In mid-September, the U.S. government revised its estimates for U.S. oil production upward once again. Boosted by increases in tight oil from shale formations in North Dakota and Texas, America could soon surpass its previous domestic production peak hit in … Continue reading →
Recently, New York became the center of attention in the electricity sector after announcing a plan to reform distribution utilities in the state and create a model for "utility 2.0." Over the last four months, regulators, utilities and other stakeholders … Continue reading →
The convergence of rooftop solar PV and behind-the-meter batteries continues. On Tuesday, Japanese solar module giant Kyocera announced it has teamed up with Stem, a startup that’s installed about 6 megawatts of behind-the-meter lithium-ion batteries, to “offer an integrated solar … Continue reading →
The impressive and precipitous rise of the U.S. solar industry is well documented. As of the writing of this report, total installed solar electric capacity neared 16 gigawatts (GW), providing enough solar electricity to power over 3.2 million average U.S. … Continue reading →
The South Side is quickly becoming a hotbed for the solar energy industry. And it's not just solar farms, according to Steven Nivin, an economist at St. Mary's University and member of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “San Antonio has … Continue reading →
Myth: The sun doesn’t shine at night and the wind doesn’t always blow so renewable energy is not reliable enough to replace fossil fuel generating plants. Fact: While it is true that “the sun doesn’t shine at night and the … Continue reading →
It’s been three months since we released The Economics of Grid Defection exploring when off-grid solar-plus-battery systems could reach economic parity with retail electric service. These systems could become competitive with retail electric service within the next decade for many … Continue reading →
In 1907, my great grandfather William Abner Wilson, a Houston developer, broke ground on a master planned community named Woodland Heights located just a few miles from downtown Houston. His development plan included modern infrastructure and technologies such as underground … Continue reading →
This map shows how little space we’d need to power the entire world with solar panels. The area in the red box is about 25,000 square miles, slightly larger than the state of West Virginia. The small red square shows … Continue reading →
Everyone wants to contribute a smaller carbon footprint, but it’s quite difficult when 80% of stock sold in supermarkets is wrapped in toxic packaging. In effect, Americans still produce near 3 pounds of trash every day, and this is a … Continue reading →
BlackRock, the world's biggest fund manager, has teamed up with London's FTSE Group to help investors avoid coal, oil and gas companies without putting their money at risk. In a sign that a global campaign against fossil fuels is entering … Continue reading →
San Antonio-based self-storage chain Stuff Hotel is spending some $150,000 to expand solar energy systems at its facilities in San Antonio and three other Texas cities. The company installed a 28-kilowatt solar array at its 9018 Poteet Jourdanton Freeway location … Continue reading →
The U.S. residential solar market is growing rapidly and undergoing a major transformation at the same time. A new acquisition, partnership, or project fund seems to be announced every week. But what is the underlying trend here? For a while, … Continue reading →
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is trying to awaken more Americans to the dangers of climate change, with a report Tuesday that focuses on a clear and accessible explanation of the evidence. It's a commendable and necessary … 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 →
This is Aros, a Wi-Fi connected air conditioner aimed at energy-conscious consumers that Quirky and GE are launching today. It's by far the biggest and most complicated product that Quirky has ever built, and it aims to help solve truly … 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 →
More than 40 million people worldwide have been displaced from their homes and left to find shelter in strange lands. Maybe they find a tarp, or a tent, but their quality of life almost always remains dismal. To close this … Continue reading →
San Antonio Councilmember Ron Nirenberg cited several initiatives, such as a review of water policies, that he said shows the city is aiming for a sustainable future. He spoke Friday at a conference, titled, “San Antonio Environmental Challenges: Opportunities in … Continue reading →
The head of the Environmental Protection Agency made a personal site visit at San Antonio's water recycling and solar power facilities, applauding the city's cooperative approach to controlling climate change. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said partnerships between CPS Energy and … Continue reading →
