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 …

Responding to a challenge by California Gov. Jerry Brown, more than 500 of the world’s top global change scientists have outlined the main environmental issues – from climate change to pollution and population growth – that policy makers must address immediately to avoid an approaching global tipping point. Gov. Jerry Brown discussing Earth’s tipping point with UC Berkeley professor Tony …

As a commercial contractor, I have had experiences with working with green building materials. I have noticed that today, now more than ever, it’s important to take steps to conserve our natural resources. One way to do that is through the use of green building materials, such as seen at the Ritz-Carlton in North Carolina and the Las Vegas Palazzo …

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 …

  The road to building out renewable energy whether it be solar, bio fuels, or wind is fraught with issues whether they be regulatory or industry hostility that prevents real progress. This is an interesting read from the Huffington Post about a fellow who has tried for years to build offshore wind power in the North East. In 2001, Jim …

Preliminary results show an increase in 2012 year-end geothermal capacity   As the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) prepares to release its annual development report at the State of the Geothermal Energy Industry Briefing on February 26 in Washington, preliminary industry data reveals that year-end geothermal growth in 2012 was up 5% from the previous year. This uptick in development, which produced …

New Worldwatch Institute report examines global consumption and installed capacity of hydropower and geothermal energy sources Although the global consumption and installed capacity of hydropower and geothermal technologies have increased steadily since 2003, both types of energy saw slower growth in 2011, according to new research conducted by the Worldwatch Institute for its Vital Signs Online service (www.worldwatch.org).Global installed capacity …

U.S. ENERGY POLICY IS “ALL WET” WHEN IT COMES TO HIDDEN COSTS 100,000 Gallons of Water to Produce a Single Megawatt Hour of Electricity? In a Time of Drought and Growing Water Shortages, “Business As Usual” Energy Approach Ignore Huge Water and Other Hidden Costs. Huge demands on increasingly scarce water are a major hidden cost of a “business as …

The wind blows. In some places it blows reliably and steady. In others the wind comes and goes with varying speeds. The growth of the wind energy industry has meant there is a greater need for pin pointing where and when the wind will blow so that operators will know how to integrate that produced wind energy into the electrical …

When power plants begin capturing their carbon emissions to reduce greenhouse gases – and to most in the electric power industry, it’s a question of when, not if – it will be an expensive undertaking. Current technologies would use about one-third of the energy generated by the plants – what’s called “parasitic energy” – and, as a result, substantially drive …

Washington Out of Step With Public? Little Confidence Seen in National Lawmakers Finding Solutions is Evident in Across-the-Board Political Support for Grassroots Drive to Take Back Issue. Clean energy issues and solutions. Majorities of Republicans, Independents and Democrats agree that the United States should move away from its reliance on dirty energy sources that foul the air and water and …

University of Minnesota invention helps advance reliability of alternative energy A University of Minnesota invention could help make storage of solar and wind energy more efficient and economical. The invention was licensed to SustainX, a leading global developer of grid-scale energy storage solutions that use patented isothermal compressed air methods to store large amounts of energy cleanly and economically. “A …

Contrary to Industry Predictions, Reactor Disaster Seen As Having a “Lasting Chill” on Perceptions; It’s Not All Fukushima: 3 in 5 Americans Less Supportive Due to Woes of U.S. Nuclear Industry in Last Year. WASHINGTON, D.C.///March 7, 2012///One year after the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear reactors in Japan, Americans continue to want to keep the brakes on more nuclear …

Public Utilities Commission orders utilities to use renewable sources before electricity from fossil fuels San Francisco – The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted unanimously today to strengthen a key clean energy policy in California called the Loading Order. The Loading Order sets a priority list for electricity sources. California’s utilities must first employ energy efficiency and conservation to meet …

Axion Power Chosen for Battery Mini Power Cube in Zero Energy Building in Washington DC Naval Yard NEW CASTLE, Pa. , Jan. 4, 2012 — Axion Power International, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: AXPW), the developer of advanced lead­carbon PbC® batteries and energy storage systems, announced today that it was awarded a purchase order from SilTek Inc. confirming their participation in …

First Solyndra, then Beacon Power Corp. Both alternative energy companies declared bankruptcy this year after receiving millions in federal job stimulus dollars. It’s just what the United States does not need right now, says nuclear scientist Michael T. Gamble, an alternative energy researcher and investment-banking analyst. The public backlash to ill-spent tax dollars could hurt a vital emerging industry – …

Sometimes you just have to scratch your head and wonder. We currently have a politico climate where there is great debate over the Solyndra bankruptcy and the money they got from the US in support of the solar energy products they were developing. While I am not one to sneeze at $500 million it just seems like we have gone …

This is the kind of study and information that needs to get out to the mainstream public. They need to understand that we cannot and should not blindly listen to the oil companies or for that matter our politicians when it comes to energy policy and benefits. We clearly need to look at using renewable energy sources to wean our …

First Solyndra, then Beacon Power Corp. Both alternative energy companies declared bankruptcy this year after receiving millions in federal job stimulus dollars. It’s just what the United States does not need right now, says nuclear scientist Michael T. Gamble, an alternative energy researcher and investment-banking analyst. The public backlash to ill-spent tax dollars could hurt a vital emerging industry – …

Today’s guest post: The global warming or climate change enthusiasts have created a huge focus on saving the planet by promoting environmentally friendly products. Savvy consumers should be careful not to fall for this marketing gimmick called greenwashing. Many of the products we already use are friendlier to the environment than their so-called green counterparts. Pay close attention to the …