BP Covered Up Blow-out Two Years Prior to Deadly Deepwater Horizon Spill
Greg Palast Two years before the Deepwater Horizon blow-out in the Gulf of Mexico, another BP off-shore rig suffered a nearly identical blow-out, but BP concealed the first one from the U.S. regulators and Congress. This week, EcoWatch.org located an eyewitness with devastating new information about the Caspian Sea oil-rig blow-out which BP had concealed … Read more
Mine Blast Report: Massey, Blankenship ‘Profoundly Reckless’ – ROLLING STONE
The first major investigative report (PDF) on the coal mine disaster in West Virginia last year that killed 29 miners was released today. The 122-page report, a year in the making and authored by a team of independent experts appointed by former West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin, drops the hammer on Massey Energy, which operated … Read more
Don’t move the mountains!
September 14, 2010 - Los Angeles Times Mountaintop removal comes at too high a cost — for the land, the water and the taxpayers, who end up footing the bill for environmental damage.
Solar Array Design: Parallel Wiring Opens New Door
The advent of parallel wiring architectures for solar arrays promises to create new levels of freedom and flexibility for designers. by Michael Lamb, VP, Business Development, eIQ Published: August 30, 2010 Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States — For decades, designers of solar power systems have faced a knotty set of interlocking challenges. Solar panels produce DC … Read more
Top 6 Utility-scale Fast-tracked Solar Projects
Final Environmental Impact Statements (FEIS) have been published for six utility-scale solar power projects that will provide nearly 3 GW of clean electricity once fully operational. Published: September 1, 2010 Washington, DC, United States — In June 2009, the Department of Interior announced a fast-track program for renewable energy and transmission projects on public lands … Read more
SkyFuel’s Parabolic Troughs Are 73% Efficient
DOE tests show that SkyFuel’s parabolic trough solar concentrator meets the highest standard for efficiency in its class. Published: August 31, 2010 Arvada, CO, United States Utility scale parabolic trough solar concentrators harness the sun’s energy to make steam for electricity generation. The more efficiently that a trough can harness the sun’s energy and convert … Read more
First Solar Claims $1-a-Watt ‘Industry Milestone’
NY TIMES By JAMES KANTER First Solar The maker of photovoltaic cells, based in Tempe, Ariz., said government subsidies of the sort provided in Germany are helping make the solar industry competitive. The solar photovoltaic industry has plenty of supporters, but wider uptake of the technology has long been hampered by cost. High costs have … Read more
Solar Thermal Electricity: Can it Replace Coal, Gas, and Oil?
Written by Sarah Lozanova One of the most common arguments against large-scale use of renewable energy is that it cannot produce a steady, reliable stream of energy, day and night. Ausra Inc. does not agree. They believe that solar thermal technology can supply over 90% of grid power, while reducing carbon emissions. “The U.S. could … Read more
Banks Grow Wary of Environmental Risks
By TOM ZELLER Jr. The New York Times Published: August 30, 2010 Blasting off mountaintops to reach coal in Appalachia or churning out millions of tons of carbon dioxide to extract oil from sand in Alberta are among environmentalists’ biggest industrial irritants. But they are also legal and lucrative. For a growing number of banks, … Read more
