This week is shaping up to be rough for the US coal industry. The EPA is holding hearings on plans to dramatically cut carbon-dioxide emissions released from US power plants and the Obama administration just published a report on the economic consequences of waiting to act on climate change. It’s enough to make one wonder… Keep reading →
“You’d think the thrill might wear off this whole renewable energy investing thing after a while. Nope—we’re still as into it as ever.” This week, Google announced an $80 million equity investment in six solar photovoltaic projects being developed by Recurrent Energy in Arizona and California. The deal marks the company’s 14th investment since it started eyeing project-level… Keep reading →
By Brad Quick A handful of counties in North Dakota are churning out more oil and gas than the entire state of Alaska. Welcome to the Bakken, the jewel of The Rough Rider State. But a look beyond the drillers working the state’s Bakken field reveals many players who see another opportunity: building North Dakota’s infrastructure. In May,… Keep reading →
Most people find it tough to get excited about regulators. But President Obama’s nomination of Ron Binz to head the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is reason to sit up and take notice. FERC oversees the nation’s electricity and natural gas networks, and the grid is badly in need of upgrades—up to $2 trillion worth by… Keep reading →
Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange March 21, 2012 just after the opening bell.
There seem to be few limits to the number of risks that can circle any new energy project, whether it be an oil well or an efficiency-boosting technology designed for the home. From politics to privacy to financing to a lack of metrics, the obstacles often inhibit needed investment in the US and abroad as infrastructure ages while global demand grows. Keep reading →
The potential for climbing costs in reacting to climate change are looking more and more bleak and it may be time for leaders outside the environmental community to do something about it, business leaders on a Ceres-sponsored call said on Friday.
The meeting was purposefully scheduled to start six hours after the release of a United Nations-sponsored Intergovernmental Panel report on climate change in Uganda. It warned global leaders that climate change is real and could have disastrous environmental and economics impacts. Keep reading →
