Recent efforts to repeal renewable electricity standards (RES) by fossil-fuel backed opponents have been thwarted in Kansas and North Carolina. The reason? As a newly released review of state RES policies by the Union of Concerned Scientists report clearly shows, these popular, bipartisan policies are working effectively all over the country; affordably driving new renewable energy development and delivering substantial economic benefits to states and local communities in the process. Simply put, the facts on the ground are proving difficult to overcome for those seeking to roll back progress toward a clean energy economy. Read More
Renewables are Ramping Up to Notable Levels in the U.S.
April 10th, 2013
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
Offshore Wind Surges Forward
February 6th, 2013
A new report from the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) shows just how far their commitment to offshore wind has taken them, and where they’re headed. Meanwhile, in the United States, no turbines, but progress nonetheless. And in Asia, some notable results. Read More
Congress Prevents Wind Industry from Falling Off Cliff
January 2nd, 2013
I’m pleased to report that it didn’t take long to achieve one of my new year’s resolutions for Congress – extending the federal tax credits for wind power and other renewable energy sources. The deal to avert the so-called “fiscal cliff” that passed the Senate and the House yesterday, and is expected to be signed by the President, includes an important extension of federal tax credits for wind and other renewable energy projects that begin construction in 2013. This will temporarily help the wind industry from going off its own cliff. Happy New Year indeed! Read More
Offshore Wind Advances: NSTAR-Cape Wind Deal Approved
November 28th, 2012
Announcements from the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities don’t always get me out of bed in the morning, but one that came across the wires this week is noteworthy for its importance for Massachusetts and for U.S. offshore wind. The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has just announced its approval of a 15-year agreement between NSTAR, the utility serving the Boston area, and the developers of Cape Wind, a proposed offshore wind project off Cape Cod. Read More
On the Road to Clean Energy in Germany: Lessons for the United States – Part 2
April 5th, 2012
Last fall, I participated in a clean energy/green jobs tour of Germany as part of a delegation sponsored by the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the Blue-Green Alliance. In the second leg of our trip (read my blog about part 1 of the tour), we left Berlin behind and headed north to the state of Schlesswig-Holstein—the renewable energy capital of the world. Read More
On the Road to Clean Energy in Germany: Lessons for the United States – Part 1
April 3rd, 2012
In the effort to transition the United States to a clean energy economy, comparisons are frequently made with Germany – a nation that is successfully shifting away from fossil fuels and nuclear power while creating a thriving renewable energy industry and maintaining a strong economy. So when invited this past fall to participate in a clean energy/green jobs tour of Germany, I jumped at the opportunity to learn first-hand about the Deutschland experience. Read More







