• Energy

Solar Innovations Offer New Inroads to Renewable Energy

• Department of Energy
• electric road
• electric vehicles
• hydropower
• renewable energy
• science
• solar panels
• solar power
• sustainable

A new study by the Department of Energy provides an interesting new concept for blending solar and hydropower.  The study found that by placing solar panels on reservoirs and feeding the solar power generated into the same substation, both the hydropower and solar power generated could be more inexpensive, more efficient, and more reliable.

Why This Matters:  It may be obvious, but we will need innovations like these to make the transformations needed to have a sustainable and feasible renewable power system. 

• Sustainability

GM’s Big Electric Truck Deal

• Cybertruck
• electric vehicles
• General Motors
• GM
• Hummer
• Nikola
• Tesla
• trucks

General Motors formally teamed up with Nikola Motors, inking a deal yesterday to help the electric-truck startup to develop and manufacture new electric truck models, in exchange for an 11% stake in Nikola Corp, The Wall Street Journal reported.  Both company’s stock prices jumped after the announcement showing that investors are still sweet on big […]

• Sustainability

More Than 40 Colleges and Universities Earn Top Scores On Renewable Energy

• college
• effeciency
• electric vehicles
• energy
• microgrids
• renewable energy
• student
• university

It’s back to school time, and this year there are dozens of American colleges and universities that are powered 100% or more by renewable energy, according to a recent study published by Environment America and the Frontier Group.  In addition, schools are moving rapidly to taking reduce their energy consumption, deploy renewable energy technologies, and switch to electric vehicles (EVs).

Why This Matters:  Colleges are setting a great example for other large institutions on reducing their energy consumption and switching to renewables.

• Politics

One Cool Thing: EV Trash Trucks

• diesel fuel
• electric vehicles
• Nikola Motors
• trash truck

One of the largest trash hauling companies in the country, Republic Services, has placed an order with Nikola Motor Company to purchase between 2500 and 5000 electric trash trucks, a deal worth about $2b.  Nikola is one of the industry leaders on electric and hydrogen-electric trucks globally.  These trash trucks will be manufactured at Nikola’s […]

• Sustainability

Why Equitable, Clean Transportation is Key to a Sustainable Economic Recovery

• clean air
• electric vehicles
• EVs
• Infrastructure
• Political Climate
• public transit
• public transportation
• Third Way

By Julia Pyper, host/producer Political Climate As Congress looks toward the next coronavirus relief package, a growing number of stakeholders from across the political spectrum are calling for a comprehensive clean energy infrastructure plan to address the nation’s economic challenges. Updating America’s transportation system offers a ripe opportunity to create jobs while lowering carbon emissions. […]

• Energy

Electric Vehicles Still Charging Ahead

• electric vehicles
• EVs
• Fisker
• IPO
• Made in the USA
• SUV
• Tesla

Investment in electric vehicles and their components and infrastructure continue to grow in spite of the pandemic and economic downturn, not to mention the infancy of the market.  According to MarketWatch.com, there is “sky high” investor interest in clean energy and electric vehicle companies.

Why This Matters:  Former Vice President Biden’s new clean energy jobs proposal revives the “cash for clunkers” program but in a way that would juice this market.