Annual Report

ALLIANCE FOR AFFORDABLE ENERGY
REVIEW OF WORK SINCE KATRINA, RITA AND THE LEVEE FLOODS

Regulatory

Monitored New Orleans City Council Utility Committee meetings since February. Raised questions on rate increases with particular concerns about the strain on the 40% of ratepayers carrying the entire burden of increases predicted to cover utility restoration. Forced clarification of annual N.O. $90.6 million Grand Gulf nuclear contract being entered into fuel adjustment charge. Intervened in 25% rate increase request, worked with various Council consultants and other interveners to succeed in reducing this increase.

Contacted local and state leaders in support of CDBG funding to help Entergy New Orleans restore its system—as a ratepayer bailout.

Attended LSU Energy Center conference on Utility Infrastructure Rebuilding.
Pressed City Council to replace $6.9 million set aside for Public Benefits Fund (to fund energy efficiency programs) that was given to cash-strapped Entergy New Orleans (ENO) after the storms. Succeeded in getting commitment for such in October rate case settlement.

Began monitoring of ENO bankruptcy case, submitted comments to the judge.

Met with Alliance to Save Energy, American Public Power Association, Public Citizen, U.S. Green Building Council, Sullivan and Worcester Law Firm, and Senators Landrieu and Vitter aids in Washington DC. (ASE & Public Citizen are now official AAE partners)

Gave testimony before Nuclear Regulatory Commission tribunal at public hearing in Port Gibson, MS, Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Station with regard to early site permitting process for possible building of new power plants at Grand Gulf.

Sustainable Rebuilding

Held first public workshop after Katrina (October 8, 2005) to design a platform for rebuilding Louisiana and New Orleans “clean, safe and green.”

Represented Alliance positions on various committees of Bring New Orleans Back plan.
Board member, Dr. Charles Reith, tirelessly sponsored and gave numerous lectures in New Orleans and around the state on sustainable energy, debris management and green rebuilding and ways to mitigate effects of global warming.

Organized and hosted green building caucuses, a Build Smart Expo, energy efficiency and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) workshops.

Proposed, organized and ran a design and workday at the Art Egg Bldg for the board of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).

Held Sustainable Building Policy Summit, from which white papers are being produced for use by city government and City Council.

Guided a team from the American Institute of Architects through the creation and presentation of plans for an Eco Park adjacent to the Alliance office building.

Presented to Louisiana Recovery Authority on “Smart Energy Policies and Rebuilding Louisiana” and spoke on “Financial Incentives for Energy Efficient Rebuilding” at Mississippi Green Build Expo.

Provided new energy efficiency standards and green building definition included in the Qualified Application Plan used by developers to receive low-income housing tax credits

We are well underway with development of a BuildSmart Construction Resource Center.
Inaugurating the “greening” of the N.O. Home Show (end of March 2007)

Began term on Louisiana Uniform Construction Code Council (LA-UCCC) as Chair of implementation committee and as director of an RFP for a new computer system to help inspectors, contractors and builders more efficiently comply with the required new codes.
Sponsored Robert Wible from the Alliance for Building Regulatory Reform in the Digital Age in D.C. to address the LA-UCCC on National and International Best Practice in Code Offices.


Global Warming Mitigation

Invited and participated in a national media tour immediately post-Katrina.

Invited Louisiana leaders to hear Al Gore speak in March.

Organized Global Warming Luncheon for Louisiana leaders with Union of Concerned Scientists, Tulane Xavier Center for Bioenvironmental Research, and Project REACH of the United Methodist Church.

Hosted book-signings for “The Weathermakers” (Tim Flannery) and “The Ravaging Tide,” (Mike Tidwell) and a preview party with the Pfister Sisters for “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Sent over a dozen press releases and letters to the editor and organized media events, such as a large inflatable Earth on fire in Audubon Park.

Held two Stop Global Warming fundraisers with Fredy Omar con su Banda.
Alliance expert flown to DC by Energy Foundation to present to national organization on dangers and opportunities to address global warming.

Sent two Alliance representatives to DC to participate in Katrina anniversary demonstration in front of NOAA (national weather association), organized by USA Join the World.
Had 29 Louisiana organizations and businesses sign letter to Louisiana senators urging support of mandatory emissions reductions.

Helped New Orleans City Council pass a resolution supporting Global Warming Principles Statement to Congress.

