The recession was supposed to slow down white-hot renewable energy growth. A lack of financing and tax equity was to reduce the wind and solar markets as much as 50% in 2009. Instead, last year brought new records in capacity additions. Wind power in the US grew Read the rest of this entry »
Wind & Solar Poised to Supply New Demand
February 7th, 2010Greenways Can Achieve Most of 2020 US Climate Goal
December 14th, 2009
by Dennis Markatos-Soriano
As world leaders gather in Copenhagen to negotiate international strategy to lower global greenhouse emissions, I’d like to share a vision for part of the solution. Greenways and other improvements in bicycling and pedestrian infrastructure can make make a huge impact lowering emissions in the coming decade. Some economists and politicians who drag their feet regarding climate action complain that lowering emissions could come with a difficult price tag. But at least half of Obama’s 2020 goal can be achieved alongside large savings if we seize the opportunity to increase our use of renewable Read the rest of this entry »
America’s Transportation Leaders Embrace the East Coast Greenway
October 9th, 2009
ECGA-US DOT Partnership Begins (From left: US DOT Assistant Secretary for Policy Polly Trottenberg, Deputy Secretary John Porcari, ECGA Mid-Atlantic Trail Coordinator Mike Oliva, and Executive Director Dennis Markatos-Soriano - photo by Jack Wells)
This week, our East Coast Greenway began to move from a solely grassroots initiative to a project also backed by the most important transportation institution in the country. We have great relationships with many of the state Departments of Transportation (DOTs), but achieving federal partnership interest will effect a huge leap in our ability to make our route safe and accessible to all.
It all started last week when Read the rest of this entry »
Solar price falls to new record low, now below 20 cents per kWh
September 6th, 2009
My first week working with the East Coast Greenway Alliance was amazing. And I have some big news to share that helps make my dream of a mobile bicycle/solar existence possible. Bicycles are already cost-effective, but solar has been out of reach to most consumers in the past. It’s price just fell for the 11th straight month, reaching a new record low. Read the rest of this entry »
If you like SET, you’ll love the East Coast Greenway Alliance
August 18th, 2009
Bicyclists ready for a greenway 
Thank you for reading the Sustainable Energy Transition (SET) blogs and being involved in our initiatives over the past 13 months! The experience I gained working on SET efforts has been essential for me as I stayed abreast of recent changes in our energy system and their effects on climate change. After ~35,000 visits, more than 250 blogs, and scores of endorsements for our campaigns – I have found an amazing opportunity that I can’t pass up. I will be the next Read the rest of this entry »
Pedaling Climate Action
August 14th, 2009
I got a call a few weeks ago from my good friend and former college roommate, Pablo Torres from Durham, NC. He said he and his girlfriend, Gabrielle Trapenberg, were planning to ride their bicycles from New York City to DC (a 300-mile journey) as part of the 2009 Climate Ride! Covering the distance over just five days, they will ride with hundreds of others to raise public awareness and put pressure on federal lawmakers to act to address climate change.
The Climate Ride initiative started Read the rest of this entry »
Retail Solar Price Drop Accelerates, New Record Lows Reached
August 4th, 2009August solar prices fell at the quickest pace in the last eight years, according to the monthly survey by Solarbuzz.com. In Europe, prices reached another record low. And industrial electricity prices are finally poised to fall below Read the rest of this entry »
Weekly US oil output falls below last year’s level
August 3rd, 2009
I’ve been sharing the slow reduction of US oil output as oil drilling counts fall during the last few months. Now production has finally fallen below last year’s level. While petroleum fuel inventories remain very high, lower output should tighten them in the months ahead. Even so, I expect oil output to be higher than 2008 on average due to the Read the rest of this entry »
AWEA: Record US Wind Power Growth in First-Half 2009
July 28th, 2009
US wind capacity continued its impressive growth in the second quarter while fossil fuel consumption continued to fall. The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) just released their second quarter report, and it’s full of surprisingly upbeat news for a sector hard-hit by the recession. The resilience of wind power as a low-cost, carbon-free source of electricity is made clear by the Read the rest of this entry »
Report calls for health-based transportation shift
July 27th, 2009
A new report just came out related to my recent blog on the need for more active transportation in America. It does a great job giving some historical context for federal surface transportation funding over the last two decades and shares a path forward based largely on Read the rest of this entry »