Electrification is gaining popularity, power plants need replacing, and there is a growing demand for clean energy resources. For those reasons, there is a constant buildout of shiny new electricity producers: wind turbines, solar panels, and gas plants. Also, more than ever before, electric customers are choosing to generate their own electricity with on-site solar […]
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that President Biden signed into law last November is a down payment to modernize the electric grid in the United States, but it’s only a piece of what’s needed. The country needs a grid that is faster, more resilient and helps it meet its emissions reduction goals. As we enter 2022, it’s time for Congress […]
In the state of Washington, advocates hope that the third time’s the charm for passing community solar legislation. By Maria McCoy Institute for Local Self-Reliance For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Mason Rolph, President of Olympia Community Solar. In the absence of supportive state policy, Rolph has found […]
Several clean energy technologies like solar panels have become consistently cheaper year after year as the industries have benefited from learning, experience and economies of scale. Falling solar costs are described by “Swanson’s Law,” much like Moore’s Law described the rapid and consistent progress in the semiconductor industry. Solar photovoltaic cells in 2019 cost about 85% less per watt […]
Rooftop solar panels are up to 79% cheaper than they were in 2010. These plummeting costs have made rooftop solar photovoltaics even more attractive to households and businesses who want to reduce their reliance on electricity grids while reducing their carbon footprints. By Siddharth Joshi, University College Cork; James Glynn, Columbia University, and Shivika Mittal, […]
Pennsylvania took a crucial step to join a regional initiative to cut carbon emissions and defend our children’s health. The Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) voted to approve the regulation that will link Pennsylvania to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). By Evangelical Environmental Network Kim Andeson, Associate Director of Pennsylvania Outreach of the Evangelical […]
In a unanimous vote, the Los Angeles City Council yesterday (September 1) approved a motion introduced by Councilmembers Paul Krekorian and Mitch O’Farrelll requiring that 100 percent of the city’s electricity come from clean, zero carbon energy by 2035. By Dan Bacher “Through this motion, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power — the largest municipally-owned utility in the […]
Giant kelp, the world’s largest species of marine algae, is an attractive source for making biofuels. In a recent study, we tested a novel strategy for growing kelp that could make it possible to produce it continuously on a large scale. The key idea is moving kelp stocks daily up to near-surface waters for sunlight […]
Bernie Sanders is pushing hard for a new budget full of important climate investments. As chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, he is in a unique position to make this happen – and with next year’s midterm elections uncertain, it’s more important than ever that we get this voted into law NOW, before the GOP […]
Many rural counties in the United States face the dual challenges of lagging economic growth and increasingly severe effects of climate change. While urban areas are not uniformly prosperous and rural areas are not uniformly poor, rural communities on average lag behind their urban counterparts on most key economic indicators — from poverty rates to […]
In 2016, Oregon passed SB 1547, the Clean Electricity and Coal Transition Act, which raised the Renewable Portfolio Standard and made solar accessible to homeowners, renters, schools, businesses, and governments through community net metering. The community solar program’s maximum capacity is set at two and a half percent of each utility’s 2016 system peak, enabling an […]
Over the past three weeks, climate negotiators gathered online for the UN Climate Change Subsidiary Bodies sessions, aiming to make progress on details within the Paris Agreement. These details are critical to resolve if the world is to meet the agreement’s goals and prevent the most dangerous impacts of climate change. By Yamide Dagnet, Nathan Cogswell, Lorena Gonzalez, Mima Mendoza, Nataniel […]
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) annually assesses the economic health of its 190 member countries, making recommendations to address macroeconomic and financial challenges through surveillance processes referred to as Article IV surveillance. By Valerie Laxton and Lauren Sidner World Resources Institute On May 25, the IMF — charged with securing economic stability and effective operation of the international monetary system […]
Despite the challenging economic conditions created by COVID-19, 2020 was a record year for clean energy development in the United States, with the country nearly doubling the capacity installed in 2019. By Katrina McLaughlin and Lori Bird World Resources Institute According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the U.S. installed 35 gigawatts (GW) of new renewable generating capacity in 2020, enough […]
This interview with Mark Jacobson, conducted by Adam Aron, took place on May 24, 2021. By Adam Aron, Mark Jacobson Resilience.org AA: I’m interested in what you have to say about demand reduction. There’s been a rapid rise of renewable energy and it’s going to accelerate even more, but total energy use for the world accelerates much faster. […]