electric utilities
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Pacific Gas & Electric hopes to build 25,000 charging stations in five years.
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Kansas City Power & Light To Build 1,000 Electric-Car Charging Sites
Kansas City Power & Light says its charging-site project is the largest ever undertaken by a U.S. utility.
Stephen Edelstein -
As Solar Installations Soar, Utilities Confront Distributed Renewable Power
Utilities may have to change their business model as solar power proliferates.
Stephen Edelstein -
California Urged To Stay The Course On Electric Cars, Help Owners Charge Cheaper
Gas prices are falling: Michigan has signs advertising regular at $1.99 per gallon. It's now below $3 a gallon even in California, which continues to be the focal point for electric-car adoption. Now an electric utility CEO has joined with an environmental advocate to urge that Californians stay...
John Voelcker -
In Just One Year, Electric Cars Have Gotten Cleaner: How'd They Do That?
Electric cars have no tailpipe emissions, but their overall impact on the environment includes the electricity generated to recharge their batteries. The carbon emissions associated with that power vary greatly, depending on the local utility that provides it. Now an updated study from the Union of...
John Voelcker -
New Study Doesn't Say 'Electric Cars Aren't Green' (Headlines To The Contrary)
Brace yourself, electric-car fans and advocates. It may be a bumpy ride for the next few days. Yesterday afternoon, the Associated Press covered a new study put out by the University of Minnesota that calculates the environmental impact of manufacturing and refueling vehicles with various...
John Voelcker -
Electric-car owners know that home recharging is virtually always cheaper, on a per-mile basis, than driving on gasoline. In some cases, it's considerably cheaper. We recently reported on the sweet deal enjoyed by a Tesla Model S owner in Indianapolis, whose local utility charges just 2.3 cents per kWh for overnight EV charging. DON'T MISS: Life With Tesla Model S: Tires Cost Me More Than My 'Fuel' Does That puts his "fuel" cost at less than a penny a mile. (Three farthings, to be precise.) Believe it or not, a couple of hours drive north from Indy, there are (so far) 125 lucky electric-car...
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Delaware Vehicle-To-Grid Test Lets Electric Cars Sell Power
The University of Delaware is testing a fleet of electric cars that can discharge power back into the grid.
Stephen Edelstein -
Best Use For Abundant U.S. Natural Gas: Powering Electric Cars
Natural-gas vehicles have never had much acceptance in the North American passenger car market, and even trucks powered by it are struggling. While natural gas is presently abundant in North America, courtesy of the controversial process of hydrofracturing ("fracking"), a new study suggests there's...
John Voelcker -
Some Solar, Wind Power Competes With Natural Gas Without Incentives: Study
Fossil fuels have been an integral part of the industrialized world since it began 250 years ago. While renewable, carbon-free energy sources have long been viewed as the ideal solution, they were always more expensive than pumping carbon into the air. That may now have changed, according to a new...
John Voelcker -
In 10 Years, Electric Cars Make Home Solar Practical Without Subsidies: UBS
Swiss bank UBS predicts home solar will be widely adopted in the next decade.
Stephen Edelstein -
Residential Solar Competitive With Electricity In 25 States Next Year: NRG CEO
Solar power for your home has been around a long time, but for many homeowners, it's required subsidies, special financing arrangements, and still delivered long payback periods. That's changing fast, according to the CEO of a major Texas electric utility. David Crane, who runs NRG Energy, says...
John Voelcker -
Minnesota is the first state to mandate special off-peak charging rates for electric cars.
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Renewable Energy Won't Cause Electric Utility 'Death Spiral': Study
Solar panels won't destroy electric utilities' business model, a new study says.
Stephen Edelstein -
Do New EPA Emission Rules Just Hasten Coal's Inevitable Death?
Take a deep breath and relax. It is highly unlikely that "millions of Americans will be freezing in the dark" (in the words of a critic) once new EPA rules lowering carbon emissions from power plants go into effect. In fact, some analyses suggest that the rules issued last week by the U.S...
John Voelcker -
EPA's Coal-Plant Emissions Rules: This Will Be The Big Fight
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to announce new regulations to cut the carbon emissions of more than 600 existing coal-fired electric power plants. And many analysts suggest that this regulation--which will likely spark a major political battle--will be the most...
John Voelcker -
Oklahoma Adds Fee For Homes To Connect Solar, Wind Power To Grid
Renewable-energy advocates have cranked up the outrage machine at a surcharge imposed by Oklahoma on homes that connect rooftop solar panels or wind-turbine generators to the grid. Ten days ago, the Oklahoma House passed S.B. 1455 without debate, and Governor Mary Fallin is expected to sign it. The...
John Voelcker -
Is Tesla Motors A Carmaker...Or Really A Grid-Storage Company?
Many among the Detroit auto media were skeptical of Tesla Motors for years, correctly noting just how hard it is to start a car company and build a genuinely appealing product--electric car or not. But as Tesla continues to sell Model S electric luxury sedans, expanding into Europe and China as...
John Voelcker -
Charging stations run by utility companies make Texas a popular spot for electric cars.
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Even In China, Coal Consumption May Be Peaking
While use of coal for generating electricity has started to decline in the U.S., China continues to build coal power plants. With public anger at filthy air bubbling below the surface, and the costs of associated health effects more apparent, the country's government is well aware of the long-term...
John Voelcker -
Proposal: Buy Out, Shut Down U.S. Coal Industry For $50 Billion
Give Felix Kramer credit for thinking big. Twelve years ago, he and others founded CalCars, a group dedicated to promoting plug-in hybrid vehicles with large battery packs--and built the world's first plug-in Prius hybrid. Now he and coauthor Gil Friend have published an audacious proposal to buy...
John Voelcker -
World's First Entirely Renewable-Energy Place: Wind-Swept Scottish Island
The island of Eigg plans to become the first in the world to become self-sufficient on renewable energy.
Stephen Edelstein -
Electric Cars & Solar: Will They Make Gasoline & Utilities Obsolete?
These are interesting times in the automotive and electric-utility businesses. While the reasons are different, it turns out they may intersect. It's been quietly discussed among electric utilities that increasing amounts of distributed solar power and other renewable energy may destroy their...
John Voelcker -
TVA To Cut Coal Use For Energy Generation By Half
The Tennessee Valley Authority will shut down eight electricity-generating units, which account for nearly a fifth of its yearly coal use.
Stephen Edelstein