BeyondKONA: Energy
Not since the Industrial Age has the opportunity for change in energy been as great as it is today. There is now a transformation from dirty, extraction-based fossil-fuel energy fuels now imported into Hawai’i, but choices we make as to acceptable “renewable energy” options will have positive or negative consequences and costs to Hawaii’s population and environment.
One thing is certain: $5 trillion dollars annually in global taxpayer subsidies of the fossil fuel (dirty energy) sector is unsustainable, and by any measurement, economically and environmentally, a costly and false economy. (2016-17 World Bank – IMF reports).
Zero emissions energy sources are driving new cost and performance efficiencies and environmental benefits for Hawai’i and that can propel the state’s transformation to a clean energy driven global economy. Hawaii’s abundant sun, wind, water, and geothermal energy assets are Hawaii’s mana.
- Decarbonization Dilemma: The Tragedy of the Common(s) Light Bulbby Dan Delurey on January 18, 2020 at 4:30 am
Thomas Edison did not invent the light bulb. As in the case with many technologies, the original inventor of something is not always the "inventor" of the […]
- Last Vermont wind project ceases developmentby Victoria Hudson on January 18, 2020 at 2:36 am
The battle against wind energy in Vermont takes another casualty. ID 141790382 © Fayethequeen93 | Dreamstime.com"Dairy Air Wind, the last […]
- NYISO Adds Transmission Project Cost Containment to its Tariffby Paul Dumais on January 18, 2020 at 1:32 am
On December 17, 2019, in ER20-617, the NYISO proposed changes to its public policy transmission process to establish provisions for cost containment of […]
- New DOE Policy Kneecaps Energy Efficiency Standardsby Pat Remick on January 18, 2020 at 12:30 am
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) just announced it has finalized changes to its energy efficiency standards process that will slow down—if not halt […]
- Congress Should Reform Energy Tax Creditsby Pat Remick on January 18, 2020 at 12:30 am
iStock Congress squandered an opportunity to pass a clean energy tax incentive package at the end of 2019, setting back our fight […]
- Report Aims to Tie Long-Haul Transmission to Carbon Reduction Goalsby DW Keefer on January 17, 2020 at 11:22 pm
A group of grid companies released a report re-enforcing a long-standing assertion that achieving carbon reduction goals depends on long-haul, […]
- Here’s Looking at You, Grid: Bi-Weekly Digest of the Top Content Submitted to the Grid Professionals Group in Energy Central- January 17, 2020by Matt Chester on January 17, 2020 at 11:15 pm
Now that it’s mid-January, it’s time for everyone to be settled back into the workflow after what was hopefully a great holiday and new year […]
- California Can Make Lowly Water Heaters Mighty Climate Toolsby Pierre Delforge on January 17, 2020 at 3:30 pm
In a groundbreaking vote, California has allocated nearly $45 million toward boosting highly efficient electric heat pump technology that can help avoid […]
- Renewable energy bills to watchby Ivy Main on January 17, 2020 at 3:30 pm
Grassroots activists gather at the steps of the Virginia Capital on January 14. Photo courtesy Sierra Club.Yesterday’s post launched my annual roundup of […]
- Iowa regulators request coal fleet study as part of utility’s rate caseby ENN Contributor on January 17, 2020 at 3:30 pm
Interstate Power & Light serves about 490,000 customers across Iowa, including in Cedar Rapids. Photo by Davumaya / Wikimedia CommonsA decision by […]
- Georgia bill would require companies to treat coal ash like municipal solid wasteby E.A. Crunden on January 17, 2020 at 2:06 pm
The proposed legislation would impose stricter regulations on coal ash cleanup, requiring landfills holding the waste to have bottom liners and leachate […]
- California launches rulemaking to manage transition away from natural gasby Kavya Balaraman on January 17, 2020 at 2:05 pm
The California Public Utilities Commission will look into updating current reliability standards, as well as long-term contracting and tariff change rules. […]
- US hit record $55.5B renewables investments in 2019by Catherine Morehouse on January 17, 2020 at 1:39 pm
A slow start to 2019 ended with a flurry of offshore and onshore wind investments led by the U.S., China and Europe. […]
- DOE energy efficiency thresholds will endanger appliance standards, critics sayby Matthew Bandyk on January 17, 2020 at 1:38 pm
Trump says he wants to make dishes "beautiful" again, but efficiency advocates warn his administration is gutting regulations that could save billions in […]
