The Hawaii Solar Energy Association has issued a note welcoming the decision by state regulators to reject a proposal by Hawaiian Electric Co. to require solar companies to install expensive remote monitoring systems for small solar photovoltaic systems.

“The Public Utilities Commission’s ruling helps clear (more…)

Jeremy Rifkin, the founder and president of the Foundation On Economic Trends, talks about the impact that climate change will have on human civilization and what can still be done if we want our species to continue existing.

At roughly 15 minutes into his talk, he talks about (more…)

Sustainability advocates long ago adopted the mantra “buy local” to limit the carbon footprint of the goods purchased. Distributed energy that’s closer to the end user through smaller solar and wind power, is having an impact on the energy sector. The next industry to become more geography-centric in purchasing will be transportation.

The automotive and petroleum industries in the United States are also relatively centralized as well. While the largest companies have U.S. central offices, the supply strings are often pulled from far away places. But as electric vehicles and biofuels ramp up, their influence with local consumers and partners will become more significant.

(more…)