By Roy L Hales
The numbers fluctuate. At 10:19 AM Pacific Time, on December 13, wind turbines fed 434 MW into the grid. There have been days when they produced 140% of the nation’s need. Then there is solar energy and biomass. According to the Danish Energy Agency, renewables supply 56% of Denmark’s Domestic electricity consumption.
Continue reading Renewables Supply 56% of Denmark’s Domestic ElectricityBy Roy L Hales
Porterville, California, is about to make transportation history. The little Californian city only receives an average of 13 inches of rain a year, which makes it particularly vulnerable to atmospheric inversion, which holds in the exhausts from vehicles, agriculture, and other sources. Thanks to a determined city hall, the number of Stage 1 smog alerts declined from over 100 per year, in the 1970s, to almost zero. On December 7, the California Air Resources Board awarded $9.5-million to replace its entire bus fleet. By January, 2018, Porterville should have America’s first 100% electric municipal bus system.
Continue reading America’s First 100% Electric Municipal Bus SystemBy Roy L Hales
The Standing Rock Sioux’s struggle to halt the construction of the Dakota Access pipeline, a half mile north of their reservation, has gained international recognition. The Guardian’s coverage began on April 2, with a story of 200 Native Americans who “took to horseback” in a mounted protest. In August, Reuters reported on the tribe’s attempt to obtain an injunction against construction. As of this morning, Democracy Now has posted 154 stories. That’s just the media. Many North American communities have held demonstrations. Two events, in a relatively remote part of British Columbia, illustrate the extent to which Cortes Islanders Support Standing Rock.
Continue reading Cortes Islanders Support Standing RockBy Roy L Hales
The provincial government has known about our massive potential since 1983. Two years ago the Canadian Geothermal Energy Association (CanGEA) released a report stating British Columbia could develop geothermal for half the cost of hydro. Now, as pipelines and the controversial Site C Dam dominate the headlines, BC’s first geothermal power project could be weeks from drilling.
Continue reading BC’s First Geothermal Power Project Could Be Weeks From Drilling
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley applauded the Prime Minister’s “extraordinary leadership.” Peter McCartney of the Wilderness Committee calls it “a betrayal of promises made in the last election to act on science, gain public approval and respect Indigenous rights.” There are already 7 legal challenges of this project underway, and more will follow. The government of Canada approved Kinder Morgan’s pipeline expansion, “subject to 157 binding conditions.”
Continue reading Canada Approved Kinder Morgan’s Pipeline Expansion
