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Environmental Forum readers, here is the latest version of our ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Notes compiled each week. If you have any questions or comments about Nelson Capital's ESG notes, please visit our website

 Big City Bright Lights

New York City's commitment to replacing all of its streetlights has recently completed one of the first phases of the project since the completion of testing back in 2009. Margaret Newman, chief of staff for the NYC Department of Transportation spoke with GreenBiz journalist Cindy Cesca and shared the project goals and projected savings. According to Newman, the city is planning to replace approximately 300,000 city lights with a completion date by 2019. The City spent 18 months testing various LED lights for different applications including roadways and park pathways. Since the implementation of the lights, energy savings from replaced 175-watt metal halide light to the more efficient 90-watt LED fixtures in Central Park has created a savings of about $250,000 per year and approximately 700,000 kilowatts per year in energy savings according to Newman. Because the costs of the LED technology and manufacturing has come down so much in just the past 4 years the payback on investment is projected to come in between 5 and 7 years as opposed to original estimates of 14 years when the project first came to the table. The sustainability goals were set by the mayor's office, which was 30 percent reduction by 2017. Newman believes the city will see 30 to 50 percent in energy reductions and approximately $15 million in savings citywide.

Read more: http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2013/04/17/what-it-takes-change-all-lights-new-york-city?page=0%2C0

New SF Transit Center includes roof with a view.

The "Grand Central Station of the West" has broken ground in downtown San Francisco, a $4 billion project that will create a regional transit hub in the heart of a new transit-based neighborhood with homes, offices, parks and retail. Designed by renowned architecture firm Pelli Clarke Pelli, the 1.5 million square foot development will connect eight Bay Area counties and the state through 11 transit systems, including BART, Caltrain, Golden Gate Transit, Greyhound and Amtrak. The future high speed rail that links San Francisco with Los Angeles will also connect there. The development will have a new 5.4-acre park in the form of a green roof that tops the five-story Transit Center, designed by PWP Landscape Architecture. Planned for the green roof are native plantings, bicycle and walking paths, a playground, café, a cultural center and a 1000-person amphitheater. Once constructed, the new Transit Center will accommodate more than 100,000 passengers each weekday and more than 45 million people a year. The new transit building will be built to LEED Gold certification standards

Read more: http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/24804

Watch: http://transbaycenter.org/media-gallery/video-gallery/the-transbay-transit-center-project-narrated-by-peter-coyote

UPS Increases its Natural Gas Fleet

UPS announced last week the accelerated growth of its alternative vehicle fleet with plans to purchase approximately 700 liquefied natural gas (LNG) vehicles and to build four refueling stations by the end of 2014. Once completed, the LNG private fleet will be one of the most extensive in the U.S. UPS has been operating natural gas vehicles for more than a decade. With natural gas prices 30-40 percent lower than imported diesel and U.S. production gearing up, the logistics company is investing more aggressively in the natural gas infrastructure necessary to make it part of the UPS delivery network here. Beyond favorable fuel cost and domestic resource access, the industry cites 25 percent less CO2 emissions. Worldwide UPS has more than 1,000 natural gas vehicles on the road today. UPS's alternative fuel and advanced technology fleet of more than 2,600 vehicles also includes a wide array of low-emissions vehicles, including all-electrics, electric hybrids, hydraulic hybrids, propane, compressed natural gas and biomethane. Since 2000, the fleet powered by alternative fuels and technologies has driven more than 295 million miles.

Read more: http://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/35515--UPS-Ramps-Up-Natural-Gas-Investment

Environmental Forum readers, here is the latest version of our ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Notes compiled each week. If you have any questions or comments about Nelson Capital's ESG notes, please visit our website

