Massachusetts’ Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SREC) are an unquestioned success, creating green jobs and clean energy while protecting taxpayers. As the program enters its second phase, it’s time for Governor Baker to reaffirm the state’s commitment to a sustainable economic future. Governor Patrick established the SREC program in 2008 to incentivize 400 megawatts (MW) new… Keep reading →
Under pressure from greens, Amazon Web Services – the online retail giant’s market-leading cloud business – is moving to clean up its carbon act. AWS on Tuesday announced it would buy power under a 13-year contract from a wind farm that Pattern Energy will build in Indiana. The way some companies pay to get stadiums… Keep reading →
When Mexico reformed its energy markets to attract foreign investment, analysts focused bullish outlooks on natural gas and petroleum. And without a doubt, the country will attract billions in new fossil fuel projects. Mexico is in a difficult position. Combine high prices for imported natural gas, limited hydropower and coal resources, creaky grid infrastructure, limited… Keep reading →
Mandates that require utilities to generate renewable energy can be satisfied by physically owning the assets and generating power from distributed sources like wind and solar, or by purchasing renewable energy certificates from other who generate power from renewables. This creates markets that vary by state depending on local mandates and regulations. REC trading in… Keep reading →
In the United States, electricity generation is still the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions—more than 2,039 million tons a year. Although Americans are increasingly educated and passionate about climate issues, many still lack basic information about renewable energy, which can prevent them from taking action. In fact, NREL reports that although 80 percent… Keep reading →
The US Environmental Protection Agency’s Top Partner Rankings highlight US companies, municipalities, schools and government organizations that use clean, renewable sources of electricity to power their operations. “Using green power helps reduce the environmental impacts of electricity use and supports the development of new renewable generation capacity nationwide. Usage amounts reflect U.S. operations only and… Keep reading →
On September 13, 2013, Google announced that it had signed a contract to buy the entire output of the 239.2 megawatt Happy Hereford wind farm that is being developed by Chermac Energy near Amarillo, Texas. The project is expected to begin operation in late 2014. Undoubtedly, the developer of the facility, Chermac Energy* is pleased to have… Keep reading →
The City of Chicago passed an ordinance September 11 requiring buildings with more than 50,000 square feet to report their energy use to a benchmarking tool and eventually to the public. The law, passed in a 32-to-17 vote, is part of the city’s overall efforts to reduce energy use in half of Chicago’s buildings 30… Keep reading →
Reducing the impact of operations on the environment is a lofty goal for any business, but good citizenship is, in most cases, an insufficient motivation for sweeping changes at a company that must answer to its shareholders. What makes many sustainability efforts feasible for profit-driven companies is that by pursuing them – especially those that… Keep reading →
Misconception and myth hang over the entirety of the US energy sector, but with renewable energy equally likely to get bogged down in political wrangling over subsidy levels and climate change, getting to the truth remains a particular challenge.
Accounting firm Ernst & Young is accustomed to crunching data from a wide range of sources and sorting it into manageable categories. The company has taken an increasing thought-leadership profile in energy, and recently released an update to its substantial renewable energy attractiveness indices as part of that practice. Keep reading →
