As part of the Obama Administration's blueprint for an economy built to last, the Energy Department recognized EnerG2 of Albany, which recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of its new manufacturing facility for electric vehicle battery components.

Support from the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) has been instrumental in GED Integrated Solutions achieving a breakthrough in the manufacturing of energy-efficient residential windows.

The 9-megawatt (MW) PáTu Wind Farm, a local wind farm located in Sherman County, Oregon has signed two long-term power purchase agreements to sell its renewable energy certificates (RECs) to OneEnergy Renewables and Seattle City Light.

The City of Ithaca, New York signed a 2-year power purchase agreement with Integrys Energy Services to purchase 100 percent of the city's electricity consumption from renewable energy sources. Beginning in January 2012, Ithaca will begin purchasing Green-e Energy certified renewable energy certificates to match all of its electricity use.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will be hosting a webinar titled "National Hydrogen Learning Demonstration Status" on Monday, February 6 from 12:00 to 1:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. During the webinar, NREL researchers will report on progress the lab has made in deploying fuel cell electric vehicles and hydrogen fueling stations through DOE's National Hydrogen Learning Demonstration. This webinar will also update participants on the metrics used by DOE and industry to evaluate the performance of fuel cell electric vehicles and fueling infrastructure in terms of fuel economy, fuel cell durability, refueling time, and fueling station use.

Warren Buffett’s utility subsidiary, MidAmerican Energy Holdings, has made a number of large investments in renewable energy over the past few years. But the famed investor doesn’t exactly make environmentalists jump for joy.

Stephen Lacey

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today invited energy efficient product manufacturers, manufactured housing experts, and other home performance industry stakeholders to review and comment on its Standard Work Specifications for Manufactured Housing. Developed under DOE’s Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals project, the specifications are voluntary guidelines that outline minimum requirements for high-quality energy upgrades in manufactured housing. The industry review period will remain open through February 3, 2012.

The Department of Energy (DOE) today announced two new online tools to assist state and local policymakers, consumers, and stakeholders in evaluating siting and policy issues to help accelerate the use of distributed wind energy systems – such as wind turbines installed at a homes and businesses. DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy funded development of the "Distributed Wind Site Analysis Tool" and "Distributed Wind Policy Comparison Tool" through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grants. The tools are designed to help more people across the country install wind turbines to produce clean, renewable energy.

Challenge Homes Save $15 Million in Energy Costs, Eliminate 71,000 Tons of Carbon Pollution

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced that more than 10,000 homes have been constructed to meet the energy efficiency specifications of the voluntary Builders Challenge initiative. Undertaken in partnership with some of the nation's largest production builders, these highly efficient homes represent an important advancement for the U.S. homebuilding industry, integrating construction with a whole-house energy-saving approach. These homes are equipped with highly efficient walls and windows, and heating, cooling, and ventilation systems. They also feature Energy Star certified lighting products and appliances.

Looking to diversify its energy mix and economy by increasing use of renewable energy, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai’s ruler and vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), launched a 12-billion UAE dirham (Dhs) ($3.27 billion) solar photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) project on January 10.

Vermont is known for its lush Green Mountains, idyllic farm landscapes, and progressive politics. What many people may not realize is that Vermont has a pretty active secessionist movement too.

Stephen Lacey

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) project at two U.S. Department of State facilities in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The project, awarded by the State Department to Honeywell, will implement energy efficiency and water conservation measures at the Harry S. Truman Building in Washington, D.C., which serves as the agency’s headquarters, and at the Beltsville Information Management Center in Beltsville, Maryland. Saving energy through ESPCs is a key component of the Obama Administration’s recent directive to reduce energy costs in agency facilities, while creating jobs and cutting carbon emissions.

The U.S. Department of Energy today announced more than $7 million to fund four projects in California, Washington, and Oregon to advance hydrogen storage technologies to be used in fuel cell electric vehicles. The 3-year projects will help lower the costs and increase the performance of hydrogen storage systems by developing innovative materials and advanced tanks for efficient and safe transportation. These investments are a part of the Department's commitment to U.S. leadership in advanced fuel cell technology research to help domestic automakers bring more fuel cell electric vehicles into the mainstream market.

Renewable energy investments are surpassing investments in new fossil fuel power for the first time ever, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance as reported by Joe Romm on ThinkProgress. Adding to the encouraging news, Bloomberg New Energy Finance reported that the trillionth dollar has been invested in renewable energy, energy efficiency and smart energy technologies.

