Energy
Transitioning to a world powered by renewable energy is key to tackling climate change. Here you can find the latest good news related to our clean energy transition, covering wind, solar, green hydrogen, hydropower, and more.
The cost of high-efficiency solar panels fell 37 percent in 2017
In 2017, the price for high-efficiency solar panels dropped from 72¢/W to 45¢/W, representing a 37 percent decline in cost. The falling price point is driven by several factors, including American consumer demand for higher solar efficiency to compensate for the higher-than-average energy Read More...
The countries poised to become “renewable superpowers”
The fossil fuel era won’t last forever. And a new set of nations will find their reserves of lithium, copper and rare earth metals in high Read More...
Coal power continues its slow march toward death
In 2017, sustainable energy has become "the new normal" in America, and coal power continues slipping away. Coal production slightly increased in 2017, as did coal prices. But that's not because more Americans are using coal energy. Instead, American coal has become more valuable for its Read More...
Renewables will be the dominant source of energy sooner than you think
The plummeting price of renewable energy has led to a massive increase in clean energy capacity around the world. In fact, China is expected to become the first major country where renewables become the dominant source of energy in 2022. Spain and the United Arab Emirates are expected to reach grid Read More...
The world’s first floating wind farm is generating more energy than expected
The world’s first floating wind farm, which is located off the coast of Scotland, is showing that generating great amounts of energy is possible in places with deep seabeds. Although Scotland’s floating wind farm only switched on three months ago, it’s already performing far better than Read More...
This company achieved a breakthrough on the way to the “hydrogen economy”
Hydrogen is an all-purpose element that can be produced without greenhouse gases and used to create anything from fertilizers to fuel. The only problem is extracting it from water is both expensive in terms of money and energy. Attempts at producing hydrogen at a lesser cost haven’t been all too Read More...
Residential solar is cheap, but can it get cheaper? Paths to $0.05 per kWh
The price of solar panels has fallen far and fast. But the Energy Department (DOE) wants to bring those costs down even further, especially for residential homes. After all, studies have shown that if every inch of useable rooftop in the US had solar panels on it, the panels could provide about 40% Read More...
Public support for coal is rapidly declining in America
Although the executive branch continues to tout coal as America’s top energy source, the public is not buying into this illusion. A new survey of US public opinion found that while Americans still seem lukewarm on reducing fossil fuel production in general, they are rapidly turning against coal. Read More...
The winds created by trains in London could soon help power the city
As the energy needs of urban areas continue to increase, innovators are looking for new ways to generate energy in unexpected places. One woman in London has created a startup that seeks to harness wind energy from the draft winds created by the Crossrail trains in the city’s underground. The Read More...
Natural gas can’t compete with the powerful mix of solar and batteries
The powerful combination of solar and batteries are nudging natural gas out of the power market. Not only because solar energy is becoming cheaper than burning gas, but also because government is supporting the use of battery systems. In California, for example, regulators have called on PG&E Read More...