Landmark California Climate Law Directs Electric Utilities to Displace Oil Companies

Within 15 years, California will generate at least half of its electricity from renewable resources and double savings from energy efficiency gains, two milestones included in Senate Bill (SB) 350. News coverage of this bill prior to its passage overlooked these monumental targets and focused on the oil companies' unsightly lobbying to remove a petroleum reduction goal from the bill. Meanwhile, few have noticed the provisions of Senator de León's legislation that make replacing oil as the dominant transportation fuel a core mission of the electric industry -- allowing Californians to "fill up" at home on cleaner electricity that's the cost equivalent of dollar-a-gallon gas.

India Combats Energy Poverty Through Renewable Sources

India’s energy program is extremely interesting, given the sheer size of its electrical grid and the dire necessity to develop additional forms of electric generation.  Overall, it is the fourth-largest energy consumer in the world behind the US, China and Russia.  Yet over 300 million citizens in India function without electricity and over 800 million remain with limited electrical access.  What’s worse is 300,000-400,000 deaths occur each year from energy poverty, as burning traditional things like wood and animal waste indoors for cooking purposes lead to respiratory ailments that would be mitigated with better electrical services

New rules could boost New England renewable power

New England is decidedly short on coal mines and oil wells, but electricity grid watchers say a recent federal order could help the region finally unlock the power in the energy sources it does have.

A federal order issued last fall is intended to make it easier to construct transmission lines, costly and controversial projects that are notoriously tough to build.