A Greener America

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 […]

A University of California, Davis laboratory strives for efficiencies (Based on a personal visit 10-17–16) To accelerate development and commercialization of efficient heating, cooling, and energy distribution solutions through stakeholder engagement, innovation, R&D, education and outreach. That’s WCEC’s Mission Statement.  It reflects a nexus of university capacity, research and development, and industry effort in the search […]

Solar is available everywhere and wind (in more places than you thought) to supply distributed generation to power a more renewable grid. The image above shows solar PV panels, wind turbines, and high voltage transmission lines in the same photo.  We are on the path away from centralized generation plants feeding high voltage transmission in […]

The study showed coal potentially reaching its peak before 2020.  (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File) Fossil fuels in for a downward spiral, report says Posted in the Washington Examiner By JOHN SICILIANO • 10/10/16 2:31 PM Coal and oil are headed for a downward spiral in the next 20 years, when energy demand is projected to […]

 Military bases to install ground-source heat pumps Air Conditioning and Refrigeration News July 12, 2000 U.S. military bases soon will add ground source heat pumps to an arsenal of energy savers, according to Oklahoma State University professor Jim Bose. The federal Energy Department recently selected five companies, all affiliated with the International Ground Source Heat […]

Residential energy use called out by function in a pie chart matters very much.  This is because such information can point us toward that next best goal to reduce consumption and save money. Not every home will consume the same proportions by function of the pie chart at left, but the variance will be least among the […]

BILL WATCH Assembly buries Aliso Canyon aid bill Sacramento Bee 5-6-16 — JEREMY B. WHITE Following late resistance from business groups, a bill giving Porter Ranch residents more tools to seek legal redress for a gas leak fell far short in the California Assembly on Thursday.  The question is, who will pay for Aliso Canyon? A […]

 From Sacramento Bee 9-20-15 Ronald White of the Los Angeles Times wrote an article for syndication that points toward the electric class 8 trucks.  These could become the heavy hauler truck of the future on America’s long and short hauls. It’s called the WAVE, short for the Wal-Mart Advanced Vehicle Experience.  It’s a concept truck […]