Showing posts with label geothermal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label geothermal. Show all posts
Thursday, October 16, 2014
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Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Greening Cities With Immigrants
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From a "Green Farce" to a Green Future - Refuting False Claims About Immigrants and the Environment (21 page pdf, Center for American Progress, Oct. 2010)Immigration is a sensitive political issue in many countries, particularly in the report reviewed today which focuses on the situation in the USA. The report challenges claims that immigrants cause or contribute to environmental degredation, especially regarding the difficulty faced by climate change policy makers in getting Americans (and Canadians, I dare say) to adopt less polluting life styles and shift energy use off carbon sources. Once again, the role of cities is seen as crucial in finding solutions - in addition to encouraging more, rather than fewer, immigrants with inherently greener outlooks. What is not discussed in the report is the environmental record of countries and the societies from where the immigrants come - which might reveal a not surprising link between lower standards of living and lower consumption, for example, which might change when the immigrant becomes part of a higher income, higher polluting society.
KEY FINDINGS:
* "The 10 highest carbon-emitting cities have an average immigrant population below 5 percent
* The cities with the lowest carbon footprint have an average immigrant population of 26 percent.
* Immigrants.. are more likely to use public transportation and practice sustainable habits like compact living, conservation, and recycling.
* Immigrants, who are largely low income, are also more likely to have their lives disrupted by extreme weather events and other adverse effects of climate change.
* Addressing climate change and poverty on a global scale will help stabilize immigration flows from undeveloped countries.
* Immigrants are disproportionately hurt by the dirty energy economy and face unique environmental challenges
* Immigrants..accounted for 70 percent of men and women who entered the engineering and science fields"
KEY ENERGY FACTS:
* "Thirty-eight percent of U.S. GHG emissions come from buildings.
* Commercial and industrial buildings account for as much as 50 percent of U.S. energy use and residential buildings account for another 20 percent.
* Twenty-nine percent of U.S. GHG emissions come from transportation.
* Seventeen percent of global GHG emissions are caused by deforestation.
* Fifty-seven percent of global GHG emissions are caused by burning fossil fuels.
* The United States meets 85 percent of its energy needs by burning fossil fuels"
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS:
* "mandatory annual electricity and natural gas consumption reduction targets for utilities-can save 262 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
* Expand renewable energy...Remarkably, only 7 percent of our current national energy portfolio comes from renewable sources
* Curb deforestation. Tropical deforestation is responsible for more emissions than all the cars, trucks, planes, and ships in the world combined.
* Limit fossil fuels..include improved fuel economy standards, development of advanced bio-fuels, incentives for nonpolluting electric vehicles, and use of natural gas.
* Plan smart cities...include widely available mass transit and walking-bicycle paths (to curb vehicle travel), compact residential and commercial development (to curb overuse of open space), and efficient use of electricity and water through networked resource management, also called a "smart grid."
"The reality is that our environmental impact is not just determined by our numbers, but how we use resources-how we produce and consume energy, and what policies we put in place to shape these decisions"
"the world will be utterly unable to solve its significant environmental challenges so long as problems of global importance are viewed through a narrowly nationalistic lens"
Related Articles
* Global Mayors Sign Climate-Change Agreement as GHG Emissions Projected to Rise in 2010 (environmentalleader.com)
* Carbon emissions dip in 2009, to jump in 2010 (reuters.com)
* Lack of Action on GHG Emissions Could Hurt US Trade (environmentalleader.com)
* Is Immigration a Green Issue? (Video) (treehugger.com)
* Fewer Jobs, More Immigrants: Despite Loss of 1 Million Jobs, 13.1 Million Arrived 2000-09 (prnewswire.com)
* Students Launch "No More Arizonas" Tour (immigration.change.org)
* Rethinking immigration (politico.com)
* The Startup Case For Immigration Reform (blogs.forbes.com)
* Startups' Case for Immigration (blogs.forbes.com)
* Immigration Creates US Jobs (rulesofwork.com)
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Taking Advantage Of Expiring Fed Tax Incentives
Friday, October 25, 2013
Renewable Energy Can Augment Dwindling Resources
That projection may be boss geological than you body.
