Citizenre Blog

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Howdy Folks,

There has been some questions that came about from the Title of this website containing "Citizenre" by one of my fellow Ecopreneurs.

Citizenre is a branded name and we are explicitely told not to use the name Citizenre without prior permission from corporate. I did not create this site... it was created by another fellow that will get paid if anyone clicks on ads posted. I recieve no commissions nor am I in any way affiliated with any of the ads.

Since this subject has come up I will not be posting here any longer until matters are settled.

I am very thankful for the communication I was able to leave here and hope to someday return... but for now.... this is all!

Peace,

Frank Knight

Disclaimer: These are my own words and not to be considered to be coming from Corporate Citizenre.

I hope your Holidays are Joyous!

Energy Bill failed then stripped and passed

Wow! They killed the bill yesterday then Sen. Reid supplied a stripped down version that was passed!
What did he strip?
The renewable energy parts!
The part about making utilities produce a certain percentage of renewable energy by a certain year definitely put a halt to it!
The big bummer is that along with the utility deal it included the tax credits for home-owners!
The solar and wind industries have been gaining a lot of momentum in the last few years because of the tax credits. Now the solar and wind industries may suffer!
It just doesn't make sense to me!
On a positive note the fuel efficiency standards of 35 mpg for passenger cars was still included on the stripped down bill.
let's all hope that the renewables will be attached to another bill in the future.
Peace,
Frank Knight
www.frankknights.com
Disclaimer: These are my own personal words and interests  not that of Corporate Citizenre

We need one more vote by tomorrow!

Tomorrow is the big Day! Lets get on the phone early morning and be heard! Thanks, Frank Knight Wed Dec 12, 2007 at 12:20:05 PM PST Rumors are flying that the 2007 Energy Bill will be voted on tomorrow. 59 Senators favor it, meaning we are ONE VOTE away from passing it stopping the GOP filibuster of it. The GOP strategy this year has been clear: Put every possible obstruction in the path of Democratic legislation. When nothing gets done, blame it all on the leadership. Say it enough times until everyone starts to echo it, including the press. And then have the chutzpah to say that the American people are fed up with confrontational politics. We are ONE VOTE away from ending this. We are ONE VOTE away from giving a huge helping hand to the infant solar and wind industries. We are ONE VOTE away from joining with the rest of the world in finally doing something about Global Warming. This Bill has been considerably weakened from even the version passed by the House. The requirement that utilities get 15% of their energy from renewable sources has been dropped. But though much is taken, much remains: *Drastic reduction or elimination of subsidies for oil companies beloved by free-market Republicans. *They will be replaced with expanded, long-lasting solar subsidies. These will be long-lasting-- 8 years for commercial, 6 for residential. (This is crucial.. the number one problem with our current policies is that they are short-term, which discourages investment because businesses can't plan for the long-term.) They will be 30%, and the current $2k to $4k cap will be gone. *Extends for two years existing subsidies for wind, biomass, geothermal, small irrigation hydro,landfill gas, trash combustion facilities. Adds subsidies for tidal. *Tax credits of $3000 to $5000 for plugin hybrids, credits for converting hybrids to plug-in hybrids. Small subsidies for bicycle commuting. *Subsidies for energy efficiency (for homes, businesses, appliances) Its not a perfect bill.. but its a lot better than the Energy Bill of 2005. One solar lobbyist said frankly, this is by far the biggest most important solar bill ever introduced in congress, and is critical to developing a solar future. Couldn’t come at a more important time in terms of the development of the solar industry. We need to do everything we can to spur the renewables industries. And we need to do it NOW. This bill is a small but necessary downpayment.. we need to do it now, not in two years after the next election, not after the arctic ice disappears. The contrast between Republicans and the rest of the world could not be more stark. This week, Britain announced plans to generate half its electricity from offshore wind. Yesterday, Germany announcedthat all new homes built after 1/1/09 will be required to use renewable energy sources to meet 14% of a household's total energy consumption for heating and domestic hot water. The Democrats have been pushing for stronger energy legislation. Republicans stand in the way of progress. Target the GOP I don't know which have flipped. But the following have not. We need one of them. Bob Corker (R-TN) 202 224-3344 John Ensign (R-NV) 202 224-6244 Judd Gregg (R-NH) 202 224-3324 Mel Martinez (R-FL) 202 224-3041 John Sununu (R-NH) 202 224-2841 Hatch (R-UT) (202) 224-5251 Bennet (R-UT) (202) 224-5444 But feel free to call any GOP Senator. If none of these are from your state, you might try a tack I did in 2006. I called up two Senators in nearby states who were facing tough reelection battles. I told the staff member the following, (all of which is true.) I'm not a constituent, so I can't vote for your boss. But there are no close races where I live this year, so I'm trying to decide how to spend my campaign-volunteering time. In the past, I've volunteered in your state. By the way, the Senator's vote on this Bill will heavily influence my decision whether to visit your state for the next election. You're probably in a better position than me to judge how many votes a day of knocking on doors will swing... but I suspect its more than 1. Oh.. sometimes when I campaign in other states, I bring friends. My friends are more excited than ever about the next election If you want to do something about climate change, then call. If you want America to rejoin the community of nations doing something about climate change, then call. If you want to foil the GOP strategy of preventing the Dems from accomplishing anything, then call. If you want to do something about energy security, then call. If you want to put subsidized solar panels on your house, call. DailyKos tries to influence politics on several time-scales: short-term (massive grass-roots pressure on legislation), medium-term (elections) and long-term (building a movement). The three are fully compatible; we can work at any one of these without hurting the cause of the other. This situation is ideally suited for us to have short-term influence. A critical Bill, resting on the knife's edge, and yet attracting relatively little publicity. Let's do what we can to help the Dems to victory on this one.

