SmartPower Wins “Most Innovative Campaign” Award

National Youth Energy Contest, America’s Next Eco-Star, Earns The Energy Daily’s 2011 Leadership Award.

SmartPower has been awarded “Most Innovative Campaign” by IHS The Energy Daily for its America’s Next Eco-Star contest, a nationwide search for the standout among the next generation of energy leaders.

“The Energy Daily’s awards reflect nominations from industry and the views of our editors and other industry experts on the most influential executives and companies each year,” according to The Energy Daily’s website. Categories include everything from “Most Innovative Technology,” awarded to GlassPoint Solar, to “Most Dynamic Energy Practice,” awarded to SNR Denton.

“We are extremely proud to receive the ‘Most Innovative Campaign’ award from The Energy Daily,” said Brian F. Keane, president of SmartPower. “It’s truly an honor to have our campaigns recognized for the innovation, energy and excitement that we think our industry needs and deserves.”

SmartPower, a nonprofit marketing firm based in Washington, D.C., launched America’s Next Eco-Star in the summer of 2011 to achieve the U.S. Department of Energy’s goal of increasing awareness among college students about clean energy and energy efficiency.

Inspired by popular televisions shows such as “American Idol” and “America’s Next Top Model,” the online campaign stood apart from other nominations for recognizing everyday champions who are selected to compete head-to-head, resulting in the ultimate all-star. For America’s Next Eco-Star, this individual was the student who showed outstanding leadership on clean energy and energy efficiency efforts at his or her school and beyond.

The campaign leveraged the power of social media to engage hundreds of students via Facebook and YouTube. This strategy attracted thousands of people to vote in favor of students nominated by peers, professors, friends and family.

More than 130 college and university students received nominations and Middlebury College’s Katelyn Romanov was awarded the ultimate title, supported by thousands of online votes and a panel of Energy Department representatives. Romanov’s leadership on solar and green building initiatives on campus earned her several prizes — among them, a $1,000 grant for use by Middlebury’s sustainability office to put towards energy efficiency programs.

SmartPower plans to launch another youth energy campaign in 2012, implementing a number of the elements that made America’s Next Eco-Star worthy of national recognition.

SmartReads: Week of June 1

Catch the latest in this week’s clean energy and energy efficiency news, and share your favorite energy articles with us on Twitter using the hashtag #SmartReads.

CLEAN ENERGY

Grist: The truth about renewable energy - Inexpensive, reliable, and inexhaustible – We’ve all heard the common myths about renewable energy: It’s expensive; it can’t be relied upon; there just isn’t enough of it to meet our energy needs. But as technological advances and plummeting costs drive explosive growth — U.S. installed wind capacity has grown sevenfold to nearly 47 gigawatts in the last seven years — real-world experience is shattering long-held assumptions every day. [May 29, 2012]

San Jose Mercury: California poised to require ‘solar ready roofs’ on new homes and buildings – State regulators with the California Energy Commission are expected to approve stringent energy efficiency standards for new residential and commercial buildings Thursday. [May 30, 2012]  

Reuters: Germany sets new solar power record, institute says – German solar power plants produced a world record 22 gigawatts of electricity - equal to 20 nuclear power stations at full capacity - through the midday hours on Friday and Saturday, the head of a renewable energy think tank said. [May 28, 2012]

Boston.com: Solar energy industry is flourishing in Massachusetts – Massachusetts is no California when it comes to sun. But that isn’t stopping the solar energy industry from flourishing here. [May 27, 2012]  

TreeHugger: Last Weekend, Half of Germany Was Running on Solar Power – Here’s how they did it, and how we can too [May 28, 2012]  

Technology Review: In Pictures: The World’s Largest Solar Thermal Power Plant – The outlines of a massive solar thermal power plant—the largest ever—are starting to appear in the wilderness outside of Las Vegas. The $2.2 billion project, which is being built by Oakland, California-based BrightSource, stretches over 3,600 acres near Ivanpah, California. When it’s finished, it will generate 370 megawatts of electricity on sunny days. [May 28, 2012]  

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

The Hill: Senate charges up electric cars, clears energy nominees – The Senate approved a plan late Thursday that would make it easier for lawmakers and staff to drive plug-in electric vehicles to work. [May 25, 2012]  

