GVC News

Dinuba gets state loan to improve energy efficiency

Lindsay Buckley — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:55:46 -0600

Staff Reports, Central Valley Business Times

Six California local jurisdictions, including the city of Dinuba in the Central Valley, will share in more than $7.9 million in low-interest federal stimulus loans to fund innovative projects to cut energy use, the California Energy Commission says.

Work to start on 'green' Fresno public housing

Lindsay Buckley — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:46:14 -0600

Sanford Nax, Fresno Bee

Five years of mostly invisible effort comes out from behind the curtain today when the Fresno Housing Authorities starts building a long-awaited "green" apartment complex across from the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Recycling push puts Berkeley's budget in dumps

Lindsay Buckley — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:30:50 -0600

Matthai Kuruvila, San Francisco Chronicle

Berkeley's $144 million budget is in the trash can - literally.

In a $10 million deficit announced last week, the single biggest factor - $4 million - was a decline in its refuse revenues.

The city says, in part, that it's a victim of its own success. Residents pride themselves on aggressively recycling and composting, so they're switching to smaller, cheaper trash cans - the only collection for which the city charges.

A FIRST for Fresno

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:08:57 -0600

Sandy Nax, Fresno Bee News Blog

Cities in Fresno County have the distinction of participating in a pilot program that enables homeowners to finance energy-efficiency and water-improvement improvements via property taxes.

Legislative analyst: California greenhouse gas law could cost some jobs

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:56:37 -0600

Steve Wiegand, Sacramento Bee

The Legislature's nonpartisan analyst says California's landmark greenhouse gas reduction law could cost jobs in the near term, while its long-term impact is uncertain.

Supervisors push toward going green

Lindsay Buckley — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:45:56 -0600

Rick Longley, Willows Journal

Supervisor Leigh McDaniel will head a county panel to develop a green technologies policy for Glenn County.

That was the decision of his colleagues Tuesday after he brought up the topic following discussion the county landfill and the recruitment of companies to help divert the solid waste stream to energy or other recycled materials.

Planning to cut pollution

Lindsay Buckley — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:37:55 -0600

Cassie Tomlin, Tracy Press

The blues for Chico: City streetlights will become more energy efficient

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:09:49 -0600

Toni Scott, Chico Enterprise Record

CHICO — Streetlights in the city of Chico will soon get a makeover, with the city planning to switch out more than 1,000 lights to more energy-efficient bulbs.

Kirby White, city public works manager, said the city recently received approximately $800,000 in federal stimulus funds, with the dollars designated for energy-efficient projects.

AB32 crunch time

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:01:54 -0600

Cosmo Garvin, Sacramento News & Review

California is not well. It’s not exactly a failed state, but it’s far from the optimistic Golden State that once was—one that did impressive things, like building highways and aqueducts and universities that were the envy of the world. Here in his last year in office, the state’s governor has lost a bit of his luster, too. Arnold Schwarzenegger is unlikely to be remembered as a political reformer or an adept fiscal manager.

County shelves solar project

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:17:11 -0600

Melissa Murphy, Woodland Daily Democrat

Solano County leaders have put a hold -- for now -- on a planned $1 million solar project in Fairfield.

The Board of Supervisors pulled from Tuesday's agenda a proposal to use $1.45 million from a heating and ventilation fund to pay for the project.

"We have several concerns," Supervisor John Vasquez said after the meeting. "We're definitely concerned with the cost."

Project aims to help brighten Fairfield

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:15:27 -0600

Staff Reports, Woodland Daily Democrat

Fairfield is embarking on a citywide street and pedestrian light-conversion project with money made available through a Department of Energy block grant coupled with a low-cost loan from the state.

Williams City Council applies for energy grant

Lindsay Buckley — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:11:50 -0600

Susan Meeker, Colusa County Sun Herald

Williams officials are looking to cash in on a California Energy Commission grant to help replace the aging heating and air conditioning unit at City Hall.

The City Council authorized City Administrator Chuck Bergson to apply for the $28,000 grant even though the city has not fully identified a funding plan for the remaining $112, 000 to do the work.

"There is no question that we need to replace it," Bergson said. "It will have to be done sooner or later."

City looks for green light to go green

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:44:04 -0600

James Leonard, Patterson Irrigator

Patterson hopes to go green in the New Year, thanks to a $111,000 federal stimulus grant that's expected to pay for new bulbs in street lights and traffic lights and make pumps more energy-efficient at two of its wells.

The city was notified earlier this year that it would be eligible for the money - which comes from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants - if it could present a plan that followed the grant's guidelines.

Wind farm gets supervisors' OK

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:42:42 -0600

James Burger, Bakersfield Californian

The largest wind energy project in California's history got the go-ahead from Kern County supervisors Tuesday.

But they delayed a decision on the massive Alta-Oak Creek Mojave wind power project until late Tuesday evening to try and solve the concerns of a handful of residents in the remote mountain areas. Those people were worried about the potential dangers of the sky-scraping wind turbines.

County to grapple with pluses, drawbacks of solar gold rush

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:26:20 -0600

James Burger, Bakersfield Californian

Kern County's reliable relationship with the sun has become an attractive lure for companies who want to convert sunlight to electricity here.

This year county planners will be able to process 12 photovoltaic solar power plant projects that, together, would cover thousands of acres of Kern County land.