Monthly Public Interest News Peg

Public Interest News Peg:   A summary of public interest news and events from U.S. PIRG, the federation of state PIRGs & affiliated organizations

For Immediate Release:   9/12/07

For More Information:  www.uspirg.org/news

For trends in the states and other state issues:   Kimberly Larson, 206-357-1788, statenews@pirg.org

For federal issues:  Liz Hitchcock, 202-546-9707, federalnews@pirg.org

For public interest issue experts and state spokespeople, visit and bookmark this page::  www.pirg.org/media/expertfinder.html

CLEAN ENERGY

**California Moves to Expand World-Class Solar Market

Bill Would Jumpstart Largest Solar Water Heating Program in Country

This week, California moved to launch the nation’s largest solar water heating program.  The Legislature passed the Solar Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007 (AB 1470-Huffman) which would create a $250 million fund to provide rebates to homeowners and businesses who invest in solar water heating technologies. The bill aims at creating a world-class, mainstream market for solar water heating technologies within ten years. 

California relies predominately on natural gas to meet its water heating needs, leading to a heavy dependence on imported fossil fuels and air pollution. Solar water heating can reduce the amount of gas needed to heat water in homes and businesses by 50-75%.

AB 1470 is very similar to the Million Solar Roofs bill signed into law last year creating incentives for solar electric technologies, providing consumer incentives (rebates), for solar water heating systems that displace natural gas. The fund would come from a small, 13 cent per month, surcharge on gas bills.  Environment California is the official bill sponsor. The governor has thirty days to sign it and has indicated he will.

Contact:  Bernadette Del Chiaro, Environment California Clean Energy Advocate, 916-765-3224 x 103, Bernadette@environmentcalifornia.org, www.environmentcalifornia.org

**States Lead on Renewable Energy Standards—Will Congress Follow?

Congress is finally considering a federal renewable energy standard, yet the states have been leading the way with renewable energy over the last several years.  Twenty-five states now have Renewable Energy Standards (RES) in place.  

A new study by U.S. PIRG will highlight the benefits of the state RES programs.  “Reaping the Rewards How State Renewable Electricity Standards Are Cutting Pollution, Saving Money, Creating Jobs and Fueling a Clean Energy Boom” includes: 

• New and planned renewable energy development in RES states vs. non-RES states.
• Total global warming and air pollution emissions, as well as water consumption offset as a result of RES policies.
• Case studies on economic growth, particularly in rural areas and job creation in states with RES policies.
• Examples of cost savings for consumers.

U.S. PIRG will release the report on Monday, September 17th.

Contacts:  Rob Sargent, U.S. PIRG Energy Program Director, 617-747-4317, rsargent@pirg.org; Kate Johnson, U.S. PIRG Clean Energy Advocate, 202-546-9707 x323, kjohnson@pirg.org, www.uspirg.org.

GLOBAL WARMING 

**Auctioning Pollution Allowances Needs to be Part of Cap-and-Trade Programs

Congress is beginning to consider global warming legislation this fall and states are moving forward with global warming cap programs.  Next week, U.S. PIRG makes the case that auctioning all allowances in a global warming cap and trade program, rather than giving them away to polluters for free based on their past pollution, reduces the societal cost of achieving pollution reductions and would do more to promote a transition to a clean energy economy.  The U.S. PIRG report “Cleaner, Cheaper, Smarter: The Case for Auctioning Pollution Allowances in a Global Warming Cap-and-Trade Program” calls for any global warming cap-and-trade program to include auctioning 100 percent of emission allowances, with the revenue from those auctions used to encourage a transition to a clean energy economy and to compensate consumers for the cost of the program.

Contact:  Rob Sargent, U.S. PIRG Energy Program Director, 617-747-4317, rsargent@pirg.org.

**New England Must Get on Track With 21st Century Transit Solutions to Global Warming

Transportation is the leading source of carbon dioxide, the leading global warming pollutant, in New England, accounting for 40 percent of the region’s carbon dioxide emissions.  Over the last 25 years, the number of miles traveled on New England’s roads has increased by nearly 70 percent. Should that rate of growth continue, vehicle travel in the region would increase by another 24 percent between now and 2018, wiping out virtually all of the emission savings delivered by the Clean Cars Program.  “Cool Moves,” a new report by U.S. PIRG and its affiliated state environment groups, shows that public transit use in New England reduced the region’s global warming pollution more than 1.7 million metric tons in 2005, equivalent to taking 310,000 cars off New England’s roads for the year.  Trains, buses and vanpools also saved 240 million gallons of gasoline, in addition to reducing congestion, spurring smart growth, boosting mobility and developing local economies.

“Cool Moves” underscores the importance of transit in solving the region’s global warming and transportation woes, and New England being an example for the country for blending intercity, and urban and rural needs.  To address the region’s global warming and energy challenges, the state groups are calling on New England leaders to invest in developing a 21st century transit system that provides convenient, affordable and comfortable transit service to more New Englanders. The groups will release “Cool Moves” on Wednesday, Sept. 19th.  

Contact:  Matthew Davis, Organizational Development Regional Director U.S. PIRG, 617-747-4383, mdavis@pirg.org.

TRANSPORTATION 

**Move by Virginia Signals States Still Considering Road Privatization

This week, the Virginia Dept. of Transportation announced that it has signed a contract with two private companies to construct and control new toll lanes on the Beltway. Under the behind-closed-doors deal, four new high-occupancy toll lanes would be added in the center of the Capital Beltway between Springfield Virginia and the Dulles Toll Road. The two private companies who construct these lanes would keep the toll revenue for seventy five years. The Commonwealth expects rush-hour tolls to be around $6 and to increase over time.

Coming on the heels of this announcement and the move by many states to consider road privatization, U.S. PIRG released a new study, “Road Privatization:  Explaining the Trend, Assessing the Facts, and Protecting the Public,” outlining the trends behind recent road privatizations, the dangers of such deals, and the safeguards necessary to protect the public.  

Road privatization deals have come under serious criticism in the last year, following high-profile deals in Chicago and Indiana. After a long period of study and advocacy from NJPIRG and other groups to safeguard the public, New Jersey Governor John Corzine promised in June not to sell or lease the roads. Texas recently cancelled a similar deal to that in Virginia when a state senator belatedly forced hearings which made it clear that the public would receive far more revenue if the state’s toll authority built and operated the road instead. Seven states have implemented private leasing projects have been implemented since 2001.  So far in 2007, sixteen other states have proposed or are considering new privatization initiatives.

Contact:  Phineas Baxandall, U.S. PIRG Senior Analyst for Tax and Budget Policy, (617) 747-4351, Phineas@pirg.org.  

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U.S. PIRG, the federation of State PIRGs (Public Interest Research Groups), is a network of state-based, non-partisan public interest advocacy organizations with a national advocacy office in Washington, D.C. We uncover threats to public health and well-being and fight to end them, using the time-tested tools of investigative research, media exposes, grassroots organizing, advocacy and litigation. U.S. PIRG’s mission is to deliver persistent, result-oriented activism that protects public health and the environment, encourages a fair, sustainable economy, and fosters responsive, democratic government. In many states, the PIRG's environmental work is housed in partner organizations: Environment Arizona, Environment California, Environment Colorado, Environment Florida, Environment Georgia, Environment Illinois, Environment Maine, Environment Maryland, Environment Michigan, Environment New Mexico, Environment North Carolina, PennEnvironment, Environment Oregon, Environment Rhode Island, Environment Texas and Environment Washington. For more information, see www.uspirg.org.