A look at the arc of solar policy development in Spain can shed some helpful lessons for policymakers. The upshot: if a government is uncomfortable with unlimited cost exposure and sets caps on the amount of development, that decision triggers additional policy considerations. The implications are important for the project development process, as capped programs (more…)

China’s influence over the global rare earth metals (REM) markets has come under increased international scrutiny following recent measures by the Chinese Government aimed at strengthening control over its fragmented REM industry.

China currently accounts for 36 percent of REM reserves and 97 percent of worldwide (more…)

Ahhh holiday time, when the sound of the clerk’s stamp on green litigation rings merrily in my ears.  On December 9, 2010, the Builders’ Association of the Twin Cities (BATC) sued Minnesota Green Star (GreenStar).  The Complaint and Motion for a temporary restraining order is available here. 

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Canadian Solar Solutions, Inc. (Canadian Solar Solutions), has signed an agreement with Sky Power, Ltd. (Sky Power), to add 18.5 MW of solar capacity to Ontario’s green economy. The partners will build two new solar farms in Napanee and Thunder Bay that will collectively produce enough electricity to power nearly 33,000 homes and create potential careers for graduates (more…)

Less than a month after emerging from bankruptcy and relaunching with a $20 billion IPO, GM (NYSE: GM) is continuing to position itself as a company that is lean, green and efficient. Concurrent with this week’s announcement that the company had shipped its first Chevy Volt, GM announced it now has 76 landfill-free facilities, meeting its commitment to convert (more…)

The left is not fully satisfied. Neither is the right. However, the recently enacted “Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010” (Tax Relief Act) provides significant relief to the energy industry and alleviates the pressure of trying to seal the deal on many projects before the end of the year. (more…)

Electric vehicles come in many different forms. They range from the microcars that are meant almost exclusively for city driving, to sedans that bear no outward differences to any normal car you would see driving down the road today, all the way to electric powered sports utility vehicles. While electric works its way across a variety of transportation mediums one of the most (more…)

Methane is one of the most harmful of all the greenhouse gasses, but new research could be the secret to harnessing this energy for common electronics.

Electrochemical fuel cells have always been viewed as a clean source of power, but using them in any other setting than the laboratory has been hindered by their high cost, reliability issues, and temperature. (more…)

(Reuters) – California on Thursday approved rules for a multibillion-dollar carbon market, in what proponents hope and detractors fear will be a turning point for the United States toward building a national program to address global warming.

After Congress failed to pass a climate change law last year, California is the (more…)

While some U.S. cities have made substantial gains in clean energy, it’ll be hard to compete with San Francisco’s recently announced goal. Believe it or not, the City by the Bay plans to be 100% green-energy-powered by 2020.

The announcement was made earlier this month by Mayor Gavin Newsom at the (more…)