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Clean Energy Headlines for August 2018
* Freeing Energy is on Facebook! * The world reaches 1,000 gigawatts of wind and solar power. *…
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A battle for clean energy: the Kit Carson coop story
That outdated business models, conflicting interests, and aging technologies hogtie today’s behemoth electric utilities is no more evident…
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Help wanted: the clean energy industry could really use the skills of tech executives
I was recently invited to speak a group of Georgia-based technology executives. I’ve included some excerpts from the…
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Puerto Rico shines a bright light on the shortcomings of the world’s electricity infrastructure
On August 7, 2018, an untrimmed tree fell on an electrical transmission line in Puerto Rico, leaving 130,000…
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Microgrid powered neighborhoods are a real thing – how can we get more of them?
Imagine a neighborhood powered entirely by local energy. Shared solar panels, energy efficient homes, and community batteries to…
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Clean Energy Headlines for July 2018
* Embattled EPA head, Scott Pruitt, resigns * Does nuclear power help or hurt U.S. national security? *…
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An interview with Susan Kennedy, CEO of Advanced Microgrid Solutions (AMS)
I first saw Susan Kennedy speak at Solar Power International in 2017. Susan is the CEO of Advanced…
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The military is pioneering Local Energy to save money and save lives
In the late morning of April 9, 2004, 17 tanker trucks, and 5 armored escort vehicles left a…
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The U.S. government is really bad at predicting the growth in solar
It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future. — Yogi Berra At last week’s Intersolar conference in…
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How much solar would it take to power the U.S.?
Critics claim that there simply isn’t enough land in the U.S. to power the country with solar. We…
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Clean energy headlines for June 2018
Solar prices poised to take another huge plunge – China dropped a bombshell by reducing its financial support…
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Hawaii is a postcard from our electric future (Part 2)
Island power grids are a microcosm of the vastly larger grids that criss-cross the planet. In Part 1…
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How Edison’s protege made the power industry into a regulated monopoly (Part 3 of 3)
This is the third and final part in my series exploring the events that shaped the electric industry…
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1,000 solar scientists got together this week – here’s what they’re talking about
Every four years, one thousand solar scientists from across the world gather to peer into the future of…
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Islands: fruity drinks, sandy beaches, and the future of the electric grid (Part 1)
The shift to clean, local energy is a real challenge for many utilities. Their traditional planning models choke on…
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Clean energy headlines for May 2018
May was a great month for clean energy…. * A recent California mandate requires all new homes to…
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Follow the money to understand the century-old business model of electricity
Most Americans give little thought to their electricity. Even though we spend between 3% and 7% of our…
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How do you know if a microgrid makes sense for you?
Microgrids are the epitome of Local Energy. As the name suggests, microgrids are miniature versions of the big…
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AC vs DC: How better economics ultimately beat out a bizarre publicity campaign (Part 2 of 3)
This is the second in a three-part series on the origins of the modern power industry. Part 1…
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California just required solar on all new houses – will the world follow?
California just made a huge commitment to Local Energy. On May 9, California’s Energy Commission (CEC) unanimously passed…