Climate Crisis: Senator Sanders releases a Green New Deal plan along with ways to pay for it

Bernie Sanders unveils $16 Trillion Green New Deal To Combat Climate Crisis

The 2020 Democratic candidate’s climate plan offers a detailed vision that would expand public ownership of utilities and make electricity “virtually free” by 2035.

By Alexander C. Kaufman | Aug 22, 2019 | HUFFPOST

Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders released a sweeping $16.3 trillion climate plan on Thursday, vowing to create 20 million jobs and completely zero out planet-heating emissions by 2050.

The proposal outlines easily the most ambitious vision for a Green New Deal to date, with calls to massively expand public ownership of everything from power generation to groceries. With Washington Gov. Jay Inslee ending his climate-centered bid for the Democratic nomination a day earlier, the plan vaults the Vermont senator ahead of his 2020 rivals on what’s emerging as the defining policy issue of the Democratic primary.

At a moment when record wildfires are raging from the Amazon to the Arctic and Greenland is losing up to 12.5 billion tons of ice in a single day, the plan is dense with detail and frank in its goals. Where other proposals, including those from Inslee and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) depict expanded regulatory regimes and public spending aimed at spurring private investment, Sanders charts out a path to a hospitable global climate through Nordic-style social democracy.

“The scope of the challenge ahead of us shares some similarities with the crisis faced by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1940s,” the plan states. “Faced with battling a world war on two fronts ― both in the East and the West ― the United States came together, and within three short years restructured the entire economy in order to win the war and defeat fascism. As president, Bernie Sanders will boldly embrace the moral imperative of addressing the climate crisis.”

The campaign declined a request to interview Sanders on Wednesday evening.
  
 The plan opens with Sanders vowing to slash U.S. emissions 71% below 2017 levels by 2030 with 100% renewable electricity and zero-emissions vehicles. He declares war on the fossil fuel industry with kproposed bans on fracking, drilling on public lands and all imports and exports of oil and gas, and threatens companies with civil and criminal charges for pollution and obstructing climate action. He pledges $200 billion to help developing countries reduce their own climate pollution by 36% in the next decade.

Citing the nuclear disasters in Chernobyl and Fukushima, Sanders, long a critic of nuclear power, swears off new reactors and promises a moratorium on future licenses to existing plants. His plan rules out geoengineering the climate or deploying technologies to capture carbon dioxide from fossil fuel plants, which he derided as “false solutions.” It’s unclear whether he’d consider carbon capture technologies for difficult-to-decarbonize industries like cement making.

Generous pledges for workers animate Sanders’ proposal. The plan, which comes the same week the campaign released its proposal to boost unions, promises five years of unemployment insurance, a wage guarantee, housing assistance, job training, pension support and priority job placement for all workers displaced by the transition. It offers “early retirement support for those who choose it or can no longer work.” It proposes high wages and union protections across nearly every sector.

What stands out first is Sanders’ clear answer to the perennial question of how to pay for it.

There’s the money saved: $1.215 trillion from “scaling back military spending on protecting global oil” and $1.31 trillion from federal and state welfare “due to the creation of millions of good-paying, unionized jobs.”

Then there’s the money earned: $6.4 trillion from selling electricity produced by the Energy Department’s regional power marketing authorities, $3.085 trillion from “making the fossil fuel industry pay for their pollution, through litigation, fees, and taxes, and eliminating federal fossil fuel subsidies,” $2.3 trillion from income taxes on the 20 million new jobs the plan creates, and an additional $2 trillion from forcing “the wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share.”

Those pushing a Green New Deal, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and the grassroots group Sunrise Movement, have shied away from talking numbers, even as Republicans fabricated a bogus $93 trillion price tag. Instead, advocates have pointed to the costs of sticking to a business-as-usual. The Sanders plan touches on that, too, highlighting that the costs of catastrophic warming could total $70.4 trillion over 80 years.

“This plan will pay for itself over 15 years,” the policy memo reads. “Experts have scored the plan and its economic effects.”

