Buses finally rerouted out of Market Square

Almost two years after the late Mayor Bob O'Connor proposed rerouting the PAT buses out of Market Square the first step in Mayor O'Connor's plan to revitalize Market Square was reached today, when the bus routes were finally shifted to some of the streets outside of the square.

It is good to see something that we've talked about for so long coming to fruition. I have said for a while now that allowing the buses and cars to cut right through the heart of Market Square on Forbes Ave made the meeting place less pedestrian friendly. The County argued that it would be too difficult to reroute the buses. The citizens and proponents of the route shift thought they were full of it, and today's news should demonstrate that no matter how resistant people here in Pittsburgh are to change, persistance pays off.

Next up - Forbes Avenue will be closed at the point where it meets Market Square. Also, an architect for the redevelopment of Market Square has been chosen and has presented three options for the new Market Square. The options can be viewed here.

My Toyota Prius Test Drive Experience

The other day I got to test drive a 2008 Toyota Prius at the Block Party for the Planet celebration in Mt Lebanon. I will say that I was impressed with a number of things that the Prius had to offer, including a surprisingly peppy acceleration, a neat display terminal, and a decent amount of storage space.

The following is my honest, objective review of my experience with the Prius:

• Good acceleration, but it comes at a cost. When I had to pass a car or accelerate up a hill it was much easier and the car was more responsive than any 4 cylinder car I have driven in the past. I did notice that anytime you accelerate your MPG goes down to zero. Ouch. The goal is to get from point A to point B though, and the Prius gets the job done in terms of getting you to your destination safely without burning too much fossil fuel. I wouldn't expect to race a Porche while driving a Prius but I would expect to grin as his 0 to 60 in 4 seconds gets gives him an average fuel efficiency of 12 MPG while I am getting closer to 40. Holla!
  
• Leg room - I am 6'3" and found the driver's leg room was barely enough. The drivers seat had plenty of room to slide back further but it was limited by the mechanism that keeps the seat in place. I could see long road trips being painful for tall folks driving the current Prius model. An extra inch would go a long way here.
  
• Storage Space was plentiful. I often tell people that my wife and I had to drive SUVs because our two dogs were 175lb English Mastiffs. One has since passed away, and we downsized recently, so I think we could get away with hauling our dogs in the Prius. The back seats would have to be folded down but with exception to the height I think the overall space is very close to the small SUV that I am currently driving. Of course, we do not have kids, so a family of four may find the Prius a bit too small to be the family vehicle. My suggestion to them is to look into the new Saturn Vue two mode hybrid.





• Fuel efficiency was a let down. Maybe it's because I was driving in the burbs, but I couldn't see how the Prius could get me stellar fuel efficiency unless you drive it primarily in congestion during commutes to and from downtown. After driving for slightly more than 6 miles around the South Hills, my final MPG was 37. That is great compared to what I get now, but I could purchase a gas powered VW Gulf that gets about the same fuel efficiency.
  
• The price was a little steep. The base price of the Prius was around $23,000. After accounting for options the retail price was around $28,000. The car was equipped with a $5,000 package that included DVD navigation and a camera that shows you what is behind you when you are driving in reverse. These are extras that some people do not mind paying for but I'm trying to keep my monthly payments low. I'll take the free map and rear view mirror for $0, thank you very much.
• The performance display was neat. I was able to see if the battery or the engine was running the car - and also able to see how the power from my acceleration or braking was recharging the battery. I was also able to watch how my MPG changed, both overall MPG and current MPG, which allowed me to change my driving style to obtain better fuel efficiency. Of course, the downside to this is that driving becomes a game. It's kind of neat in a way - I made sure to coast down hills and on straight aways in order to boost my MPG, but I could see this becoming a big distraction from actually driving safely. I thought that it was mainly because it was my first time driving a Prius and my lack of attention to the road was due to the novelty of it all, but when I returned I talked to a current Prius owner who explained to me how neat it was to drive the car a certain way to maximize fuel efficiency. It sounded like he was explaining a video game experience. Yikes.
  

