The increasing global focus on renewable energy could not have come at a better time for Dr. Shi Zhengrong, an Australian citizen and Chinese-trained scientist who says he got into solar power by chance.
Straw and clay are the building materials of choice for a few dozen ecologically minded people in the eastern German village of Sieben Linden.
Global investors plowed $148 billion into new wind, solar and other alternative energy assets last year, in what the United Nations describes as a "green energy gold rush"
Jessie Prado sees himself as a bit of a trailblazer. His house in Boca Raton, Florida is easy to pick out. It's the only one with solar panels - and solar power. He, as well as his power company, Florida Power and Light, are making an investment in solar power in the Sunshine State.
For the past few years, Dan Redmond has been on a mission to change the way his household uses energy.
Everybody talks about global warming and high gasoline prices, but who, really, is doing anything about it? Entrepreneurs, that's who. In my upcoming book, The Plot to Save the Planet, I chronicle the small-business owners who are creating the green houses, cars, and energy sources that will slash our fuel bills and help clean up our ecosystem. For the first time, big money is available to back their efforts. In 2007, venture capitalists invested $5.2 billion in green tech, up 44% from the previous year. Meet mavericks who are working on creative (and potentially lucrative) solutions to our energy challenges.
Since it became a viable energy resource around 20 years ago, wind power has emerged as a leading renewable technology.
It seems like an idea any environmentalist would embrace: Build one of the world's largest solar power operations in the Southern California desert and surround it with plants that run on wind and underground heat.
Billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens is sinking billions of dollars into a new wind farm in Texas. It is likely to become the biggest in the world, producing enough power for the equivalent of 1.3 million homes. CNN's Ali Velshi asked the oil legend why he thinks wind could be the answer to this country's energy problems:
Jyoti is the Hindi word for light. It's something Pranav Mehta has never had to live without. And he is lucky. Near where he lives in Gujarat -- one of the most prosperous states in India -- thousands of rural villages lack electricity or struggle with an intermittent supply at best.
The increasing global focus on renewable energy could not have come at a better time for Dr. Shi Zhengrong, an Australian citizen and Chinese-trained scientist who says he got into solar power by chance.
Straw and clay are the building materials of choice for a few dozen ecologically minded people in the eastern German village of Sieben Linden.
Global investors plowed $148 billion into new wind, solar and other alternative energy assets last year, in what the United Nations describes as a "green energy gold rush"
Jessie Prado sees himself as a bit of a trailblazer. His house in Boca Raton, Florida is easy to pick out. It's the only one with solar panels - and solar power. He, as well as his power company, Florida Power and Light, are making an investment in solar power in the Sunshine State.
For the past few years, Dan Redmond has been on a mission to change the way his household uses energy.
Everybody talks about global warming and high gasoline prices, but who, really, is doing anything about it? Entrepreneurs, that's who. In my upcoming book, The Plot to Save the Planet, I chronicle the small-business owners who are creating the green houses, cars, and energy sources that will slash our fuel bills and help clean up our ecosystem. For the first time, big money is available to back their efforts. In 2007, venture capitalists invested $5.2 billion in green tech, up 44% from the previous year. Meet mavericks who are working on creative (and potentially lucrative) solutions to our energy challenges.
Since it became a viable energy resource around 20 years ago, wind power has emerged as a leading renewable technology.
It seems like an idea any environmentalist would embrace: Build one of the world's largest solar power operations in the Southern California desert and surround it with plants that run on wind and underground heat.
Billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens is sinking billions of dollars into a new wind farm in Texas. It is likely to become the biggest in the world, producing enough power for the equivalent of 1.3 million homes. CNN's Ali Velshi asked the oil legend why he thinks wind could be the answer to this country's energy problems:
Jyoti is the Hindi word for light. It's something Pranav Mehta has never had to live without. And he is lucky. Near where he lives in Gujarat -- one of the most prosperous states in India -- thousands of rural villages lack electricity or struggle with an intermittent supply at best.
It's hard to imagine why ExxonMobil shareholders are so unhappy. After all, the world's largest publicly-owned energy company rode the surge in oil prices to a record $40 billion in earnings last year, making it by far the most profitable Fortune 500 company. Shares are up 10% in the last year, while the S&P500 has fallen by just as much.
At the dawn of the automobile age, gasoline was the up-and-coming "alternative fuel" -- vying with electric batteries and steam power.
Despite all the hype for electric cars and hydrogen fuel cells, experts say we'd better get used to pumping gas, but we can look forward to much better fuel economy down the road.
