The new federal investment is about more than “just speed” to succeed. “Modern, comfortable and convenient” count as much as “fast” for transforming our transportation system for the 21st century.

First, modern trains can excite people and attract riders, as will train stations that are well-lit, clean and enjoyable central places. Wi-Fi or Wi-Max available all the way along the rail corridors can allow travel time to be productive work time for businesspeople, study time for students and reading time for others compared to air travel frustrations and new limits on cell phone and texting while driving.

Second, the top speed is less important than the average speed and overall trip time. For example, the 150 mph Acela high-speed rail service in the Northeast Corridor moves at that top speed for only few miles; its average speed between New York City and Washington D.C. is around 80 mph.

The best way to go fast is by not going slow. Synchronizing high-speed rail and freight rail improvement programs, such as the CREATE program in the Chicago area, can create double plays benefiting both passenger and freight service by alleviating congestion points and clearing out bottlenecks. Using skip stops as more high-speed train runs are added will avoid turning them into milk runs.

What really matters to passengers is how long the overall rail trip takes when compared to long car trips and door-to-door air travel for businesspeople, students and families traveling to see each other. This is a classic “compared to what” situation. It’s not just about bragging rights for top speed.

Third, let’s have comfortable trains. Nice seats, easily accessible plugs for laptops, good cell phone and computer access, and decent food.

Fourth, this is about convenience. Understandably, few people take the train from Chicago to Cleveland arriving at 1:45 am, or the return trains departing Cleveland at your choice of 2:59 am or 3:45 am. That’s why I can’t easily take the train with my three teenage sons over the weekend to visit the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. The key is increasing the frequency of train service with enough reasonably scheduled trip opportunities to work well for people.

When Amtrak improved service between Chicago and St. Louis a few years ago, ridership doubled. Better high-speed rail service is expected to triple ridership in the coming years.

All of this adds to the environmental benefits of displacing pollution from air and car travel, and the economic vitality from pulling jobs, people and business into our downtowns.

High-speed rail investment meets the public’s mobility needs and boosts the economy. For years, federal transportation funds almost exclusively supported auto and air travel. Today, Americans spend $1 billion a day on foreign oil and an average of 4 weeks each year stuck in gridlock. High-speed rail is 3X more efficient than cars and 6X more efficient than planes on a per passenger mile basis. Better performance, more national security, less pollution for the future.

Everyone is feeling the strain of the economic downturn, but investing wisely in a 21st century rail transportation system is important to keep our economy moving. According to an economic study conducted for nine state Departments of Transportation, the new Midwest high-speed rail network can create 57,000 permanent new jobs across the region, produce more than a $1 billion in additional household income, and spur almost $5 billion in private new development near Midwest rail stations.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and the interstate highway system wasn’t built in a year. The recent federal funding announcement is the first step towards a modern high-speed rail system that will create jobs and boost our economy, better enable people to go from city-to-city, and protect our environment.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/howard-learner/modern-high-speed-rail-is_b_452964.html

That tenfold difference in wind power development amounts to about $7 billion of economic investment, thousands of jobs, and cleaner air. What accounts for this huge difference? Smart public policies and prioritization by leading public officials.

First, early on, Iowa enacted a state renewable energy standard, which required utilities to purchase designated amounts of wind power. Iowa has since ratcheted up its renewable energy policies in various ways. By contrast, South Dakota finally enacted a more voluntary renewable energy standard mechanism in 2007. It’s beginning to have an impact, but South Dakota is playing catch-up and needs to ratchet it up.

Second, proposed federal renewable energy legislation would enable South Dakota to benefit from an expanded national market to sell its robust wind power resources. Indeed, South Dakota is around the top of the winners’ list if any of the federal renewable energy standard amendments being championed by Sens. Dorgan (North Dakota), Klobuchar (Minnesota) and Udall (Colorado) are signed into law.

Iowa Gov. Culver has written to his state’s congressional delegation urging their support, and Sens. Harkin and Grassley are indicating they’re on board. Here, however, Gov. Rounds and Sen. Thune have not yet expressed strong support for this key federal renewable energy legislation. It’s time to step up – for the good of South Dakota’s economy and job creation, as well as for everyone’s better health and the environment.

Third, Iowa’s governors have targeted the wind power sector as a leading industrial growth opportunity. The state’s Department of Economic Development has aggressively recruited and used its economic tools to bring several new manufacturing plants to Iowa in addition to the 40-plus wind farms. For example, Trinity Structural Towers is manufacturing wind power towers and creating new green jobs at a former Maytag appliance plant in Newton, Iowa.

