With a real estate outlook morphed by Covid and the recession, advocates for energy efficiency policies have staked a new claim.
(Courtesy of Norfolk Solar) If dollars are flowing into under-served neighborhoods and staying there for as long as they throw off tax savings, why not channel some of them to improve energy justice? Plenty of opportunity remains.
The federal Opportunity Zones designation forgives capital gains taxes on investments in neighborhoods that have withstood economic isolation. One Norfolk, Virginia entrepreneur found dollars from investors looking for the tax break, found sites ready for solar development, and found a way to create jobs and increase solar market share in...
Officials like Max Joel say New York's willingness to support planning and study will help kick-start local solar projects.
People who live in areas where it's hard to own a home and hard to breathe clean air often also find it hard to tap solar power. The New York State Economic Research and Development Authority just signaled an intent to right this imbalance. The agency's new solicitation for bids...
The Center has worked virtually this fall with dozens of professionals earning certificates in Financing and Deploying Clean Energy. Learners in the program study the history, physics, innovation pathways and technological possibility sparking the carbon-free economy. One learning strategy involves crafting policy memos and op/ed pieces on issues where public...
Retrofitting buildings after Covid-19 emptied many commercial properties can boost efficiency and sustainability- but doing so will take coordination, patience and strategy.
Investments in efficient energy systems can save millions for every diligent manufacturer, tenant and landlord. They can also drive down carbon emissions, helping states reach clean-energy targets. They can help lower energy costs and with them energy bills, which can help resuscitate urban property markets. And they can coincide with...
For these two capitalists, finding unicorns matters less than helping community leaders find solutions to their specific climate and health challenges.
Crowdfunding has operated for a while, and community solar has emerged as a category for investors and developers. For Raise Green, a financing platform that aims to bring crowdfunding to community solar projects, the past year has brought evolution and discovery. Our reporter brings the team's ambitions and methods up...
In a policy roadmap, New York State undertakes to give utilities and manufacturers every reason to build out clean energy networks. In the energy-buying experience, residents and businesses see few paths to renewable power. How can a state reach its zero-emission goals without first showing consumers lower prices and clearer...
The severe human and economic toll of Covid-19 has injected high levels of uncertainty into the economy. Despite reduced overall levels of investment in Q1 and Q2 2020, interest in Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy financing, or C-
, has risen in some markets across the country. Commercial PACE is a...
“Flow batteries,” which last many more years and many more hours than the kind we carry in our phones, could make storage of solar or wind power much more straightforward. Firms that make them have commanded high valuations all spring, sometimes with grand and mysterious promises of energy revolution. To...
Perspectives from State Experts
For Joseph Fiordaliso, progress toward a fossil-free economy flows from top-level leadership to street-level entrepreneurship.
What's on the horizon for New Jersey after the Covid-19 crisis? When we spoke with Joseph Fiordaliso, the president of the state's Board of Public Utilities, the vision includes electric cars and buses, wind turbines in the ocean, and busy factories making wind-energy equipment. A Newark native with a crackly...
In this interview, Susan Glickman, Florida director for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, discusses the status of clean energy development in the state. Glickman lays out policy battles over renewable portfolio and energy efficiency standards, the state’s history of natural gas consumption, growth in utility solar programs, and an...
South Dakota is a national leader in the proportion of its electricity mix coming from wind energy. CEFF spoke to South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Vice Chairman Chris Nelson about the status of clean energy in the state. He contends that the rise of wind in the state is traceable...
Texas offers an instructive case study for the growth of renewable energy. Most of the state’s electricity is delivered through the deregulated Electric Reliability Council of Texas market. The state has long since surpassed its mandated renewable portfolio standard, so market dynamics dictate the ongoing pace of renewables growth. Nonetheless...
