Renewable Energy

Fact Checking Fossil Fuel Industry’s Attacks on Wind Energy

Fact Checking Fossil Fuel Industry’s Attacks on Wind Energy

It was only a matter of time before wind energy supporters fired back at the fossil fuel-funded Institute for Energy Research (IER) for releasing a report this week that was peppered with falsehoods. It didn’t help that its sister organization, the American Energy Alliance, equated the federal wind production tax credit (PTC) as “welfare” in […]

Join our newsletter

The best of EcoWatch, right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

    $7 Million Invested in Clean Energy on Tribal Lands

    $7 Million Invested in Clean Energy on Tribal Lands

    Efficient lighting systems, solar panels and job opportunities are coming to tribal lands across the country, along with funds to support them. The Obama Administration announced this month that it would fund nine clean energy projects on tribal lands from New York to Arizona with $7 million through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The awards will help American […]

    Arizona Imposes Unprecedented Fee on Solar Energy Users

    Arizona Imposes Unprecedented Fee on Solar Energy Users

    In Arizona, contractors won’t be only ones collecting money from those with solar panels. The state’s largest utility can impose a fee of about $4.90 a month on customers with solar systems, following the Arizona Corporation Commission’s (ACC) 3-to-2 vote in favor of Arizona Public Service Co (APS). The collections will begin next year for residents who […]

    Colombian Community Builds Renewable Technologies for a Sustainable Future

    Colombian Community Builds Renewable Technologies for a Sustainable Future

    By Laurie Guevara-​Stone The plains of eastern Colombia are a tough land—the haunt of drug trafficking, guerilla warfare, and paramilitary groups; a place where the soil is so poor everyone said nothing could grow. Paolo Lugari, the founder of the 200-person community of Gaviotas, believed otherwise. In the face of adversity, he built a thriving, self-sustaining […]

    7 Energy Facts About U.S. Defense on Veteran’s Day

    7 Energy Facts About U.S. Defense on Veteran’s Day

    By Alex Straub and Michael Timberlake With the excitement of a long weekend it’s easy to lose sight of what this extra vacation day is really about. Today, Veteran’s Day, offers a specific opportunity to express our gratitude for the sacrifices military men and women make every day across the country. As one of our […]

    11 Governors Ask Congress to Extend Wind PTC

    11 Governors Ask Congress to Extend Wind PTC

    Photo credit: Fresh Energy A bipartisan group of governors is pushing for a multi-year extension of the soon-to-expire production tax credit (PTC) to provide more certainty to the wind industry. The governors of Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Washington each signed a letter and sent it to […]

    World’s Richest Countries Spent $500 Billion on Fossil Fuel Subsidies

    World’s Richest Countries Spent $500 Billion on Fossil Fuel Subsidies

    The nations with the biggest economies seem to spend the largest amounts on subsidies to fossil fuel companies. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that $523 billion in subsidies went to fossil fuel companies across the world in 2011, according to a report released today by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), a global development think tank. G-20 countries, […]

    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 […]

    What Is Your State’s Renewable Energy Grade?

    What Is Your State’s Renewable Energy Grade?

    Vote Solar and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) recently published report cards grading each state on policies related to net metering and interconnection—two measures that are critical in utilities allowing people to generate their own power. California, Massachusetts, Oregon and Utah each received “A” grades in both categories of the seventh annual Freeing the Grid report. Only […]