Sandwiched between two nondescript commercial buildings in a vacant lot squats what looks like a long, plastic-shrouded greenhouse. Hanging nearby is a cluster of five-foot-long plastic sacks bulging with green slime that resemble intravenous drip bags for the Jolly Green Giant. It doesn't look like groundbreaking technology, but these scum bags in Cambridge, Mass., just might help save the planet.
Steve Vassallo spends his days looking for the next Steve Jobs. Not for the computer industry, it has its already, but for the clean-tech world in which Vassallo, a venture capitalist, invests. "I haven't found him or her yet," says Vassallo, a principal with Silicon Valley-based Foundation Capital. "They are probably still in their cubicles some place doing their IT job, or in a garage with an idea."
Curt Mann's neighbors are livid, accusing him of erecting an ugly wind turbine among their historic homes for no other reason than to show off his environmental "bling."
Iceland may be best known for world-famous musical export Bjork but there's a new star quickly gaining this island nation worldwide acclaim -- clean energy.
Texas may be best known for "Big Oil." But the oil that could some day make a dent in the country's use of fossil fuels is small. Microscopic, in fact: algae. Literally and figuratively, this is green fuel.
Some Florida amusement park visitors may enjoy space-themed roller-coasters, but the first vehicle they board at Orlando International Airport may be the most futuristic ride of their vacation.
What if you could provide the world with an endless supply of virtually carbon-free electricity; ensure a constant source of drinkable water to the world's most vulnerable areas; avert some of the world's future humanitarian crises; and save billions of dollars in the process? Certain concentrated solar power (CSP) proponents say there is no "could" about it -- it's more a case of "can."
Tree-hugging goes only so far. The modern-day breed of environmentalist has bigger, better, higher-tech solutions for fixing global climate change
Top executives of BP and General Motors Corp., two of the world's largest corporations, outlined on Tuesday their visions for the future of renewable energy.
The biggest investment Key Largo, Florida, homeowners John Hammerstrom and Diane Marshall made toward energy efficiency in their eco-friendly home is the 2.8-kilowatt Kyocera solar panel system that adorns their rooftop.
Acciona Energy doesn't just capture the sun's light to generate energy -- it corrals the sun's heat. Now the Spanish renewable power company has placed its first American operation in the desert flanking Las Vegas
If Congress passes legislation to roll back nearly $18 billion in tax breaks for large oil companies, advisers to President Bush will recommend a veto, the White House said Tuesday.
Can the traditional power industry meet skyrocketing energy demand and reduce pollution by embracing green energy?
Abu Dhabi has lots of oil and an enormous carbon footprint, but the capital of the United Arab Emirates is putting huge resources into alternative energy. Why?
While the Bush Administration continues to drags its feet on climate change, Montana has figured out 54 economy-boosting ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Despite the astronomical jump in clean-energy stocks in 2007, investors say 2008 will also be be a good year for most stocks in emerging energy technology.
Dear FSB: I have a small agribusiness in Senegal and would like to take advantage of solar power for my enterprise, due to the high cost of oil. How can I get in touch with solar companies to help my business and create a working relationship spread solar power in Senegal?
Andy Karsner was in an ebullient mood the other day, and for good reason. Congress had just approved an energy bill, which, despite serious flaws, puts the country on a path that will promote renewable energy, reduce our dependence on oil, dramatically increase energy efficiency and curb the growth in greenhouse gas emissions.
Widespread anxiety about the damaging effects of burning fossil fuels, coupled with a genuine fear that oil and gas will become scarce before the century ends are fueling a renewed interest in renewable energy and, in particular, solar power solutions.
What is the future for energy? Where will our power come from by 2020? Send us your thoughts and we'll print the best ones here.
The sun, we are frequently told, is the best source of energy there is -- so much so that in just one hour it can provide the earth with all the energy its inhabitants demand in a year. Not only can the sun provide us with all of our energy needs (10,000 times over in fact, according to Greenpeace) but it can also apparently do this without any of those unpleasant side effects that you get from fossil fuels such as air pollution or ozone depletion. And best of all, this resource will never run out -- or at least, not in the next 5 billion years or so.
A typical exchange about wind farms tends to go like this: 'Are you in favor of wind farms?' 'Yes, of course I am...so long as they're nowhere near my house'. Nevertheless, wind turbines are fast-becoming an important piece in the energy puzzle, contributing a growing percentage to our overall energy needs.
Dear FSB: My family owns property in a rural area of West Central Minnesota. We would like to install wind turbines there. Do you know of any company that would be interested in partnering with us?