Final Verdict - I will wait for the 2009 Prius. As I said in previous posts here at Green is Good, driving a Prius is not enough. I would prefer to have a plug-in hybrid or a car that runs on fossil free fuel like vegetable oil, so if I am going to go the hybrid route I want a car that will truly make a difference. In other words, I want to use as little gasoline as possible in my next vehicle. 40 mpg is not the game changer that people make it out to be, but the next generation Prius could be a step in that direction. The rumor is that the 2009 model would have a huge increase in fuel efficiency (rumors have city MPG at 80), and I think that is easy to achieve considering that the '08 Prius weighs close to 3,000lbs. By using lighter materials and enhancing the battery technology, 80 mpg should be a cinch. My lease expires at the end of this year and I am going on record to state that my next car will be either a hybrid or a diesel that I will convert to run off of vegetable oil.

The 2009 Toyota Prius:

Further evidence that Pittsburgh region is becoming a player in biofuels industry

Earlier today Governor Ed Rendell announced the development of an ethanol plant in Westmoreland County that will produce ethanol fuel from a number of non-food sources such as municipal waste. Coskata, a company that is a partner with GM, says that it will produce a pilot plant that will be capable of producing 40,000 gallons of cellulosic ethanol annually, with the goal of producing 40 million to 400 million gallons once the plant is fully scaled. Some benefits of Coskata's technology and this demonstration plant include the following:

1. Coskata's patented process can produce ethanol $1 cheaper per gallon than corn based ethanol
2. Coskata's process yields 100 gallons of fuel from 1 ton of feedstock (waste, biomass, switchgrass, etc) compared to 67 gallons from a ton of corn
3. The E85 blended fuel produced by the plant will result in an 84% reduction in CO2 emissions when compared to conventional gasoline fuel
4. The demonstration plant will employ 20 workers while a full scale plant would employ 100 to 150 workers

So what has to happen next? GM is going to leverage their partnership with Coskata to use this fuel to expand their flex fuel vehicle line. For Southwestern PA to capitalize on the emergence of biofuels startups in this region we must start looking towards investing in an infrastructure that will allow us to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and imported oil. I am in favor of going 100% fossil free with our automobiles but 85% would be a step in the right direction.

The Governor's energy independence strategy calls for 1 billion gallons of biofuels to be produced and consumed within the commonwealth by the year 2017. This is great, especially if we don't have to use corn or other food crops to get to that magic number. It is good to see the Governor is back to work after the last month and a half of seeing him on all the news shows and campaign events for Senator Clinton. If Senator Clinton ends up being elected President I could see Rendell's hard work rewarded with the post of Energy Secretary.

A Block Party for the Planet - Earth Day Celebration in Mt Lebanon this Saturday

Are you interested in learning more about recycling? How about Green Building? Ever want to test driving a Toyota Prius? If you answered yes to any of these questions you should try to attend "A Block Party for the Planet" tomorrow in Mt Lebanon. Details are below and you can find more on the event website.

Are you an “earth” mover or shaker? Do you care about what happens to the planet you live on? Do you want to know how you can make a difference? Then join us for the first annual Earth Day Celebration in Mt. Lebanon!

This event will take place on Saturday, April 26th 2008 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the South Hills, better known as Sunnyhill between the hours of 10 – 5. The atmosphere will be akin to a block party to honor the Earth; a chance for Mount Lebanon residents and their guests to learn, experience, and celebrate with us. There will be healthy snacks, entertainment, and “green” art to make and enjoy. Attendees will learn how to support local farms, become familiar with Mount Lebanon’s numerous parks and recycling efforts, learn about environmentally safe and energy efficient living, and just have fun.

List of events and exhibitors:

• Tree Raffle (one gallon native shrubs and trees) Tickets $1.00 each on the day of the event
• Oxygen Bar
• Rain Barrels
• Vegetarian Cafe
• Vermicomposting
• Earth-Friendly Vendors
• Environmental Speakers
• Toyota Prius Test Drives
• Solar Panel Demonstrations
• Earth Friendly Organizations
• High School Green Building Projects
• Green Art
• Sun Prints
• Earth Cinema
• Recycled Crafts
• Nature Photography
• Pine Cone Bird Treats
• Recycled Doggie Coats
• Recycleapolooza Can Toss
• Rusted Threads Tie-Dying
• Poetry Readings & Workshop