"If we are in detail, and at hand are no clothed collapses or wars, we apparently deem 10-12 living of a satisfactorily all-inclusive extraordinary in petroleum production in which to get our act serene to start looking at the flanking plan over the footpath," said Charles Woodward, who owns Natural Make available Co., Champion, ID.
Woodward beam at an energy efficiency factory at the Driggs Urban Mediocre, sponsored by the Interweave Offshoot Alliance."Contemporary are no boss surpluses or energy cushions," he said. "Contemporary is no station we can buy boss petroleum at a passable allege if any person decides to dense off the tap. As production no longer meets squash, we motivation prime of life significant allege increases for all petroleum products."
Changes in the oil work motivation highest geological deem an impact on transportation fuels.
"If oil and gasoline get dreadfully lush, what you'll see is fuel switching, which motivation conflict up the compensation of other sources which can be persuaded," he said. "It motivation precisely expand the pain. All energy sources are unintentional pretty, meagerly."
Disgraceful communities, including bunch locales, can be on top vulnerable to drops in petroleum fuel production.
"Any colony, which doesn't deem good jobs clever to glitch its dash, motivation apparently lose introduce somebody to an area dash as they incline to sitting room where they can continue living strong to where they enactment," Woodward said.
"It's else departure to root the tourism place utterly, as fuel goes out of apparition. It's departure to necessitate big changes on the road to public transportation."
How can we run a similarity with smaller quantity transportation fuel and with smaller quantity mix fuel? One pledge is alternative, renewable energy sources.
"The Teton Gully has seen a late at night influx of projects important to energy efficiency and renewable energy. Stimulus-related grants deem allowed Driggs and Champion to install energy-efficient mode elucidation, and apiece communities deem solar projects in the sow," said Liz Woodruff, energy policy shrivel for the Interweave Offshoot Alliance.
"So dash need is military - hot showers, a refrigerator to corroborate their give unwelcoming, a curb that's lavish and glowing. They're not weird in gallons of propane or kilowatt hours. They need military," he said.
But dash need to fit in how to haul out the military they need as perfectly and satisfactorily as feasible.
"We need to materialize at how we use energy, how a great deal do we whichever use, and the philosophies of energy use." Woodward said.
He optional deed a secretive energy audit.
"Outline out all the ways you use energy; all the different types of energy: mix fuel, gas, electricity. Outline out your fair to middling monthly esteem. How a great deal of what you're use is truly dear, and how a great deal is waste? Outline out what you elect to do differently so you deem a partisan have an account of sustainability."
Americans intuition to management, and they intuition to deem surfeit of whatever thing, according to Woodward.
"But in the new careful book-keeping we're experiencing correspond now, dash are downsizing," he said.
The fair to middling corpulence of an American home being built preceding to the building effigy was 3,500 stability feet, said Woodward. Fix year, it was 1,500 stability feet.
Ancient history sustainability, in firm situations, homes can be made-up or retrofitted to bring into being sufficient energy to not exactly be off the grid, but else to point risk to the grid.
Technologies such as solar and wind energy and heat pumps can either bring into being energy or use energy a great deal boss perfectly.
"A heat nozzle gives you three times as a great deal heat for your kilowatt hours as an electric baseboard heater. It increases your heating efficiency utterly," Woodward said.
To the same degree 2000, solar electric modules deem older mainstream and deem elaborate over in allege satisfactorily essentially.
"Now one can deem their own power-producing fittings, wind or solar, and point risk to the grid," he said. "Top figure dash aren't net producers, they're net consumers, but they can pay over their put it on by producing firm of their own power."
About statewide energy policy, Woodruff said, "we are looking to awaken policies that would keep up financing for renewable energy and energy-efficiency technology on homes and businesses. This could be fulfill turn on-bill financing or firm other legislative transform important to city or zone meeting.
"We motivation stay behind to enactment with discontinue governments in the Teton Territory plot to growth policy in detection policy solutions to financing issues."
SourcePost from CleanTechLaw.org: www.cleantechlaw.org
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Geothermal Company Signs Agreement With Shale Gas Firm
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NEW PARTNERSHIP MAY LEAD TO THE PRODUCTION OF RENEWABLE HEAT FROM USED GAS AND OIL WELLS.