The 13,840-word document includes 85 dollar signs. Sanders sets aside $5.9 billion for regional economic development plans, with the lion’s share ― over $2.5 billion ― earmarked for Appalachia. There’s $15 billion for coal miners’ Black Lung Disability Fund. Another $25 billion goes to clearing the national park maintenance backlog. The restored Civilian Conservation Corps, a New Deal program that planted 3 billion trees in the 1930s, gets $171 billion.

TALK: Buffalo's SolarCity Plant - New Jobs in Clean Energy

 

For a printable flier, Click Here

UPDATE: Please Note - The event will be held in the Sanctuary of the Church, not the 2nd Floor Alliance Room as stated above.  

We'll be using the Ferry Street entrance.

Public Meeting: Poloncarz to present Erie County Economic Development Plan

Mark C. Poloncarz, Erie County Executive, will present his Erie County Economic Development Plan at a Public meeting sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Buffalo/Niagara on Thursday, November 21, 2013 at the Harlem Road Community Center, 4255 Harlem Road, Amherst, NY 14226, from 5:30 – 7:00pm. [Map]

Poloncarz will detail his initiatives and provide a realistic blueprint of specific actions to enhance the quality of life in the county by leveraging assets and forming meaningful partnerships.

Key features:
• Action in support of regional land use planning: enhancing urban neighborhoods; containing urban sprawl; Protection of agricultural land and water quality.
• Support of strategic planning and management on a regional basis for the region-serving infrastructure, such as sewers, water, highways, etc.
• Action consistent with criteria for support of intergovernmental relationships
• Support of regional management: promotion, marketing and economic development of the region.
• Support of plans for Erie County waterfronts: protection and enhancement of the natural environment at the water's edge.
• Developing programs designed to address problems created by global warming and climate change.

Please join us for this informative and timely discussion.
The program is free and open to the public.
RSVP is not required. For more information, call the League office – 884-3550.

~ ~ ~

To obtain a copy of INITIATIVES FOR A SMART ECONOMY prepared under the direction of Mark C. Poloncarz, Erie County Executive, Click Here.

CONFERENCE: Light Rail Transit and Economic Development

CITIZENS FOR REGIONAL TRANSIT INVITES YOU TO A CONFERENCE

The Case for Transit: How light rail can be a vehicle for 

sustainable economic development

Saturday, 14 September 2013

Coffee and registration begin at 8:00 – Conference from 9:00 to 2:00

Co-sponsored by Canisius College

Montante Cultural Center, Canisius College, 2021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14208

Click here for the location

 

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Nadine Lemmon, Legislative Advocate, Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “Making Transit Work…. Economically!”

Panel: Mark Croce, Dr. Daniel Hess, Hal Morse, Patrick Whalen, Howard Zemsky.
Tour: DL&W and Central Terminals and future airport light rail alignment from 2:00 to 4:00

Click here for the Program Overview

To register for the event, lunch and the tour, click here.

FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

$10 cost for optional box lunch, paid at the door

Reservations for lunch and/or tour are due by September 7th. 
Call 716-833-9543 with questions.

PUBLIC MEETINGS: WNY Regional Sustainability Plan

The Conversation Continues: The Western New York Regional Sustainability Planning Team is seeking your input on projects that will make our region more sustainable.

Five Western New York counties are working together to create a plan to build a more sustainable region.

Over the last several months, we’ve used your input to create integrated solutions for land use, energy, transportation, infrastructure and environmental practices to improve our quality of life now, and for generations to come. The draft Western New York Regional Sustainability Plan will soon be available at www.sustainable-ny.com.

Ultimately, the Plan will:

-	Plan for energy production and conservation, transportation, waste and water management, land use and livable communities, agriculture and forestry, economic development and open space;
-	Build upon Regional Economic Development planning efforts to integrate plans for economic prosperity with efforts to promote long-term sustainability;
-	Identify indicators to measure our progress, including GHG emissions and energy use, available natural resources and economic assets, liabilities and opportunities; and
-	Describe projects that may apply for implementation funding from various funding sources including the NYSERDA Cleaner Greener Communities program.

