Indonesia: Geothermal Power
An Indonesian geothermal power project advances with a US investment of $254 million
March 31, 2014
Climate Change In Context
Consider the IPCC's climate impact projections in the context of global inequality, but don't entirely despair
Houston - We Have Problem
There is no Amazon, Apple, Facebook or Google in the US energy industry and here's why this is a problem
IPCC Report - The Wordcloud Version
The IPCC report is very long. The Summary for Policymakers is still fairly long. So here's a wordcloud. pic.twitter.com/KD2F1kIsE7
— Sophie Yeo (@rtcc_sophie) March 31, 2014Florida: The Power-Power Link
A close look at a Florida electric utility bill reveals a lot about politics in the state capital.
Two For The Road
Two electric-powered taxis are working NYC streets, out of a 50,000 for-hire vehicles
UK: Green Bank Wind Investment
£460 million in UK Green Bank funds go into two offshore wind projects still in development, rather than to in-use facilities
For Whom The Bridge Tolls, Not
Fare-beating soars on the Henry Hudson Bridge
March 30, 2014
Turning Over A New Leaf
The unfinished epic of bringing a new clean energy invention to market
March 29, 2014
Meet Michael Mann
Climate scientist Michael Mann is the man on the front lines of the carbon wars
On TV: Years Of Living Dangerously
Rave review for an 8-part TV series on climate change, starting April 18
March 28, 2014
UK: Medical Journal Calls For Climate Action
Calling climate change-linked global health risks an 'emergency', the British Medical Journal calls for taking responsibility & taking action
Crazy-Making Climate Calculations
What drives economists nuts when calculating the costs of climate change as part of global policy making?
Science At Work: Ocean Acidification
Here's a new website about the science of ocean acidification, because what happens in the water doesn't stay there
Solar Price Parity In Minnesota
Minnesota regulators order utility to be prepared to purchase power from new solar arrays if prices are competitive with natural gas-fueled plants
Facebook - The Next Generation
Solar-powered drones are Facebook's vision for delivering tomorrow's Internet
In Praise Of Glass Houses
A short picture history of glass houses and a reminder that we don't know how to occupy them eco-responsibly
Catch The Wind
Discover where America's wind farms have been built since 1975
Australia: Deep-Energy Upgrade Fund
Australia's 'green bank', the CEFC, creates a $100 million fund for deep energy retrofits of commercial buildings
More Power To Benchmarking
Urban energy benchmarking laws hold the promise of improving building energy code compliance, finds IMT report
March 27, 2014
Science At Work - Warming Noise v Signals
Michael Mann researches the differences between regular, long term temperature fluctuations in the northern hemisphere and climate change signals (Note: Abstract is free, but full paper is not)
Climate Deniers Run Their Mouths
The story of one target of a climate-deniers' hate mail campaign
Five Questions For Climate Science Educators
Five answers about why the new AAAS climate science public outreach campaign could succeed
Bullish On Microgrids
Investment analysts see bright prospects for global growth of microgrids
Save Electric Car Sales
It's a bad move for states to ban direct sales of Teslas to consumers, says the New York Times
Energy Efficiency: The Two-Penny Deal
Using data for 45 state energy efficiency programs utilities spend two cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of power saved & that translates into huge lifetime conservation gains
Poland: Polling Renewable Power
A switch to renewable power & energy independence from Russia is favored by 88% of Poles polled
Scotland: A Wee Dram
Now there's an alternative to single-malt scotch, locally-sourced Scottish wine
Portland: Take A Talking Bus
Portland, Oregon rolls out 'talking buses' to step up pedestrian safety
March 26, 2014
Imagine
This Is What A Totally Green, Sustainable NYC Could Look Like http://t.co/wnlPr4xtMW via @huffpostgreen pic.twitter.com/lrQcxVpphQ
— ClimateWeekNYC (@ClimateWeekNYC) March 26, 2014Hyperbolic Coral Reef
OK, this hand-crochet wonder has just about nothing to to with urban sustainable systems, but don't miss it
BC: The Carbon Tax That Works
British Columbia's carbon tax, pegged at $30/ton of emissions, is a success & here's why
A Guide For The Energy Perplexed
Here's a primer on renewable & fossil energy to help you navigate today's debates
Idea Ownership
Who are the five biggest holders of smart grid patents and what assets are involved?
