(Wall Street Journal) Months of low oil prices are starting to take a toll on banks. Large U.S. banks reporting earnings Friday said they saw more energy loans go bad in the fourth quarter. Many lenders also added millions of dollars to reserves in anticipation that more oil-and-gas loans will sour.
News
This technology may be the future of solar energy
(Washington Post) In the solar energy sphere, scientists and economists alike will note that coming up with cheaper, most efficient solar cells is key to the industry’s growth. And now, many experts are arguing that an emerging type of technology, known as the “perovskite” solar cell, is the face of the future.
The Most Energy-Efficient Skyscraper Ever?
(Huffington Post) New York City scored a major coup when it successfully lured Cornell University to build a campus for Cornell Tech , its applied sciences program, on Roosevelt Island, smack in the middle of the East River. (Check it out in this video). What better place to demonstrate how cutting-edge energy efficiency techniques can blend with architectural advances to yield beautiful buildings that run like finely tuned machines?
Global growth will be disappointing in 2016 - IMF’s Lagarde
(Reuters) Global economic growth will be disappointing next year and the outlook for the medium-term has also deteriorated, the head of the International Monetary Fund said.
Carmakers Forge Ahead With Electric Vehicles
(NY Times) Las Vegas — Although sales of electric and hybrid vehicles have struggled, automakers are charging ahead to bring new battery-powered vehicles to market.
US coal production falls to lowest level in nearly 30 years
(AP) U.S. coal production has fallen to its lowest level in nearly 30 years as cheaper sources of power and stricter environmental regulations reduce demand, according to preliminary government figures.
Solar energy jobs double in 5 years
(CNN) Solar energy is having a moment. The number of solar jobs in the U.S. has more than doubled in five years. In fact, there are more people working in solar now than at oil rigs and in gas fields.
Solar Surges Past Wind, Hydropower as California’s No. 1 Renewable Energy Source
(KQED) In just a few short years, solar power has gotten big in California, and now it’s at the top of the renewable energy heap.
How Will San Diego Reach Its 100% Renewable Energy Goal?
(KPBS) How the city of San Diego will reach its 100 percent renewable energy goal remains an open question that could generate political battles over who controls the city’s energy in the years ahead.
Getting To 100% Renewable Energy In the US
(CleanTechnica) A report suggests a framework on how the US can get to 100% renewable energy sources by 2050.
Is this sunny state trying to kill solar power?
(MarketWatch) Nevada has turned into a sunny battleground for the future of solar in the U.S., with regulators there moving to make solar power less attractive to homeowners and businesses and pitching utilities against solar-power companies.
A new way to store solar heat
(MIT) Imagine if your clothing could, on demand, release just enough heat to keep you warm and cozy, allowing you to dial back on your thermostat settings and stay comfortable in a cooler room.
IEA: World’s Power Mix Is Seeing Unprecedented Transformation
(Power) A significant transformation of the global power mix is under way, noted the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its newly released World Energy Outlook.
From Poop To Power: Colorado Explores New Sources Of Renewable Energy
(NPR) The wastewater treatment plant in Grand Junction, Colo., takes in 8 million gallons of raw sewage — what’s flushed down the toilet and sinks.
US uses more energy on Christmas lights than some nations do all year
(AOL) Overall, the amount of electricity used to power Christmas lights in the U.S. each year is pretty minimal; Just 6.6 billion kilowatt hours — or 0.2 percent — of our yearly electricity consumption. But that’s more than a lot of countries use in an entire year.
NYC Architect’s Revolutionary Plan to Make Old Buildings Energy Efficient
(dnainfo.com) One Architect’s Bold Vision on How to Retrofit NYC’s Affordable Housing
Selling Solar to Rural Africa is Emerging as a Hot Market
(Fortune) Will electricity in developing rural areas spread more like cell phones than land lines? These startups think so.
Minnesota program empowers energy-efficiency investments you can bank on
(MinnPost) Recently we sat down in Senate District 67 with Minnesota State Sen. Foung Hawj and Rep. Sheldon Johnson to share some insights into our statewide energy future, grounded firmly in our local present.
Oil price rout sends inflation to lowest levels witnessed since Great Depression
(The Telegraph) Advanced economy inflation is at its weakest levels since the Great Depression-era Inflation will fall back to levels not seen since before the Second World War across the advanced world this year.
Obama just released the biggest energy efficiency rule in U.S. history
(Washington Post) They dribble out regularly — Energy Department rules or “standards” that require ever improving levels of energy efficiency for dishwashers, refrigerators, and much more.
America lifts its ban on oil exports
(The Economist) For decades, the word “market” has been a misnomer for global trade in oil. Not only has the business been manipulated by an international cartel, OPEC, with varying degrees of success. Since 1975 America has also distorted it by banning the export of almost all crude oil.
San Diego - Biggest U.S. City to Go All in on Clean Electricity
(Fortune) San Diego’s city council has unanimously voted to power its electricity with 100% renewable energy sources by 2035. The city also approved proposals to eliminate half of all greenhouse gas emissions, and in doing so, has become the first city to make a legally binding pledge
Northwest can meet power needs with energy efficiency, plan says
(Bend Bulletin) Portland — The Pacific Northwest can meet nearly all of its power demand over the next 20 years with energy efficiency and voluntary reductions of power use during periods of peak demand, according to the draft power plan by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.
PG&E’s Pay-for-Performance Pilot Is a Big Deal for Energy Efficiency
(GreenTech Media) Pacific Gas & Electric is hammering out the final details of a pay-for-performance energy-efficiency program for homes that will launch next year pending regulatory approval. This is not a tweak to an existing program. It is a wholesale change in how to deliver and pay for efficiency upgrades.
Wealthy Investors Target Dramatic Increase in Clean-Energy Funding
(MIT Technology Review) Starting off the Paris climate talks with a bang, an international group of investors headed by Bill Gates announced a new funding initiative, called the Breakthrough Energy Coalition, that will invest in clean-energy technologies.