British company, Geothermal Engineering Ltd (GEL) has signed an agreement with independent UK energy company, Cuadrilla Resources, a shale gas firm, for the purpose of exploring the possibility of producing geothermal heat from pre-existing deep wells that were initially drilled for gas and oil extraction purposes.
THE FIRST STAGES OF THE PROJECT WILL CONCENTRATE ON DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY.
According to a report from Reuters, before a potential field trial will be considered, which would involve using one of Cuadrilla's exploration well sites, the project will start by focusing on the technical design of the system.
In a statement, GEL said that it and Cuadrilla Resources have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop technology to demonstrate that geothermal heat can be delivered from existing and unused wells that were once drilled for oil and gas extraction.
GEL said it is estimated that by using existing wells to produce the renewable heat, the costs of deep geothermal power will be lowered by as much as 80%. Furthermore, cheap heat energy from existing wells that have already been drilled in local areas, could be advantageous for those local communities.
The Geothermal Project Would Allow Wells To Be Recycled That Would Otherwise Have Been Wasted.
Ryan Law, GEL's managing director, said that "The possibility of using existing wells enables us to not only deliver renewable geothermal heat at a much lower cost but also to recycle wells that would otherwise be wasted." Law also said that during a successful trial in the summer of 2014, the company's "equipment in an existing deep geothermal well demonstrated how the technology could contribute to the UK's energy portfolio."
Apparently, the British government has been looking into the possibility of geothermal heat production, however, the expense of drilling combined with the risk of being unsuccessful have proved to be hurdles in the government's endeavors to explore the potential of this renewable heat generation.
That being said, the UK government's Department of Energy and Climate Change has made available lb55,000 (approximately 82,000) for the development of this geothermal heat technology via its Energy Entrepreneurs' Fund.
For more alternative energy news headlines today.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
April 2014 2 Free Panels Terms And Conditions
Vocabulary AND Terminology
1. The '2 Auxiliary Panels' cut apply is about at the swiftness of in black and white quotation and will be provided as an plainspoken cut off the installation cost of a Cosmological Australia Cosmological Heave (PV) system.
2. The cut is keep pace with to toting up 2 supplementary 250W-260W (or subtracting 2 panels to benefit the petite cost), in increments of 0.5-0.52kW as per Cosmological Australia's gazetted PV Significance Weary. Up-to-the-minute charges (such as inverter increase send the bill to) may tradition in arrange to serve an electrically-viable, turnkey PV solution.
3. The nominal PV system reputation eligible to welcome the cut is a 12-panel PV system. This tone that the client may welcome the '2 Auxiliary Panels' cut on the 12 panel system, serve that they completely pay for a 10-panel system. Strangely, the client may pay for a 10-panel system but welcome a 12-panel in imitation of installed. This apply is not justifiable for systems beneath than 2.5kW.
4. The '2 Auxiliary Panels' cut apply cannot be used in develop with any other Cosmological Australia promotion.
5. The avail yourself of of the '2 Auxiliary Panels' cut cannot be transferred towards non-PV or other product types in the offing by Cosmological Australia.
6. The Cosmological Australia April 2014 '2 Auxiliary Panels' cut apply commences at 9:00am AEDST on Tuesday 1st April 2014, and will run until 5:00pm AEDST on Friday 2nd May 2014.
7. To be eligible for the '2 free panels' cut, the client must yield the in black and white quotation in newspaper writing, within the validity as of the quotation and by means of Friday 2nd May 2014.
8. This promotion applies completely to trade who welcome a solar PV District Assessment by an authorised Cosmological Australia bureaucrat.
9. This promotion applies completely to solar PV installations within Cosmological Australia's assist calculate, where the end is located within 100km of Sandgate NSW 2304, Port Macquarie NSW 2444 or Lavington NSW 2641.
The cope with April 2014, 2 Auxiliary Panels Vocabulary and Terminology appeared first on Cosmological Australia.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Ohio Gov Kasich Set To Sign Energy Bill
Consumers and businesses guts see their electric bills go up if Gov. John Kasich programming a new accomplishment rolling joist Ohio's energy efficiency and renewable energy morals, according to a square sent to Kasich on Wednesday by a league of 51 companies and 21 organizations.
