In an attempt to use nature to improve the quality of life in Boston, Boston's Urban Tree Canopy Initiative is dedicated to increasing its tree cover 20% by the year 2020.  By planting approximately 100,000 trees, Mayor Thomas Menino and the Boston Urban Forest Coalition hope to improve the health and well being of Boston's residents and visitors and reduce Boston's contribution to global warming.  Recent studies demonstrate that urban forests can help cities meet important environmental and public health challenges, including improving air quality, maximizing energy-efficiency, and calming crime spots. 

• In 2006, the first ever inventory of Boston's urban forest was completed
• Boston has 34,497 street trees, 26,527 of which are in "good condition"
• Overall, Boston features 29% canopy cover (including all trees in parks, private yards, and along streets) but they are now unevenly distributed across the City's neighborhoods

www.hullwind.org

Boston has become the first city in the United States to implement a green building code that affects both public and private construction.  In an initiative successfully recommended to Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino by his Green Buidling Roundtable, the Boston Zoning Commission approved various amendments to the citywide zoning code that place green building requirements on all new development projects larger than 50,000 square feet.  Each project must conform to the baseline requirements of the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.   The points-based rating system will allow Boston to efficiently enforce its green building requirements, while at the same time allowing for flexibility in building design.

• The LEED rating system provides the building industry with consistent, credible standards for what constitutes green building
• Each new Boston building project must earn at least 26 points on the LEED rating system

Evergreen Solar, the second-largest renewable energy industry employer in Massachusetts, has developed a new way to build solar panels that costs less without losing effectiveness or reliability. Using String RibbonTM technology, the company is able to produce twice as many solar cells from silicon as conventional production methods. Its solar panels are used to generate power for telecommunications, water pumping, rural homes and other dispersed or remote off-grid applications.  Sales of Evergreen Solar products have increased 4-fold in only three years and now approach $100 million through European affiliates.  To meet rapidly growing demand, the company is constructing a $150 million second facility that will increase it's production capacity in Massachusetts to 70MW and double its employee base to more than 600.  A new alliance with electrical utility company NSTAR will increase the availability of solar energy options for commercial, residential and industrial customers.

Ocean Genome Legacy
240 County Rd.
Ipswich, MA 01938

A Massachusetts non-profit organization is using cutting-edge environmental construction and energy-efficient technologies to bring the Whitinsville Complex into the post-industrial world.  Alternatives Unlimited, a local organization dedicated to providing residential and vocational services to individuals with developmental and psychiatric disabilities, is partnering with Austin Architects of Cambridge to renovate a landmark of the Industrial Revolution.  The Whittinsville Mill in the Blackstone Valley was one of the most important industrial centers in New England, using innovative technologies to drive American industry during the 19th century.  Today, the Mill is again at the center of technological advancements, with a state-of-the-art plan for renovation that will make the new complex a prime example of energy-efficient green building.  The renovation uses a combination of water and geothermal power to heat the complex--an ironic yet important throwback to an age when the Mill derived its power completely from the adjacent Mumford River. 

Rainwater Recovery Inc.
241 Crescent St, 1st floor
Waltham MA 02453

As the push for financially and environmentally sustainable businesses increases, RainWater Recovery Incorporated is bringing cutting-edge solutions to builders by incorporating rainwater harvesting into their construction projects.  Most rainwater that falls on urban and semi-urban areas is lost as runoff to storm drains that, sometimes after treatment, flow to rivers and the ocean, needlessly exacerbating water shortages in some communities and adulterating natural waterways.  Although demand management is needed to solve water shortage problems and increase sustainable water use, RainWater Recovery is helping businesses and construction firms maximize their water efficiency by providing them with the latest innovations in water harvesting. 