PACE Lives
PACE, the loan program for home energy performance upgrades, returns in California with a state mortgage loan loss reserve fund
Israel: The Secret To Dust-Free Solar Panels
Robots armed with microfiber mops keep solar panels dust-free & high-performing in the Israeli desert
Frankfurt: Bank Tower Is A High Performer
By cutting energy & water use and shrinking its carbon footprint a renovated Deutsche Bank building re-opened in Frankfurt, lives up to expectations
Sandy Response Gear MIA
The whereabouts of $1.2 million in Sandy recovery equipment is unknown, according to a New York Comptroller's audit
March 25, 2014
IPCC Report: Raising Resilience
The latest IPCC report is expected to focus more on workable resilience measures and less on prediction-making
The Global Carbon Budget
The global carbon budget in graphic form and ways not to bust it
Another Reason To Get An EV
If car ownership & home ownership are part of your life, here's a reason to get an electric vehicle
Germany: Renewable Energy And The Economy
If German renewable energy policy makes power so costly, why is German heavy industry doing better than its neighbors and staying at home?
The Valley of Death Problem
The cautionary tale of one bio-fuel energy start up
Smog Kills
Worldwide, air pollution kills more people than AIDS or diabetes, with China at greatest risk
EU: More Air Polllutors
Air pollution in 11 EU nations exceeded EU standards in 2012, up from 10 the year before
MA Dems Talk Gas Tax, Carbon Tax And More
Five Democratic candidates running for Governor of Massachusetts speak about energy, climate & transportation
Look Who's Buying Green Bonds
The growth spurt in green bonds attracts new classes of investors
March 24, 2014
Feds OK Nat Gas Export Terminal
The Department of Energy gives a conditional OK to construction of a liquid natural gas export terminal on the Oregon coast
Mega-Cities Mega-Trend
Today there are some three dozen mega-cities, so what to expect by 2040?
Share A Cab, Cut Traffic And Emissions
Here's how to reduce the number of a NYC taxi rides by 40% and shrink carbon emissions too
Full Cost Solar Accounting
In Italy & Germany full-cost accounting finds a grid parity for solar and fossil-fuel power
The Bad Astronomy Blogger Says
Weighing the utility of debating climate deniers, 'once you step off the narrow path of reality, all unreality is equally plausible'
Copenhagen: Super-Sustainable Harbor Neighborhood
Nordhavn is becoming the greenest part of Europe's most sustainable capital city
Manhatta 1921
Watch this silent film gem! and look at all that smoke & haze
Feds Fund Housing Heat
Feeling the political heat FEMA agrees to pay for boiler replacements at NYCHA housing flooded out by Sandy
March 22, 2014
Rx For Utility Death Spiral
Utilities can avoid the peril of losing customers & revenue by getting into the rooftop solar business says former DOE chief David Chu
The Latest Thing In Wind Power
Airborne wind power turbines could create electricity price competitive with conventional power
Science At Work: Follow The Heat
Why ocean temperatures are the best available way to track the world as it heats up
March 21, 2014
Call for EU-Wide Grid
To realize the full potential of renewable energy Greenpeace calls for a 'supergrid' to link EU nations
EU: Getting By Without Russian Gas
Coming soon, an EU energy diversification road map to cut its need for Russian natural gas
Australia: Carbon Tax Endures
The Australian Senate defeats the Prime Minister's plan to kill off the carbon tax, for now
Don't Be A Drip
Water is the word's greatest liquid asset and these 10 wasteful ways have got to go
It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's A....
Traffic congestion pricing plan that might have political momentum in Albany
Citi Bike SOS
Suffering from significant revenue shortfalls Citi Bike fans hope the Mayor will come to the rescue
What the World Needs Now
$1 trillion in clean energy investments to prevent catastrophic climate change is within our reach
Smarter Cities
Today's trendy talk about urban teched-up smart cities can forget to figure out what people really need
March 20, 2014
China: The Thorium Option
China gears up to be the first nation to build a thorium-fueled nuclear power plant
White House Not Green House
Tension rises between the White House green guru John Podesta & environmental groups over climate and energy policy, but White House ready to plug methane leaks
Holland: How Bikes Won The Day
A brief history of why biking is the thing to do in Dutch cities
States' Rights Wrongs
Find out which states ban or restrict the ability to have GHG emissions rules stricter than federal limits
Resolved: US Universities Should Disinvest From Fossi Fuels
Designing Urban Resilience
Architects, developers & the USEPA explore practical visions for 21 century coastal cities like NY
The Breezy Point of Tomorow
Will Breezy Point be rebuild with storm-safe home designs like these?
