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.
In San Diego, electric cars tested as power storage units to improve renewable energy's reliability
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) launched a 10-month program to test the integration of electrical vehicles (EV) in its power grid in order to improve efficiencies. With 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles forecast on the roads of California by 2025, according to the state’s Zero-Emission Read More...
California uses more solar than all other states combined
California now sources close to 30% of its power from renewables. Last year, solar alone jumped for 1.9% to 5% of the Golden State’s total generation. With just 23 megawatts short of cracking the 10 gigawatts barrier, California has more installed solar capacity than all other states Read More...
Sweden imports garbage for power, helps Europe dispose of its waste
The world-leading nation in garbage-fueled energy is now importing garbage to feed the network of district-power plants that provide electricity for more than half of Swedish households. Sweden has reduced its landfill-bound garbage to less than 1% of the waste it produces, after burning 52% of it Read More...
The Internet of Things soon to create your local power grid from decentralized solar and wind
Imagine linking up solar panels, wind turbines and energy storage units of a local area so that they communicate and work together as a standalone microgrid. They can also communicate with the main centralized grid so as to harmonize with it. Imagine now a multitude of these microgrids, and you get Read More...
Beijing moves beyond coal to fight pollution
The fourth and last remaining major coal power plant fueling the Chinese capital's electric grid will be closed in 2016 and be replaced by a natural gas facility. The first one was closed last year, followed by two more last week. Analysts expect the move will mean cutting annual carbon emissions Read More...
Costa Rica powers its grid through water and volcanoes (a little wind and sun too)
Costa Rica's power grid has been running on 100% renewable energy for the past 76 days, and counting. It is able to rely primarily on its hydropower plants, with a boost from geothermal, solar and wind energy sources. Anxious to reduce its energy dependence on water and its growing vulnerability to Read More...
How will Europe’s solar powerhouse Germany cope with the eclipse?
Today a solar eclipse will sweep across Europe. Millions of people will stare at the unusual sky and the strange darkness it brings. But there’s one problem: solar power. Never before has an eclipse happened at the current level of solar power generating capacity, especially in Germany. Its 1.4 Read More...
Signs of the end of coal in China
We’ve reported before on China’s unexpected reduction of coal in both production and consumption. For a report from the Sierra Club and CoalSwarm, it has now been calculated that since 2010 there have been two coal plants decommissioned or canceled for each coal plant that has been built. Does Read More...
Al Gore, the optimist, shows promising energy statistics
When he presented An Inconvenient Truth in 2006, Al Gore became a prophet doom. With his dire vision for the effects of climate change and the future of the planet he left audiences desperate and feeling helpless. But a new Al Gore is emerging. Over the past year, he has become more of a prophet of Read More...
Solar energy capacity California exceeds demand up to five times
To confirm Al Gore’s new optimism: If California only uses existing infrastructure to add solar power generating capacity, the amount of energy produced would exceed the state’s demand by up to five times. That’s the outcome of a new study. "Integrating solar facilities into the urban and Read More...