Comments Darrell has made

  • Command and Control vision

    Good discussion! My argument is we should lead with the outline / vision of the solution, then build financial incentives to get there, as opposed to presuming that a Cap and Trade system will efficiently and rapidly lead to a good solution.

    The main components of that vision are efficiency, renewable electrcity, and electrfied transportation. Those technologies exist, although we'd all agree that they will be refined in mass-production.

    Some of these are important but "binary" changes -- such as automakers beginning to make electric vehicles, electrifying railroads, or ending construction of new coal-fired power plants -- that especially need a Command and Control mandate to get underway.On Why the rush to defend this not-so-embattled style of legislation? posted 9 months, 4 weeks ago 13 Responses

  • Efficacy of Command and Control

    I'm glad to see discussion of Command and Control. With an emerging consensus on what can work, just direct that it be done! Resorting to market mechanisms implies that we have to wait and see what will emerge with incentives, a significantly slower process if it works at all.

    Four of five points in Adam Stein's "Grand Climate Plan" here last August are directive:

    1. Carbon pricing
    2. Efficiency standards
    3. Carbon-free electricity
    4. Smart electrical grid
    5. Electric transportation

    I illustrated my version here, without carbon pricing.

    To use the World War II analogy, Roosevelt didn't seek to create market incentives for auto companies to build tanks. There was no time to waste; he just directed that they do it.On Why the rush to defend this not-so-embattled style of legislation? posted 10 months ago 13 Responses

  • Confused patchwork auto industry

    Only the auto industry could find just TWO choices (California or US) "a confusing patch work of different state standards".On How will EPA move forward on revisiting Calif. waiver? posted 10 months ago 5 Responses

  • The right solution...

    Your comments are painfully true, David. Which is a reason I've tried to step back to a bigger picture.

    The right solution -- that I hope can achieve wider and quicker political support -- addresses all of Global Warming, foreign oil dependence and Peak Oil, and appropriate economic stimulus investment.

    See LA Visions for a visualization.On What the Obama presidency means posted 10 months, 1 week ago 26 Responses

  • Greenpath

    The primary purpose of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's Greenpath North transmission corridor is to access baseload geothermal electricity from the Imperial Valley to replace current out-of-state coal power (DWP is 44% coal).

    Los Angeles has also announced a 1,300 Mw in-basin rooftop plus desert solar program. The good news is (1) they are actively moving forward on renewables, with a 35% RPS goal by 2020 and (2) are working with environmentalists on sensitive issues like transmission siting.On A detailed look at building, industry, transportation, and land-use greenhouse-gas emissions posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago 38 Responses

  • ASPO 2008 presentation by David Hughes

    See also David Hughes' excellent presentation (PDF) on coal from the 2008 ASPO-USA conference.On U.S. coal supply may last only 10-20 years posted 10 months, 3 weeks ago 8 Responses

  • BRT: you get what you pay for

    Unfortunately you get what you pay for with "wayyyy cheaper" BRT.

    Two examples from Los Angeles are the Wilshire "Rapid" buses that carry a lot of people but despite limited stops and some signal priority are slow in traffic -- and will be replaced with a subway -- and the Orange Line dedicated busway that is already out of capacity and takes 50% longer than a light rail line would have.

    See also details of Eugene, Oregon's BRT.

    BRT is an improvement over regular bus service, but falls short of light rail's speed, comfort, and capacity.On Obama announces Solis for Labor and LaHood for Transportation posted 11 months, 1 week ago 6 Responses

  • Take the right actions

    A U.S. approach could be to take the right energy actions to reduce CO2 emissions as quickly as possible - expand renewable electricity, increase building efficiency, and electrify transportation - without waiting to first have an explicit carbon cap.

    It would point us in the necessary direction and move us forward, treaty or not.On Obama will never get 67 votes for an international climate treaty in the Senate posted 12 months ago 10 Responses

  • Electrify transportation

    Good five point summary. And not only for climate, I've argued the right solutions address both climate and peak oil.

