President Obama has committed the United States to the goal of generating 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. “This would nearly triple the amount of wind- and solar-generated electricity on the national grid. The EPA ran afoul of the law by failing to conduct a cost-benefit analysis before it acted to reduce… Keep reading →
At long last he did it – he came out with a strong, unequivocal statement on the need to fight climate change. Yep, actor Mark Ruffalo is urging action. I’m angry that we are still debating climate change, and that despite the reams of science-based evidence for it, there are still those who ignore the… Keep reading →
The Wall Street Journal has returned attention to the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, the $2.2 billion Department of Energy-backed concentrating solar power plant whose slow start became the subject of some controversy after a Breaking Energy story last fall. The Journal reported that “15 months after starting up, the California plant is producing just 40… Keep reading →
There’s no question that variable resources like solar PV and wind present unique grid challenges, but with the Clean Power Plan pointing to higher penetration levels, there’s a lot of debate about how big an issue integration really is. The North American Electrical Reliability Corporation set off alarms bells in late April with a report that said… Keep reading →
The global coal industry continues to expand with new coal-fired power plants planned or being built throughout the developing world, especially in Asia where coal remains the preferred low-cost fuel option for power generation. Building up coal mining operations, constructing new coal-fired power plants and developing infrastructure requires billions of dollars in initial investments. Where… Keep reading →
The commercial and industrial solar power sector has not yet taken flight in the same way that residential and utility-scale solar has in recent years. But to many in the solar industry, that just screams opportunity. The C&I solar market is a strange animal for several reasons, but changing economics, regulations and technology appear to… Keep reading →
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 →
New York Energy Week is kicking off its third year next month! The energy industry event series has quickly become a must-attend gathering for businesses, government leaders, financial players, legal professionals, members of the environmental community and citizens interested in the exciting ways energy production, transportation and consumption are evolving. New York Energy Week’s mission is… Keep reading →
Fundamental scientific research lies at the heart of many energy-related breakthroughs that ultimately disrupt established social and economic systems. It can be overwhelming to look at the world’s looming energy and climate challenges, but Dr. Franklin (Lynn) Orr, Under Secretary for Science and Energy at the US Department of Energy remains optimistic despite the complexity… Keep reading →