Newsday: Nissan electric vehicles tested in New York – Nissan is supplying New York City with fuel-efficient cabs, including six electric cars for testing, but acknowledged uncertainties Tuesday about an ongoing “debate” over charging standards for electric vehicles. [May 29, 2012]  

Nine MSN: Tesla to launch electric sedan in US – Tesla Motors says it will begin deliveries of “the world’s first premium electric sedan” on June 22, slightly ahead of schedule. [May 27, 2012]  

Earth Techling: Nissan’s Next Electric Vehicle Frontier The e-NV200 – Nissan, looking to push further into the electric vehicle market it currently inhabits with its Leaf passenger vehicle, is next aiming for the light commercial vehicles space via its new e-NV200. It is being built in Barcelona, Spain, and will begin production there in the 2013 financial year. [May 25, 2012] 

GENERAL GREEN

Mansfield-Storrs Patch: Mansfield Schools Take on Energy Challenge – Southeast Elementary and the Green Thumbs Club helped the Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge celebrate Earth Month in April by hosting joint-assemblies with Vinton Elementary and Goodwin Elementary Schools. [May 30, 2012]

Neighbor to Neighbor Teams Up with Local Students to Help Reduce Energy Use

MANSFIELD, Conn. - Southeast Elementary and the Green Thumbs Club helped the Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge celebrate Earth Month in April by hosting joint-assemblies with Vinton Elementary and Goodwin Elementary Schools. Neighbor to Neighbor representatives discussed the importance of saving energy. In addition, all students in attendance pledged to do at least one thing to reduce energy in their homes.

All 400 students in attendance received the Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge’s “Please Don’t Feed the Vampire” kit, which helps students and their families identify vampire energy loads at home. As students and their families prepare to end the school year and head into summer — a notably higher period of energy use — the pledges will engage students in their energy use at home and think, learn and act beyond the classroom.

The kit includes a vampire-themed scavenger hunt that sends students searching through their homes in pursuit of “vampire draw” or “phantom loads” — appliances and devices that may appear to be powered down, but continue to suck energy while in standby mode or while plugged into outlets.

“Elementary students are the perfect age to begin thinking about ways to reduce energy waste,” said Fred Baruzzi, Superintendent for Mansfield Public Schools. “We were happy to have the Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge come to our schools and educate our students.”

Kerry O’Neill, Program Manager for the Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge, added, “Each year, it takes the combined output of 17 power plants to power devices that U.S. homeowners think they’ve turned off, from microwaves and coffeemakers to flat-screen TVs and cell phone chargers. Our vampire campaign will empower students and their families to reduce energy costs in a fun, interactive way.”

SmartReads: Week of May 25

We know you can’t catch every article during your busy week, so we’ve consolidated the recent top energy news stories for you in one easy list. Share your favorite energy, environment and efficiency articles with us on Twitter using the hashtag #SmartReads. 

CLEAN ENERGY

Forbes: Solar Power More Competitive Than Decision-Makers Or Consumers Realize – Are the decision-makers entrusted with determining the future of energy infrastructure operating under an outdated understanding of the cost-competitiveness of solar power? In many cases, the answer is yes, according to a paper released last week by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). [May 24, 2012]

Boston.com: Connecticut subsidies seen spurring home solar power – Installing solar panels could cost, on average, $35,000, according to a state energy agency spokesman. [May 20, 2012]

TreeHugger: Solar Backpacks to Charge Marines in the Field – In an effort to reduce the energy supply needs and lessen the risks of U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) forward deployed forces, researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have prototyped and are field-testing one solution: A mobile solar power pack, with high efficiency, flexible solar cells coupled to a high capacity rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack. [May 24, 2012]

Boston Herald: Obama calls for keeping production tax credit to save clean-energy jobs – From a wind-power factory in this battleground state, President Barack Obama urged Congress to extend tax credits he said would save jobs in the field of clean-energy production. [May 24, 2012]

Huffington Post: Saudi Arabia Eyes Solar Power For Future – Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, may finally be getting serious about overcoming the technical and financial hurdles for tapping its other main resource: sunshine. [May 23, 2012] 

Earth Techling: Robot To Wash Solar Panels Among Winning Student Inventions – Students took home $200,000 in prizes for green ideas at an awards ceremony recently held at California Institute of Technology for a Department of Energy competition. [May 19, 2012]

