Solar panels are getting smaller and smaller… so small that one day they could be woven into your clothing! Researchers at two major colleges in Illinois… Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign… are working together to come up with a thin, flexible silicon solar panel. Northwestern’s journalism school’s paper, Medill Reports, says the new panels will be …
Alt Fuels & Energy Savings Get $80 Billion from Stimulus Package
Congress has passed the nearly $800 billion economic stimulus package, and alternative fuels and energy saving measures will get nearly $62 billion in spending and another $20 billion in tax credits and bond provisions from the measure that Pres. Obama has promised to sign on Monday. This article from ItsGettingHotinHere.org details how some of the money will be spent: Research, …
Stimulus Bill Has Money for Renewable Energy
Renewable energy could get a share of the nearly $800 billion in the compromise version of the U.S. House and Senate’s economic stimulus bills. This story from CNNMoney has details: The provisions in the bill – a deal hammered out between House and Senate negotiators late Wednesday that still needs to be passed by both chambers – will primarily give …
Stimulus Bill’s Alt Energy Provisions Survive House Vote, Need Senate Support
Pres. Obama’s economic stimulus bill passed the U.S. House, but its provisions that will help renewable energy, especially solar and wind power, are still in jeopardy unless lawmakers in the Senate and House can get together on their differences in their two versions of the bill. This story from Greentech Media says the biggest difference in the two bills deals …
Biodiesel Board, Others Welcome New EPA Chief
There’s a new person in charge of the federal agency in charge of keeping the environment clean, and thus, a friend to the clean, renewable energy field. The U.S. Senate has unanimously approved Pres. Barack Obama’s choice to head the Environmental Protection Agency, Lisa Jackson. Jackson’s home-state newspaper, New Jersey’s Star-Ledger, reported praise for Jackson from Assembly Enivronment Committee chair …
Wal-Mart Puts Plentiful Sunshine to Work
Something we could learn from our neighbors to the south. Wal-Mart Mexico is making good use of that country’s plentiful supply of sunshine as the company has put in a large solar panel array on a roof that will provide a large amount of energy for that store. A company press release says the photovoltaic complex of more than 1,056 …
Show Features California’s Alt Energy Efforts
There was a fascinating show on PBS tonight that featured the various efforts in California to change how the state will meet some substantial challenges in its growing energy consumption, while reducing the amount of greenhouse gases pumped into the environment. The episode of Nova, entitled “The Big Energy Gamble” talked about Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s aggressive plan to have one-third …
Obama Makes Case for Wind & Other Renewables
An Ohio wind-turbine parts factory was the backdrop today as President-elect Barack Obama made his case to include renewable energy in his economic-stimulus package. The Wall Street Journal reports Obama made his push at the Cardinal Fastener & Specialty Co. in a Cleveland suburb: Mr. Obama has pledged to double over three years the amount of U.S. wind, solar and …
Virginia Gov Proposes Incentives for Renewable Energy
Virginia’s governor is proposing a series of grants and tax credits to help renewable energy sources, such as biodiesel, ethanol, solar and wind energy, grow in his state… and grow the green jobs that come with those sources. This story from Virginia Business says Gov. Timothy M. Kaine sees the green jobs and renewable energy as a way out of …
Donors Build Alt Energy Institute at Stanford
One hundred million dollars has been donated to Stanford University for a new energy institute to find environmentally friendly energy sources. This article from Reuters says half of the money is coming from an oil executive… interesting, since the intent of the institute is to make renewable energy cheaper than petroleum: The new Precourt Institute for Energy is named after …