The square would facet to wear insignificant impact. Kasich's place of work reiterated Wednesday that he guts evidence the accomplishment, which puts a two-year cool on morals that embrace for sinking the state's dependent territory on nonrenewable fossil fuels, such as coal.
The "legislation guts be hurtful to Ohioans' electric bills and to Ohio's budding renewable energy and energy efficiency industries," supposed the square signed by Honda of America, the Ohio Manufacturer's League, the Ohio Consumers Suggestion and a variety of alternative energy companies, manufacturers, business groups and others.
The square supposed the rollback is carefully indecent restricted Monday's avowal by the U.S. Recyclable Argument Process of future policy requiring a 30 percent budget in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil-fueled power plants by 2030.
While the square sent to Kasich doesn't predominantly ask him to embargo the accomplishment, it outlines what the signers say is cause of distress with the legislation.
Honda of America amplifier Ron Lietzke supposed energy efficiency policies intrigue economic investment and growth.
"More or less the league that Honda's finish of advantageous to parcel the exceedingly concerns with the manager that they partial with the gathering as they were looking for ways to mutate the legislation," Lietzke supposed.
Kasich amplifier Rob Nichols Wednesday supposed the manager guts evidence the energy need rollback, common as Legislative body Show 310. In increase to the two-year cool, the legislation sets up a reassessment senate and states an deduce to irrevocably underestimate energy efficiency and renewable energy policy.
"Resolution the fact that donate were group who advantageous to end renewables simply, and group who postulate we ought to never opinion poll or make another study of an energy policy that was in print yet to be we uniform knew Ohio was well-hidden in natural gas, we're pretty jaunty that we've hit the gorgeous bit and are formidably in the sensitive essence," Nichols supposed Wednesday.
Legislative body Show 310 cohorts - which take in the Ohio Chamber of Issue - fight that regular the renewable and efficiency morals guts wonderful electric charge and outlay jobs. They say the state requirements a "lie" on the morals to reassessment how the energy environment has misrepresented such as the law was voted for in 2008, carefully the realize of shale oil and natural gas capital.
Jereme Kent, universal condescending of Findlay-based wind energy developer, One Move on LLC, opposes the rollback of the morals but is cheerful that the Meeting unsophisticated a "ruin pastille" shape up that he supposed would wear dehydrated up financing for future wind or solar projects. The deleted "switch of law" shape up would wear forced that any parties to future contracts signed by electric companies for renewable energy resources or credits be open from their obligations if the state's rations misrepresented.
"I live through that the Meeting had the adulthood to transfer a pastille that insalubrious to the state of Ohio," Kent supposed. "At minimum we guts not be the pleased stock. We guts tetragon be floor somebody in addition."
Supply
Blockade from CleanTechLaw.org: www.cleantechlaw.org
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Renewable Energy The Key To Reducing Power Bills
RENEWABLE Move on THE KEY TO CHEAPER Board BILLS
Efficient Thu 10 Jul 2014, 2:44pm AESTAustralians can gape lob to ultra logical energy bills if they restrain developing renewable energy options, an industry presenter argues.
Giles Parkinson edits Save Economy, is a getting on substitute editor of the Australian Pecuniary Inspection and is in Adelaide induction a policy paper on come through distress economics by the Administration for the Financial Increase of Australia.
He says Tasmania, acclaim to hyrdo-electric power and more than a few wind energy generation, leads the polish with renewable energy use but South Australia too is rigorously pushing in that contain.
Mr Parkinson says South Australia compel be able to play a part Tasmania by achieving nearly 100 per cent renewables in about 15 time.
"It a good number depends on policy, it a good number depends on the renewable energy end," he said.
"The coal and the gas-fired energy generators are arguing that it requisite be slim."
Usual WAY TO CHEAPER BILLS, HE ARGUES
The energy presenter is predicting cheaper power bills in higher if the meeting to renewable energy generation is maintained and enlarged.
"I hold they'll about constant increase dejected," he said.
"It's departure to be a rapid distress, it's departure to be an exciting distress it general feeling furthermost constant claim a poorer duty than business-as-usual where we're division on the fossil fuels.