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

SmartPlanet: All-in-one ‘V-Pole’ charges electric cars, lights the street – Who says a street lamp should just light our city streets?… At the top of the pole there’s an LED street light, and built into the pole there’s Wi-Fi, technology to wirelessly charge your electric car, and cell phone infrastructure [May 25, 2012]

Los Angeles Times: Nissan Leaf’s U.S. sales may jump after production starts here – Nissan sold just 370 Leaf electric vehicles in the U.S. last month and only 2,103 so far this year. To put this in perspective, the U.S. auto industry has sold almost 4.7-million vehicles this year. But as Andy Palmer, executive vice president of Nissan’s Yokohama, Japan-based global operations, notes, the U.S. sales numbers don’t provide much of a marker for the success of the first mass-market electric car in several generations. [May 24, 2012]

New York Times: Cramming for Degrees in Hybrids – LIKE many college students, Katherine Bovee, a master’s degree candidate at Ohio State University in Columbus, struggled to find a focus for her undergraduate studies. Wanting to sample a broad range of possibilities, she enrolled in a mechanical engineering program. [May 18, 2012]

Los Angeles Times: Consumer Reports: Car buyers care most about fuel economy – Fuel economy is the top feature buyers consider when shopping for a new car, according to a recent survey by Consumer Reports. [May 22, 2012]

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

East Hampton-Portland Patch: Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge Rewards Resident for Early Action – Last week, the Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge performed a free LED lighting upgrade — worth more than $1,000 — for raffle winner and East Hampton resident Jamie Owen. [May 21, 2012]

SmartPower Tours Solar Home and Winery in Connecticut

SmartPower Program Assistant Daniel Francis (center) tours Priam Vineyards in Colchester, Conn., along with Neighbor to Neighbor Clean Energy Corps members Jeff Crawford (left) and Bijal Patel (right). 

SmartPower’s Daniel Francis and Chandler Clay visited the Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge office for a weeklong program strategy session, complete with evening canvassing and lighting visits. From Glastonbury to East Haddam, SmartPower was able to engage in the program’s aggressive outreach.

As an integral part of the program’s media plan, Daniel joined Lead Organizer Jessica Bergman in a local public access television appearance about Neighbor to Neighbor and the Home Energy Solutions visit. Be sure to check out the video here.

Meanwhile, Communications Manager Chandler Clay joined the Clean Energy Corps in an evening canvass as they successfully signed up more than 17 Glastonbury homes for the program’s free lighting visits. Chandler also attended a local lighting visit, helping two corps members replace 21 incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving bulbs at no cost. The exchange is expected to save the East Haddam home more than $100 per year in energy costs. 

As if the week wasn’t busy enough, Daniel spent his free time on Saturday touring the solar powered Priam Vineyards. The winery was established in 1998 and has been self-sufficient since 2010, when it became the first winery in New England to be completely solar powered. Daniel also toured a local solar home on Sunday, May 20, as part of Wilton Go Green’s 3-stop Green Homes Tour.

Between energy efficient lighting, Home Energy Solutions upgrades and increased solar development, Connecticut is well on its way to becoming a leader in sustainability. As always, SmartPower is happy to do its part.

SmartReads: Week of May 18

In this week’s SmartReads, read about the countries, companies and entrepreneurs continuing to advance clean energy projects across the world. Share your favorite energy, environment and efficiency stories with us on Twitter using the hashtag #SmartReads.

CLEAN ENERGY

Bloomberg: Solar Power Prices More Competitive Than Thought – Power from solar panels is much closer to price competitiveness with fossil fuel-generated electricity than many policy-makers and investors realize, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. [May 16, 2012]

Reuters: Asia to overtake Europe as global solar power grows – The world’s solar power generating capacity will grow by between 200 and 400 percent over the next five years, with Asia and other emerging markets overtaking leadership from Europe, a European industry association said on Monday. [May 7, 2012]  

Forbes: Saudi Arabia Plans $109 Billion Boost for Solar Power – Saudi Arabia is seeking investors for a $109 billion plan to create a solar industry that generates a third of the nation’s electricity by 2032, according to officials at the agency developing the plan. [May 11, 2012]

Reuters: Mexican wind energy boom plays out on gusty shores – On an arid plain where sudden gusts of wind can rip roofs off buildings and knock over tractor trailers, Mexico is building a new engine for its energy future. [May 14, 2012]

