Four Priority Areas of India-US Clean Energy Collaboration

Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's successful visit to the US, both sides have identified four key areas to enhance energy collaboration and sustainable development.

The areas included new smart cities collaboration, new multi-billion dollar effort to support renewable energy, partnership for climate resilience and training and exchange programme for scholars in US/India.

Climate Calamity Averted: New Renewable Rivalry Between the US and China

It was but a few years ago that China was known all around as one of the big three world polluters, spewing tons and tons of carbon into the air, primarily through its coal-powered electricity plants.

China, responsible for about 17% of global greenhouse gas emissions, closely followed by the US (16%) and the EU (12%), has become the world's biggest carbon emitter. The Chinese use of coal-fired power plants is mirrored by the US in its pursuit of cheap electricity. Whereas the Chinese are forced to call upon Australia for coal imports, the United States is home to the largest coal reserves in the world, and in 2010 half of America's energy was still produced using coal power plants.

A Late Christmas 'tax extender' gift for Renewable Energy

The US Senate's "fiscal cliff" package wasn't exactly eight maids a-milking--the traditional gift for the eighth day of Christmas--though it did apparently resolve the impending "milk cliff".  Of greater relevance, the "tax extender" portion of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 passed by both the Senate and House of Representatives represented a gift to renewable energy producers and developers worth around $18 billion. 

Top Senate lawmakers see chance to revamp US energy policy

The United States needs to update its energy policy to reflect the boom in natural gas and oil production that has boosted manufacturing jobs, said the top Democrat on the Senate energy committee on Thursday.

Ron Wyden, who is in line to take over the panel's gavel in January, said he sees the opportunity for "transformative energy policy" to both spur jobs created by the newfound wealth of energy while also protecting air and water from pollution.

US policy outlook for renewable energy

The United States went to the polls on November 6. President Obama was returned to another four years in the White House. Democrats picked up another two seats in the US Senate where they are expected to have an effective majority of 55 seats to 45 for the Republicans. The Republicans lost seats in the House, but still retain a majority of 16 out of 435 House seats in total.

A panel of veteran Washington lobbyists for renewable energy companies talked 34 hours after the polls closed about what the election results mean for the US renewable energy market.