News

The Red Faces of the Solar Skeptics

March 10 -- If the faces of renewable energy critics are not red yet, they soon will be. For years, these critics — of solar photovoltaics in particular — have called renewable energy a boutique fantasy. A recent Wall Street Journal blog post continues the trend, asserting that solar subsidies take money from the poor to benefit the rich.

But solar-generated electricity is turning into a powerful environmental and economic success story. It’s also threatening the balance sheets of electric utility companies that continue to rely heavily on fossil fuels and nuclear energy. >>View Article

Illinois Commended for Local Renewable Energy Buys

March 10 -- Illinois has more cities providing 100 percent renewable energy than any other state, which has reduced pollution by the equivalent of removing a million cars from the road over the past few years, according to a report released Friday by national and state environmental groups. >>View Article

Johnson and Salerno: Nevada is Cashing in on Renewable Energy

March 10 -- While Americans know wind and solar energy are clean, they often aren’t aware of the economic success story behind these renewable-energy technologies.

Wind and solar power have economic benefits that reach far and wide. They have become increasingly affordable, attracting billions in private development, and today are both mainstream and reliable energy sources across America. >>View Article

Congress Needs to Renew Clean Energy Tax Incentives

March 10 -- As Coloradans, we have seen how wind energy is creating jobs and driving economic growth.

We know that making our buildings, appliances and equipment more efficient saves money and helps our environment.

And we know what happens to our climate if we don't act.

It's simply inconceivable, then, that Congress sat back and let critical tax policies for wind energy and energy efficiency expire at the end of last year. Congress needs to reinstate these critical federal tax policies — and do so now. >>View Article

Soapbox: Electric Vehicles Coming to a Street Near You, for Good Reason

March 10 -- If you’ve been driving around Fort Collins recently, you might have noticed some exciting new additions to our area’s roadways. I am talking about electric vehicles, or EVs, whose arrival in Northern Colorado is far outpacing national averages, thanks to our community’s leadership in business innovation, technological adoption and sustainability. >>View Article

Exploding the Myth that Government Can't Innovate

March 7 -- Rarely have I heard this conventional wisdom debunked as eloquently and passionately as by economist and professor Mariana Mazzucato, a keynote speaker at the fifth annual ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit outside Washington, D.C. late last month. >>View Article

Our Voice: Federal Boost could Help the Salton Sea

March 7 -- The fact that the Salton Sea is getting some national attention is encouraging. >>View Article

Let the Sun Shine

March 7 -- Forty-five minutes west of Las Vegas, dejected sinners may encounter a sight to lift their sunken hearts: a sea of 347,000 mirrors, reflecting the rays of the desert sun on to boilers mounted on three 460-foot towers. The Ivanpah solar-thermal plant (pictured), which opened in mid-February, is the largest of its kind in the world. Fully ramped up, it will deliver around 377 megawatts (MW) of power to 140,000 homes in southern California. Its backers compare it to the nearby Hoover Dam; an astronaut claims to have spotted it from the international space station. >>View Article

Energy Efficiency Programs Benefit Business, Utilities

March 7 -- In the grand scheme of things, energy efficiency likely is not a high priority for the owner of the average small- to medium-sized business who’s busy with so many other tasks.

But the savings from taking even small steps can be significant, representatives from ComEd and Nicor Gas told a group of suburban business leaders Thursday during the Daily Herald Business Ledger’s Newsmakers’ Forum on Energy Efficiency and Management. >>View Article

ACORE and BNEF Sign Collaboration for Energy Educational Webinars

March 7 -- The American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) and Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) today announced a collaborative partnership for ACORE’s well-known Renewable Energy Seminar and Teleconference Series, produced with the American Bar Association’s Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (ABA SEER). BNEF will provide insight on the future of the energy system, with a particular focus on the U.S., for the webinar series. >>View Article