Sharing the latest from Corporate Citizenre on the energy bill!

Here is an update from Erika:

Good morning, all,

Here is Vote Solar's review of yesterday's Senate Energy Bill vote. The next strategy is to attach the solar provisions to another, widely supported piece of energy legislation, to ensure passage. Then negotiate with the House again over any differences. Clearly, this is going to be "sausage-making" at its best.

Our job: stay the course. Make sure the Senators and Reps know that we are still watching, and that we want the strongest possible solar package. The changes in priorities that America has sought for many years simply MUST happen. You know all the reasons why; we can keep repeating them as long as necessary.

We also know that this is NOT a partisan issue. Ensuring future economic strength is not partisan; the health of our families, cities, towns and planet are things we all want, both parties. This is a debate about how best to ensure these things -- and we believe that the future is best served by clean energy and new industries.

Not all Republicans are "anti-solar". The five Republican Senators who voted FOR the Energy Bill included Maine's senators Snowe and Collins. They understand these issues very well, and are trying to find 'win-win' -- support for renewables that their R colleagues WILL support. (Collins faces a tough reelection fight next year. They both know that Maine won't stay in the R column much longer if issues like this don't go the right way.)

Please tell all Ecos to keep calling and generating calls from their lists/ families, contacts, etc. The outcry generated over the last two weeks has clearly made a huge difference. If that ends now, the negotiating ahead will suffer.

For those of you making or watching over direct calls to Congressional staffers, the next steps vary.

IF Energy staffers HAVE NOT been reached, please continue to try. We want to connect with these folks in as many states as possible. "Reaching them" means that you have the name of the energy staffer and have left a message for that person at least; better yet, you/an Eco has had a substantive conversation with that person.

When you reach the right person, make the following points:

* Stable long-term solar policy and incentives are critical to maintain the industry's growth; start-stop incentives hamstring the growth of companies like ours.
* Solar has huge bipartisan support. Please don't let partisan politics impede the will of the people. (Vote Solar's summary of the poll results www.votesolar.org/polls.html support this)

IF you HAVE made a staff connection already, sit tight, no need to call again right away. We will want to call again to support whatever comes out of this weekend's negotiations. By then, we'll know precisely how to describe what we want them to do.

Finally, please DO report any conversations with Congressional energy staffers. So far I have reports (and identified energy staffers) on 9 states. This is good however I suspect that there are other states where calls have been made but not reported. Here's the Form again: http://www.houseofsolar.com/action/

Thanks once more for all your help. Huge progress was made with the House vote. But the battle isn't over yet. Please know that the troops on the side of clean energy are stronger, and the future looks brighter, with every call you make. My best wishes,

Erika Morgan, SVP Communications
Citizenre Corporation

911 ALERT on the Energy Bill!!!

Energy Bill Passes the House!
- Please Call Your Senator Today -

This is the moment of truth. The time for action is right now.

Thanks to solar energy supporters like you, the U.S. House of Representatives
passed the Energy Independence Act of 2007 yesterday by a vote of 235 to 181.