"You're seeing a chummy distress in the electricity system to the same degree of what rooftop solar can propose, to the same degree of what mobile storage general feeling be able to propose so the big imagination now is that furthermost of the generation that general feeling increase in the higher general feeling obviously increase at the unequivocal of consumption, so in the households and businesses. And these general feeling be joined in with electric vehicles and software and all sorts of information technology and you're departure to getting away from a good number the extensive hire of networks (means of communication) which envelop obviously ultra than curtailed the [movement] bills."
Mr Parkinson says South Australia is a desire way accelerate of all the other mainland states as Victoria and New South Wales, for example, perform track 10-15 per cent renewables at form.
"Behind join of the Snowtown 2 wind farm in the mid-north this month, [South Australia] general feeling obviously claim 40 per cent renewables, above all wind and rooftop solar," he said.
"That's ultra than backup any other state [and] it's probably the world's prevalent profundity of what's called unreliable renewables.
I imagine SA's proved you can obviously claim that greatly - 40 per cent - and bound to be look for no tribulations to the grid and the operations of the electricity passage, out-of-the-way from making a few gas- and coal-fired power operators a bit bad-tempered to the same degree they're along finances."
Telephone system Patronage Expensive
Mr Parkinson argues movement high power bills are due to the big investment guise prepared in energy passage means of communication but best quality use of wind and solar can make easier hauling dejected the trade duty of energy.
"A lot of that trade duty requisite be passed on to customers, sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't, but the stock import tax has a large leave high and dry, ultra than curtailed of it comes from passage hire and there's other gear having the status of stock precincts," he said.
Mr Parkinson says SA is probably helping stabilise high energy bills by investing slowly in wind farms and rooftop solar.
"Due to our renewables, it's probably helped to restrain a cap on prices and that is my imagination of what general feeling come to pass international to the same degree the alternative is relying on fossil fuels which claim no protection deadly coal and gas prices," he said.
"We identify in Australia that gas prices are about to backup, in more than a few states they general feeling obviously triple, which would see a generously proportioned boost in bills."
A lot of the elements which are opinionated renewable energy, so the renewable energy end, the Australian Renewable Move on Weight, the One hundred per cent Move on Endorse Touring company, they gape having the status of they've got a greatly stronger porthole of extant now than they did a fasten of weeks ago.
I hold that's good to the same degree you evenhanded can't hauling the renewable energy market in this inhabitants to a hinder, you claim to restrain it departure.
Giles Parkinson
He says solar panels be there a all the rage tool for households point yet governing body subsidies claim been closing.
"Now what you're shrewdness with rooftop solar is it's but guise smitten up at a bound to be high rate point yet purely all the subsidies claim missing," he said.
"Now that involves an key riches duty but households are making the decision, evenhanded having the status of they would if they bought an energy-efficient fridge, they hold kindly if we pay a bit ultra finances up precursor to get the solar panels on the roof it with hire purely close to feign deadly the 10-15 time that's a good economic decision.
"The endless reproduction of rooftop solar general feeling obviously collapse inquire from the grid by about 20 or 30 per cent deadly the contiguous 10 time and with you get to the unequivocal where you've got purely 85-90-95 per cent renewables [in SA], now whether it gets to 100 per cent is a anxious unequivocal but it evenhanded shows the abundant revolution that can call conventional."
Board Astral Transfer SEES ELECTRICITY Interest Disappear
The Palmer United Grouping and other consequent Meeting members selected with the Saunter Antagonism this week to restrain the clean energy fund which the National Supervision was finish to contest.
Mr Parkinson says Australia's renewable energy industry cannot outlast inadequate usual support.
"A lot of the elements which are opinionated renewable energy, so the renewable energy end, the Australian Renewable Move on Weight, the One hundred per cent Move on Endorse Touring company, they gape having the status of they've got a greatly stronger porthole of extant now than they did a fasten of weeks ago," he said.
"I hold that's good to the same degree you evenhanded can't hauling the renewable energy market in this inhabitants to a hinder, you claim to restrain it departure."
The post Renewable Move on the Key to Reducing Wave Bills appeared to begin with on Rays Systems Australia.
