Tesla Motors vs. Chris Christie
Tesla Motors on Tuesday accused New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s administration of a political double-cross that could hobble the electric automaker’s growth in the Garden State. The New Jersey Motor...
View ArticleStudy: Chevron refinery plan won’t boost pollution
Chevron Corp.’s plan to upgrade its aging Richmond refinery won’t add to air pollution if the oil company follows all its proposed steps, according to a draft environmental report released Tuesday by...
View ArticleExclusive: Solar rivals Sungevity, Sunrun form alliance
In a move that unites two of the nation’s largest solar companies, Sunrun and Sungevity have formed an alliance to sign up at least 10,000 new residential customers. Both companies offer solar panels...
View ArticleSolar “net metering” extended by California regulators
If you’re a California resident who owns rooftop solar panels, you’ll want to pay close attention to a vote happening this morning in San Francisco. The California Public Utilities Commission is...
View ArticleSungevity solar raises $70m and hints of European plans
Sungevity‘s latest funding round, announced Friday, brought the fast-growing Oakland solar company $70 million — and a major new partner. E.ON, one of the world’s biggest investor-owned utility...
View ArticleQBotix solar robots get $12m in funding
QBotix, a Menlo Park startup that uses robots to keep solar arrays aimed at the sun, has landed another $12 million in venture funding. And this time, the money’s coming from two of the biggest power...
View ArticleGlobal warming fight: California’s next steps
California must double its pace of cutting greenhouse gases after 2020 — slashing emissions from factories and power plants, freight trains and farms — in order to meet its long-term global warming...
View ArticleEnerVault unveils large-scale “flow batteries”
In an almond orchard outside Turlock, California, two large tanks hold water, minerals — and more importantly, energy. The tanks are part of a “flow battery” that stores energy from nearby solar...
View ArticleUsing Groupon to go solar — for $1
Shoppers turn to online marketplace Groupon for cut-rate deals on vacations, watches, salad bowls, swimming lessons and spa reservations. But solar power? Starting today, SolarCity in San Mateo will...
View ArticleCalifornia in 8-state pact to boost electric cars
For Californians who own electric cars, driving solo in the state’s carpool lanes is a deeply cherished perk. Soon other states may grant them the same privilege. California joined Oregon and six east...
View ArticleEuropean utility picks Oakland’s Sungevity to sell solar
American utility companies tend to fear solar power’s rapid spread, worried that it will slowly chip away at their business. But in Europe, it’s a different story. E.ON Benelux, a division of one of...
View ArticleJerry Brown on clean energy: the hard part is yet to come
Despite all its efforts to curb carbon emissions and boost renewable energy, California has just begun its shift to a sustainable economy, Gov. Jerry Brown told a solar industry convention Monday. And...
View ArticleChevron’s Richmond refinery to limit sulfur, greenhouse gases
Chevron Corp. on Tuesday agreed to limit the greenhouse gases and sulfur produced by its Richmond refinery if the city council approves the company’s $1 billion plan to upgrade the aging facility. With...
View ArticleThe original ‘Model 3′ car wasn’t a Tesla
Tesla Motors has finally settled on a name for its third-generation car, dubbing it the Model 3. But it won’t be the first car to bear that name. The original Model 3 was a small, spartan and...
View ArticleCalifornia GOP turns on climate change law
If you want a sense of how politicized the fight against global warming has become, look no farther than the latest poll from the Public Policy Institute of California. The Institute surveys...
View ArticlePanasonic joins Tesla’s Gigafactory project
Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk’s dream of building an immense battery factory to supply his expanding line of electric cars took a big step closer to reality Thursday when Panasonic Corp. announced it...
View ArticleSomeday your sweat might power your phone
“Sweat-tech,” anyone? UC San Diego researchers have developed a skin patch that monitors an athlete’s performance during workouts and generates electricity from the sweat. While the idea is still in...
View ArticleTurning natural gas to gasoline — at $1 per gallon
Bay Area startup Siluria Technologies has developed a way to make gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from natural gas — not crude oil. And the oil industry has noticed. Today, the 6-old-company will...
View ArticleThis solar power plant burns how many birds?
No one denies that the massive Ivanpah solar power plant in the Mojave Desert kills birds, their feathers singed by intense, focused sunlight bouncing off fields of mirrors. But how many birds die at...
View ArticleThieves raid PG&E substation hit by snipers in 2013
A PG&E substation that was severely damaged by snipers in a mysterious 2013 attack was targeted by thieves early Wednesday, despite the utility’s efforts to beef up security. Sometime after...
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