How Batteries Could Revolutionize Renewable Energy Time, May 1, 2017 All over California, there’s evidence of the state’s goal to lead the country in renewable energy. Enormous farms of shiny solar panels have popped up across southern California, and gigantic wind turbines dot the landscape outside nearly all the major cities. There are less flashy—and … Read more
Dan Pidgeon, ERS, for Zondits The historic St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan has put forth a plan to use geothermal heat from 2,250 feet beneath the schist below the cathedral floor. Ten wells have been drilled and are hooked up to a water circulation loop linking the cathedral to the hot temperatures of the inner … Read more
Daniel Pidgeon, ERS, for Zondits Stephen Lacy, the editor-in-chief of GreenTech Media, sat down with Shayle Kahn, Senior VP of GTM Research for a special podcast on the solar industry’s record-setting 2016. The 36-minute podcast is worth the listen, but we’ve summarized some of the highlights here: America’s solar market nearly doubled in size last … Read more
Ethan Forauer, ERS, for Zondits Over the last 2 years, China has proven to be a respectable player in the global renewable energy arena, smashing solar and wind installation targets by several orders of magnitude. In fact, in 2015, China set a world record for the most solar capacity installed in a single year. In … Read more
New York seeks to develop U.S.’s biggest offshore wind projects Reuters, January 12, 2017 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo this week proposed to develop up to 2,400 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind power by 2030 capable of powering 1.25 million homes as the state seeks to lead the nation in renewable energy production. The offshore … Read more
Arizona solar industry hinges on imminent grandfathering decision PV Tech, January 10, 2017 The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) will decide either Tuesday or Wednesday whether to amend its recent decision on grandfathering, to alter the timing when consumers will be grandfathered under pre-existing rules. The decision will have a significant impact on the future of … Read more
States, Power Companies Lead in Cutting Carbon; Election Not Slowing Expected 2017 Progress EDF, January 10, 2017 2016 was a big year for progress in the U.S. power sector. Renewable energy sources provided 16.9 percent of the country’s electricity in the first half of 2016, up from 13.7 percent for all of 2015. The country’s first offshore wind farm opened … Read more
Iowa’s new energy plan: More renewable energy, stronger power grid The Des Moines Register, December 21, 2016 Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds released the broad energy report Wednesday that looks at Iowa’s energy needs over the next decade. It provided 45 recommendations ranging from modernizing the state’s electric power grid to improving state tax credits for … Read more
Lisa Markowski, ERS, for Zondits New England’s largest state is also home to its largest battery storage project, which began operation in December 2016 at the Wyman Energy Center in Yarmouth, Maine. This supersized battery, which consists of eight individual battery units (each the size of a freight container), holds a total of 1,300 lithium … Read more
Clean Energy Investments Pay Off Big Time, New Study Shows NRDC, November 15, 2016 Some have contended that driving down climate-altering carbon pollution inevitably means hefty cost penalties for utility customers, as renewable energy and energy efficiency replace fossil-fueled power plants (many on the verge of extreme old age), but my former NRDC colleague Sierra … Read more