Alternative Energy Info

Solar / natural gas power plant hybrids

MB-BigB — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:38:20 +0000

Investors Business Daily has an interesting article on power companies that are adding solar arrays to their natural gas plants. The result is a power plant that produces more clean power using less fossil fuel. Several case studies have shown that these hybrid power plants can save money, especially in a carbon tax environment. [...]

More info on Cash for Clunkers

MB-BigB — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:52:24 +0000

The Cash for Clunkers bill was signed into law just last week, and its off to a bit of a slow start. Final details of what’s now being called the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) won’t be available until July 24th, so if you’re planning on taking advantage of the new law, you might [...]

2010 Lexus HS 250h hybrid review

MB-BigB — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:24:46 +0000

if your thinking about getting a luxury hybrid, you definitely want to check out this Examiner.com review of the new Lexus 2010 HS 250h. The Lexus HS 250h is being billed as the world’s first dedicated luxury sedan on the market - that is, there is no equivalent non-hybrid version of this car. [...]

US hybrid sales up 5.2% over last June, and 3% of all cars sold

MB-BigB — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:24:58 +0000

The June ‘09 numbers are out, and they contain good news for hybrids. In an overall disappointing month for US car sales, hybrid sales increased 5.2% in units sold over June 2008. Overall, hybrids represented 3% of all vehicles sold, which makes the fourth straight month of increasing market share. Green Car Congress has [...]

US Interior Department sets aside twenty four federal solar zones for study

MB-BigB — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:20:58 +0000

The US Department of Interior (DOI) announced this week that they have identified twenty four sites in the western United States to be considered for utility scale solar plants. The sites are all on Federal land administered by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM). What’s interesting about this announcement is that all [...]

U.S. awards its first exploratory leases for offshore wind power

MB-BigB — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:15:40 +0000

The US Department of the Interior has awarded the first leases for exploration of offshore wind development. The leases to three companies, Deepwater Wind LLC, Babcock and Brown Bluewater Wind LLC, and Fisherman’s Energy of New Jersey LLC, will allow the three companies to build meteorological towers between 6 and 18 miles off the New [...]

ABC News highlights 7 solar sensations

MB-BigB — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:21:32 +0000

If you’re interested, head on over to abcnews.com and check out 7 new “solar sensations” that they’re highlighting. The 7 sensations range from a solar powered aircraft expected to go on its first test flight shortly, to a solar powered bus station scheduled to be deployed in Italy in October, to a thin-film [...]

Using hybrid American Chestnut trees to capture carbon

MB-BigB — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:54:54 +0000

Professor Jacobs stands next to an American Chestnut tree Most of the emphasis on stopping global warming has been on reducing the amount of carbon and GWG’s emitted into the atmosphere, but the other side of the coin is worth exploring too. There are a number of carbon sequestration projects being looked at, but Doug Jacobs, [...]

Cash for clunkers bill passed by US Senate

MB-BigB — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 03:22:08 +0000

If you want to trade in your gas guzzler for a new more fuel efficient car, there’s a good chance you can get a substantial cash voucher for your old car. The US Senate today passed their version of the cash-for-clunkers bill - it will give rebates to new car buyers buying more fuel efficient [...]

World’s first floating wind turbine installed

MB-BigB — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 20:42:00 +0000

Hywind floating turbine being towed out to sea The world’s first floating wind turbine has been installed by StatoilHydro and Siemens off the coast of Karmoy, Norway, and testing of the new turbine is about to begin. The floating turbine, which is anchored to the sea floor about 700 feet below, consists of a steel [...]