Rounds has prioritized the ill-fated Big Stone II coal plant and the proposed Hyperion oil refinery for which the economic viability is a big question mark.

The new South Dakota Wind Energy Association can help to shift these priorities for the future. The Public Utilities Commission should help advance more strategic wind power development approaches – both for large wind projects and for smaller community-sized and on-farm systems.

Wind power is the fastest growing energy resource in the world. Many states and countries are competing hard to gain leadership in the growing clean energy technology market. Smart policies and targeted priorities can make a difference for South Dakota’s ability to capture the clean energy jobs of the future in the growing clean tech economy.

It’s time for South Dakota’s next governor and the full congressional delegation to prioritize and actively seize policy opportunities to spur progress.

“This is great news for Iowa,” said Brad Klein, Staff Attorney at ELPC. “After years of delay, the legislature made the choice today to protect Iowa’s environment and economy and make this a better place to live.”

A university of Iowa study found that an estimated 11,479 jobs, $242.9 million of income and $424.9 million of gross state product are associated with the spending by visitors to Iowa lakes. The rules provide additional protections for Iowa’s few remaining high-quality waters, for example West Lake Okoboji and several trout streams in Northeast Iowa.

After decades of meetings, letters, delays and, finally, a legal intervention, clean water advocates gathered at the statehouse in Des Moines this morning to witness the final meeting and decision needed to adopt clean water ―anti-degradation rules for Iowa.

Clean water advocates said today that the Iowa rules are long overdue and that they have worked for years to get antidegradation Rules written and passed in Iowa. With the passage of the federal Clean Water Act in 1972 states were required to enact antidegradation rules by 1985 to prevent the further pollution of lakes, rivers and streams. Iowa adopted rules but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency informed Iowa that its rules violated federal law as early as 1997.

Repeated delays in rewriting the rules led a coalition of environmental organizations – the Environmental Law & Policy Center, Iowa Environmental Council, Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association and the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club  – to file a Petition for Rulemaking with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources in 2007 requesting that the State act immediately to adopt antidegradation implementation rules.

This action initiated a rule-making process that included several opportunities for public comment and a hearing before the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission, which approved the revised rules in December of last year. Monday’s meeting of the legislative Administrative Rules and Review Committee marked the final step in a decades-long process.

Advocates stressed that the rules will allow Iowa to grow sensibly and sustainably. “These rules will stem the tide of declining water quality in Iowa, protect the outstanding jewels that remain, and serve as an economic engine for those communities with the foresight to protect and leverage the potential of these remarkable waters,” said Shannan Garretson, water program legal analyst for the non-profit Iowa Environmental Council.

“South Dakota should put more wind power into the sails of the state’s economy and job creation. South Dakota has the nation’s fourth-best wind power potential but only the 20th highest amount of wind power operating – 313 megawatts. By contrast, Iowa ranks 10th in wind power potential, but is second-highest in operating wind power capacity – 3,670 megawatts.

“That tenfold difference in wind power development amounts to about $7 billion of economic investment, thousands of jobs, and cleaner air. What accounts for this huge difference? Smart public policies and prioritization by leading public officials…Iowa Gov. Culver has written to his state’s congressional delegation urging their support, and Sens. Harkin and Grassley are indicating they’re on board. Here, however, Gov. Rounds and Sen. Thune have not yet expressed strong support for this key federal renewable energy legislation. It’s time to step up – for the good of South Dakota’s economy and job creation, as well as for everyone’s better health and the environment.”

Read the full op-ed here.

Howard Learner

ELPC convened a panel of experts at the National Press Club on February 4, 2010 to review the economic, environmental and regional ramifications of the Obama Administration’s high-speed rail stimulus awards.  “The $8 billion awarded by the Obama Administration is the first step,” said ELPC President Howard Learner, who moderated the Press Club event. “It’s the beginning of a restructuring of the transportation system for the 21st Century.”

The panelists included:

Anne Canby, President, OneRail Coalition

Arthur Guzzetti, Vice President for Policy, American Public Transportation Association

John Horsley, Executive Director, American Assoc. of State Highway and Transportation Officials

Joseph McHugh, VP Government Affairs/Communications, Amtrak

John Risch, Alternate National Legislative Director, United Transportation Union

Listen to the Briefing

Click here to listen to audio of the press briefing, or the question-and-answer session.

