Alternative Energy

Taylor Farms, the leading producer of value-added produce and healthy fresh foods in North America, unveiled today its latest sustainability project at the company’s Gonzales, California facility. The facility will now utilize wind, solar and cogeneration energy systems, making it the first advanced system of its kind in the agriculture industry. View photos   Combined, the systems generate 4.25 MW …

  President Trump will issue a sweeping Executive Order that rolls back many of the core elements of the U.S. climate strategy tomorrow. The EO will likely call for a review of the Clean Power Plan, and overturn limits on coal leasing on public lands, methane regulations, and requirements to include climate change as part of environmental assessments, as well as call for a …

Madison, Wisconsin and Abita Springs, Louisiana showcase bipartisan support for 100 percent clean energy OAKLAND, Calif. – 25 U.S. cities have now committed to transition entirely to clean and renewable energy, following city council votes on Tuesday establishing 100 percent renewable energy goals in Madison, Wisconsin and Abita Springs, Louisiana. Madison and Abita Springs represent the first Wisconsin and Louisiana …

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2017 Interactive Table Viewer The mix of fuels used to generate electricity in the United States has changed in response to differences in the expected cost of fuels and electricity-generating technology costs and their deployment. These factors, together with policies affecting emissions from power generation, will determine the generation fuel mix of …

by Andrew Light Confirmation hearings over the past two weeks for Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator nominee Scott Pruitt and Secretary of Energy nominee Rick Perry provided an early opportunity to publicly question three members of President Donald Trump’s prospective cabinet who will set the course for the next administration on climate change.   These …

 TeraFlex’s 140 KWh solar power panel system performing so well company plans to expand   Washington, Utah, Jan. 18, 2017—Legend Solar, the fastest-growing solar power company in Utah, is saving TeraFlex approximately $30,000 per year in energy costs with a 140 KWh solar power system installed by the company. The new system offsets almost all of TeraFlex’s energy costs for …

If you are having a problem with your main sewer line and believe it is time to replace it, you are likely to be dreading the cost. After all, the labor alone can be very expensive. You will need to have long trenches dug, so the sewer line can be removed segment by segment, and then a new sewer line …

by Joel Jaeger, Paul Joffe and Ranping Song – January 06, 2017 As 2017 begins, China is poised to leap ahead of the United States on clean energy to become the most important player in the global market. Last year, China increased its foreign investment in renewables by 60 percent to reach a record $32 billion, according to a new …

System marks the largest commercial microgrid system for a Napa Valley winery and in the entire PG&E utility service territory. RUTHERFORD, Calif. (October 19, 2016) – Alpha Omega, a family-owned winery in the Rutherford Bench area of Napa Valley, announced today that it has placed into operation a 400 kilowatt (kW) solar and 580 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery microgrid system that …

January 05, 2017 John Moore Part of NRDC’s Year-End Series Reviewing 2016 Energy Developments As 2016 fades away in the rear-view mirror, we reflect on a year of increasing tensions between the wholesale electricity markets – where utilities and other power suppliers purchase, sell, and trade energy to meet our energy needs – and our ever-growing appetite for cleaner, carbon-free …

What Stands in the Way for 2017? December 20, 2016 By Elisa Wood Microgrid opportunity grew in 2016 and next year looks even better. But government policy isn’t keeping up with grassroots demand, said Randy Grass vice president at POWER Engineers. Randy Grass, POWER Engineers Grass, who manages the transmission and distribution (T&D) division for the global consulting engineering firm, …

NRDC: Trump Continues Packing Cabinet with Polluter Allies by Naming Perry for Energy Department WASHINGTON (Dec. 13, 2016) – President-elect Trump today named former Texas Gov. Rick Perry as his Energy Department secretary. The following is a statement by Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council: “The cabinet choices become more absurd every day. Yet again, Trump has chosen …

Remodeling a home is a large undertaking that requires planning, thought, inspiration, and a lot of practicality. It also requires a lot of skill and experience on the part of the homeowner and the general contractor who oversees the project. That’s why it’s so important for anyone considering a home remodel to look carefully before hiring on a general contractor, …

Solar cells can be made with tin instead of lead, Warwick scientists find Breakthrough to make solar power cheaper and more commercially viable Solar power could be used in mobile phones, laptops and cars A breakthrough in solar power could make it cheaper and more commercially viable, thanks to research at the University of Warwick. In a paper published in …

The California Energy Commission and the Department of the Navy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today that will help the state and the Navy and Marine Corps continue to operate on the cutting edge of technology by pursuing innovative renewable energy initiatives. Energy Commission Chair Robert B. Weisenmiller and Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment …

PBES Lithium Energy Storage Selected for new HH Ferries Contract Norwegian/Canadian PBES awarded supply contract for words largest battery-­?powered ferries  Plan B Energy Storage (PBES) today announced the energy storage supply contract for the two largest battery-­?powered ferries in the world. Each of the two Scandlines Helsingborg-­?Helsingör ferries will have 4.16 MWh batteries to provide power for primary propulsion. The …

  “What is the use of a house if you don’t have a decent planet to put it on?” This is what the author and naturalist Henry David Thoreau first asked back the 19th century, and his question still applies to our lives today. Because if we’re not living sustainably– then we’re slowly ruining our own and only planet. And …

  Virtual power plant: that sounds like part of a video game like “SimCity” or “Cities: Skylines” — but it’s not. The virtual power plant (VPP) is a real, up-and-coming energy source. It’s a widespread collection of modest power systems with one control site that runs them like a single power plant. The control room increases or decreases production or …

Embed from Getty Images A new and greener way to adsorb carbon dioxide has been discovered by a team of scientists at the University of York. This development is significant, because although human activity has been creating more CO2 than the ecosystem can handle, there hasn’t been a relatively eco-friendly way to combat it. Our planet is built to deal …

Greenhouse and other emissions may vary Use of “Smart Grid” technologies can impact carbon emissions — but by how much? A new Emissions Quantification Tool can estimate the answer to that question. RICHLAND, Wash. – “Smart grid” technologies significantly reduce greenhouse gases and other emissions resulting from power production and usage. Taken together, smart grid and intelligent buildings mechanisms could …