Forbes: Sean Tufts: Ex-NFL Linebacker now Tackling Wind Energy Projects – Remote sites for potential wind farms are not exactly the types of fields you picture a retired NFL linebacker scouting. But Sean Tufts is not your typical retired football player. Nor is he your classic promoter of wind energy as the nation’s primary source of renewable energy. [May 15, 2012]

AOL Energy: Geothermal, Solar Power Unite In First Of Its Kind Facility – U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu earlier this month heralded the creation of a new geothermal-solar power plant in Fallon, Nevada, which he said was “the first of its kind in the world.” [May 16, 2012]

Boston.com: Walmart to install solar panels on 27 stores in Mass. – Retail giant Walmart said it plans to install solar panels on top of about half of its roughly 50 Massachusetts stores as early as August as part of an expansion of solar power in the state. [May 15, 2012]

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Forbes: The Global Electric Vehicle Movement: Best Practices From 16 Cities – Global leaders want to have 20 million electric vehicles (EVs) on the road worldwide by 2020. Last year, some 40,000 EVs and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) were sold around the world. [May 11, 2012]

Bloomberg: Ferrari Plans to Replace Iconic Enzo With Super Hybrid –Ferrari SpA will turn to fuel-saving hybrid technology to create its most powerful and expensive model, showing that even elite performance cars are under pressure to get greener. [May 14, 2012]

Business Insider via Houston Chronicle: Ford Is Finally Putting A Focus On Electric Cars – After test-driving the soon-to-go-on-sale Ford Focus Electric at a promotional event downtown on Thursday, Matt Hrna was impressed with its quick acceleration. [May 15, 2012]

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Daily Pound Ridge: Program Aims to Make Pound Ridge a Little Greener – Homeowners in Pound Ridge now have opportunity to make their houses more energy-efficient and save some money on their utility bills, all while making the town a little greener. [May 13, 2012]

Fox Business: Gadgets that Zap Energy Wasters in Your Home – Common problems like leaky windows, drafty doors and power-hogging appliances can waste energy in your home and lead to unnecessarily-high utility bills. [May 16, 2012]

TBD: Washington, D.C. now sports 1,360 LED street lights in its alleyways – Mayor Vince Gray will venture into a Columbia Heights alleyway to replace the last of about 1,360 old alley street lights with newer energy-efficient LED lights expected to save 591,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a year as well as reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by 719 tons. [May 14, 2012]

FRIENDS OF SMARTPOWER

Hartford Courant: Keri Marries Kerry After A Long, Adventurous Friendship – Check out this story about Former SmartPower employee Keri Enright! [May 13, 2012]

Free Lighting Program Ends in June

WETHERSFIELD, Conn. – The Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge is helping Connecticut residents save money and reduce energy use in their communities by exchanging incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) at no cost. Neighbor to Neighbor is now urging residents to take advantage of its free CFL lighting installation program before supplies run out in June.

The Neighbor to Neighbor Free Lighting Program, helps Connecticut residents transition to more energy efficient bulbs as new federal lighting standards limit the types of incandescent light bulbs available on the market. The program gives residents a head start finding the most efficient light bulbs that work best for their homes. It‘s a simple first step for homeowners who want to reduce energy consumption and start saving money on monthly electricity bills.

Estimates show that the average home’s lighting accounts for 10 to 15 percent of electricity consumption, and by switching to energy efficient bulbs, families can save an average of $125 per year. Some residents have even seen savings of more than $300 per year. Upgrading to energy efficient light bulbs greatly reduces the amount of energy wasted through the use of outdated incandescent light bulbs.

“The Free Lighting program has been instrumental across the state in engaging residents to address their energy needs. It serves a critical first step in helping homeowners understand the many ways they can save money through our program,” said Kerry O’Neill, Program Manager of the Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge. “Why wouldn’t you sign up? It’s free and can cut costs on your home energy bills.”

Since launching in December 2010, Neighbor to Neighbor has completed hundreds of free lighting visits around the state, replacing 5,000 incandescent light bulbs with efficient compact fluorescent bulbs and avoiding 181,382 pounds of C02 emissions. The lifetime impact of these efforts is more than $50,000 in energy cost savings. In addition, the program has saved 600 megawatt hours of electricity — enough to power more than 50 homes each year.