- New York says new renewables financing option to reduce developers' financial risk, save $4.6Bby Larry Pearl on January 17, 2020 at 1:00 pm
In addition to approving a new way to fund renewable energy projects in the state, the Public Service Commission yesterday directed $2 billion […]
- 2020 Outlook: Utilities will be pushed to further embrace distributed energy resourcesby Matthew Bandyk on January 17, 2020 at 1:00 pm
As net metering fades, some states will move ahead with new visions for DERs, while others are playing catch-up. […]
- Activists warn of ‘fracking by stealth’ and call for acid fracking banby Jessica Murray on January 17, 2020 at 6:09 am
Fears grow companies may use it to get around temporary fracking moratoriumCampaigners have warned that the fracking moratorium announced by the UK government […]
- Germany will pay billions to speed up coal-fired power plant shutdownsby Agencies on January 16, 2020 at 7:10 pm
In fight against climate crisis, operators will be compensated for early switch-offsGermany will pay its utility companies billions of euros to speed up the […]
- PepsiCo to get all its US electricity from renewable sourcesby Christopher Doering on January 16, 2020 at 4:28 pm
The maker of its namesake soda, Gatorade and Doritos plans to reach the target later this year. America accounts for nearly half of its total global […]
- 2020 Outlook: US renewable resources on steady course for increased deploymentby Iulia Gheorghiu on January 16, 2020 at 2:48 pm
"In 2020, there’s sort of a 'come on in, the water's warm' element of excitement and momentum" around renewable energy procurement, one analyst said. […]
- Indiana bill would require Trump administration blessing to retire coal earlyby Catherine Morehouse on January 16, 2020 at 2:36 pm
The bill would prevent utilities from retiring plants early or otherwise decreasing operations unless explicitly directed by the federal government, not […]
- How much — and how fast — will Colorado change its utility business model?by Matthew Bandyk on January 16, 2020 at 2:16 pm
Xcel Energy's Colorado utility cautions that implementing performance-based regulation too quickly could "jeopardize" the state's progress toward clean energy. […]
- NSW government fails to keep promise to provide regional towns with renewable backup powerby Christopher Knaus on January 15, 2020 at 4:30 pm
Regional Community Energy Fund never opened and Gladys Berejiklian’s government refusing to explain whyThe New South Wales government has failed to act […]
- New Cumbria coalmine 'incompatible' with climate crisis goalsby Nazia Parveen North of England correspondent on January 15, 2020 at 6:00 am
Facility threatens UK’s aim to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, report saysBritain’s first new deep coalmine in 30 years is unnecessary and […]
- World's biggest fund manager vows to divest from thermal coalby Joanna Partridge on January 14, 2020 at 4:27 pm
BlackRock CEO says climate crisis will now dictate investments but environmentalists remain waryBlackRock, the world’s largest fund manager, has […]
- Climate activist turns down Siemens' offer of seat on energy boardby Kate Connolly in Berlin on January 13, 2020 at 5:03 pm
Protest group leader Luisa Neubauer says she would lose right to criticise the companyThe leader of Germany’s Friday for Future climate protests has said […]
- Just one new onshore windfarm started under current UK policies in 2019by Jillian Ambrose on January 13, 2020 at 3:07 pm
Rollout of new turbines is in decline amid Tory subsidy cuts, jeopardising climate targetsThe government’s current energy policies have led to a sharp […]
- Half of UK universities have committed to divest from fossil fuelby Matthew Taylor on January 13, 2020 at 7:00 am
78 out of 154 universities joined campaign in blow to big oil’s ‘social licence’, campaigners sayHalf of UK universities have signed up to […]
- Avoid UK recession by kickstarting green economy, says thinktankby Richard Partington Economics correspondent on January 13, 2020 at 6:01 am
New Economics Foundation calls for £50bn to reboot economy on greener footingThe government fightback against the next recession should include pumping […]
- Adani coalmine: Siemens CEO has ‘empathy’ for environment but refuses to quit contractby Graham Readfearn on January 13, 2020 at 1:27 am
Joe Kaeser says he must balance stakeholder interests as climate change activists protest company’s decisionGlobal engineering company Siemens will not […]
- Taking action on climate is hard. Here are five questions to help Australia seize this moment | Nicky Isonby Nicky Ison on January 13, 2020 at 12:39 am
As we face policy and communications challenges, we must heed painful lessons from the past In late 2019, before the bushfires hit crisis level, concern about […]
