Despite a recent downturn, the Chinese government is moving full-speed ahead to invest heavily in renewable energy. The country's national regulators have already promoted renewable energy as a possible cure for the country's notoriously-bad air pollution. China energy policy renewable energy Investment Donald TrumpBut China has placed more emphasis on renewable power in its latest five-year economic plan. MORE

United States clean energy energy Natural DisastersAlthough claims of imminent volcanic eruption are likely exaggerated, any eruption of what's known as the Yellowstone Supervolcano would cause global chaos. Through intense monitoring programs, scientists have a clear idea of the Yellowstone volcano's behavior. Now NASA scientists are exploring a radical idea that could one day neutralize the. MORE

But its persistent winds make the country a great place for renewable energy. Europe UK renewable energy Scotland energy wind energyScotland isn't known for having the most pleasant weather. Over the past few years, officials have overseen the construction of numerous wind turbines, in hopes of turning Scotland's weather into a useful resource. CHECK OUT: What Country Powered Itself Entirely On. MORE

A 2015 study on the potential for renewable energy use in the U.S. electric utilities renewable energy solar wind energy grid storageScientists generally debate their studies and projections in relatively civil language, but perhaps the currently adversarial tenor of U.S. politics has spilled over into science. has now produced not only a stringent attack, but a harsh rebuttal to that attack in language rarely. MORE

My friend, attorney Leslie Williams, of Shaub and Williams , has been busy for the past few months putting together a big Renewable Energy Law Summit at the Southwestern Law School in L.A. MORE

The committee released a lengthy report on the 2018 fiscal year budget for the Department of Energy that walks away from the Trump Administration's efforts to defund clean energy. Politics government senate Department of Energy DOE renewable energy clean energy Donald TrumpThe Senate Committee on Appropriations recently exhibited a quality somewhat rare in U.S. politics these days: bipartisanship. MORE

renewable-energy generating capacity is not only growing, but it is beginning to erode coal's share of the electricity-generating mix, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The agency predicts renewable energy—particularly solar power—to continue growing. emissions renewable energy solar clean energy wind energy MORE

And the latest statistics from the International Energy Agency (IEA) will be good news indeed for electric-car drivers. Last year saw record growth in renewable energy, according to the IEA, which surpassed coal to become the. China energy policy plug-in cars renewable energy solar wind energyThe overall carbon emissions associated with electric cars decrease as the electricity used to recharge them gets cleaner. MORE

Growth Energy announced that in five months, US drivers have surpassed another billion miles on E15 (gasoline with 15% ethanol), bringing the total miles driven across the US to 2 billion. Growth Energy represents producers and supporters of ethanol. Growth Energy partners with retailers including Casey’s, Cenex, Family Express, Kum & Go, Kwik Trip, MAPCO, Minnoco, Murphy USA, Protec Fuel, QuikTrip, RaceTrac, Sheetz, and Thorntons to offer E15 to their customers. MORE

electric utilities plug-in cars Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) London Commercial vehicle fleet energy storage UPSElectric vehicles are not only zero-emission and quieter and more pleasant to drive, they also clearly lower emissions of the carbon dioxide linked to climate change under most circumstances. For fleet operators who recharge large fleets of electric vehicles overnight, however, the load on electric grids and consequent demand charges pose a. MORE

a)multi-mode energy management strategy and (b) power train system topology. Research done so far on energy management falls mainly into rule-based and optimization-based approaches, the researchers said. MORE

Renewable-energy growth has accelerated in 2016, but this may go down as a milestone year for one renewable-energy source in particular. Together, all renewable-energy sources are expected to account for 8 percent of U.S. electricity-generation capacity in 2017, according to the Department of Energy, and solar energy is responsible for most of. emissions natural gas renewable energy solar clean energy wind energy MORE

For years, renewable energy has been cast as the most expensive option to reduce emissions and the world's reliance on fossil fuels. But 2016 may have marked a turn for the renewable energy sector, with solar energy in particular rising significantly in output. For the first time in history, renewable energy sources accounted for fully two-thirds. China renewable energy solar clean energy energy wind energy MORE

The cleaner an energy source, the cleaner the vehicles it powers. Europe The Netherlands renewable energy Public transport Trains wind energyWhile modern electric cars have only been available in large numbers for a few years, electric trains have been commonplace for some time. As with electric cars, the source of the electricity used to power these trains impacts their overall carbon footprint. DON'T MISS: Alstom. MORE

