Venezuela Takes Another Green Step, Ends Blackouts

As my own heavily Democratic State government in Sacramento sells out to the lighbulb lobby, ditching plans to faze out energy wasting incandescent lighbulbs, Hugo Chavez in Venezuela announced that industrial and commerical establishments will follow the country's residences in replacing all lights with green flourescent bulbs. The Venezuelan government buys the bulbs and has them installed through local community organizations. The Califnornian idea was to just ban normal lights, and offering no subsidy to help the poor find or buy them. Instead it appears the "comprimise bill" is to just wait until 2018 for progress. Scientists estimate if every American installed replaced just one bulb in their home, we'd save the equivalent of 1 million cars on the roads in carbon emissions. So easy it's stupid. Instead the democrats pander to the corn ethanol industry in Iowa...

BY RONALD SUAREZ RIVAS – Granma daily special correspondent

ZULIA, June 17. — Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez announced the start of a new stage in the country’s “Energy Revolution,” with the goal of substituting almost 27 million inefficient light bulbs for energy-saving ones in the commercial, industrial and public sectors.

Chávez said it was necessary to change consumption patterns, which often tend to waste electricity and fuel, and affirmed that the efforts underway nationwide are aimed at protecting the environment.

The campaign to change 26.7 million bulbs began on Sunday; it will cover the 13 states with the most industrial power.

After the replacement of 53.2 million incandescent bulbs in Venezuelan homes, electric power authorities reported that maximum demand went down by 1,400 Megawatts.

In states like Nueva Esparta, Amazonas and Delta Amacuro, where outages were frequent, no blackouts have occurred for months, during which time the improved service has benefited many homes.

“Since the Energy Revolution began last November, the Venezuelan people have begun to shatter paradigms of energy usage,” affirmed Manuel Deza, coordinator of the energy program.

The example of the Termozulia plant, which features reduced emissions into the atmosphere, is another of the Energy Revolution’s components. The program also projects replacing oil with natural gas for electric power generation; replacing air conditioners with more energy-efficient ones, and using renewable sources of energy.