Shell looks to a post-oil future
|Tags: Climate, Europe, Financing & Economics Bowing to pressure from shareholders and the Paris international climate accord, Royal Dutch Shell pledged to increase its investment in renewable fuels and to cut its carbon emissions in half by 2050. Shell and other big oil companies have moved only sporadically...
Retired military brass stump for clean energy
|Tags: Clean Energy, Climate, North America In a trio of opinion pieces published in newspapers across the country, military veterans have urged the White House — and state governments — to defend and strengthen crucial clean energy policies in the name of economic stability, the environment and national...
Mass. bill sets course for 100% clean energy
|Tags: Clean Energy, Climate, Coal-fired Power, Jobs, North America, Politics & Legislation Lawmakers in Massachusetts are following in the footsteps of other states by proposing a bill that aims to phase out the use of fossil fuels by 2050. The state already has enacted a Global Warming Solutions Act, which requires it to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80...
Ireland about to cut all ties to fossil funding
|Tags: Climate, Coal-fired Power, Europe, Financing & Economics, Politics & Legislation Ireland could become the first country in the world to fully divest its sovereign wealth fund from fossil fuels, following a parliamentary vote. Irish lawmakers split 90 to 53 in favor of ditching coal, oil and gas holdings from the €8 billion (US$9 billion) Ireland...
Renewables half the cost of Aussie coal plan
|Tags: Australia, Clean Energy, Climate, Coal-fired Power, Financing & Economics Data from an economist shows that Australia could meet a target of reducing carbon emissions by 27 percent through developing renewable energy projects at half the cost it would take to build a new fleet of highly efficiency coal-burning plants. A plan to build new...
Read more“We want the U.S. economy to be energy efficient and powered by low-carbon energy. Cost-effective and innovative solutions can help us achieve these objectives. Failure to build a low-carbon economy puts American prosperity at risk. But the right action now will create jobs and boost U.S. competitiveness.”
– From a letter signed by more than 600 U.S. companies and investors collectively representing nearly $1.15 trillion in annual revenue and employing about 1.8 million workers in 44 states – asking President-elect Donald Trump and other political leaders to support policies and investments in a low-carbon future.
Trump voters favor clean energy, CO2 cuts
|Tags: Clean Energy, Climate, Energy Efficiency, North America, Public Opinion In a new nationwide poll of voters who supported President-elect Donald Trump, a majority answered a number of questions showing continued strong support for clean energy and cutting carbon pollution. The poll of 2,000 self-identified Trump voters was conducted by...
Canada boldly plans to eliminate coal by 2030
|Tags: Carbon Capture, Climate, Coal-fired Power, North America, Politics & Legislation Canada’s Liberal government has announced its plan to eliminate the use of coal-fired electricity nationwide by 2030. Environment Minister Catherine McKenna unveiled the coal-phase-out plan as part of a proposed Canadian climate accord. The no-coal policy would...
Aruba is on its way to 100% renewables
|Tags: Clean Energy, Climate, Energy Efficiency, North America, Solar, Wind Aruba is well on its way to meeting its commitment to transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2020. The small island nation set its clean energy goal in 2012, and through projects such as building new solar and wind farms, converting waste to energy and working...
Finland considers ban on coal-fired power
|Tags: Clean Energy, Climate, Coal-fired Power, Europe Finland is considering banning all coal-fired power plants by 2030 to help meet the country’s climate emission reduction goals. In an interview with Reuters, Minister of Economic Affairs Olli Rehn said Finland “is well positioned to be among the first...
Wind helping Dutch meet CO2 targets
|Tags: Climate, Energy Storage, Europe, Wind The Netherlands is close to meeting its 2020 carbon dioxide emission goals, thanks to what officials say is due to a more rapid rollout of wind energy and 100 million euros ($110 million) in extra spending for carbon storage and energy-savings projects. According to...
Dutch vote opens door to closing coal plants
|Tags: Climate, Coal-fired Power, Europe As a result of a nonbinding motion by the Dutch parliament to cut the country’s CO2 emissions 55 percent by 2030, decision-makers are now considering the possibility of retiring the five remaining coal-burning power plants operating in the Netherlands. The...
Mont. coal plant asks city to cut water use
|Tags: Climate, Coal-fired Power, Municipal Utilities, North America In an ironic twist, residents of Colstrip, Montana, the home of the second largest coal-burning power plant in the West, are being asked to limit their water use so the plant continue to operate safely. The city’s mayor sent a note to 2,300 residents making the...
NY PSC sets high clean energy bar; 50% by 2030
|Tags: Clean Energy, Climate, Consumer Impacts, North America, Utilities The New York Public Service Commission has upped the ante for renewable energy in the state, raising the bar on its clean energy standard to 50 percent by 2030. Under the newly approved Clean Energy Standard, utilities and other energy suppliers will be required phase...
France commits to tax on coal-fired power
|Tags: Climate, Coal-fired Power, Europe, Financing & Economics, Nuclear A French government advisory committee has recommended that the country increase taxes on coal-burning power plants or set stiffer carbon emissions standards to reduce carbon emissions. The French government has committed to set a carbon price floor for electricity...
Salt Lake sets bold clean energy, climate targets
|Tags: Clean Energy, Climate, Municipal Utilities, North America, Politics & Legislation Salt Lake City has launched an initiative to transition the city to 100 percent renewable energy by 2032, and to cut carbon emissions citywide by 80 percent by 2040. The initiative, called Climate Positive 2040, comes as a result of a joint resolution signed by Mayor...
Renewables rising in coal-heavy South Africa
|Tags: Africa & Middle East, Clean Energy, Climate, Coal-fired Power, Wind South Africa — one of the world’s largest coal producers — now has 15 large wind power plants generating enough electricity to power more than half a million households, according to the developer of the country’s latest wind farm, which came...
Rwanda taps solar for energy access, growth
|Tags: Africa & Middle East, Clean Energy, Climate, Developing Countries, Energy Access, Jobs, Solar Two decades after devastating genocide, Rwanda’s economy is growing at 7 percent annually, and the country’s climate action plan commits to building renewables capacity to avoid expansion of fossil fuels. A recent 100-megawatt solar project with panels that track the...
Obama advisors call fed coal leasing ‘antiquated’
|Tags: Climate, Coal Production, Consumer Impacts, Financing & Economics White House economic advisers for the first time have taken a public position agreeing that there is “a real strong case for reform” to federal coal leasing. In a new report, the advisors call federal coal leasing “antiquated” and say decades...
China hits clean energy goals ahead of schedule
|Tags: Asia & India, Climate, Coal-fired Power, Financing & Economics, Wind Clean energy deployment in China is vastly exceeding targets, putting the country years ahead of schedule for meeting its 2020 energy targets. As the fundamental structure of China’s economy changes – with low energy-intensity service sectors and private...