U. S. Senate Rejects Renewable Energy Mandate

A measure that would have increased wind and solar power use to 15% by 2020 failed to pass the U.S. Senate. Apparently, utility companies may have been behind the lobbying effort to delay use of clean energy options.

Clean energy options continue to be more expensive than fossil based energy. Encouraging the implementation of renewable energy options could help decrease costs in the long run. By defeating this mandate, dependency on fossil fuels is extended and the future of renewable energy delayed - for now.

Google Betting Big on Renewables

Google is starting a new initiative called Re < C (Renewable energy less than Coal) to increase funding in clean renewable energy projects. Solar and wind energy are some of the main areas that Google is targeting. The expected timeframe for large scale deployment is being measured in years instead of decades.

Engineers and energy experts are already being hired by Google. Investment in companies with breakthrough ideas are also receiving funding. Google itself already employs clean energy sources such as solar panels to power their massive data centers including a 1.6 MW installation. If you thought you needed a computer science degree to work for Google, think again! More here

New Green Technology

Guess what won the innovation of the year from Popular Science's Best of What's New 2007? A nano-solar power sheet. Apparently it is made the same way that newspapers are made. It can be coiled and rolled out for applications on a house roof. One probably shouldn't install it in the Midwest given the occasional hail storm. High percentage locations with clear sunny days like the southwest may find that it holds much potential. Among other innovations are a new hybrid locomotive. Check it out.

Making coal more environmentally friendly

An article in Cnet.com "Venture to make algae fuel from coal plant emissions" mentions that a group is working on using excess CO2 from coal combustion to grow algae. The algae can then be utilized for power, biodiesel, or even fertilizer.

Algae sees like a promising feedstock source for biorenewable energy. Although no one seems to be using it for any large scale commercial projects, algae seems destined to be a major part of the renewable energy portfolio thanks to a large biomass yield.