Shine Bright

Kerosene lamps, while functional, can be problematic for those dependent on them as their primary source of light. Kerosene is relatively expensive for those living in extreme poverty, is toxic, polluting and a potential risk of fire and burns. A good alternative to kerosene is solar powered light, but that too faces its own set of logistical hurdles in order to reach some of the world's poorest communities; including the high cost of buy-in, shipping, instillation, charging capabilities, and energy storage.  Rather than create large solar light systems subject to those logistics, Dutch company Off-Grid Solutions created the WakaWaka (Swahili meaning shine, shine) personal solar light. The WakaWaka is a small (slightly bigger than an Iphone) highly durable, water resistant light with five switchable light modes. It is powered by three rechargeable AA batteries (included). On a fully charged battery, WakaWaka can either provide 8 hours of bright ambient light, 16 hours of bright reading light and up to 80 hours of soft night safety light. The company claims the battery will last up to 3 years with continuous daily use and recharging. Creating the lamp is only the first step in getting them out to the communities that need it. The company has created a non-profit foundation with a goal of getting the WakaWaka into the hands of 1.5 billion people. Off Grid Solutions donates 10% of profits to the foundation that will either subsidize or provide free lights for communities or individuals in need. They also offer a donor program for people to provide lights directly to people in need and have worked with international organizations to supply lights for Haitian communities after the earthquake and currently areas of war torn Syria.

Video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDTz5pJ8ZRo&feature=player_embedded#

Read more: http://nobleprofit.org/wakawaka-solar-lamp-social-enterprise-brings-the-most-efficient-solar-light-on-the-planet/

Sustainable Savings

Unilever has cut more than 1 million tons of CO2 from its manufacturing and logistics operations since 2008, the company announced this week. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a central target in Unilever's high-profile Sustainable Living Plan, which has introduced a raft of eco-efficiency programs that cut the company's operating costs by $395 million since 2008 -- a period over which the company also has grown sales by 26 percent from $54.4 billion to $67.6 billion. The new measures include the widespread installation of combined heat and power (CHP) systems that have reduced CO2 from Unilever's European operations by 50,000 tons while cutting energy bills by $13 million, the deployment of biomass boilers and the creation of regional transport hubs that have served to slash the distances covered by the company's lorries.  John Maguire, Unilever's group manufacturing sustainability director, said in a statement. "Since 2008 our eco-efficiency programs have avoided more than $395 million of costs -- almost $132 million in energy; $245 million in materials; $22 million in water; and $13 million in waste disposal. The benefits are very clear in a world where energy prices are increasing."

Read more: http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2013/04/18/unilever-sustainability-program-saves-395m

IKEA's Roof top Solar

IKEA, the world's leading home furnishings retailer, officially plugged-in the solar energy system installed at its distribution center in Perryville, Maryland this week. Built with 18,576 panels it is the state's largest rooftop array. The IKEA distribution center will produce approximately 3,397,178 kWh of clean electricity annually, the equivalent of reducing 2,397 tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂), eliminating the emissions of 499 cars or powering 359 homes yearly (calculating clean energy equivalents at www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html). This installation represents the 36^th completed solar project for IKEA in the U.S., with three more locations underway, making the eventual U.S. solar presence of IKEA nearly 90% of its U.S. locations with a total generation of 38 MW. IKEA owns and operates each of its solar PV energy systems atop its buildings - as opposed to a solar lease or PPA (power purchase agreement) - and globally has allocated $1.8 billion to invest in renewable energy through 2015. This investment reinforces the long-term commitment of IKEA to sustainability and confidence in photovoltaic (PV) technology.

Read more: http://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/35451-IKEA-Completes-Maryland-s-Largest-Rooftop-Solar-Array-Atop-Distribution-Center-In-Perryville-MD

A fossil fuel-free divestment campaign is moving from east to west on college campuses across the country and is likely to be around for a while. Many observers are drawing analogies to the student-led Apartheid divestment movement in the 1980s. Without for a moment suggesting equal footing on moral grounds, another analogy may be the faith-based investors who divested from the slave trade two centuries prior. Like those divestment evangelists from the 1700 and 1800s, the fossil fuel-free campaigners will find divestment to be the easiest part of their mission. Changing an entrenched economic system (whether it's the 18th or 21st century) is much more difficult.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) now uses only renewable energy sources to power its data centers, the iPhone maker said in an updated report on its environmental policies.  According to the company, data centers now run on energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal, instead of coal or other fossil fuels.  The centers house server computers that store and distribute songs, applications and other content from services such as iTunes, iMessage and iCloud. A year ago, Apple was targeted by Greenpeace International, which ranked Apple 12th out of 14 large technology companies in a report called "How Clean Is Your Cloud?".   Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer stated in an interview, that a 100-acre (40-hectare) solar farm next to its largest data center, in Maiden, North Carolina, became fully operational in December. The data center at the North Carolina site is using 100 percent renewable and zero percent coal, utilizing a solar array and a large installation of fuel cells made by Bloom Energy Corp, which convert biogases into energy.  Apple has plans to double its solar capacity in Maiden after the construction of another nearby 100-acre solar farm by the end of this year. Apple now gets 75 percent of its total power from renewable sources, up from 35 percent a year ago. The company's four largest office campuses, in Ireland, Germany and two in California, now use 100 percent renewable energy sources, according to Oppenheimer.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-21/apple-says-data-centers-now-use-100-renewable-energy.html

