Energy
Transitioning to a world powered by renewable energy is key to tackling climate change. Here you can find the latest good news related to our clean energy transition, covering wind, solar, green hydrogen, hydropower, and more.
Texas has become the unlikely champion of wind energy in America
The most Republican-dominated, oil-rich and fracking-friendly of the U.S. has found itself with the improbable status of being a national leader of wind energy. That’s right, Texas has by far the greatest wind generating capacity in the entire U.S., producing enough electricity to power 5.7 Read More...
The Uber effect on electricity
Leon Trotsky said, "You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you." The same thing might be said about disruptive technologies. The U.S. electric system, for example, may not be interested in disruptive technology, but disruptive technology is interested in it. What Uber and Lyft Read More...
It's cheaper to train consumers to save energy than to build new power plants
Energy guru Amory Lovins famously said: “We'd find more energy in the attics of American homes than in all the oil buried in Alaska.” The current debate in the U.S. is about what kind of energy should be used—coal, favored by the new president, or renewables. But it's much cheaper to train Read More...
New interactive tool shows ‘the evolution of wind power’ around the world
A new interactive web tool created between the Global Wind Energy Council and renewable energy software company Greenbyte allows users to witness The Evolution of Wind Power between 1981 and today. The Evolution of Wind Power was created based on data provided by the Global Wind Energy Council Read More...
These tiny solar cells can be folded and fit in the palm of your hand
Since the typical solar panel isn’t portable, researchers have developed tiny solar cells that can be folded up for transportation, incorporated into clothing, or easily used in electronics. One example of this would be placing a mini-solar panel on a backpack that can then charge your devices Read More...
Solar-powered trains are closer to reality than we might think
How can we connect solar photovoltaics (PV) directly to railways to power electric trains? That’s the question my charity 10:10 and researchers at Imperial College’s Energy Futures Lab are trying to answer. Electric trains are by far the best long distance transport mode when it comes Read More...
India may never need to build a new coal plant, report says
As the population and economy of India continues to grow, it wouldn’t seem so far-fetched if the country would need more coal plants to keep up with their energy demands. Thankfully, this is not the case. According to a new report, India, which is the world’s fastest-growing climate polluter, Read More...
Will Massachusetts become first U.S. state to commit to 100 percent renewables?
Clean energy supporters in Massachusetts announced legislation Monday, backed by more than a quarter of the state legislature, committing Massachusetts to get 100 percent of its energy needs from clean and renewable sources by mid-century. The legislation, introduced in the House of Representatives Read More...
These bacteria clean water while generating electricity
At The Optimist Daily, we know that nature is the leading provider of solutions to human problems. Here’s one more. Across the planet, a lot of water is poisoned with heavy metals. The good news is that there are bacteria who love iron, lead, and mercury. And researchers have now modified these Read More...
Latin America leads the way in clean energy
Latin America is poised to take on a leading role on climate change and renewable energy in the global arena in 2017. The enormous potential and rapid spread of renewable energy in the region has fueled hope of a global transition to a low-carbon economy. The added bonus: an economic opportunity Read More...