Environment + Energy Leader Featured News and Articles

Google Buys Entire Output from Texas Wind Farm

September 20, 2013 by Linda Hardesty

Google has agreed to purchase the entire output of the 240 MW Happy Hereford wind farm outside of Amarillo, Texas. The wind farm will provide energy to the Southwest Power Pool, the regional grid that serves Google’s Mayes County, Okla., data center, according to a posting on Google’s blog. Ultimately, ... Read more »

Chicago Passes Energy Benchmarking Requirement

September 17, 2013 by Linda Hardesty

In a 32-to-17 vote, the Chicago City Council passed the energy use benchmarking measure proposed by Mayor Rahm Emanual earlier this year. The new law requires owners of commercial, residential, and municipal buildings over 50,000 square feet to track and verify energy consumption using the EPA’s Portfolio Manager, starting in ... Read more »

Obama Examines Fuel Cells in Sweden

September 10, 2013 by Linda Hardesty

PowerCell’s S1 fuel cell stack was examined by President Barack Obama during his recent state visit to Sweden. President Obama had specifically requested to study some outstanding Swedish energy technology innovations at a visit to the Royal Institute of Technology, and PowerCell’s S1 fuel cell stack was part of three ... Read more »

3M Measures Daylighting Effectiveness of Window Film

September 6, 2013 by Linda Hardesty

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has been collaborating with the window industry to develop and evaluate daylighting technologies that can reduce lighting energy use by as much as 50 percent up to 40 feet from windows, according to Berkeley Lab. An example is a collaboration Berkeley Lab has developed with the ... Read more »

Smart Grid Group Counters Critics

September 5, 2013 by Linda Hardesty

Going on the defensive, a smart grid advocacy group is rebutting some criticism of smart meters. While some people claim smart meters may cause health problems and may invade privacy, including a filmmaker who created an online documentary Take Back Your Power, the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC) has released its own ... Read more »

What if Every Work Station Had a Fan, Heater?

August 30, 2013 by Linda Hardesty

Energy and facility managers often hear complaints from employees that the work environment is either too hot or too cold. Now, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, are working on a “personal comfort system” technology that could solve the problem of individual thermal comfort. Scientists at the University’s Center ... Read more »

Entergy Shuts Vermont Nuclear Power Station

August 29, 2013 by Linda Hardesty

Entergy Corporation plans to close and decommission its Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station in Vernon, Vt. Vermont Yankee sells its power into the New England wholesale market. It is one of Entergy’s merchant nuclear plants, according to a spokesperson. The station is expected to cease power production after its current ... Read more »

St. Paul Implements PACE Financing for Energy Projects

August 23, 2013 by Linda Hardesty

The city council of St. Paul, Minn., approved the issuance of about $10 million of revenue bonds for Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE). The St. Paul Port Authority will issue the bonds to finance loans to cities throughout the state for projects to boost efficiency or install renewable energy systems, ... Read more »

Modular Data Center Saves 19% in Energy, Study Proves

August 21, 2013 by Linda Hardesty

A third-party evaluation by Arizona Public Service (APS) showed that a modular design in IO’s Phoenix data center has achieved a 19 percent energy cost savings quantified by its improved Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) ratings. APS’ findings confirmed that IO’s manufactured, modular approach at this location is more efficient than ... Read more »

Installed Price of Solar PV Systems in the US Continues Rapid Decline

August 15, 2013 by Paul Nastu

The installed price of solar PV power systems in the United States fell substantially in 2012 and through the first half of 2013 – the third year in a row of significant price reductions for PV systems in the US, according to the DOE Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Installed prices ... Read more »

Ratepayers Should Help Pay for Closure of Nuclear Plant, Says Utility

August 14, 2013 by Linda Hardesty

Southern California Edison published full-page letters/advertisements in the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register this week to argue that ratepayers should help pay for the shutdown of the San Onofre nuclear power plant. The utility decided to permanently retire the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station earlier this summer. ... Read more »

Smart Meters Invade Privacy, Says Documentary

August 9, 2013September 24, 2019 by Linda Hardesty

While the energy industry enthusiastically rolls out more smart meters nationwide, there’s a segment of the population that does not like smart meters, at all. A crowd-funded documentary, Take Back Your Power, explores the controversy over smart meters. An online trailer is promoting the documentary, which premiers digitally on September ... Read more »

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