08/06/2008 10:39 AM

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Weekly Clean Energy Roundup: August 6, 2008

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Governor Rendell also approved two bills last week that relate to biofuels. House Bill 1202 could add as much as 1 billion gallons of advanced biofuels to the state's fuel supply. It requires all retail diesel fuel sold in the state to contain 2% biodiesel, once the in-state production of biodiesel reaches 40 million gallons per year, increasing incrementally to a 20% biodiesel requirement, once the in-state production of biodiesel reaches 400 million gallons per year (but only if vehicle manufacturers approve the use of 20% biodiesel). Likewise, all retail gasoline sold in the state must contain 10% ethanol, once the in-state production of cellulosic ethanol reaches 350 million gallons per year.

The state already has a biodiesel production capacity of 60 million gallons per year, so the 2% biodiesel requirement could go into effect soon, if production is high enough. To encourage biodiesel production, Special Session Senate Bill 22 will offer a subsidy of 75 cents per gallon of biodiesel produced, capped at $1.9 million per year for each producer. The bill also expands a hybrid vehicle rebate program to include plug-in hybrids and other alternative fuel vehicles. See the governor's press release and the full text of HB 1202 (PDF 42 KB) and SB 22 (PDF 20 KB).

California Establishes Statewide Green Building Standards

The California Building Standards Commission adopted a statewide green building code, which the state claims as a first in the nation. The new California Green Building Standards Code contains standards for single-family homes, health facilities, and commercial buildings and will encourage builders to reduce the energy use of their structures to 15% below the energy use that is achieved with the state's mandatory energy efficiency standards.

The standards also address on-site renewable energy use, water consumption, green building materials, indoor air quality, and other measures. The new standards will become mandatory for housing in 2010 but are currently optional for all buildings, allowing time for the building industry and local building code officials to adjust to the new standards. After 2010, the green building standards will updated annually. See the press release (PDF 20 KB) from the California State and Consumer Services Agency and the Green Building Standards Code on the Building Standards Commission Web site.

California may also be the first state to launch a map-based directory of state-owned facilities that have achieved or are pursuing LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Under an executive order signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2004, all new and renovated state-owned facilities must meet LEED Silver certification requirements, the third-highest level of certification available. You can check the state's progress in a Google Maps interface or view an Excel spreadsheet of the state's green building data. See the Green Building Directory.

Toyota to Build the Prius Hybrid in Mississippi

In yet another sign of how rapidly shifting consumer preferences are forcing automakers to change their long-term plans, Toyota Motor Corporation announced last week that it will begin producing the Prius hybrid in Mississippi in late 2010. The Mississippi manufacturing plant, currently under construction, was originally intended to produce the Toyota Highlander SUV, but with demand for SUVs falling rapidly, Toyota now plans to produce the Highlander at its Indiana plant, starting in late 2009. The Prius will be the second Toyota hybrid to be manufactured in the United States, as the company already produces the Camry Hybrid in Kentucky. See the Toyota press release.

Compared to sales for June 2007, sales of the Highlander SUV are down by 31.3% and sales of the Tundra pickup are down by 47%. The Sequoia SUV is currently bucking the trend, with sales up by 40.8% for June, even though it's the largest of Toyota's SUVs. But monthly sales of the Sequoia are low, at about 2,000 units, compared to about 10,000 Tundra sales and about 7,000 Highlander sales. The sales figures also show a 25.5% drop in sales of the Prius, but Toyota notes that the sales are being limited by a lack of supply, rather than a lack of demand. For the year to date, the Prius remains Toyota's third-best seller, behind the Corolla and Camry. Meanwhile, Toyota's smallest car, the Yaris, continues to gain ground, with a 4.1% increase in sales in June (compared to June 2007) and a 39.9% increase in year-to-date sales, compared to last year. See the Toyota press release.

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Kevin Eber is the Editor of EREE Network News, a weekly publication of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). 

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