March 17, 2012
(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - The U.S. General Services Administration announced this week that the installation of the first biomass boiler in a United States Federal Building is complete. Outdated oil-fired steam boilers in the Ketchikan Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse were replaced with a technologically advanced biomass boiler, which uses waste generated by the timber [...] Read More
March 16, 2012
By Ron Pernick, Managing Director, Clean Edge: There is a strong case for an energy future that moves beyond highly polluting coal and extremely volatile nuclear power, and towards a marriage of efficiency/smart grid, renewables, and natural gas. But in a world of low-cost natural gas, currently at less than $2.50 per million BTU in [...] Read More
March 16, 2012
By RUSSELL STIGALL | JUNEAU EMPIRE Renewable energy entrepreneurs could see the popular Renewable Energy Grant Fund continue for five more $50 million-dollar years. A bill extending the fund passed House Finance Committee on Wednesday. Established in 2007, the fund has received $500 million to allocate to renewable energy projects around the state. The fund [...] Read More
March 15, 2012
2011 was a banner year for solar installations in the US – the first year over a gigawatt (GW) was added in one year, according to a report by U.S. Solar Market Insight A record 1,855 megawatts (MW) of solar PV were added, double the previous record set in 2010, and representing a 109 percent [...] Read More
March 15, 2012
From the U.S. Energy Information Adminstration Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly. Download CSV Data Generation from wind turbines in the United States increased 27% in 2011 compared to 2010, continuing a trend of rapid growth. During the past five years capacity additions of wind turbines were the main driver of the growth [...] Read More
March 15, 2012
The Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) at UAF and Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP) are designing Alaska-specific energy efficiency curriculum for classrooms across the state. Funded by the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC), the lessons we are developing will give Alaskan youth an understanding of the high economic and environmental costs of power [...] Read More
March 11, 2012
By Pat Forgey | JUNEAU EMPIRE: After weeks, or even months of preparation, Alaska well driller Tim Hlavnicka sank his first well Friday and hit nothing but gravel. He was thrilled. Hlavnicka’s company, Aquasource, was drilling the first of the wells for the new Library, Archives and Museum building’s innovative geothermal heating system. The ability [...] Read More
March 11, 2012
Carey Restino | The Arctic Sounder: After the dramatic pilgrimage of the Coast Guard icebreaker Healy and the Russian ship Renda’s journey to Nome to deliver fuel to the ice-locked community this winter, few remain oblivious to the energy challenges faced by rural Alaska. A recent study by Commonwealth North, however, brings the issue into [...] Read More
March 9, 2012
By Richard M. Rosenblum, President and CEO of Hawaiian Electric Company | RenewableEnergyWorld: Hawaii is one of the world’s premier travel destinations. However, if visitors look beyond the views of Diamond Head, Waikiki Beach, palm trees and the blue Pacific, they’ll see a renewable energy transformation under way that could be a model for others [...] Read More
March 9, 2012
The Oregonian: Under overcast skies, Patti Jarrett learned she had a nearly ideal roof for the 3.29-kilowatt solar energy system she planned to lease. South facing. Good tilt. Little shade. An hour later, she wrote Sunlight Solar a check to install panels she contends will provide significant energy savings over the next 20 years. Jarrett, [...] Read More
