solar energy
Jerry Brown’s Push for Local Renewable Power
Local renewables – those photovoltaics, small wind turbines, etc. on people’s roofs, and in public spaces close to demand – how big of a role can they play in our renewable energy future? Berkeley and UCLA law schools wrote about that topic in In Our Backyard, and California’s Governor Jerry Brown made this question a …
Continue reading “Jerry Brown’s Push for Local Renewable Power”
CONTINUE READINGHome Solar Good for More Than a Guilty Conscience
Despite all of the tax breaks, utility rebates, and net metering potential, the common assumption is that rooftop residential photovoltaics are not economical for many customers. Some people figure that you install a solar system if you want to feel good about yourself, or make a statement about the environment, but you had better expect …
Continue reading “Home Solar Good for More Than a Guilty Conscience”
CONTINUE READINGThat’s “Chief Justice Bitch”
The ongoing Wisconsin saga of public sector union rights has, predictably, involved the state’s Supreme Court. But in a much more personal way than one would think at first: The April 5th state Supreme Court election in Wisconsin, where incumbent Justice David Prosser is seeking re-election, is now being shaken up by news about the …
Continue reading “That’s “Chief Justice Bitch””
CONTINUE READINGSolar Power — More Reliable Than You Might Think
Wind and solar power are intermittent — we can rely on them to make power only when the wind blows or the sun shines. And it can cost a lot (in terms of dollars and the environment) to fill in the gaps with conventional power sources. That’s why the development of energy storage is so …
Continue reading “Solar Power — More Reliable Than You Might Think”
CONTINUE READING…and another thing about electric rates and the environment…
Last week, I wrote about how a proposal to change the design of residential electric rates might get in the way of efforts to encourage energy efficiency. Sushil Jacob, a keen-eyed student in my Energy Regulation and the Environment class, points to another potential problem. PG&E, the largest utility providing service in California, wants …
Continue reading “…and another thing about electric rates and the environment…”
CONTINUE READINGDOE Bets on Central Station Solar — Is It the Right Horse?
Congratulations to Oakland’s BrightSource Energy Inc. for winning the largest federal loan guarantee for a renewable energy project thus far — $1.37 billion for the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, to be constructed in the Mojave Desert. For an observer like me – one who is most definitely not a financial markets expert – the …
Continue reading “DOE Bets on Central Station Solar — Is It the Right Horse?”
CONTINUE READINGFor Renewable Energy in California, It’s Not Clear Which Way the Wind is Blowing
If California’s governor sticks to the plan he announced last week, California’s leadership role in promoting domestic renewable energy development is in doubt. As Cara Horowitz reported in a recent post, the governor announced his intention to veto recently-passed legislation that would have set a target of 33% renewable power by 2020. Instead of signing …
Continue reading “For Renewable Energy in California, It’s Not Clear Which Way the Wind is Blowing”
CONTINUE READINGSolar Energy on the Fast Track
Yesterday, U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Nevada Senator Harry Reid announced a series of initiatives to create a “fast track” for the development of utility scale solar energy facilities on Western public lands. This will include designating certain tracts of land as especially promising based on solar potential and land use compatibility, funding environmental …
Continue reading “Solar Energy on the Fast Track”
CONTINUE READINGThe Nuclear Option
In the 1960s, when legendary environmentalist David Brower expressed his opposition to nuclear power, he exposed a rift among his Sierra Club colleagues, many of whom saw “too cheap to meter” nuclear power as the solution to air pollution problems. Brower and others focused on the danger of nuclear accidents, security issues, and the difficulty …
Continue reading “The Nuclear Option”
CONTINUE READINGSun Down, Sun Up
There is bad news and there is good news about efforts to promote distributed solar energy development in the United States. On balance, the long-term perspective seems to be improving. Greenwire reports that the California Solar Initiative, the states ambitious program to encourage photovoltaic installations on homes and businesses, has lost some steam, lately. Builders …
Continue reading “Sun Down, Sun Up”
CONTINUE READING