Here is a novel idea. In some areas of the USA homeowners, renters, and business owners might have a choice of who they buy their electricity from and there could be savings in the mix. While many parts of the country remain locked in with communities and homeowners having no choice as to where they get their utilities from, some …

Sullivan Solar Power Installs 153kW of Kyocera Solar Modules at St. Patrick Catholic Parish in North Park, St. Bartholomew’s in Poway and Paradise Valley Church in National City San Diego – March 23, 2015 – Kyocera Solar, Inc. and Sullivan Solar Power teamed up to equip three San Diego County churches with solar systems that include Kyocera high-efficiency modules and …

Stuntman Rodger Larue gets the Nissan LEAF up to full speed. Photograph: Foglight Entertainment What kind of rush do you get behind the wheel of a car fueled by pure electricity instead of traditional gas combustion? Stunt driver Rodger Larue handles America’s best-selling electric car, the Nissan LEAF to a test of speed and reports on the experience of 100% electric …

To more fully serve the diverse needs of the North American transit market, Proterra Inc., the leading provider of zero-emission battery-electric buses, has launched a new extended-range product line. With the introduction of the new TerraVolt™ XR extended-range battery, Proterra buses can now be configured to travel up to 180 miles between charges. This newest high energy density battery complements …

Retail residential electricity prices across the U.S. rose in the first half of this year, averaging 12.3 per kilowatt hour, a 3.2 percent price hike from the same period last year. This is the largest six-month rise since 2009, the U.S Energy Information Administration has reported. Factors that affect your electricity bill There are two main components that contribute to …

The Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) urges states to take advantage of the carbon emission reduction available through expanding geothermal power portfolios.  Doing so makes sense in light of the US EPA’s proposed regulations for existing power plants that require states to substantially reduce carbon emissions.  The regulations proposed June 2, 2014, would give states significant leeway in designing plans to reduce …

Energy efficiency advocates have argued for years that energy efficiency should be a first fuel – considered before others in portfolio planning.  Today, they appear victorious with the release of the US’ first-ever carbon dioxide restrictions for existing power plants. The draft rule places energy efficiency in good position to be a top choice as states set strateagies to meet …

Though the first official assessment that climate change was caused by human activity came in 1988, with NASA scientist James Hansen’s famous testimony to the U.S. Congress, the “carbon neutral” concept, which refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions, is a relatively new one. The non-profit Climate Neutral Network, which developed the Climate Neutral Certification, was incorporated in 1999; the …

RGS Energy, a nationwide leader of turnkey solar energy solutions for residential, commercial, and utility customers, and GRID Alternatives, the nation’s largest non-profit solar installer, have launched a new partnership to help bring solar power to low-income communities across the country. RGS Energy employees will volunteer throughout 2014 to install solar for 10 low-income families in California, Colorado, New Jersey and New York, while …

Phoenix Marketing International’s Recent Research Shows Luxury SUV and Non-Luxury Car Consumers Continue to Lead in Alternative Fuel Vehicle Consideration Year-over-year Data Show Increase in AFV Consideration among Non-Luxury SUV Consumers  Phoenix Marketing International’s Automotive Practice has released the latest findings from its ongoing tracking of alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) purchase consideration. In its Syndicated Automotive Brand and Advertising Audit, …

Electric cars have gotten all the attention lately, but they’re far from the only vehicles that run on electricity. In fact, the first electric motorcycle appeared in the pages of Popular Mechanics over 100 years ago. However, like early electric cars, they were basically forgotten once gasoline became cheap and easy to get. Now that gas is expensive and people …

FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT FOR CARBON NANOTUBE SOLAR CELLS In an approach that could challenge silicon as the predominant photovoltaic cell material, University of Wisconsin-Madison materials engineers have developed an inexpensive solar cell that exploits carbon nanotubes to absorb and convert energy from the sun. The advance could lead to solar panels just as efficient, but much less expensive to manufacture, …

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announces that it has installed a Smart Mobility Park electric mobility charging station at Toyota Ecoful Town, its low-carbon society model district located in Toyota City. While functioning as a hub for electric mobility sharing, the Smart Mobility Park can also generate and store electrical power, making it possible to reduce the burden on the electricity …

ABB demonstrates technology to power flash charging electric bus in 15 seconds No overhead lines and ultrafast charging times at selected bus stops enables new opportunities for next generation silent, flexible, zero-emissions urban mass transportation. ABB, the leading power and automation technology group has developed a new technology that will help power the world’s first high-capacity flash charging electric bus …

Looming on the horizon is a future of high gas prices and disuse for most cars on the road today. More and more drivers are getting on board with alternatively-powered vehicles, and thus, more manufacturers are offering vehicle models outfitted with alternative engines to feed the demand. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, in 2010, vehicle dealers in the U.S. …

KYOCERA and ProVision Solar Help Auto Businesses in Hawai’i Say Aloha to Renewable Energy Four of eight total installations already utilizing sunshine power in Hilo, Kamuela and Captain Cook Kyocera Solar Inc. announced today that it supplied Kyocera solar modules to ProVision Solar that will power a total of eight auto businesses on the Big Island of Hawai’i, making it …

Xcel, MidAmerican among leaders as more utilities sign up for consumer savings U.S. electric utilities are locking in fixed-price contracts for wind power, now more cost-competitive than ever, illustrating the success of a key federal tax policy in holding down rates for consumers. A total of 66 U.S. utilities bought or owned wind power by the start of this year …

This coming year promises to be a good one for people looking to upgrade to a more fuel-efficient car. New models coming from the auto industry are showing excellent promise in styling, fuel efficiency and sticker prices. These economy-style gas savers appeal to a wide customer base looking at compact and subcompact cars to help save money at the pump. …

Although they seem to be growing in popularity, hybrid cars haven’t taken over the vehicle market just yet. However, it is more than likely that this won’t be the case for long. Hybrids as a whole have been around for a while, one of the first true hybrid vehicles as a Lexus Hybrid released in 2004. 8 years on, and …

Drive Green: How Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance Helps the Planet When it comes to driving, going green usually means driving a fuel efficient car or – if you really want to save a few trees and don’t mind waiting for your car to charge – either buying one of those hybrid cars or a fully electric car. Pay-as-you-drive insurance is yet another …