Baldor Specialty Foods, located in the Bronx, New York, has a mission—to provide the finest and the freshest seasonal produce from local farms in the northeast region of the United States and from around the globe. Established in 1991, Baldor has two locations and a successful online ordering system that covers all of New York City and the greater Boston area and is committed to meeting the highest quality standards.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced new case studies and other online resources available to local governments that are designing, expanding, and enabling residential energy efficiency programs across the country.

The International Energy Agency (IEA), traditionally a very fossil-fuel-friendly international agency, reported today that renewable energy is becoming cost-competitive (and should receive subsidies to account for its environmental, energy security, and health benefits).

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today recognized four leading organizations for expanding the market for electricity produced from renewable energy sources during the 11th annual Green Power Leadership Awards in San Francisco, Calif. These organizations’ innovative “green power” programs provide consumers with the opportunity to purchase clean energy from environmentally-preferred sources, such as wind and solar energy.

(Reuters) - Renewable energy technology is becoming increasingly cost competitive and growth rates are in line to meet levels required of a sustainable energy future, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a report on Wednesday.

By Henning Gloystein

Through this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), DOE intends to partner with one recipient who will host the 2013 Solar Decathlon to promote the Mission and Goals of the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today recognized four leading organizations for expanding the market for electricity produced from renewable energy sources during the 11th annual Green Power Leadership Awards in San Francisco, California. These organizations' innovative "green power" programs provide consumers with the opportunity to purchase clean energy from environmentally-preferred sources, such as wind and solar energy.

The good news: renewable energy investments are projected to double over the next eight years and reach $395 billion per year, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. That’s up from $195 billion in 2010.

Stephen Lacey

The Buffalo Bills football team has just installed a set of new micro wind turbines at Ralph Wilson Stadium, to harvest clean, renewable energy from Buffalo’s notorious winter winds. Though the installation is fairly modest compared to the Philadelphia Eagles’ new wind turbines, it does demonstrate how professional football has joined NASCAR, major league baseball, hockey, and other popular sports in a kind of stealth campaign to promote public support for alternative energy.

The Forest County Potawatomi Tribe has completed a solar photovoltaic installation project in Milwaukee, funded in part with $2.6 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The project is one of five Community Renewable Energy Deployment (CommRE) projects that received DOE funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and is the first to be completed. DOE's CommRE projects help communities implement long-term renewable energy technologies, create jobs, and provide examples for replication by other local governments, campuses, and small utilities.

EPA is encouraging renewable energy development on current and formerly contaminated land and mine sites when it is aligned with the community’s vision for the site. This initiative identifies the renewable energy potential of these sites and provides other useful resources for communities, developers, industry, state and local governments or anyone interested in reusing these sites for renewable energy development.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today highlighted a recent report – Hybrid Ground-Source Heat Pump Installations: Experiences, Improvements and Tools – demonstrating hybrid ground-source heat pumps (GSHP) as a viable solution to reduce energy use in commercial buildings. The report finds that new hybrid systems dramatically decrease up-front costs while delivering financial and environmental benefits nearly equivalent to standard ground-source heat pumps. With its lower price, hybrid GSHP technology could be deployed widely, saving energy and money in new and existing commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings, according to the report.

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today applauded the commissioning of a combined heat and power (CHP) fuel cell system at Portland Community College in Oregon. The CHP fuel cell system will help Portland Community College save on its energy bills and help achieve its energy efficiency and sustainability goals. Students at the College will also learn about the fuel cell technology used in the project as part of a comprehensive alternative energy curriculum offered by the school.

By now the financial, political, and emotional fallout from the recent Solyndra bankruptcy filing is running at full tilt. Print, online, and social media channels are filled with the appropriate questions about what happened -- who’s responsible, who’s accountable, and who’s going to pay for it?

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today highlighted a milestone in U.S.-Israel cooperation on clean energy technology. DOE and the Ministry of National Infrastructures of Israel (MNI) have selected four projects in California, Pennsylvania, and Washington to receive $3.1 million under the 2011

Berkeley Lab releases “Tracking the Sun IV,” a report on PV systems from 1998 to 2010.

Berkeley, CA — The installed cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems in the United States fell substantially in 2010 and into the first half of 2011, according to the latest edition of an annual PV cost tracking report released by the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).

Global investment in renewable energy jumped 32% in 2010 to a record $211bn (£130bn; 149bn euros), according to the Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2011 report.

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced more than $30 million for 24 universities in 23 states across the country to train undergraduate- and graduate-level engineering students in manufacturing efficiency to help them become the nation's next generation of industrial energy efficiency experts.

