Solar power: it’s clean, renewable and becoming more cost-effective every day. But in a political landscape so mired by fossil fuels that our government has gifted Big Oil over $150 billion in tax breaks and subsidies since 1950, solar power’s progress has been slow-going, to say the least.
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Most people think of massive wind farms when they think of wind power. But there’s a small revolution going on, and one that some people are, quite literally, screaming from the rooftops about.
One small wind technology recently appeared in Time Magazine’s list of Top 20 Green Tech Ideas.
In this economic climate, every state wants new jobs. And harnessing the sun for electricity creates more of those coveted jobs per megawatt-hour than any other energy resource. These are high quality jobs across a broad range of education requirements, salary levels and fields. The majority (about 75%)
Good news from the wind industry front. According to the latest figures released by the American Wind Energy Association, America’s wind power industry grew by 15% in 2010 and provided 26% of all new electric generating capacity in the United States. With the 5,116 MW added last year, U.S. wind
Home & business energy tax credits still attractive for renewables, efficiency and electric vehicles
It may be too late to take advantage of green tax benefits for 2010, depending on when you file and what you did last year, but now is the right time to start thinking about energy-saving measures in 2011 that can result in federal tax savings. When President Obama extended the
Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md) have joined forces to sponsor a bill that ends the refundable Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC). This tax credit subsidizes the blending of corn-based ethanol into gasoline. The legislation, if enacted immediately, would save taxpayers nearly $4 billion during the remainder of 2011,
Electric cars are finally coming to market in the U.S., but what is the future potential for this much-touted technology? A good way to find out would be to launch demonstration projects in selected U.S. cities to determine if, given incentives and the proper infrastructure, the public will truly embrace plug-in vehicles.
Over the past 25 years, the State of New York has been a national leader in many cleantech initiatives, including its state-wide programs to promote renewable and sustainable energies, reductions in carbon emissions, and recycling programs, just to name a few. Specifically, the State of New York has created administrative agencies
With large-scale solar outfits and individual panels going up all over the country, it’s undeniable that the U.S. solar market is widening its reach. So what’s in store for 2011? Lower prices and a demand that’s nearly double what it was last year.
Over the past two years, solar product manufacturers have been forced to
Last month, The Economist told us that changes on the scale necessary to prevent even a two-degree rise in global temperatures are a “wishful dream.” The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2007 Report on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability concluded that the poorest regions in the world were going to suffer the most. And as the world keeps
Where do you begin with the benefits of green roofs? Over time, green roof owners, from residential to corporate, have testified to the numerous benefits they have received since installing green roofs on their homes and office buildings. Along with drastic cuts in electric and energy bills, they’ve also experienced longer-lasting
Of all the lousy things fossil fuels do to our health, finances and national security, add one more: Ideological blindness.
How else can we explain why some otherwise sensible proponents of free markets support huge government subsidies for coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear power?
New Jersey passes law to encourage the development of 1,100 megawatts of new offshore wind energy capacity.
As the proposed Cape Wind offshore wind farm in Massachusetts fends off some last ditch legal challenges to become the first offshore wind farm in the U.S., New Jersey passed a law last week that would
Every home has unique energy efficiency needs, but there are a lot of universal energy saving projects that will help homeowners lower their utility bills and take advantage of incentives that are available now.
Too often, advice about how to make your home more efficient falls into one of three categories:
Costs a lot of money and has a big impact: Geothermal heating, for instance. Great project, but it’s a big upfront cost for a long-term payback. Not everyone is in a position to do something like that right now.
Doesn’t cost much, but doesn’t have much impact: Insulating your hot water heater tank in a basement that already has wall insulation.