This is one of the most important pieces of energy legislation ever - extending
solar tax incentives, increasing fuel efficiency standards, and creating a
15% federal renewable energy portfolio standard by 2020. Now it heads to the
Senate for a vote expected later today or tomorrow.

Time is short. Your help is urgently needed to get this bill passed in the Senate.
1) Contact your U.S. Senators today and urge them to pass the Energy Bill
to help promote energy independence. Also, ask them to rally their colleagues
to support this vital piece of legislation -- especially these key colleagues below.

Simply click the Senator's name to find the phone number. Other numbers are at:
www.vote-smart.org

* Arizona - John McCain <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe3W_i3rduQPrOTXtLksNERMwldUVn9XIR6D_0FjiRT8Yno4H3QqRBsiDW9mha0b1qQQ9SM-QQjsvPyaZSthLjg3MwKwUdlM7h0Kb6r7YrM86HuX8mbXeJfua9LzqZc8wSJBdI1kyxZbaQ==> & Jon Kyl <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe3rs1aZMoN08YIL3dbjAKxaN3bxgjulT8iR33zlsMXaZ6xnvvlBfyG07M21F5wA8a0Jlg92WI6lgcUWGTUlwyBuM6WV0yKTG22khifgZLi3uwOkcxbmxWU3v2cTX5RKHxT9vCtRCWvsBA==>

* Colorado - Wayne Allard <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe0SdGsFqp3_GAc0dZIMbUElIEmsUFZK5CHq7ummsNzcyzEomBf2xXUyBNCPlkicvQDuFMVZcLxdzJYGs0Wt7ZB7Zz9-Hxbcm5PsH08rlov4QRTAKYn9rk-IiyhvMg4-6bty5pimRZ8EsA==>

* Florida - Mel Martinez <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe1IU3sbE9kSW6jAG5LNGRY1zl191Ek-uOAHN5mrGWAxwPYcWU_4ByXdL-hVs8mDf2RejW1mqwqb4Dtx9NIf6aoa_lbovuha33gaK8UfKT6zb3Aqil_6LWvPj_fOt_ofWtBFdwc00AlDZw==>

* Idaho - Larry Craig <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe2DthS7H7zKo0yIXvc1TYIHHKDkcwcFoIDqAxV_RUmT8hHqGE9eixevUvGhlHtyF2wrBDvTWjkj1cUaLsE5gzJ81B0eMrfX8GxRbD3BpH8rHMIMupdN4-RB3NDVDelNUcyDsmsmd5xuyA==> & Mike Crapo <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe1pNv5IMWR8Gr8UuAleB5Pv3todGnnPP686N3BXKWZA8KRtDmdTLLg_d-GTWaVn3Piy-t_PatEyo4mgGMTgYXHC63jINSyDOOOzEwMfPoi5e0l8wlgl8vT55gzEBKvKzYy40YczuyE68A==>

* Indiana - Dick Lugar <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe3O4qccb4hcqxV73Hs2w3_Wk3R62WvoBVtbmoIzJf19C3Vb0CiBBi49f7-4_yiRAGCqnccxQjUw8TJbV02odW9xb62jcuqgVGim1zZM3yxZoeNtS58A4igTKYPnBxD6oTwGf21uhEIM8w==>

* Maine - Susan Collins <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe2n_WNutmoORGvHTPGqS9syxWaphHfND6m8EwJlidlOSRsqoNv1WnPG-7VKzB_GvyyysMRzKtcOHspabDATz32loYG8gv7CZO31PJxVtVhQGitaUJrrdYQAEJehq5ALIpMbocuoy5Z71Q==> & Olympia Snowe <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe1mUh62RFBtorf86as_Y8XeRNsmkle9SmanYipQ3hxdjn2vW8Ghsdfc_IrQ77wdTHux5es5Rem2kriMCPXnL4J4K5goSjOh7yxQO1Q_6XIwcRQgEm586xxkiI1wumb0pakUkaSWhiG9Sg==>

* Mississippi - Thad Cochran <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe0XUFPU3-bFM_03R8nSAVVNL3hVLHSA_zxfumZ45naN1vJAKm70V6i7iy__J5r4aAqVbRH4yrLTflwMaE3gy-zb969MLeSLJuEdU_Va_BrWp3UfCtrAQ9VBHBtiDjGUSAF9O87OrUOS3Q==>

