Funding to be Used Towards Clean Coal & Clean Vehicles Research
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced last Thursday that two consortia – one led by the University of Michigan and one led by the West Virginia University – will receive a total of $25 million over the next five years under the U.S.-China Clean...Read more »
Energy Secretary mandates Energy Department to Install White Roofs
U.S. energy secretary Steven Chu, is urging Americans to help cool the planet and add money to their pockets by painting their roofs white, a color that reflects the highest amount of sunlight. In addition, he's mandating all Energy Department offices to install white roofs...Read more »
France likely to cut Solar Feed-in Tariff by 12%
Beginning September 1, France will likely cut its solar feed-in tariff by 12%. The Ministry of Sustainable Development has a strong desire to slow demand and spending. A cutback in the solar feed-in tariff was expected, but the timing is earlier than had been predicted.
The solar...Read more »
Energy Storage Bill AB 2514 Waits for Governor to Sign into Law by September 30
On August 27th, California Energy Storage Bill AB 2514 passed out of the California State Assembly by a vote of 44-25. AB 2514 now sits in limbo as the Governor has until September 30th, 2010 to sign it into law....Read more »
Finland Green Highway to Feature Electric Charging and Biofuel Stations
Finland is going green by creating the world's first green highway. The country hopes that the carbon neutral highway will serve as a blueprint for other ecologically friendly highways across the world.
The 81-mile mile Finland green highway will feature charging stations for electric cars and...Read more »
Beacon Solar Energy Project Solar Thermal Plant receives long awaited license
On Wednesday, the 250-megawatt Beacon Solar Energy project — America's first large-scale solar thermal plant in the past two decades — received a long-awaited license from the California Energy Commission. NextEra Energy Resources, the company in charge of the solar thermal plant project, has...Read more »
Democratic Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois signed last week two laws designed to increase utilization of solar power. One law encourages the state’s utilities to purchase more solar power, and the other requires Illinois homeowner organizations to inform prospective residents about their solar panel policies.
Illinois utilities are now required to purchase a mandatory half-percent...Read more »
France announced last week a massive government program, “Demonstrateurs Energies Renouvelables et Chimie Verte,” to support renewable energy to the tune of $1.75 billion (1.35 billion Euros). Translated, the Renewable Energy and Green Chemistry Demonstration, as the program is called, will provide $577 million in government subsidies and another $1.15 billion in low-interest loans...Read more »
Solar Renewable Energy Credit has recently made installing rooftop solar panels a very profitable upgrade for homeowners in New Jersey. Not only can New Jersey residents eliminate their monthly electric bills by installing solar panels on their roofs, they can also earn a surprising amount of income by selling the energy that these panels...Read more »
On the heels of its new ranking as the nation’s leader in renewable energy, Arizona has landed another solar energy company, this one a major supplier to Spanish solar generator Abengoa. Rioglass Solar today announced it will open its headquarters and North American solar manufacturing facility in Surprise, Arizona, making it the fifth...Read more »
Despite all the buzz about the smart grid and its potential for improving energy consumption, industry regulators in Maryland and other states are questioning certain practical aspects of the smart grid implementation. Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE), selected in October 2009 as one of only six utilities nationwide to receive the maximum $200 million...Read more »
The China Securities Journal reported today that China is close to unveiling a plan to invest nearly 5 trillion yuan ($739 billion) in newly developing energy industries between now and 2020. This investment would boost the development of the solar, wind, nuclear, and biomass energy industries in China. It would also be used to...Read more »
Instead of introducing a Senate version of the climate bill on Tuesday, July 20, as many expected, Majority Leader Harry Reid scheduled a meeting on Thursday to try to reach a consensus within his party regarding the legislation. The introduction of the climate bill now seems uncertain, with the August recess less than three...Read more »
On Thursday, July 15th, the Associated Press obtained a draft of a bill, proposed last month, that would create a tax on air travel from Germany. This tax is designed to force German airlines to raise the cost of plane tickets, thereby encouraging travelers to use more environmentally forms of transportation, such...Read more »
The movement to use energy retrofit loans to install solar panels and other green climate control technology on commercial and residential properties may have suffered a serious setback following a Federal Housing Financial Authority (FHFA) announcement (pdf) last week in which they refused to accept use of the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program for...Read more »