Department of Energy's new Research Facility

The Department of Energy recently announced an initiative to boost U.S. manufacturing of clean energy products called the Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative. Its goal is to accelerate U.S.-based manufacturing of cost-competitive clean energy technologies, such as wind, solar, geothermal, batteries and biofuels. The DOE has already awarded $23 million for R&D projects that can enhance manufacturing in these areas.  In a statement David Danielson, assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy said, "Over just the last seven years, global investment in the clean energy sector has grown nearly fivefold to over $260 billion and these markets will grow into the trillions of dollars in the years to come."  The initiative's announcement was made at the ribbon cutting of the DOE's Carbon Fiber Technology Facility in Oak Ridge, Tenn., a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that will provide manufacturers with a place to test and develop carbon fiber materials. The goal is to cut the cost of these materials, which are critical for efficient lightweight vehicles, next generation wind turbines, and a wide array of consumer and industrial products.  Lightweight materials, such as carbon-fiber composites, could reduce the weight of passenger cars by 50 percent while raising fuel efficiency 35 percent without compromising performance or safety. Supported by a $35 million DOE grant, the 42,000-square-foot facility has attracted a consortium of more than 40 private and public sector partners, including Ford, Dow Chemical and Volkswagen of America.

Read more: http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2013/03/29/department-energy-launches-clean-manufacturing-initiative?page=0%2C0

FedEx Zero Emission Delivery Vans

FedEx Express has introduced 10 all-electric commercial vehicles to its Hong Kong delivery operation. The FedEx Smith Edison™ electric vans make up the company's first fleet of zero-emissions delivery vans in the Asia-Pacific region and should allow couriers to complete a full eight-hour shift before recharging the batteries. They join two hybrid vehicles already in operation in Hong Kong and more than 650 alternative-energy delivery vehicles in the FedEx global vehicle fleet. FedEx said in a statement these vehicles have played a major role in helping the company pass its goal of improving its fleet's fuel efficiency by 20 percent seven years early. This achievement, announced earlier this month, prompted FedEx to set a new 2020 goal of a 30 percent improvement across its global vehicle flee.

Read more: http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2013/04/04/fedex-charges-hong-kong-delivery-fleet

At Wells Fargo, we support a number of bike commuter teams as part of our global Green Team network.

In the meantime, I'm pleased to introduce you to Amy, our newest guest blogger. Amy will be sharing a series of posts related to biking this month. Check out her first one below and please share your stories of bike commuting.

Amy is co-founder of Bikes Make Life Better, a consulting firm that helps leading organizations to develop impactful sustainability initiatives through the use of well-planned and executed bicycle and transportation programs.  She has 25 years' experience as marketing and business consultant to Fortune 500 companies, and she's now one of the new and rare breed - a bicycle consultant. She and her team provide a simple and affordable way for forward-thinking organizations to enhance transportation, sustainability and wellness. Clients include Facebook, Salesforce, Williams-Sonoma, Mozilla, Wells Fargo and other large organizations committed to sustainability.

Amy moved to San Francisco from the Great Lakes where she had to drive to mail a letter. Car-free, she gets around the Bay Area on a bike, including to and from client meetings, and is determined to look good doing it (yes, she rides in heels!).

 (--kvt)

Environmental Forum readers, here is the latest version of our ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Notes compiled each week. If you have any questions or comments about Nelson Capital's ESG notes, please visit our website.