* Nevada - John Ensign <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe1u4gu-EDyR3vLZxK0Mh8J2R5-63q7zwA4psxrCxFZeMb3vTJ00Bm-g4tL91-2wdcSN1q0gmFctgOIQWM3Sdx_PQSc-nwKKtueIY-fuY9jP02a7sDv_TcvEwt5i9ZPxzQJR-UcA_FBSww==>

* New Hampshire - John Sununu <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe1jIJNabeTCIh6CWF4qmPcbQR8XK6u5fQ2jqvYLEvBJsDtj32ol5JmWDStxwk3cTFkB_2gh6Jic9WXTZVLkHBAgpw2LzHS2f1lBnsWUjW81fQU_IpeEowizp-R0PeBze2OL67GEFKQDMA==> & Judd Gregg <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe0f4sbsdRspx8H1h8EDEikLib1sA5a-SAtaDB0dvpSfy6VESgkIEt8--m248UYd5r47SzXdFePfU3hwWDJXejLcM-QiCkI-qXEs4JY0BCcFuc6_xeaZXG_7aRl2_YzNFB5IGemzLP2ixQ==>

* Oregon - Gordon Smith <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe2MppIGLMLzwBKbYcDTkYjE7Lme1SYTqagAhio7zF5F5z6IvonmMXp7_BRqGVY__TQuRtFZtM1qB8F07cBbmRQ8umD48JS7TVpGFx57vaNEZ4FH1DB240qQn3BQNia2W-VIrMrv_zSAwQ==>

* Pennsylvania - Arlen Specter <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe1g42SbUbqAL4IcJh93sJgZVSqb4JwPt8wG4u8eX9O_cPbuGMekQp89HGmND2AyW0iwx_dHZljFdO1GaRgF_djHM6R5oVWlL_AxFCjd2l61qhZYBOuPANV8VBl8MIy_YnSZCzfxIikHuA==>

* South Dakota - John Thune <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe1Ta7tZZbnBgl317zgI0uzhnJEF0Avr93_HQGalEDsDiclUYRDr6QJ77TsAFHodPK-Q9oIs1d1HijLehlIXzlpqKkMpjpgsW0taGvuMD9tGmCYeO_UVW9ZLDyGFfSU6E5-msMJZr8XYeg==>

* Tennessee - Lamar Alexander <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe1FC_r4CrhINK3fZruNmF2uVCWu9dg2uVSE_F5efACZB6chffsFiX_6M5EgcRt_J25h65AMADCTCbYdWlj--AycdDf0JWhWSm_LqKT4_7VpGejgUK00Gdevk-7HjijmKbNy-Z-iF_ybZw==> & Bob Corker <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe1z7KnqMnqeyV0fZNAWLkxC1g5QIFTcLC6SxbeDCnjtj_BDJPv4VqRDXJOCzIoG1lnRsBhAi_PZTiPJRuuEkSM8VOisZ6bBstXZMbODvtNuv4Fg7O1gWF3nSrWw7mfTVYUtJn_V9EfTMg==>

* Utah - Orrin Hatch <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe0Gqn9A0KSfqAz_sU5HGmeeHL8wJUVmOj1E-mnlQ_6hjy9WICvrv4Ab7JyoEa3-B8O30Icd81czzePtuOSSBcGHGhRBv1rtz2EmsUybFHpiTLk26DWRzDiEWplnjGHDM6bBe1cCmP1arA==> & Bob Bennett <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe2CQJfVrm8l_nbOyEbYj45TGAltzvrZtbEcTpHrnEMotmXD_PWxzvMLqcrTtoABTJuBayETxARDBtrwjz0JR1Sq0xjG5Lwq7sAxm9RFS67WLU0NKZyN_TPjeDnY_qxuPG5wNDnI5kBN2w==>

* Virginia - John Warner <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00111R9OtRbJe1rLi5xxpDTkMYG3TpaJggtzq9OSyMbsNGI99ldkaU_wSpOlf-YBx-m5bNwEp9QnZA9m-6WXaATxb1hvODyUnGvaaKwM9YArP3y4LSu-sNosy79Chbr-mZzpWbnVNNMGHrymrF2ZR_3mw==>



2) Forward this email to friends and family, especially to those who live in the
states listed above, to encourage them to also contact their Senator today.

3) If you're a blogger, please also spread the word online.