The U.S. Department of Energy will host a webinar on Thursday, September 22 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. EDT about the 2011 U.S. Billion-Ton Update: Biomass Supply for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry, a report detailing biomass feedstock potential nationwide

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced 16 projects supporting activities in 24 states and the District of Columbia to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in communities across the nation, and seven additional projects in seven states to help prepare college students for careers designing and building advanced vehicle technologies.

The U.S. Department of Energy will host a webcast titled "Transforming Biomass into Feedstock” on Tuesday, August 30, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. EDT. In order to be used to produce renewable energy, raw biomass products such as switchgrass and forest residues must first be processed into a consistent and reliable feedstock material.

Jordan’s King Abdullah is a big Star Trek fan (and actually played an extra on the show). He likes the series so much that he’s backing the construction of a $1.5 billion Star-Trek themed park in his country.

(Photo:Climate Progress)

Reports Find Continued Growth in Manufacturing and Deployment of Clean Energy

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released three 2010 market reports which detail the market conditions and trends for wind energy, advanced vehicles, and fuel cell technologies.

BERLIN -- German lawmakers overwhelmingly approved on Thursday plans to shut the country's nuclear plants by 2022, putting Europe's biggest economy on the road to an ambitious build-up of renewable energy.

GREEN power may no longer be as fickle as the weather, thanks to a device that can generate electricity in any conditions - be it sun, wind or rain.

Within four decades, one of the world’s leading economies will be powered almost entirely by wind, solar, biomass, hydro, and geothermal power.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced in March two new fellowship programs — the Postdoctoral Fellowships Program and the SunShot Initiative Fellowships Program — to support student participation in research and development (R&D) of advanced clean energy technologies

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) SunShot Initiative, Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently announced nearly $170 million in funding over three years to support the advancement of solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies. The funding supports the SunShot goal to reduce the total cost of solar energy systems by about 75% before the end of the decade.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Fuel Cell Technologies Program is offering a webinar titled "Science Magazine Article Highlight: Moving Towards Near-Zero Platinum Fuel Cells." The webinar will be held on Monday, April 25, 2011, from 12:00–1:00 p.m. Eastern.

Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) in Gardner, Massachusetts, with support from the U.S. Department of Energy, made a huge investment in renewable energy by installing two new utility-scale wind turbines on their campus this year.

--Mark Higgins

The number of solar panels, wind turbines and methane digesters on America's farms and ranches has increased significantly over the past decade and there are now 8,569 operations producing their own renewable energy, according to the results of the 2009 On-Farm Renewable Energy Production Survey released today. Conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service, this was the first-ever nationwide survey that looked at renewable energy practices on America's farms and ranches.

California still doesn't have a renewable energy standard even though a sensible bill to establish one has been taken up annually since 2007.

California is blessed with renewable energy resources that it has barely begun to harvest, an enlightened electorate that understands the importance of doing so and a venture-capital community eager to make green investments. In fact, the state has everything it needs to lead the world in clean energy development, except for one thing: a functional government.

As American kids, we were raised on the culture-defining parable of The Little Engine that Could... an early industrial age tale of a little blue steam engine that through positive thinking ("I think I can") and sheer determination overcame the greatest of obstacles.

--Kelly Rigg

Focusing on reducing the upfront costs of geothermal development as well as improve its effectiveness, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced plans to leverage oil and gas expertise to test the reliability and efficiency of geothermal power generation at oil and gas fields. DOE's Office of Fossil Energy and Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy will combine efforts to have experts test and validate low temperature geothermal power generation technologies at the Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center (RMOTC) near Casper, Wyoming.

The idea of harvesting body heat to warm a building might be familiar if you've been reading up on passive house design, so here it is on a grand scale: take a train station in Sweden that sees about 250,000 travelers per day, and recycle all that body heat as clean, renewable energy. The twist is, instead of heating the train station, the heat is being used in another building entirely.

Marines at Forward Operating Base Jackson in the Sangin valley of Helmand Province are using solar energy generators to stretch fuel supplies and save lives; with over 100 British troops killed there, Sangin valley is one of Afghanistan's deadliest areas; since the implementation of portable solar energy generators, fuel consumption has decreased from twenty gallons to less than three gallons a day; delivering fuel is incredibly dangerous as fuel convoys are often ambushed or hit by IEDs

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today two new initiatives to promote tribal energy development and continue strengthening the partnership between the Department of Energy (DOE) and tribal nations. Up to $10 million will be available this year through the DOE's Tribal Energy Program to support the evaluation, development and deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects on tribal lands that will help save energy and money, expand the use of renewable energy resources, and promote economic development for tribal communities.