• As many as 55,000 gallons of precipitation fall on a 2,000 square-foot roof in New England each year
• Collected rainwater is normally suitable, without chemical treatment, for all non-potable uses 
• RainWater Recovery also provides personalized water harvesting for individual households for as low as $1,500

Originally funded as part of the agreement to deregulate the utilities industry and designed to increase the percentage of renewable energy used in Massachusetts, the Renewable Energy Trust is now funded through a small per capita charge on energy bills and is one of the nation's leading examples of state support for the fledgling renewable energy industry. The Trust seeks to maximize environmental and economic benefits for the Commonwealth's citizens by pioneering and promoting clean energy technologies and fostering the emergence of sustainable markets for electricity generated from renewable sources. Trust programs include:

• Clean Energy Program - Increases both the supply of and demand for renewable energy
• Green Buildings and Infrastructure Program - Promotes the use of renewable energy technologies in all types of buildings and other distributed applications. Projects includes housing, schools and other major construction projects as well as subsidies for home systems. 
• Industrial Support Program - Accelerates job growth, economic development, and technological innovation in the Massachusetts renewable energy industry
• Policy Unit - The policy arm of the Trust, this unit collaborates with interested stakeholders to address market and regulatory barriers that block the increased availability, use, and affordability of renewable energy.

With the Million Solar Roofs Initiative, California has embarked on the path to creating a mainstream solar energy market.  Since the California Energy Crisis of 2000/2001, demand for solar power has increased by nearly 30-fold.Yet despite this progress, solar power today makes up less than one-half of one percent of the state’s electricity supply.  Although the third largest market for solar power in the world, following Japan and Germany, solar power in California remains a small and highly specialized market.The California Solar Initiative, along with the Million Solar Roofs bill established in 2006, sets up a statewide program to build a million solar roofs within 10 years with the goal of making solar power cost-competitive with fossil-fuel-generated electricity.  The Million Solar Roofs Initiative sets out to accomplish the following:

• Install solar systems on a million rooftops, including new and existing homes, businesses, industry, farms and schools
• Install 3,000 megawatts (MW) of solar power capacity on rooftops throughout the state. This capacity would equal approximately 3-5% of the state's peak electricity demands. For reference, a typical coal-fired power plant is 500 MW
• Build half of all new homes with solar power within thirteen years. Currently, less than 5% of California's new homes come with solar power

According to Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, for the last 30 years, "The nation has been asleep at the switch, but here in Minnesota we are kick-starting the future by increasing our nation-leading per capita renewable fuel use."  Indeed, Minnesota is quietly setting goals that put them at the forefront of environmental and energy responsibility.  In May 2007, the Governor signed into law legislation that was overwhelmingly passed by both the Minnesota House and Senate, the Next Generation Clean Energy Act of 2007.  The legislation calls for the following:

   • 1000 Energy Star Buildings in Minnesota by 2010 supported by state funding
   • Greenhouse gas reduction of 30% by 2025 and 80% by 2050
   • Requires Minnesota utilities to provide 25% renewable electricity by 2025 (the most ambitious goal in the nation)
   • Provides $15 million for BioEnergy research including biofuels, hybrids, hydrogen and solar projects.
   • Provides $3 million to double the number of E85 (85% ethanol) stations in the state from a nation-leading 300 to 600

823 Ferry Road
P.O. Box 539
Charlotte, VT 05445
E-mail: info@nativeenergy.com - Phone: 800.924.6826

NativeEnergy is a privately-held Native American energy company offering traditional renewable energy credits (RECs) and offsets from operating new projects that is helping to build market demand for clean energy and other CO₂ mitigation projects.  It also helps build Native American, farmer-owned, community-based renewable energy projects that are creating social, economic, and environmental benefits.  In August 2005, the Intertribal Council On Utility Policy (COUP) acquired a majority ownership interest in NativeEnergy on behalf of its member tribes, marking another significant step in the Great Plains tribes’ historic effort to power America with Native wind.  NativeEnergy is helping to build these projects, all of which fight global warming while providing sustainable economic development opportunities for communities in need. Recent projects include:

• Owl Feather War Bonnet Wind Farm: 30 MW wind farm being developed by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe
• Wanner Family Dairy Farm Methane Project: It will produce approximately 2,000 kWh of electricity each day, more than 3 times the amount of electricity the farm currently uses
• Alaska Native Village Wind: Converting from 100% diesel powered electricity to the highest possible penetration of wind-diesel hybrid systems

Energetech America LLC
Deep River, CT, USA
1 (860) 526-9574
eneamerica@energetech.com.a

An innovative idea that has been speculated about for decades is finally coming to fruition.  Energetech, a Australian- based company with a subsidiary in New England, has developed a commercially efficient system for extracting energy from ocean waves and converting it to electricity or desalinated water. Recognizing the importance of providing coastal areas with a sustainable source of renewable energy, the International Academy of Science recently named Energetech's wave energy technology one of the ten most outstanding technologies in the world for 2006. 