The planning team invites your ideas and feedback on implementation projects that can help meet the region’s goals for sustainability.

You may submit project ideas via: www.sustainable-ny.com/form or by attending the public meeting most convenient for you:

Monday, October 15, 2012, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Millennium Hotel, Cleveland Room
2040 Walden Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14225

Thursday, October 18, 2012, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Jamestown Community College, Weeks Reception Hall
525 Falconer Street, Jamestown, NY 14702

Tuesday, October 23, 2012, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Niagara County Community College, Humanities and Social Sciences Building, Room E142
3111 Saunders Settlement Road, Sanborn, NY 14132

Thursday, October 25, 2012, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Moonwinks Restaurant
9302 Jackson Hill Road, Cuba, NY 14727

The project is funded by a grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority as a part of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Cleaner, Greener Communities Program. The participating counties are Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie and Niagara. The planning team is led by Allegany County, with support from Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board, Ecology and Environment, Inc., and the University at Buffalo Regional Institute.
To learn more about the project or to submit feedback via email, please visit www.sustainable-ny.com.
To view a copy of the Newspaper Ad please go here: Sustainable Fall Public Meeting Ad
For questions about the project or the upcoming public meetings, please contact Elizabeth Santacrose (Ecology and Environment) at (716) 684-8060.

Public Workshops: Brownfield Opportunity Areas

The City of Buffalo has been awarded three grants from the New York Department of State to undertake studies at important Brownfield Opportunity Areas.

The studies will be led by the City of Buffalo Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning, which has retained the expertise of land use, environmental, and economic consultants to formulate documents, and manage the study process.

Public Workshops will be held to discuss “Findings & Directions for the Future” for the three Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOA) listed below:

Buffalo Harbor BOA
January 25th, 2012 from

Three BOA Locations [Click image]

6:00pm to 9:00 pm
Buffalo Waterfront Elementary School
Faculty Entrance (North Entry)
95 4th Street
Click here to download invitation

Buffalo River Corridor BOA
January 26th, 2012 from
6:00pm to 9:00 pm
Valley Community Center
93 Leddy Street
Click here to download invitation

Tonawanda Street Corridor BOA
February 1, 2012 from
6:00pm to 9:00 pm
Riverside High School
51 Ontario Street
Click here to download invitation

To learn more about the program and the opportunities, visit the website for Buffalo Brownfield Opportunities.

Grow NY Solar Industry to Create Jobs, Reduce Pollution, and Stimulate Economy

NY Solar Industry Development & Jobs Act
Solar energy accounts for the production of less than 0.02% of New York's electricity, according to the NY League of Conservation Voters. Instead of attracting investment, New York has diverted capital and clean energy jobs to neighboring states with smarter energy policies. [Photo courtesy of Solar Liberty]

The New York Solar Industry Development and Jobs Act of 2011 will dramatically change that situation. This legislation also represents a vital step in Gov. Andrew Cuomo's campaign to help New York transition to cleaner, more sustainable energy while also promoting economic growth.

HOW DOES THE BILL WORK?

• Sets a goal of developing over 5,000 megawatts of solar power capacity in New York by 2025.

HOW WILL IT HELP NEW YORK'S ECONOMY?

• Produce 22,198 direct and induced jobs, not including potential manufacturing jobs and other indirectly induced jobs.

WHAT ARE THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS?

• Generate enough to clean, renewable energy to power 1 million New York homes or 50,000 schools, improving the quality of New York's air and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information at the NY League of Conservation Voters website, click here.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

• Contact your elected officials and let them know that the New York Solar Jobs and Development Act must pass in 2011.

Locally, the bill has been endorsed by the Buffalo News editorial board and the Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

More Than 100 Corporations, Groups Sign On To Solar Effort
GE, Mitsubishi, Saatchi & Saatchi, Staples and many other corporations and groups support legislation that would transform New York's economy with a robust solar energy program. More than 100 memorandums in support of the Solar Industry Development & Jobs Act were submitted to key members of the Senate, Assembly and Governor's Office.

