Business

U.S. Wind Industry Poised for Rebound After Dismal First Half

U.S. Wind Industry Poised for Rebound After Dismal First Half

 A rush by utilities to take advantage of a federal tax credit made late 2012 a historic time for the wind energy sector. The Production Tax Credit (PTC) expired Dec. 31, 2012, bringing installations to a screeching halt in early 2013. Though Congress temporarily extended the PTC two days later, the industry installed just 1.6 megawatts […]

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    Offshore Wind Farms Coming to U.S., But When?

    Offshore Wind Farms Coming to U.S., But When?

    Offshore wind farms are coming to the U.S., the Department of Energy (DOE) announced this month, but nobody is sure just when. Eleven offshore wind projects have reached “an advanced stage of development,” according to the 2013 U.S. Offshore Wind Market and Economic Analysis, published earlier this month by Navigant Consulting. The farms would collectively generate 3,824 megawatts […]

    8 Governors Pledge 3.3M Zero-Emission Vehicles by 2025

    8 Governors Pledge 3.3M Zero-Emission Vehicles by 2025

    A group of like-minded governors on both sides of the nation pledged this morning to get millions of zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) on the country’s roads by 2025. Governors from eight states—California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont—said they would do their part to encourage drivers to buy ZEVs to total 3.3 […]

    U.S. Department of Energy Awards $60M to Solar Research and Development

    U.S. Department of Energy Awards $60M to Solar Research and Development

    Wanting to build on an already growing industry, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) invested $60 million this week in solar energy research and development. The awards were announced at the ongoing, three-day Solar Power International 2013 event in Chicago as a small portion of President Obama’s plan to reduce carbon pollution while supporting clean energy innovation. The […]

    7 Easy Ways to Make Buildings Energy Efficient

    7 Easy Ways to Make Buildings Energy Efficient

    If commercial and government buildings are empty for most of the year, why do they consume so much energy? A report from Greensense, an Australian sustainability software developer, estimates that buildings in its country are vacant for about 72 percent of a year, between off hours and holidays. Still, those buildings consume about 55 percent […]

    IKEA Continues to Lead in Solar Energy Installations

    IKEA Continues to Lead in Solar Energy Installations

    IKEA has commenced work on a new solar panel array that will double the amount of generation at a store just outside, Boston, MA. The retailer, which installed solar projects on 39 of its 44 U.S. locations last year, recently began work on a 58,575-square-foot addition to its Stoughton, MA location. The addition will make space […]

    Apple’s Lisa Jackson Discusses Company’s Quest for 100 Percent Renewable Energy

    Apple’s Lisa Jackson Discusses Company’s Quest for 100 Percent Renewable Energy

    Though Apple says its data centers and corporate offices are mostly powered by renewable energy, the tech titan looks to become even more sustainable with the hire of Lisa Jackson as its vice president of environmental initiatives. Jackson spent 25 years in the public sector, most recently as the administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection […]

    Is Your City Listed in Latest Ranking of Bicycle Friendly Communities?

    Is Your City Listed in Latest Ranking of Bicycle Friendly Communities?

    The growing number of people pedaling along the sidewalks and streets aren’t just biking in urban areas. The League of American Bicyclists released its latest ranking of Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC) today, including 32 communities that are new to the list, many of which are suburbs. There are now 291 BFCs in 48 states. The League […]

    Norway Investments in Renewable Energy ‘Could Change the World’

    Norway Investments in Renewable Energy ‘Could Change the World’

    With more than $750 billion of holdings in its sovereign wealth fund, Norway is on the brink of potentially making renewable energy investments around the world. Erna Solberg, who will be named Norway’s second female prime minister, has already heard proposals from her government to use sovereign wealth fund money to invest in sustainable companies […]