Solar power continues to be a high-revving jobs engine in the United States, surging to 173,807 positions industrywide by late 2014, a 21.8 percent increase over a year earlier, according to an annual survey released on Thursday. High-profile trade cases brought by Oregon-based SolarWorld Industries Americas have put a focus on solar manufacturing in the… Keep reading →
The renewable energy future for the U.S. might not be what you expect. Will there be more solar? Sure, but solar heating and cooling systems as much as photovoltaic panels will be important contributors. And the number of giant wind turbines envisioned whirring across the land – and over coastal waters – is kind of… Keep reading →
Led by solar power, global investment in renewable energy increased 16% in 2014 year-on-year. Solar and wind led the charge, but biofuels investment fell back a bit. “China was the clear national leader, with investment rising 32% to $90bn, with the US second, up 8% to $52bn, and Japan up 12% to $41bn. Canada, Brazil… Keep reading →
The renewable energy sector is dynamic, with advancing technology and evolving policy. As 2015 beckons, here are some of the key questions that Portland, Oregon-based contributor Pete Danko will be asking as about U.S. renewables. 1) Is The PTC Winding Down or Dead? The wind industry won a small victory just before Congress went home,… Keep reading →
Climate hawks threw a punch at Walmart early Thursday afternoon – and before the day was over, the global retail behemoth had jabbed back. Sort of. Or so it might have appeared. The Institute for Local Self Reliance, with enviro heavyweights like 350.org founder Bill McKibben and Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune at its… Keep reading →
A new report released by the Canadian Pembina Institute and the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions looks at British Columbia’s (B.C.) liquefied natural gas (LNG) strategy to serve the lucrative Asian gas market through the prism of global climate change in a carbon-constrained world. “Natural gas is often described as a bridge fuel. The question… Keep reading →
Germany has put itself on the world map in the past decade as an early adopter of energy generation from renewable sources. In 2013, 25% of the country’s energy came from renewable sources – the highest percentage in the world. By 2050, as part of the country’s Energiewende (or “energy transition”), Germany expects this number… Keep reading →
There is, by now, a general consensus that transitioning to a low-carbon economy is critical for mitigating the effects of climate change. Supporting carbon-cutting efforts entails a move away from fossil fuel-fired power generation and concurrently a shift towards low-carbon electricity sources. How much of a country’s energy should come from renewable sources is debatable… Keep reading →
Europe’s biggest economy marches towards a greener future. Aug 18 was a Sunday like any other in Germany. At 2 pm, the country’s renewable generation capacity peaked at 41 GW while demand was around 53.5 GW – meaning that renewables accounted for roughly 75% of generation capacity, a new record for Europe’s biggest economy. At… Keep reading →
On August 11, 2014, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto enacted secondary energy reform legislation, thus concluding a legislative process to overhaul Mexico’s energy sector that stems from a December 20, 2013 decree modifying several energy-related provisions contemplated under the Mexican constitution, a topic about which Nexant has blogged in the past. While the press has focused its… Keep reading →