As Tesla regularly points out, the lithium-ion battery cells used in electric cars can also serve in home energy-storage units. Mercedes-Benz Energy announced yesterday that it is working with Vivint Solar to develop home. Batteries Daimler solar roof plug-in cars solar energy storageNow, a Daimler company will go up against Tesla in that field under the branding of its most famous luxury-car make. MORE

Groupe Renault, Europe’s number one manufacturer of electric vehicles, has formed a new subsidiary: Renault Energy Services. The aim of this new subsidiary is to have an active presence in the energy and smart grid sectors, both of which are fundamental to the expansion of electric mobility. Renault Energy Services will focus chiefly on the development of smart charging, vehicle to grid interaction and second-life batteries. MORE

The White House declared this past week "Energy Week" and offered up a few key points on which the Trump administration plans to focus to unleash what it calls a new American dominance in energy. However, neither the initiatives nor the proposed policy changes hone in on where the world is heading: renewable energy, free of fossil fuels. Politics energy policy clean energy Donald Trump MORE

Politics global warming Efficiency climate change carbon dioxide renewable energy fossil fuels Donald TrumpWhile the news headlines on President Donald Trump mostly address potential scandals, his administration has also lagged significantly in appointing top-level officials to run government agencies. Those that have been appointed often have an adversarial relationship to the missions of the agencies they run. Scott Pruitt, for example, is now. MORE

The European Parliament last week endorsed a series of proposals setting targets for cleaner, more efficient energy use. Among those was a proposal for a binding EU-level target of a 12% share of energy from renewable sources in transport, by 2030. Members of Parliament also endorsed setting a 35% improvement in energy efficiency and a minimum 35% share of energy from renewable sources in gross final consumption of energy by 2030. MORE

emissions renewable energy solar clean energy energy storage Solar CityThe combination of Tesla and SolarCity is already promoting its potential synergies, albeit in a location far away from the mainland United States. MORE

The difference that’s made in cutting my “phantom energy use&# has been serious in cutting my bill from SCE, not to mention my personal carbon footprint. I also spend time volunteering for the South Bay Environmental Services Center in which I try to spread the energy savings and conservation message to everyone I come in contact with. But what if we each knew exactly how much energy every electrical appliance we plug into our wall sockets actually used? MORE

jobs climate change solar clean energy energy Sierra Club wind energy fossil fuels Donald TrumpYesterday, U.S. president Donald J. Trump signed an executive order to begin the process of rolling back pretty much every vestige of U.S. efforts to address climate change. In both his campaigning and since his inauguration, Trump has claimed that his government and its actions focus on creating or bringing back jobs for working-class Americans. MORE

Energy Secretary Rick Perry pursued a plan that, in essence, would prop up the financially challenged U.S. His proposal, submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last fall, provided financial subsidies to electric-generation plants that kept 90 days of fuel onsite. Department of Energy DOE electric utilities electricity costs regulation renewable energy solar energy wind energy Donald TrumpFor much of last year, U.S. MORE

For years, federal Department of Energy collected and published that information—but it has eliminated that effort under the Trump Administration. Department of Energy DOE plug-in cars renewable energy clean energy Donald TrumpThere's a lot of good data to be found in public reports from national labs and other government research papers, but it's not always easy to find or easy to parse. MORE

Department of Energy (DOE) recently launched a campaign to promote clean energy in general, and electric cars specifically. It's entitled, "How to be a clean energy baller." Marketing Department of Energy plug-in cars clean energy AdsSometimes, even good intentions can't cover up poor execution. The U.S. The program's name, you may ask? DON'T MISS: How can automakers sell more electric cars? Sierra Club. MORE

state now faces a big question on energy policy. Rhode Island is in the midst of deciding whether to continue getting a large portion of energy from fossil fuels, or to switch to renewable energy. emissions natural gas renewable energy energy wind energy Rhode IslandThe smallest U.S. Those options are represented by two competing projects: a large natural-gas power plant, and an offshore wind farm. DON'T MISS: Dirty. MORE

renewable-energy capacity will undoubtedly have a positive environmental impact. But the reduction in carbon emissions renewable-energy advocates aim to achieve does not exclude potential benefits to consumers. Because as renewable-energy generating capacity has expanded significantly over the last decade, household. emissions energy infrastructure renewable energy energy fossil fuelsSubstantial growth in U.S. MORE

A team of Idaho National Laboratory (INL) researchers, with colleagues at Georgia Tech, has pioneered an electrochemical process that could eliminate the need for high-energy steam cracking. C with a small activation energy. MORE

