Clean Energy


April 19, 2013

The U.S. Military Goes Green

The U.S. military has taken aggressive steps to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels — a smart move given that it is the world’s biggest consumer of energy and oil. As Jonathan Marshall writes in his NEXT100 blog, the U.S. Army recently installed its largest solar power facility, at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, which will help it save nearly a million dollars a year.

April 18, 2013

Solar Electric Power Association Ranks PG&E Top Utility for Solar Installations

PG&E, working closely with its customers and developers, connected 805 megawatts of new solar electric power generation to the energy grid last year, a milestone that earned the company top honors from the Solar Energy Power Association as the electric utility that led the nation in the amount of solar added in 2012.

April 12, 2013

Enhanced Green Energy Program Will Give Customers More Renewable Options

PG&E has reached an agreement with a diverse group of consumer groups and other organizations to enhance its proposed “Green Option” to give electric customers an opportunity to support 100 percent renewable energy.

Green Room Helms 598 Carousel
March 4, 2013

VIDEO: PG&E’s Clean Energy Portfolio Featured on “The Green Room”

“The Green Room with John Holden,” which aired on Fox Business Channel on March 2, put PG&E’s clean-energy portfolio in the spotlight. And PG&E executive John Conway gave viewers an inside tour of the Helms Pumped Storage Plant, a unique hydro project in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Helms Powerhouse
February 28, 2013

Fox Business Channel Series Tours Helms Hydro Facility, Looks at PG&E’s Clean-Energy Portfolio

This Saturday morning, on the Fox Business Channel, “The Green Room” will do a segment on PG&E’s clean-energy portfolio. PG&E’s John Conway is interviewed and viewers will get a tour of the Helms Pumped Storage facility.

February 5, 2013

Revenge of the Nerd

As NEXT100′s Jonathan Marshall writes, departing Energy Secretary Steven Chu leaves a legacy of insisting that policy be based on “the unbiased truth” of science.

December 20, 2012

CPUC Approves Research Partnership between California Utilities, Livermore Lab

California’s investor-owned utilities, including PG&E, will work in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to help create computer models to research and plan the state’s clean-energy future.

October 19, 2012

The Where’s and When’s of Charging Electric Vehicles

PG&E customers can drive electric vehicles (EVs) with the greenest of consciences, knowing that the power they draw comes from some of the cleanest sources in the nation. But, as NEXT100′s Jonathan Marshall writes, residents of much of the rest of the country face a much more ambiguous choice when it comes to selecting a clean vehicle.

September 7, 2012

SunPower Announces Plans for Kings County Solar Plant

SunPower said Sept 7 that it will construct a 100-megawatt solar plant in Kings County.PG&E has agreed to purchase the power from the Henrietta Solar Project, which SunPower said will generate enough energy for about 36,000 homes.

September 4, 2012

California Breaks Through in Solar Energy Production

Over the weekend, solar power in the state peaked at just over 1,000 megawatts (MW). That’s roughly the same capacity as two large natural gas-fired plants. California energy officials will celebrate this impressive milestone in the state’s solar energy development on Wednesday (Sept. 5) in Sacramento.

GOP panel
August 27, 2012

PG&E Takes Part in Energy Forum at Republican National Convention

In a panel discussion held in conjunction with the Republican National Convention in Tampa, PG&E’s Melissa Lavinson reiterated the utility’s call to action to upgrade the nation’s aging electric and gas pipeline infrastructure. The good news, she said, is that the type of needed improvements will lead to jobs for the country.

August 22, 2012

Can Wave Power Emerge From the Ocean?

On Monday, an Oregon-based subsidiary of Ocean Power Technologies, Inc., announced that it has received a 35-year federal license to build and operate up to 10 wave generators, with enough total capacity to power about 1,500 homes.Wave energy holds tremendous appeal for coastal nations.

Alcatraz
August 1, 2012

The Rock: No Escaping Solar Power on Alcatraz

Alcatraz, the longtime home to Al Capone and “Machine Gun” Kelly and other prisoners in San Francisco Bay, now houses 1,300 photovoltaic panels and huge backup battery installation that have slashed the tourist site’s dependence on expensive and dirty diesel fuel.

July 31, 2012

Offshore Wind: U.S. Developers Caught in the Doldrums

While European developers now have more than 1,500 offshore wind turbines connected to the region’s electric grids, with a capacity of about 4,300 megawatts, the United States cannot point even to one. High costs, extremely complex permitting requirements, and uncertainty about future wind tax credits have all kept American initiatives locked in the doldrums.

July 19, 2012

The Hidden Payoff from Renewable Energy on Public Lands

America’s public lands are an obvious source of potential sites for big solar, wind, and geothermal projects that deliver clean energy. What might be less obvious to taxpayers is the valuable revenue that such renewable power projects are bringing to the U.S. Treasury.

"PG&E" refers to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation.
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