As the world inches closer to an overall population of 8 billion, the issue of sustainability is becoming even more relevant. CNN reports that overpopulation contributes to numerous environmental and social problems, including resource depletion, pollution, and malnutrition. Creative solutions are needed to help combat the effects of overpopulation before it’s too late.    For instance, where will we house …

Many people hold off moving towards a more sustainable lifestyle because they associate the adjustment with sweeping life changes or major expenses. On the contrary, being environmentally conscious doesn’t require radical transformation. Making a shift towards sustainable living is more a matter of choice — one which begins with just a few easy modifications. For those of you who have …

Many who work in the field of coal mining or the oil and gas industries are afraid that solar would take away their jobs. The fact is that last year, the growth in solar jobs has increased 17 times faster than the whole U.S economy, and according to the International Renewable Energy Agency, solar energy is outnumbering the oil, gas …

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 …

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 …

By David Stauth CORVALLIS, Ore. – Engineers at Oregon State University have identified a new approach for the storage of concentrated solar thermal energy, to reduce its cost and make it more practical for wider use. The advance is based on a new innovation with thermochemical storage, in which chemical transformation is used in repeated cycles to hold heat, use …

63 Megawatt Preferred Resource Fuel Cell Energy Park Proposed for Beacon Falls, Connecticut — Preferred resource power plant producing energy at market-level pricing while enhancing grid resiliency — Expected to pay up to $90 million in local property and State sales taxes over project life — Generates and maintains local advanced manufacturing jobs as well as construction and service jobs — Ultra-clean, quiet and …

Study finds potential for reduced carbon emissions and lower power costs RICHLAND, Wash. – Large facilities like big box stores or hospitals could keep the lights on by using a fuel cell that runs off the natural gas that already flows in pipelines below most city streets. Instead of drawing electricity from the power grid, facilities could use natural gas-powered …

  The global market for grid-connected residential photovoltaic (PV) solar installations coupled with energy storage is predicted to grow tenfold to reach more than 900 megawatts (MW) in 2018, up from just 90 MW in 2014, according to new analysis from IHS Technology (NYSE: IHS). This expanding opportunity for PV companies and battery manufacturers largely will be driven by the …

 AMERICA’S NATURAL GAS SYSTEM IS LEAKY AND IN NEED OF A FIX   The first thorough comparison of evidence for natural gas system leaks confirms that organizations including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have underestimated U.S. methane emissions generally, as well as those from the natural gas industry specifically. Natural gas consists predominantly of methane. Even small leaks from the natural gas system are …

In response to Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell’s keynote address at the National Clean Energy Summit, the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) has released the following statement from GEA Executive Director Karl Gawell: “We applaud Secretary Jewell for the announcement today reaffirming the Administration’s commitment to approve 20,000 megawatts of renewable energy production on public lands by 2020. With roughly …

Geothermal Energy’s Environmental and Health Benefits Worth $117 Million Annually Benefits of geothermal energy touted in air emissions analysis The Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) has released an Air Emissions Comparison and Externality Analysis showing geothermal energy provides significant benefits to public health and the environment as one of the least-polluting and most environmentally friendly forms of energy. The analysis found …

Benefits of geothermal energy touted in air emissions analysis The Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) has released an Air Emissions Comparison and Externality Analysis showing geothermal energy provides significant benefits to public health and the environment as one of the least-polluting and most environmentally friendly forms of energy. The analysis found binary geothermal plants produce virtually no greenhouse gases (GHG) and …

Despite difficult times economically over the last few years in the US, the solar market has been taking off, dramatically increasing the percentage of energy coming from clean, renewable sources. This growth has largely been thanks to a combination of factors. Consumer demand has dramatically increased due to mounting awareness of solar panels as an easy-to-install home improvement – they …

So you want to go green. But where do you start? Unless your sibling or significant other happens to be a green energy specialist or sustainable living expert, the path to true eco-friendliness and energy efficiency is difficult to take. Often times homeowners will simply spend money on perceived fixes because some TV talking head said so, while failing to …

With More than 15 Times the Solyndra Loan Guarantee on the Line, U.S. Taxpayers Being Kept in the Dark About Huge Vogtle Risks; Nine Groups Cite NRC Law Violation in Going to Court to Block Vogtle Licensing. WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 16, 2012 – If you are a taxpayer who liked the less than half a billion dollar Solyndra federal …

EXPERTS: EVEN HIGHER COSTS AND MORE HEADACHES AHEAD FOR NUCLEAR POWER IN 2012 Give Long-Term Uncontrollable Costs and Short-Term Pressure from Needed Post-Fukushima Safety Regulations, Nuclear Reactors Even Less Able to Take on Natural Gas, Other Alternatives WASHINGTON, D.C. – December 28, 2012 — With the Fukushima disaster, earthquake-related reactor shutdowns, further reactor project cost escalation, infighting at the Nuclear …

As more and more states pass laws mandating that up to one-third of their power come from renewable sources by 2020, utility companies are wrestling with how to make the energy mix work. A persistent problem for wind and solar power is intermittency – the wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine when power is needed most. …

John Addison Unplugs for a Test Drive It’s easy to slide behind the steering wheel of this Tesla Roadster because the top’s removed for this January day. I don’t mind. It’s 70 degrees here in Palm Springs, California. A perfect day for a test drive. Tesla gives me the ground rules for the drive – have fun. Yes, I can …

make grass pellets For many years there was very little alternative in obtainable wood boilers The heating market for the last years has been dominated by means of oil gas in addition to electric boilers These fossil duel derived energy solutions provide minimum convenience and for many years the charge of oil in addition to gas has constructed it impossible …