Mr.
Matt
Spangler

I f’n love this. While Tea Party members try to figure out how to spell photovoltaic, and the Republican party focuses all of its energy on making Obama a one term president he just goes about his business getting things like this done. Sure 300 k homes isn’t that many but that’s a whole lot of clean energy. Do work my man.

smarterplanet:

U.S. OK’s world’s largest solar power plant - msnbc.com

The Obama administration on Monday approved what investors say will be the world’s largest concentrated solar power plant and one that more than doubles all of U.S. solar output and can power at least 300,000 homes.

(via smartercities)

via electricpower:

Avis will rent out Renault electric vehicles starting in 2011 

For those in Europe that want to try out life with a battery electric car but aren’t necessarily ready to commit full time, Avis may have just the deal for you. The Renault-Nissan alliance has made the biggest commitment to electric vehicles of any automaker. Starting in 2011, Avis will be making Renault electric vehicles available for rent through its outlets in Europe as part of its green fleet (see more on this green fleet here). 

Renault will introduce four electric vehicles between late 2010 and 2012, including the Fluence sedan (above) and Kangoo MPV. Avis has not announced what the pricing model will be for the EVs or even which vehicles will be available. Given the limitations of electric vehicles, renting one for several days would seem like a good way for potential customers to evaluate the option.

Autoblog Green

There are some solid ideas in this, especially around infrastructure initiatives for charging etc…but why the FUCK is New York not on this list. Mr. Bloomberg, I hope you have a good answer for this.

via electricpower:

In Copenhagen, 14 of World’s Biggest Cities Commit to EVs

Fourteen of the world’s largest cities agreed to take steps over the coming year to make their cities more electric vehicle-friendly. The announcement was made at the ‘Climate Summit for Mayors’, which is being held alongside the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

Half the world’s population lives in cities that account for more than two-thirds of carbon emissions. And as California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made the case in Copenhagen on Tuesday at the Climate Summit for Mayors during the UN COP15 climate summit cities and other sub-national units of government will play a critical role in implementing the kind of innovative solutions necessary to clean up our transportation infrastructure in a carbon-constrained world. In that vein, a group of fourteen of the world’s largest cities took a step in that direction in Copenhagen on Wednesday.

• Bogota
• Buenos Aires
• Chicago
• Copenhagen
• Delhi
• Hong Kong
• Houston
• London
• Los Angeles
• Mexico City
• Toronto
• Sao Paulo
• Seoul
• Sydney

Gas 2.0

Great multimedia coverage on MSNBC of the 2009 Solar Decathlon going on in DC. Exciting to see a competitions sponsored by the DOE that fosters practical innovation and design.

(Photo: Stefano Paltera / U.S. Dept. of Energy)

Aurora’s villa in St John’s.  You can see the solar panel station near the left front of the house. It powers every aspect of the home and allows it to remain completely off the grid.  Every direction is an ocean view.

Drivin back to LA from Palm Springs.  Harnessing the desert wind.