Organized a “Save New Orleans, Stop Global Warming Frenchmen Street Block Party” and an “Energy Solutions Film Festival” to mark the International Day of Action on Global Warming and collected over 100 postcards to be sent to Congress urging immediate action to curb emissions.

Clean Energy

Created strong Net Metering Rules for New Orleans City Council and have monitored their progress to become the law.

LPSC adopted Net Metering Rules as per suggestions of Alliance.

Requested that LPSC adopt green pricing program and a Renewable Portfolio Standard.
Working with City Council to develop the programs and extra financing for new energy efficiency funds.

Encouraging City Council, advisors and ENO to adopt a Renewable Portfolio Standard.
Secured donation of a Fuelmeister, which converts used vegetable oil into biodiesel, to provide clean fuel for 1 RTA bus and 1 school bus and to offer biodiesel education and workshops including for La. Dept. of Natural Resources’ Clean Cities Coalition Conference.

MEDIA

Along the way, the Alliance has been recognized and written about not only by our local print and broadcast media, but also by national and international publications and broadcasts such as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Cruthirds Report, Bloomberg Reports, Reuters News Service, National Public Radio, CBS and NBC affiliates in several cities, a Japanese daily, and the Greg Palast Political Commentary out of London.

BOARD, STAFF and OFFICE

Despite the loss of our office and several key staff, the Alliance boasts an eleven member Board of Directors, an Advisory Committee, four staff members, numerous volunteers and interns. Current staffers include regulatory affairs coordinator, sustainable rebuild coordinator, office manager and grant writer. Several attorneys and a consulting architect offer pro bono assistance. We are focusing on hiring a full-time Executive Director plus additional staff to help with all issues, and a complete array of administrative support.

We have returned to our newly renovated green office in the ArtEgg Studios,1001 S. Broad Street, Suite 202 and are seeking a permanent location for the Alliance’s 20 years of archives, including scanning (much already accomplished by Advisory Committee member, Tommy Milliner).


Alliance for Affordable Energy 1001 S. Broad Street, Ste. 202, New Orleans, LA 70125

office: 504-208-9761 fax: 504-208-9768 http://www.all4energy.org/

Energy Policy Task Force invites you to a presentation June 6, 1 p.m.

The Energy Policy Task Force invites you to a presentation by Roger Duncan, Deputy General Manger of Austin Energy, to inform the community at large on best practices and what’s achievable prior to the Task Force reporting back to the Utility Committee of the City Council. The Presentation is scheduled for June 6 at 1:00 pm in the Council Chambers.

The City of Austin is generally recognized as one of the leading cities and municipal utilities in the nation regarding energy efficiency, renewable resources, and climate action plans. Austin Energy has been named by the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency as the best green power program in the nation. They have several other national awards and sit on several national committees on energy efficiency and renewable resources.

Roger Austin has accepted the requests of several major cities around the country to present their programs and discuss energy policy. His presentation will include policies, programs or initiatives that may be helpful in developing a sound Energy Policy for the City of New Orleans.

Please extend this invitation to your staff, business associates, or any you think could be relevant to this effort.

Sincerely yours,

Chair of Utility Committee Oliver Thomas

Member of Utility Committee and Co-Chair Energy Policy Task Force Shelley Midura

Chair Energy Policy Task Force Pres Kabacoff

Board President, Alliance for Affordable Energy, Karen Wimpelberg

Fueling Change, Times Picayune, 5/20/2007

FUELING CHANGE

From a backyard refinery in New Orleans to planned plants on the West Bank and in St. Rose, the local biodiesel business is growing

Sunday, May 20, 2007

By Pam Radtke RussellBusiness writer

It's 7:30 Thursday morning, and school bus No. 91 rumbles past FEMA trailers and buildings being demolished at the end Ulloa Street.

There, in a dirt drive, the bus stops to fill up its gas tank with biodiesel.
In many places around the country, biodiesel is available at the gas station, either by itself or blended with regular diesel fuel. But in the New Orleans area, this hidden biodiesel brewery is one of the few places to get the fuel made with vegetable oil.

That is changing.

This small biodiesel refinery on Ulloa is planning to produce 250,000 gallons a year by the end of this year. And two proposed plants, one on the West Bank and another in St. Rose, will have the capacity to collectively produce more than 140 million gallons a year by the end of next year. That should more than meet the needs of local bus and truck fleets as well as individuals who are increasingly looking to use the fuel in their diesel vehicles.

The Regional Transit Authority and SDT Waste and Debris are just two of the local businesses looking to use a blend of biodiesel in order to help reduce emissions, improve the nation's energy security and possibly save money.

