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House Subcommittee Markup Gives $148M for Solar America Initiative

The Solar Energy Industries Association reports that the House Energy and Water Development subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee has released its mark for the 2007 DOE budget. The numbers include a robust funding increase in solar R&D, as requested in the President’s Solar America Initiative. Total funding for the DOE Solar Program was $148,372,000. This includes $134,472,000 for PV, $8.9 million CSP and $5 million for solar heating and lighting. We have reports that there were just 3 earmarks, totaling $3.5 million, bringing the total budget to $144.8 million. Excluding earmarks, these numbers represent a 79% increase in the PV budget, a 48% increase in the CSP budget, and a 68% increase in the SH&L budget. There are additional funds for solar R&D in the Office of Science. The numbers are subject to change for several reasons – full committee number adjustments, potential Senate requests for lower funding, and impact from any earmarks that may come down the pike. Over the course of the next several weeks, SEIA will be doing everything we can to minimize earmarks and keep the funding numbers up. Leading up to the House mark release, SEIA made a full court press on appropriations, coordinating […]

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EPA Names Xanterra Parks & Resorts Performance Track Leader

Xanterra Parks & Resorts, operator of concessions in national and state parks and resorts across the country, has been selected by the Environmental Protection Agency as the “2006 Performance Track Corporate Leader.” Xanterra was the only company to receive the recognition this year and is only the fourth company to receive the designation since its creation in 2004. The EPA’s Performance Track program recognizes top environmental performers that voluntarily go beyond compliance with environmental regulations and publicly commit to specific environmental improvements over a three-year period. Xanterra’s operations at Yellowstone, Zion, Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon (both the North and South Rims) National Parks as well as Mount Rushmore National Memorial are members of the prestigious program. According to the EPA, the Corporate Leader designation is “a way to recognize companies that are substantially committed to Performance Track and exhibit policies and behavior at a corporate level that are associated with environmental excellence. The Corporate Leader designation enhances Performance Track by providing EPA with additional opportunities to work more effectively with corporate leaders in improving environmental performance beyond regulatory requirements. It recognizes and promotes corporate activities not often or fully integrated at the facility level, such as improving the environmental […]

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