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Major Palm OIl Company Will Halt Indonesia Forest Destruction

Golden Agri-Resources will work with The Forest Trust to develop sustainable practices.

Carbon Trust Standard Reaches 500 Mark

500 organizations have now been awarded the standard for measuring and reducing carbon emissions.

Regional Banks Should Transform into Renewable Energy Banks

by James Eckler In the future, small and regional banks will grow more than large banks, even though we have lost 300 banks a year over the past decade, and losses will probably accelerate. Regionals will have to look for ways to be more flexible than the big banks. The focus of this article is on how regional banks can add new divisions that support a transition to renewable energy and a country that’s less dependent on imported oil, while supporting export expansion and job growth. The Problem: Growing Energy Demand, Decreasing Imported Oil The U.S. needs to decrease imported oil for power by increasing renewable energy sources for electricity and transportation. While we are decreasing imported energy, we need to handle domestic demand increases and as well as provide renewable energy to support export expansion and employment growth. We have two options. We can do like we did with the telecommunications industry and fund a capital-intensive industry with high cost debt arranged privately, or we can allow banks to arrange for debt financing. Bank Holding Company laws permit banks to work in conjunction with project developers to fund the "non-operating side" of new renewable energy plants. U.S. energy rates […]

Weekly Clean Energy Roundup: February 10, 2011

Clean Energy Can Meet Global Energy Needs by 2050 DOE, DOI Announce Offshore Wind Initiatives Better Buildings Initiative Announced SunShot Seeks Cost-Competitive Solar by 2020 DOE: $27M in Solar Manufacturing, Advanced PV Next Generation Commercial Air Conditioners Get Support DOE Offers Loan Guarantee for Advanced Biofuels Clean Energy Could Meet Most Global Energy Needs by 2050 A combination of energy efficiency and renewable energy can meet most global energy needs by 2050, according to a report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Two years in the making, The Energy Report: 100% Renewable Energy by 2050 finds that most of the world’s energy needs can be met with renewable energy, with only isolated residual uses of fossil and nuclear fuels. The report examines how the world can shift to clean energy sources, drawing mainly on technologies available today. Energy efficiency can drive global energy demand 15% below 2005 levels in 2050, even with population increases and higher industrial output, freight, and travel. Shifting energy use from liquid fuels to electricity derived from renewable energy sources connected to a smart grid is the other major path. Based on a detailed analysis by energy consultancy Ecofys, the report projects an 80% reduction in […]