The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its proposal for mandated levels of renewable fuels blended into gasoline and diesel on Friday. The proposal aims to find a balance between encouraging the continued growth of the biofuels sector and avoiding blending more ethanol into the motor fuel pool than some engines can safely handle. Production… 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 →
With a little less than a year to go until the 2014 mid-term elections, Congress has a number of big decisions looming. Here is a quick look into where we are today, and what we see in front of us over the next year. Post-Shutdown Status On October 16th, the Federal government shutdown came to… Keep reading →
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway bought 40.1MM shares of ExxonMobil for $3.45bln, and now holds about 0.9% of the company’s stock. UK’s BG has sold additional interests in its Queensland Curtis LNG project in Australia to China National Offshore Oil Corp. for $1.93 billion, and to supply the state-controlled Chinese firm with an additional 5 million tons per year of LNG… Keep reading →
Could more effective marketing bring energy efficiency into the limelight? One word that frequently comes up in discussions of energy efficiency is “boring”. It’s not sexy like oil or revolutionary like shale gas. Obtaining it sometimes requires that people modify their behavior in annoying ways, with no immediately visible benefits. There’s also a great deal… Keep reading →
Google and private equity firm KKR are investing $400 million, including equity and debt financing, in six solar power plants being built by a subsidiary of Japan’s Sharp Corp. The projects have a combined capacity of 106 megawatts and should begin operating by January. [Reuters] The Tennessee Valley Authority is retiring eight units at three… Keep reading →
President Obama has issued an executive order outlining multiple strategies to bolster climate resilience of states and local governments. On November 1, 2013, President Obama signed an Executive Order (EO) titled “Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change,” directing federal agencies to support climate resilience efforts in states and local communities. The… Keep reading →
Language on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline buried on page 491 of the International Energy Agency’s most recent World Energy Outlook may provide more fuel for opponents of the project, but it could offer a leg up to project proponents, as well. The WEO 2013 forecasts that oil sands production will average 4.3 million barrels… Keep reading →
Siemens’ financing arm is seeing a shift in project finance from a focus on renewables to a more even mix of renewable and fossil fuel generation, according to US chief executive Kirk Edelman. “What we’re seeing now is a little bit of a shift away from a lot of focus on renewables to a more… Keep reading →
Sustainable infrastructure designer and developer Envision Solar International began a two-week trail of its EV ARC solar electric vehicle charging station yesterday at San Diego International Airport. The charging station is mobile, fully autonomous, and available for use free of charge for plug-in hybrids and EVs. There is a one-hour time limit during the trial… Keep reading →
