Green Investing News

Warren Buffett's MidAmerican Energy orders 176 wind turbines from Siemens - 2012-02-24
Siemens Energy has received another large onshore wind power order in the U.S. Following successful completion of its 593.4-megawatt wind farm projects in Iowa in 2011.

New York Town Wins the Legal Right to Ban Hydrofracking for Natural Gas | Inhabitat New York City - 2012-02-23
The town of Dryden, New York this week won a court case that said the town had the right to ban hydrofracking for natural gas within its borders. It is a major victory for fracking opponents nationwide and here’s how it all went down.

In Maryland, a mighty wind power coalition - 2012-02-20
The coalition that has come together in Maryland to back wind power includes more than Sierra Club types. Churches, labor unions and groups of doctors and nurses have joined the push to bring wind farms to the waters off the state’s coast.

U.S. Solar Projects Rose 67 Percent in Fourth Quarter, SEIA Says - 2012-02-15
Installation of solar panels in the U.S. surged as much as 67 percent in the fourth quarter as developers raced to qualify for an expiring federal incentive program and panel prices fell 16 percent, a trade group said.

Hawaii Asks Some Big Questions About Solar Penetration - 2012-02-14
A misplaced decimal kicks off a controversy on the cost of distributed generation.

Bright Days: How India Is Reinventing Solar - 2012-02-13
While solar energy is getting more attractive, what’s tilting the Indian energy market further is that coal is becoming more elusive. As the Economist notes, by 2017 domestic coal production in India will meet only 73% of demand, making imports imperative.

U.S. electric-vehicle adoption rate isn't slow, it's typical - 2012-02-09
We've all heard the doom and gloom about the failure of plug-in cars, right? It is true that plug-in vehicles will account for substantially less than one percent of new cars sold in the U.S. this year, but that doesn't mean electric-drive vehicle advocates should fret. Not when you look at a bigger picture.

New solar cell could boost efficiency by 25 pct - 2012-02-08
A new type of solar cell which could boost the efficiency of solar panels by over 25 percent compared to silicon-based cells has been developed by British scientists, but they need another two or three years to assess whether it is commercially viable.

Solar projects take home of Hoover Dam back to future - 2012-02-06
The small town of Boulder City can claim big-time bragging rights when it comes to producing renewable energy. Leading the nation will do that for a community.

Solar CEOs See Boom in China Will Ease Glut in 2012: Energy - 2012-01-27
China may double its installations of solar panels this year, absorbing excess production that depressed prices and margins in 2011, chief executive officers from two of the industry’s top five manufactures said.

Obama's Solar Story Shows Success, Not Failure - 2012-01-26
As the election season shifts into high gear, we're bracing ourselves for more stories about Solyndra and other so-called "scandals" of the Obama administration. But let's not kid ourselves -- Solyndra is a sideshow to the real, incredibly exciting story of solar power over the course of this administration.

Report: CIGS market to double by 2015 - 2012-01-24
Copper indium gallium diselenide solar (CIGS) will double in installed capacity by 2015, according to a recently released research report from Lux Research. The market for CIGS is expected to be worth more than $2.3 billion by then.

200 MW Wind Farm to Boost Ohio Clean Power - 2012-01-24
The Ohio Power Siting Board, the state utility regulatory agency, has given the green light to start building the Black Fork Wind Farm, a 200-megawatt facility that will be capable of generating enough clean electricity to power 10,000 homes.

Toyota finds way to avoid using rare earth: report - 2012-01-23
Toyota Motor Corp has developed a way to make hybrid and electric vehicles without the use of expensive rare earth metals, in which China has a near-monopoly, Japan's Kyodo News reported.

Toyota finds way to avoid using rare earth: report - 2012-01-23
Toyota Motor Corp has developed a way to make hybrid and electric vehicles without the use of expensive rare earth metals, in which China has a near-monopoly, Japan's Kyodo News reported.

Japan wind capacity up 11.7 pct before new subsidy - 2012-01-20
Japan's wind power capacity rose 11.7 percent in the year to March 2011, the slowest pace at least in 10 years, government data showed on Friday, as it was set to launch a new subsidy system to lure investors to the sector.

2011 Electric Vehicle Sales Higher Than Anticipated - 2012-01-19
Selling 17,000 plug-in and all-electric cars actually looks pretty good!

Bulgaria: Chevron Fracking Not Permitted - 2012-01-18
Bowing to public pressure, Bulgaria's government says U.S. oil company Chevron cannot explore for shale gas in the country using the extraction technique known as "fracking."

Ford Previews 100 MPG Fusion Energi at Boston Auto Show - 2012-01-13
There's just something about 100 miles per gallon that makes people sit up and take notice. It's only fitting, therefore, that a car that is expected to have an EPA rating of 100 mpg equivalent should also have styling that makes people sit up and take notice. The Ford Fusion has that.

Marylanders favor offshore wind, poll says - 2012-01-11
As Gov. Martin O'Malley prepares to renew his push to build industrial wind turbines off Maryland's coast, a new poll shows strong public support even if the outlook for offshore wind development has grown cloudier lately.

Electric cars step up a gear for 2012 - 2012-01-09
A new generation of plug-in hybrids will allow you to cruise around the city using all-electric mode, but then switch to a petrol engine if the need to tootle up to Scotland should arise. Suddenly, concerns about the next charge point will disappear.

India's Mahindra to launch electric cars by Nov - 2012-01-06
Indian utility vehicle maker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd expects to sell Mahindra Reva electric cars in India by November, a top official said.

Helsinki taxi entrepreneur opts for an electric car - 2012-01-04
As a chemist, Rosvall is interested in the alternative energy technologies for automobiles. “As a taxi, an electric car already works quite well.”

For High-Speed Rail, Support in the Past From G.O.P. Presidential Hopefuls - 2012-01-03
President Obama’s program to bring bullet trains to the United States has been left on life support by the strident opposition of Republicans in Congress and in statehouses around the nation. But the idea may carry more favor with some of the Republican candidates vying to unseat Mr. Obama, who have a history of supporting high-speed rail.

Overhyped bashing of electric car charging station subsidies in the Washington Post - 2012-01-03
With the new year came the ending of a long list of tax credits, among which were the electric vehicle tax credits we discussed last week. Today the Washington Post published an editorial blasting the necessity of the electric car programs, calling for ending the programs, while committing factual errors weakening their argument.