"It sends a message that New Orleans and its agencies are doing and exploring things that will help us in the long run," said Cesar Burgos, president of the RTA board, which is considering using biodiesel in its next batch of buses.

What's happening locally is mirroring the national movement to biodiesel. The National Biodiesel Board wants to replace 5 percent of diesel use, or more than 3 billion gallons a year, with biodiesel by 2015. Last year the industry produced 250 million gallons of the fuel, a more than threefold increase from 2005.

While biodiesel's prominence in the mainstream is increasing, the Department of Energy says the fuel isn't likely to contribute greatly to reducing the nation's dependence on fossil fuels because so few vehicles use diesel.

Others say the fuel might be too expensive to produce on a large scale and question its success in reducing greenhouse gases.

For Steve Gleason, a New Orleans Saints safety who uses biodiesel in his truck and supports biodiesel through his foundation, One Sweet World, it doesn't matter that biodiesel can't solve all the problems associated with using oil products. What matters, he said, is that it's a start to solving the problems.

"Let's take steps," he said. "None of them are the magic bullet. But government won't change its policy until consumers change policies."

Mix it up

In what looks like a combination of a kitchen, science lab and garden shed on Ulloa, Topher Mira takes old fry oil collected from restaurants around town such as La Peniche and Cafe Maspero and turns it into a fuel that can run in any diesel engine.

The restaurants normally would have to pay to dispose of the oil, and Mira picks it up for free.

"As many restaurants as there are in this city, there should be plenty of oil," said Austin Travis of the local Whole Foods Markets, which recently agreed to save its old oil for Mira and his New Orleans Biofuel Initiative.

Mira uses lye and methanol to separate the glycerin out of the oil. Depending on the quality of the oil, Mira can often turn it, gallon for gallon, into biodiesel.

It's possible to run a car on 100 percent biodiesel, called B100, but it's more common to use a blend of biodiesel and diesel. Some vehicle manufactures haven't fully endorsed using 100 percent biodiesel. While it lubricates an engine better than regular diesel, it can gel in colder weather, making cars harder to start.

The school bus that pulls up to the New Orleans Biofuel Initiative on Ulloa twice a week has a tank 80 percent full of diesel. Mira then tops off the tank with 12 gallons of biodiesel.
The bus then runs on B20, or a 20 percent biodiesel blend. That's the blend the National Biodiesel Board promotes for year-round use.

"If it's properly produced and handled, biodiesel should be able to run in any climate," said Amber Thurlo Pearson, a spokeswoman for the National Biodiesel Board. Biodiesel also gets the same mileage as regular diesel, according to the National Biodiesel Board.
Most manufacturers approve the use of up to five percent biodiesel in engines, but more and more companies are approving use of up to 20 percent biodiesel blends, Pearson said. Jeep diesels even leave the factory with a blend including five percent biodiesel.

Laidlaw, which owns the school bus being fueled in part by biodiesel, is waiting until the end of the school year before deciding whether it will use the fuel in more buses, a spokesman for the company said. The company wants to make sure there are no problems and that the buses are getting good mileage.

Micah Walker Parkin, with the Alliance for Affordable Energy, spearheaded the effort to set up the pilot project with the school board, Laidlaw and NOBI.

Just adding 20 percent biodiesel reduces the smog production of diesel by up to 50 percent, and it also reduces the particulate matter that is breathed in by children on the bus, Parkin said.
"Biodiesel reduces pollution that causes smog and global warming, improves children's health by reducing particulate matter and carcinogens, lessens our dependence on foreign oil, creates local jobs, and could help green our city's image," she said.

Homebrewing

After Hurricane Katrina, Mira came to New Orleans from Alaska to volunteer cutting trees. He wound up making biodiesel to help out the recovery effort.
After several months, he was unable to get funding to keep the project going and was packing to leave when he met Eileen Beall, another transplant to the city who was looking for a business opportunity.

Together, they have incorporated the New Orleans Biofuel Initiative and plan to turn it into a member-owned cooperative operating in a planned eco-business district off Earhardt Boulevard, Beall said.

At this point, Mira considers what he's doing "backyard brewing."
The popularity of such backyard brewing appears to be growing nationwide, though the National Biodiesel Board doesn't track how much biodiesel individuals are producing.
"As fuel prices continue to rise, we see more of a demand for alternative fuel," said George Wilson, who last year opened Biodiesel Resource in Belle Chasse, selling kits to individuals to make their own biodiesel.
Wilson said using waste oil, people can make diesel for 64 cents a gallon.
"That's a great price for diesel fuel," he said.