Texas may be fabled for its oil wells, but it also produces more wind power than any other state.
In the two years since Stefano (Steve) Bertamini moved to Shanghai to become CEO of GE China, he has a sense that the days are less smoggy and more sunny.
The clean energy homes of tomorrow are on display all this week on America's Main Street, the national mall in Washington, D.C.- and they are generating excitement from the FORTUNE 500 companies, government advocates for renewable energy and even some venture capitalists.
In 1979, we helped organize five nights of concerts at Madison Square Garden and an anti-nuke rally that drew 200,000 people. These efforts and the ongoing work of many grassroots and national safe energy groups have helped to hold off the building of new nuclear reactors ever since.
Ready to take advantage of the federal government? You have until December 31. That's when Washington puts the kibosh on consumer tax credits of up to $500 for energy-saving products such as high-efficiency furnaces, water heaters, windows and insulation.
To hear environmentalists tell it, investing in renewable energy won't just provide a clean source of power, it will create an explosion of new jobs.
Several years ago a solar-powered, propeller-driven unmanned aircraft named Helios took off on a test flight from the Hawaiian island of Kauai. NASA had designed Helios to be powered all day by sunlight and all night by fuel cells. The "eternal airplane," it was called.
The first forays in solar technology began in the 19th century, yet today solar power remains on the fringes of society in terms of how much it serves our energy needs.
A 22-foot-long, neon-green banner hangs from the high-ceilinged lobby of the San Francisco headquarters of Pacific Gas & Electric, California's largest utility. "GREEN IS resisting the urge to drive to yoga," it declares. "GREEN IS saying no thanks to the daily disposable coffee cup."
Way back in 2006, John "Bish" Neuhauser was the poster child of the biodiesel business. The shaggy-looking snow groomer for the Canyons ski area near Park City, Utah, starred in the acclaimed Sundance Film Festival documentary on global warming, "Everything's Cool," in which he made his own biodiesel out of restaurant grease and converted all of the resort's vehicles to run on it. In 2007, however, Neuhauser no longer has to brew his own fuel - he just drives to nearby Salt Lake City, where manufactured soybean biodiesel is now available at seven pumps. "Making it is fun and liberating," he says, "but I'm just too busy."
Described as "possibly the greatest evolution in boats since the advent of steam," an ingenuously simple concept that combines sun and wind power with sophisticated computer systems is set to transform the future of navigation.
By now, you've probably heard that the solar energy business is booming. Wal-Mart and Tiffany's, Microsoft and Google, Estee Lauder and Target, Kohl's and Staples - all use or have announced plans to use solar photovoltaic panels on their rooftops to power their businesses.
California's Napa Valley, with its rolling hills, vineyards and prized terrain, produces some of America's finest wines. Here, tradition and craft are everything.
Is green energy a realistic aim for the future? CNN spoke to Gerhard Knies, co-founder and coordinator of TREC, about the potential of solar power and a world based on renewable energies.
Dr. Gerhard Knies is the coordinator of TREC, the Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation, a network of around 50 experts in renewable energies and sustainability.
It rains year round in Germany. Clouds cover the skies for about two-thirds of all daylight hours. Yet the country has managed to become the world's leading solar power generator.
Big business fears that the fight against climate change will cost billions are now giving way to a different view: green can be the color of money.
Talk about a sun spot.
The U.S. House Saturday passed a Democratic rewrite of U.S. energy policy that strips $16 billion in tax incentives away from Big Oil and puts it toward renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.
In Gudda, a village with very little, residents are literally beaming. Just two years ago, villagers had never seen light after dark, unless it came from the moon. Then, solar light arrived and changed everything.
Everyone wants to know where to put their money in alternative energy.
A San Francisco company said Friday it plans to build the world's largest, solar power "farm" near Fresno, California.
By now, virtually every American supports the goal of national energy security and nearly two-thirds of us, according to a recent Harris Interactive poll, believe that human activity is responsible for climate change. So everyone agrees on the goal: to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels that must be imported and that are responsible for greenhouse gasses. But there is no consensus on how to get there.
OK, so you want to cut your energy bill and help save the planet. But how?
Clouds hang low over the New Mexico desert, deep inside a military reservation a dozen miles south of Albuquerque. A breeze stirs the air; tumbleweeds roll by. Then the sun shines through and a low...
At last, solar energy is big enough and cheap enough to power electrical grids. Business 2.0 features the latest projects under the sun.
Consumers could be mixing margaritas at the beach this summer by plugging their blenders into boom-box-size solar-powered battery packs.