Companies Take Charge

Last month, 13 major US corporations signed on as charter members to the Department of Energy's Workplace Charging Challenge, which commits them to installing EV charging infrastructure at the workplace. Workplace charging is an untapped resource that presents a significant opportunity to vastly expand the country's plug-in charging infrastructure. The idea is to make EV charging easily accessible to encourage people to buy these vehicles. Since cars are parked in employer parking lots much of the day, the ability to charge while at work can potentially double the driving range. The first to sign on were Google, 3M, GE, Siemens, Verizon, Duke Energy, Eli Lily, Chrysler Group, Ford, GM, Nissan, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Tesla.  Now, 13 more companies will join them: Coca-Cola, Dell, Facebook, Hertz, AVL, Bentley Systems, Biogen Idec, Bloomberg, Hartford Financial Services Group, National Grid, NRG Energy, OSRAM SYLVANIA, Raytheon, Southern California Edison. It's also open to government agencies: the City of Sacramento and New York Power Authority have signed on.  It's part of DOE's EV Everywhere program, announced by President Obama last year, to make plug-ins as affordable and convenient for the American family as gasoline-powered vehicles within the next 10 years. Electricity is much cheaper to power a vehicle - generally equivalent to about $1 per gallon.

Read more - http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/24635

Google Design Raises the Roof

Google is expanding its already massive headquarters by more than a million square feet, and one of the new design elements is a green roof. Working with Seattle-based design firm NBBJ, the 42-acre expansion will be double the size of its 65-building headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.. The new design, dubbed Bay View, consists of nine similarly shaped buildings, mostly four-stories high that look like bent rectangles. They are connected by bridges and verdant courtyards and paths that snake through the property. One of the bridges leads to one of several green roofs which also has an outdoor cafe. Another important design element is the use of radiant heating throughout -- the largest of its kind in the U.S. Google is known for making green design an integral part of its operations, from 2 megawatts of solar on rooftops to serving locally grown, organic food in the cafeteria. It offers a free car-sharing program to employees through a partnership with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, gives employees a $5,000 rebate when they purchase hybrids and runs the largest corporate commuter shuttle program in the U.S. It also has 300 electric vehicle charging stations, more than any workplace in the country.

Read more - http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2013/03/13/google-incorporates-green-roofs-headquarters-expansion

New Bedford Bets The Answer is Blowin' in the Wind

New Bedford, Massachusetts is posturing for a leadership position in a new US industry - offshore wind.  To put enormous offshore wind turbines in the ocean, there also must be supporting infrastructure on land. So, the state is building a $100 million New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal to establish itself as the "port" for the offshore wind industry.  The specialized marine terminal will be able to handle the massive turbines, blades, and other components necessary for constructing wind farms at sea. Once constructed, it will be the first facility in the nation designed to support construction, assembly, and deployment of offshore wind projects.  The specialized marine terminal will be able to handle the massive turbines, blades, and other components necessary for constructing wind farms at sea. Once constructed, it will be the first facility in the nation designed to support construction, assembly, and deployment of offshore wind projects. Dredging will also remove almost 250,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment caused by industrial waste generated during the 1930s and 1940's. 

You can view a short video clip to learn more about Socially Responsible Investing and Nelson Capital by clicking the link provided here:  Niche investment business; traveling art program

I am pleased to introduce you to Martha Amram, CEO of WattzOn, a Web and mobile platform that helps consumers save energy and money.  Martha speaks frequently on energy financing and policies affecting the residential sector and consumer markets. Below she shares information about an app that helps make the connection between money and energy.

Save Money by Thinking About Energy

Recently WattzOn released a new wizard, the Appliance Advisor that can save you hundreds of dollars when buying a fridge.  Here's the scoop:  Over the past 20 years, there have been some amazing advances in refrigerator technology. Now, many models in the market actually use less energy than an incandescent light bulb on 24/7.  Yep, one fridge is less than one light bulb!

Obviously this is great news for consumers, but also a challenge.  Imagine yourself standing in the aisle at your local appliance store. Hmmm, which one saves the most energy? It's actually very hard to tell. The information is not on easy-to-find stickers or signs, and the information on those yellow Energy Guides can be 5 years out of date!  That's why WattzOn built the Appliance Advisor.

