renewable energy

Hampshire College library

Hampshire College goes 100 percent solar

Hampshire is the first residential college in the US to source its electricity entirely from renewable energy.

Hampshire College goes 100 percent solar
Solar panels

California’s electrical grid can’t handle all the solar energy the state is producing

California’s electrical grid can’t handle all the solar energy the state is producing
A glorious pile of batteries.

Scientists are trying to make the perfect battery

Scientists are trying to make the perfect battery
A vast array of curved mirrors at the Noor Concentrated Solar Power plant near Ouarzazate, Morocco. The massive facility is part of an agressive effort to develop renewable power in Morocco.

Now blooming in the desert: Morocco's grand dream of energy independence

Now blooming in the desert: Morocco's grand dream of energy independence
Solar panels at Topaz Solar Farm in California.

Solar panels are cheaper than ever. But some manufacturers are losing money.

Solar panels are cheaper than ever. But some manufacturers are losing money.
China says it will invest another $361 dollars in renewable energy over the next four years and create 13 million new jobs in the sector, building on previous massive investments. The country already has the largest capacity of solar p

Donald Trump sees the future in coal. China sees the future in renewables. Who’s making the safer bet?

China says it'll invest an additional $361 billion in renewable energy projects by 2020, and in the process create 13 million new jobs. The move's in sharp contrast to Donald Trump's promise to reinvigorate the coal industry in the US. Mary Kay Magistad of The World's "Whose Century Is It?" podcast says China seems to have a clearer vision of the future.

Donald Trump sees the future in coal. China sees the future in renewables. Who’s making the safer bet?
A wind farm in Power County, Idaho.

For solar and wind energy projects, a new lease on land

The Bureau of Land Management has issued a new rule for the leasing of public land for solar and wind energy development — and it has bipartisan support in Congress.

For solar and wind energy projects, a new lease on land
Greentown Labs in Somerville, Mass. has become the nation’s largest clean technology incubator, housing more than 50 small companies.

Massachusetts pushes to brew up new green businesses to help fight climate change

Solar and wind power are important, but really solving the climate crisis will take a whole new generation of energy-efficient technologies, and even new companies to develop them. But there's a growing force in the field — the green tech incubator.

Massachusetts pushes to brew up new green businesses to help fight climate change
Organic flow battery

A breakthrough may make the mega flow battery commercially viable in the near future

Wind and solar power have the potential to reduce the growth of greenhouse gases and slow the progression of climate change. But since the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow, the big hurdle in expanding the use of renewables is the lack of cheap and efficient storage of that energy. That could be about to change.

A breakthrough may make the mega flow battery commercially viable in the near future
Hillary, Jake and Barry

The Hillary Clinton campaign goes solar

Democratic Presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton has pledged to create and expand market-based incentives to boost renewable energy in the US, as part of her fight against global warming. Her plan includes installing half a billion solar panels in her first four years in office and producing a third of all US electric power from renewable sources by 2027.

The Hillary Clinton campaign goes solar
A solar panel on top of the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center. The battle over solar energy in the state has had national implications for the Tea Party.

The 'green' Tea Party fights for a more environmentally friendly GOP

Some members of the Tea Party are leading a movement to reclaim conservation as a conservative value. But their efforts to back solar power in the name of economic freedom are still far from mainstream in the conservative world.

The 'green' Tea Party fights for a more environmentally friendly GOP
Nellis Solar Power Plant

Natural gas and solar power have been growing together. Can that last?

Solar power and natural gas seem like competitors in the race to create new power generating capacity. And that's true — to an extent. But they both may be crucial to helping meet future global energy needs — and reducing the risks of climate change.

Natural gas and solar power have been growing together. Can that last?
A wind farm with 43 wind turbines generates electricity for the village of Feldheim, Germany.

A German village keeps the lights on with windmills and pig manure

The tiny German village of Feldheim, about 50 miles southwest of Berlin, has sworn off fossil fuels and nuclear power. It produces every bit of its electricity and heat from local sources, and a key way it does that is by using manure from local farms.

A German village keeps the lights on with windmills and pig manure
Ship with underwater turbine

Scotland launches the world's largest tidal power project

Humanity has been trying to harness the power of the ocean for centuries, with little success. A new venture off the northern coast of Scotland is trying to change that.

Scotland launches the world's largest tidal power project
Wind turbines Denmark

One of offshore wind power's best hopes is fading on Lake Erie

Offshore wind power has huge potential in the United States, but few wind farm projects are being approved. Now, a project on Lake Erie that once looked promising has lost federal grant money and may also be in jeopardy.

One of offshore wind power's best hopes is fading on Lake Erie