    I'd expand Electric Cars to Electrify Transportation, taking in mainline passenger and freight and urban transit.On Low-carbon roadmap comes into focus -- with some notable gaps posted 12 months ago 6 Responses

  • The right solutions

    The right solutions address Peak Oil, Global Warming, and the crashing economy at the same time: rapid investment in efficiency and renewable energy sources (solar, wind, and geothermal electricity along with electrified transporation).

    This is where Robert Hirsch's proposed wedges (2005 study: Enhanced Oil Recovery, Coal Liquids, Heavy Oil, and Gas To Liquids) only address oil substitutes, not the larger problems.

    Far from waiting for the economy to improve to deploy energy solutions, the right solutions will help repair our economy.On Robert Hirsch suggests 'keeping relatively quiet' in near-term about peak oil posted 1 year ago 11 Responses

  • DWP position

    David Nahai's argument is that the DWP will invest a lot of ratepayer money to replace its out-of-state coal purchases with renewable electricity as those contracts expire, and a carbon fee would be a double expense during the ramp-up period.

    Plans especially include base-load geothermal in the Imperial Valley (which requires controversial new transmission lines), as well as desert solar thermal and in-basin rooftop PV. They do appear to be moving about as rapidly as they can on these.On Los Angeles utility starts to squawk as it stares down a $700 million carbon bill posted 1 year, 3 months ago 9 Responses

  • Re: One freaking year for wind?

    At the national Wind Energy convention in Los Angeles last year I was talking to a representative in the booth for a manufacturer of big castings for rotor hubs, etc.

    They were out of capacity, but needed longer-term certainty of orders before making such a big capital investment. As we get whole one-year extensions of credits.On House passes massive tax extensions for renewable energy posted 1 year, 6 months ago 12 Responses

  • Proud of Waxman!

    Makes me proud to have Henry Waxman as my Congressman as Stephen Johnson plays a Donald Rumsfeld role.

    BTW, Santa Monica residents are leading on reducing GHG emissions with a municipal solar program, leading local bus system, light rail coming, more high-mpg cars like Priuses than anywhere else I've seen in the US, and a strong General Plan update nearing completion.On Waxman is going to punch somebody posted 1 year, 6 months ago 13 Responses

  • Re: H(2)(8)rs will eat crow!

    Yes, but right now LA, the biggest driving city in America is populated with H-filling stations thanks to Arnold

    Uh, hardly, about a whole six locations in all of Los Angeles County, according to the DOE: City of Burbank; Air Quality Management District in Diamond Bar; LAX Airport; City of Santa Monica; and Honda and Toyota in Torrance.On Your chance to get in on the hydrogen action posted 2 years, 1 month ago 11 Responses

  • Smart Growth or Dumb Density?

    I'm concerned that projects built under the mantle of Smart Growth don't live up to its goals. Are they located near transit that residents find useful to ride? Do they provide pedestrian amenities like local shops and cafes, rich architectural detail, and public plazas and parks that we enjoy in traditional cities?

    Too often I'm seeing big boring residential boxes only accessed by car. At best they may reduce car commuting distances; at worst their increased traffic and poor design can create a backlash by neighbors against higher-density development.On Land-use and development decisions are crucial in the fight against climate change, says new report posted 2 years, 2 months ago 11 Responses

  • Andy Frank reference

    For more on Dr. Andrew (Andy) Frank of UC Davis and his plug-in hybrid research see pp. 68-78 in Sherry Boschert's excellent Plug-in Hybrids. Also my PHEV summary with more links.On A panel discussion on how much plug-ins rule posted 2 years, 2 months ago 32 Responses

  • Toyota

    I've been loving these! Here's mine (finally!):

    http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=3e5c341a-1682-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7

    (Like so many car commercials, that is downtown Los Angeles, on 5th Street passing the main library.)
    On Make your own Chevy Tahoe commercial posted 3 years, 7 months ago 47 Responses