Environment

Only two decades ago, some scientists were skeptical we could integrate more than about 20% renewable energy generation on the U.S. power grid. But we hit that milestone in 2020 — so, these days, experts’ sights are set on finding pathways toward a fully renewable national power system. And according to new research published in Joule,

Originally published on NRDC Expert Blog.By Sarah Dougherty,  Tom Zimpleman, & Gabriel Daly  G7 leaders met in the UK last week, and climate was high on the agenda, as it must be. One of the areas of agreement among the leaders of the world’s largest economies might seem new but has been in the works for years: mandatory

Could you quickly explain how geothermal energy works, and where it is particularly useful? Geothermal heating and cooling is done by using a heat pump to move heat between the ground and a home or building. The term ‘heat pump’ may be unfamiliar, but heat pumps are actually ubiquitous in modern life: refrigerators are heat

John with Tesla Owners of Silicon Valley shared some interesting Tesla Solar news for those who plan to take a loan to install it. He discovered that Tesla has launched better rates on solar loans. Previously, the loan option was for a 20-year plan with 10% down and 5.99% APR. Recently, Tesla made the loan

In 2020, consumption of renewable energy in the United States grew for the fifth year in a row, reaching a record high of 11.6 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu), or 12% of total U.S. energy consumption. Renewable energy was the only source of U.S. energy consumption that increased in 2020 from 2019; fossil fuel and

In this article VWS-DK ORSTED-DK GE Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images General Electric’s renewables unit and LafargeHolcim, the world’s biggest cement manufacturer, have struck a deal to explore the recycling of wind turbine blades. A memorandum of understanding will see the companies focus on exploring “circular economy solutions.” Business practices connected to the

A wind turbine photographed in, Camelford, Cornwall, at sunset. Ashley Cooper | Corbis | Getty Images This year’s G-7 summit will be held in the county of Cornwall, a part of southwest England known for its stunning coastline, historic fishing communities and natural beauty. As well as being a popular destination for tourists — the

Large solar panels are seen in a solar power plant in Hami, China on May 8, 2013. STR | AFP | Getty Images From green energy to equal access to education and technology, investors can find opportunities to make money through these “unstoppable trends,” says Citi. Alternative and green energy are “very productive right now”

In this article AGI-PH A combination of a delicate natural environment and increasing poverty is encouraging the son of a billionaire business founder to improve their company’s sustainable and social efforts. Property group Alliance Global is based in the Philippines, which — being an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands — is particularly susceptible to

Think about where our energy comes from: drilling rigs and smokestacks, windmills and solar panels. Lithium-ion battery packs might even come to mind.  We probably don’t think about the farms that comprise over one-third of Earth’s total land area. But farms can also be an energy source. Barcelona-based battery company Bioo is generating electricity from

Not including rooftop solar power, solar PV accounted for 36.5% of new US electricity generation capacity in the first quarter of 2021. (Note that we are talking about new power capacity in this article, not electricity generation itself.) Another 63.2% of new US electricity generation capacity came from new wind power plants. Those two combine

Originally published on NRDC Expert Blog.By Ariana Gonzalez, Director, Colorado Policy, Climate & Clean Energy Program After months of drafting, negotiating, and rallying around legislation in the Colorado State Capitol, the General Assembly has adjourned. Looking back over the past six months, it’s clear that achieving enforceable and equitable climate action was a top priority not

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the White House have made offshore wind a centerpiece of plans to strengthen the nation’s energy infrastructure, announcing a goal to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030 — a huge leap from the 42 megawatts (MW) currently in operation. Not only could this provide enough electricity

Puzzling out and testing new ways to improve the efficiency of cadmium telluride (CdTe) polycrystalline thin-film photovoltaic materials is a typical day in the life of National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) research scientists Matthew Reese and Craig Perkins. Like any good puzzlers, they bring curiosity and keen observation to the task. These skills led them,

Electric grids do not change overnight. Power plants and other infrastructure are multi-decade investments, and it’s rare to retire them early. So, it’s a bit painful to watch how slowly they have been getting cleaned up. Even with the majority of new power plants being renewable energy power plants, the percentage of electricity coming from

Courtesy of Union Of Concerned ScientistsBy Rachel Cleetus The G-7 Leaders’ Summit is underway, from June 11–13, in Cornwall, UK. As host nation for this summit, and the annual climate talks later this year (also known as COP26), the UK will clearly be elevating the need for climate action, alongside dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and trade

Originally published on RMI.org.By John Matson As the world warms and the demand for cooling increases, many homes will require an “all of the above” approach to keep cool without further contributing to global warming. That can include high-performance cooling systems that use climate-friendly coolants and consume relatively little energy, as well as building design approaches that offset the

CNBC’s Jim Cramer said Wednesday that trading meme stocks is more gambling than investing. “It’s exciting. It’s fun, and it’s real,” Cramer said on “Squawk Box.” However, he added, “If you’re going to play it, I think that you can, I don’t know, go to the casino. These should be offered at the casino.” He

In this article SPOT Northvolt’s battery factory in the north of Sweden in June. Northvolt Northvolt, a Swedish battery maker, has raised $2.75 billion from a host of big names to help fuel its global expansion and increase production. The Stockholm-headquartered company makes the lithium-ion batteries that are used to power electric cars and it

In this article SGRE-ES Wind turbines in Brandenburg, Germany. Patrick Pleul | picture alliance | Getty Images So-called “green” hydrogen production using onshore wind turbines could achieve price parity with fossil-based hydrogen by the year 2030, according to a white paper from Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. In a statement on Wednesday the firm — a