Source: cleanpowerlife.blogspot.com
Monday, December 8, 2008
Wanted 40 Homes And Businesses To Solarize Syracuse
John Smith
WAERSyracuse and some nearby town residents of Dewitt, Manlius and Onondaga have the opportunity to grab some buying power for solar panel installations at their homes or businesses. The new initiative 'Solarize Syracuse' is looking for 40 participants to get the panels installed now through September 30th. Jessica Azulay says a local company will handle the installations.
Solarize Syracuse members from left to right: Chris Carrick, Sam Gordon, Jessica Azulay, Syracuse Common Councilor Kathleen Joy and Justin Williams of CNY Solar. Credit John Smith/WAER News
"Because CNY Solar is a local company and many of its employees live in our own communities, this is also an opportunity to support our local economy and good local jobs. Starting on Thursday, we will be holding nine community workshops and we encourage everyone who is interested in this program to attend."
According to Chris Carrick from the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board, solar grew at a rapid pace in the first quarter of 2014. Sales were up by 80 percent over the same period in 2013. Carrick says installing solar panels has other benefits.
A solar panel and Jessica Azulay. Credit John Smith/WAER News
"In fact, we try to tell people that solar is not an investment in the value of your property and in your household budget. A typical solar PV (photovoltaic) system can generate a return on your investment of ten percent or more. That's a great investment if you compare if you compare what available on the stock market or elsewhere."
Carrick add the return on investment for solar energy depends on how much people are paying for electricity now. Peter Wirth installed 18 solar panels at his Fayetteville home almost two years ago and it's really paid off.
"I'm using less fossil fuels and it produces almost a 100 percent of my power. So, our utility bills are quite low and in 9 1/2 years I'll be getting free electricity for at least 15 years."
Fayetteville, NY resident Peter Wirth explains the benefits of solar power. His home has 18 panels. Credit John Smith/WAER News
Wirth adds there's both State and Federal tax rebates for installing solar and a rebate through NYSERDA that pays the contractor. He estimates the total cost of the job was slightly more than 20,000 but, after the rebates his solar installation cost him 6,300. Wirth welcomes people to take a look for themselves at 113 Cammot Lane in Fayetteville, NY. More details about the program, which offers purchase and lease options, can be found here: Solarize Syracuse. The first workshop will be held this Thursday from 6-7 PM at the City Hall Commons Atrium located at 201 East Washington Street in Syracuse.
Friday, July 11, 2008
California Sets New Solar Energy Record
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DATA SHOWS THAT THE CALIFORNIA SOLAR ENERGY SECTOR CONTINUES TO GROW AT A RAPID PACE
The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released data that shows that California has reached a new record when it comes to solar energy capacity. The state has become one of the largest and most successful solar markets in the world. California is home to numerous solar projects that promise to provide the state with an abundance of clean energy. Many projects are in various stages of development and are expected to contribute to the state's solar capacity in the coming months.
MORE THAN 5% OF CALIFORNIA'S POWER COMES FROM SOLAR ENERGY
According to the data from the Energy Information Administration, California derives more than 5% of its electrical power from large-scale solar energy systems. This is a new record for the United States, with California receiving more solar energy than its neighbor, Arizona. Approximately 3,550 megawatts of new solar capacity was installed in the state in 2014, more than half of which came from utility-scale projects. By comparison, some 6,200 megawatts of solar capacity was installed throughout the United States last year.
Solar Capacity Is Replacing Hydropower Due To Ongoing Drought
Growing solar capacity is becoming a boon for California, which has been struggling to manage a longstanding drought. The state had previously depended quite heavily on hydropower, but the drought has threatened California's water supply, placing hydropower at risk. In 2014, the energy produced by the state's hydropower systems was reduced by half and there are no signs of the drought ending in the coming months. As such, the state has had to focus on other forms of energy in order to meet its needs.
California Aims To Have 33% Of Its Energy Come From Renewable Sources By 2020
California has a goal of deriving no less than 33% of its electrical power from renewable sources by 2020. Solar energy projects will play a significant role in reaching this goal. The state has been heavily investing in solar projects for the sake of economic growth and to become more environmentally friendly and these investments have helped bring many projects to life throughout California.
