The German experience shows that there are some real challenges associated with renewables integration. But they're not technical — they are mostly related to rate structures, the high cost of legacy renewable energy subsidies and overlapping energy markets between countries. … Continue reading →
On Wednesday, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission voted to become the first state in the nation to come up with a methodology for calculating the value of solar power generated by consumers — and not just how much that power … Continue reading →
Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson may be the world's biggest fracker Exxon is the biggest natural gas producer in the U.S. but he isn't stupid. He'll frack my backyard and tell me it's good for me and he'll frack your place … Continue reading →
By now, you have likely heard I am proposing a transition that will move San Antonio down a path toward becoming a litter-free community. Late last year, after multiple conversations with members of the Citizen’s Environmental Advisory Committee members are … Continue reading →
The Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas is the site of one of the biggest energy booms in America, with oil and gas wells sprouting at an unprecedented rate. But local residents fear for their health – not from the … Continue reading →
An eight-month investigation into the public health consequences of unmitigated oil and gas industry sprawl in Texas Members of the Pulitzer Prize-winning team from InsideClimate News, together with the Center for Public Integrity and The Weather Channel, reveal that as … Continue reading →
AUSTIN, TX – A new report from The Solar Foundation (TSF), a national non-profit research organization, finds more than 4,100 Texans are now working in the solar power industry, marking a 28 per cent increase in solar jobs in one … Continue reading →
The Grid Edge: How Will Utilities, Vendors and Energy Service Providers Adapt? The intersection of grid modernization and the rise of a new end-to-end energy system is already upon us. The term “smart grid” is getting a bit long in … Continue reading →
Read This Retiring Utility Commissioner’s Candid Words About Energy Policy “I suspect that [utilities] would still dearly like to strangle rooftop solar if they could.” When public servants leave office, they sometimes offer up the most candid words of their … Continue reading →
Architecture 2030 challenges the global architecture and building community to implement strategies to reduce energy and water consumption and vehicle emissions by 50 percent by 2030. Becoming a 2030 District offers San Antonio an ideal model for monitoring emissions and … Continue reading →
Green design is no longer a niche market in building construction today. As energy and health costs have increased, demands for healthier, safer and environmentally friendly buildings have become the norm rather than the exception. “(Green architecture) is becoming much … Continue reading →
Two reports published by the US Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory NREL show that soft costs — such as financing and other non-hardware costs — now make up the largest section of solar installation costs, coming in at 64% … Continue reading →
In this 2013 report, new research by MIT Sloan Management Review and The Boston Consulting Group looks at companies that “walk the talk” in addressing significant sustainability concerns. So-called “Walkers” focus heavily on five fronts: sustainability strategy, business case, measurement, … Continue reading →
More companies are hiring sustainability professionals, with the green goods and services field increasing 5 percent from 2010 to 2011 to reach 3.4 million workers, but there’s still considerable room to grow, according to a report published by the McGraw … Continue reading →
The face of sustainability is changing, according to a new report by Boston Consulting Group and MIT Sloan Management Review. In a worldwide survey of more than 1,000 executives and managers, BCG and Sloan took the pulse of sustainability efforts. … Continue reading →
According to Fox Business reporter Shibani Joshi, renewables are successful in Germany and not in the U.S. because Germany has “got a lot more sun than we do.” Sure, California might get sun now and then, Joshi conceded during her … Continue reading →
A new proposal from Arizona’s ratepayer advocate seeks to resolve the hostility between utilities and solar advocates over net energy metering. Regulators “will look to us because their main function is to make sure residential ratepayers get fair treatment, and … Continue reading →
I’ve sat through a number of City of San Antonio master planning meetings and workshops, including some of the many, well-attended brainstorming events for the Mayor’s SA2020 initiative. These sessions are long, often tedious “labors of love” for me and … Continue reading →
The UT Energy Poll seeks to provide an objective, authoritative look at consumer attitudes and perspectives on key energy issues. It is designed to help inform national discussion, business planning and policy development. The new initiative involved in understanding public … Continue reading →
What's in store for the future of energy? VERGE SF 2013 concluded with this 27 minute freewheeling discussion among sustainability heavyweights. The New York Times reporter Andy Revkin caught up with Amory Lovins, chairman of the Rocky Mountain Institute and … Continue reading →