The Neighbor to Neighbor Clean Energy Corps, a team of eight young lighting professionals, install up to 25 free compact fluorescent light bulbs and educate homeowners on efficient lighting technology. Corps members received residential lighting certificates after completing a course from the Lighting Research Center at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

While funding for the Neighbor to Neighbor Lighting Program will end in June 2012, the program will continue offering its many other services through 2013. Residents can sign up for their free in-home lighting visit at www.CTEnergyChallenge.com/lighting or call 860-372-4406.

SmartReads: Week of May 11

This was a big week in general news, but it was just as big of a week in green news! This is our longest SmartReads to date, so we hope you’ll find plenty of great reads, from improvements in solar financing to the top green gifts for Mother’s Day. Share your favorite green articles with us on Twitter using the hashtag #SmartReads.

CLEAN ENERGY

New York Times: Solar Installers Offer Deals, Gaining Converts – Jay Nuzzi, a New Jersey state trooper, had put off installing solar panels on his home here for years, deterred by the $70,000 it could cost. Then on a trip to Home Depot, he stumbled across a booth for Roof Diagnostics, which offered him a solar system at a price he couldn’t refuse: free. [May 9, 2012]

AOL Energy: Shining a Light on the Cost of Solar Installations – As the number of US solar installations soars, installers and developers are seeking opportunities to provide the clean power to institutional clients at rates that will attract financing, supply electricity at below retail rates, and still make a profit. [May 10, 2012]

New York Times: Few Seize on a U.S. Bond Program Backing Green Energy – With the country reeling in 2008 from the financial crisis, Congress created a special program to help struggling local governments finance clean energy projects. Under the initiative, cities and counties could sell bonds to pay for a new wind farm or energy efficient windows at City Hall, and the federal government would help pick up the tab. [May 7, 2012] 

Washington Post: U.S., India glimpse a bright future together in solar power – There are few places in the world where the opportunity for solar power is more blindingly obvious than India. There are also few industries where the possibility of collaboration between India and the United States is more tantalizing. [May 10, 2012]

Department of the Interior: Salazar ‘Flips the Switch’ on First Large-Scale Solar Energy Project on Public Lands to Provide Power to the Grid – As part of President Obama’s all-of-the-above approach to energy, today Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar “flipped the switch” on the Enbridge Silver State North solar project, the first large-scale solar energy facility on U.S. public lands to deliver power to American consumers. [May 7, 2012]

Baltimore Business Journal: Johns Hopkins University adds solar panels on seven buildings – Johns Hopkins University has launched its first solar energy initiative, adding about 2,900 solar panels on seven buildings across its Baltimore campuses. [May 7, 2012]

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

The Hill: Republican to revive lightbulb war – A House Republican is planning in the coming weeks to revive the GOP offensive against federal lightbulb efficiency standards. [May 7, 2012]

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

USA Today: U.S., German makers agree on electric-car charging – Major U.S. and German automakers have agreed on a common electric-car charging standard that will speed the recharging of batteries in as little as 20 minutes. [May 7, 2012]

The Detroit News: Tesla to deliver first Model S electric by June – Tesla Motors Inc. said Wednesday it is on schedule to deliver its first Model S electric vehicle by next month — and disclosed it will exhaust its $465 million Energy Department loan within six months. [May 9, 2012]

New York Times: The Battery-Driven Car Just Got a Lot More Normal – CRITICS of electric vehicles say they are too expensive and lack sufficient driving range. But I wonder if those gripes would disappear if the E.V.’s on sale weren’t so — let’s not mince words — homely. I adore my all-electric Nissan Leaf, but its wide rear end, bulging headlights and odd proportions evoke a Japanese gizmo aesthetic that doesn’t necessarily appeal to mainstream American car buyers. [May 6, 2012]

New York Times: Thoughts From a Week in the Ford Focus Electric – Driving the 2012 Ford Focus Electric for a week gave me an opportunity to mull some questions about how a purely electric vehicle ought to behave and look. [May 4, 2012]

GENERAL GREEN

SmartPress: Green Green Gifts For Mother’s Day – Since we did Green Gadgets For Dad on Father’s Day, we thought it only fair to provide some green gift ideas for Mom this Mother’s Day. Share your own green gift ideas with us on Facebook! [May 8, 2012]

Green Gifts For Mother’s Day

Since we did Green Gadgets For Dad on Father’s Day, we thought it only fair to provide some green gift ideas for Mom this Mother’s Day. Share your own green gift ideas with us on Facebook! 