Free Conference: Great Lakes Wind Energy Development in NY State - April 12th

The Pace Energy and Climate Center, in collaboration with Citizens Campaign for the Environment and Alliance for Clean Energy New York, is hosting a free conference.

The conference is entitled “Great Lakes Wind Energy Development in New York State”. It will be held on April 12, 9am to 4pm, at the Center for Tomorrow on the University at Buffalo North campus.

Anyone interested in Great Lakes wind energy - students, government officials, local stakeholders, wind developers, etc. - is encouraged to attend. Please feel free to circulate this invitation.

The conference will include four panel presentations and discussions featuring speakers from industry, government and various stakeholder groups. Panelists will cover a range of issues pertaining to the proposed project including regulatory, technical, economic and environmental. Topics to be covered are listed here.

REGISTRATION: To register for the free conference, please click here.

Public-Private Partnership to Clean Up the Buffalo River

A unique public-private partnership is seeking to restore the Buffalo River channel to its pre-industrial quality by dredging over a million cubic yards of contaminated sediment and also clean up the river side slopes over the next three years.

The partners include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Army Corps of Engineers, NY state Department of Environmental Conservation, Honeywell and Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper.

“It has economic and ecological benefits ..." said Jill Jedlicka, director of ecological programs for Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper. “A restored river will not only benefit the Great Lakes, it will benefit local communities that use [that] resource, as well as future planned and proposed economic redevelopment within the region.”

$6 million has already been invested in the planning and research and evaluation of the studies. The cleanup cost is estimated at more than $40 million.

The Army Corps of Engineers will conduct the first phase, removing contaminated sediment in the federal navigation channel. The project is scheduled to begin June 15 is expected to be completed by Nov. 15.

In the spring of 2012, the second phase, to be implemented with the oversight of the U.S. EPA, will get under way to clean up the side slopes of the river along a 6.2-mile stretch of the lower river and a 1.4-mile stretch of the City Ship Canal, which is designated as a federal Area of Concern.

A public meeting was held on January 25. The partners are still seeking public comment on a preferred action plan, which is available at the DEC website.

Below is a map of the Buffalo River showing the location of the proposed dredging and restoration areas.

[click image to enlarge]

Clean Energy Economy = Job Growth

Report by The Pew Charitable Trusts
The number of jobs in America’s emerging Clean Energy Economy grew nearly 2.5 times faster than overall jobs between 1998 and 2007, according to a report by The Pew Charitable Trusts. As defined by Pew, "a clean energy economy generates jobs, businesses and investments while expanding clean energy production, increasing energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, waste and pollution, and conserving water and other natural resources.

The emerging clean energy economy is creating well-paying jobs in every state for people of all skill levels and educational backgrounds. This emerging sector is poised to expand significantly, driven by increasing consumer demand, venture capital infusions, and federal and state policy reforms.

“The clean energy economy is poised for explosive growth,” said Lori Grange, interim deputy director of the Pew Center on the States. “These jobs are driving economic growth and environmental sustainability at a time when America needs both. There is a potential competitive advantage for federal and state policy leaders who act now to spur jobs, businesses and investments in the clean energy sector." The Pew web article is here, and their full "Clean Energy Economy" report is here [PDF].

New Opportunity Summit in Buffalo
A conference will be held to discuss new job opportunities and ways for re-thinking the way that federal stimulus dollars are spent in older industrial cities of the Great Lakes region. The conference, entitled "Great Lakes Metros and the New Opportunity Summit", will be held on June 18-19 at Buffalo State College. The conference website is here, and links to various aspects of the conference are listed in the right-side panel, here -->

Business Gets Green: June 18th
NYS Senator Antoine M. Thompson is keenly interested in growing green jobs in WNY and is continuing the Business Gets Green series in order to provide information and opportunities for synergy for green businesses and businesses that are going green in Western New York. All are welcome and admission is Free. For more information on the June 18th meeting, click here.

Related Blog Posts
New opportunities for green jobs in an environmentally-sustainable, clean energy economy were the topic of a number of earlier posts on this blog and can be found here.

Business Gets Green: June 18th

Business Gets Green is a networking series for green businesses and businesses that want to explore going green. All are welcome and admission is Free.

