Life in the trenches of renewable energy policy

This week's conversation, with former MA Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles, was insightful and indicative of someone who has a strong pulse on the state of renewable energy in this country and beyond.

Ian talks to us about the realities, the good news and bad news, the evolution of the North East (particularly the Boston area) as a hotbed for alternative energy development and what this has meant for jobs, the inherent challenges of implementing renewable energy, general trends, his view of the future of renewable energy, and much more.

Thailand energy policy: three-in-one master plan almost done

The government is about to complete the first national energy master plan, which will incorporate three existing energy-related plans.

Sittichod Wantawin, the director of energy conservation and renewable energy policy under the Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO), says the new energy development plan will incorporate the power development plan (PDP), the renewable energy development plan (REDP) and the energy conservation plan into a single development plan.

Solar panel waste disposal -- is it safe?

Major solar companies aren’t just prioritizing market share and installed megawatts these days, according to a study that contends that the environmental and health effects of photovoltaic panels also are becoming a major consideration.

In its most recent Solar Scorecard, the nonprofit advocacy group Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition ranked international solar manufacturers on factors such as extraction of the raw materials, toxic chemical use in production, worker safety issues, product disposal, recycling and more.