A group of local Snohomish County organizations, working together as the nonprofit, Qualco Energy Corp., has developed a biomass digester, designed to consume waste from local dairy cows, prevent runoff into local streams and provide electric power to local utilities.  The plant has been built south of Monroe in the Tualco Valley between the Skykomish and Snoqualmie River floodplains.  The digester is processing manure from 1600 cows from three local dairy farms. 

Al Gore is asking us to go for 100% clean electricity within a decade.  That would mean using no coal.  Currently, 50% of US electricity comes from coal.  So, were we to eliminate coal from the energy equation, we'd have a bit of work to do as a nation (not counting fighting those who would benefit from staying with coal). 

A. Siegel, commenter at Firedoglake and a founder of "Energize America", has a plan to get us to a coal-free electrical system by 2030 - and improve the economy at the same time.  In fact, he takes us over the goal line with room to spare, using what he calls the portfolio approach.  Here's the outline of the plan with the strategy and the amount of current electricity usage it would address:

California's energy-efficient policies have generated 1.5 million jobs since 1977, according to a study released this week - and those weren't even "green jobs".  The study, conducted by David Roland-Holst, an economist at the Center for Energy, Resources and Economic Sustainability at UC - Berkeley, found that when consumers are able to reduce the amount they spend on energy, they spend more on groceries, appliances, consumer goods, etc.  It's not rocket science but it's good to have the validation. 

An article in the New York Times reports on the study and its unique focus.  Typically, economists focus on the costs and benefits of dealing with the carbon dioxide sloughed off by the fossil-fuel economy or the cost of converting over to new energy industries.  The UC - Berkeley study adds in another dimension.  

PGE (Portland General Electric) unveiled the largest solar project in the Northwest.  It's not particularly large which simply says we have a ways to go with solar.

The Oregonian reports that the new project will produce 1.1 megawatts of electricity, enough to supply about 715 homes.  PGE will roll "thin-film" solar panels onto the roof of a warehouse and will install panels on two additional warehouse rooftops in the next two months. 

Farther south in Salem, Sanyo North America Corp. is constructing a $80 million factory to make ingots and wagers for solar cells.  Sanyo's plant will be part of the Salem Renewable Energy and Technology Park, a planned 80 acre park for green companies, due to open in October 2009.

Michael Pollan, the pioneering writer who's shed light on the industrialization of agriculture and the negative consequences for health and farming, advises the next president that "food is about to demand your attention." Pollan writes that the U.S. food system is so driven by fossil fuel inputs that we cannot make progress on climate change, energy independence, or the health care crisis until we de-industrialize farming. Hear, hear. See IWF's most recent OpEd for our proposal to make the biofuel industry accomplish just that.

A couple of regular folks in San Francisco have started up a bargaining collective for anyone interested in installing a solar panel system for their home or office.  After the frustration of working to learn about the technology and the rebates and the net metering and more, they decided to make it easier and cheaper for other folks to go green.  They founded an small educational and collective bargaining organization,1BOG or 1 Block Off the Grid, and offered folks who choose to become members a solar panel system for about $6,000 (after rebates) rather than the $18,000 (not counting rebates) it would otherwise cost.