The next session will be held on Thursday, June 18, from 5:30-7:30pm at a NEW VENUE, the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society [Map].

Please arrive early, as sessions start promptly at 5:30pm. Sessions close at 7:30pm, leaving time for networking.

Agenda:
1. An introduction period where each business will have 30 seconds to introduce themselves. See VIDEO here.

2. Presentations will include the following Green Business rising stars:

• Martin Casstevens, UB-STOR Directed Energy project See VIDEO here.

• David Miller, Clean Air Technologies - which has developed mobile emission monitoring equipment whose growth potential is explosive in the context of coming carbon cap. See VIDEO here.

• United Materials Limited - a company that is working with composites and other materials that are key to some important developments in the wind industry.

3. A review of the successful Green Expo on May 9th and the Solar 2009 conference that ASES held in Buffalo the following week.

NYS Senator Antoine M. Thompson is keenly interested in growing green jobs in WNY and is continuing the Business Gets Green series in order to provide information and opportunities for synergy for green businesses and businesses that are going green in Western New York.

Senator Thompson is the Chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, and he recently was key to freeing up $120 Million for the Upstate Regional Blueprint Fund. Applications to Empire State Development Corporation for this fund are due by June 15th.

Questions? Please e-mail Bill Nowak, Director of Policy Research for NYS Sen.Thompson.

Please note the change in venue to the Historical Society.

In the NEWS

Paterson's solar power plan envisions 50,000 jobs - 05/15/2009
Gov. David A. Paterson will announce today that the state’s two power authorities will purchase up to 150 megawatts of solar power through a program aiming to make the state the nation’s second-biggest solar power producer.
Paterson chose a solar power conference in the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center attended by about 3,000 people from around the nation to unveil the plan, which his staff says eventually could create not only a new source of electricity but also 50,000 jobs in an entire new manufacturing industry. Read the report by Robert J. McCarthy in The Buffalo News.

Paterson backs local sharing of NYPA hydropower profits - 05/16/2009
Governor opens possibility for economic development
Western New York’s long-standing argument that profits from unused hydropower generated at Lewiston should remain in the area gained Gov. David A. Paterson’s preliminary approval Friday, setting the stage for a potentially significant influx of money for infrastructure and economic development projects.
Paterson’s promise to reassess what many Western New York officials have long considered an injustice marks a major victory for Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, who filed a bill last month requiring the Power Authority to turn over future proceeds from the sale of unused power to a locally controlled economic development corporation. That agency would use the money to fund infrastructure work and capital improvements for public facilities in Erie and Niagara counties.
The congressman said late Friday he is pleased with the new developments, but also promised to continue to monitor the situation. Read the report by Robert J. McCarthy and James Heaney in The Buffalo News.

State OKs low-cost power for Yahoo! facility - 05/20/2009
Gov. David A. Paterson announced Tuesday that Yahoo! would bring a new data center and more than 100 jobs to Western New York, but the Internet company said it is still considering other states.
Paterson said Tuesday that Yahoo!, one of the world’s best-known Web sites and search engines, will spend $150 million to set up a new East Coast regional data center here, with at least 125 new high-tech jobs. As an inducement, the company will receive low-cost hydroelectric power from New York State. No other state taxpayer dollars will be spent on the project, officials said. The company has not chosen a site, but it is looking at two locations, one in Niagara County and one in Genesee County, Paterson said. Read the report by Jonathan D. Epstein in The Buffalo News.

Power deal would save Yahoo! $101.2 million - 05/21/2009
Subsidy package is one of the richest ever offered by the NY Power Authority.
The deal state officials are offering Yahoo! to entice it to build a data center in Western New York would provide about $810,000 in power discounts over the lifetime of the subsidy for every $50,000 job created, a Buffalo News analysis has found.
The discount would save Yahoo! an estimated $53,996 per job per year over the 15-year life of its proposed contract with the New York Power Authority. The average subsidy for companies given new power allocations in recent years is less than a quarter of that—$12,446. The offer, which Yahoo! officials are considering, represents one of the richest subsidy packages ever offered by the Power Authority. Read the report by James Heaney in The Buffalo News. Post comments on his News blog at Outrages & Insights.

