We’ve all heard that wind energy is too expensive, and that massive investments in wind will drive up electricity rates for consumers. This argument is based on the belief that wind energy […]
Artificial leaf device produces hydrogen in water using only sunlight
Scientists and researchers from the Photovoltaic and Optoelectronic Devices group from the Universitat Jaume I, led by Professor Juan Bisquert, have developed, using nanotechnology, a device with semiconductor materials which generate hydrogen […]
Have Wind, CSP, and PV Turned Against Each Other?
The three major investor-owned utilities (IOUs) in California are well on their way to meeting their obligations to provide a third of their power from renewable sources by 2020. As a result, […]
Participation in electric net-metering programs increased sharply in recent years
Electricity consumers are participating in net-metering programs in growing numbers. When individuals or businesses install small onsite generators (such as a rooftop solar system), they can usually enter into a net-metering agreement […]
BrightSource Argues for a New Way to Value Solar Power Plants
How do you accurately assess and effectively manage the costs of integrating the new kind of variability from renewables like wind and solar into transmission systems that are habituated to the more […]
Policies for compensating behind-the-meter generation vary by State
Most States have policies providing incentives for the general public to produce renewable electricity onsite to “spin the meter backwards” (see map above). The terms for such net metering arrangements are typically […]
Two New Reports on Utility-Scale Solar from NREL
Utility-scale solar is still something of a novelty in the renewable energy ecosystem. Large-scale deployment of these multi-megawatt (MW) installations has only recently been enabled in the United States by two key […]
Report Shows Solar Becoming Mainstream Energy Source in US
Assessment of Incentives and Employment Impacts of Solar Industry Deployment, a report commissioned by the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA), details how solar is fast becoming a mainstream energy source in the […]
U.S. Coal Generation Drops 19 Percent In One Year, Leaving Coal With 36 Percent Share Of Electricity
Power generation from coal is falling quickly. According to new figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, coal made up 36 percent of U.S. electricity in the first quarter of 2012 — […]
How U.S. Utilities Can Avoid A Risky $2 Trillion Bet
When your company’s job is to keep the lights on, you have to be cautious about risk. Power has to be there when people need it. Risk comes in different forms, and […]
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