On Friday, June 26, 2009 the U. S. House of Representatives narrowly passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, which some are calling the “Cap and Trade Bill.” So, what this means is that there will be a cap on how much pollution such as coal-fired power plants and other industrial complexes […]
Continue ReadingAbout 10 days ago I talked about smart metering in Indiana and other places (like my home in Southern California) where the electric companies are stepping up to bat and installing the necessary infrastructure so that they and homeowners can take more control of electricity use. Now, besides the electric companies there are other big […]
Continue ReadingThe Carnegie Institution and California State University have identified New York City as a prime location for high flying wind turbine kites. The turbine kites would fly between 20,000 ft and 50,000 ft above the ground, harnessing the winds’ power to create electricity. The reason that the kites need to fly is that the jet […]
Continue ReadingA scientist named Jared Potter has created a couple of prototypes for deep drilling for geothermal energy. Right now, companies are using diamond drill bits for grinding through granite and other compact rocks in order to tap into geothermal energy far below the Earth’s surface. The first prototype is called a Flame Jet Drill and […]
Continue ReadingDuke Energy Corporation will be rolling out smart meters to consumers in a new initiative. This new initiative also includes rolling out solar panels, wind turbines and solar thermal water heaters to some homes. The installation of the smart meters will affect around 800,000 homes in Indiana. Duke Energy is also moving forward with smart […]
Continue ReadingReuters is reporting that methane could be the solutions for storage of extra electricity produce by wind and solar power. Scientists have discovered a microbe, Methanobacterium palustre, that can convert electricity directly into methane as long as you add a little hydrogen to the mix. The problem is that methane is also a greenhouse gas […]
Continue ReadingThe New York Power Authority has reversed an earlier decision regarding a potential Yahoo data center considered for the western part of the state. One of the points of contention has been Yahoo’s desire to acquire low cost hydropower from Niagara Falls for its new facility. The new Yahoo data center could start building as […]
Continue ReadingOnce the cost of solar energy reaches the same price as electricity from the grid, then the state of “grid parity” will exist. California is close to grid parity now as it is one of the sunniest states with some of the highest utility bills. At this point consumers may see the value of installing […]
Continue ReadingPresident Obama this week toughened the CAFE standards for cars and light trucks beginning in 2016 giving automakers the 7 years they need to develop a whole new line of fuel efficient vehicles. The present CAFE standards are 27.5 MPG for cars and 24 MPG for light trucks. The light truck standards will increase to […]
Continue ReadingThe last time I talked about the Fisker plug-in hybrid car was December 2007. At that point it was a month shy of making its worldwide debut at the Detroit Auto Show. Now, the Fisker Karma has made it long awaited debut in San Jose, California. The Fisker Karma combines gas-sipping plug-in hybrid green technology […]
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