Renewable power mandate overcomes hurdle in Senate - 05/21/2009
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A measure requiring utilities to generate a certain amount of electricity from renewable sources, such as wind and solar, overcame a legislative hurdle in the U.S. Senate on Thursday.
The proposed committee bill would mandate that power plants meet targets to gradually produce more renewable power, beginning with 3 percent of their output between 2011 and 2013 and rising to 15 percent between 2021 and 2039. Utilities could meet about a quarter of their renewable requirements through energy efficiency gains.The full report is here.

Business Gets Green: December 11th

On Thursday, December 11th, from 5:30 to 7:30pm at the Buffalo Museum of Science, Buffalo's Green Gold Development Corporation will host the 6th monthly session of Business Gets Green, a networking series for green businesses and businesses that want to explore going green. All are welcome and admission is Free. The session will feature presentations by:

• Gary Hydock, GCS Radiant, on radiant floor heating

• David Lanfear, Bale-on-Bale Construction, on building a model green house, featuring superinsulation, solar hot water, photovoltaics, reclaimed materials, and a completely insulated slab with radiant heat. Video presentation.
  

• Brian Reilly, Buffalo Economic Development Commissioner, on the new South Buffalo Greenbelt proposal to redevelop the South Buffalo brownfields as a hot bed for green business
  

• David Hahn Baker, CAO's Environmental Justice Center, will present a proposal to turn one of CAO's buildings into a showcase for green technology. Video presentation.

• David Majewski, Premium Services, will talk briefly about synergies in Low Impact Development (LID) that are continuing to grow as a result of green businesses communicating with each other.

Presentations at this session, like those at earlier Business Gets Green sessions, will be videotaped and shown on LCTV. To see videos of earlier presentations, check out the VideoWebWorks Business Gets Green Group on YouTube.

For more information, e-mail Bill Nowak at bill.nowak2@verizon.net
.

Business Gets Green: Session IV

The next session of Business Gets Green will be Thursday, September 18 at the Buffalo Museum of Science from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. If you are interested in giving a 1 to 2 minute filmed introduction of your business at the beginning of this session, please e-mail Bill Nowak at bill.nowak2@verizon.net .

Cheryl Zanghi, Director, Buffalo's Green Hospitality Initiative, wherein the Convention and Visitor's Bureau is working with local hotels and others to provide a green and clean experience for visitors to conventions and conferences in WNY.

Frank Kennedy, from one of the original local Green Gold businesses, will discuss his patented insulated block, which has been used to build over one hundred highly energy-efficient buildings throughout the US. Thermal insulated block offers a tremendous opportunity for builders, developers, architects, and engineers to reduce our carbon footprint using a proven, available, economical alternative to standard block.

David Hahn Baker, a member of the Green Gold board,is a consultant to the Community Action Organization which for over 40 years has administered the county's Head Start programs. Dave is helping design CAO's environmental program which is working on projects to prevent lead poisoning, foster brownfield redevelopment, educate the community on environmental issues, reduce exposure to air pollutants, and foster urban agriculture.

Dave Bauer, President of Sustainable Earth Solutions, where in the empowerment and training of youth and small business owners is used to achieve sustainable action plans on environmental issues. SES applies the world-wide, research-based model of creative problem solving in achieving its clients' goals.

Business Gets Green is sponsored by the Green Gold Development Corporation.

Business Gets Green: Session III

The third session of Business Gets Green was held on July 17th at the Buffalo Museum of Science. Bill Nowak, meeting organizer and Executive Director of Green Gold Development Corp., said:

"At this session we started focusing on synergies - the ways that businesses can use each other's products and services. Premium Services and Indoor Air Professionals each had great examples of partnerships they've developed as a result of Business Gets Green sessions. Personally, I had Jeff Ingersoll from Ingersoll Painting & Construction over to give me an estimate of a solar hot water heating system as a result of hearing him at Business Gets Green."

