Warren Buffett is apparently not an unadorned green but instead falls in the category of self-interested capitalist. Shocker, right? The billionaire is under scrutiny because one arm of his vast Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate – the Nevada utility NV Energy – is trying to keep a 3 percent ceiling on net-metered solar in the state. Meanwhile, other arms of Berkshire… Keep reading →
Flattened tiers, minimum bills and time-of-use pricing are coming. This week, California utility regulators issued a long-awaited proposal to reform the complex, multi-tiered rate structures for residential customers of the state’s big three investor-owned utilities. And as solar advocates expected, it contains some good news and some bad news for the economics of customer-owned net-metered… Keep reading →
Renewable energy is often presented as hopelessly contentious in the United States, but there’s a new survey – or maybe we should say, there’s another survey – that shows Americans overwhelmingly believe in the stuff, have a sense it could save them money, and want government to support it. Even Republicans. Solar and wind finished… Keep reading →
We need to have “the talk” about solar power and equity, because ignoring uncomfortable questions will invite misinformation and bad decisions. We need an informed dialogue about how local solar power can impact low-income communities and communities of color in the U.S. We need to talk about “all the good things, and the bad things,… Keep reading →
If you aren’t going solar in Connecticut, you might want to rethink that. New research from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory puts Connecticut a lofty and surprising third – behind only Hawaii and California – among the 50 states in a measure of the unsubsidized economic potential of a residential solar system. The state of Washington,… Keep reading →
The knock-on economic opportunities associated with developing, transporting and consuming energy are widespread and have drawn eye-popping amounts of private equity investment in the past few years. “That opportunity has the private equity industry salivating. PE funds have raised $157 billion since 2009 to invest in energy, according to data from intelligence firm Preqin. And… Keep reading →
Several states have embraced net metering in order to encourage the adoption of solar energy and other distributed generation. Sometimes referred to as “running a meter backwards,” net metering allows people to generate their own electricity, export any excess electricity to the grid, and get paid for providing this excess energy to the utility who… Keep reading →
US natural gas prices have trended lower since the summer, but homeowners will likely pay slightly more for the heating fuel than last winter. “For consumers, prices will be about 6.8% higher than last winter, as gas utilities sell more expensive fuel they bought in the spring and summer, according to the U.S. Energy Information… Keep reading →
Quick Take: When I talk at industry conferences and private events, I often remind utility leaders that they now have new allies. Climate groups that previously saw utilities as carbon-spewing monopolists now understand the essential role they play in integrating renewables. As a result, organizations such as the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Defense… Keep reading →
This article is part of the Energy.gov series highlighting the “Top Things You Didn’t Know About…” Be sure to check back for more entries soon. 9. Distributed wind power is used at or near where it is generated, as opposed to wind power from wholesale generation, where power is sent to consumers via transmission lines and substations.… Keep reading →
