2010 Models & Solar In City Limits

New car models are hitting the showroom floor…
(((MONTAGE)))
This is The Environment Report. I’m Lester Graham.
It’s hard to miss all the ads for “all new” models of cars. But what’s selling during a recession--- especially after cash-for-clunkers ended. Well… not luxury cars. September sales did see some trucks move off the lot… especially the FORD F-150—the guess is: contractors finally broke down and replaced some trucks.
We were wondering if these austere times meant people are buying cars that get good mileage.
“It looks like fuel-efficient vehicles aren’t doing that great.”
Mark Gillies is the Executive Editor for Car and Driver magazine. He says vehicles that get good gas mileage probably won’t start selling until gasoline prices go up… just like what happened last year.
“That’s when you saw a big move to buying more fuel efficient vehicles. And I think the obvious thing about oil prices is that long term the trend is that they’re going to go up and they’re going to stay that way.”
Fuel-efficient models did sell in August because of Cash-for Clunkers… but Gillies says dealers speculate those buyers… usually don’t buy new cars… but they did buy some of the low-end models this time because they were cheap… not necessarily because they were fuel-efficient.
(((STING)))
There's a commercial-scale solar project in Chicago that's getting some buzz around the country.
The builders promise to use up some abandoned industrial space within the city limits ... and hope to provide some local jobs.
City governments across the country like both of those ideas.
Shawn Allee looks at why this urban solar project's falling into place, and whether it might get repeated across the country.


There's a plot of land on Chicago's South Side that has a pretty sad history.
Factories closed and left behind chemical waste.
Even with some clean-up there haven't been any takers.
Until recently ...
This site's been vacant for thirty years.
That's Tom O'Neill ... he develops new businesses for an energy company called Exelon.
He's showing me 40 acres where he's putting up solar panels.
O'Neill: What's changed is you don't see the brush and the shrubbery and there was a building that used to be here. The whole site is now graded and you can see signs of the construction where the foundations are going to come out. If you look further West, you can actually see the foundations going in for the solar panels, so it's changed quite a bit.
A lot of cities would like a project like this, but the question is, will Exelon build more?


Exelon's getting federal loan guarantees and tax credits, but even with that, O'Neill's not absolutely certain it can turn a profit.
It is a demonstration project to show what can be done and with its success will come other successes.
To get an industry-wide view of whether other cities might get urban solar farms ... I talk with Nathaniel Bullard.
He analyses solar power markets for New Energy Finance, a consulting firm.
Bullard predicts we will see more urban solar projects.
For example, some southwestern cities have old landfills - and they're planning to put solar farms on top.
We've actually see those go much larger than what's on the books right now for Exelon.
Bullard says companies are taking a closer look at solar power because the U-S Congress changed some tax laws.
BULLARD: First thing to note in the Exelon project is that it is Exelon itself which is going to own its project. If this was a year ago, they would be purchasing the electricity on contract. Now, with a change in policy, an investor-owned utility is allowed to own the asset itself and take advantage of a tax benefit.
Bullard says urban solar projects like the one in Chicago will get more common the longer the government keeps those incentives in place.
Bullard has a solar-energy joke that he swears is true.
He says in the solar industry, the strongest light does not come from sunshine - it comes from government policy.