ing Sacramento into a hub for the green economy. "There is another gold rush coming to Sacramento, and your commitment to an emerald community and green will make that happen," she said. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2011/06/14/1731321/epa-chief-lisa-jackson-says-sacramento.html Google invests $280 million to spur home solar. NEW YORK -- Google is investing $280 million to help private homeowners put solar panels on their rooftops. It's Google's latest - and largest - investment in clean energy. The money will allow installer SolarCity to offer solar systems to homeowners for no money up front. In exchange, customers agree to pay a set price for the power produced by the panels. Google earns a return on its investment by charging SolarCity interest to use its money and reaping the benefits of federal and local renewable energy tax credits. Posted. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jun/14/google-invests-280-million-to-spur-home-solar/ http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jun/14/google-invests-280-million-to-spur-home-solar/ http://www.nctimes.com/news/science/article_272425a2-b4a7-5425-a4cf-04dd7903a481.html http://www.modbee.com/2011/06/14/1731547/google-invests-280-million-to.html http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_18269725?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_18269725 Wind power and water power collide in the Northwest. Reporting from Rufus, Ore.— The wide, green gorge where the majestic Columbia River begins its final push to the sea generates so many stiff breezes that windsurfers from around the world make their way to Hood River, not far from here, to ply their colorful sails atop the churning whitecaps. Lately though, electricity, not recreation, has become the big-ticket wind client in the Columbia Gorge. Wind turbines have sprung up all over the blustery hilltops in eastern Washington and Oregon, an area soon to become home to the largest wind farm in the world, developed for customers of Southern California Edison. Indeed, half the massive new wind power generated in the Pacific Northwest goes down the grid to California. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-adv-wind-energy-20110614,0,1852355.story BLOGS Critical List: EPA delays rules on carbon emissions; Bachmann hates the EPA. The EPA is delaying until September rules that would regulate power plants' greenhouse gas emissions. Michele Bachmann has a great plan for the agency, should she become president: Rename it "the job-killing organization of America." That will solve everything! Fukushima clean-up has been a comedy of errors when it comes to safety protections. Many aren’t getting training to use their protective gear, and others aren’t getting enough gear at all. Some people say that when they were recruited, they weren’t even told that they’d be cleaning up radiation at the plant. Posted. http://www.grist.org/list/2011-06-14-critical-list-epa-delays-rules-on-carbon-emissions-bachmann-hate Air Board Hands in its Homework. In response to a court ruling (which it's still appealing), the California Air Resources Board today issued a new analysis of its proposed carbon trading program, weighed against several alternative means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The fresh look includes the original five options, including cap & trade and the option of doing nothing at all. It does not add any new options but rather seeks to flesh out the other three. The non-trading options include regulating emissions at the source, implementing a straight-up tax on carbon emissions, and a mixed bag of actions. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2011/06/13/air-board-hands-in-its-homework/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FClimateWatchBlog+%28KQED%27s+Climate+Watch+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader Air Resources Board Releases New Environmental Assessment of Cap and Trade to Comply with Judge’s Order. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is covering all its bases in responding to a judge’s order that CARB violated the California Enviornmental Quality