Green is the way to economic growth here in Pittsburgh

Over at technology + politics I posted about today's post-gazette column by CMU's Harold Miller titled "Regional Insights: What can keep people from leaving Pittsburgh?" Mr. Miller's post wasn't really about people leaving Pittsburgh - it was more about how to attract the types of people from other regions and countries who will make Pittsburgh's economy more diverse, attractive, and dynamic than the one we have today. In my response over at t + p I proposed five initiatives that we need here to solve this conundrum. Several of them involve making Pittsburgh a leader in the green economy and showcase for world class transit oriented development. Here are my remarks from t + p:


One thing we have not heard are some specifics how to address these challenges. Credit is due to Mr. Miller for pointing out a study released by the American Assembly last fall titled "Retooling for Growth" and for discussing the need to make our region more entrepreneur friendly. Also worth checking out is the Brooking report titled "Restoring Prosperity: The State Role in Revitalizing America's Older Industrial Cities." These reports are well written and I recommend reading them, however, not all challenges faced by the regions covered in these reports can be solved by a one size fits all strategy.

So what should we do for Pittsburgh? Well, first, we need someone at the helm of local government who realizes that economic development and growth in startups could be a "rising tide to lift all boats." We missed out when the citizens of Pittsburgh voted against their economic interest by electing boy blunder Luke Ravenstahl as mayor over local entrepreneur and public policy professor Mark DeSantis this past November. Additional ideas, in no particular order, include the following:

1. Aggressively expand our light rail throughout Allegheny County with the goal of attracting Transit Oriented Development
2. Make up for the risk averse venture capital community by creating more entrepreneurial support programs and competitions like Tech Stars and the Pittsburgh Tech Council's EnterPrize competition.
3. Create zones or districts where people will shop, dine, work, and live. The key will be placing these districts near public transportation and areas that have parking.
4. Decide on which segment of the green economy to focus on as a region. Right now it looks like the Pittsburgh region is building a strong concentration of biofuels companies (Steel City biofuels, United Oil, GTECH, Thar, Fossil Free Fuels, CCI).
5. Our local leaders, officials, and celebrities need to step up to address the lack of diversity issue as well as the racism and xenophobia that exists throughout our region. As Senator Barack Obama demonstrated, an honest and real dialog about this complicated and controversial issue can be achieved - but not without the critics over analyzing the remarks and turning the debate into an issue of the speech itself instead of the actual problem.
   

Here are some more details on these initiatives:

1. Extend commuter rail lines throughout the region to spur Transit Oriented Development. If planned properly, new rail and additional light rail lines like the one we have here in the South Hills could lead to revitalization of business districts and the development of new employment centers. Here in Mt Lebanon, where I was recently appointed to the Economic Development Council, we are working to create a world class transit oriented development zone that should serve as the blueprint for not only the rest of Allegheny County but other struggling rest belt cities. Cleveland is well ahead of Pittsburgh in this regard and seems to have turned the corner on leveraging Transit oriented development.

2. Make more capital available to new entrepreneurs through the fostering of a risk taking culture. This past week I participated in the first phase of the Pittsburgh Technology Council's EnterPrize competition. EnterPrize has been around for a while and has a whole list of past winners who have achieved success following their participation in the competition. As someone who has worked for startups in the past and is currently a founder in a new startup here in Pittsburgh, it seems that securing investment in this town is much more difficult than others. One solution is having more competitions like EnterPrize in Pittsburgh, but I think the root of the problem is the risk averse culture that is present in not just the general population but also the investment community.

The best way to get around this is to make sure that we don't let our Google's move away to regions like DC (Clearspring Technologies) or the west coast. It is sort of a chicken and egg problem. VCs like their investments to be close to them, so when investors here in Pittsburgh are reluctant to give up the cash, someone else on the east or west coast is. If we can convince more startups to stay home or come here from other regions then we will eventually have more Freemarkets and Fore Systems in Pittsburgh, which will give us more Glen Meachems types, entrepreneurs who make Pittsburgh their permanent home while putting their new wealth to use through angel investments in the next potential

So how do we deal with this problem effectively? We have a lot of vacant office space around town. Why not turn some of these spaces into shared work spaces for startups? Innovation Works has already initiated their new AlphaLabs program which, along with a $25k investment, will offer 6 months of consultation, mentoring, and office space for soon to be announced startups in the Pittsburgh region. We have applied to this program and I hope to report on it's effectiveness if we are accepted and choose to participate.