Click here to view photos from the event

Program Responsibilities:
Drawing on his/her area of expertise, the Director of Midwest Cultures of Conservation will develop and direct a series of interdisciplinary projects that have the following dimensions:
→ Specific topics relevant to the sustainability/resilience/restoration of human and natural communities in the Chicago and Midwest region
→ Development of conceptual framework(s) that enable the long-term well being of humans and nature in the region
→ Implementation of appropriate methodologies to develop such frameworks (e.g. convening multidisciplinary groups of thought leaders, including academics, policy makers, advocates, and citizen leaders)
→ Identification of audience(s) that will benefit from this framework
→ Completion of product(s) that allow audience(s) access to ideas and frameworks developed

Communications Responsibilities:
The Director of Midwest Cultures of Conservation will directly connect program work with the Center’s communications strategy, including:
→ Using communications channels to broaden the audience for programs and conceptual frameworks
→ Writing blog posts that track activities of core projects
→ Working to build the visibility of the Center, including staff identification with the Center and the work of their core projects

Internal Responsibilities:
The Director of Midwest Cultures of Conservation will play a key role in the development of the Center’s intellectual community and play a role in the Center’s administrative functions. To this end, the person will be able to:
→ Critique and offer insight into the work of all Center colleagues
→ Collaborate across programs and projects with other Center colleagues
→ Manage fiscal/programmatic responsibilities (e.g., develop project budgets/review expenses)
→ Contribute to the overall fundraising goals of the Center

Skills and Qualities:
The successful candidate will be a leader: self-directed, motivated, and organized. This person will build networks of colleagues, work across disciplines, plan well, and meet deadlines. The person will also have excellent writing and communication skills.
To Apply:
Send a cover letter, CV, writing sample, and contact information for three references to:
brookehecht@humansandnature.org
or
Brooke Hecht
President, Center for Humans and Nature
20 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 1422
Chicago, IL 60606
Application Deadline: March 15, 2010

Wind power also brought 38 new manufacturing facilities online in the U.S. in 2009. Wind power presents an important opportunity for the manufacturing industry in the Midwest. ELPC has created documents outlining specific opportunities the wind industry supply chain presents to the Midwest and more specifically, to the Dakotas, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Ohio.

ELPC’s Community Wind Financing Handbook is an important resource for communities and individuals interested in creating profit from clean, renewable wind energy.  This up-to-date guide reflects new financing opportunities available from federal energy and economic stimulus legislation, the new Farm Bill, and state incentives.

Promoting Policies to Encourage Wind Power Development

As many states are already learning, wind energy development presents a tremendous opportunity for economic growth. Environmental Law and Policy Center Senior Attorney John Moore says that’s especially true for the Midwest. According to Moore, several government policies have helped spur the development of wind power in rural America.   Listen to the interview here.

A window of opportunity is opening for solar power in the Midwest. The Environmental Law & Policy Center is working to ensure that we seize this opportunity to promote solar power development that creates new jobs, spurs economic growth and helps to solve our global warming pollution problems.

Wind Power

Wind Power is the fastest growing energy resource in the world.

During 2009, the United States added 9,900 megawatts of wind power capacity, this 39% increase accelerates that trend of rapid growth in recent years. A significant portion of the new wind power came online in the Great Plains states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois, Iowa and Kansas.

Wind power also brought 38 new manufacturing facilities online in the U.S. in 2009. Wind power presents an important opportunity for the manufacturing industry in the Midwest. ELPC has created documents outlining specific opportunities the wind industry supply chain presents to the Midwest and more specifically, to the Dakotas, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Ohio.

ELPC’s Community Wind Financing Handbook is an important resource for communities and individuals interested in creating profit from clean, renewable wind energy.  This up-to-date guide reflects new financing opportunities available from federal energy and economic stimulus legislation, the new Farm Bill, and state incentives.

Clean Renewable Energy Bonds

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-58) created Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs) as a new financing tool for electric cooperatives, public power systems and units of state and local government to build renewable electricity projects. CREBs are special-purpose tax credit bonds which provide the equivalent of an interest-free loan. Bondholders receive a tax credit on their federal income taxes instead of an interest payment from the bond issuer. This is a valuable incentive for entities that are otherwise ineligible for the federal Production Tax Credit (PTC) which is available only to for-profit entities.

Resources and Information

Consult the following documents to learn more about the CREBs program and application procedures.