• The first demonstration project in Australia has sufficient power to service the requirements of around 150 households
• The system will have a peak capacity of 500kW and save around 1,000 tons of greenhouse gas annually
• Building on the success of the technology in Australia, Energetech America LLC is now bringing the wave technology to the coast of Rhode Island.  A 3.5 million dollar project dubbed "Greenwave Rhode Island" is now underway, promising to harness New England's substantial wave power in a low-cost, zero-emission form of renewable energy.

Germany is not normally renowned for its sun, but Gut Erlasee Solar Park, a 12-megawatt facility located near the Bavarian town of Arnstein and one of the world's largest solar power plants, is proving that new technology can make solar power appropriate almost anywhere.  Supplied by the Silicon Valley solar company Sun Power Corporation and operated by the German solar company Solon, the solar park takes advantage of the latest solar technology to maximize efficiency.  Fueled by heightened venture- capital interest in cleaner fuels, the park is part of a growing movement to increase investment in renewable energy technologies, even outside traditional "alternative energy" hotspots.   

• The park covers 77 hectares of land
• The park's generating capacity is 12 megawatts, enough to power 3500 households
• 1400 mobile electrical boards move with the sun to increase heat absorption

The first planned carbon-neutral city.

China is not the first place you think of when you hear the phrase "sustainable development."  The country's rapid economic growth has come hand in hand with a drastic increase in resource use, carbon dioxide emissions and declining air quality.  In fact, scientists predict that China will surpass the US as the world's leading emitter of greenhouse gases within the next few years (although the US will remain the biggest emitter per capita by far).  To help address this trend, China commissioned the British engineering firm Arup to plan and build the world's first carbon-neutral city.  Located on an island near Shanghai, the city of Dongtan will feature municipal rainwater recovery systems, state-of-the-art waste management facilities, and extensive carbon-free transportation networks.  It will be powered completely by wind, biofuel, hydro, and solar energy sources.  The Chinese government hopes that the new technologies and models of urban living showcased at Dongtan will be replicated throughout China, improving China's ability to manage the environmental consequences of its rapid economic growth. 

• Dongtan will be home to 25,000 people
• Sewage from Dongtan will be used to fertilize surrounding agricultural fields
• The city will have six times more space for pedestrians than Copen­hagen, one of Europe's most pedestrian friendly capitals

In a Persian Gulf country known for its oil wealth, the stage is being set for an innovative and ambitious attempt to prepare for the new future of energy.  Abu Dhabi, one of the world's largest and wealthiest oil producers, is looking to become a leader in renewable energy. The Masdar Initiative, launched in 2006, is an all-encompassing program that aims to persuade companies, individuals, universities, and governments to develop and commercialize new "green" energy innovations.  As part of the initiative's first projects, a 100-megawatt solar power plant will be built in the area, and a partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will help develop a graduate teaching and research institute dedicated to advancements in clean energy technology.  The Masdar Initiative has also just recently announced plans to create a zero-carbon, zero-waste city intended to be open for tenants and business by 2009.

• The Masdar Initiative began with $250 million "clean technology fund"
• The initiative includes the construction of a special economic zone for the advanced-energy industry
• The special economic zone looks to attract investment in renewable energy technology through tax-based incentives

The most advanced example of industrial ecology is found in Kalundborg, Denmark, where a complex network of byproduct exchanges has emerged among participating firms and the municipality. Included are several of Denmark's largest industrial facilities, such as the Statiol refinery that processes 5.5 million tons of crude oil annually, and the Asnaes coal-fired power station, which has a capacity of 1,300 megawatts. Additional industrial partners are a pharmaceutical manufacturer, a gypsum wallboard company, an enzyme company, a waste company, greenhouses and a local fish farm. The exchanges include water, steam, heat, sludge, ash, gypsum, and other materials. Financial and environmental savings are significant.  Symbiosis partners have reduced oil consumption by 20,000 tons a year.   Additional highlights:

• Participant companies are saving $15 million annually
• 2.9 million cubic meters of ground and surface water is saved each year   
• Combined heat and power has resulted in a 30% improvement in fuel utilization
• Heat provided as a byproduct of the electric power plant has replaced 3,500 small oil-fired units