New York lawmakers are considering legislation to boost the state's solar power generation to 2.5% of overall electricity sales by 2025. This is part of a nationwide renewable energy trend driven by the new jobs and other economic benefits the switch will likely bring.
China has long been the world's factory for a host of consumer electronics and appliances. Now, it's the biggest manufacturing hub for solar panels as well. A new report shows five of the top 10 producers are Chinese.
The Rocky Mountain West is trying to take a devastating pine-beetle infestation and turn it to its economic advantage -- in fields as diverse as alternative energy and fine woodworking.
The solar play on Wall Street has dimmed quite a bit after the group's initial glow several years ago. But some big investors are warming up to selected stocks in the industry. One is GT Solar, a global provider of production equipment and process technology to the industry.
It's spring, the season of baseball, warmer temperatures and rising gasoline prices -- along with the perennial push for alternative fuels. When will the United States find a better way to power its cars?
After a long period of ever-escalating anticipation, the startup California cleantech company is finally unveiling its technology. Will the claims of breakthroughs in terms of efficiency, affordability and scalability get borne out at last? And how much will the long-term cost really be?
Known for its energy-guzzling data centers, Google is always looking to green its image. The latest move? The search giant has formed a new entity called Google Energy that could allow it to use more alternative energy when pulling in the power it needs.
Two start-ups, biofuel maker Codexis and solar-energy firm Solyndra, recently filed, and others are rumored to be doing so, including sexy electric-car company Tesla Motors and smart-grid integrated-technology maker Silver Spring Networks.
The emphasis in alternative energy used to be on new ways to generate power. Now, it's on finding better ways to conserve it and make the power grid more efficient. The so-called smart grid is key to that goal, and fortunes will be spent -- and made -- on making it a reality.
Solar Power Partners is the third-largest independent solar-energy producer in the U.S. CEO Bob Powell discusses the hot topics in his industry today, including when solar power generation will be competitive with coal or gas-fired plants.
Larger government subsidies, rising electricity costs, fewer regulatory burdens and lower prices for these small systems are all converging to generate demand. More access to favorable financing may create the most powerful tailwind.
