Strange Bedfellows Back Bill Using Mortgages to Spur Energy Retrofits

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/08/25/25greenwire-strange-bedfellows-back-bill-using-mortgages-t-32634.html

Strange Bedfellows Back Bill Using Mortgages to Spur Energy Retrofits

By JASON PLAUTZ of Greenwire
Published: August 25, 2011

A Senate bill that would allow energy-saving retrofits to be factors in mortgage underwriting has quickly attracted a diverse set of enthusiastic supporters that range from the conservative U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the liberal Center for American Progress.

The "Sensible Accounting to Value Energy Act," or SAVE Act, which is expected to be introduced this fall by Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), would require federal loan agencies to include projected energy costs when financing a house, essentially offering better mortgage values on properties that are more energy efficient.

The U.S. Chamber says the relatively simple bill stands a chance in a tight-fisted and bitterly divided Congress.

"The chamber supports energy efficiency. More importantly, we realized that with the new Congress and political dynamic, it was important to figure out policies and bills that we thought were not only good, but realistic given the fiscal constraint," said Ross Eisenberg, environment and energy counsel at the U.S. Chamber.

…

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. Sort of goes hand in hand with this...

http://www.plugpower.com/news/pressreleases/11-07-26/SCHUMER%E2%80%99S_EXPANSION_OF_TAX_BREAK_TO_BENEFIT_PLUG_POWER_FUEL_CELL_CUSTOMERS.aspx

LATHAM, N.Y. – July 26, 2011 – Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG) a leader in providing clean, reliable energy solutions, today announced that U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer has revealed legislation to improve the tax credit for fuel cell-powered industrial vehicles to include fuel cells designed for heavy machinery and off-highway vehicles. Schumer unveiled legislation in the Senate to match that of Congressmen Paul Tonko and Chris Gibson in the House of Representatives.



Plug Power’s GenDrive® fuel cells replace lead-acid batteries in electric lift trucks. The current tax credit provides significant incentives to buyers of fuel cells for cars and trucks, and a separate credit for power generation, but neither credit specifically targets fuel cells designed for material handling vehicles. Passing the tax credit will mean a break of between $8,000 and $40,000 for buyers, depending on the nameplate kilowatt capacity or weight of the fuel cell material handling vehicle.



Senator Schumer’s legislation is intended to amend section 30B of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, also known as the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit (AMVC). The proposed legislation expands the definition of “fuel cell motor vehicle” to include fuel cell-powered material handling vehicles. Changes to the AMVC will provide tax credits for companies to invest in fuel cell-powered industrial vehicles, providing additional economic incentives to Plug Power’s customers and industry partners.

[txlibdem]

2. Yet another FOOL CELL fantasy - all fuel cells need is MORE federal money, after Bush's Billion

BushCo threw almost a Billion Dollars at fuel cell companies yet a fool cell big enough to run a car is still over $50,000.

How many fool cell cars have been purchased by someone... anyone... ZERO. They are too expensive and very few are made... and those are strictly LEASED, never sold. Fuel cell durability (being damaged by air pollution, wear and tear) is still pitiful.

For lift trucks (fork lifts) fool cells may be an ok solution because they never go outside the warehouse where the refueling station is. But if you're replacing your lift trucks/fork lifts with new models why not just choose ones with Lithium-Ion batteries. It'll take about 3 more years for the fool cell fork lifts to prove their reliability (or lack thereof). I think I know what companies who switched to fool cell lift trucks will be saying.

Refs:

the great hydrogen swindle
The Reality of Hydrogen , The problem with hydrogen is that nobody is telling it how it really is , too many vested interests!
this top gear segment is the latest in a long line of greenwash designed to fool us all into thinking hydrogen is actually a green fuel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5thFx4hqFQ&feature=related

EVS23: Fuel Cell or Fool-Sell, Hydrogen Hype Tape 4
Fuel cells require Hydrogen, which has a much lower energy density than CNG at low pressures. Hydrogen is perhaps the most difficult gas to deal with, as it infiltrates most metals leading to the "embrittement" problem.
But that's not the worst problem for fuel cells.
You have to make the Hydrogen, which takes more energy than you get out of it. The fuel cell, in practice, is only about twice as efficient as an Internal Combustion ("IC") engine, so it takes a lot more energy to run a fool sell car than an EV.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cY_nrZIuaSc

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[kristopher]

3. This is a part of the proposed energy efficiency ratings for buildings.

It is great to hear that it is moving forward.