Tag Archives: Land use

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A Solar Bill of Rights

When I heard about a new solar bill unveiled yesterday at the Solar Power International convention, my first thoughts were: Who’s the sponsor and what committee will hold the hearings? The answer to the first question is: Rhone Resch. That caught me by surprise. I know Mr. Resch only as the head a solar trade group, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). Hadn’t heard he had run for Congress.

Rhone Resch, head of the Solar Energy Industries Association

It turns out, Resch is not a member of Congress and no committee will decide the fate of this bill.

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Green groups support “responsible development” of desert solar

Parabolic trough system in desert

Parabolic trough system in the desert

As the popularity of solar and other clean renewable energy sources grows, environmental groups are playing a major role in shaping how the nation makes the transition to the new energy economy. One of the most visible examples of this renewed role for environmentalists is found in the the roll-out of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) on public lands primarily in the Southwest.

That’s not to say that all environmental groups agree on all points. Todd Woody, who blogs for the NYT’s Green Inc., recently covered one contentious issue in the Mojave Desert. Over at High Country News, Judith Lewis wrote a fascinating article in May about a schism between environmentalists over “Big Solar” in the Mojave.

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The top 10 energy sources

Stanford Professor Mark Jacobson

Stanford Professor Mark Jacobson

I was disappointed when I discovered that the list of experts at last week’s Clean Energy Summit would not include Stanford University’s Mark Jacobson. Of course, no individual is indispensable at such a summit. But as the day went by I felt his absence more and more keenly.

That’s because Jacobson is one of the few scientists looking at energy’s Big Picture. How big?

In an article published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science earlier this year, Jacobson reported the first quantitative, scientific study evaluating the top energy sources based on:

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