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New York’s new $132 billion budget includes provisions for a “Bigger, Better Bottle Bill” that tacks on a 5-cent refundable deposit to bottles containing water and other non-carbonated beverages.
The state has had a 5-cent deposit on soda, beer and other carbonated beverages since 1982.
Another key feature of the measure allows 80 percent of unclaimed deposits on beverage bottles — a projected $115 million annually — to go into the state’s general fund. Previously all unredeemed deposits were kept by the beverage industry.
Environmentalists cheered passage of the “Bigger Better Bottle Bill.” Thirty groups that had campaigned for the expanded bill jointly issued a statement hailing the new law on April 3.
“This is a huge victory not only for the environment, but for the people of New York,” said Laura Haight, senior environmental associate with New York Public Interest Research Group, in the statement.
Bottled water represents 70 percent of non-carbonated beverage sales in the state, and the discarded bottles are among the items most frequently found in litter cleanups in New York, according to the Container Recycling Institute.
“As a result of this law,” Haight also said, “we will have noticeably cleaner communities and far more recycling. At the same time, the money from the public’s unclaimed nickels will go to work for us, not for Coke and Pepsi.”
The 5-cent deposit on bottles of water and other non-carbonated drinks goes into effect June 1.
More information on New York’s bottle bill and legislation in other states is available from the Bottle Bill Resource Guide, www.bottlebill.org.
Excerpted from GreenerDesign.
Commentary: You can begin capitalizing on these funds immediately by first getting a Green Office Makeover (GOM). A GOM will help you identify what kinds of improvements you can make in your office. Green Irene will provide specific recommendations that you can implement with the help of government funds and save money while reducing your footprint. This is the time to GO GREEN. Get a Green Office Makeover today! Contact your Local Green Irene Eco-Consultant for more information.
Excerpted from The Daily Green:
The Obama Administration is dolling out $3.2 billion for energy efficiency and energy conservation projects in states and cities across the U.S., moving that portion of the economic stimulus money a bit closer to your office.
The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program will fund new and existing programs in states to promote home and office energy audits, weatherization, energy efficiency upgrades, replacement of outdated appliances and other similar initiatives. The Department of Energy had previously estimated that the average qualifying home or business could benefit from $6,500 in improvements. Each program differs by state and city, so look to your local agencies or energy.gov/recovery for details. While home improvement initiatives are likely to help individuals most directly, the grants cover a broad array of potential initiatives:
“The funding will support energy audits and energy efficiency retrofits in residential and commercial buildings, the development and implementation of advanced building codes and inspections, and the creation of financial incentive programs for energy efficiency improvements. Other activities eligible for use of grant funds include transportation programs that conserve energy, projects to reduce and capture methane and other greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, renewable energy installations on government buildings, energy efficient traffic signals and street lights, deployment of Combined Heat and Power and district heating and cooling systems, and others.”
Don’t wait for the money to find you. Check out existing Home Energy Tax Credits available this year.
Overview
The Green Irene Guide to the Stimulus Packages provides you with information about federal incentives that can help businesses go green. The Stimulus Packages, officially known as the Economic Recovery Act of 2008 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, were signed by Presidents George Bush and Barack Obama to address the economic recession. We want our clients to capitalize on these incentives as much as possible. If there ever was a time for homes and small businesses to go green, this is the time. The federal government will help our clients go green much more easily and cost-effectively. Make sure you take advantage of this opportunity!
Below are the provisions of the Stimulus Packages by category that are applicable to small businesses. For more information about incentives that apply to homes, click here.
Energy Efficiency Deployment ($2 billion over ten years)
* Tax credits (not deductions) for energy efficient business improvements (same as for homes) are extended through 2010 and increased from 10% to 30% of qualified expenses paid for efficiency upgrades (up to $1,500). Efficiency upgrades include:
- Energy-Star central air conditioners and heat pumps;
- Energy-Star furnaces and boilers;
- Energy-Star windows, doors, and roofing;
- Code-appropriate insulation and sealing;
- Energy-Star ground-source heat pumps; and
- Solar water heaters and biogas or biomass stoves.
Public Transportation, Alternative Fuels and Efficient Vehicles ($2.3 billion over ten years)
* Business and individual tax credits for alternative fuel pumps and refueling infrastructure is temporarily increased from 30% to 50% of qualifying costs for 2009 and 2010, with the exception of hydrogen fueling pumps, which remain capped at 30%.
* Increases tax credit for purchase of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, allowing larger credits for vehicles with larger batteries. The base amount of the credit is $2,500. If the qualified vehicle draws propulsion from a battery with at least 5 kilowatt hours of capacity, the credit is increased by $417, plus another $417 for each kilowatt hour of battery capacity in excess of 5 kilowatt hours up to 16 kilowatt hours. The amount can go up to $3,500 for non-plug-ins and to $7,500 for plug-ins.
* Parity is provided between the employer tax credit for fringe benefits for transit and parking offered to employees. Previously the credit for transit benefits was lower than for parking benefits. The bill sets maximum credit for fringe parking and transit benefits at $230 per month. Expected cost is $192 million over ten years.
Clean Energy Deployment ($2.5 billion over ten years)
* Provides a full 30% credit for small wind and solar generators aside from the home improvement provision. This is in addition to state and local tax credits.
* Authorizes $1.6 billion for Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs Bonds) to help finance the construction of new renewable energy facilities owned/operated by non-profit entities, including public power providers, state/municipal/tribal governments, and electric cooperatives.
What do I need to do to get the tax credit?
You will need to file IRS Form 5695 with your taxes. In addition, you will need to keep at least receipts proving that you purchased the improvements and a copy of the manufacturer’s certification (or the ENERGY STAR label for windows). Accountants and tax advisors should also be able to provide more guidance.
To learn more, please visit the following resources:
Alliance to Save Energy: http://www.ase.org/content/article/detail/2654
Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency: http://www.dsireusa.org/
Department of Energy: http://www.energy.gov/recovery/index.htm
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: http://www.eere.energy.gov/
Energy Star: http://www.energystar.gov
NJ Clean Energy Program (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy): http://www.njcleanenergy.com/
Pennsylvania Keystone Home Energy Loan Program: http://www.keystonehelp.com/
PSE&G Solar Loan Program: http://www.pseg.com/customer/solar/index.jsp?WT.mc_id=solarloan
Tax Incentives Assistance Project (Includes IRS Forms): http://www.energytaxincentives.org/
Weatherization Assistance Program: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/weatherization/
So you are ready to begin greening your office! You should know that greening your office can also have substantial financial benefits as you reduce expenses and create a green image that may attract new customers or clients. This alone is good reason to go green, on top of the fact that doing so reduces your environmental footprint. But there is another great reason why your business should go green. To help you take action more quickly, the government is providing critical incentives in the form of tax credits. Green Irene can help you find out more!
Green Irene can help you learn more about requirements to qualify for small business incentives to go green. These incentives involve improvements you can make in energy efficiency and green energy, which can help your business substantially reduce operating costs. Green Irene offers substantial information about such incentives, many of which were given through the federal bailout of 2008 or are upcoming through the federal stimulus plan.
To learn more about these incentives, ask your local Green Irene Eco-Consultant to find out how you can gain access to our Ask Green Irene service, our comprehensive green knowledgebase.