IRS Guidelines on the CREB Program (issued 3/6/06)

Guide to CREBs written by the law firm of Hunton & Williams [pdf file]

Guide to CREBs written by National Rural Electric Cooperative Association [pdf file]

IRS Disclosure Report on 2007 CREB awardees [pdf file]

Internal Revenue Service Bulletin – March 2006

Interconnection Standards

ELPC is working on many fronts to increase the use of less-polluting, energy efficient, and renewable electricity generation. One goal is to reduce reliance on old, dirty, centralized power plants and advance “distributed generation” – literally shifting some generation of electricity to wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, combined heat & power (CHP) systems, and other clean and efficient resources that are distributed across the electric grid and are often sited at a customer’s home or small business.

In order to accomplish this structural shift, state policies must be reformed. Statewide interconnection standards make it easier to connect solar panels, wind turbines and other clean energy systems to the electric grid. These standards streamline the interconnection process by including uniform engineering requirements, reasonable fees and timelines, standard application forms and legal agreements, and “expedited review” for small projects.

Net Metering

Net metering is a special metering and billing agreement between utilities and their customers which allows customers to sell excess electricity back to the grid and gives customers a financial incentive to invest in renewable sources of energy. When a net metering customer’s renewable generator is producing more power than the customer needs, the electric meter runs backward, generating credits. At the end of the billing period, the customer is only charged for the “net” power that they consume.

Model Net Metering and Interconnection Standards

ELPC’s “Model Net Metering and Interconnection Standards for Renewable Energy Systems” were developed with the input of industry experts and reflect recent best practices at the state level. Although the model contains both net metering and interconnection standards, these two parts can be used separately. To make it easier, the Net Metering Standards[pdf file] and Interconnection Standards[pdf file] are also available as two separate documents.

Promoting State Policy Changes

ELPC leads broad coalitions of clean energy advocates and entrepreneurs to promote distributed generation and the necessary state policy changes across the Midwest and Great Plains. ELPC’s advocacy and technical expertise has helped Illinois, Michigan and South Dakota finalize their interconnection standards, and has moved Iowa’s rules toward completion.

In addition to our leadership in Iowa, Illinois, Michigan and South Dakota, ELPC is providing key regional perspective and expertise to support similar projects across the region. We expect our current and future work to significantly reduce existing barriers to distributed generation, which will help diversify electricity generation, provide economic benefits, and encourage the development of efficient and clean sources of power in the Midwest and Great Plains.

Repowering the Midwest

The boom in clean energy development, especially wind power, presents a tremendous opportunity for economic growth in the Midwest, and some of the best long-term opportunities will come directly from the manufacturing of wind turbine components. Visit RepoweringtheMidwest.org, ELPC’s website devoted to news, research reports and other resources aimed at advancing the region’s clean energy revolution.

Why the time is right to ramp up solar power in the Midwest:

• The economic outlook for solar power is the best it’s been in many years. Solar photovoltaic (PV) module prices have come down to historic lows and recent federal energy legislation and the economic stimulus package are making solar projects more affordable.

• Solar power can bring good returns on investment by meeting our needs during times of peak electrical demand. When we use higher than average amounts of energy, utilities need to buy power on the open market at very expensive rates. Peak demand happens during daylight hours and especially in the summer. Solar power matches up well with pricey peak demand times.

• Former industrial sites in the Midwest can be revitalized as solar power plants. These sites can house 10 – 20 MW projects, large enough to make economic sense and small enough to fit onto the grid. Locating solar plants on older industrial sites gives them unobstructed sunlight and low-cost access to the electrical grid.  The new 10 MW solar plant South Side of Chicago is a perfect example.

• In the current economic downturn, there are plenty of skilled workers looking for “green jobs” like installing solar systems.  Federal and state job creation grants, subsidies, credits and training programs for green jobs are all making it easier to hire workers. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is (re-) training new skilled solar installers at facilities in Illinois, Indiana and other states.

• State and federal policies are working to support solar power. For example, Illinois added a provision to the state’s renewable energy standard that will drive a market for 700-750 megawatts of solar power in the state by 2015.  Midwestern states are streamlining rules for connecting solar to the grid and creating net metering standards that will help solar generators get a good price for the power they generate. Expanding net metering policies to cover larger projects will boost solar even more.

People might think solar power only makes sense in places like Arizona and Nevada. But there are some good solar sites here in the Midwest. We’ve got better solar intensity here than both Germany and Japan, the world’s largest solar markets.