Big future

If Mira and homebrewers are at one end of the spectrum of biodiesel production, two refineries planned for the metro area are at the other.
Green Earth Fuels is planning an 83 million-gallon biodiesel refinery in Harvey on River Road. The company is close to starting construction on the plant, which will be one of the largest in the nation, said Jeff Trucksess, executive vice president of Green Fuels.
Trucksess said southeast Louisiana is a good location for a biodiesel plant.
"One of the assets of New Orleans is that it's obviously a major distribution hub for the oil and gas industry," he said. "There are tremendous logistical advantages."
Green Earth will sell its product to major distributors, which then can blend the biodiesel with regular diesel.
Reneweable Energy Group, which is hoping to build a 60 million-gallon-per-year refinery at the International Matex Tank Terminal in St. Rose, cites similar advantages to locating a plant along the river. The Renewable Energy Group is waiting for some incentives and grants to come through before finalizing its plans, said Alicia Clancy, a spokeswoman for the group.
On Thursday, the state bond commission approved $130 million in bonds for construction of the plant.
A refinery at the IMTT site is also advantageous because of its proximity to food company Bunge, which will partner with Renewable Energy Group on the plant, said Clancy.
A cheap source of vegetable oil is critical for these plants.
Bill Webster, of Biodiesel Fuels of Mississippi, in Meridian, had to stop producing biodiesel from soybean oil because it got too expensive.
Webster said his company used to produce 3,000 gallons a day, and now produces about 3,000 a month, using only waste oil from about 40 restaurants in the area.
The price of soybean oil has doubled in recent years, as has the price of methanol, he said.
"You end up making a product that you maybe will make five cents a gallon on and spend a lot of time making," he said.
While it may be relatively cheap to make biodiesel, a gallon of the fuel purchased at the pump is about the same as a gallon of regular diesel. According to industry reports, pure biodiesel costs between $3 and $3.35 a gallon on May 9, higher than diesel by about a dime.
Using soybean oil has other problems.
While using waste oil reduces carbon dioxide emissions by up to 78 percent, Parkin said, planting soybeans to make oil for biodiesel may increase greenhouse gases.
According to David Pimental, a professor of ecology and agriculture at Cornell, planting soybeans for biodiesel production requires 27 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produces.
The industry is looking at cheaper and more sustainable alternatives, such as oil produced from algae, which can yield several thousand gallons of oil per acre. But at this point, that can't be done economically.
"We need to find better plants," Trucksess said. "Algae is the most expensive, but is the most viable alternative right now.
Biodiesel mandate
Louisiana is one of just a few states that plan to require biodiesel use. Last year the state legislature passed a law that mandates two percent biodiesel be used when the state's biodiesel production reaches 10 million gallons a year.
Mandates such as Louisiana's, as well as President Bush's push to replace 20 percent of gasoline with alternative fuels by 2017, likely will continue to encourage production and use of the biofuel.
But Marie LaRiviere, a biofuels analyst at the Energy Information Administration, says that biodiesel can't replace gasoline.
"Even if biodiesel grows, it's never going to surpass 5 percent of the diesel market," she said. "It's not the main thing if someone wanted to put their money into alternative fuels. Ethanol is the oxygenate of choice."
But Pearson of the Biodiesel Board says biodiesel's future is wide open.
"Rome wasn't built in a day," she said. "We're quite a new industry."
Trucksess said biodiesel has many inherent advantages.
Because it can be made so easily by anyone, "There's really an opportunity for all sorts of different size and style players and you can use different feedstocks. There's lots of different sized facilities, but they all contribute to the overall economic development."
. . . . . . .
Pam Radtke Russell can be reached at prussell@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3351.