Together, we can extend powerful solar incentives, improve fuel efficiency,
and ensure 15% of U.S. electricity comes from renewable sources of energy
like solar and wind by 2020.

Remember, the Senate vote is expected to take place today or tomorrow
so please take action right now. Your phone call, your support could make all
the difference.

We thank you for your continued support.

With sincere thanks,
Brad

Brad Collins
Executive Director,
American Solar Energy Society
Boulder, Colorado
www.ases.org

Energy Bill Udate!

I am sharing this email I received from Erika Morgan. Thanks for all of the help everyone gave to let our Government know that Renewable Energy folks like us can make a good roar when needed.

This is cool!

Thanks,

Frank Knight

Erika's Message:

Good afternoon!

Several of you have noticed the news last night and this morning about a "Breakthrough" on the Energy Bill. Here's how I read what's going on, and what I think our response should be.  (if you haven't heard it on the news already, there are stories linked below). 

The headline and main focus of all the stories is a compromise between Majority Leader Pelosi and Rep. Dingell (D-MI) concerning CAFE standards.  The subtext suggests that Leadership has reached a compromise that they feel might actually win both House passage and achieve a Senate majority. 

This means that the Energy Bill can actually move forward with a) CAFE; b) RFS and c) Renewable Energy Standard, i.e., 15% requirement on utilities to buy renewables and, maybe d) the solar tax provisions.  These are all great things.  AND if this compromise actually achieves the veto-proof 60+ vote majority, then all these things might all actually get passed.  That would be huge. 

It is also true that there HAS been a lot of support for the solar tax credits, and Leadership knows that.  IF the tax credits aren't included, there are other ways that the tax credits can get passed. This is not true for CAFE, RFS and RES, none of which have any other "vehicles" for passage. Given all this, do we tell our reps to vote against this huge package of good things?   

It's too early to say. We'll hear from "our side" of DC certainly on Monday.  We need two answers:

a) ARE the solar tax credits in this package or not.  Sen. Reid committed to the industry that YES, these provisions would be in the package.  It may well be that they ARE included.  Yet from all the reporting on this last "breakthrough", we can't confirm that they are or aren't. 

b) If not, IS there an acceptable alternative vehicle to ensure their passage.  Has the solar industry reached agreement with Leadership promising that, if the tax credits are OUT now, that they WILL be in a specific alternate vehicle for action, and when? 

Bottom line: Hold tight.  This is a good time to take a break from generating calls.  It's possible we will want to start calls again soon, but possibly with a different message.  It could be "Support the Energy Bill", because the solar credits ARE in it.  Or, if the tax credits are going to be put into a different piece of legislation, we'll want to hold our calls until we can support that measure. 

For any of you and your teams that have been making calls, thank you.  If you get a call back, just say what you would have said -- the solar industry needs a stable, long term investment context in order to continue its growth.  Anything that can be done to support that position is urged and appreciated. 

But hold off on either placing more calls, or on requesting any more sign-ons of the support letters.  It's probable that the sign-on letters have been sent by now, as leadership has most likely achieved the final form of their package prior to votes due to start Wednesday.  Let's keep our powder dry for the next round, whether that's later in the week or another time altogether.

Thanks very much to all, Erika


Background -- for further reading on what's just happened, here are a few of the better resources I found.  There will be much more written over the next few days. 

Here's what NPR said this morning:  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16799774   The most telling bits for our purposes are at the end:

"... But to get the bill through the Senate — and also avoid a threatened veto by President Bush — Democratic leaders are expected to abandon attempts to impose nearly $16 billion in new taxes on the oil industry with the revenue to be used to support renewable energy sources and conservation.  It remained unclear Friday whether more limited tax provisions aimed at ensuring extensions of tax credits and incentives for renewable fuels development will survive."

All the other sources I have reviewed just now reflect the same uncertainty about what's happening with the solar tax incentives- e.g.,
CBS News 8 PM last night- "It remained unclear Friday whether some, more limited tax provisions aimed at ensuring extensions of tax credits and incentives for renewable fuels development would be included."

This New York Times article provides a better look at all the various pieces of the puzzle that have been traded off here, notably the issue of federal preemption of CA's right to set their own mileage standards, and the rights of other states to follow CA if they want to do so, which is a really huge issue to get right.  There was apparently huge Republican pressure to cave on this, and Pelosi held tough and won it:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/01/washington/01energy.html?_r=1&bl&ex=1196658000&en=75e60ff9636770ca&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin