Many businesses can now perform the traditional functions of an electric utility — provide affordable, reliable, resilient power to homes and businesses. The barriers to entry in the business have fallen. For instance, a home with rooftop solar panels, batteries, and gas-based generators may choose to be grid-independent. Even when homes decide to remain grid-tied, utilities face falling demand and revenue, and the possibility of future grid-defection. Further, competing electricity solutions can emerge quickly, and not one-home-at-a-time — microgrids can offer community, village, or campus-level solutions.

President Barack Obama ordered the federal government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent from 2008 levels over the next 10 years by shifting to renewable energy sources such as solar power.

The proposed U.S. commitment to tackling climate change in support of a new international climate agreement is a serious and achievable plan that demonstrates the United States is ready to take significant action. Coming today, eight months before the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties in Paris this December, known as COP 21, the U.S. submission adds momentum toglobal climate negotiations and should help spur other countries to act.

Political deadlock over Australia’s clean energy future is prompting companies such as Vestas Wind Systems A/S and Acciona SA to increasingly turn to rival markets for growth.

The World Bank indicated in its new report "Building Competitive Green Industries: The Climate and Clean Technology Opportunity for Developing Countries" that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries are set to undergo significant growth and create more jobs in the field of clean technology. Anabel Gonzalez, senior director for the World Bank's Global Practice on Trade and Competitiveness, said developing home-grown clean-tech industries will help developing countries more effectively increase the adoption of low-cost clean energy and drive sustainable economic development.

Europe’s utilities are re-evaluating their business models due to the energy transition. Members of POWER-GEN Europe’s Advisory Board consider how a reliance on fossil fuels is no longer politically desirable, forcing utilities to transform their portfolios to adapt to radical change.

Driven by rapid expansion in developing countries, renewables are becoming a significant source of the world’s power.  According to the United Nations Environmental Programme’s (UNEP) 9th “Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2015,” investment in developing countries was up 36 percent in 2014, totaling $131.3 billion.

German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said 13 percent of power stations burning lignite, a cheap form of coal, would be phased out by 2021 under a program to cut power industry pollution. The government abandoned talks on proposals to impose a climate-change fee that the industry said would have forced mines and plants to close, threatening jobs.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) chose Sandia National Laboratories as one of five leads in a pilot that will give small, clean-energy companies access to national laboratory expertise and resources. Sandia will receive $2.75 million of DOE’s $20 million investment to launch the voucher pilot for small business assistance and collaborative research.

Scotland-based power and environmental consultant Aquatera Ltd. Has entered into a partnership with the Nagasaki Marine Industry Cluster Promotion Association in an effort to help Japan bolster its marine energy sector through international collaboration.

Oracle Corp. Chief Executive Officer Larry Ellison plans to build one to power the Hawaiian island he bought last year. EBay Inc. has one to run a data center. The University of California at San Diego and the federal government have invested tens of millions of dollars in the technology.

Walk into any panel discussion at a geothermal power event and you will often hear about barriers hindering geothermal development. In spite of the obstacles, the geothermal industry has grown and adapted to adversity, and it is unfortunate when more attention is not given to geothermal power’s technological accomplishments and the long-term potential. Today, 73 countries across the globe are actively engaged with the geothermal energy sector, showing that more governments, utilities, and industry stakeholders are recognizing the long-term value geothermal power can bring to their power systems.

This month marks the anniversaries of two notable events, decades apart yet related in terms of historical impact, awareness of vulnerability, and challenge to business as usual: the Arab oil embargo 40 years ago (Oct. 19-20, 1973) and Superstorm Sandy, which hit the Northeast on Oct. 29 last year. Both events sparked a national and global focus on two concepts I’ve been hearing quite a bit about in recent months: adaptation and resilience.

The SEC has finally proposed its rules to allow crowd-funding under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act. What do they mean for small-scale investments in renewable energy companies and projects?

Wind farms and solar parks are changing hands at record rates, signaling both an increased taste for the assets among pension funds and hard times for utilities that are the biggest sellers.

Nearly one month after Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the Philippines, affecting more than 12 million people and killing almost 6,000, many residents are still sitting in the dark. The Superstorm not only decimated the islands’ transmission systems, it knocked out one of its main power sources — geothermal.

It’s easy to get caught up in the holiday bustle: shopping, decorating, parties, and preparation. Our to-do lists can seem endless, but we carry on because it is that special time of year, a season of giving.

As editors we delight in learning which of the stories that we wrote or commissioned were most popular with our readers. That’s why at the end of each calendar year, we pull reports that tell us which stories we posted got the most shares, the most views, the most comments, etc. We also look at which videos were watched the most. Often, we post articles that we know will be a big hit: like explanations of controversial solar legislation. But other times you surprise us, readers, by taking great interest in articles that we felt were solid but not necessarily ground-breaking.

Tesla Motors Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said shifting to greater use of solar and wind power will challenge utility companies.

Three G-20 nations saw an increase in clean-energy investments last year even as funding declined globally for the second consecutive year, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Technology is catching up with Thomas Edison’s electricity industry, eating away at the utility business model that hasn’t changed much in a century.

Germany’s biggest utilities face dwindling market shares as the shift to renewable energy spurs regional power generation and storage technology, a senior member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party said.

Bracing for greenhouse-gas rules from the Obama administration, two industries are staking out different positions. Coal companies are pledging to sue. Electric utilities are ready to talk.

To help ensure the safety of fish passing through the new turbines at 912-MW Priest Rapids, Public Utility District No. 2 of Grant County is employing the BioPA method to analyze the biological performance of proposed designs - and to choose an improved one for this facility.

Europe’s concern about its reliance on Russian fossil fuels may spur governments to prioritize alternative energy, the head of Neste Oil Oyj said.

Fossil fuels are reaping $550 billion a year in subsidies and holding back investment in cleaner forms of energy, the International Energy Agency said.

President Barack Obama ordered the federal government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent from 2008 levels over the next 10 years by shifting to renewable energy sources such as solar power.

Political deadlock over Australia’s clean energy future is prompting companies such as Vestas Wind Systems A/S and Acciona SA to increasingly turn to rival markets for growth.

Stocks of clean-energy companies are proving to be better investments than those of companies that produce most of the Western Hemisphere's power, and are outperforming the rest of the stock market as well.

The evidence is found in the New York Stock Exchange Bloomberg Americas Clean Energy Index. Its 141 companies, all based in North and South America, returned 32.62 percent in the past two years. In contrast, the 40 conventional-energy companies in the Standard and Poor's 500 Energy Index returned 1.02 percent over the same period, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Clean energy also is beating the rest of the stock market. The Clean Energy Index is up 6.02 percent so far this year. Lagging behind are both the S&P 500 and the Russell 3000 Index, which gained 3.12 percent and 3.86 percent respectively in 2015.

German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said 13 percent of power stations burning lignite, a cheap form of coal, would be phased out by 2021 under a program to cut power industry pollution. The government abandoned talks on proposals to impose a climate-change fee that the industry said would have forced mines and plants to close, threatening jobs.

The European Parliament said Thursday it was considering a unilateral move to give Ukraine relief from customs duties.

The Welsh Ministers have recently issued The Welsh Authorities Staff Transfers (Pensions) Direction 2012, under powers contained in Section 101 of the Local Government Act 2003 (the “2012 Direction”).  The 2012 Direction came into f...

MANSEHRA: Though Kaghan-Naran section of Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road has been reopened to traffic following the suspension of five consecutive months, the tourism activities in the valley are yet to be resumed.The road, which was blocked due to heavy snowfall in Kaghan valley in December 2019, was...

PESHAWAR: Confusion prevailed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over cancellation of the board examinations and extension of school closure until July 15 as no decision could be taken at the provincial level despite the loud and clear announcement made by federal Education Minister Shafqat...

MINGORA: Another patient died of coronavirus while 13 more tested positive for the viral infection, taking the death toll to 21 in Swat district on Saturday. Also, the confirmed Covid-19 cases reached 322 after 13 more reported positive for the viral disease in the district. It said that test of...

MARDAN: Food packages were distributed among 1,196 deserving families in different parts of the district on Saturday.According to a press release, Additional Deputy Commissioner Hazrat Ali, Assistant Commissioner Gul Bano, police and revenue officials and soldiers of Pakistan Army distributed the...

A South African couple died after drinking homemade beer to get around strict alcohol restrictions during the coronavirus lockdown. ......

The Plateau State Government on Saturday disclosed that most of the cases of COVID-19, which led to the number rising to 15 in state were all imported from outside the state, particularly from Kano and Lagos States. The State Government equally stated that out of the 15 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the State, 7 […]

COVID-19: Most cases were imported from Kano, Lagos – Plateau Health Commissioner decries

The World Health Organization, WHO, Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo, has said that the number of Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Africa has risen to over 56,000 in the past 24 hours. The UN health agency gave the update on its official Twitter account on Saturday. According to the tweet, COVID-19 has killed 2,100 […]

Coronavirus: WHO releases list of African countries with highest cases, deaths

The Chairman of the Christian Council of Nigeria, Enugu State chapter, Archbishop Barr. Christopher Ede, has stated that he did not announce that ban on religious activities have been lifted in Enugu State, as is being erroneously peddled in the media. Reacting to a media report credited to him to the effect that Enugu State […]

“I did not announce ban lift on religious activities in Enugu” – Archbishop Ede

A woman was said to have died in front of the Primary Health Centre in Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. In a video obtained by DAILY POST, the lifeless body of the woman was seen lying on the floor, right in front of the hospital, on Saturday. There was panic among residents of Abeokuta, […]

Suspected coronavirus victim dies in front of Ogun hospital [VIDEO]

The Supreme Court has overturned decisions of the Court of Appeal and High Court that a music assistant at a primary school should have been allowed legal representation at an internal disciplinary hearing. This decision curtails the scope for empl...

Nearly all the remaining provisions of the Companies Act 2006 came into force on 1 October. How does this affect you? Any reference to the Companies Act 1985 in your documentation will need to be up...

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ibrahim Pantami has directed agencies under the Ministry to make available research grants for the development of digital solutions to COVID 19 and innovative ideas in the post COVID 19 era in the country. Pantami made the remarks during the virtual Final Demo and Prize Giving Day […]

The post COVID -19 : Minister directs agencies under him to make available research grants for digital solution appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

The Gauteng Department of Health announced on Saturday that total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the province as at May 8 sits at 1851, with 1247 recoveries and 18 deaths.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize says 3 953 South Africans have now recovered from the Covid-19 virus, which has claimed the lives of more than 180 people in the country so far.