Tag Archives: gas
Romney’s Concern For Solar Power Project Developers
In the last week or so there has been a lot of media attention with regards to that secret video of Mitt Romney and the now infamous comments he made to some campaign donors about the 47%. However, what got my attention was another thing he said on that video which should give solar power project [...]
RIP: Florida Solar Subsidies (but that’s okay)
What was once true has become a myth. In years past, it didn’t make much sense to install solar panels (solar electric/photovoltaic modules) from a financial standpoint without generous subsidies, rebates, and incentives. The payback period was too long for most investors (see my article on the folly of the payback metric here). Except for [...]
Louisiana’s Solar Boom: Just Getting Started
Louisiana’s solar market presents a baffling study of what happens when market forces come face-to-face with ideology, geography and demographics. Like most of the country, Louisiana has benefited from the more than 40% drop in average PV panel prices last year. By most accounts, this trend will continue despite the US Commerce Department’s proposed tariffs [...]
Mitt Romney Loves Fossil Fuels
Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s “new” energy plan, relies on 19th century fossil fuel technology. It is but the latest incarnation of a longstanding Republican obsession with oil and gas. Romney’s energy strategy is reliant on Canada’s environmentally disastrous tar sands. He wants to expedite the Keystone XL pipeline, reduce regulations on hydraulic fracturing and ease the permitting process for offshore [...]
Obama Targets Industrial Energy Efficiency
The White House signed an executive order on Thursday calling for an additional 40 gigawatts of combined heat and power systems by 2020. The order will provide incentives for industrial facilities to deploy CHP, also known as cogeneration, and waste heat recovery technology, and will also expand the Better Buildings, Better Plants program at the [...]
WOW! $775B A Year in Fossil Fuel Subsidies
Global fossil fuel subsidies are estimated at $775 billion to $1 trillion in 2012, reports Worldwatch Institute. That’s a jaw-dropping number especially when you consider it is about 12 times the $66 billion that went to supporting renewable energy in 2010. (Worldwatch doesn’t provide an updated renewable subsidies number, but you can bet it is [...]
Will California Reach It’s Renewable Energy Goals?
California has the most ambitious renewable portfolio standard (RPS) in the nation, requiring that 33 percent of the state’s energy mix come from renewables by 2020. There are 29 states (and the District of Columbia) with RPS goals in effect, but the average amount of renewable energy required in those states is much less than [...]
China Strikes Back Against U.S Energy Subsidies
The Global Green War had started with the US imposing duties on imports of Chinese made solar panels and cells. Subsequently dumping charges were also imposed on wind energy equipment made in China as well. China has not been able to do much against these duties as it exports almost 80-90% of its solar products. [...]
Understanding The Basics of Your Electricity Bill
Hello solar drops and droplettes! Electricity bills can seem quite cryptic to the uninitiated, so we are going to do our best to demystify the bills for our readers. It is our hope that you will gain a better understanding of your electricity usage, utility rates and schedules, how you can reduce your personal usage [...]
China: Spending $372B on Energy Conservation
China is spending $372 billion on energy conservation and anti-pollution measures over the next three-and-a-half years, reports Reuters. The measures, meant to reduce China’s dependence on fossil fuels and slow down its carbon emissions, are part of the so-called 12th five-year plan. They will center on energy-efficiency, emissions reduction and recycling projects, says the China [...]
How The Green Button Will Change Energy Data
Since their introduction, smart meters and “connected” appliances have offered the potential for customers to better access and control their energy data. Tens of millions of smart meters later, there’s a massive amount of data being gathered, but few ways for customers to understand it. A desire to make sense of this treasure trove of [...]
Why GE isn’t ‘Friending’ Nuclear Power
As the whole world is fixated on the debate about on using and not using nuclear power for energy generation, the anti-nuclear protesters have got a new powerful argument about nuclear energy being not economically feasible. General Electric which is among the world’s top 3 suppliers of nuclear energy equipment along with Toshiba and Areva, [...]