3. Create more places where people can live, work, play, AND get around. In conjunction to #1 above, green houses and town homes near public transportation, parks, bike trails, or the workplace is the key to creating that entrepreneurial culture and buzz that attracts the types who are going to move to Pittsburgh. We need something besides strip malls and lifestyle center developments. New green or even LEED certified offices close to new urban housing developments and mass transit, like the TRID project in Mt Lebanon, will attract folks from outside the region who are looking for something new and cutting edge.

4. Focus on a niche in the green energy economy and then run with it. Pittsburgh is becoming a haven for biofuels companies. Here is a list of the companies that are here:

Steel City Biofuels
United Oil
GTECH Strategies
Thar Technologies
CTI
Fossil Free Fuels

It is great that we are building a concentration of biofuels companies in Pittsburgh. The key question is this though - what is our local government doing to assist these businesses and utilize their existence? Another thing we talked about on the DeSantis campaign policy team was a commitment on the behalf of city government to collaborate with private technology startups in an effort to both reduce the costs of government while simultaneously stimulating economic growth and job creation. GTECH Strategies has been doing work with the local government on cleaning up brown field sites and rehabilitating blighted urban neighborhoods, but more has to be done with regards to taking advantage of our concentration of biofuel companies. In my mind, this is a perfect opportunity for Pittsburgh to become a model for the rest of the world through the creation of infrastructure that will allow all of the dirty fuel burning diesel trucks and buses in our region to burn cleaner and cheaper fuels produced and refined right here in our own backyard. Now that is sustainability everyone could appreciate.

5. So last but not least, what can we do to attract more international immigrants? Our universities already attract a large number of international students but the problem is keeping more of them here. Why are they leaving? Part of the problem has been mentioned above - they are going to places where there are more startups and good paying jobs, but I believe the core problem is the racism and xenophobia that makes parts of Pittsburgh seem like you are back in 1960 rather than the 21st century. There is indeed racism here in Pittsburgh, and its not just among whites and blacks. The further you travel from the city's east end the less welcoming the residents are of foreigners.

A typical example of what I am talking about here is when a Spanish firm bought local amusement park and icon Kennywood last year. The xenophobia that came out in the post-gazette comments was ridiculous. I thought I was reading comments from 1907 rather than 2007. Our local leaders and celebrities need to step up here. It is fine to highlight the mayor's hiring of minorities but until our leaders address the issue and give foreigners a seat at the table, the majority of citizens of this region will continue to be closed minded One of the few bright spots in the region was the election of D. Raja, or "RAJA", as one of Mt Lebanon's five commissioners this past fall. In an area that has as little diversity as Mt Lebanon (one person on Blog Lebo bothered to ask "whats the big deal about diversity?") this was a promising development.

Also, instead of ignoring areas where the influx of foreign immigrants are moving to in our region, like my old neighborhood of Beechview, we need to embrace these trends and capitalize off of the influx of new citizens. Beechview looks like many of Pittsburgh's other eighty something neighborhoods on the outside but in it's core is a unique neighborhood with a growing concentration of Mexican immigrants. The city and county need to invest in these neighborhoods by, for example, making them centers for international culture through encouraging and incentivizing foreign born business owners to locate there.

There is more to come but I hope you will leave your thoughts as this has to be a collective and collaborative effort from all of us, the bloggers, entrepreneurs, academics, and those in government.

More Inconvenient Truths from Al Gore at TED

"In order to solve the climate crisis, we have to solve the democracy crisis"

In Al Gore's brand-new slideshow (premiering exclusively on TED.com), he presents evidence that the pace of climate change may be even worse than scientists were recently predicting, and challenges us to act with a sense of "generational mission" -- the kind of feeling that brought forth the civil rights movement -- to set it right. Gore's stirring presentation is followed by a brief Q&A in which he is asked for his verdict on the current political candidates' climate policies and on what role he himself might play in future

Surprise! Pittsburgh one of the first metros listed on Google Transit

The Port Authority of Allegheny County, known for the chunnel to nowhere (NSC), hiking fares, and cutting service, is actually listed on Google Transit, a site that should come in handy for those needing a last minute ride on the Bus or T.

