Leveraging Smart Contracts for Peer-to-Peer Solar Financing in Puerto Rico

Storm damage in Puerto Rico
Jesse Laniak
“Smart” contracts leverage blockchain technology to streamline and automate many of the most technical and time-consuming financial and logistical steps in smaller-scale solar development. Furthermore, smart contracts integrate peer-to-peer financial mechanisms, tapping into new capital pools for small and distributed renewable systems.
Latest Articles
Point Stonington, CT

Point Stonington in Connecticut / JJBers / CC BY 2.0

Connecticut Looks before It Leaps on Offshore Wind

Katie Siegner
A new player is entering the fold in New England’s burgeoning offshore wind sector. After years of testing the waters, Connecticut has finally jumped into the offshore wind game with a recently passed target of 2,000 megawatts by 2030. On June 4, the state legislature approved a bill establishing the offshore wind mandate, and Governor Ned Lamont signed the legislation later that same week.
Bob Mumgaard

Bob Mumgaard of Commonwealth Fusion Systems. Photo courtesy of MIT Energy Conference.

Fission to Fusion: Capital Is Flowing to the New Frontier in Nuclear Technology

Lucy Shim
If fusion technology can be successfully commercialized and integrated into the electric grid, it could go a long way toward addressing climate change and future energy crises. A growing number of private enterprises are aiming to help demonstrate its practical viability.
A mini-grid in Mali

Solar and diesel mini-grid in Mali / IRENA / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Risk-Pooling Initiative Strives to Unlock Commercial Investment in African Mini-Grids

Remy Dhingra
Green Aggregation Tech Enterprise, a risk-pooling initiative aimed at removing barriers to private investment in mini-grids, looks to prepare off-grid energy financing for a self-sustaining future in Africa that involves all types of funding, including commercial lending.
Electric vehicle charging

Electric vehicle charging / Automotive Rhythms / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Is California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard Incentivizing Electric Vehicle Deployment?

Sola Zheng
Research on California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard program suggests the LCFS program design of capacity-based credits has the potential to increase EV deployment, but that some unanswered questions need to be addressed before the point-of-sale rebate program can do the same.
Perspectives from State Experts
Janine Benner

Oregon Takes a Strong Stand for Clean Energy

Kat Friedrich
There is a strong groundswell of support for solar power and energy efficiency in Oregon. This has boosted the state’s programs and amplified their accomplishments, according to Janine Benner, director of Oregon Department of Energy. In this interview, she said Oregon is using these technologies to offset the environmental impact of its growing IT industry.
Kelly Bragg

West Virginia's Community Solar Ideas Take Root

Kat Friedrich
Solar power is starting to take root in West Virginia at a community level, said Kelly Bragg, energy development specialist with the West Virginia Office of Energy. In this interview, she also said energy efficiency remains a low priority due to the affordable cost of electricity.
Ken Hughes

How Can New Mexico Transform Its Energy Mix?

Kat Friedrich
New Mexico needs to modernize its rates, regulations and incentives so it can make substantial progress in improving its solar-energy and energy efficiency markets, said Ken Hughes, clean energy specialist at the State of New Mexico’s Energy Conservation and Management Division. In this interview, he provided examples of success stories on the ground.