-30-
30 is when life begins... MT @afreedma: It's been exactly 29 years since the Earth had a colder than avg month pic.twitter.com/N9tH899UnO
— David Biello (@dbiello) March 19, 2014Cost Of Regulation - Routinely Overestimated
US utilities have a long history of overestimating the costs of environmental regulation
UK: Carbon Tax Cut And Freeze
Citing a concern for utility customers, the UK cuts its carbon tax rate 40% & freezes it in place
March 19, 2014
Japan: Rising Cheap Coal Imports
Japan's carbon emissions rise as it imports more low-cost coal instead of pricier LNG, in this post-nuclear power era
How To Fund Energy Upgrades
PACE financing for commercial buildings, the 90 second summary
UK: A Green And Pleasant Land, Not
A New Kind Of Battery Recycling
When an electric vehicle dies there could be a new life for its battery
Raiding The MTA Piggy Bank
Don't add dollars to the state budget at the expense of straphangers chides a New York Times editorial
Take The Train To the Plane, Someday
Designs for a La Guardia Airport makeover carve out space for a direct subway link
Mario Molina: A Man With A Messsage
Meet the man behind scientists' clarion call to climate action
March 18, 2014
UK: Uni Building So Green It's Passive
A new building at Bradford University will be the first UK educational facility to meet PassivHaus standards
Yakety-Yak
Awesome RT @NigelBritto: Politicians discussing global warming. A sculpture in Berlin by Issac Cordal pic.twitter.com/f4TwJeJJ8M
— James Ham (@evolvingcities) March 18, 2014LEED Labels As Market Movers
Analysis of project-specific LEED points suggests developers see market value in earning a higher rating
Update On Solar Panel Industry
How big is today's solar panel-making industry and what are its cost trends?
Crossing The Carbon Threshold Sooner
Coming two months earlier than in 2013 atmospheric CO2 levels breached 400 per million in March
Shifting Solar Markets
Markets for utility-scale solar power plants could be so over
Tokyo: Meets CO2 Targets For Now
Tokyo offices & factories meet or beat Round 1 cuts in carbon emissions, but there are signs that Round 2 could be different
Con Ed Pays More For Energy Efficiency
Property owners who want to get energy efficient can get the biggest incentives ever from Con Ed
New London: The Geothermal Option
Is geothermal power ready for prime time in New London CT municipal buildings?
March 17, 2014
US Battery-Powered Gear Pollutes China
Batteries for eco-friendly US products use graphite mined in China that degrades local water & air
Honoring The Dead
Joseph Sax & David Sive, founding legal eagles of US environmentalism, have died
Wanted: More Lithium
What are lithium producers doing to meet rising demand from battery makers like Tesla?
A New Kind Of Green Bond
Toyota to issue a $1.75 billion green bond backed by electric and hybrid car loans, not assets
Grid Operator - Bring It On
PJM, the nation's largest power grid operator, is confident of its ability to transmit renewable energy
City Sharing Boosts Climate Actions
C40 is a global climate action urban network whose members have nearly doubled the number of GHG reduction and resilience programs
Freeing Trade From Climate Change
The US opposes provisions in the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade & investment pact, which acknowledge climate change exists & recognizes the need for cooperative action
March 15, 2014
Lots Of Gas Leaks
if you look for natural gas leaks, they are hiding in plain sight
White Goods Makers Sue City
Refrigerator & air conditioner makers got to court over a NYC law making them responsible for their appliances' ozone hole-causing coolants
Rnewables Need A Geo-Strategy
With the issue of US natural gas exports in the headlines, the Energy Gang asks why there's no geo-strategic talk about renewable power
Ask Better Questions
Did the way the Gallup Poll asked questions about what's worrying Americans undercut detecting their climate concerns?
How To Find Money
Now, owners of small to mid-sized commercial buildings can access funds for energy performance upgrades
March 14, 2014
LED Math
How much money could you save every month by switching your home lighting to LED bulbs?
