Report: Clean energy now accounts for one-third of global power capacity
When the Optimist Daily was just getting started, powering the world via renewable energy was still somewhat of a pipe dream. In the last few years, we’ve witnessed rapid progress when it comes to renewables for a number of reasons. First, the cost of producing solar panels and wind turbines, as Read More...
Researchers come up with carbon-neutral way to store excess energy as methane
One of the major drawbacks to renewable energy sources like wind and solar is that we don't have an effective way to store excess energy. When the wind blows, we might have more than enough energy to feed the grid, but we can't store the surplus. Then, on breezeless days, we're left powerless. As Read More...
These US cities are overcoming barriers to clean energy with creative solutions
In the face of inadequate federal action on climate change, cities across the United States are taking matters into their own hands to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decarbonize local energy systems. But city staff face many hurdles when attempting to transition to renewable energy quickly, so Read More...
Better battery storage is helping make renewables cheaper than natural gas
Renewables are increasingly becoming more attractive as their costs continue to drop at a stunning pace. Solar and wind plants are now not only significantly cheaper than coal power, as a new report revealed last week, but they're also putting natural gas to shame. New research shows that the cost Read More...
The way utilities earn money is all wrong. New York City is out to change that
Isn’t it strange that your energy bills keep rising even though the quality of our energy infrastructure is not improving? Yes, it is, especially considering that a staggering $55 billion is invested annually into electric utilities a year. The problem is that money is flowing to old-school Read More...
Norway’s oil and gas giant is betting big on energy storage technology
The rise of cheap renewable energy is starting to upend the bottom lines of fossil-fuel companies all over the world. Initially, that was why so many of them instinctively fought the newfangled technologies. Increasingly, it’s why many of them are shifting strategy, hustling to try to profitably Read More...
Copenhagen could become the first carbon-neutral capital city by 2025
The capital cities of the world need to take a good look at that ambitious goal that Copenhagen is attempting to achieve. By 2025, the Danish capital wants to be carbon neutral by generating more renewable energy than it consumes from fossil fuels. Technologically speaking, Copenhagen has the Read More...
Puerto Rico passes historic 100% renewable energy legislation
After Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico in 2017, the island was without energy for months, making it an incredibly pain-staking process to deal with the aftermath of the tropical storm. To make sure that never happens again, Puerto Rico has passed a bill that sets the island on a path to Read More...
Meet the fired Kentucky coal miners who are picking up a new trade
Like the top story in today’s edition of the Optimist Daily already points out, coal is losing in the battle to remain a relevant energy source as renewables such as wind and solar have become cheaper. Still, while it’s good news for the planet that we’re lessening our dependence on coal Read More...
New study finds solar or wind energy is cheaper than coal in most of America
According to a major new study, the clock is running out for coal energy. Around three-quarters of US coal production is now more expensive than solar and wind energy in providing electricity to American households. The study’s authors used public financial filings and data from the Energy Read More...