The state of New Jersey has approved energy-efficiency proposals, worth over $225 million, from three utilities.

Midtown Manhattan and New Jersey from Empire State Building

The proposals are expected to slash energy usage and costs, to  improve air quality, to cut emissions of greenhouse-gases, and to create around 1,000 new jobs over the next 18 months.

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The United States House of Representatives has passed legislation to cut industrial pollution that is mainly blamed for global warming. The House, controlled by the Democrats, passed the climate change Bill by a vote of 219-212. 

New Energy Bill

The vote was mostly partisan, with just 8 Republicans joining the Democrats in favor of the Bill and 44 Democrats voting against it. The climate change Bill will now go to the Senate.

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United States President Barak Obama says that the legislation on climate change, along with his plan for fuel efficiency of automobiles, will save as much oil as the US imports from the Persian Gulf countries. Thus, President Obama said in an interview that if the proposal becomes law, the United States would greatly reduce its dependence on foreign oil.

Obama on Oil Cuts

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There are job chances galore in green sector and help wanted ads are bristling.

In the midst of the  global economic recession, one good opportunity has showed up in the United States in the form of what may be described as green careers. Even as most other companies are struggling to survive, green companies are seeing a bright future.

Green jobs not only are long-term but also cut across all economic lines.

Here are a few of the top green jobs:

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New York has worked out a plan to meet 45% of its electricity needs from renewable energy sources by 2015. The scheme also would create 50,000 jobs, according to David Paterson, Governor of New York who made the announcement in a speech at the New York Academy of Science.

Wind farms - renewable energy

One of Paterson’s pet projects is developing new batteries required to tap solar energy and wind energy. “Whoever learns to store energy in the United States first will replenish their economy for years to come,” said Paterson.

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More every day the number of record-breaking hot summer days is increasing. Ice bergs are melting and some geographic regions experience unusual waves of heat.

This trend has created a high air conditioning demand for houses, hospitals, hotels, workspaces and other commercial buildings. People turn to the conventional air conditioning systems; however the problem is only getting worse because the AC is an energy-guzzler.

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Call them philanthropic or just call them smart investors, the bottom line is that Google wants to provide an alternate solution to the greenhouse gases of laden coal power generation in the US.

Google's Green Energy Czar Bill Weih Inspecting Solar Panels

The Internet giant has openly claimed that the government isn’t taking risks enough to see fruitful achievements and that is where such plans falter. It is important to take investment risks to bring about a change.

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HP has announced Power To Change, a campaign that encourages PC users around the world to make “behavioral changes in support of the environment.”

HP's "Power to Change" Initiative

The campaign encourages users to download a new desktop widget that tracks the cumulative energy savings associated with participants turning off their PCs when not in use.

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Duke Energy is determined to alter the traditional power plants from where North Carolina gets its electricity. No more conventional sources as Duke Energy would build up to 400 electricity generating mini solar plants through the stretch of the state in a $50 million proposal cleared by the NC Utilities Commission.

Duke Energy is futuristic with its low-carbon world strategy where electricity would be generated from natural sources like the sun and wind. Solar panels would be installed on roofs and grounds of the willing owners and the energy generated would be transmitted to a single grid from where it could power some 1300 homes.

This initiative is the first and largest of its kind where distributed generation involving numerous micro-generating sites would be on demonstration. Duke Energy will own and maintain these panels for the expected lifespan of 25 years.

Rental fee would be paid to the property owners where these installations would be stationed. The amount to be paid would depend on the size of the installation and the amount of power generated. The project would be completed in the next two years.

So if you’re from North Carolina would you sign such a deal? Would it be a good business for you?

[via Cleanergy] (Image by sakraft1)

Pacific Gas & Electric on Wednesday announced it has gone into solar-power contracts with Oakland’s BrightSource Energy to produce a total of 1,310 megawatts of electricity. That’s enough to power 530,000 California homes during peak hours— 12 noon – 7pm.

Solar farm by BrightSource Energy

Go California! Wait! Let me check my PG&E bill. Somebody has to pay for this.

The new agreement includes seven power plants. This is in addition to a deal the two companies struck in April 2008. In that deal 900 megawatts would come from solar thermal power.

BrightSource now has 2,610 megawatts under contract. The new PG&E contract is the largest. BrightSource folk say their output represents more than 40 percent of all large-scale solar thermal contracts in the United States.

“The solar thermal projects announced today exemplify PG&E’s commitment to increasing the amount of renewable energy we provide to our customers throughout Northern and central California,” senior vice president of energy supply for PG&E, said in a statement. “Through these agreements with BrightSource, we can harness the sun’s energy to meet our customers’ power requirements when they need it most — during hot summer days.”

CEO of BrightSource Energy, said the additional contracts came about after BrightSource showed off its technology in Israel with results that were “at or above all the specifications.”

“It proved to them that our technology works. They saw us executing and delivering” efficient solar energy production.

Gov. Schwarzenegger terminated in “more evidence that reliable, renewable and pollution-free technology is here to stay and sunshine will eventually power hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses across our golden state.”

Construction costs for BrightSource will be at least $3 billion and the facilities will be located in the southwestern deserts of California, Nevada and Arizona. The first plant, a 110-megawatt facility at Ivanpah in eastern San Bernardino County will begin operation by 2012.

What I want to know is who is going to pay for this? More specifically, how much will my PG&E bill be going up each month to fund this new venture?