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Archive for the ‘solar’ Category

Solar Reaches Major Employer Status in Austin, But for How Long?

Posted in Renewables, solar, tagged , , , , on February 15, 2012 | 2 Comments »

A survey done by Solar Austin at the beginning of 2012 shows there are at least 615 full-time solar energy jobs in Austin.  These jobs include manufacturing, R&D, solar installation, financial and engineering consultants.  Adding standard jobs multipliers the total direct and indirect employment supported by the Austin solar industry is 1,180 to 2,190 jobs. [...]

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Austin Energy drought proofs its energy with new Webberville Solar Project

Posted in Global Warming, Renewables, solar, tagged , , , on January 6, 2012 | 5 Comments »

On a blustery and brilliantly sunny Texas winter day a couple hundred Central Texas citizens, that included officials and solar enthusiasts, gathered on what had been an empty 380 acre field only three years ago to usher in a new era of “drought-proof” energy for the City of Austin. On Friday, January 6, 2012, Austin [...]

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Sustainable Energy Transforms Lives

Posted in Renewables, solar, tagged , , on October 9, 2011 | 3 Comments »

Below is an article from the New York Times in its entirety showing the power for change renewable energy is having in third world countries.  I think articles like this are a good argument for subscribing to papers like the New York Times. African Huts Far From the Grid Glow With Renewable Power Beyond Fossil Fuels [...]

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Why the Solyndra solar bankruptcy scandal is a big deal, but not the big deal some are making of it

Posted in Climate Change, Global Warming, Good Government, Nuclear, solar, Tarsands, tagged , , , , , , , on September 12, 2011 | 2 Comments »

California solar energy company Solyndra had its offices raided  last week by federal agents as part of an ongoing investigation into their bankruptcy and federal loan guarantees they’d received form the Department of Energy. Some critics have cried foul, trying to show how federal money spent on emerging technology is a waste. Others  have tried [...]

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SPIN BABY SPIN – Renewables continue to grow in Texas

Posted in Energy, Renewables, solar, tagged , , , , , , on August 19, 2011 | 2 Comments »

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the operators of the Texas electric grid, has released its Emerging technologies report that includes the state of renewables on the Texas grid. Some interesting facts show that wind generation continues to provide a significant amount of energy to the grid as the technology matures, new turbines are [...]

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Big Hot Texas Sun: Problem or Resource?

Posted in Climate Change, Co-op Reform, Efficiency, Energy, Global Warming, Renewables, solar on August 11, 2011 | 3 Comments »

We’re in the midst of a heat wave and drought that are on record to be Texas’ worst in recorded history. (and now imagine if global warming actually kicked in, the way all those scientists say! *wink*) But we have a few options. Cope, adapt, or conquer. I much prefer the last solution to the [...]

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Renewable Energy and the 82nd Legislature

Posted in Renewables, solar, tagged , , , on June 6, 2011 | 1 Comment »

If you live in Austin, TX and put solar on your rooftop, you might be able to pay only about a quarter of the initial cost estimate, making this a viable option for many homeowners.  But for many Texans, there is still a good reason not to go with solar: the generous local incentives that Austinites [...]

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Got Solar?

Posted in Energy, Renewables, solar, tagged , , , on March 7, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

For many who want to add more rooftop and other on-site solar generating devices on homes and even commercial properties, there have been concerns about the prospect of being regulated as utilities.  This concern has been seen as an overly burdensome barrier to the industry, however Senator John Carona (R-Dallas) filed legislation that would make clear that [...]

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Department of Energy launches initiative to bring down solar energy costs

Posted in Renewables, solar, tagged , , , on March 5, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced $27 million in projects to advance solar development and manufacturing through its SunShot Initiative whose goal is to achieve cost competitive solar energy by 2020. The hope is that the SunShot initiative can reduce the total costs of photovoltaic solar energy systems by about 75 percent so that they are [...]

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Energy self sufficiency vs. HOA control

Posted in Efficiency, Energy, Renewables, solar, tagged , , on March 4, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Several bills filed this session, which included some heard at Wednesday’s hearing of the Senate Intergovernmental Relations Committee would preclude homeowners’ associations from restricting installation of solar energy devices.  These are: Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) – SB 238 Sen. Jeff Wentworth (R-San Antonio) – SB 302 Sen. Mike Jackson (R-La Porte) – SB 447 (identical [...]

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Southern California utility buys 20 years of solar power for less than natural gas

Posted in Renewables, solar, tagged , , , on February 16, 2011 | 1 Comment »

A California utility, Southern California Edison, has selected 250 MW worth of solar bids from companies able to produce solar electricity for 20 years for less money annually than the 20 year levelized cost of combined-cycle natural gas turbine power plant energy. The utilities bidding process for smaller renewable projects is a smart move. These small [...]

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TPPF Energy Report Shows Lack of Vision

Posted in Coal, Energy, Global Warming, Nuclear, Renewables, solar, Texas Legislature, tagged , , , , on January 25, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Keynote’s promotion of coal leans heavily on unrealistic view of the Texas energy market In a forum held last Thursday the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) unveiled a report that attempts to sway the debate about Texas energy policy off its current trajectory – namely ideas put forward by high-profile Republicans officials like Lt. [...]

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San Antonio Tying Renewable Energy to the Growth of Their Economy

Posted in Energy, green jobs, Renewables, solar, tagged , , , , , , on January 19, 2011 | 1 Comment »

CPS Energy CEO Doyle Beneby announced that the utility will acquire an additional 50 megawatts of solar power and that the company chosen to build the new plants for it will be required to locate a portion of its business in San Antonio.  Currently the negotiations include a leading solar manufacturer to locate a small office [...]

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Texas, home to Big Oil, takes shine to solar power… or does it?

Posted in Energy, solar, Texas Legislature, tagged , , , , , , , on December 22, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Reuters carried a good story with this headline Texas, home to Big Oil takes a shine to solar power that describes the solar potential that exists, along with industry involvement and how it could be expanded here if we could just develop some statewide policy that supports it. Too bad the commissioners at the Texas [...]

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New solar farm ground breaking in Pflugerville.

Posted in Energy, green jobs, Renewables, solar, tagged , , , , , , on December 16, 2010 | 1 Comment »

RRE Solar Austin held its groundbreaking ceremony in Pflugerville yesterday. This is the first utility scale solar farm, and one of the largest photovoltaic projects in the country, to be built by the company and the first to break ground in the Austin area. Planned to produce 60Mw of solar energy when completed it will [...]

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