Here's how this tool can help:

• Go to www.applianceadvisorapp.com with your desktop or phone browser.  Nothing to download, it just starts working!
• Enter a bit of info about your current fridge.  The wizard will show you how much it costs each year, using your local electricity rates.
• When you are in the store, or online, enter the model numbers of the fridges you are considering. The wizard will show the electricity costs for each model and create a list for easy comparison.
• Save the list. Share your finds by easily emailing your list to others.
• Consider your rebates, the information is right there too!

Here's a video introduction to the Appliance Advisor.

Environmental Forum readers, here is the latest version of our ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Notes compiled each week by Adam Berkowitz. If you have any questions or comments about Nelson Capital's ESG notes, please leave them for Adam below or visit our website.

ISolar

In an attempt to address the short battery life that has been one of the few complaints about the juggernaut iPhone, Apple has just been approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark office for a solar assembly that allows portable devices to capture and utilize sunlight to keep the battery charged. Mikey Campbell of AppleInsider explains that "behind the scenes, a so-called 'traffic control' unit, which can be either a hardware or software solution, decides whether generated energy should be allocated to running the device or sent to the battery for storage."

Will improvement on battery life help boost the stock which has dropped over 25% since its 2012 highs?  Forbes contributor Eric Jackson points out in his November article that in the last eight years, Apple stock has pulled back between 11% and 52%.  In each case it was a new product offering that lifted the stock.  Sanford Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi notes that shares of Apple outperform materially in the eight weeks prior to a new product's announcement date: "Average outperformance during this period has been 1100 [basis points] during previous iPhone launches."  In that past, evolution not revolution pushed the stock higher.  Consumers were happy to trade up their iPhone 4s for the better camera and processor speed of the iPhone 5 which dramatically increased iPhone sales.  

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/24568
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericjackson/2012/11/08/what-the-apple-critics-are-missing/

Chevron withdraws fraud claims in Ecuador pollution case

In a significant tactical retreat that likely will hurt its efforts to resist international enforcement actions, Chevron has told a New York judge that it is withdrawing its claim that the $19 billion Ecuador judgment was the result of "sham" and "objectively baseless" litigation and is in effect conceding that there is evidence that the company caused pollution in the country. The formal withdrawal of Chevron's "objectively baseless" litigation claim - made in a recent procedural filing to New York federal judge Lewis A. Kaplan - represents a key retreat in that it was the linchpin of the company's defense to enforcement actions brought by the Ecuadorians targeting billions of dollars of assets in Canada, Brazil, and Argentina. Chevron's decision to narrow its claims comes on the heels of a series of courtroom setbacks in recent months on Argentina, where an appeals court upheld a freeze order against the company's revenue stream, and the U.S., where the Supreme Court and five separate federal appellate courts have rejected or refused to adopt the company's claims that the trial was tainted by fraud. Before its latest retreat, Chevron had maintained that the underlying lawsuit had no valid scientific basis to support the claims of pollution to the land, water, and lives of those in the Amazon rain forest living where Chevron drilled under the Texaco brand for more than 30 years. Chevron made this claim despite the fact its lead executive in Ecuador, Rodrigo Perez Pallares, admitted that company had dumped more than 16 billion gallons of benzene-laden toxic formation water into the Amazon when it operated in the country from 1964 to 1992.Chevron sought the change after the Ecuadorians filed discovery requests that Chevron produce documents about the more than 300 wells and 900 open toxic waste pits it abandoned in 1992. Chevron objected to producing any documents about its drilling practices and withdrew any allegation that the rain forest was not polluted to avoid the jury receiving evidence of those facts, said Attorney Smyser who represents the Ecuadorians in the New York action.

http://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/35226-In-Shift-Chevron-Drops-Key-Legal-Claim-and-Now-Concedes-Pollution-Does-Exist-In-Ecuador

TJX Company support Alzheimer's Association

The Alzheimer's Association announced February 19^th a multi-year pledge of $1 million from The TJX Companies, Inc., in recognition of the massive impact of Alzheimer's disease worldwide. This is the second $1 million gift from TJX on behalf of its 168,000 Associates and retail division including T.J. Maxx , Marshalls, HomeGoods and Sierra Trading Post in the United States; Winners, HomeSense, and Marshalls in Canada; and T.K. Maxx , and HomeSense in Europe.  Since 2011, the Company has shown great support in the fight to end Alzheimer's by having their corporate headquarters building in Framingham, Mass., lit with purple lights to raise awareness for World Alzheimer's Month. That same year TJX became a National Team Member of Walk to End Alzheimer's.  As part of the new pledge, TJX has been recognized as the Presenting Sponsor of the Promise Garden, which serves as the emotional centerpiece of the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's^® events around the country. In addition to these activities, in March 2013, Marshall's stores in the U.S. will conduct a 'Give a Dollar' campaign, allowing customers to join their efforts and make a donation in support of the Alzheimer's Association upon checkout at stores.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alzheimers-association-receives-second-major-pledge-from-the-tjx-companies-inc-191829491.html

