Excerpt from Wall Street Journal, May 7 Companies that build wind and solar farms are spinning off some of their renewable-power projects into stand-alone companies, creating a new avenue for green investing. Renewable-energy developers such as NextEra Energy Inc., SunEdison Inc., Pattern Energy Group LP, Abengoa SA and NRG Energy Inc. have transferred solar and wind farms, and in some cases other energy projects, to
The California Independent System Operator Corp. (ISO) analysis finds electricity supplies will be sufficient to meet the 2015 summer peak even under the extreme scenario of hot temperatures that only occur once every decade or so. A boost to grid reliability will come from additional generation, mostly solar, that has interconnected to the system, stable
The agency that regulates the oil industry in California is — by its own admission — in disarray. After a series of embarrassing disclosures about regulatory lapses that allowed drilling in protected aquifers, officials at the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources are trying to untangle years of chaotic operation. But the fixes aren’t
Money collected from ratepayers and earmarked for pipeline safety was instead spent on executive pay raises by the state's largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., in the months before a deadly pipeline explosion in 2010, lawmakers were told Wednesday. “In some cases, the utility did divert dollars we approved for safety purposes for executive
On a quiet Sunday morning last April, power plants were pumping far more energy into California's electricity grid than residents needed for their refrigerators, microwaves and television sets. So officials made an odd request in a state that prides itself on leadership in renewable energy: They asked wind and solar plants to cut back their
An oil company has sued to block San Benito County's voter-approved fracking ban in a move that could affect the growing trend of California cities and counties' efforts to stop the controversial oil drilling practice of hydraulic fracturing. In the lawsuit, Citadel Exploration, based in Newport Beach, is attempting to overturn Measure J, approved by
Environmental activists asked state energy officials to declare an end to a Massachusetts-based company's proposal to build a $4 billion clean coal plant near Tupman. Saying work on the project appears to have stalled, the Sierra Club joined two local groups in petitioning the California Energy Commission to "terminate" SCS Energy California LLC's Hydrogen Energy
Shares of Pacific Ethanol surged more than 11 percent to $10.40 in after-hours trading Wednesday afternoon after the low-carbon, renewable fuels manufacturer reported record fourth quarter and full year earnings. The Sacramento-based company, which operates a plant in Madera beat analysts’ expectations, reporting its adjusted net earnings for the most recent quarter were 41 cents
While California continues to make good progress in sustainable energy by doubling down on proven strategies and taking the lead on developing and implementing some “first-in-the-world” solutions, the magnitude of change needed to address the threats of climate change and meet more stringent federal air quality standards in the state will require even further innovation
Companies spent more than $1 billion in California’s latest sale of carbon emissions credits, making it the largest auction since the controversial “cap and trade” program began in late 2012. The reason: The program was expanded effective Jan. 1 to cover transportation fuels, and the state expanded the pool of available credits to accommodate the