As we wrap up this holiday weekend, here’s a summary of some of the top energy-related news stories from last week. Enjoy! 🙂
Greentech Media: Utilities See Growing Opportunities in the Community Solar Market
In 2010, there were only two shared solar projects in existence. Today, 77 utilities administer more than 110 projects across 26 states, accounting for a total capacity of about 106 megawatts, according to a new Deloitte report.
The Guardian: Rainwater harvesting and Rooftop Solar: World’s Greenest Shopping Center Could be Australian
Earlier this month, the Living Future Institute Australia launched the Brickworks Living Building Challenge Design Competition, a new global design competition that aims to reimagine retail centers. It calls on designers, environmental experts, architects, students, and even schoolchildren to submit ideas to Frasers Property on how it can make its new centre in Melbourne’s Burwood East a flagship of sustainability.
Mashable: Record $286 Billion Invested in Renewable Energy in 2015, More Than Double Fossil Fuels
In the latest indication that renewable energy sources like solar and wind power are ascendant worldwide, a new report finds that, in 2015, a record-breaking $286 billion was invested in renewable energy capacity worldwide.
The New York Times: Scientists Warn of Perilous Climate Shift Within Decades, Not Centuries
The nations of the world agreed years ago to try to limit global warming to a level they hoped would prove somewhat tolerable. But leading climate scientists warned on Tuesday that permitting a warming of that magnitude would actually be quite dangerous.
The New York Times: EPA Faces Bigger Tasks, Smaller Budgets and Louder Critics
Under fierce attack from the political right, and with even some Democrats questioning its competence, the Environmental Protection Agency is facing a tumultuous election year — with rising regulatory responsibilities, falling budgets and its very existence at stake.
The Washington Post: US OKs Offshore Wind Research Facility Off Virginia’s Coast
The development of offshore wind farms took another halting step forward Thursday with the federal approval of a research facility off Virginia’s coast to test wind turbines in a harsh open seas environment. The decision clears the way for the construction of two 6-megawatt turbines 27 miles off Virginia Beach on the outer continental shelf.