Environmental Forum readers, here is the latest version of our ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Notes compiled each week by Adam Berkowitz. If you have any questions or comments about Nelson Capital's ESG notes, please leave them for Adam below or visit our website.

Pulp Non Fiction

After a decades-long campaign against its practices, Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) committed to end all deforestation of natural forests on February 5^th. The company published a new "Forest Conservation Policy" promising to end development of all natural forested areas, including peat forests, improve its peat land management to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and work more closely with local communities and other stakeholders. The stated strategy applies to all APP operations and all of its suppliers, as well as "all future expansion" and "any Indonesian fiber utilized by APP's mills elsewhere, including China." In addition, the new strategy will be subject to a series of independent assessments. Bustar Maitar, head of Greenpeace's Forest Campaign in Indonesia said in a statement. "If APP fully implements its new policies it will mark a dramatic change in direction, after years of deforestation in Indonesia." Mr. Maiter added that the NGO would now be monitoring its progress closely to ensure the commitments are honored.

http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2013/02/06/asia-pulp-paper-commits-end-rainforest-destruction

Green Power Rankings

Every quarter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency updates its Green Power rankings for U.S. businesses and communities making investments in clean, renewable energy. Yet again, Intel leads the National Top 50 -- a position it has held since 2008. The giant high-tech company uses 3.1 billion kWh of green power annually, according to the EPA data. For perspective, the combined clean power consumption the organizations on this list is about 17 billion kWh annually. The District of Columbia heads the Top 20 Local Governments ranking, eclipsing the City of Houston, which led the list last year.  For on-site power usage Wal-Mart Stores was tops in terms of total energy produced from renewables. It now uses 174.8 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of renewable energy at its U.S. stores, generated by a combination of biogas, solar and wind but this represents just one percent of its annual energy consumption.  Kohl's Department Stores and Whole Foods Markets top the list of companies that generate 100% of their power needs from renewable sources.

http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/toplists/index.htm

Floating Turbines

As countries around the world focus more on offshore wind, scientists are working on next-generation turbines that float rather than having to be rigidly anchored into the sea bed. Anchoring turbines to withstand extreme winds or rough seas limits offshore turbines to being sited in water no deeper than about 165 feet (50 meters).  But if wind turbines can float, they can be installed in water up to 2,300 feet deep.  A $120 million demonstration project starts this year off the coast of Maine - the first test for floating turbines in the US. They will ride on the surface of the water and simply be tethered to the ocean floor.    Four, 3-megawatt (MW) turbines will be deployed two miles off Boothbay Harbor in the Gulf of Maine. Norwegian energy company Statoil is developing the project using Hywind turbines similar to those used in its home country since 2009.  Hywind turbines have exceeded expectations, performing well in 50-foot waves and hurricane-force winds.  The Department of Energy (DOE) gave a $4 million grant to both Statoil and the University of Maine for the project, because their partnership it's likely to improve performance of offshore wind technologies. Floating turbines cost less to install than conventional tower-based designs. They can be assembled onshore and then towed out to the installation site, eliminating the expensive and arduous process of building them out in the open ocean.  Japan approved the world's first floating wind farm last year for three floating turbines of 4 MW each. It's scheduled to come online in early 2016.

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/24556

Today one of our very own bloggers Krista Van Tassel is a featured guest columnist in GreenBiz. And, we wanted to share the story with you here on the Forum. Krista is our resident expert in engaging more than 70 Green Teams at Wells Fargo. She talks about intersecting strategic partnerships with some great environmental nonprofits and the power of our employee volunteers, which number 265,000 at last count. Talk about a powerful combination of assets working toward the greater good of a more sustainable world.