Google Transit seems much smarter than some of the other trip planners out there. One of the best parts of Google Transit is that it gives you several options for your trip, including an option to drive. However, by default Google tells you to walk instead of putting you on a bus or telling you to drive for a half mile. I love this because I think most of us Americans are so glued to the front seats of our cars that we forget how easy and healthy it is for us to walk half a mile.

EcoGeek's response to Clean Coal Advertisers

Do you ever find yourself thinking "bullshit!" as you drive by one of those Clean Coal billboards that are posted around town? I thought this response to the coal industry from EcoGeek.com's Hank Green deserved a mention here:

No...you're not green. You're full of crap.

Your industry turns mountains inside out, poisons the water of the rural poor in America and throughout the world. Your industry has never made an environmental move in its long and storied history without being forced to by a government. The promotional video for 'clean coal' at your lame PR site lauds a carbon sequestration plant that has now been canceled because it was determined to be pretty much impossible. The cleanest coal plants in the world still create more sulfer dioxide than the environment can deal with without acidifying the rain and the soil.

Of course, the future is in sequestering carbon, right? Pumping it into the ground so that it never hits the atmosphere. The problem is, building a sequestered carbon coal plant is actually more expensive than building a solar thermal plant. Why would we stick with you when solar is revving up to be cheaper than coal without expensive, unrealistic sequestration?

The only thing that makes you seem even a little green today is how extremely destructive you used to be. You cannot be, you will never be, green. Give up...go home...enjoy the next few decades because they will be your last.

We're moving on without you, and you're going to have to deal with that. Actual clean technologies are here now. We don't need you anymore. There are 45 gigawatts of renewable energy planned for the United States. You are not renewable...you are not America's Power...you are not the future and you sure as hell aren't green. Stop pretending.

Sincerely,

Hank Green and the EcoGeek Team

Rustbelt Revolutionaries

This past Friday morning, on my way back into town from a meeting out in Monroeville , I had an idea - I should swing through, Braddock, which is located in the heart of the steel valley, to check out a company that I had read about in Pittsburgh Magazine a few months back. I googled "Fossil Free Fuel" on my phone, and was able to pull up an address and phone number. The young man who answered my call, David Rosenstraus, told me to feel free to stop in to check out their shop located at 223 Braddock Ave.


As I drove down Braddock Ave I noticed US Steel's Edgar Thompson Steel Works (pictured above right) several blocks ahead. How fitting, I thought, that a local pioneer in the new green economy is located up the street from Andrew Carnegie's first steel plant.


Fossil Free Fuel is a small outfit that creates and installs biodiesel kits that burn Vegetable oil, was started in Buffalo New York back in 2004. After relocating to Allentown PA in 2005, the company moved once again in early 2007, this time just outside of the city of Pittsburgh after they were introduced to the mayor of Braddock by Steel City Biofuel's Nate Doyno .

As I approached their shop, I noticed a Mercedes Benz diesel automobile parked out front. The car, probably a model from the early to mid 1980's, had a decal in the back window that stated "This car runs off of 100% Vegetable Oil". Sweet, I thought.

As I stepped through the front door, and then the office door to the main work area, I could tell that the guys running the place were a couple of car gurus. Diesel engines on one side of the room, spare parts, machines, blow torches, and yes, several vehicles that were in the process of being converted to run on 100% vegetable oil.

So how do they do this? According to David, after initially using existing parts for their conversion kits, FFF started offering their own set of components, which include heat exchangers, fuel tanks, filters, hoses, fittings, pumps, and also the software that works with the on board computers. When it comes to the fuel side of the equation, FFF has a related entity that goes around to area restaurants to collect used vegetable oil. The oil is collected in large tanks affixed to one of their trucks and is then transported back to the shop where the oil is filtered to remove water and any food particles. This is a critical step in the process as not filtering used vegetable oil can lead to a severely damaged engine. You can read more about the specifics here at FFF's online FAQ

Here are some additional facts that I gathered during my talk with David:

