President Trump’s budget proposes a major restructuring of the way electricity is bought and sold in Western states, which rely on hydroelectric power generated by government structures like the Hoover Dam in Nevada. Credit Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal, via Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Trump’s budget proposal for 2018 envisions a flurry of changes to domestic energy policy, reaping billions of dollars in one-time revenue from oil and gas resources while cutting research into future energy technologies that could pay long-term dividends. Mr. Trump’s budget, released Tuesday, says it will raise about $36 billion over the next 10 years by selling off major American energy r

5/17/17 Plan Complements State's Goal to Reduce Energy Sector Emissions 40 Percent from 1990 Levels by 2030 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the Methane Reduction Plan, a suite of 25 actions to reduce methane emissions from the landfill, oil and gas, and agricultural sectors across the state. The plan will be implemented by the New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation, Agriculture and Markets, Public Service, and the Energy Research and Development Authority, in conjunction with the Soil and Water Conservation Committee. The Governor is directing the state’s implementation of these actions by 2020 as part of New York State’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissio

As the solar industry continues to grow, so do its job opportunities. It's no surprise then that the fastest-growing job in the U.S. between 2012 and 2016 was for a solar photovoltaic installers or someone who assembles solar panels on roofs, according to MarketWatch, which cites a study from personal finance technology company SmartAsset. The job pays about $42,500 a year. Overall, the U.S. added 211,000 jobs in April, MarketWatch reports. This is an overall increase in employment, but some states and industries performed better than others. The second fastest-growing field was for mathematics and computer jobs, two of the fields that fall under STEM. Out of all 50 states, Michigan performe

South Africa's George Airport has become the first on the continent to be powered by solar energy. Courtesy George Airport Often in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by acres of land, South Africa's airport environs are solar farms waiting to happen. With over 2,500 hours of sunshine per year in South Africa, it makes perfect sense for the country's airports to tap into this local resource. In the last year Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has unveiled three solar-powered airports across the country, the first on the African continent to harness solar power. By the end of this year three more regional airports will join the green initiative by launching solar power plants. Half powered b

Advocate staff photo by LESLIE GAMBONI. Mayor Greg Lemons sits outside of Abita Town Hall in Abita Springs, LA. Friday, April 28, 2017. Mayor Lemons hopes to push Abita Springs towards renewable energy and green resources. In just 13 years, Abita Springs' elected and civic leaders hope to be able to say that everything in the town, from homes and businesses to public buildings and street lights, runs totally on renewable energy — something only a handful of places can claim. The goal, which the Town Council adopted by resolution last month, is ambitious, Mayor Greg Lemons acknowledges. Abita Springs, population 2,900, is a small town that doesn't have a lot of money to spend. But Lemons, who

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory Utility-scale solar installations—including both photovoltaic (PV) and thermal technologies—grew at an average rate of 72% per year between 2010 and 2016, faster than any other generating technologies. Utility-scale solar generation now makes up about 2% of all utility-scale electric generation. The first utility-scale solar plants were installed in the mid-1980s, but more than half of the currently operating utility-scale solar capacity came online in the past two years. As of December 2016, more than 21.5 gigawatts (GW) of utility-scale solar generating capacity was in operation across the Unit