Hi everyone, while I believe in renewable power generation, it seems that point of use production may be a better alternative. Every building should produce it's own energy. It is with that idea that I started Windy City Renewable Energy. We need to clean up our mess; for my kid and everyone's.

Comment by Bruce Eric Montgomery on July 25, 2008 at 8:36pm

Comment by Bruce Eric Montgomery on July 24, 2008 at 1:40pm

California Cities to Offer Solar Loan Program

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger enacts legislation that allows cities to finance solar installations on the roofs of privately owned homes and businesses.

California homeowners and business owners may soon be able to turn to their cities for loans to install costly solar-panel systems, even if they don’t live in Berkeley.

On Monday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Gov. signed a new bill into law, Assembly Bill 811, which gives cities the ability to provide low-interest solar-panel loans to homeowners and small businesses.

Solar-power systems can cost around $30,000 for homeowners and more for large office buildings.

The legislation, authored by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys, also provides loans for energy-efficiency projects like replacing air conditioning units or installing dual pane windows.

Residents would pay the loans back though assessments on city utility and property tax bills.

Comment by Alankar Gupta on July 23, 2008 at 8:39pm

Greetings Friends,
I read all posted comments. Do not dishearten. We can do it together.

We all need to thank Mr. Pickens for explaining the energy problem that we as a nation face. Earlier it was one Group (users) pointing fingers at the other Group (suppliers) and vice versa. The problem is real. It was magnified to some extent, in recent times, by speculators. But, the truth is we are importing more oil every year and producing less. We are sending billions of dollars overseas.

I like Mr. Pickens Plan but I think it needs to be supplemented by other plans. It by itself will not get us to Energy Independence. It will just buy us more time. For this reason I have posted a petition for Energy Independence .

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/windenergycorporation


Please (a) sign the Petition and (b) forward it to your friends. United we can achieve Energy Independence and avoid this constant financial bleeding of our great nation.
Also, if you want to become an partner in this endeavour let me know how I can contact you. It will be a Labor of Love for a Country that we love. Just think what Energy Independence will be like. What it will do to our standard of living. The opportunities it will offer us, our children and grand children.
Thanks.

Regards and Best wishes,

Alankar Gupta

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