The changing utility business model has been a major theme in the news and industry circles this year, with many bemoaning that fact that as distributed generation and energy efficiency proliferate, utilities sell less of their product. The trend has even been dramatically called the “utility death spiral.” Scary. But while these are certainly challenges… Keep reading →
What are the similarities between Ace Hardware and the solar industry? Many more than you might think after the recent announcement that the nation’s only solar purchasing cooperative, Amicus Solar Cooperative, chose Locus Energy as the preferred monitoring provider for its 30 members throughout the country. Amicus, meaning “friend” in Latin, is a group of… Keep reading →
Louisiana’s coastline is getting washed out to sea and a lawsuit designed to make oil and gas companies pay for the damage now rages. Some believe a creative financing solution – that involves federal, state and private funding – is needed to foot the more than $50 billion dollar bill over 50 years. “Companies will… Keep reading →
The monthly Energy Infrastructure Update from the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has become a favorite of renewable energy advocates the past few years, often showing a large proportion – and sometimes virtually all – of new electrical generation capacity coming from renewables. There wasn’t much to crow about in April, however, and one-third of… Keep reading →
Congratulations, you’ve made it through tax season! You can now give yourself a big pat on the back and bask in the springtime sun while your refunds roll in. However, if you live in a big city, where you most likely rent real estate and ride public transportation, you may not have qualified for many… Keep reading →
You might think that a northern state like Minnesota wouldn’t be a hot market for solar energy, but, in fact, solar can work well in northern and colder climates. To capture that solar potential, Minnesota recently enacted several policies and incentives to inspire more Minnesota businesses, municipalities, non-profits, and residents to install solar and reduce their energy costs. The main driver behind Minnesota’s solar push is the state’s Renewable Portfolio… Keep reading →
The days of merely managing wires and selling a commodity are winding down for utilities. These companies must now compete with or embrace technology and services that give customers greater control over the systems that power their homes, making it easier to reduce energy consumption, increase efficiency and ultimately save money. Google’s acquisition of smart… Keep reading →
This piece does a good job laying out the pros and cons of the most common crude oil transportation methods – rail, pipeline, truck and boat. “So it depends upon what your definition is for worse. Is it death and destruction? Is it amount of oil released? Is it land area or water volume contaminated? Is… Keep reading →
The Afşin-Elbistan coalfield and power plant project looks to tap the 40% of Turkey’s lignite coal reserves located in the region to generate up to 8,000 MW of power. After the UAE’s TAQA put investment on hold, Turkey’s state power generator is negotiating with Chinese and South Korean companies. [Reuters] A recent New York Times… Keep reading →
Sunverge sees a future in building and managing customer energy-storage systems as utility assets. Ken Munson, CEO of Stockton, Calif.-based startup Sunverge Energy, doesn’t want you to think of his company’s product as a “battery in a box,” backing up a roof full of solar panels — even if that’s one very accurate way to describe… Keep reading →