1. Cook your mom breakfast in bed, lunch on the patio or a candlelight dinner using only local and organic ingredients, ensuring a flavorful and healthy meal with a minimal carbon footprint.

2. Give Mom a good green read. Pre-order Green Is Good: Save Money, Make Money, and Help Your Community Profit from Clean Energy on Amazon today!

3. Help out around the house with a green spring cleaning. Replace old incandescent bulbs with CFLs, install smart powerstrips and set up recycling cans throughout the house. Mom will be especially happy when she sees the reduced energy bills!

Find more green spring cleaning tips here.

4. Replace one of mom’s old appliances with an Energy Star appliance. From kitchen goods to electronics, Energy Star offers the latest technology in durable, energy-saving appliances.

5. Pamper her. With certified organic argon oil, Aveda’s Green Science line provides natural and healthy care for your mom’s skin.

6. Spend the day outdoors. Take mom on a hike, go for a bike ride, plant a garden or take a trip to the farmer’s market. For mothers who appreciate a good glass of wine, consider taking her to a nearby tasting of local organic wines. 

Don’t forget to share your green gift ideas for Mother’s Day with us on Facebook! 

SmartReads: Week of May 4

SmartReads is a weekly summary of all the latest clean energy and energy efficiency news. Send us your tips on Twitter using the hashtag #SmartReads.

CLEAN & RENEWABLE ENERGY

SEIA: New Study Shows US Solar Energy Could Employ Hundreds of Thousands of Americans by 2020 – A new independent research report released today by the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, found that solar energy is following the same path to commercialization as other traditional energy sources spurred by federal incentives. [May 1, 2012]

Think Progress: Three Charts That Illustrate Why Solar Has Hit A True Tipping Point – A new report from the prominent global consulting firm McKinsey shows why solar photovoltaics have hit a tipping point. [April 30, 2012]

Forbes: Morgan Stanley Backs $300 Million Fund To Install Residential Solar – Clean Power Finance – a San Francisco startup that offers software tools and financing to solar installers – Morgan Stanley’s MS Solar Solutions Corp, Zions Bancorporation and solar installer Main Street will create MySolar, a lease program to finance up to $300 million of rooftop solar arrays for homeowners in California and Arizona. [May 3, 2012]

Los Angeles Times: SolarCity makes IPO plans – SolarCity Corp., a Bay Area solar panel developer and installer whose chairman heads Tesla Motors Inc., is planning an IPO. The San Mateo company’s intention to go public come as other alternative energy firms are backing away from similar growth plans, even after the industry reported record growth last year. [April 30, 2012]

AWEA: AWEA U.S. Wind Industry First Quarter 2012 Market Report – During the first quarter of 2012, the U.S. wind industry installed 1,695 megawatts (MW) across 17 states. This brings cumulative U.S. wind power capacity installations to 48,611 MW through the end of March 2012. [May 3, 2012]

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Green Biz: How EVs are changing driver behavior: 7 lessons from 24 million miles – In the world of electric vehicles, nothing attracts as much speculation or disagreement as the debate over exactly how EV drivers behave. [May 1, 2012]

AOL Energy: Ford Powers into Electric Car Business – If it’s true that it takes a crisis to force change then the US car manufacturing sector understands this better than anyone. Detroit has undergone a renaissance in the wake of the global economic and financial meltdown, broadening their offerings to include more fuel efficient passenger vehicles, hybrid models and electric cars. [April 30, 2012]

GENERAL GREEN

KEYT: America’s Next Eco-Star Has Roots in Santa Barbara – A Santa Barbara woman receives a major, national title and comes back home to share her success story, and her vision for the next generation. Katie Romanov won the title of ‘America’s Next Eco-Star’ in a contest sponsored by SmartPower, a non-profit in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Energy Department. [April 28, 2012]

National Defense Industrial Association: Panetta Touts Pentagon Investments in Green Energy – The Defense Department sees climate change and rising oil prices as national security concerns, and intends to play a leading role in the nation’s energy future, said Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta. [May 3, 2012]