• An installation of FFF's conventional biodiesel fuel kit is $1500, and $2000 for a "main tank conversion."
• The guys typically have 3 or 4 cars in the shop being worked on at a given time, with each conversion taking roughly 30 hours.
• Most of the conversions are on vehicles that get sent to Fossil Free Fuels originate from outside the Pittsburgh area - most come from the NY, PA, NJ tri-state area.
• FFF also ships kits to those who want to do the installations themselves
• While some of the vehicles that come in for installations are the older Mercedes Benz Turbo Diesel models, a good number of the installations are done on some of the newer Mercedes and Volkswagons

Below: A Mercedes Benz diesel that was in the process of a FFF conversion

If you are thinking about removing yourself from the cycle of petroleum dependence, I encourage you to give the guys at Fossil Free Fuels a call to make an appointment to stop in. I am sure they will be busy at work but also more than happy to take some time to show you around and give you the

Fossil Free Fuel
223 Braddock Ave.
Braddock, Pa 15104
412-894-8184

info@fossilfreefuel.com

Below left: The computer that allows the driver to switch fuel tanks.
Below right: A newer Volkswagon model near completion

Van Jones: "We need a green economy that is strong enough to lift people out of poverty...."

The reality is, that there is only one solution to both of the crisis that we face. There is only one solution to the ecological crisis, the crisis of global warming, the crisis of global warming, there is only one solution to the social and economic crisis. and that solution is this: We need a green economy that is strong enough to lift people out of poverty. Simple as that. We need a green economy that honors the earth, but it cannot be a green economy only for the eco-chic, the eco-elite, the people who can afford to buy a hybrid, the people that can afford to put solar panels on their second home. I want them to buy a hybrid, I want them to put solar panels on their second home, but the people who are struggling right now for bus fare - they have a place too.

- Van Jones, 10/31/2007


What do politicians like Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton mean when they say they want to boost our economy through the creation of "Green Collar Jobs?" Van Jones, a civil rights activist out of California, is one of the leading advocates for using the green movement spurred by the race against climate change and global warming to create thousands of jobs throughout urban areas in the United States.

Last week, Van Jones was here in Pittsburgh to speak at the Good Jobs Green Jobs conference. Modeshift has a writeup of Jones's speech at the event. Details from that presentation will be posted but for now check out this interview with Van Jones over at the Grist.


Here is Van Jones speaking on behalf of his non profit "Green for All" about how a "Green wave should lift all boats."



Below is information on the upcoming "Dream Reborn" conference in Memphis the weekend of April 4th, 2008.





"The new dream has to be about the people and the planet too."

A lot more green at this year's Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show

Last year I blogged about the lack of green products and services being showcased at the 2007 Pittsburgh Home and Garden show. The vendors at this year's show, which took place at world's largest LEED certified building - downtown Pittsburgh's David L. Lawrence convention center, did a complete 180 degree turn from last year's event. Energy efficient products were marketed by a host of vendors, and so were green energy service providers in the form of Geothermal heating and cooling and also solar and wind power (all pictured to the right). While the sales people at the solar energy installer quoted me an 8000 kw system consisting of 26 solar panels ( a typical residence shouldn't need more than half of that) I was happy to finally meet a solar installer that was breaking into the Pittsburgh market.



The highlight of the green Home & Garden show was an environmental exhibit that was put on by several organizations including the Bidwell Training Center, Steel City Biofuels, and GTECH Strategies, among others. The exhibit showcased green roofs, some environmental projects from the region, and also some of the projects and work being down by both GTECH and Steel City Biofuels.





Over the last few months I have gotten to know both Andrew Butcher, CEO of GTECH, and Nathanial Doyno, Executive Director of SCBF, and I think they are both rising stars of the local green economy. Below are both Nathanial (center) and Andrew taking a break from the action to talk to KDKA radio.


So what were some of the green products that we were interested in purchasing? Since we've been in the market for outdoor furniture for some time but could not bring ourselves to purchase the Chinese manufactured goods from Lowes, we were very intrigued by an Amish furniture company from New Wilmington PA that made it's outdoor furniture out of recycled plastics. While we did not pull the trigger that day, the prices were very reasonable and we intend on making a purchase soon.