Green Groups Push Bills, May 8, 2007 - The Advocate

Tax credits urged for hybrid cars, solar energy
By AMY WOLD Advocate staff writer Published: May 9, 2007 - Page: 4a
Tax credits for homeowners who improve the energy efficiency of their houses is just one of the bills environmentalist hope will pass the Legislature this session.
Representatives from various environmental groups went to the Legislature on Tuesday to raise awareness about this, and many other, environmental-tinged bills coming up.
“For the first time in memory, there’s a good 15 bills floating around that we like,” said Darrell Hunt with the Sierra Club.
Representatives from Delta Chapter of the Sierra Club, Alliance for Affordable Energy, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, Louisiana Environmental Action Network and others attended the 2007 Environmental Lobbying Day at the State Capitol.
The goal wasn’t to push any one bill, but to promote a number of bills geared toward protecting the environment.
“There’s a whole lot that’s positive this session and that’s nice for a change,” said Kathy Wascom with the Louisiana Environmental Action Network.
Bills being proposed so far include providing sales and use tax exemptions when someone buys a hybrid car and tax credits for homeowners who install solar or wind energy.
In addition, one bill proposes giving people tax credits for putting their land into conservation easements, which would protect them from development, Hunt said.
The bill could help protect areas, such as the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, that are undergoing pressures for development, he said.
There are also several bills that the environmental groups would like to see defeated.
One bill would allow drivers transporting less than 300 gallons of liquefied petroleum gas to be exempt from having to pass a test or get a card from the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Commission.
Another bill opposed by the environmental groups proposes to redefine “restaurant” in the Louisiana Smoke Free Act. Currently, bars within a restaurant have to be smoke-free.
The bill would change that “no smoking” requirement if the bar section is in an enclosed, separate area with its own ventilation system.

TREE HUGGER’S HAPPY HOUR CELEBRATION

May 18, 2007 - 5:30 p – 8:00 p
1001 South Broad Street - Artegg Studio Atrium

Office-Warming
Farewell to our Climate & Clean Energy Champion
Program Director Micah Walker-Parkin
and
Release of Sustainable Building Policy Papers

Enviro Voter Lobby Day

Tuesday May 8
Show your legislators that you want their support on:

• Acting on Global Warming
• Protecting cypress
• Restoring our coast
• Stopping illegal dumping

Speaker's apartment (A-11), Pentagon Barracks, 959 3rd Street Baton Rouge
Meet for coffee at 9 a.m., we'll get briefings then head to a committee meeting. After lunch (provided) we'll head back to the Capitol to chat with our legislators. At 4 p.m. we'll wind down with some beverages.

RSVP to Leslie March ASAP : lesliemarch@hotmail.com or 985-871-6695

EARTHDAY CLEAN ENERGY HOMES TOUR

When: Sunday, April 22nd, 1:30–4:30pm

Where: Meet at the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development - 5130 Chartres St. (at Lizardi)

Celebrate Earthday 2007 at the 1st free quarterly Clean Energy Homes Tour in the Holy Cross Neighborhood featuring solar electric systems and energy efficiency technologies. Learn first hand from experts how to lower energy bills and fight global warming by reducing energy waste. Two homes will be showcased.

Sponsored by: Alliance for Affordable Energy, Sierra Club, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association

SOLUTIONS EXIST! COME OUT TO LEARN MORE!

For more information, please contact: Alliance for Affordable Energy, 504-208-9761

Energy Efficiency and Green Building Showcase

The Alliance for Affordable Energy and The Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans present: The New Orleans Home and Garden Show's first ever Energy Efficiency and Green Building Showcase.
Features include a special exhibit area for energy efficient and green building businesses and products; a full schedule of informative workshops led by top professionals; and a display of full-scale demonstration models showcasing energy efficiency and green building products and techniques.

Take control of your utility bills with energy efficiency! Please come to learn practical information to improve your home's energy performance. Whether you are undertaking major rebuilding or just changing a light bulb, there is something for everyone.

Green building - good for the environment, good for your family!
Green building is an approach to building that minimizes impact to the environment while improving the quality and health of your home and family.

When: March 29 - April 1
Where: Louisiana Superdome
More info: http://www.neworleanshomeshow.com/

Green Light New Orleans Day

Sat., March 31st
10am-1pm
Volunteers Needed!

Please join us on March 31st, from 10am-1pm to help install energy efficient compact flourescent light bulbs in 24 homes in the Holy Cross Neighborhood/Lower 9th Ward! The Alliance for Affordable Energy, New Orleans Group of the Sierra Club, and the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association are partnering with the New Orleans nonprofit organization Green Light New Orleans to change out incandescent light bulbs with compact flourescent bulbs, which use about 1/4 the energy. This will save the homeowners 75% of their lighting costs on their utility bills and will reduce pollution by the same amount! Green Light New Orleans is providing the bulbs for free! (Thank you Green Light New Orleans and its director Andi Hoffmann!)

We will meet at 10am at the Holy Cross Sustainability Center located at 5130 Chartres St. (at Lizardi). Please email Micah at mwalker@all4energy.org if you can participate.