Dave Majeski of Premium Services listed numerous examples of the synergies arising as a result of Business Gets Green sessions, as shown in this video.

Videos of the featured presentations:

• Nathan Rizzo, Solar Liberty Energy Systems, Inc., Solar Energy Installation in Buffalo
• Paul Pfieffer, Buffalo Niagara Enterprise (BNE), Director of Investor and Public Relations, BNE and Renewable Energy
  
• John Beckinghausen, HSBC Bank's North American Director for Sustainability, Greening of HSBC
  
• Cheryl Zanghi, Director, Buffalo's Green Hospitality Initiative, Greening the Convention and Hospitality Industry.

Videos of short presentations are here.

Videos are courtesy of LCTV and videographer Jon Allen.
Check back later for more videos.

Business Gets Green is sponsored by the Green Gold Development Corporation.

Business Gets Green: Session II

The second session of Business Gets Green was held on June 19th at the Buffalo Museum of Science. When asked for his thoughts on the session, Bill Nowak, meeting organizer and Executive Director of Green Gold Development Corp., said:

"When we got 80 folks to the first Business Gets Green session, I was impressed. At the 2nd one there were 90 folks, the featured speakers were truly excellent, the 20 businesses that introduced themselves were fascinating, and the networking was enthusiastic and extensive."

Eric Posa, President of DocuSyst, said that the session was "...one of the best events that I have been to in a long time. It was very refreshing to learn about the projects and services in the Buffalo area that are helping to bring positive change."

Dave Majewski, President of Premium Services Inc. and a featured speaker, was highly enthusiastic about the session. He said "WOW on last night it was @#$%&$ WOW! How interesting and educational." As a direct result of his presentation and networking following the session, he will be partnering or working with three business as well as with UB, ECC and Daemen College. WOW!

Videos of the featured presentations:

• Gilad Amozeg, VP-M&A and Corporate Development, Globe Specialty Metals, Inc., New Silicon Plant in Niagara Falls

• Paul Dyster, Mayor of Niagara Falls, What does it mean to be a 'green city'?
  

• Tracie Hall, Executive Director, U.S. Green Building Council NY Upstate Chapter, What is the LEED Building Standard?

• Dave Majewski, President, Premier Services, Truly Green Landscaping

Green Shorts: Videos of the short presentations:

• Part 1
• Part 2
  

A list of participating Businesses with contact information is here.

Videos of presentations are courtesy of LCTV and videographer Jon Allen.

Analysis of featured presentations by James Heaney of the Buffalo News is here.

Business Gets Green is sponsored by the Green Gold Development Corporation. Save the date for the next Session on July 17, featuring John Beckinghausen, HSBC's North American Director for Sustainability.
Reminds me of an earlier blog I wrote on sustainability that links to an informative and cute video (5 stars).

Business Gets Green meets June 19th

The Second Session of Business Gets Green meets on Thursday, June 19th from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the Buffalo Museum of Science. Free Event.

Featured speakers and Topics will include:

• Gilad Amozeg, VP-M&A and Corporate Development, Globe Specialty Metals, Inc., New Silicon Plant in Niagara Falls

• Tracie Hall, Executive Director, U.S. Green Building Council NY Upstate Chapter, The LEED Standard

• Dave Majewski, President, Premier Services, Truly Green Landscaping
  

Businesses that want to give a 1 minute introduction need to pre-register.
Questions? Contact Bill Nowak at bill.nowak2@verizon.net

Videos, Reports, and Business Contacts from the May 15th Session are available here.

Business Gets Green is sponsored by Green Gold Development Corp.

500 New Jobs: Silicon for Solar Electricity

The idle Globe Metallurgical Plant in Niagara Falls will reopen under the parent company, Globe Specialty Metals, Inc., and produce high-purity silicon, a rare commodity essential to make solar-electric panels. Globe will create 500 new jobs, as well as additional jobs needed for construction of a new 100,000-square foot facility. The new facility will produce 4000 tons of solar-grade silicon per year by 2011, and overall the plant will produce 30,000 tons of metallurgical grade silicon annually.

