slacey, Author at CleanTechnica

Solar 1/3 of World Energy Supply in 2060? Conservative IEA Thinks So

December 3, 201112 years ago slacey 1 Comment

The International Energy Agency is notoriously conservative on projections for renewable energy. The agency has embraced the need for more clean electricity and fuels to address climate change and peak oil, but its outlook for the future is usually far more conservative than how reality plays out.

So when an official at the IEA says we could get up to one third of our global energy supply from solar photovoltaics, concentrating solar power, and solar hot water by 2060, that’s a fairly big piece of news. But even that projection may be conservative. […]

Asian Pacific Solar Booming, Especially in China

November 23, 201112 years ago slacey 3 Comments

With European solar markets in decline, the industry is looking to the next hot solar region. Even with political troubles in the U.S., companies still see America as a good long-term bet. (And let’s remember, Europe’s slowdown doesn’t mean the region is going to stop being a major player.) But … [continued]

O’Reilly Found a Solar Installer (or an Installer Found Him)

November 23, 201112 years ago slacey 3 Comments

When Bill O’Reilly said he couldn’t find anyone on Long Island to put solar on his home, a number of organizations put out the call across New York to help him get a quote. With hundreds of companies in the state, O’Reilly’s comments were a bit perplexing: “I want to buy solar … [continued]

Google Favoring Clean Energy Deployment over Clean Energy R&D

November 23, 201112 years ago slacey 2 Comments

Media incorrectly report Google is abandoning renewables. In fact, the company is increasing clean energy investments. Buried at the bottom of an innocuous “spring cleaning” post on Google’s blog yesterday, the internet giant made a very important announcement: it will stop funding its Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal (RE<C) initiative. … [continued]

Gainesville (Florida) Bigger Per Capita Solar Producer than California

November 22, 201112 years ago slacey 7 Comments

Advocates for feed-in tariffs (FITs) have long claimed that the policy is the fastest, most efficient method for deploying renewable energy. One need only look at the rapid adoption rates in European countries to see their effectiveness. FITs require utilities to purchase renewable electricity from system owners over a certain period … [continued]

EPA Regulations CREATE Jobs, Even Electric Company CEOs Will Tell You That

November 21, 201112 years ago slacey 3 Comments

“We have to hire plumbers, electricians, painters, folks who do that kind of work when you retrofit a plant. Jobs are created in the process — no question about that.” — Mike Morris, CEO, American Electric Power What happens when the GOP mantra that environmental regulations kill jobs is proven false? … [continued]

Congress Killing Wind Energy Jobs, Bipartisan Governors Group States (Congress Less Popular than BP, IRS,…

November 20, 201112 years ago slacey 2 Comments

I’m not sure how many open letters I’ve read over the years from businesses and state-level political leaders urging Congress to extend short-term tax credits to renewables. It’s a lot. And it’s kind of sad that I’m still reading them. The latest letter, written by a bi-partisan coalition of governors who support … [continued]

Fox’s Bill O’Reilly, Somehow, Can’t Find a Solar Installer (Help Him Out)

November 20, 201112 years ago slacey 6 Comments

In another tirade against solar, Bill O’Reilly recently said he couldn’t find anyone in Long Island to install a system on his house. “There’s no where, no one,” explained O’Reilly. Gee, what a predicament. Actually, as a quick Google search points out, there are more than a dozen companies installing solar electric … [continued]

Congress Clean Energy Champions Introduce Key Clean Energy Legislation

November 4, 201112 years ago slacey 2 Comments

Two important pieces of legislation have been introduced in the House and Senate that would provide long-term certainty to the clean energy industry by extending tax credits for wind, geothermal, hydro and biomass facilities. Yesterday in the House, Washington Republican Dave Reichert and Oregon Democrat Earl Blumenauer introduced a piece of … [continued]

Clean Tech Has Reached the Mass Deployment Stage (Investors See That)

November 4, 201112 years ago slacey 0 Comments

A new debate is picking up within the clean energy industry: Is the sector facing a crisis? Or is it still on an upward curve? The bankruptcy of Solyndra and the political wrangling over the Department of Energy’s loan guarantee program have heightened the debate, causing people to ask if … [continued]