At Fort Bliss Army commanders seek to power the base using renewable power sources by 2015; plans include using solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass; military bases around the country are increasingly looking at renewable energy to reduce their carbon footprint and avoid disruption in the event of a terrorist attack

Beyond Fossil Fuels: African Huts Far From the Grid Glow With Renewable Power

KIPTUSURI, Kenya — For Sara Ruto, the desperate yearning for electricity began last year with the purchase of her first cellphone, a lifeline for receiving small money transfers, contacting relatives in the city or checking chicken prices at the nearest market.

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today joined seven other U.S. Government agencies in launching the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export Initiative, a coordinated effort to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency exports. In partnership with the Department of Commerce, the Department of Energy (DOE) co-chairs the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee Working Group of the federal agencies participating in the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export Initiative.

JR: The staggering imbalance between the scale of clean energy action being pursued by China and that pursued by this country grows clearer every day.

China to hit 500 Gigawatts of Renewable Power by 2020!

On the same day that Senate Republicans filibustered a vote for renewable energy in the USA, by contrast – China has just published an astoundingly ambitious and exciting renewable energy plan for the next ten years.

Compared with Europe and the U.S., China has a key advantage in aiming to deliver a generation of new professionals and workers who are literate in the demands of clean energy

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is conducting a series of Webinars to explain the origin, goals and schedule for the development of the Workforce Guidelines for Home Energy Upgrades.

The guidelines are designed to strengthen the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), and foster the growth of a high-quality home energy retrofit industry and a skilled and credentialed workforce. They can be adopted by the WAP network and retrofit programs nationwide seeking to increase the consistency and effectiveness of the work performed—and utilized by—training providers to improve course curriculum and training materials.

Committee to provide advice and expertise on clean energy issues under the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Energy today announced the establishment of the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Advisory Committee (ERAC). ERAC is a federal advisory committee whose members will report directly to the Secretary of Energy with advice on the portfolio of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).

The U.S. Department of Energy today announced the establishment of the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Advisory Committee (ERAC). ERAC is a federal advisory committee whose members will report directly to the Secretary of Energy with advice on the portfolio of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The 19 members selected have experience in a variety of sectors and will bring a range of technical expertise and perspectives to the committee.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced it has more than 200 marketing summaries available on its Technology Commercialization Portal to help investors, entrepreneurs and companies seeking cutting-edge energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies available for licensing.

U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) today announced that Energy Empowers, our clean energy blog, has redesigned its Web site.

The basics about renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies: learn how they work, what they're used for, and how they can improve our lives, homes, businesses, and industries.

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is conducting a webinar describing efforts underway to develop a suite of national guidelines for the work and workforce involved in residential energy efficiency retrofits.

In response to President Obama's National Export Initiative, announced on March 11, 2010, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Commerce are working with the interagency Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC) to develop the first U.S. Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export Strategy. The strategy lays out a framework of interagency actions aimed at doubling U.S. renewable energy and energy efficiency exports by 2015.

January 22, 2010—A renewable-energy "oasis" intended to be built in 2010 will serve as a proving ground for new technologies designed to bring green living to the desert, project managers have announced.

The planned research center, shown above in an artist's conception, is part of the Sahara Forest Project—but that doesn't mean it'll be built in Africa. Sahara means "desert" in Arabic, and the center would be a small-scale version of massive green complexes that project managers hope to build in deserts around the globe.

One of the biggest problems with wind power is the issue of reliability, Green Inc. reports. Wind turbines cannot be counted on to provide energy when it's needed.

A new study suggests that the answer is building more turbines and connecting them to a strong power gird.

By Graham Winfrey

It would connect turbines off the wind-lashed north coast of Scotland with Germany's vast arrays of solar panels, and join the power of waves crashing on to the Belgian and Danish coasts with the hydro-electric dams nestled in Norway's fjords: Europe's first electricity grid dedicated to renewable power will become a political reality this month, as nine countries formally draw up plans to link their clean energy projects around the North Sea.

The network, made up of thousands of kilometres of highly efficient undersea cables that could cost up to €30bn (£26.5bn), would solve one of the biggest criticisms faced by renewable power – that unpredictable weather means it is unreliable.

TAIPEI: Taiwan has unveiled what it calls Asia's biggest solar power plant as the island, which imports almost all its energy, seeks to tap into clean renewable resources, the government said Wednesday.