Natural gas can deliver substantial carbon emissions reductions when displacing coal, and the United States has taken good advantage of it in the past several years. But the U.S. experience might be “one moment in time and space,” says Stockholm Environment Institute senior scientist Michael Lazarus, lead author of a new paper [PDF] on gas and… Keep reading →
The institutions that policymakers turn to for data and projections on important energy trends aren’t doing a very good job when it comes to renewables, almost invariably selling things like solar and wind short when it comes to growing deployments and lowering costs. So say Eric Gimon and Sonia Aggarwal, from America’s Power Plan, a group that has come up… Keep reading →
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has just published its 2015 Annual Review on “Renewable Energy and Jobs” and estimates that globally renewable energy jobs (excluding large hydropower) reached approximately 7.7 million in 2014. Renewable Energy Employment in Selected Countries Source: IRENA The graphic above illustrates that familiar suspects can be found among the world’s… Keep reading →
Here’s something to keep in mind when you encounter a story detailing the fast rate of growth of renewable energy somewhere: It’s not good enough. Big change is afoot, and some learned observers are less pessimistic than others, but there’s little mistaking what a desperate situation the world is in. The latest reminder comes in… Keep reading →
MidAmerican Energy this week has announced $1.5 billion in planned new wind power investment, including $900 million to build 552 megawatts of new capacity in Iowa. And that state’s Republican governor, Terry Branstad, couldn’t be more pleased. “Iowa derives a greater percentage of its electricity from wind than any other state, and we’re second in the… Keep reading →
It’s microscopic compared to the massive offshore wind farms that have been going up in European waters over the past decade, but Deepwater Wind’s Block Island project, 18 miles from mainland Rhode Island, is under construction. In the United States, that’s a first, and Jeffrey Grybowski believes the importance can’t be overstated. “This is what offshore… Keep reading →
Solar power is on the brink of becoming profitable in Japan and when it does, the technology will have achieved “commercial viability” in all of the G7 countries, Reuters is reporting. “Solar has come of age in Japan and from now on will be replacing imported uranium and fossil fuels,” said Tomas Kåberger, executive board chairman of Japan… Keep reading →
U.S. wind energy industry leaders went to Texas on Wednesday to release their annual market report and highlight wind’s continuing successes and benefits there. A couple of their selling points were familiar – cheap and clean power – but there was another item that got big emphasis this year, and you’re likely to hear a… Keep reading →
Since the dawn of the 21st century, wind power has grown from providing less than one-third of 1 percent of U.S. electricity generation to 4.4 percent in 2014. And there’s reason to believe it could become much bigger – the cost of wind energy has declined and the U.S. Department of Energy recently laid out… Keep reading →
Washington State Must Step up Renewable Energy Game
By Bryce SmithAs the CEO of a Seattle-based solar company, I know that our state’s forward-looking clean energy policies are a major reason why cutting-edge businesses have decided to set up shop here in Washington. But in the past decade, other states have caught on. They’ve learned from our example. They’ve learned that investing in clean tech… Keep reading →