energy r&d

Smart Energy Strategy via Shutterstock

Japan’s national energy strategy experienced a 9.0 quake of its own in 2011 as a result of the twin incidents of the March 11 tsunami and subsequent Fukushima nuclear accident. It rattled many assumptions about energy sources and electrical grid configurations. A recent Silicon Valley Technology Forum hosted by Fujitsu served as an excellent opportunity to hear how these large-scale events have shaped thinking and R&D in the leading information and communications (ICT) company in Japan[read more]

Guest post by Hazel Henderson and Tim NashThe Green Transition Scoreboard reports that $241 billion was recently invested in green R&D by large multinationals like Samsung, General Electric, and Nissan and smaller companies like Owens Corning, Cree, and First Solar. Companies around the world are recognizing a tremendous...[read more]

Leaders of cleantech firms around the world are more optimistic than their counterparts in other sectors, a new survey has found. A survey by Grant Thornton, published on Monday, of business leaders' attitude in the sector, finds the sector expects to continue rapidly expanding, despite the world's pervading economic uncertainties....[read more]

The U.S. House of Representatives will vote on the FY2013 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill (H.R. 5325) this afternoon, which includes the budget of critical clean energy innovation programs within the Department of Energy (DOE).  The bill, passed by the House Appropriations Committee on April 25, cuts clean energy innovation...[read more]

The ongoing shale gas boom has expanded domestic energy production, pushed wholesale electricity prices to record lows, and accelerated the closure of America's aging coal plant fleet, lowering national power-sector carbon emissions. This revolution in natural gas -- unleashed by a flood of recently accessible shale gas reserves, once...[read more]

To be sure, the U.S. clean energy industry has been in a period of rapid growth, largely due to historic federal investments in the research, development, deployment, and manufacture of clean technologies. From 2009 through 2014, the federal government will invest a total of $150 billion, or the equivalent in magnitude to government...[read more]

Friedman: “I’ve never been more concerned about climate change than I am now….” Tom Friedman had another good NY Times column Sunday on climate and clean energy, “Take the Subway.” The gist of it was that because of the urgency of climate change, we need to start aggressively deploying clean energy ASAP. I interviewed him about his...[read more]

In the last four years, a great deal of time, creativity, engineering and sweat have been invested in jumpstarting Smart Grid rollout in the United States. A lot of money, too. What's keeping it from breaking through?[read more]

In thinking about a new focus for U.S. energy policy over the next few years, A Business Plan for America’s Energy Future, published last June by the American Energy Innovation Council (AEIC), makes for a good read. The Business Plan proposes a number of interesting ideas with respect to national energy policy, the most compelling of which is that the federal government should spend $16 billion per year on energy R&D.[read more]

As the Obama Administration and Republicans are set to do battle over an extension of Bush era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, clean energy innovation is getting the short end of the stick. According to the New York Times, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is hopping mad about President Obama's plan to let tax cuts expire for...[read more]