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.
Atlanta pledges 100 percent renewable power by 2035
Atlanta has arguably been the capital of the American South for decades, from its moniker as “The City Too Busy To Hate” during the civil rights era to its hosting of the Olympic Games a generation ago. Now, according to the Sierra Club, Atlanta is now the largest southern city to commit to a Read More...
Solar success creates a new challenge: U.S. prepares for eclipse in August
In the ancient world a solar eclipse meant one thing: a disruption of the established order. And so it is today, again. The U.S. is using so much solar power that it will have to prepare for the solar eclipse that will hit the country in August. As the shadow of the moon passes over North America, Read More...
Microgrids could whet the big appetite for clean energy in Texas
They say everything is bigger in Texas. As a leading state focused on renewable energy growth, that statement would appear to be true, but is it? With Texas aggressively lowering its reliance on oil production thanks to advances in renewables, more growth from wind and solar power will require Read More...
Iowa's Largest Utility Eyes 100% Renewable Energy Goal
Iowa is already a wind energy superstar, and now, the state's largest utility is looking to completely transition to renewable energy sources. Des Moines-based MidAmerican Energy, owned by Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett, recently invested $3.6 billion for Read More...
Powerhouse: The startup making solar the most accessible energy in the world
In a world flush with tech startups, Powerhouse is one of the only incubators focused on launching and growing solar companies. Since its launch in 2013, Powerhouse has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars collectively into 15 startups, and this summer plans to welcome another few solar Read More...
How batteries could revolutionize renewable energy
All over California, there's evidence of the state's goal to lead the country in renewable energy. Enormous farms of shiny solar panels have popped up across southern California, and gigantic wind turbines dot the landscape Read More...
If India meets renewables target, no more coal power needed in 10 years
As the prospects for coal-generated electricity recede globally, India is one of the last bastions of the world's oldest, dirtiest energy source -- although construction of new coal-fired power plants is faltering. From January 2016 to January 2017, development of coal-fired power capacity fell Read More...
Scientists closer to ultimate carbon solution: artificial photosynthesis
We publish these stories about technological innovation with some regularity in The Optimist Daily. The breakthrough potential is not always easy to grasp. But we continue to present these stories because they show that ongoing innovation will change our future for the better—as it always has. Read More...
This advance brings us a lot closer to a "hydrogen economy"
Hydrogen is currently used to upgrade crude oil and synthesize ammonia, a critical building block of the fertilizers applied in modern agriculture. It also could be valuable as a feedstock for generating green electricity and as an ingredient in environmentally friendly fuel cells to power cars and Read More...
Today’s energy jobs are in solar, not coal
President Trump has promised to revive the coal industry and double down on fossil fuels, creating “so many energy jobs,” but he has so far ignored the increasingly important role of renewable power in America’s energy economy. Last year, the solar industry employed many more Read More...