Donald Trump’s surprise election as the next US President will be a “setback” for global climate policy, but the global trend towards decarbonisation is unlikely to be halted, said the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Global solar installation levels are expected to surpass original expectations for 2016 and fly in the face of a partial-global slowdown, reaching 76 GW for the year, up 48% over 2015, according to global clean energy consulting firm Mercom Capital Group.
China-based struggling solar manufacturer Yingli Green Energy, also known as Yingli Solar, has confirmed the anticipated lull in the solar industry it predicted back in the second quarter.
Australia’s CSIRO has partnered with Chinese company Thermal Focus in an agreement which will see Australian concentrating solar thermal technology used in China.
The lobbyists behind the Tesla + CEO Elon Musk attack website StopElonFromFailingAgain.com have reportedly been identified. While it was already public knowledge that the group “Citizens for the Republic” was backing the website, it wasn’t clear that board members Craig Shirley and Diane Banister are integral parts of the public relations firm Shirley and Banister Public Affairs.
While Norwegian investors pull out because the DAPL does not meet their Corporate Social Responsibility requirements, and Energy Transfer Partners sells their company to Sunoco to better compete against Russia, I would like to propose that all investors pull their funds from this project, as there are other energy projects with a much higher ROI that actually build a stronger US economy. I am addressing Goldman Sachs because of their stated commitment to environmental stewardship and their long track record of successful investments.
In spite of all the progress, the question still remains: Can we really put conventional means of generating electricity in the rear view mirror and move towards a clean and efficient energy future?
gasoline is still more expensive than electricity for transportation, but is electricity produced from coal and natural gas cheaper than that from renewables? Price of fossil fuels (oil (2) and natural gas(3)) in the U.S. are at 14 year lows. The amount of electricity generated using coal in the U.S. is at its lowest level since 1970 (4) and last year, natural
gas surpassed coal as the top U.S. fuel used to produce electricity.
Over the past months and years, the World Future Council has worked with several stakeholders in the country, developing a policy roadmap to transition to 100% Renewable Energy. With the CVF´s Marrakesh Vision, this roadmap can now serve as guidance for the new government to go faster and further and walk the talk.
File this one under U for “You’ve Been Had, Part Infinity.” President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on a pledge to bring coal jobs back to the US, but job seekers who really want to work in the energy sector are going to have a lot more luck with the solar industry over the next four years.
