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  • State Dept. might reroute Keystone XL

    The State Department seems to be seriously weighing a change in the path that the Keystone XL pipeline would take. A change in the route would be a victory for the pipeline's opponents, but only a partial one. There are two main environmental concerns connected to the pipeline project. One is the potential for spills […]

    Sarah Laskow Energy

  • Power for the people: Energy for the 99 percent

    Image: Power Up AmericaCross-posted from the Center for American Progress. The Occupy Wall Street protests are focusing Americans’ attention on the fact that power is increasingly consolidated into the hands of very few individuals and corporations. This is especially true in the energy sector. Two weeks ago, the country’s five largest oil companies — BP, […]

    Kate Gordon Energy

  • Solar comes out of the shadows

    Mainstream energy companies may finally be seeing the light when it comes to solar power.How do we know when solar becomes a mainstream energy source? One tip-off: when mainstream energy companies get serious about solar. For example, take NRG, a Fortune 250 wholesale energy generator with about 26 gigawatts of capacity in its portfolio. Most […]

    Adam Browning Energy

  • Dalai Lama supports nuclear power, disses wind and solar

    In a news conference in Tokyo, the Dalai Lama told his increasingly anti-nuclear hosts that nuclear power is an important solution for underdeveloped countries still grappling with basic energy poverty. His talking points were almost identical to those of stateside nuclear advocates, including discussions of the risks of nuclear accidents compared to other everyday risks. […]

    Christopher Mims Energy

  • Debunking common energy efficiency myths

    Time to shatter some common myths about energy efficiency.Photo: Sergio AlvarezThis post was written by Sara Hayes, senior researcher at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and a contributing author at the ACEEE blog. Energy efficiency can be difficult to conceptualize — there’s not a representative device like a solar panel or wind turbine. […]

    A.C.E.E.E. Energy

  • Ring around the White House: Scenes from the Keystone protest [VIDEO]

    Thousands of protesters encircled the White House Sunday, calling on President Obama to block the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline that would run from the tar sands of Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast. Watch video of the protest:

    Jay Mallin Energy

  • Krugman: Only politics can delay energy transformation

    Cross-posted from Climate Progress. Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman had another good column in The New York Times yesterday, “Here Comes the Sun.” He makes three key points. First, solar is rapidly coming down the cost curve — I’ve sprinkled a couple of the Climate Progress charts on this throughout this post. Second, fracking is […]

    Joseph Romm Energy

  • Inspector general will investigate Keystone XL

    According to a memo posted by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the State Department's inspector general will conduct an investigation into the Keystone XL permitting process. Fourteen members of Congress requested an audit two weeks ago, citing irregularities in the environmental review for the pipeline.  Just to recap: At TransCanada's suggestion, the State Department hired environmental […]

    Jess Zimmerman Energy

  • We could replace coal power with geothermal — 10 times over

    The United States has so many viable spots for producing geothermal energy — i.e. tapping into the heat of the Earth’s core to generate power — that the country's geothermal potential is equivalent to "10 times the amount of coal capacity in place today," according to Climate Progress. Southern Methodist University developed this geothermal map […]

    Sarah Laskow Energy

  • Polling reveals that being anti-clean energy is bad politics

    Perry wants to end all energy subsidies. Photo: Gage SkidmoreCross-posted from Climate Progress. Anyone who cares about addressing climate change and strengthening America’s economic competitiveness knows that being anti-renewable energy is terrible policy. Turns out, it’s bad politics too. A new poll conducted by ORC International for the nonpartisan Civil Society Institute finds that 77 […]

    Stephen Lacey Energy