According to an analysis performed by Battelle Memorial Institute and R&D Magazine, the global research and development (R&D) outlook for 2011 will be more stable and positive and is emerging from one of the worst recession eras in recent times. With this in mind, R&D managers are prepared to see moderate, but sustainable growth and more global competition for resources …
The Hail Storm Against the Tax Package Intensifies
While many in the domestic U.S. energy industry were giving sighs of relief yesterday after the Senate passed the one-year extension of the tax package, others were not so calm. Two organizations in particular that are not happy with the renewal of the biofuel portion of the tax package were the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) and Friends of the …
Solar Industry Celebrates Passage of Tax Package
“With bipartisan leadership from Senators Cantwell, Feinstein, Ensign and LeMieux, the Senate made clear today that it is serious about protecting American jobs,” said Rhone Resch, the President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) yesterday after the Senate voted to pass the one-year extension of various tax incentives that fall under the Department of Treasury Section 1603 …
New Mexico to Get Plethora of Solar
A five-solar site project broke ground today in New Mexico, when completed will provide residents of Lea and Eddy counties more than 112 million kilowatts hours of solar energy per year. The 54 MW photovoltaic solar project will be spread out over five separate sites and will help utility provider Xcel Energy meet the state’s renewable portfolio standard that requires …
Geological Society of America Unveils Solar System
The Geological Society of America (GSA) is now powered by solar. This month the building began offsetting about 35 percent of its energy use with its new 65 kilowatt (kW) rooftop solar energy system. The solar system will provide the company’s headquarters with 88 megawatt hours per year of energy. This project is one of three renewable energy projects planned …
Investments in G-20 Clean Power Projects Could Top $2.3 Trillion
Private funds have been difficult to secure in the U.S. for clean energy programs for the past year; however, on a global scale, private investments in G-20 clean power projects could total more than $2.3 trillion by the end of this decade alone. This figure was released as part of a new report from the Pew Charitable Trusts this month: …
Is Natural Gas A Viable Partner In the Low-Carbon Future?
Is, and should, natural gas be a viable partner in the movement to a low-carbon future? This was the question asked and answered in a new report published by the Worldwatch Institute and authored by Worldwatch Sustainable Energy Fellow Saya Kitasei. “Powering the Low-Carbon Economy: The Once and Future Roles of Renewable Energy and Natural Gas,” concludes that natural gas …
Vatican Powered From Above
The Vatican has unveiled a new book detailing the Holy See’s solar power initiatives. “The Energy of the Sun in the Vatican” was presented last week during a press conference by Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, president of the commission governing Vatican City State. It details two solar projects undertaken by the Vatican in the last two years – the installation of …
Qatar’s Solar-Power Stadiums to Host 2022 World Cup
In what’s being described as a bit of a stunning announcement, the tiny Middle Eastern country of Qatar has been picked as the site for the 2022 World Cup, soccer’s biggest event. So how did a small country that will be subject to temperatures of above 120 degrees Farhenheit during World Cup play get the games? This inhabitat.com article I …
Wind Energy Powers COP-16
It is only fitting that wind energy would supply power to an environmental conference. The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-16) is in full swing in Cancun, Mexico and renewable energies are taking center stage. Cancun’s windmill will produce 1.5 megawatts on each day, enough energy to power 1,500 houses. This according to the President of Mexico, Felipe Calderón Hinojosa. …