What we’re doing:

The right policies can extend this window of opportunity into the future. The Environmental Law & Policy Center and our colleagues are advocating for an earlier ramp up of solar power in Illinois’ renewable energy standard.  We are working on feed-in tariff models in Michigan and with colleagues in Iowa to improve the state’s net metering policies.  As Wisconsin considers boosting its Renewable Energy standard in 2010, there may also be opportunities to include solar provisions.  We have an opportunity to gain solar policy improvements as the unusually low prices and federal economic stimulus incentives drive significant solar development.

Learn More:

Watch ELPC’s Webinar on Solar Power in the Midwest

Watch ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner talk about Midwestern solar power at the nation’s largest urban solar plant in Chicago.

Our Campus Organizers will work on several campuses in a state to help students develop and implement grassroots campaigns to kick coal off campus, particularly by targeting on-campus coal plants.  We’re looking for people who are passionate, strategic-thinkers and have prior organizing experience, especially on campus. 

The SSC is committed to equity and we strive to dismantle all forms of oppression in our work, our organization and in the world.  Our staff team serves to mentor and support our youth leaders in developing and achieving their visions and goals.

Locations are TBD, but expected to include: PA, OH, MO, IN, WI, TN, CO, IA.  See the full job description below. 

EXTERNAL CANDIDATES OR STAFFS, APPLY TO RESUMES@SIERRACLUB.ORG PLACING THE FOLLOWING IN THE SUBJECT LINE : “SSC Organizer, Coal , Location TBD – SCSSC “

FULL TIME, GRANT DEPENDENT, LIMITED DURATION (SIX MONTHS FROM DATE OF HIRE)

SALARY: CATEGORY 7, COMMENSURATE WITH SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE PLUS BENEFITS

THIS POSITION IS REPRESENTED BY A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNIT
Sierra Club Job Description

Job Title:         SSC Organizer, Coal, Location TBD

Department:         Sierra Student Coalition

Reports To:         Field Organizing Manager
Context:         Works with Sierra Student Coalition staff, Sierra Club Coal Campaign staff, chapter/group volunteers and partner organizations to mobilize support for grassroots campaigns, events, trainings and actions to advance the Sierra Student Coalition’s Campuses Beyond Coal campaign on designated college campuses across the country. The Campuses Beyond Coal Campaign works to build grassroots demand to move our nation’s college and universities off of coal-generated energy. 
Scope:         The SSC Coal Organizer works with local volunteers to plan, organize and implement the education and mobilization efforts of the Campuses Beyond Coal campaign on 2-5 different sites.  They will work with student, alumni and faculty and community groups and communicate with officials, the media and the public. 
Job Activities:

1.   Mobilizes students to become involved in the Campuses Beyond Coal Campaign visibility/organizing activities.

2.   Assists the appropriate SSC staff and volunteer leaders with planning and implementation of the Campus Beyond Coal Campaign and other programs as assigned, including overseeing volunteer outreach, handling lists and databases of campaign activists and supporters, and making arrangements for events and activities.

3.   Provides program support as needed, including handling phone and email inquiries, administrative support such as faxing and mailings, and volunteer supervision.

4.   Travels to organize and coordinate training events, state and regional conferences, visibility events, or other large events and conferences.

5.   Works with staff to carry out Sierra Student Coalition campaign priorities.  Provides information, research, and other assistance to Sierra Student Coalition leaders, the public and others about the campaigns and priority issues.

6.   Performs miscellaneous duties as directed.

Standard Overtime:

The regular work schedule includes significant evening and weekend work as part of the standard 37.5 hours work week and will be arranged with the supervisor.  This job requires occasional overtime to meet special deadline projects, other staff absences, or emergencies.  Under these circumstances, overtime will rarely exceed 5 hours weekly, or 15 hours on a monthly basis.
Knowledge & Skills:
§        Experience with at least one campus organizing or mobilization project or prior experience working with student volunteers in the environmental movement, political campaigns, or other, similar organizations to plan and implement grassroots campaigns.
§        Able to travel as needed. Valid drivers license, satisfactory driving record, and proof of auto insurance required.
§        Ability to work independently, cooperatively and effectively with public, staff and volunteers.
§        Strong oral and written communication skills. Ability to clearly explain complex issues and effectively communicate them to student volunteers.
§        Demonstrated interest in and knowledge of the environment, energy, or related public interest issues.
§        Proficient with computer skills including word processing.

To view our other job opportunities, please visit www.sierraclub.org/careers

Sierra Club is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a diverse workforce.

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