Energy and the Election: a live interactive Webinar on March 18th

Energy and the Election:
A Live Interactive Webinar
Your chance to Question and Comment

The EnergyCollective Webinar Series 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008, 2:00 p.m. EDT

REGISTER NOW!!!

Join us for an interactive, Web-based debate sponsored by The EnergyCollective.

Panelists
Jeff Anderson - Energy and climate change advisor to the Edwards' campaign
Joe Romm - Blogger at ClimateProgress.org, author and advisor to the Center for American Progress
Scott Sklar - Expert on energy and renewables and president of The Stella Group

Moderator
Mark Lazen - Managing editor for The EnergyCollective and Social Media Today

Some of the questions to be addressed by our panelists will be:

• What are the major differences between remaining candidates' positions on energy and climate change?
• What will probably be part of the Democratic and Republican platforms?
• Are there areas of agreement between the leading candidates, and if so, what is the likelihood of relevant legislation in 2009?
• What role, if any, will taxes, incentives or regulation play in the leading candidates' positions?

A terrible idea for Pittsburgh's Eastern Corridor - and some better alternatives

Last night on KDKA radio I heard of a proposal put forth by Pennsylvania turnpike commission CEO Joe Brimmeier that was downright ludicrous. Brimmeier recommend that the PA department of Transportation (the infamous PenDOT) build an elevated toll road above of the current park way east to alleviate the worst congestion in this the area - the parkway east's approach to the Squirrel Hill tunnel. Now, I have had some fantasies of my own for regional transit but this just tops the cake. I was surprised to see that the Post Gazette actually put this story on the front of their web page - as I felt this idea was not worthy enough to print.

After the tunnel, or chunnel, to nowhere (The north shore connector), we do not have room for any boondoggle transit projects - especially a highway on top of another highway which would do nothing to improve our region's air quality.

Before I even heard of this I was thought of another congestion alleviation option for the eastern corridor as I was driving from the North Shore over to East Liberty earlier that day. While looking at the Martin Luther King, Jr. East busway I noticed that there was not one vehicle on the busway - which means that there should be enough room for additional vehicle traffic. So why don't we utilize the east busway to alleviate some of the congestion at the Squirrel Hill Tunnel and parkway east??? The busway already exists and is basically empty with the exceptions of the buses that utilize it throughout the day. The one concern I see them raising is that the busway is also utilized by emergency personal and also VIPs like the mayor (ha!) if they need to be evacuated from downtown.



My short term alternative is the following:

Use the existing busway as an express toll road for cars. Buses and cars would have to share the road but it would be much faster than the current alternatives. Also, there have been some studies underway to extend the busway from Swissvale out to Monroeville, which means a toll road would make a lot of sense. This would kill two birds with one stone - it would alleviate congestion and also raise funds for the port authority. Note to the Port Authority - people will pay tolls to not sit in traffic each and everyone morning and evening during their commute!

Now, a study to analyze the bus way and other eastern corridor transit options was completed back in 2003, but unfortunately the people who should be making the decisions on the recommendations take forever to come up with a plan to implement the solutions. The recommendations coming out of that study are good ones - but with the exception of the 1st alternative I haven't heard of any action for the other options, which are the following:

Allegheny Valley Commuter Rail: Downtown Pittsburgh to Arnold

• Commuter Rail service along the southern shore of the Allegheny River via the Allegheny Valley Railroad right-of-way

My comment: After years of studies and mulling of this project, a second feasible study is underway. Good grief - more studies and reports with little or nothing to show for it! My colleague at work said he would "definitely take a train" that would take him into downtown from his home in New Kensingtion and help him avoid the congestion on Route 28.

Norfolk Southern Commuter Rail:

• Commuter Rail service along the Norfolk Southern right-of-way via East Pittsburgh, Irwin, etc., possible extension to Latrobe.

My comment: If we could pull off a commuter rail to downtown from all the way out to Greensburg I say go for it! The tracks are already there to the only question is the right of way from Norfolk Southern. This rail would be a much better option than any expressway and much cheaper than the high speed Maglev train that was proposed a long time ago.

