This month brought another exciting piece of news for those of us hoping the US will transition to renewable energy in the years ahead. Not only did the US add a record amount of wind capacity in 2009, but new data show that the potential supply of wind power is almost infinite relative to our electricity consumption. The US government agency that deals with renewables, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), finally updated their study of onshore wind resources (since the last comprehensive study in 1993). They now estimate that wind power (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘global warming’
US Wind Potential Estimate More Than Triples
Sunday, February 28th, 2010Media Matters: Ivy League Talks East Coast Greenway
Friday, February 19th, 2010
Unlike the usual blog post here, I just want to share a couple of links to some good articles from a couple Ivy League alumni magazines. The first is a great story on the East Coast Greenway – with a special focus on the New England route – in the Harvard Alumni Magazine entitled, Eisenhower 2.0.
The second is (more…)
Wind & Solar Poised to Supply New Demand
Sunday, February 7th, 2010The 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 (more…)
Solar price falls to new record low, now below 20 cents per kWh
Sunday, 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. (more…)
If you like SET, you’ll love the East Coast Greenway Alliance
Tuesday, 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 (more…)
Pedaling Climate Action
Friday, 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 (more…)
Retail Solar Price Drop Accelerates, New Record Lows Reached
Tuesday, 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 (more…)
New report predicts huge wind power growth ahead
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009A new wind power report just came out of the US Department Of Energy that bodes very well for future wind power growth. After a difficult year in 2009, record growth is expected to continue 2010-12. In fact, wind power is expected to be the biggest source of new electricity supply during (more…)
Tuvalu commits to 100% clean electricity by 2020
Monday, July 20th, 2009
Rising sea levels are something small island nations like Tuvalu and the Maldives cannot ignore. That is why the Pacific state of Tuvalu just joined the Maldives as a leader in renewable electricity generation. They committed to get all of their electricity from renewables like wind and solar by the year (more…)
SET goes solar (starting with my cell phone)
Tuesday, July 14th, 2009
photo by Jerry Markatos
I’m happy to report that Sustainable Energy Transition (SET) is now getting the bulk of its cell phone’s energy needs from solar power! After 250 blog posts over the past year, it’s nice to look back at this piece of tangible progress for SET’s operations. Thanks to Connect2Earth.org, a green online community supported by WWF, IUCN and Nokia, who gave SET the solar charger – we are further walking our talk. (more…)