Costs Of Climate Change - Kid Stuff
Only 36% of Gallup Poll respondents think climate change will have serious impacts during their lifetimes
Stop Tesla
Auto dealers in NY seek to ban direct in-state sales of Tesla electric cars
San Diego's Super Microgrid
Right on the leading edge of microgrid tech right in UC, San Diego
The Future Is Here
The Urban Future Lab, a tech incubator dedicated to sustainable infrastructure, energy efficiency & climate adaption innovation opens in Brooklyn
March 13, 2014
Tokyo: Carbon Cap and Trade
Success in the Tokyo buildings cap & trade program to cut carbon emissions is nearly all cap so far
Iceland And Ethiopia: Renewable Energy Link
Iceland, home of abundant geothermal energy, launches a project at an Ethiopian volcano to tap into its geothermal power
Climate-Proofing The Grid
What will be involved in complying with the PSC order to climate-proof NY's electric power grid?
China: Industrial-Strength Solar
Work begins on 1.1 gigawatt solar power project in northwest China
Big Data For Taxis
How can mapping a year's worth of NYC taxi trips help make industry practices more efficient?
Become A Tenant Star
Prospects are bright for federal legislation creating a Tenant Star Program to help commercial leaseholders improve their energy efficiency & their bottom line
Build It Back Didn't
The federal government blames the Bloomberg Administration for failing to distribute relief funds to rebuild Sandy-harmed homes
Albany: Crude Oil Freeze
Albany, NY's Executive slaps a moratorium on expanding capacity to process crude oil arriving by rail
Green Exits
March 12, 2014
What Makes Us Worry
'Climate change' scores just above 'race relations' at the bottom of a Gallup Poll 15-item list of what worries Americans
Italy: Court Closes Killer Coal Plants
Two coal-fired power plants with emissions blamed for hundreds of deaths are ordered closed by an Italian court
Green Tech 101: Heat Pumps
What's the difference between air-source and ground-source heat pumps?
Don't Go Down NY's Track
New York's State-run MTA is not a good model for Chicago's mass transit overhaul
Swimming Poses Global Flooding Risk
Read The Onion all-purpose panacea
Talking Climate Persuasion
Never use the words "Earth" or "planet" to get across an effective climate-action message
Cost Of Carbon Emissions Hits High
The cost to power plants for their carbon emissions hit a high with the recent RGGI permit auction, $4/ton
Energy Politics
Russian moves on the Ukraine create a rift between pro-renewable power Germany & coal-producing, pro-fracking Poland in the name of energy security
March 11, 2014
Canberra: Capital Wind Power
Enough wind power for 80,000 homes is on tap for Australia's capital, Canberra
Climate Change - Enemy Of Energy Systems
The US GAO counts the ways climate change puts the US energy infrastructure system at risk
Worldwide: Nuclear Construction
Handy map showing which countries are still building nuclear power plants: http://t.co/gOoGKlq74J pic.twitter.com/69TYMFjFro
— brad plumer (@bradplumer) March 11, 2014Global Carbon Cutting Tool - Meh
Markets are losing interest in UN Certified Emissions Reductions credits as a vehicle for combating climate change
Pay Now Or Pay Later
Deferring investments in upgrading NYC's aged infrastructure will mean big, expensive headaches later on, according to the Center for an Urban Future
Securitizing PACE Home Loans
Securitization of home loans for energy efficiency upgrades, known as the PACE program, begins
Bio-Fuel From Brooklyn
With billions of bacteria working 24/7 a Brooklyn sewage treatment plant starts makinging bio-fuel by adding food scraps to it sludge
What If...
If master science-explainer Carl Sagan were alive today, could he put an end to climate-change denialism?
You Can't Win It If You're Not In It
Join the MIT CoLab contest for empowering ideas for the public & communities to build awareness and demand for green buildings
March 10, 2014
I'm Melting, I'm Melting
UN: Carbon Market Efficiency
Nations must standardize carbon-cutting benchmarks to ensure carbon emissions market success
All Aboard
US mass transit ridership is at its highest level since 1956
NY-NJ Disaster Planning
Thinking about future climate change-related risks must become part of federally-funded post-Sandy rebuilding in NY & NJ
Upgrading Multi-Family Building Energy Efficiency Loans
The feds announce a program to make it easier & cheaper to get loans for energy efficiency upgrades in multi-family residential buildings
Google Goes For Clean Energy
With tax-equity financing incentives Google's invests $1.4 billion in clean energy projects & expects robust returns on its investments
UK: Natural Gas 101
Will knowing the national origin and prices of natural gas used in the UK encourage more energy efficiency?