- Community-generated green electricity to be offered to all in UKby Jillian Ambrose Energy correspondent on January 12, 2020 at 7:47 pm
Power provided on new tariff to come exclusively from small-scale wind and solar farmsUK homes will soon be able to plug into community wind and solar farms […]
- Scott Morrison can't afford to waste the bushfire crisis when Australia urgently needs its own green new deal | Malcolm Turnbullby Malcolm Turnbull on January 11, 2020 at 6:59 pm
The lies of the climate deniers have to be rejected. This is a time for truth telling, not obfuscation and gaslighting, writes former Australian prime minister […]
- Mushrooms and orange peel: could biotech clean up the building industry?by Nell Card on January 11, 2020 at 12:00 pm
A biotech startup is researching building materials that could revolutionise construction. Not only are they biodegradable – some also absorb toxinsCocoa […]
- Greta Thunberg tells world leaders to end fossil fuel ‘madness’by Damian Carrington Environment editor on January 10, 2020 at 1:03 pm
Failure to end investment ‘would be a betrayal against life itself’, say climate activistsGreta Thunberg and others: ‘At Davos, we will tell […]
- Blair attacks nuclear power privatisation - archive, 10 January 1985by Patrick Donovan, industrial correspondent on January 10, 2020 at 5:30 am
10 January 1989: As well as cost, Labour’s energy spokesman warns about the risk of nuclear accidentsTony Blair, Labour’s energy spokesman, […]
- Can lab-grown food save the planet? | Lettersby Letters on January 9, 2020 at 7:14 pm
Daniel Pryor of the Adam Smith Institute, David E Hanke, Georgina Ferry and Prof Mick Watson respond to an article by George Monbiot claiming that lab-grown […]
- White House unveils plan for major projects to bypass environmental reviewby Reuters on January 9, 2020 at 6:52 pm
Plan would help Trump administration advance projects held up over global heating concerns such as the Keystone XL oil pipelineThe Trump administration on […]
- How the oil industry has spent billions to control the climate change conversationby Emily Holden in Washington on January 8, 2020 at 8:39 pm
Activists say Democratic climate proposals won’t be able to pass until lawmakers put a stop to oil companies trying to rebrand themselvesAmerica’s […]
- Most conservatives know prevention is better than cure – except when it comes to climate change | Richard Dennissby Richard Denniss on January 8, 2020 at 4:30 pm
They’re usually more than happy to spend money upfront to avoid bigger costs down the track. Investing in renewable energy is the exceptionIf only Scott […]
- Republic Services Further Reduces Carbon Emissions Through Increased Usage of Renewable Natural Gas in its Fleetby Electric Energy Online on August 16, 2017 at 2:01 pm
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- Yingli Green Energy Announces Engagement of Financial and Legal Advisors to Special Committeeby Electric Energy Online on August 16, 2017 at 2:01 pm
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- Xcel Energy reduces carbon emissions 30 percentCompany reports progress delivering a more sustainable energy future for communitiesby Electric Energy Online on August 16, 2017 at 2:01 pm
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- Veolia Awarded Operations Contract for North Carolina Biomass FacilityInnovative waste-to-energy plant provides renewable solutions for poultry producers; safeguards local waterwaysby Electric Energy Online on August 16, 2017 at 2:01 pm
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- STEM education brought to the forefront with new initiative provided by ForeFront Powerby Electric Energy Online on August 16, 2017 at 2:01 pm
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- Banner water year increases hydropower benefitby Electric Energy Online on August 16, 2017 at 2:01 pm
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- Bullfrog Power and Less Emissions to reduce CO2 footprint of Canada C3 expeditionby Electric Energy Online on August 16, 2017 at 2:01 pm
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- U.S. Renewables Now Providing More Electricity Than Nuclear Powerby Electric Energy Online on August 16, 2017 at 2:01 pm
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- Renewables Provide 19.35% of U.S. Electricity - About 40 Years Sooner Than EIA Expectedby Electric Energy Online on August 16, 2017 at 2:01 pm
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- Energy Commission Awards Research Grants for Renewable Energyby Electric Energy Online on August 16, 2017 at 2:01 pm
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