"In about seven months from now, approximately 150 people will be working there, not including contractors who will complete the construction," said Alan Kestenbaum, President and CEO of the New York City based company. In 1.5 to 2 years, an additional 350 people will be added to the staff. The average salary will be approximately $52,000, as reported in Business First of Buffalo.

Kestenbaum said that “This project will be a cornerstone for New York State to become a major center for production and research for renewable energy, and in particular solar energy products", as reported in a Buffalo News story. Globe will invest $60 million to retool the existing metallurgical-grade silicon plant and to construct and outfit a new facility to produce the premium-grade silicon product.

An economic development package supplying low-cost electricity from the Niagara Power Project was key in attracting Globe Specialty Metals to western NY. Empire State Development Corp. (ESDC) and the NY Power Authority partnered to develop the incentive package that provides Globe with 40MW low-cost hydropower over 5 years, and up to $25 Million in Empire Zone Benefits for up to 10 years. In the agreement, 25% of Globe's solar-grade silicon will be used to attract new solar panel manufacturers, positioning NY as a potential solar energy hub. The timing of this news couldn't be better as the National Solar Conference organized by the American Solar Energy Society will be held in Buffalo in 2009!

The ESDC sees the incentive package as necessary to develop the green economy in western NY. Others question the amount of subsidies and the need to waive payment of taxes, as detailed in the Buffalo News report by James Heaney, and covered in his News blog. Still, with so many incentives from the Federal government directed towards the fossil fuel economy that is linked to global warming pollution as well as environmental, health and security concerns, isn't about time that we take a giant step necessary to establish a green economy in western NY based on producing a commodity essential for a clean, renewable energy source? I'm for it. Perhaps some of the issues will be addressed in the June 19th session of Business Gets Green, where a representative from Globe Specialty Metals is slated to speak.

Business Gets Green meets on June 19th

The second session of Business Gets Green is set for Thursday, June 19th from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the Buffalo Museum of Science.

According to meeting organizer, Bill Nowak, 15 businesses have already signed up for the 20 one-minute introduction slots at the beginning of the meeting. E-mail him at bill.nowak2@verizon.net to preregister to give a 1 minute introduction of your business.

Featured speakers for the session will include:

• Gilad Amozeg, VP-M&A and Corporate Development, Globe Specialty Metals, Inc.
• Tracie Hall, Executive Director, U.S. Green Building Council NY Upstate Chapter
• Dave Majewski, President, Premier Services

Reports on the first session of Business Gets Green, Videos of the featured presentations, and Contact Information for participating businesses are available here.

Business Gets Green is sponsored by Buffalo's Green Gold Development Corporation.

'Green' is growing on Business People

The first session of Business Gets Green sponsored by the Green Gold Development Corporation was a huge success, with twenty-two businesses introducing what they do, and four keynote speakers presenting environmentally-friendly talks to an audience of around eighty at the Buffalo Science Museum. Bill Nowak, meeting organizer and Executive Director of Green Gold Development Corp., said:

"I'm very happy with the way the first Business Gets Green session came out and grateful to everyone who helped make it a success - especially the 22 businesses who gave concise, well focused presentations. I look forward to other businesses stepping forward to introduce themselves at future sessions, and urge them to contact me at bill.nowak2@verizon.net. I'm excited to think that we will be broadcasting video from these sessions on LCTV and other venues. It's a good opportunity for businesses to get exposure. I was especially happy to see the networking that went on - some businesses were looking to contract with each other for services already!"

Videos of the presentations:
- Buffalo ReUse, Michael Gainer
- Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, Julie Barrett O'Neill
- Buffalo's Chief Economic Development Officer, Brian Reilly
- Ecology and Environment Inc., Laurie Shortt Kutina
Video presentations are courtesy of LCTV and videographer Jon Allen.

A list of participating Businesses with contact information is here.

Today's Buffalo News has a brief report by James Heaney on the May 15th meeting: Speakers offer insights into benefits of 'going green'. The next session of Business Gets Green will be held on Thursday, June 19 at 5:30pm in the Science Museum.