Wal-Mart is looking to the sun for power - and to save a few pennies on its electric bills.
Renewable energy could supply up to half the nation's current electricity demand and 40 percent of its transportation fuel demand by 2025, proponents said Tuesday.
Renewable energy could have the capacity to supply up to half the nation's current electricity demand and 40 percent of its transportation fuel demand by 2025, proponents said Tuesday.
Rex Tillerson is way out of line, and he knows it. "They want us to join the parade," he says, referring to assorted environmentalists, scientists, politicians, investors and others who've been lam...
I outfitted my consulting firm with the latest tools to conserve energy and generate clean power.
Coming soon to a test tube near you: America's new war.
For a company poised to revolutionize an industry, Firefly Energy is pretty hard to find. It's temporarily headquartered in a former mental-health facility that's now part of a community college, a...
It has been touted as the magic bullet that will help slow and possibly reverse global warming; the renewable energy source that allows us all to carry on driving our cars while at the same time protecting the environment.
Venture capital is sexy: The glamour of bringing a new business to market, the promise of big returns, the risk of losing it all.
Here's an idea that won't spark much controversy: To provide clean, reliable and affordable energy, and to effectively fight global warming, America needs to upgrade its electricity grid.
After ten years of flying jets for Northwest Airlines, John Plaza decided during a long, cold layover that he wanted to change the world. "I was flying cargo planes from Anchorage to Tokyo," says P...
Corporate America is doing backflips over renewable energy.
The green economy is booming, but you don't have to build a solar power station to get a piece of the action. There's literally a land rush on as renewable-energy companies look to secure locations for wind farms and solar arrays. If you move fast, you may be able to buy and flip the rights to the downtown rooftops and rural ridges that renewable-energy developers regard as prime real estate. There are two plays in this game, wind and solar, and each has its own rules.
1. Cell-Phone Giants Start Courting Coders
The rose pickers of one village outside Bangalore, India, typically got up before the sun, grabbed a basket with one hand and a lamp with the other, and hurried to the fields so they could bring th...
Wind. Biomass. Solar.
Don't try to sideline alternative energy.
Everyone wants to know where to put their money in alternative energy.
There's a missile-bunker vibe you get when walking into Solaicx, a Silicon Valley startup that manufactures the silicon wafers that are the building blocks of solar panels.
Executives from some of the world's leading alternative energy companies argued their case to big investors Wednesday, outlining why money thrown into the red-hot sector will pay off.
China, known worldwide for its smog-choked cities and rising status as global-superpolluter, may be cleaning up its act.
Solar startups are so 2006.
Every oil company likes to claim it's really in the energy business. But at Chevron, chief technology officer Don Paul is seriously thinking about the day the petroleum wells run dry. The first way...
The planet's most pressing environmental problems—global warming, energy shortages, overfishing, pollution—may seem just too big to be solved with today's technology. But don't despair: A lot of br...
Some of America's largest corporations pledged Monday to support green power, responding to a challenge posed by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Sick and tired of soaring gas prices? Now you can build your own alternative fuel plant and set your own limits.
The United States could get a quarter of its energy from renewable sources by the year 2025 at little or no additional cost if oil prices stay high and the cost of renewable energy keeps falling, a study by Rand Corp. said Monday.
Every oil company likes to claim it's really in the energy business. But at Chevron, chief technology officer Don Paul is seriously thinking about the day the petroleum wells run dry. The first way we'll cope, he says, is by extracting usable fuel out of tar sands, oil shale, and coal.
There's a missile-bunker vibe you get when walking into Solaicx, a Silicon Valley startup that manufactures the silicon wafers that are the building blocks of solar panels.
You don't have to be in the path of a hurricane to understand the power of wind.
Rattling down a red dirt road on the edge of the Australian outback, Roger Davey hits the brakes and hops out of a rented Corolla. With a sweep of his arm, he surveys his domain - 24,000 acres of e...
NASA scrubbed the much-delayed liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis on Friday amid concerns about a faulty sensor on the external fuel tank.
The growing myth that corn is a cure-all for our energy woes is leading us toward a potentially dangerous global fight for food. While crop-based ethanol -the latest craze in alternative energy - p...
CNN.com asked users for their ideas on the best way to fuel America and break the country's dependence on fossil fuels, especially from foreign sources. Here is a sampling of the responses, some of which have been edited:
Forget about the Fed. Attendees at Brainstorm had longer-term economic concerns.
Who wouldn't want to help the environment while increasing the value of their business and lowering their expenses?
Like a lot of people, the head of Calpers' environmental fund is hot on one particular renewable energy technology.
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