CaliforniaGeo 1-31-17 This week, it was announced that General Motors and Honda Motor Company have formed a joint venture to build fuel cell battery packs and market cars carrying them under both companies’ brands.  Fuel cells run on gaseous hydrogen, and this is widely thought of as a major shift away from fossil fuels in […]

CaliforniaGeo 12-17-16 If you’re concerned with winter heating where you live, it might be helpful to know there’s a free, carbonless, renewable heat source under your feet.  That’s right.  When paired with heat pump compressor technology (well over 50 years old) you can concentrate low-grade heat from under the earth and deliver it inside your […]

CaliforniaGeo 12-7-16 Nikola Motors of Salt Lake City just may be the Tesla of the heavy duty truck world.  Hey good buddy, are you ready for big rigs powered by electricity and fueled by renewable hydrogen?   It was announced in today’s Sacramento Bee that the California capital is in the running for Nikola’s main […]

CaliforniaGeo 12-6-16 What They Are- When you want to exchange thermal energy with the earth, you must make an underground connection to tap it as your thermal battery.  There are multiple kinds of geothermal heat exchangers (GHEXs), but today we’ll look at the type known as grouted geothermal boreholes.  All photos in this post come […]

 CaliforniaGeo 12-5-16 As reported by the Associated Press, OPEC will cut production for the first time in eight years as a step to prop up prices.  In theory, less supply raises prices if demand is otherwise steady.  But skeptics forecast that individual OPEC producers will cheat, exporting more than their assigned allotment. Why? The reasons […]

CaliforniaGeo 11-27-16 Presidential candidate Donald Trump promised to bring back coal extraction and use, and made disparaging remarks about renewable energy.  So much and so often that many green thinking citizens are scared stiff over reversals in climate change policy. “Drill, baby, Drill!” former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin is reported as seeking the cabinet post […]

Geo Exchange® provides direct cooling via groundwater CaliforniaGeo 11-16-16  The Pinellas County Emergency Operations Center in Florida isn’t any different than similar facilities across the country. It needs to be up and running—no matter what. However, because cooling is such a large part of the energy load here, the facility sought to attempt operating cost reductions late […]

CaliforniaGeo 11-10-16 Tesla Motors will cease unlimited, free fast-charging for any of its cars ordered or sold after of January 1, 2017.  After that, such cars will receive credit at charging stations for the equivalent of 1,000 miles of travel each year.  This change is likely due to anticipated production of Tesla’s Model 3, a […]

5.0 earthquake damages town in Oklahoma Reprinted in the Sacramento Bee 11-8-16 The Associated Press JIM BECKEL The Oklahoman Dozens of buildings in Cushing, Okla., were damaged by a 5.0-magnitude earthquake Sunday. The town is home to one of the world’s most important oil hubs.  CUSHING, OKLA. Dozens of buildings had “substantial damage” after a […]

SMUD cancels $1.45 billion hydro project Utility cites rising costs, new power technologies Estimates rose from about $800 million to $1.45 billion SMUD says it’s working on other power-generating options Sacramento Bee 2-6-16 BY MARK GLOVER mglover@sacbee.com      The Sacramento Municipal Utility District has canceled plans to build a $1.45 billion hydroelectric project at […]