As more traditional venture capital and strategic investors are beginning to evaluate blockchain for the energy industry, feasible near-term use cases such as carbon credit tracking or management of utility assets may offer more immediate returns than ventures seeking to fundamentally reshape electricity markets around peer-to-peer trading.
Given the promising value proposition of pollinator-friendly solar, several states have passed voluntary standards to encourage the practice, and a number of developers have committed to pollinator-friendly projects for all or part of their portfolios. Illinois-based ENGIE Distributed Solar is one such developer. In this interview. Gavin Meinschein, ENGIE’s lead civil engineer, discusses the case for pollinator-friendly solar and the company’s experience implementing the practice.
North Carolina has the potential to be a leader in offshore wind development, and the governor’s guidance can help jumpstart the industry. As a new market, however, the industry needs a stronger signal of interest. An executive order setting a goal for offshore wind development will show the wind industry that North Carolina intends to significantly invest in the sector.
A decade ago, entrepreneurs and investors alike believed that silicon wafer-based photovoltaics would soon be a relic. Tens of billions of venture and corporate dollars chased novel technologies that would surely replace silicon.
The implementation plan that Arlington County expects to propose in June 2020 needs to include the creation of a green bank – a quasi-public entity established to facilitate private investment into local low-carbon, climate-resilient infrastructure.
Michigan can unlock energy-saving upgrades for homeowners by passing residential property assessed clean energy legislation. The legislation should guarantee energy savings and protect consumers by including a method for determining eligible energy-saving measures; restrictions to R-PACE financing amounts and underwriting criteria; and robust consumer protection provisions.
The fund has 70% less carbon emissions than its benchmark, the S&P/ASX 300 Total Return Index, because it’s typically underweight cyclical stocks in industries such as fossil fuels, steel and cement, transport and mining.
A solar carport at Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, built by Native American owned and operated developer Diversified Systems Manufacturing / U.S. Department of State / CC BY-NC 2.0
An energy paradox lingers in Indian Country, the land base of Native Americans in the contiguous 48 states: enormous renewable energy generation potential, but numerous barriers to development and electrification. This article is the first in a two-part series on barriers and opportunities for renewable energy in Indian Country.
Pollinator-friendly solar / Photo courtesy of Rob Davis, Fresh Energy
Pollinator-friendly solar, which incorporates native grasses and wildflowers throughout a solar installation, is one approach to cultivating additional land use benefits from solar projects. In two new Yale Center for Business and the Environment white papers, we explore the potential of this emerging practice.
The David and Goliath story is a common parable for the relationship between small, nimble startups and big, lumbering corporates — the new kid on the block swoops in and disrupts the old guard. Sometimes, it’s an apt comparison (just think about what happened to your local Blockbuster store), but often, corporates and startups can find opportunities working together that create better outcomes for everyone involved.