Geneva: Electric Cars Are In
New car models at the Gevena auto expo signal that all-electric cars are mainstreaming
Solar Time Is Now
Plunging solar costs & rising solar employment, raise the rationale for this renewable power source
March 08, 2014
Solar Shines
Visualizing solar's best year ever: http://t.co/Z6qEWqZuDU
— Stephen Lacey (@Stphn_Lacey) March 7, 2014March 07, 2014
China: Shifting The Pollution Load
New power plant plans means more air pollution for ethnic minorities in western China
Build A Better Fridge
New commercial refrigerators in supermarkets & food storage facilities will have to be 30% more energy efficient than current models
Climate Change: Argue Less Act More
Now is the time to take boost the adoption of low carbon technologies by tapping new funding sources
Natural Gas As Diplomacy Asset
The New York Times editorializes on a topic that's heating up beyond environmental circles
Warming Pause - Don't Count On It
Abundant science research accounting for an apparent pause in global warming all adds up to climate change is happening
The Daylight Savings Debate
Does daylight savings time waste energy, increase public safety or just make people cranky?
UK: 55 Million Smart Meters On Tap
What to expect for the roll-out of a 55 million smart electric, gas & water meter program in the UK
The Future Is Coming
Audrey Zibelman, Director of NY's electric utility regulating and rate setting agency, articulated the need to identify critical factors for driving change in energy development and transmission at an NYU Law School conference. She also spotlighted how clean energy will force the industry to develop in ways not currently anticipated.
Rate Hike For Citi Bikes
New York City mulls over raising fees on Citi Bikes, while dimming hopes for expansion to more neighborhoods
March 06, 2014
Climate Shills, Skeptics and Hobbyists
Words matter and it's time to retire the phrase 'climate denialist'
Energy Storage - The Fine Print
Requests for Proposals to acquire energy storage equipment are a way to discover its current value to utilities & regulators
March 05, 2014
L.A.: No Fracking
By a 10-0 vote the Los Angeles City Council approves a ban on hydrfracking until it's proven safe for the environment and human health
Utilities: Deflecting The Grim Reaper
What can a power utility do when facing a 'death spiral' brought on by the trend toward decentralization?
What Could Be Lost
Sea level rise will inundate more UNESCO world heritage sites than just the State of Liberty & the Sydney Opera House
UK: Home Energy Efficiency Participation - Meh
While participation in a UK green home loan program has been disappointing, a home insulation program has done better
Australia: What A Forecast
Australians should brace themselves for more heat, higher fire risks and worse droughts
Oakland: Crowdsourcing On The Roof
Oakland CA residents who want to install rooftop solar panels now can finance it through crowdsourcing
China: Solar Cell Maker Defaults
The first company to default on a corporate bond in China is a photovoltatic panel maker
The Open Source Grid
Working with smart grid gurus, Duke Energy wants to create an internet of power system components with open source adapters to make instantaneous grid balancing decisions
Climate Power In The White House
John Podesta is a forceful climate action advocate in the White House, with evidence in the President's new budget proposal
March 04, 2014
China: Peak Coal Coming
China's coal consumption is predicted to peak in 2020 and then drop .43% annually
Scaling Up Renwable Power
Achieving 30% integration of renewable into a nation's power grid will require a 3-part transformation of the current system
Ukraine: The Commodity Behind The Headlines
Predictions about US natural gas exports arising from the Ukraine's turmoil
City Offers $6 Million In Green Grants
Got a great greening NYC idea? Apply for a 2014 funding grant from the Department of Environmental Protection
EU: Strong Support For Climate Action
A poll in EU member countries finds 4 out-of 5 people support climate-friendly energy efficiency policies, with no country's support under 65%
Corporations Declare For The Climate
Apple, e-Bay & the Gap are just a few of the 140 California-based corporations signing on for policies to cut emissions and drive clean tech investment
Results-Based Utility Regulation
Making the case for forward-looking utility regulations based on achieving policy goals, investor security & consumer value
Greenpoint's Environmental Benefit $$$
As part of the settlement to clean up Exxon's decades-old oil spill in Greenpoint, a $19.5 million state-run fund to announce its first grants for community environmental benefits projects
Envisioning A 21 Century Power Supply
Explore America's Power Plan, a resource rich site with a wide-angle vision for developing a sustainable power supply system
March 02, 2014
Winter For The One Percent
Heated sidewalks melt snow in front of some select NYC residential buildings
March 01, 2014
The Economics Of Grid Defection
The end of the century-old electric power utility model may be closer than you think
Energy Efficiency: Grow Asset Value
Real estate industry leaders devise a 7-step process for increasing asset value through energy efficiency retrofits