Mass adoption of electric cars and renewable energy could significantly decrease global consumption of fossil fuels. But does the established energy industry view these new developments as a threat? oil plug-in cars renewable energy energy fossil fuelsIn a recent report, ExxonMobil said coal could continue to provide the majority of the world's electricity-generation capacity in 2040, and that. MORE

Department of Energy (DOE) loan program that became a lightning rod during the 2012 presidential election is now turning a profit. energy policy Department of Energy DOE renewable energy energyThe U.S. The program became infamous for backing solar company Solyndra, which later went bankrupt. Three years after Soyndra's failure, though, the program is now in the black. DON'T MISS: Carbon emissions from U.S. MORE

Renewable-energy generation costs are falling like photons onto a solar panel. By 2020, it's expected all types of renewable-energy generation will be able to compete with fossil fuels on cost. DON'T MISS: Two-thirds of world's new energy capacity in 2016. electric utilities renewable energy solar wind energyThat's right: saving our environment will actually save electric utilities some money, too. MORE

Mitsubishi Motors and ENGIE are partnered in a project to explore the potential for electric vehicles to act as a means of energy storage for an office building. This energy can then be discharged back into the grid when appropriate. Hitachi Europe Ltd., MORE

SolarCity was already controlled by Musk, who believes its solar-energy business can be reinforced and complemented by Tesla's energy-storage business. electric utilities Hawaii renewable energy solar energy storage Solar CityEven before Elon Musk engineered Tesla's acquisition of SolarCity, the two companies were collaborating. MORE

Its Tesla Energy division markets stationary lithium-ion battery packs for energy storage. Energy-storage systems can increase the utility of home solar arrays, meaning Tesla Energy will likely become more important now that Tesla is set to. plug-in cars renewable energy energy storage Solar City Tesla PowerwallTesla is perhaps best known for its electric cars, but the company has another prominent business as well. MORE

The Trump administration hasn't been coy about trying to champion traditional fossil fuels while downplaying the importance and falling costs of renewable energy. Earlier this year, Department of Energy secretary Rick Perry, previously governor of fossil-fuel producer Texas, called for a 60-day review of the United States' energy grid. Politics energy policy Department of Energy DOE renewable energy fossil fuels MORE

At first glance, renewable-energy sources like solar power and energy-storage battery packs seem like a logical match. Energy storage allows excess power collected by solar panels to be stored for later use, addressing the intermittent nature of solar power. Study electric utilities renewable energy energy energy storage MORE

China renewable energy solar clean energy wind energyOver the past few years, China has made a major push to reduce carbon emissions by encouraging use of green technologies. Thanks to generous government incentives and fleet purchases, it is now the world's largest market for plug-in electric cars. Construction of new solar and wind farms has also proceeded at a rapid pace. DON'T MISS: Chevy Volt. MORE

Government subsidies have been an important lifeline for renewable energy, helping to make different technologies viable even when costs are not in their favor. emissions energy policy Department of Energy renewable energy solar wind energyBut at what point will the industry be competitive enough with fossil fuels that subsidies will no longer be necessary? It's possible that will happen sooner, rather than later. DON'T. MORE

Canada-based Loop Energy’s fuel cell range extender system ( earlier post ) is fully functional and operating in a heavy-duty terminal tractor (or yard truck) with partner China National Heavy-Duty Truck Company (CNHTC). MORE

The combination of battery-based energy storage and solar power already has some electric utilities worried. They believe consumers' ability to store energy harvested by home solar arrays for later use could be a threat to their business model. Given that, they're probably not going to like this latest development in energy-storage economics. Batteries energy infrastructure electric utilities renewable energy solar energy storage MORE

While homeowners are more familiar with photovoltaic solar panels, large-scale wind power is an increasingly important part of the growth in renewable energy. For the first time, the total installed capacity of wind energy in Europe now exceeds the total output of electric powerplants fueled with coal. Europe renewable energy energy wind energy fossil fuels MORE

One of the interesting side effects of plug-in electric cars turns out to be a greater awareness of energy sources and uses. Department of Energy climate change U.S. DOE carbon dioxide electric utilities plug-in cars clean energy energyA 2012 California study, for instance, showed roughly four out of 10 electric-car drivers either had or were considering solar panels to provide electricity to their home. And because electric cars everywhere in the U.S. MORE

From the perspective of both renewable-energy advocates and electric utilities, grid-scale energy storage offers many potential benefits. By storing energy in battery packs for later use, energy storage can make intermittent renewable sources like solar and wind into more reliable forms of power. California energy policy renewable energy energy energy storage MORE