Early-Stage Energy Ideas Also Receive Funding  The California Energy Commission approved a $5 million research grant today to address the unprecedented tree die-off across the state and turn dead trees to energy. More than 100 million trees have died across the state due to drought and bark beetles since 2010, and the dead trees can fuel larger, more damaging wildfires. The Fall River …

WASHINGTON (August 31, 2017) – In comments submitted today to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Corn Growers Association asked the Agency to maintain the proposed amount of conventional ethanol blended into the nation’s gas supply for 2018, and to raise the amount of cellulosic, advanced, and total biofuels. In a letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, NCGA …

RENEWABLES GROW 16.3% IN FIRST HALF 2017 AS NUCLEAR POWER FALLS 3.3%   SOLAR BALLOONS BY 45.1%; NOW OUTPACING BIOMASS, GEOTHERMAL, AND OIL   Washington DC – The latest issue of the U.S. Energy Information’s (EIA) “Electric Power Monthly” (with data through June 30, 2017) reveals that renewable energy sources (i.e., biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar – inc. small-scale PV, and wind) remain in a …

by Alex Perera and Colin McCormick – March 31, 2015 As electric grids around the world rely more and more on solar and wind power, there are concerns about how they’ll handle renewable energy’s sometimes inconsistent generation. Unlike conventional power plants, which produce energy on a fixed schedule, renewables can’t be fully controlled because they rely on the available sunlight and wind speed. Grid operators’ response to Europe’s recent …

Remainder of 20-bus order, among the first 60-ft. articulated electric buses in the world, to be delivered by end of 2017 (Above: BYD’s new 60-ft. articulated battery electric transit bus for Albuquerque Rapid Transit.)   Albuquerque, N.M. – Aug. 9, 2017 – BYD, the world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicles, yesterday joined the City of Albuquerque to announce the delivery of its first all-electric 60-ft. …

SynTech Bioenergy Announces Opening of Hawaii Office SynTech’s biomass energy systems are ideally suited to Hawaii’s unique environment     HONOLULU, HI., July 11, 2017 — SynTech Bioenergy, a Denver-based renewable energy technology company, has opened their first Hawaii office for sales and field service in Honolulu.  The office will support local installations of SynTech Bioenergy’s technology for delivering clean energy through advanced …

New Study: Americans Want to Use More Renewable Energy WASHINGTON— A new study by University of Washington researchers has found that a majority of Americans would prefer to use renewable energy at home if given the option. Individuals surveyed in the project, published in June by the journal Energy Policy, indicated they would shift electricity use to cut fossil fuel consumption and carbon …

JUNE 5, 2017 Spotlight One Way To Improve Southern California Air Quality; Benefits Of Natural Gas-Fueled Trucks And Cars Are Being Demonstrated Through A 4,825-Mile Cross-Country Rally Sponsored By NGVAmerica LONG BEACH, Calif., – Several heavy-duty trucks and other vehicles powered by natural gas began a coast-to-coast road trip today that will span from Long Beach to Washington, D.C.  Locally, the …

It’s always exciting when an old idea gets a fresh update. People have been cooking with the Sun’s energy for years, but the SolSource Sport takes the cumbersome and slow Solar Oven concept, and adds turbo boosters! Now you can cook, grill, steam, boil and even pressure cook, using the lightweight SolSource Sport anywhere and anytime the sun is up, …

If you’ve paid attention to the news over the past few years, you’ve heard of climate change. However, the issue of climate change is immense and can feel overwhelming to people who don’t have a background in science. To clear up the confusion, we’ve put together this list of answers to questions you might have about climate change. What is …

The ‘Plug and Power’ technology behind Power-Blox enables anyone, anywhere in the world, to create an autonomous, decentralized, Swarm Grid to power schools, hospitals or an entire village without any management, configuration or maintenance Swiss startup, Power-Blox, has developed a new technology that mimics complex systems in nature to create fully autonomous power grids anywhere in the world.  Using a …

  LONG BEACH, CALIF. – May 3, 2017— BYD, the world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicles, today formally introduced its class 8 battery-electric refuse truck at the 2017 ACT Expo at the Long Beach Convention Center. This new vehicle from BYD represents the first heavy-duty refuse truck designed and built by an original equipment manufacturer and is 100 percent battery …

Despite some pushback from the Trump administration, there’s no stopping renewable energy. Renewables continue to surge, while U.S. coal production has dropped to its lowest level since 1978. Although initiatives to resuscitate a dying coal industry remain, such as Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s push for coal mining expansion, renewable energy isn’t going anywhere. The abundant types of renewable energy, from …

Most new home owners or those who are taking the well-being of our planet into consideration are familiar with the words, “solar roofs”. These roofs are made out of solar shingles or panels that get installed on the roof of ones house. Solar shingles can be called photovoltaic shingles and they look like and function as conventional roofing materials while …

NRDC Report: Replacing Coal with Renewables and Energy Efficiency Can Lead U.S. to Cleaner Energy Future WASHINGTON (March 2, 2017) – It’s cheaper and cleaner to replace retiring coal-fired power plants with wind and solar power and energy efficiency upgrades rather than to saddle the nation with more costly and climate-polluting natural gas plants, according to a report released today …

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 …

February 14, 2017 Luke Tonachel Despite the Trump administration’s apparent affection for the fossil fuels industry, individual states are looking at the numbers and coming up with a different conclusion: The future belongs to pollution-free electric vehicles, and the sooner we get them on the road, the better off we’ll all be. And there are some important new studies out …

WASHINGTON (Feb. 7, 2017) – Though market forces and external regulatory factors have combined to retire roughly 10 percent of the American nuclear power fleet, the facts don’t justify subsidies or other policy interventions specifically to save the energy source, according to a new policy study by R Street Electricity Policy Manager Devin Hartman. Hartman cites “increased capital investment requirements, …

February 02, 2017 Sheryl Carter Energy efficiency programs to help utility customers save energy (and money) have dropped markedly in cost, and they’re cheaper than building new power plants to meet electricity demand, according to a new analysis from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). The findings are a fitting tribute to Art Rosenfeld, the Berkeley Lab scientist and “godfather …

PG&E Submits $250 Million Proposal Expanding Support for Electric Vehicles in California   SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.— Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today submitted a proposal to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for projects aimed at accelerating widespread electric vehicle adoption and combatting climate change. For the seven proposed projects, PG&E is requesting a total budget of approximately $253 …