On April 24, Senators Coons (D-DE), Moran (R-KS), Stabenow (D-MI) and Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the Master Limited Partnerships (MLP) Parity Act, a bipartisan bill that would give renewable energy projects access to billions of dollars of lower cost capital that has been available to the fossil fuel industry for decades. Read more >
Master Limited Partnerships: Lowering Financing Costs for Renewable Energy Projects
April 25, 2013 11:20 AM EDT
The EPA Delays Carbon Standard – What Does It Mean for Our Energy Choices?
April 15, 2013 4:35 PM EDT
State decisions on new power plants are even more critical while the EPA holds back its release of carbon standards for new power plants. Read more >
Renewables are Ramping Up to Notable Levels in the U.S.
April 10, 2013 9:55 AM EDT
UCS has just released a new report that I co-authored called Ramping up Renewables: Energy You Can Count On. It shows that renewable energy is already providing more clean, reliable electricity in the United States and around the world than many people thought possible just a few years ago. It also shows that we have the tools to accommodate considerably more wind and solar in the U.S. electricity system, as well as reach much higher levels in the future. Read more >
Sun Shining Bright: A Record-breaking Year for U.S. Solar Installations
March 21, 2013 1:21 PM EDT
The 2012 figures on U.S. solar installations have just come in, and things are looking, well, sunny. The U.S. Solar Market Insight 2012 report shows that annual solar installations grew 76 percent last year. That growth has been driven by a dynamic and exciting interplay between costs, markets, and policies that have created incentives, knocked down barriers, and brought in all kinds of new customers. Read more >
Will Clean Energy Research and Development Be Sequestered?
February 25, 2013 9:52 AM EDT
In his State of the Union address, President Obama talked about the role research and development (R&D) has played to advance our society and enhance our quality of life. I think that most people would agree that keeping the lights on in a clean and safe manner is a core “quality of life” issue for all Americans. Yet, unless Congress reaches a budget deal by the end of the month, mandatory across-the-board funding cuts known as the sequester will kick in March 1. Given the important role R&D has played in advancing clean energy, I thought I’d lay out what’s at stake. Read more >