New York Gov. David Paterson outlined the
state’s plans for installing 150 megawatts of
distributed grid-tied PV capacity.
videos, photos and art for distribution to media
and testimonial ads. ESTIF estimates that the
law will create about 470,000 new jobs.
Water vs. energy: Thermoelectric power
plants are the largest consumers of water in the
United States, according to Michael Webber
of the University of Texas. To cool coal and
nuclear plants, electric utilities are responsible
for 39 percent of freshwater withdrawals. Most
cooling water goes back into the river or lake
at an elevated temperature (sometimes hot
enough to cook downstream biota), but some
of it disappears into the atmosphere as steam.
California uses 19 percent of its electricity production just to pump and process water.
New York state took an active role in producing the conference. The New York State
Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) used the conference to
announce a $1.5 million grant to the University at Buffalo to establish an energy-business
incubator. Directed Energy will be part of UB's
Office of Science, Technology Transfer and
Economic Outreach (STOR). Managed by
STOR executive Martin Casstevens, it will
partner with Alfred State College of Technology. NYSERDA will also grant $1.5 million
each to the Rochester Institute of Technology,
New York University and the Syracuse Technology Garden incubator program to launch
energy incubators. ST
CLICK: See a slide show and video interviews from SOLAR 2009: solartoday.org/solar2009
