energy

It’s hard to overstate the impact of energy on the economy.  It’s why the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1942 and why the Middle East attracts so much attention today.  In the first half of the 20th century, the US…

On Sunday, Germany’s impressive streak of renewable energy milestones continued, with renewable energy generation surging to a record portion — nearly 75 percent — of the country’s overall electricity demand by midday. With wind and solar in particular filling such…

The American Wind Energy Association credits Walmart, of all companies, with kicking off the airy trend when it started buying a lot of energy from a Texas wind farm in 2008. Microsoft and Facebook both made flashy commitments to wind…

 Technology is replacing human labor like never before.  In 1979, General Motors employed over 800,000 people.  Yet today, just a small fraction of that number works at places like Google, Microsoft and Facebook, even though they earn far more.  …

“The American Lung Association has opposed granting renewable energy subsidies for biomass combustion precisely because it is so polluting,” .Why we are using taxpayer dollars to subsidize power plants that are more polluting than coal?”   learn more in grist …

Commercial silicon-based solar cells — such as those seen on the roofs of houses across the country — operate at about 20% efficiency for converting the Sun’s rays into electrical energy. It’s taken over 20 years to achieve that rate…

“The idea of eliminating cables would allow us to re-design things in ways that we haven’t yet thought of, that’s just going to make our devices and everything that we interact with, that much more efficient, more practical and maybe…

Roosegaarde’s specimen was created by genetically modifying its molecular structure to include luciferin, a chemical that gives jellyfish their radiant glow. “I’m completely obsessed with jellyfish,” Roosegaarde says. “They create their own light without a battery or solar panel.  …

With Gov. Rick Snyder’s recent announcement of clean energy goals for Michigan, the conversation is quickly developing around the future role of renewable energy in the state. To help inform that conversation, a newly released analysis by my Union of…

For people in five states, going solar is now as easy as buying a Blu-Ray movie or a laptop accessory. Best Buy and SolarCity announced a partnership Wednesday that allows the big-box retailer to sell the solar energy firm’s services…