SpineLine Light Rail/BRT: Downtown to Oakland and points East

• Light Rail along city streets (underground or at-grade) to Oakland with extension along city streets to Wilkinsburg or along CSX right-of-way to Hazelwood and Homestead
• Bus Rapid Transit on city streets

My comment: This is long over due and should have been implemented in the 90's had it not been killed by the county commissioners, who I fault for not having a vision for growing the region through world class transit infrastructure. Chris Briem has a SpineLine study over at his website.

East Busway Extension: Swissvale to East Pittsburgh or Monroeville

• Extension of the East Busway along Norfolk Southern right-of-way to East Pittsburgh, with the possibility of using Tri-Boro or Mon-Fayette Expressway into Monroeville.

My Comment: My problem with just extending the busway to Monroeville and keeping it exclusively as a bus only expressway is that a lot of people do not like to ride buses. An ideal option would have been to turn it into a light railway but I guess that project did not make the cut. So, the busway as both a toll road and bus expressway makes a lot more sense since it could be implemented within months of this blog post - and within a few years extended out to Monroeville. In my opinion, right now with bus only transport the expressway is vastly underutilized.

Mon Valley Light Rail: Downtown Pittsburgh to McKeesport and Etna along the CSX right-of-way.

• Light Rail service underground from Steel Plaza to Convention Center, along the Allegheny Valley Railroad right-of-way to 33rd Street and two branches from 33rd street along CSX right-of-way to Etna and to McKeesport via Oakland, Hazelwood and the northern/eastern shore of the Monongahela River.

My Comment: I'm not sure about this one - if the new north shore alternative for the Mon Fayette Expressway is ever completed then I don't see this project happening - although I would prefer this rail line as it would take more cars off the road.


It is time we start pushing some of these ideas forward rather than sit around and hope for these solutions to fall into place. Which options do you like? Do you have some additional ideas?

Minor Storms in Florida lead to "massive power outage"

Florida's highways resemble scenes from the movie "Live Free or Die Hard"


From CNN:

The outage struck shortly after 1 p.m. ET. A strong cold front and scattered thunderstorms moved through the region, including one that prompted a tornado warning for Fort Lauderdale, the National Weather Service reported.

If thunderstorms in Florida can wipe out power for millions of residents and businesses, what would happen if our electricity grid came under a terrorist attack? Isn't it scary that the US economy could get shut down in the blink of an eye if a few key targets were hit?


One of the reasons we have so many problems with our grid is that it has not kept up with the trends of other technologies, such as processing and computing power. Unlike computers today, which used to be centralized, power generation has failed to move towards a more distributed model. Some have put faith in huge batteries and generators for the solutions to our grid's woes, but to me thats not really a fix. My solution for this mess is very similar to something that was invented almost 100 years ago - detachment from the grid. Back in the early 20th century, famous inventor Thomas Edison's house actually ran on a gasoline generator that stored excess or unused electricity in a number of batteries for later use. Edison dubbed this invention the "Edison Twentieth Century Suburban Residence" and a report on it can be found in this 1912 New York Times edition. Unfortunately, sabotage ended Edison's dream of off grid power generation and storage, and also his campaign of electric vehicles against the internal combustion engine.

Today, there are options for homeowners who no longer wish to be slaves to our nation's electricity grid, which seems to be on its last legs. Companies like GridPoint offer appliances for both homes and businesses that work with renewable power sources such as solar and your connection to your utility to bring you a failsafe storage device for powering your home or business. Gridpoint's home storage solution won the endorsement by clean energy advocate and former CIA director James Woolsey, whom I met here in Pittsburgh last month. Mr. Woolsey, who is also an adviser to Gridpoint, told me he had recently purchased a system for his home in suburban DC and was very pleased with the decision as it holds promise to un-tethering all Americans from the grid. Almost 100 years after his invention of the off-grid residence, this would be an accomplishment would Mr. Edison, probably the earliest advocate of energy Independence, could be proud of.

Live Webcast of Acciona's Nevada Solar One plant dedication

Acciona's co's Nevada Solar One thermal solar plant went live during the summer of 2007. At 64 megawatts, it is the 3rd largest solar power plant in the world. Right now there is a live webcast of the dedication ceremony which will be followed by a press conference. You can watch it all here. One of the amazing feasts of this accomplishment is that it took only 16 months to complete the plant.

This event marks what I hope is the be